Central America. The Latin American Herald Tribune reports that civil society organizations in Nicaragua—including the Nicaraguan Human Rights Center (Cenidh), the Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations (Fong) and the Civil Coordinating Committee (CC)— will fight Daniel Ortega administration’s plan to control NGOs. Many civil actors say Ortega seeks to control the funding that local NGOs receive, on grounds that they allow exterior forces to meddle in matters of internal politics.
EFE reports on Mauricio Funes’s recent trip to Venezuela, where it seems the Salvadoran president elect went out of his way to say the trip did not mean he had forgotten that Brazilian President Lula da Silva was his point of reference in terms of someone whose governing style he hopes to emulate.
Spain’s El País reports on the important role Central America, and Nicaragua in particular, have played in illegal arms trafficking in Latin America.
And Samuel Logan at Security in Latin America reports on alleged outposts of Zetas hitmen along the Belize-Mexico border, an “underreported transit zone” for illegal activity.
Argentina. Ahead of June legislative elections, a judge in Argentina has set off controversy by ruling that five deputy candidates from an opposition coalition in the Buenos Aires province were ineligible for failing to meet residency requirements.
Bolivia. At the Democracy Center’s blog, there’s a very good recap of U.S.-Bolivian relations in the wake of Asst. Secretary of State Tom Shannon’s visit last week. Worth reading.
The Washington Times writes about impeachment charges facing Bolivian Supreme Court chief justice, Eddy Fernandez, what the paper calls “the beginning of an effort by President Evo Morales to impose his will on the nation's judiciary.”
Reuters reports on a change of course, or sorts, as President Evo Morales this week said he would indeed open archives related to military disappearances between 1960 and 1980. A week prior Morales inferred that no such archives existed in Bolivia.
The BBC writes about festivities in Bolivia marking the 200 year anniversary of the country’s uprising against Spanish rule. Speaking at the events in La Paz, Evo Morales said Latin Americans were now engaged in a second struggle for liberation against capitalism.
And, at Upside Down World, writer Ben Dangl writes a moving tribute about Abraham Bojorquez, a well known Bolivian hip hop artist and activist from El Alto who was killed this week in a bus accident.
Brazil. Inter Press Services writes of mixed reviews on a new community policing program (Pacification Police Unit or UPP) in Rio de Janeiro slums. The security program has involved the arrival of elite military police units to crack down on drug trafficking gangs, followed by the UPP entering communities and increased social spending.
The Financial Times writes that new South African leader Jacob Zuma should look to Brazil’s Lula for tips on how to govern.
The AP reports that Brazil's Supreme Court approved the extradition to the United States of a Colombian-born drug lord, Pablo Rayo Montano, accused of running one of the world's largest drug smuggling operations.
Also, the AP writes that the son of a Sicilian mafia boss was arrested in a multinational fraud sting. He had been living under a false name in Brazil for 15 years.
And in The Economist, a report on the Brazilian judicial system, and Supreme Court in particular, which the magazine says has a history of being overstretched. However, under 2004 reforms the court was allowed to create binding precedents that must be followed by lower courts in similar cases, and a watchdog body has been set up to keep an eye on judges.
Chile. Inter Press Service reports on a new study by five young journalists in Chile, detailing the role of famous conservative newspaper El Mercurio during the Pinochet dictatorship.
Colombia. El País interviews, the now former Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, who says he will wait for Uribe’s decision on re-election before launching a possible candidacy.
Colombia Reports writes on last Thursday’s meeting between Congressmen Bill Delahunt and Jim McGovern and Colombian opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba. The discussion centered around the liberation of FARC hostages, Cordoba said.
The BBC reports this week that Nicolas “Gambino” Rodriguez, leader of the other Colombian guerrilla group, the ELN, appealed to the FARC this week, saying the two organizations must stop fighting against one another.
On the Uribe re-election question, Americas Quarterly has a piece on its blog saying the question of a third-term for Uribe is one of many factors that Congress will consider critically when looking at a supporting an FTA with Colombia.
Semana writes about the Colombian experts in the Obama administration, citing James Steinberg, Dan Restrepo, among others who make up a group of policy makers that know much about “the Colombian reality.”
The International Crisis Group has a new policy brief out (which IPS writes about) arguing that President Uribe has achieved important security gains but has also breached international law and violated human rights. Pessimistically, the report says “Colombia is still not close to the end of its armed conflict.”
And Garry Leech at his Colombia Journal critiques a recent WaPo article by Juan Forero on the apparent success of anti-drug efforts that incentivize alternative crops. Leech writes that in more remote villages unvisited by Forero, “a majority of the population in the region has abandoned their homes and lands due to fear of the military, death threats or the inability to survive economically due to the eradication of coca.” See Leech’s article on the same PCIM’s that Forero writes of here.
Cuba. The Miami Herald reports on new video that might explain the purge of top Cuban officials a few months ago. In the video, Carlos Lage and Felipe Pérez Roque are shown making jokes about Fidel Castro's infirmities and questioning Raúl Castro's ability to govern the country.
The LA Times reviews Julia Sweig’s forthcoming book, “Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know.”
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs details the case of the Cuban Five.
And, is there anything to learn from Cuba? Two articles this week say yes. In The Guardian a piece, Andrew Simms say Cuba has endured the loss of cheap oil imports, hurricanes, and economic crisis yet has maintained its strong education and health care system. While the website International Rivers says Cuba has innovated in its energy sector, “mobilizing consumers to replace more than 9 million incandescent light bulbs – almost 100% of the bulbs used in the country – with compact fluorescents within six months. The article adds that under the Cuban program, more than 2 million energy-efficient refrigerators, 1 million fans, 182,000 air conditioners and 260,000 water pumps were also sold.
Ecuador. AFP reports that Rafael Correa has nixed a free trade deal with the EU, saying the EU was trying to get a deal that “mimics rules of the World Trade Organization.”
In Quito, EFE reports that Evo Morales, Rafael Correa, and Hugo Chávez met during Ecuadorean independence day celebrations to reaffirm the continuation of their respective revolutions. The report notes that while the so-called “socialist trinity” promote “21st century socialism,” there economic management has been distinct.
Also, Correa and Chávez agreed that UNASUR should create a mechanism that defends governments from abuses by the media, described by Chávez as an “enemy of change.”
And, the Ecuadorean ambassador to the U.S. responds to a WaPo article on drug trafficking spill-over from Colombian into Ecuador, saying “Colombian irregular groups cross the border because of the Colombian government's omissions on its side of the border.”
Haiti. The AP reports that the most recent round of flooding in Haiti has killed 11 and destroyed over 1,000 homes.
Mexico. EFE reports on the extradition of a sociology professor in Mexico, Miguel Angel Beltrán, alias “Jaime Cienfuegos,” believed to also be a member of the International Commission of the FARC. Students and professors at the UNAM where Beltrán was doing his postdoctoral studies held protests against his extradition on Monday.
El País reports on the launching of a new government campaign, Vive Mexico, to restore the Mexico’s image after the curses of swine flu, drug violence, earthquakes, etc.
On the same subject, the New York Times says Veracruz Gov. Fidel Herrera has one idea to bring back tourists: build a statue of 5-year swine flu survivor, Edgar Hernández, the first person in the world known to have survived the virus. And, yes, there was another earthquake this week, 5.7 on the richter scale and shaking, but not harming, Mexico City.
The AP writes that the top security chief of Zacatecas, Alejandro Rojas, resigned this week after 53 inmates escaped from a prison with the alleged complicity of guards.
The Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center is plugging once again its recently released report with policy ideas around security cooperation, economic integration, migration, and border management for the U.S. and Mexico.
Two views on arms trafficking to Mexico in the El Paso Times this week debate whether or not the figure of “90%” is appropriate for talking about those arms seized in Mexico that actually arrive from the U.S. See here and here.
And, finally, the Mexico Institute reports on its site that the National Council on Public Security (CNSP) in Mexico will meet on Thursday to analyze and approve at least 13 federal government strategies to combat kidnapping and drug trafficking. The group will also start the new National Public Security System (SNSP). The report says that “states that do not comply with their obligations will see the withdrawal of their security budgets, and that there will be a greater focus on citizen participation.”
Peru. Reuters writes that some economists are very skeptical of official statistics on economic growth in Peru, saying government figures are painting a picture of economic expansion when in fact the Andean country is in a recession.
Uruguay. Ahead of internal party primaries, La República writes that Frente Amplio coalition presidential favorite José Mujica, a former Tupamaro guerrilla fighter, has left his party, the Movement for Popular Participation, in an attempt to unify the coalition.
Venezuela. EFE reports on university student protests against education budget cuts last Wednesday. President Chávez recently cut the budget for education from $77.9 billion to $72.74 billion, citing the fall in the international price of oil.
EFE also writes that Manuel Rosales received opposition leaders in Peru, most from the state of Zulia.
The Financial Times reports on the mixed feelings of many indigenous Venezuelans toward President Hugo Chávez. Good on rhetoric, say many, poor on follow-through.
Human Rights Watch joined in the criticism of President Chávez for his threats leveled against Globovisión this week with Americas Director Jose Miguel Vivcano saying the state is “abusing its broad regulatory powers to harass its critics.” And so did Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair, Sen. John Kerry, who said Chávez’s comments against Globovisión were “deeply troubling.”
Rory Carroll reports from Caracas for The Guardian with a bizarre story about the Venezuelan auto market. According to Carroll, used cars now sell for more in Venezuela than new ones. Worth a whole read to understand the mystifying economics.
The CS Monitor writes on its blog that a new Univ. of Maryland/Zogby poll shows that Hugo Chávez is the most popular world leader in, yes, that’s right, the Middle East of all places.
And, finally, a marathon/superproduction of “Alo Presidente” was announced this week by President Hugo Chávez. The now famous weekly “variety show,” as El País calls it, hosted by the president himself, will run four straight days this week (Thursday to Sunday) in four episodes-as-telenovelas. I am not quite sure what that means, but stay tuned to find out! And maybe take an hour to watch Front Line’s interesting report, “The Hugo Chavez Show,” before-hand, if you haven’t already.
No comments:
Post a Comment