Afghanistan
Afghanistan: US troops raid Swedish hospital?
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan accused US troops of storming through the charity’s hospital in Wardak province, breaking down doors and tying up staff.
Author: CounterVortex
Iran
Iran approves defense minister wanted in Buenos Aires terror blast
Israel and Argentina condemned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s choice for new defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi—a man wanted in the 1994 deadly bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center.
The Andes
Peru: VRAE populace rejects “combat zone”
In a joint statement, local authorities and social organizations in Peru’s conflicted ApurĂmac and Ene River Valley (VRAE) rejected government proposals to declare the aera a “combat zone.”
Central America
Guatemala: ecologist assassinated at Lake Izabal
Guatemalan community leader SofĂa Vidal Osorio was slain by unknown gunmen in the Sierra Caral, a mountain range she was campaigning to be declared a protected area.
The Amazon
Peru: indigenous leaders reject Hunt Oil concession in rainforest
The communities of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in Peru’s rainforest region of Madre de Dios announced a decision rejecting the operations of Hunt Oil on their territory.
The Amazon
Peru: “truth commission” on Amazon massacre established
Peru’s Amazon indigenous aliance AIDESEP hailed the government’s formation of an investigative comission on the Bagua massacre as “an important step” towards reconciliation.
The Andes
Evo demands Peru yank asylum status for wanted Bolivian ex-ministers
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales demanded Peru suspend the refuge status it has granted three Bolivian ex-cabinet ministers who face “genocide” charges in their home country.
The Andes
US military bases for Peru?
Peru’s Defense Minister Rafael Rey, speaking in spport of US plans for military bases in Colombia, lamented that “we cannot count on North American aid” to fight narco-terrorists.
The Andes
Peru: narco-senderistas down helicopter
A Peruvian air force helicopter crashed after being hit with rifle fire from Sendero Luminoso insurgents, killing the pilot and co-pilot and gavely wounding a solider.
The Andes
Colombia: hip-hop artist assassinated
A hip-hop artist who works with youth cultural programs in the violence-torn MedellĂn district of Comuna 13 was killed by gunmen on a motorbike.
The Andes
US to make case for Colombian bases before UNASUR
The US ambassador to Colombia says the US has accepted invitation to attend the next UNASUR sumit to put its case for military bases in the Andean nation.
Mexico
Mexico: massacre in Juárez, assassination in Michoacán
Gunmen massacred 16 at a drug rehab center in Ciudad Juárez, while the state sub-secretary for Citizen Protection was killed in a drive-by attack in Michoacán.