At the start of December, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez conceded defeat in his referendum on constitutional reform—but stated: “This is not a defeat. This is another ‘for now.’” The proposed amendments included some populist measures (formal prohibition of torture and… Read moreOur readers write: whither chavismo?
Turkish military authorities announced Dec. 26 that fighter jets again hit bases of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, in a third confirmed cross-border air raid in the past 10 days. Ankara called the raids an “effective pinpoint… Read moreTurkey bombs Iraq —again!
From the Committee for the Freedom of the University Students, support group for dissident students at Amir Kabir University of Technology (formerly Tehran Polytechnic), Dec. 19: Turn December 28 Into An International Day of Protest Against the Arrests of Students… Read moreInternational day of action for arrested Iranian students: Dec. 28
Honduras officially joined Petrocaribe on Dec. 21 during the group’s Fourth Summit, held in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The 16-member Petrocaribe is a mechanism for providing Venezuelan oil to other Caribbean countries at full price but on easy terms which include payment… Read moreHonduras joins Petrocaribe
Leftist Ecuadoran president Rafael Correa declared a state of exception (which suspends some legal norms) in the southeastern village of Dayuma on Nov. 29 following protests there. Dayuma’s 2,800 residents live in poverty despite petroleum extraction operations in the area… Read moreEcuador: Correa puts down oil protests
On Dec. 18 Argentine judge Ariel Lijo gave seven former military officers and one former police agent prison sentences of 20-25 years in connection with the disappearance of some 20 members of the rebel Montonero organization in 1980. This was… Read moreArgentina: seven ex-officers arrested
The 82-year-old Gregorio Alvarez, former Uruguayan army commander and president (1981-1985) of the military junta that ruled the country after a 1973 coup, was imprisoned on Dec. 17 in Montevideo after Judge Luis Charles ordered his arrest for participation in… Read moreUruguay: ex-dictator arrested
On Dec. 14 US president George W. Bush signed legislation approving the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA, or TLC for its initials in Spanish), which will eventually eliminate tariffs between the two countries. The signing took place at a ceremony… Read morePeru trade pact enacted; Uruguay holds out
Colombia’s main opposition party, the Polo Democratico, has issued a strong statement against Plan Colombia. The communique is also a grim assessment of Alvaro Uribe’s Democratic Security policy, heavily influenced by Washington. The Polo cites the increase of human rights… Read moreColombian democratic opposition rejects Plan Colombia
On Dec. 13, an observer who works for an international body set up to monitor Colombia’s demobilization process received a death threat while visiting a poor neighborhood in MedellĂn. Since 2004, the Mission to Support the Peace Process (MAPP), under… Read moreOAS Peace Mission official threatened in Colombia
Workers march in Baghdad Striking teachers rally Iraq’s teachers and healthcare workers are uniting with other public-sector employees to demand the government take action on improving working conditions, and pledge to begin a campaign of public sit-ins in Baghdad Dec…. Read moreIraq: public-sector workers launch sit-in campaign
Pakistan’s security forces have been waging a “secret war” in the Baluchistan region since the death of tribal leader Mir Balaach Marri in combat last month. Peter Tatchell writes in The Guardian, Dec. 21: “The often indiscriminate attacks on civilian… Read morePakistan’s army wages “secret war” against Baluchistan
