Latin American currencies rose dramatically on Sept. 19 after the US government proposed an unprecedented $700 billion bailout of US financial companies holding bad debt. The Brazilian real went up 3.5% to 1.8298 to the US dollar, its biggest gain… Read moreLatin America: markets react to financial crisis
On Sept. 15, at least 12,000 Colombian sugar cane cutters went on strike to protest the systematic violation of their labor rights and human rights. The workers cut sugar cane for 16 sugar mills in the Cauca river valley, primarily… Read moreColombia: striking cane-cutters attacked
From Human Rights Watch, Sept. 19: Sao Paulo – The Venezuelan government’s expulsion of two Human Rights Watch staff underscores the Chávez administration’s increasing intolerance of dissenting views, Human Rights Watch said today. The government expelled JosĂ© Miguel Vivanco, Americas… Read moreVenezuela: Human Rights Watch delegation expelled
Bolivia’s government said Sept. 17 it had recovered full control of the country’s network of natural gas pipelines after 17 days of anti-government protests. Protesters who occupied the Vuelta Grande natural gas processing plant and a pipeline control station in… Read moreBolivia: government regains control of gas lines
Bolivian soldiers arrested the opposition prefect of Pando department, Leopoldo Fernández, on Sept. 16. He was flown to La Paz to face genocide charges in connection with last week’s massacre of at least 16 peasant supporters of President Evo Morales…. Read moreBolivia: Pando governor arrested; US turns up the heat
On Aug. 25, the workers of the sugar cane industry in the Colombian departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca held an assembly in the town of Candelaria, Valle, attended by more than 7,000, where the decision was taken to… Read moreColombia: sugar cane workers threatened
As South America’s presidents converged on Chile Sept. 15 for an emergency summit on the crisis in Bolivia, President Evo Morales accused his political foes in the eastern lowlands of mounting a “civic coup,” and inciting “crimes against humanity by… Read moreBolivia: who controls Pando?
The opposition prefect of Bolivia’s eastern Pando department, Leopoldo Fernández, is facing an order for his arrest from the national government following violence at Porvenir, 30 kilometers east of the department’s capital, Cobija, that left 16 dead Sept. 11. Interior… Read moreBolivia: 18 dead in Pando, governor ordered arrested
The US Sept. 12 announced it will expel the Venezuelan ambassador, and declared that Venezuela’s top two intelligence officials have supported “narco-terrorist activities” in the region. The Treasury Department accused the intelligence officials of aiding Colombia’s FARC, “even as it… Read moreUS boots Venezuelan ambassador
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez told a crowd of thousands of supporters in the city of Puerto Cabello Sept. 11 that he is giving US Ambassador Patrick Duddy 72 hours to leave the country—saying he issued the order in solidarity with… Read moreVenezuela boots US ambassador
Two Russian Tu-16 bombers landed in Venezuela Sept. 10 as part of military maneuvers. President Hugo Chávez said he hopes to “fly one of those things” himself. The maneuvers mark the first time Russian strategic bombers have landed in the… Read moreVenezuela hosts Russian bombers —and Hezbollah?
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales ordered the expulsion of the US ambassador Sept. 10, charging him with inciting violent opposition protests. “The ambassador of the United States is conspiring against democracy and wants Bolivia to break apart,” Morales said at the… Read moreBolivia: US ambassador expelled amid “civil war” fears
