Mexico’s powerful drug cartels are buying cocaine directly from Colombia’s main guerilla group, Colombian deputy defense minister Sergio Jaramillo charged Oct. 7 at an OAS anti-crime conference in Mexico City. Jaramillo said that Oliver Solarte, finance chief of the FARC‘s… Read moreColombian guerillas linked to Mexican cartels?
Forensic examinations have determined that five bodies found in Ayacucho department, Peru, are relations of Lucy Pichardo, a peasant woman who reported the disappearance of 11 family members after the National Police had conducted a “counter-subversive” operation in the area…. Read morePeru: disappearances in Ayacucho
President Evo Morales said Oct. 4 that he has rejected a request from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to fly over Bolivian territory. “Two days ago I received a letter…asking a government institution for permission to fly over national… Read moreBolivia: Evo bars DEA overflights
In the first six months of 2008, the “desplazados,” or internally displaced persons from Colombia’s conflict, reached a record number of 270,675—about 41% more than the same period in 2007. “The national rate shows an average of 632 desplazados for… Read moreColombia: war refugees reach two-decade peak
“Post-conflict” is a buzz-word these days in Colombia. Since the demobilization of 30,000 paramilitaries, Colombian officials celebrate the country’s “transition”; many Washington policymakers are convinced Colombia is now on the right track. In this phase, there are only “emerging criminal… Read moreColombia: wave of violence and threats against popular leaders
A former paramilitary fighter testified in special judicial proceedings that Colombia’s armed forces chief, Gen. Mario Montoya, delivered weapons to a paramilitary death squad when he was a commander in MedellĂn, and the Colombian prosecutor general has opened an investigation… Read moreColombian army chief accused of arming paramilitaries
Latin American leaders who came to New York the week of Sept. 22 for the annual opening session of the United Nations General Assembly suggested that the US and European countries should use economic models from the South to resolve… Read moreLatin America: reactions to “giant’s toppling”
According to exit polls, Ecuadoran voters overwhelmingly backed a proposal for a new Constitution in a referendum held Sept. 28. The Santiago PĂ©rez InvestigaciĂłn y Estudios polling firm showed 66.4% of voters supporting the measure, while Cedatos-Gallup put the proportion… Read moreEcuador: easy win for new constitution
China and Venezuela signed 12 energy agreements in Beijing Sept. 25, calling for the South American country to export half a million barrels of oil a day to the Asian giant starting next year. The deal was signed on the… Read moreChávez in oil deal with China, arms deal with Russia
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
