Recent News Coverage

• UK palm oil consumption fuels Colombia violence, says report
  Rory Carroll
  The Guardian (UK)
  The surge in demand has sustained a ruthless landgrab by rightwing paramilitary groups in Colombia's rural areas, War on Want, a London-based advocacy group, says

• Los cocaleros sin voz de Taraza
  Juan Diego Restrepo
  Semana (Colombia)
  Los campesinos cocaleros son tan ilegales como lo eran los paramilitares que se desmovilizaron. Sin embargo, a los primeros el gobierno les ha dado todo el apoyo

• Uribe: ¿Thatcher o Putin?
  Álvaro Forero Tascon
  El Espectador (Colombia)
  De la exaltacion populista de los valores y odios de su pueblo, para generar una popularidad que no gasta en verdaderas reformas, sino en concentrar mas poder

• Colombia rebels tied to cells abroad
  Agence France Presse
  The Washington Times
  The daily El Pais said the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were using a strategy involving setting up legal organizations, clandestine groups and new guerrilla teams

• US senator eyes deal to help pass Colombia pact
  Doug Palmer
  Reuters
  The Guardian (UK)
  The fate of the Colombia agreement has been up in the air since April when Pelosi pushed through a vote to indefinitely delay action

• El rey de burlas del Congreso
  Semana (Colombia)
  En la Comision de Acusaciones se juega, en buena parte, la suerte de la crisis institucional colombiana. Pero debil, abrumada, con procesos poco transparentes y demasiado cargada de oficialismo

• E.U. volvera a desplegar una gran fuerza naval en los mares de America Latina
  Hugo Alconada Mon
  La Nacion (Argentina)
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  El anuncio levanta ampolla en algunos gobiernos

• Evo pide a las cocaleras que continuen en la lucha social
  La Razon (Bolivia)
  El Presidente clausuro ayer el Congreso de la Federacion de Mujeres del Tropico en el Chapare. Insto a controlar el cato de coca

• El Presidente espera hoy a los prefectos para dialogar
  La Razon (Bolivia)
  Las autoridades de las regiones opositoras analizaban esta madrugada en Santa Cruz si aceptaban o rechazaban la invitacion

• Un dirigente de las FARC estaria en el Chapare
  La Razon (Bolivia)
  Lo dijo el colombiano John Marulanda. Afirma que estaria alli “para prevenir que Evo Morales sufra un golpe de Estado”

• The Price Of Bananas
  Steve Kroft
  60 Minutes
  CBS News
  Steve Kroft On How Colombian Paramilitaries Landed A U.S. Corporation In Hot Water

• La maquina de propaganda de Uribe
  Maria Jimena Duzan
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  Donde el paralelo es innegable es en el terreno de la utilizacion que hacen de ciertos analistas, a quienes los medios colombianos graduaron de grandes expertos y hasta de periodistas

• Bye, bye, Alto Comisionado
  Mauricio Vargas
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  La tarea desmovilizadora en el frente de las Auc ya termino. La de busqueda de negociacion con la guerrilla fracaso. La conclusion es obvia: Restrepo debe irse

• La paradoja de ‘Macaco’
  Semana (Colombia)
  La primera extradicion de un comandante paramilitar representa un duro golpe para la elite del crimen en el pais, pero tambien es un fracaso diciente en la negociacion con las AUC

• La segunda muerte de los secuestrados
  Natalia Springer
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  Hemos condenado a nuestros secuestrados a una segunda muerte, a una segunda desaparicion por la via de la indiferencia y el olvido, porque no somos capaces de movernos

• Deal or No Deal?
  Sallie James
  Cato Institute
  National Review
  Democratic leaders scuttled the Colombia deal so thoroughly that some now wonder if they’ve inadvertently become victims of their own success

• Colombia's V-P dismisses rights criticism as left-wing bias
  Mike Blanchfield
  Canwest News Service
  Canada.com
  Santos said left-leaning, anti-trade, anti-globalization forces, aligned with the radical left in his own country, are following a rigid agenda that is not giving proper credit to progress in Colombia

• Asesinan a fiscal de sindicato de trabajadores de agroempresa palmicultora
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  A raiz del crimen hay sorpresa y preocupacion en los directivos sindicales de la agroempresa

• A traves de satelite ubican fosas comunes en Norte de Santander
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  Tras cinco anos como ingeniera minera, Claudia Marcela Contreras ahora utiliza su GPS para ayudar a la Fiscalia a descubrir las tumbas de personas desaparecidas

• Los desentierros de oriente
  Mauricio Builes
  Semana (Colombia)
  En algunos pueblos de Antioquia se esta volviendo un verdadero 'paseo de olla' ir a buscar fosas para desenterrar a los familiares desaparecidos

• Que no se despeluquen tanto
  Maria Isabel Rueda
  Semana (Colombia)
  De financiar campanas con dineros del narcotrafico, pasamos a hacer alianzas politicas con paramilitares asesinos y narcos. Si con lo primero no paso nada, ¿por que si iba a pasar con lo segundo?

• No se han dado cuenta
  Daniel Coronell
  Semana (Colombia)
  Yidis Medina habia entregado declaraciones publicas acusando al senador Luis Alberto Gil de tener nexos con paramilitares y de lucrarse con los dineros de la salud en Santander

• Storied Paper Bets on a Daily Future in Colombia
  Juan Forero
  The Washington Post
  Among journalists, here and beyond, the paper's decision to go daily has generated something of a collective, "Say what?"

• Mockus propone gran marcha contra procedimiento para reelegir a Uribe
  Caracol Noticias (Colombia)
  El ex mandatario dijo que es necesario que los colombianos salgan a las calles a manifestar la indignacion que les producen las noticias sobre la supuesta compra de conciencias de congresistas

• Los guerrilleros intentaron comprar misiles tierra-aire en el este de Europa
  M. Rico
  El Pais (Spain)
  Los ordenadores incautados a Raul Reyes, numero dos de las FARC, muestran que Venezuela estaba sirviendo de puente de la guerrilla con los mercados de armas de Europa del Este

• E.U. podria proponer una base en La Guajira
  Angelica Lagos Camargo
  El Espectador (Colombia)
  El representante diplomatico de Estados Unidos en Colombia hablo sobre extradicion, la guerrilla, la parapolitica y la base de Manta

• Chavez say Colombia's Uribe trying to spark war
  Reuters
  Chavez's statements come just days after U.S. officials renewed accusations that Chavez has aided Marxist rebels

• Los papeles de las FARC acusan a Chavez
  Maite Rico
  El Pais (Spain)
  Documentos en poder de EL PAÍS extraidos del ordenador de Raul Reyes -el numero dos de las FARC muerto en un ataque el 1 de marzo-, revelan que el presidente venezolano, Hugo Chavez, financio y armo a la guerrilla colombiana

• A presentar pruebas de sus nexos con las Farc reto Chavez al gobierno de Colombia
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  Hugo Chavez desestimo la autenticidad de los archivos contenidos en el ordenador que le fue incautado al abatido jefe de las Farc

• Masacre en el computador
  Semana (Colombia)
  La ultima revelacion del portatil de Raul Reyes es que las Farc mataron a seis venezolanos en Venezuela y Hugo Chavez se puso de acuerdo con esa guerrilla para ocultarlo y echarles la culpa a los paramilitares

• Ecuador Opposes Outpost in American War on Drugs
  Simon Romero
  The New York Times
  To Ecuadoreans, Manta is a flash point in a regional debate over the limits of American power in Latin America

• Continuing Promise Brings Guatemalan Navy Sea Cadets to Boxer
  Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Jackson
  USS Boxer (LHD 4) Public Affairs
  U.S. Southern Command
  Thirty members of the Guatemalan Navy Sea Cadet Academy toured USS Boxer (LHD 4) May 7 as part of the Pacific phase of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008

• Guatemalan Military Welcomes Boxer, Kicks Off Continuing Promise
  Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jon Rasmusse
  USS Boxer Public Affairs
  U.S. Southern Command
  Guatemalan military leaders ceremoniously welcomed USS Boxer (LHD 4) to Puerto de San Juan on May 7 to mark the official beginning of operations in Guatemala as part of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008

• The Push to Privatize PEMEX
  Jessica Pupovac
  In These Times
  Halliburton is licking its chops at the prospect of Mexico’s state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos going private

• Venezuela’s President Scorned by Bitter Political Foe: His Ex-Wife
  Simon Romero
  Ms. Rodriguez emerged as a vocal critic of Mr. Chavez’s policies last year by urging voters to reject his constitutional reform package

• Praised in U.S., vilified at home
  Ian James
  Associated Press
  The Houston Chronicle
  American group awards $500,000 to student who led protests last year in Venezuela

• Republicans press Pelosi for Colombia pact vote
  Doug Palmer
  Reuters
  Rep. Roy Blunt, a member of the House Republican leadership, said in a letter to Pelosi that passing the Colombia free trade deal would help the U.S. economy

• GOP isn't letting Colombia die
  The Politico
  House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) today, arguing that passing the trade pact would serve as a stimulus to the economy

• Venezuelan Bonds Decline After Report of Chavez's Links to FARC
  Lester Pimentel
  Bloomberg
  The report spurred concern the U.S. State Department will put Venezuela on its state sponsors of terrorism list, which would force U.S. investors to liquidate holdings of the country's securities

• Files show ties of Venezuela-Colombia rebels -U.S.
  Reuters
  "It (the analysis) reinforces the U.S. government's strong position that Chavez is attempting in various ways to project his influence throughout the region and that influence in some ways could be construed as destabilizing," the intelligence o

• Colombia shows new rebel documents that link Venezuela
  Frank Bajak
  Associated Press
  Google
  They detail alleged meetings between senior Venezuelan officials — including that country's chief of military intelligence and interior minister — and top leaders of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

• Editorial: Chavez and FARC
  National Post (Canada)
  The activities described in the Colombian FARC files should arouse the highest indignation wherever the ideal of nonintervention between sovereign states is still taken seriously

• Chavez Denies Collaborating With Colombian Rebels
  Daniel Cancel And Matthew Walter
  Bloomberg
  Chavez said in comments broadcast by state television that he never collaborated with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia

• US calls computer files linking Chavez to FARC authentic: report
  Agence France Presse
  Google
  FARC Commanders Ivan Marquez and Ricardo Granda wrote that they met with Chavez in November and that he had gave orders for rest areas and hospital zones to be created for FARC fighters inside Venezuela

• Bush touts his record on Latin America
  Pablo Bachelet
  The Miami Herald
  In a defense of his Latin American legacy, President Bush blasted Raul Castro's economic reforms and stressed the need for 'social justice' and free trade

• President Bush Attends Council of the Americas
  The White House
  Unfortunately, today some countries in the region are seeing a resurgence of radicalism and instability. And one nation in the region remains mired in the tyranny of a bygone era -- and that is Cuba

• Argentine Pilots Train with George Washington Carrier Strike Group
  MC2 Riza Caparros
  USS George Washington (CVN 73) Media Department
  U.S. Southern Command
  The GW CSG is in South America, currently engaged in maritime exercises for Partnership of the Americas, which is designed to promote interoperability and security throughout the hemisphere

• Investigaran acusaciones de Yidis Medina contra Uribe
  El Espectador (Colombia)
  La Sala Penal de la Corte Suprema de Justicia envio copias de las declaraciones de Yidis Medina para que se investigue a quienes le ofrecieron o dieron dadivas a cambio de su voto a favor del proyecto de reeleccion presidencial

• World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick Praises Colombian Development Efforts
  The World Bank
  During his first official visit as World Bank president to Colombia, Mr. Zoellick met today with President Alvaro Uribe and members of his cabinet to discuss the Bank’s new Country Partnership Strategy for Colombia

• Farc dinamitaron oleoducto Transandino
  El Espectador (Colombia)
  El grupo guerrillero ‘volo' cinco tramos del oleoducto que se extiende por el sur del pais. El atentado provoco un incendio que no ha podido ser controlado aun

• "Macaco" esta dispuesto a seguir con versiones libres
  Carlos Olimpo Restrepo S.
  El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia)
  Su abogado en E.U. revelo comunicado emitido desde su carcel

• World Bank urges U.S. to pass Colombia trade deal
  Reuters
  "It's an agreement that would benefit both Colombia and the United States," said World Bank President Robert Zoellick

• Democrats' Michaud Criticizes Canada-Colombian Trade Agreement
  Theophilos Argitis
  Bloomberg
  ``I don't buy Prime Minister Harper's argument,'' Michaud said by telephone, referring to Canada's Stephen Harper

• Colombia massacre troops jailed
  BBC (UK)
  A Colombian army colonel and 14 other soldiers have received prison sentences of up to 54 years for the killing of 10 undercover police officers

• Former colonel gets 54-year term for massacre in Colombia
  Cesar Garcia
  Associated Press
  The Guardian (UK)
  A judge on Wednesday gave a 54-year prison term to a cashiered army lieutenant colonel who was convicted of ordering the massacre of 10 elite anti-drug police

• Chavez Aided Colombia Rebels, Captured Computer Files Show
  Jose De Cordoba And Jay Solomon
  The Wall Street Journal
  The trove -- found on a dead guerrilla leader's laptops during a military raid in March -- is likely to ratchet up pressure for the U.S. to impose sanctions on one of its most important oil suppliers

• Colombia descubre un plan para asesinar al ministro de Defensa
  Luis Jaime Acosta
  Reuters
  Yahoo!
  Las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia descubrieron un plan de la mayor guerrilla izquierdista para asesinar, posiblemente con un coche bomba, al ministro de Defensa

• Ecuador dice que E.U. ayudo en ataque
  Colprensa, EFE
  El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia)
  El ministro de Defensa de Ecuador, Javier Ponce, dijo ayer que hay razones para creer que el ataque colombiano al campamento de las Farc el primero de marzo pasado, en el que murio alias "Raul Reyes", fue realizado con el auspicio de un gobierno

• Cuba embraces golf to boost tourism
  Anthony Boadle
  Reuters
  The Washington Post
  Investors from Canada and Europe have proposed building gated communities with luxury hotels, villas and condos surrounding 18 and 36-hole golf courses near beach resorts across the Caribbean island

• Bush criticizes Cuban changes as falling short
  Jeremy Pelofsky
  Reuters
  U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday accused new Cuban leader Raul Castro of making empty gestures of reform

• Bush reaches out to Cuban activists pushing democracy
  Associated Press
  Google
  In his speech, Bush said "there's no change at all" in Cuba since Fidel Castro stepped down in February

• Bush dismisses changes in communist Cuba as cosmetic
  Agence France Presse
  Google
  US President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged communist Cuba to free political prisoners and dismissed as "cosmetic" social and economic changes Raul Castro has made

• Cuba USAID program gets overhaul
  Paul Richter
  The Los Angeles Times
  Washington works to improve and broaden the democracy program, which has been criticized as wasteful and corrupt

• JTF-Bravo Aviators Fly Casualty Evacuation Mission
  Tech. Sgt. William Farrow
  Joint Task Force-Bravo Public Affairs
  U.S. Southern Command
  Army aviators from Joint Task Force-Bravo, contributing to a regional disaster exercise May 6, landed their helicopter on a 3,000 foot high mountaintop in the outskirts of San Salvador

• Sailors Work With Habitat for Humanity to Build Homes in El Salvador
  Forward Operating Location Comalapa, El Salvador Public Affairs
  U.S. Southern Command
  Sailors and U.S. contractors assigned to Forward Operating Location (FOL) Comalapa continued their mission with Habitat for Humanity by completing the construction of four new homes

• We can stop starvation, violence in Haiti
  Barbara J. Jordan
  The Miami Herald
  We cannot sit back and pretend while human beings living only a few hundred miles away are reduced to eating grass and dirt

• Argentine farmers announce fresh action
  Jude Webber
  Financial Times (UK)
  Argentine farmers on Wednesday announced a return to their roadblocks just over a month after a crippling 21-day strike sparked by a rise in export tariffs, causing an immediate spike in international grain prices.

• Sin acuerdo el agro y gobierno de Argentina
  Associated Press
  El Nuevo Herald
  Las principales entidades rurales de Argentina no lograron un acuerdo con el gobierno ayer sobre un nuevo esquema impositivo a la exportacion de granos y adelantaron que volveran a las protestas en todo el pais.

• La OEA seguir su misin mediadora en Bolivia
  Mauricio Rabuffetti
  Agence France Presse
  El Nuevo Herald
  Las declaraciones del director de la oficina de la OEA en Bolivia (Bernhard Griesinger) son insensatas e incomprensibles'', expreso Dante Caputo, el secretario de Asuntos Politicos de la OEA.

• Bolivia heading in the wrong direction
  The Miami Herald
  Our Opinion: Time running out for Morales to find a peaceful way out

• Opening Statement: Central America and the Merida Initiative
  Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY)
  House Committee On Foreign Affairs
  U.S. House Of Representatives
  To be frank, I am disappointed that Mexico would receive less than $300 million of the $500 million requested by the Administration. I hope to work with the appropriators in conference to push this number up

• Testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
  Assistant Secretary Of State Thomas Shannon
  House Committee On Foreign Affairs
  U.S. House Of Representatives
  The Central America portion of the Merida Initiative is a comprehensive public security package

• Testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
  Geoff Thale
  Washington Office On Latin America
  U.S. House Of Representatives
  While the diagnosis is right, the specifics of the Merida proposal in terms of how to address those problems in Central America are nonetheless flawed

• Testimony Before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
  Harold Sibaja
  Creative Associates International, Inc.
  U.S. House Of Representatives
  I would like to address the findings of the USAID-funded Youth Gang Assessment that provided the basis for several initiatives under the Youth Alliance Program which ended earlier this year

• Central America and the Merida Initiative: A Governance Perspective
  Beatriz C. Casals
  Casals & Associates, Inc.
  U.S. House Of Representatives
  The Merida Initiative responds to the urgency of addressing the problem of crime, violence and drug trafficking

• Yidis Medina le entrego a la Corte las colillas de consignaciones a cuentas de Teodolindo
  Cambio (Colombia)
  La ex congresista Yidis Medina entrego a la Corte Suprema de Justicia 12 comprobantes de consignaciones bancarias por 221,4 millones de pesos que, segun ella, prueban que el tambien ex representante Teodolindo Avendano recibio dinero a cambio de ausentars

• Colombia drug suspect Carlos Mario Jimenez extradited to U.S.
  Chris Kraul
  The Los Angeles Times
  The former leader in a right-wing paramilitary group called AUC is to face drug trafficking charges.

• "Macaco" ya escucho cargos por narcotrafico en E.U.
  El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia)
  El ex jefe paramilitar Carlos Mario Jimenez, alias "Macaco", fue imputado ayer de manera formal de varios cargos por narcotrafico, por los que podria afrontar una condena de, al menos, 20 anos en Estados Unidos.

• Colombia Extradites Paramilitary Leader
  David Luhnow
  The Wall Street Journal
  In a move that could help its image in Washington, Colombia extradited a notorious paramilitary leader Wednesday to face drug-trafficking charges in the U.S. -- the first time the Andean nation has sent a right-wing boss to face the music in the U.S.

• Detienen a alias 'Santiago', presunto jefe del frente 'Manuel Cepeda' de las Farc en Buenaventura
  EFE
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  Se trata de Gustavo Arbelaez Cardona, contra quien existen seis ordenes de captura por los delitos de rebelion, secuestro y terrorismo.

• 54 anos de carcel para coronel Bayron Carvajal por muerte de 10 policias y un civil en Jamundi
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  El juez Cuarto Penal del Circuito, Octavio Lopez, impuso 52 anos de prision al teniente Harrison Eladio Castro, comandante de la unidad Lince, y 50 anos para los otros 13 militares.

• Former colonel gets 54-year term for massacre in Colombia
  Cesar GarcIa
  Associated Press
  A judge on Wednesday gave a 54-year prison term to a cashiered army lieutenant colonel who was convicted of ordering the massacre of 10 elite anti-drug police in an ambush on a lonely country road.

• Colombia massacre troops jailed
  BBC (UK)
  A Colombian army colonel and 14 other soldiers have received prison sentences of up to 54 years for the killing of 10 undercover police officers in 2006

• "Mark Him on the Ballot - The One Wearing Glasses"
  Constanza Vieira
  Inter-Press Service
  "If you don't vote for Uribe, you know what the consequences will be," the villagers were told ominously

• Explosion mato a ecuatoriano en bombardeo a campamento de 'Raul Reyes', afirmo Gobierno colombiano
  El Tiempo (Colombia)
  El Gobierno y las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia "honran el Derecho Internacional Humanitario y los Tratados Internacionales vigentes", decia la nota leida a los medios por el canciller Fernando Araujo.

• Bush pitches funding plan for military aid to Mexico
  Stewart Powell
  The Houston Chronicle
  President Bush on Wednesday showcased his request for $500 million in U.S. military assistance to help Mexico combat murderous drug cartels

• No cesa la violencia en Mexico
  Agence France Presse
  El Nuevo Herald
  La ola de violencia continuo ayer en Mexico, donde al menos siete personas fueron asesinadas en las ultimas horas, incluidos otro jefe policial de la fronteriza Ciudad Juarez y tres civiles alcanzados por balas perdidas en un choque entre militares y sica