Fausta's blog

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts included in the Carnivals, please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

The big story: The FARC has set up undercover cells abroad in 17 countries.
Spanish newspaper El Pais published yesterday a report, Las FARC crean células clandestinas para su expansión internacional
Documentos del ordenador de Reyes revelan una red de apoyo en 17 países.
FARC creates clandestine cells for international expansion
Documents from Reyes's computer reveal a support network in 17 countries.

The article (in Spanish) states that the FARC, through its Coordinadora Continental Bolivariana (CCB) [Continental Bolivarian Coordination] network created in 2003, the FARC has developed a strategy that involves legal groups, clandestine cells and guerrilla training. These groups are closely associated with leftist organizations in seventeen countries, including Germany and Switzerland.

They opened four organizations in Mexico, managed by two cells that answer directly to the Secretariado, the FARC's leadership.

In the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela the FARC sponsor guerrillas through so-called "Biodiversity Forums", in addition to "official political-diplomatic relations" with Communist parties and the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador.

Their aim, is

"Crear un gran Ejército revolucionario con el apoyo de masas para derrocar el sistema capitalista e instalar el socialismo".
"To create a great revolutionary Army with the support of the masses in order to destry the capitalist system and install socialism."

Al Jazeeera has a related Report: Farc set up cells abroad

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has established undercover cells abroad in 17 countries, a Spanish newspaper says, quoting from documents found on the computer of Raul Reyes, a slain commander of the anti-government group.

All this information comes from the computers seized from Raul Reyes.

Both Interpol and US intelligence officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have verified that the Reyes files are authentic.

Maite Rico of El Pais continues today their series on the FARC with this article, La guerrilla que pasó a ser mafia
Los documentos de Raúl Reyes reflejan la descomposición interna de las FARC The guerrilla that became a mafia: Raul Reyes's documents show the FARC's internal corrosion.

Among the details in today's article in addition to their narcotraffic involvement, the FARC is the world's largest planter of land mines, their ties with internations criminal organizations, and their revenues from kidnappings, among them half a million dollars revenue from kidnapping two Swiss executives from pharmaceutical company Novartis.

You can read the articles at El Pais in Spanish. The above is my translation and summary. Please credit me if you use it. Thank you.
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Add Angela Merkel to the list of people Hugo has insulted: Venezuela's Chavez slams Germany's Merkel comments

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday almost told German Chancellor Angela Merkel to go to hell, but stopped short of insulting the woman leader on Mother's Day.
Instead he called her a political descendant of Adolf Hitler and German fascism.
"Ms. Chancellor, you can go to ...," he said, pausing for effect and eliciting giggles from the audience, a group of military officers, cabinet ministers and government officials. "Because she's a woman I won't say anything else."

Being insulted by Chavez is indeed a mark of honor.
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CARNIVAL LINKS:

LATIN AMERICA
South America: Leaders Warn of Autonomy Attempts in Venezuela, Ecuador

Narco subs pose new challenge for US coast guards

BOLIVIA
Chavez Threatens To Intervene in Bolivia!

Bolivia's largest state votes on sweeping autonomy measure

Open letter to my Santa Cruz friends in Bolivia

BRAZIL
Amazon's future in delicate balance

CHILE
Hacker leaks 6m Chileans' records

COLOMBIA
New Colombia drug gangs wreak havoc

CUBA
The "Non-Judgmental" Michael Moore

Slave-labor tourism: Destinations: Varadero and Havana

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Two Cheers for Fernandez: The president heads for a third term

ECUADOR
Ecuador's Constitution: Going nowhere
Another leftist bogs down

Chavez and Correa Must Go: FARC Materials Authentic

MEXICO
Mexican Drug Cartels Making Audacious Pitch for Recruits

Democrats wrong on cutting Mexican anti-drug aid

Via Siggy, Believers flock to 'Narco Saint's' shrine

NICARAGUA
Nicaraguan Councils Stir Fear of Dictatorship

PERU
Peru Takes The Other Path

Poverty amid progress: A revolution in South America's fastest-growing economy is not reaching everyone

PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary roundup at American Taino

Obama Slaps the Puerto Ricans in the Face

VENEZUELA
A must-read: From FARC to Venezuela to...

Chavez sought Belarus help for Colombian rebels: report

Chavez Tried to Arm FARC with Help From Belarus
Chavez tried to get arms from Belarus for FARC
Chavez tried to arm FARC, El Pais reports

Via Maggie and Instapundit, Morning Bell: Why Are Liberals Actively Helping Terrorists?

Colby Cosh on Hugo Chavez and FARC: Meet the Western Hemisphere's first state sponsor of terrorism

A simple cure for Venezuela's inflation

ENTERTAINMENT
Time to dance to Imigrante latino by Hermanos Flores (Flores Brothers) from El Salvador:




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Labels: Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, FARC, Hugo Chavez, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, terrorism, Venezuela

As I noted in Monday's Carnival, Santa Clara, Bolivia's richest province, voted for autonomy from the central government by an 85% margin last weekend, thereby rejecting Evo Morales's and Hugo Chavez's socialist plans.

As you can well imagine, Chavez wasn't going to like that. Not surprisingly, Rafael Correa of Ecuador joins him in the chorus, and they both blame the CIA:
South America: Leaders Warn of Autonomy Attempts in Venezuela, Ecuador

Presidents Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and Rafael Correa of Ecuador warned of possible "contagion" in their countries by the autonomy movement in the eastern Bolivian province of Santa Cruz.

"The central plan by the CIA (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency) and its lackeys in Venezuela is to take control of regional governments to carry out illegal referendums like the one held (Sunday in favour of autonomy) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. But we will defeat that plan!" said Chávez.

Would the real reasons lie in the SantaClarans desire for prosperity and liberty? Would there be a historical reason?

Bolivia "has faced regional unity problems since it was founded by the independence hero (Simón Bolívar, 1783-1830)"

Not if you listen to Hugo; it's all the CIA's fault.

Latin American Communists blaming the CIA was old even when I was a little kid, but it's an easy scapegoat and right out of the Latin American Idiot's phrase book. Play me the world's smallest violin.



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Labels: Bolivia, Ecuador, Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, Venezuela

UPDATE
Via Instapundit,
Interpol Confirms Authenticity Of Raul Reyes's Computer Files
Welcome to this week's Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts on Latin America and the Caribbean included in the next Carnival, please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com. Please send only posts directly related to Latin American and Caribbean news and politics, not to commercial endorsements and advertising of resort areas and the like.

This week's big story:

Santa Cruz, Bolivia's largest province with 1.5 million inhabitants which Simon Romero describes as

a boomtown in the fertile lowlands. There avenues of glistening office buildings house some of Bolivia's largest private companies and the headquarters of most foreign corporations operating in the country.

Besides finance and resource extraction, Santa Cruz is also home to agribusiness concerns that produce much of the nation's food.

has voted for autonomy from the central government by an 85% margin, thereby rejecting Evo Morales's and Hugo Chavez's socialist plans:

"I hope the government will hear the call of its people now, and not the call of [Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chavez] and will start choosing its own course and accept this autonomy and decide it's time to sit down and talk", former president and leader of the opposition Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga told the BBC.

Evo Morales, who has taken steps to increase state control of the economy by ordering foreign energy and telecommunications companies to give control to the government, is not taking this well and rejected the autonomy vote claiming that as many as half the ballots were invalid. There was some rioting following the vote.

Three other eastern states - Beni, Pando and Tarija - hold autonomy votes next month.

More links and details below in the Bolivia section.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Financial Times' Americas

LATIN AMERICA
Waving, not drowning: Cocaine now moves by submarine

ARGENTINA
Cristina in the land of make-believe

Argentina rattled by Falkland drilling plans

BOLIVIA
Santa Cruz Autonomy Vote Passes In Bolivia-- Morales Supporters Promise War

Santa Cruz de la Sierra: Arriesgandolo todo por la autonomía

Via Babalu, Los Ponchos Rojos

At least 21 injured in Santa Cruz autonomy referendum

Bolivia region 'chooses autonomy'

Viva La Revolución

BRAZIL
Good news from Brazil: S&P's rates it "Investment grade', but the big story in the country was that soccer star Renaldo got caught with three transvestite prostitutes because of "psychological problems due to his knee injury."

CHILE
Thousands evacuated as Chile volcano spews ash

Chile: One, two, three,...FOUR times a lady!

COLOMBIA
Colombia captures drug dealer wanted by US

Southern Exposure

CUBA
'This the Development of the World'

Via Babalu, Babalu, Art Deco Havana:


Committee of elders Raúl institutionalises a gerontocracy

ECUADOR
Ecuador considers enshrining women's right to sexual pleasure. Maybe they'll meet up with some of the older Chileans?

The sins of legitimizing terrorists

JAMAICA
A new face

MEXICO
Democrats stalling on Mexico aid to fight drug insurgents

Mexico's Revolutionary: Felipe Calderon's Multi-Front War for Modernity

PARAGUAY
Via Maria, IRAN'S WINNING LATIN POWER PLAY

Paraguay wants to renegotiate Itaipu treaty with Brazil

PERU
Alan García: Peru's Born-Again Free Marketeer

PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rican superdelegates back in the news

VENEZUELA
Hugo's All-Too-Predictable Shortages

Party in the House of Pain: Tout le Seattle Will Be There Sans Moi Bien Sur

Is Chavez a CIA agent?

Unfraternal: Squabbles in the ruling party

US Democrats: Hugs for Hugo

Hugo, we're watching you

Break out the Champagne!

US Terror report cites Venezuela, Iran Syria

Special thanks to Maggie, Maria, Eneas, Larwyn, and GM Roper.



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Labels: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Latin America, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts included in the Carnivals, please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

Today's big story: Bill Richardson's trip to Caracas to ask Hugo Chavez, who has given $300 million dollars to the FARC, to negotiate for the release of three American FARC hostages.

Simon Romero of the NY Times reports,

The meeting itself was exceptional, marking a rare personal encounter between and a prominent American official and Mr. Chavez, following a sharp deterioration of political relations between the Bush administration and Venezuela’s government.

It's not clear whether Richardson is ignorant of or indifferent to the anti-American propaganda Chavez spews weekly on TV.

Video: Bill Richardson habló después de reunirse con Chávez, video in Spanish:


IBD Blogs commented on the visit. Others blogging about it:
Richardson working hard for his VP spot with Obama
Foreign policy by BDS
Gov. Bill Richardson Meets With Hugo Chavez
No thugs left to pander to
I also posted about it yesterday.

Another big story from last week, the body of Beatriz Porco, a 22-year-old Bolivian who won a scholarship to study medicine in Cuba two years ago, was returned to her family on April 2, minus several internal organs, including the girl's brain, kidneys, lungs, and uterus. Humberto Fontova writing at NewsMax notices that this is not the first time this has happened under the Cuban "free healthcare" system.

LATIN AMERICA
NAFTA is working

ARGENTINA
Argentina Farmers Ready to Revolt Again

Official: Argentine economy minister resigning

BOLIVIA
Morales sees threat from 'separatist' groups

Bolivia's Morales: End Capitalism to Save the World

Once more to the brink

BRAZIL
Brazil Oil Finds May End Reliance on Middle East, Zeihan Says

Brazilian Assumptions of a McCain Victory 'Premature,' 'Reckless'

COLOMBIA
What's at Stake in Colombia

Colombia denuncia nuevo ataque de las FARC desde Ecuador

Guerrilleros de las FARC atacaron con armas no convencionales desde Ecuador a tropas de Colombia que prestaban seguridad a una petrolera, que cumple actividades de exploración en la frontera binacional, denunció el sábado el comandante del Ejército colombiano, general Mario Montoya.

Cousin Mario: "Parapolitics" touches the first family

FARC computer reveals more South American ties

CUBA
WaPo Editorial: No Space for Dissent

Parallel Universes

The Elian Gonzalez Case

As usual, it's fidel's fault

Fins ain't wot they used to be

ECUADOR
Official: Laptop reveals ties to Ecuador

New documents from computers seized in a March raid on a FARC camp in Ecuador show that the guerrilla group may have ties to a prominent Ecuadorean politician.

Dictator Correa is Indeed an "Outrage to Democracy"

Southcom: Air base in Ecuador will not be replaced

"My Hands are Clean and Bloodless, Something Uribe Can't Say"

GUATEMALA
The Indian/Guatemalan Tuk-Tuk Connection?

MEXICO
Mexico's Calderon Makes Fierce Defense Of NAFTA

Kidnappings soar in Mexico as drug gangs seek new income

Editorial: Calderón can't expect unconditional aid

Mexico’s Hugo Chavez wannabe

PARAGUAY
Paraguay wants to renegotiate Itaipu treaty with Brazil

Paraguay’s historic election

Latin America’s Latest Marxist Leader Takes Power in Paraguay

Fernando Lugo, Hugo's latest buddy

PERU
EEUU instalará base militar en Iquitos en reemplazo de la de Manta, revelan

VENEZUELA
Gary Casparov on Chavez

Chavez according to Caballero

Venezuela's Chavez wants government monitoring of news

Abridged world history of lie

Cattle Call in Venezuela

Venezuela nationalisations show disarray

Video
HACER's Eneas Biglione was a guest on "Four Corners" of Press TV, making the case for NAFTA and Free Trade Agreements.

BLOGGING ABOUT THE CARNIVAL
Obi's Sister



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Labels: Argentina, Bill Richardson, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Hugo Chavez, Latin America, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela

LatAm leaders in food price pact

Four Latin American leaders, meeting in Caracas, have agreed on a $100m (£50m) scheme to combat the impact of rising food prices on the region's poor.

The presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela and Cuba's vice-president also agreed on joint programmes to promote the development of agriculture.

Chavez's efforts at creating a command economy and setting price controls has lead to shortages of beef, poultry, sugar, milk, ground coffee, cheese and beans for over a year. Cuba's ruined economy for decades has had its people subsisting on rations that are worse than slave rations.


The article's caption to this photo reads "Cuba is among several countries dependent on food imports"; The reason for that is that Communism ruined the Cuban agricultural industry. The Cuban regime can not subsist without foreign governments bankrolling it. In the olden days, it was the Soviet Union, and this meeting would have taken place in Havana. Nowadays, it's Chavez who's providing the funds, so the meeting took place in Caracas.

Bolivia and Nicaragua now join them on the path to ruin.



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Labels: Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts included in next week's Carnival, please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

The big story this week? Barack Obama's Communist ties, which may include the FARC. More thoughts on that at American Thinker.

Another important story just developing right now: Opposition victorious in Paraguay

Former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo has won Paraguay's presidential election, ending more than six decades of rule by the Colorado Party.

More at the link.

BLOG OF THE WEEK
LatinAmericaBlog

LATIN AMERICA
Democrats are shaping Latin America policy in dramatic ways

Do Border Walls Cause More Harm Than Good?

ARGENTINA
Argentine president orders probe into massive fires

BOLIVIA
Cloning Chavez

BRAZIL
Brazil warns FARC to stay out, but...

Two from the Economist: The Delights of Dullness
Oil: More Bounty. Could Brazil become as big an oil power as it is an agricultural one?

COLOMBIA
Via Roger, Travel writer tells newspaper he plagiarized, dealt drugs

The Uribe Temptation. America stiffs its best friend in Latin America. How much will he really care?

The case for Colombia: the Washington Post takes side for Colombia and against Venezuela

A Conversation With Alvaro Uribe

South America's Most Troubled Border

Obama's trade pandering

which brings us to Today's cartoon:
Via ECrisis:


CUBA
Remembering the Bay of Pigs: April 17, 1961

The sudden shock of cold water

Cuba and the Vatican

ECUADOR
Banana Republic and Friends

Something Good This Way Comes

JAMAICA
Dual But Unequal: The dual citizenship debate

MEXICO
Mexico's Unfinished Reform
President Calderón tackles the state oil monopoly -- and the anti-democratic forces that support it.

PARAGUAY
Liberation Politics: The Colorado Party's 61-year grip on power may be at an end (see also top story above).

PERU
A strange tale out of Peru on bird flu.

PUERTO RICO
US Justice Department probes shipping practices to Puerto Rico

Pre-Raphaelites from Puerto Rico

VENEZUELA
Chavez helps out Haitians, continues to ignore Venezuelans

Hugo Chavez Supporter Bundled $50,000 Donation For Barack Obama

Venezuela is now the biggest importer of foreign weapons in South America, and ninth world-wide

Caracas is more dangerous than Baghdad

A First Nations chief from southern Manitoba is asking Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for $1 million to fight for pipeline royalties.

The Simpsons are back

Chavez helps out Haitians, continues to ignore Venezuelans

Errors, Lies and Manipulations on education in the times of Chavez and his brother

Hugo needs the money, pronto



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Labels: Argentina, Barack Obama, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The big story: Nancy Pelosi throws Colombia under the bus by postponing a vote on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The message Pelosi has sent the world is that in America, the only superpower in the world, political squabbles take precedence over security interests. By doing so, Nancy Pelosi has covered herself in a cloak of shame and infamy. Unfortunately for us, everybody in the hemisphere will have to pay the consequences. Scroll down for all the links and roundup on the story.

Another small big story, Bill Clinton went to Puerto Rico to woo the underwhelming crowds in preparation for the June 1 Democrat primary.

LATIN AMERICA
A Coming Test of Virtue
Once a byword for financial busts, Latin America has so far escaped this credit crunch unscathed. But for how much longer?

ARGENTINA
Argentina's beef with its farmers

BOLIVIA
ETA operating in Bolivia

Bolivia using star of David in new ID cards Branding Bolivian Jews

BRAZIL
Brazil reduces its dependence on foreign...condoms

CHILE
Via Gates of Vienna, Chile: Palestinian refugees arrive to warm welcome

COLOMBIA
To free trade or not to free trade with Colombia?
Pelosi's War
Drop Dead, Colombia
Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocks a trade deal with America's closest South American ally
Edward Schumacher-Matos
SwordsCrossed
Red State
Is Hillary Running on Colombian Cash?
WSJ
Colombia's Plata Says Rejecting Trade Accord Same as Sanctions
National Review
Pelosi's bad faith
Obama: Trade with Cuba- Good... Trade with Colombia- Bad

A dark day in history: Nancy hands out 'the Chavez Rule'
Democrats' lose-lose strategy in Colombia
Hillary vs the Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Pelosi plays politics with Colombia trade deal

CUBA
Cuba si, Colombia no?

The devil is in the details

ECUADOR
Pay Pals of Soros's Barack Obama Take Center Court in Ecuador's Specious Claims: Undermine Foreign Policy and Rule of Law

$16 billion environmental lawsuit tests Chevron

HAITI
After Protests, Haitian Leader Announces Rice Subsidies

MEXICO
Government Cracks Down On Illegal Immigrants

Playing Monopoly in Mexico

Mexicanos prefieren a Hillary

Mexico's energy reform: Regeneration. Felipe Calderon sends a modest plan to Congress, which girds for battle

Vodka wars:
The Absolut Mexico kerfuffle through the prism of history
A toast to Skyy Vodka, the beverage of anti-reconquistas
Via Instapundit, SKYY® Vodka, Made in the USA, Proudly Supports Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

NICARAGUA
Ortega's winning ways showing through

PERU
Rumble in the jungle: How barefaced capitalism can help save the Amazonian rainforest

PUERTO RICO
Governor's legal fight fuels the turmoil in Puerto Rico. Campaign-finance charges dog Nov. re-election chances

Bill Clinton to Puerto Rico: 'We Need You'

Clinton in Puerto Rico

"Yes, Bill Clinton is here"

VENEZUELA
The Danilo Anderson case collapses: who is going to pay for ALL the wasted lives?

If it is Wednesday it must be Chavez' day to nationalize steel

FACTBOX: Venezuela's nationalizations under Hugo Chavez

Smoot-Chavez

Hugo Chavez's Submarines of the Caribbean

Chavez pitches Africa on the Nationalizing the Oil Industry

Strategic Move: Hugo Chávez seeks to nationalise the cement and steel industries and his armed forces are now occupying 32 sugar plantations

Podcast:
I was a guest at Mid Stream Radio and talked about Venezuela



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Labels: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Latin America, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

I was in NYC attending the Free Speech in an Age of Jihad conference today. It was an excellent conferece, and the panelists were extraordinary. Had the pleasure of meeting judge Robert Bork, whose books I have read.

Pamela was blogging the conference, and she told me that Bolivia is now using the star of David in their new ID cards. I was apalled, since a while ago had been told that there were rumors about this, but now it is a fact: The cards are being issued in the Santa Cruz region, which has been very vocally against Evo Morales's policies.

This is one of the more bizarre stories to come from that part of the hemisphere.

The Washington Times explains,

The appearance of a Star of David on new national identity cards has alarmed opponents of President Evo Morales, who recall how the symbol was used to brand Jews in Nazi Germany.

Tiny six-pointed stars within a tight circle are printed on the back side of some, but not all, recently issued picture IDs in the Santa Cruz region. The mark was present on three cards seen by The Washington Times.
...
What puzzles Mr. Klinsky and others is that the marked ID cards do not appear to target people who are Jewish or have Jewish ancestry.

Mr. Klinsky, a member of the political opposition to Mr. Morales' leftist government, suspects — but is unable to prove — that the motive is political.
...
Col. Ruben Camacho, the director in Santa Cruz for the national identification system, told The Times that the symbol means "nothing bad."

He said that it was stamped as a "security feature" on some cards by a subordinate to safeguard against duplication and counterfeiting.

The ID cards appear to be used for identifying/singling out some individuals.

For what purpose?



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Labels: Bolivia

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.

If you would like your posts to be included in the Carnivals, please email me faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

This week's big story:
Last Saturday Colombia fired top Clinton aide Mark Penn's firm over apology (emphasis added):

The Colombian government said Saturday it has fired Mark Penn's public relations firm after the chief campaign strategist for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized for meeting with Colombian officials pushing a trade deal with the U.S.

Then Penn resigned/ was pushed out of the Clinton campaign:

"Sources said that the Clintons were angry to learn about Penn's work, especially because they had been told that Penn had recused himself from controversial clients and would restrict his private work."

Ironically, "Penn also was regarded by many in the campaign as too self-serving."

Spanish-language blog of the week:
El opinador compulsivo, via Judith


THE WEEK IN LATIN AMERICA
CULTURE
Julio Cortázar: the Poetics of Exile

ARGENTINA
Via Gates of Vienna, Iran: Ahmadinejad thanks football legend for his support

La Evita Segunda

How Argentina screws the farmers

The Kirchners self-induced farm crisis

Argentina: Create a distraction and claim the Falklands… again

BOLIVIA
Evo Morales no descarta aplicar el Estado de Sitio contra las autonomías departamentales (bilingual post)

BRAZIL
Colombian drug lord sentenced in Brazil

In Portuguese, Chegam ao Rio mais médicos para ajudar no atendimento a doentes com dengue

Rice's relocation of envoys praised, panned

COLOMBIA
Colombian President Uribe Blasts Barack Obama

Obama Vows Opposition to Colombia Trade Deal

Colombia to Penn: You're Fired Colombia Terminates PR Contract

Colombia's Budget Gap Ended 2007 Close to Target, Zuluaga Says

FARC gets FARCed

COSTA RICA
Los nexos entre políticos de Costa Rica y las FARC complican al gobierno de Oscar Arias

CUBA
Cuba takes a step from the shadows

Cuba tries micro-capitalism

Prisoner of Conscience vs. Political Prisoner

ECUADOR
Ecuador's Bond Yields Fall Below Venezuelan Yields

MEXICO
An Absolut-ly Outrageous Ad in Mexico City

PUERTO RICO
PR Politico's webpage on Gov. Acevedo's indictment

VENEZUELA
Beti's Baby

Hugo Chavez Nationalizes Cement Industry, Eats Sandwich Bigger Than His Own Head

Venezuela 'to tax oil windfall' Hugo taxes his own oil profits

I'm sure there is nothing to it...

Venezuela cements its economic doom

Portrait of Hugo while visiting Brazil.

Milking Venezuela, literally! Chavez buys Los Andes

Chavez's new decision making tool: Managemeny by hearsay

Special thanks to Maria, Larwyn, Maggie, and Siggy for their support.



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Labels: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democrats, Ecuador, Election2008, Hillary Clinton, Latin America, Mexico, politics, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

Welcome to the Easter Week Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This week's big story: The mega-embassy in Bolivia

[Peruvian President Alan] Garcia -- who is no fan of his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez -- suggested in an interview with The Miami Herald's Andres Oppenheimer that Chavez is building a "general headquarters" in this Andean capital that would serve to coordinate Venezuela's joint operations in the region with its leftist allies Cuba and Nicaragua.

A minor media frenzy ensued, with television crews racing to the seven-story office tower in La Paz's middle-class Obrajes neighborhood.

Corralled by a television reporter, top Venezuelan diplomat Douglas PErez said the construction was simply an embassy, to replace the current rented office in a downtown high-rise.

The $500,000 building, he said, will also house an auditorium, offices of Venezuela's state energy company PDVSA and perhaps a branch of the country's development bank Bandes.

The reporter pressed on: What about the mural showing the flags of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia? Decoration, Perez answered with a shrug. The construction "looked a little ugly, so we hung that big picture up to cover it. That's it."

That will be in addition to the 200 pro-Chavez Casas del ALBA operating in neighboring Peru, which the Peruvian Congress is investigating for ties between the Bolivarian embassy compound in Bolivia, the ALBA homes in Peru, and violent groups in Peru.

In tomorrow's podcast at 11AM Eastern Matthew Vadum of the Capital Research Center will talk about how Enablers grease path for Chavez.
Matthew Vadum, Editor, Organization Trends and Foundation Watch

Formerly a CRC research fellow, Matthew Vadum is also a veteran journalist. During his seven years in the Washington bureau of The Bond Buyer, a daily financial newspaper based on Wall Street, he covered Congress, the Supreme Court, housing, and state and local finance. While a reporter for the Central Penn Business Journal in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he won an award for outstanding legal journalism from the Pennsylvania Bar Association for an article that focused on employment law. He holds an M.A. in American Studies from Georgetown University.

LATIN AMERICA
U.S. media lags in covering Latin America, which is why this Carnival is so popular.

ARGENTINA and BRAZIL
Brazil and Argentina
The tortoise and the hare: Why those wimpish Brazilians are catching up with Argentina's racier economy

BOLIVIA - PERU - VENEZUELA
The three países hermanos were clearly not enough for el macacón...

Megaembajada bolivariana se instala en La Paz

COLOMBIA
At Le Monde, Colombia's drug traffickers and kidnappers are victims, while those who fight against them are to blame

The FARC's Terrorist Diplomacy

FARC's uranium likely a scam

The FARC implosion

Via Instapundit, How To Beat an Insurgency

Venezuelan, Colombian militaries built differently

CHILE
Magnitude 5.6 - WEST CHILE RISE

CUBA
Free the Group of 56 in Castro's Prison

The Bay of Rigs

Consumer electronics in Cuba
Byte by byte
The inalienable right to a toaster - but not quite yet

Cuban government has lifted its ban on farmers buying their own supplies to improve agricultural production.

Ovacionan feligreses bautistas a los 75 presos politicos

Viva Castro's departure: Cuba in 2008 should be the Hong Kong or Singapore of Latin America. Yeah, right. It should be, but why isn't it?

They'd Get More Letters, But Nobody Can Afford Paper

THE CUBA EMBARGO: TOO SOON TO TEAR DOWN THE GOAL POSTS

The ultimate in Leftie cynicism: Cuba is not a country for capitalists – but people are still happy. Happy enough to venture shark-infested waters just for the hell of it.

ECUADOR
Just Say No to Chavez, the FARC, Correa and MARXISM

MEXICO
AMLO's baaack....The resurrection The return of a former opponent adds to the president's troubles; Lopez Obrador returns to Mexican spotlight

PARAGUAY
Elections in Paraguay: A Bishop-Candidate Favors the So-called "Socialism of the Twenty-first Century"

PERU
Peruvian officials accuse Chavez of bankrolling subversives

Embassy . . . or base for Chávez?

PANAMA
Key U.S. drug informant lands in prison
Nelson Urrego went from convicted trafficker to key informant to life on a Survivor island to prison

PUERTO RICO
Letter from Barack Obama to Puerto Rico

EL SALVADOR
Via Matt, who IM'd this from Paris just now, After deportation, illegals are determined to return

TRINIDAD TOBAGO
An Event-ful Weekend

VENEZUELA
An Empty Revolution: The Unfulfilled Promises of Hugo Chávez

The Chavez Media's predictable failure

The hopeless destruction power of the Chavez revolution

Chavez threatens to silence 2nd TV station

Hugo's Cuffs Removed

Special thanks to Maggie, Larwyn, Maria and Eneas.



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Labels: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Hugo Chavez, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela

Welcome to the Spring Daylight Savings Time edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your links included in the Carnival, please email me the link: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

The hot news of the week was Chavez's threatened war with Colombia, a crisis which, in typical Latin American fashion, was neatly wrapped on Friday afternoon, in time for a swim and a nice dinner at the Dominican Republic. Chavez has resumed diplomatic relations with Colombia, thus being able to continue importing food to ease food shortages arising Chavez's price controls.

The real news (as Austin Bay said) is Colombia's successful war against the FARC.

I recommend to all my readers this must-read from The Economist: On the warpath: Colombia is moving closer to breaking the FARC -unless Venezuela stops it

The posts and articles below are in addition to the posts I included on March 5 and 4.

Latin America and the US elections
Latinos Seek Citizenship in Time for Voting

LATIN AMERICA
Thugs, demogogues and Latin America

S. American Leaders Resolve Crisis

BOLIVIA
Lynching, Communal Justice, and Bolivia's New Constitution

4 Provinces Reject Court Ruling On Autonomy Referendums

BRAZIL
Betting the fazenda

COLOMBIA
Presidentes Uribe, Chavez, Ortega y Correa se aprietan la mano y alivian grave crisis diplomática Presidents Uribe (Colombia), Chavez (Venezuela), Ortega (Nicaragua) and Correa (Ecuador) shake hands and ease the grave diplomatic crisis.

Grand Master of Masons of Venezuela Murdered in Kidnapping Attempt

La ultima carta de 'Raúl Reyes' a las Farc

Gobiernos auspiciadores del terrorismo



Fighting FARC: On Strategy and Satellite Phones

Colombia offering a democratic alternative to Chavez

Despite setbacks, FARC far from out

NRO editorial Uribe!

Gruesome End... FARC Saws Off Leader's Hand After Assassination

Terrorists, Marxists, Leftists and the Democrats

Rescues in Afghanistan, sitting out elections and border troubles in Colombia

Alvaro Uribe keeps outchavezing Hugo Chavez

Another FARC leader killed

El Carcelero, via No pasaran

The Latin Israel

Colombia Is Criticized For Raid Into Ecuador

CUBA
Pluck and luck save smuggled photos

Statement of the Municipalities of Cuba and Human Rights

PDF file: De la mesa de trabajo de Martha Beatriz Roque

Your no-good brother in law

Cuba's underground internet rebellion

Is there a cure for Cuba?

ECUADOR
Documents show FARC ties to Venezuela, Ecuador

More hostages to be freed

Real Crisis in Andes Escalates: Democracy and Courage Shot in the Back Once Again by Latins

HONDURAS
Gunmen disguised as police kill 8 in Honduras
Massacre at billiards hall; effort under way to halt wave of violence

MEXICO
Wrong about Mexico

Mexican police net huge weapons cache in Tijuana

NICARAGUA
Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Colombia

PANAMA
Panama Caught up in FARC Crisis

PUERTO RICO
Desperation and the Puerto Rico primary

Via Maria, Scrutiny for Puerto Rico Over Animal Treatment

TRINIDAD
T&T Jazz Festival begins

VENEZUELA
Via Siggy, Allies of Terrorism
The presidents of Venezuela and Ecuador are revealed as backers of the criminals who fight Colombia's democracy.

Venezuela pleads guilty in a cash case

Venezuela reopening embassy in Colombia

The kind of war we're going to have...

Venezuela's not-show show of force

(Fotos) En camiones van los tanques

Via Instapundit Does Hugo Chavez help the poor?

The American Friends of Hugo Chavez

Incidente fronterizo entre la DISIP, GN y habitantes de Paraguachon

No sooner did the army get to the area that the soldiers started calling in sick: Avalancha de peticiones de baja y permisos médicos en la FAN

Must-read (in Spanish) El Tiempo's special supplement on the contents of Reyes's computer
Baduel le dijo que no (for background on Baduel, see my Dec. 4, 2007 post)

Chavez Moves Toward War

Via Maggie's Farm, Ricochet in the Andes

The Corruption of Democracy in Venezuela

FARC ships through Venezuela to Guinea-Bissau in West Africa to Europe

Special thanks to Larwyn, Maggie, Maria, Siggy, Alek and Wretchard



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Labels: Alvaro Uribe, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Carnival of Latin America, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Hugo Chavez, Latin America, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad Tobago

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. Today's main story is the injunction granted to Exxon Mobil in US, UK and Dutch courts to freeze billions of dollars of Venezuelan oil assets to guarantee compensation if the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes decides in favor of Exxon after Venezuela nationalized Exxon's Orinoco Belt oil field and the Cerro Negro heavy oil project.

For background information, please read Venezuela News and Views start here and scroll down for prior posts) and The Devil's Excrement.

I'm podcasting on the subject this afternoon at 2PM Eastern: Monica Showalter of Investor's Business Daily, and venezuelan blogger Alek Boyd of VCrisis will discuss the injuction and what it means for Venezuela.

I'll open chat by 1:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!


If you would like your links on Latin America to be included in the Monday carnivals, please email me by Sunday evening: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

LATIN AMERICA
Simón Bolívar: Time to liberate the Liberator

PDF file: Latin America: Challenges and Achievements

HACER's weekly roundup.

ARGENTINA
Investigacion Kirchner: Una fortuna inexplicable

BOLIVIA
Scholar says U.S. asked him to ‘spy’ in Bolivia

BRAZIL
Happy families: An anti-poverty scheme invented in Latin America is winning converts worldwide I

CHILE
Chile fights to stay top of class

The slow lane: Fallout from a botched transport reform

Chile—Birth Pangs of Citizenship

COLOMBIA
Slaying a monster in Colombia

HACER joins march for peace in Colombia

Facing down the FARC: Public sentiment turns against the hostage-takers

CUBA
"Ojalá pudiéramos viajar y ver el mundo real" Cuban youths pose tough questions in surprising video (h/t Irish Spy). Camilo Lopez Darias ve Inocencia extrema, Extreme innocence. Here is the video, via Kate:

The young man in the video is now under arrest.

La patria llora.

Only world can save Antúnez

Lundy, remembrance and oblivion

ECUADOR
Economic Freedoms Die under Correa and Chavez

NICARAGUA
An Iranian "base" in Central America

PUERTO RICO
Renewable energy from the deep ocean

Ségo at the Kennedy School

EL SALVADOR
El Salvador Should Not Spurn God’s Gift of Gold

VENEZUELA
Chavez in trouble in Venezuela

Desperado (also at HACER). See also Hugo Chavez en pie de guerra, along with the graphics

Venezuela's charades

The truth about European Union election observers in Venezuela

Chavez Accuses U.S. of Drug, Arms Sales in Venezuela

TODAY'S (funny) VIDEO
In Spanish, via Babalu, whereby Fidel says a few bad words...


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Labels: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Carnival of Latin America, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Latin America, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Venezuela