Chile’s Neighbors Step Up Relief Efforts

March 3, 2010

Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Ecuador are showing a display of solidarity with Chile in the aftermath of the February 27 earthquake.  On Tuesday, Bolivian President Evo Morales said he would donate half of his salary to aid Chile, and called for a five-day campaign in Bolivia to raise funds for earthquake relief in Haiti as well as in Chile.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

February 24, 2010

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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The New LatAm Group on the Bloc

Latin American leaders convened in Cancun, Mexico on February 22 and 23 for the 2010 Rio Group summit, where they agreed to form a new regional alternative that excludes the United States and Canada and that some posit could serve as an alternative to the Organization of American States. The specific details of the body will most likely be figured out at a 2011 summit in Caracas.

AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini discusses the newly created Latin American body on Worldfocus. “[The region’s] feeling its own diplomatic muscle and it wants to assert that,” says Sabatini.

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Presidents Correa and Uribe Announce Bilateral Talks

February 19, 2010

Official sources in both governments have confirmed that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will hold talks at the Rio Group Summit in Cancún, Mexico. The summit will take place from Monday, February 22 to Tuesday, February 23, but the exact date and time of the bilateral meeting has yet to be confirmed.

This will be the first time the leaders have come together bilaterally since Ecuador severed diplomatic relations with Colombia in 2008.  According to several sources, the meeting comes as the result of an informal conversation they had at the Cumbre de la Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR) meeting earlier this month on Haitian relief efforts.

Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez has said his government has committed to bringing proposals to the meeting that address a variety of sensitive issues in the hope of “restoring full diplomatic relations.” Ecuador’s president has also expressed his goodwill: “We are glad to be able to work on rebuilding the historically fraternal relations between Ecuador and Colombia.”

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

January 6, 2010

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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Fernández Pushes for New Central Bank Head

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has sought to replace Central Bank Governor Martín Redrado after he turned down a presidential order to use $6.6 billion in reserves to pay off debt. Former Central Bank head Mario Blejer was named as a potential replacement. However, Redrado rejected the notion that he will resign and said that, according to the Bank’s charter, the decision to dismiss him lies with the Argentine Congress.

Buenos Aires Mayor Announces Presidential Bid

Mayor of Buenos Aires Mauricio Macri announced intentions of a 2011 presidential bid this week. A member of the conservative Propuesta Republicana (PRO) party, Macri hopes to face Néstor Kirchner in a second round and insists the former president “could never win” a one-on-one election.

Looking Back on Washington’s 2009 LatAm Policy

Writing for the State Department’s Dipnote blog, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela reflects on U.S. engagement in the Americas during the first year of the Obama administration. After recounting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Mexico in March and the launch of the Inter-American Social Protection Network, Valenzuela concludes “2009 has been an exciting year in terms of our relationships—both bilaterally and multilaterally.”

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La irresuelta crisis de Angostura complica las relaciones entre Ecuador y Colombia

December 3, 2009

Veinte (20) meses después de que aviones colombianos bombardearan la frontera con Ecuador—lo que dio al traste con las relaciones diplomáticas entre ambos países andinos—una serie de nombramientos y acciones que pretenden recomponer el diálogo, sigue sin resolver el eje sustancial de la disputa en la que se acusa a Colombia de haber violado la soberanía y la integralidad territorial ecuatorianas, tras la incursión militar en Angostura que terminó en la muerte de 26 personas entre ellas el número 2 de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), Raúl Reyes.

Desde que a fines de septiembre se trazó en Nueva York la "hoja de ruta" en la que los cancilleres Fander Falconí de Ecuador, y Jaime Bermúdez de Colombia se comprometieron a dar pasos para recomponer las relaciones, se reintegraron las comisiones de negocios, se reactivó la Comisión Binacional de Asuntos Fronterizos (COMBIFRON) y se prometió nombrar agregados militares antes del 11 de diciembre para combatir la inseguridad y el narcotráfico en la conflictiva frontera común de 586 kilómetros.

La designación de embajadores y una eventual reunión entre los presidentes Álvaro Uribe de Colombia y Rafael Correa de Ecuador, no obstante, quedan todavía en el manual de buenas intenciones. Y es que a pesar del impulso de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) y el Centro Carter en la conformación de un Comité que trate los “temas sensibles”, éstos alcanzaron incluso las cortes internacionales: Colombia enfrenta una demanda ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) por la muerte del ecuatoriano Franklin Aisalla durante el bombardeo. La Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) fijó el 29 de marzo de 2010 como plazo final para que Colombia responda a la acusación de Quito sobre los efectos nocivos de las fumigaciones en la frontera. Cómo si fuera poco el ex ministro de defensa Juan Manuel Santos y el general Freddy Padilla fueron vinculados por un Juez de Sucumbíos como autores intelectuales del bombardeo de Angostura. Aunque las peticiones de extradición y orden de captura contra ambos funcionarios fueron revocadas, aún se esperan que se notifiquen ante el consulado ecuatoriano en Colombia.

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Consumer Prices Could Drop as Banana Wars End

November 19, 2009

The 16-year-long trade dispute between European and Latin American officials could be over by the end of this week, the European Commission announced today.  A draft settlement obtained by the Financial Times requires the European Union (EU) to gradually cut tariffs on bananas from $260 per ton to $114 if Latin American countries drop all pending litigation in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The agreement could clear the way for more individual trade agreements between the EU and countries in Central and South America.

The “banana wars” constitute the longest trade dispute in WTO history.  When the EU established a preferential policy for imports from former British and French colonies in 1993, countries in Latin America that produce bananas at lower prices than Caribbean and African countries objected.  Ecuador launched the most recent round of complaints at the WTO, seconded by the United States, home of Dole Food Company and Chiquita Brands, Inc.  Banana producers in Ecuador have voiced their support for the new EU proposal.

The draft proposal calls for a gradual reduction of tariffs over the next seven years, although the exact rate of reduction is still being disputed.  As the lower tariffs would end the advantage that exporters in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific have in European markets, the EU will negotiate an increase in development aid to the affected countries.

EU tariffs on other tropical products, including sugar and pineapples, could also be reduced depending on Doha negotiations in the WTO.  Some observers say ending preferential treatment would devastate small farmers in Caribbean countries, and urge European consumers to keep buying fair trade fruit from smaller markets. 

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Colombia and Ecuador Take Important Step Toward Resuming Full Diplomatic Relations

November 13, 2009

The foreign ministries of Colombia and Ecuador officially named charges d’affaires at their respective embassies in Quito and Bogotá today. Ecuador appointed Andrés Terán, current ambassador to Uruguay, and Colombia appointed Ricardo Montenegro, current Director of the Office for Territorial Sovereignty and Frontier Development, to serve in the diplomatic posts. 

The announcement establishes the highest-level diplomatic ties between the two countries since President Rafael Correa suspended relations in March 2008. That decision came as response to a Colombian military operation that had entered Ecuadorian territory in pursuit of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.

Foreign Ministers Jaime Bermúdez of Colombia and Fander Falconí of Ecuador have worked steadily in recent months to improve bilateral relations, following statements in September by President Correa that he was ready to nurture a thaw in bilateral relations. The announcement fulfills pledges made by both governments on November 3 that the mutual appointments would occur within 15 days.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

October 28, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Mujica to Face “Pink” Alliance

During the first round of Uruguay’s presidential elections on Sunday, the Broad Front coalition’s José Mujica lost the majority needed to avoid a November runoff against the National Party’s Luis Alberto Lacalle. Mujica won a large majority at the polls, pulling in 48 percent—20 points above Lacalle. However, Mujica signaled concern about the “Pink” alliance made up of the National and Colorado Parties. While the Broad Front maintains a majority in Congress, it could lose its majority control in the lower house.

Read a new Americas Quarterly web exclusive on the Uruguayan elections by Adolfo Garcé of the Institute of Political Science at the University of the Republic in Montevideo.

Colombia, Venezuela Exchange Barbs over Espionage Accusations

Caracas announced the arrest this week of two officers from the Administrative Department of Security (DAS), Colombia’s intelligence agency. Bogota denied the allegations. Colombia’s ambassador in Venezuela, María Luisa Chiappe countered that Colombia is more concerned with identifying those responsible for the recent abduction and murder of ten amateur Colombian soccer players in a Venezuelan border town.

Tensions between Colombia and Venezuela have been heightened over a bilateral U.S.-Colombian agreement to give Washington access to seven of its military bases. Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva announced that the deal could be signed as early as Friday this week. He added that the deal was not a recent development, but an extension of US-Colombian cooperation against drug trafficking.

Read an AS/COA analysis of the military deal.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

October 21, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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Honduran Talks Stall over Decision on Zelaya’s Future

Negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing Honduran political impasse came to a standstill again this week. The main point of contention continues to be whether deposed leader Manuel Zelaya should be allowed to return to office. “Last week, Honduras’s World Cup qualification left the country glowing with optimism. Now, irrepressible hope and joy have again given way to a grimmer reality: political negotiations have hit a wall,” blogs Tegucigalpa-based Daniel Altschuler for Americas Quarterly, who writes about the proposals being passed back and forth between Zelaya and the interim government.

Read an AS/COA analysis on the halting steps made in the Honduran negotiations.

Protest and Media Restrictions Eased in Honduras

The Honduran interim government officially eased restrictions on protests and the opposition media earlier this week. A decree was passed after a pro-Zelaya protest in September to suspend five articles of the Honduran constitution, authorizing the closing of any media outlet deemed to disturb the peace. De facto leader Roberto Micheletti took action to repeal the decree earlier this month, but the measure did not take effect until yesterday. Coincidentally, the decree was lifted the day after the United Nations sent an OAS delegation to Honduras to begin a three-week human rights investigation.

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Bilateral Meeting Reaffirms Venezuelan-Ecuadorian Cooperation

October 8, 2009

Ecuador’s President, Rafael Correa, along with 20 ministers and government officials traveled to Caracas on Wednesday for discussions with the government of President Hugo Chávez—one of three annual meetings between the two Andean countries. The leaders pledged to achieve a “political, social and economic union.”

In 10 new bilateral agreements, Venezuela and Ecuador promised further cooperation in sectors including mining, tourism, infrastructure, educational exchange, and military technology.  

The leaders also reviewed existing energy agreements.  Petroecuador extracts oil from Venezuela’s Faja del Orinoco reserve while Petróleos de Venezuela has an exploratory well in Ecuador’s Guayaquil Bay.  Venezuela and Ecuador, the only two Latin American countries in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, will begin joint construction of an oil refinery near Aromo, Ecuador, in 2010.   

President Correa also took the opportunity to respond to critics of his decision in late September to accept the donation of six Mirage combat planes from Venezuela. 

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

October 7, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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OAS Sends Mission to Honduras

It’s been over two weeks since deposed Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya snuck back into his country and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy. Three months after his removal from power and with the clock ticking down to the November 29 presidential elections, a stalemate drags on between Zelaya and the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti. The Organization of American States (OAS) will give talks another try starting October 7, when a delegation arrives in Honduras. The OAS mission includes high-level officials from Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Canada, Jamaica, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Brazil, the United States, and Spain. OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza leads the delegation. The mission also includes Thomas Shannon, who continues to serve as U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs while awaiting his stalled confirmation to become U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

Read AS/COA analysis on the Honduran crisis, including coverage of related rifts in Washington.

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Colombia Discloses Knowledge of New FARC Camps on Ecuadorian Territory

October 6, 2009

Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Gabriel Silva, announced on Tuesday that he is preparing to present evidence of new FARC camps in Ecuador to his counterpart, Ecuadorian Defense Minister Javier Ponce.

This most recent disclosure comes amidst a recent thaw in Colombian-Ecuadorian relations more than a year and a half after the countries broke off diplomatic ties following a Colombian incursion into Ecuador during a combat mission against FARC forces in March 2008.

Mr. Silva indicated that Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe has requested the full disclosure of Colombian intelligence on the alleged camps. As a sign of the delicate diplomatic negotiations currently under way, he also insisted that, “The Colombian government has never said it has suspicions of links between the government of Ecuador and the FARC.”

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

September 30, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Signs of a Solution to the Long Honduran Impasse?

It’s been three months since the overthrow of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and two months remain until the presidential election. This week’s episode of the Honduran telenovela saw de facto leader Roberto Micheletti issue a decree silencing the opposition media and suspending civil liberties. He also gave Brazil a 10-day deadline to take a position on Zelaya’s status in Brazil’s Tegucigalpa embassy, where the overthrown leader took refuge last week. But, as AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini blogs for Americas Quarterly, Micheletti seems to have “overplayed his hand.” Honduras’ Congress voiced opposition to the coup and Honduras’ top military commander predicted a resolution within a few days. The Los Angeles Times reports on a meeting held at U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens’ residence Sunday at which even coup backers' support for the de facto government appeared to waver.

Read an AS/COA analysis about the external players working to forge a solution.

Honduran Presidential Candidate Urges Elections

In an interview with PODER360.com, Honduras’ National Party candidate Porfirio Lobo Sosa says that elections can help the country move beyond the current polarizing political climate. The candidate says that those who question the legitimacy of the elections should recognize the legal process in place to move elections forward.

Hispanic Immigrants: Younger, Healthier, Uninsured

A new study from the Pew Hispanic Center finds stark differences in coverage of undocumented Hispanic immigrants and the general U.S. population. Sixty percent of Hispanics without citizenship or permanent residency lack health insurance and almost half do not have a regular place to go when sick. Most say they do not have a regular healthcare provider because they do not need one, which may relate to the fact that the Hispanic immigrant population is younger and healthier in comparison the overall national population.

Latin America Could Light Path for World Recovery

The World Bank’s top economist for Latin America Augusto de la Torre warned that the global financial crisis could mean that as many as 10 million people in the region could plunge into poverty. However, de la Torre told attendees of the Americas Conference in Miami that many countries in the region “are coming out of this crisis without systemic damage and as more attractive destinations for investment.” He described the Latin American recession as “less pronounced” and attributed economic successes to open markets, sound macroeconomic policies, and a resilient banking system.

Access additional materials from the Americas Conference, where speakers included former U.S. President Bill Clinton discussing international policy related to Haiti and Costa Rican President Óscar Arias offered his perspective on the Honduran Crisis.

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Indigenous Protests in Ecuador Yield Promise of Dialogue

September 29, 2009

Posted at 3:10 p.m.

Hundreds of Indigenous people staged protests in several provinces across Ecuador on Monday, voicing concerns over what they perceive to be increased privatization of national resources. The catalyst for the protests is a bill being considered by Congress that indigenous groups say will allow transnational mining corporations to exploit water reserves close to their lands.

In northeastern Ecuador, police intervened to stop the protests, resulting in two injuries.

Leaders of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), who had called for the protests two weeks ago, agreed to suspend the demonstrations Monday. Marlon Santi, president of CONAIE, confirmed Tuesday morning that his group would temporarily halt demonstrations to meet with the government of President Rafael Correa.

But Security Minister Miguel Carvajal said Tuesday that protests in some parts of the country had continued, and that the government would not meet with indigenous representatives until all demonstrations stopped. Nevertheless, the demonstrations have not reached the scale of the CONAIE-organized uprisings that contributed to the fall of President Jamil Mahuad in 2000 and Lucio Gutierrez in 2005.

The proposed water bill is widely expected to pass in the legislature, where Correa enjoys majority backing. Correa has accused indigenous leaders of misrepresenting the bill, which he maintains does not seek to privatize access to water.

Ecuadors indigenous peoples make up some 30 percent of the country's population.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

September 23, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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Zelaya Sneaks Back into Honduras, Catapaults Brazil into Center of Crisis

Three months after the military forced him out of Honduras, deposed President Manuel Zelaya reentered the country and gained sanctuary in the Brazilian embassy on September 21. Since then—and at the time of this report—the country remains in a tense standoff. The interim government of Roberto Micheletti closed airports, declared a curfew, and cut water supplies and electricity to the embassy. Police forces broke up protests with tear gas, with some canisters falling inside the embassy’s compound.

Such moves did little to please Brasilia, where the House approved a motion repudiating Honduras’ blockade of the embassy. While Brazil said it did not play a role in bringing Zelaya back into Honduras, officials allowed him to take shelter and reiterated support for his reinstatement. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in New York for the UN General Assembly, urged an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the crisis and requested to be present at the meeting.

In a Christian Science Monitor article exploring Brazil’s role in the center of the crisis, COA’s Eric Farnsworth explains why Zelaya chose that country to turn to. “Seeking asylum with Brazil shows that [Zelaya] thinks Brazil is the neutral voice in the crisis, not the U.S., Costa Rica, [or] Venezuela. He's essentially throwing in his lot with the party he thinks has the best chance to get him restored to power,” said Farnsworth, “It's a tangible representation of a power shift in the region.”

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Former Leaders Condemn Media Restrictions

September 21, 2009

Former presidents of Peru and Bolivia spoke out against the recent media shutdowns in Venezuela and expressed an overall concern about the media’s future at an emergency meeting of Inter American Press Association (IAPA). At the meeting, held in Caracas on Friday, former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo called the media shutdowns “a virus that’s expanding” and an action taken on by “real authoritarian governments.” Bolivia’s former president, Carlos Mesa, harped on Toledo’s comments saying that “everything that restricts freedom of speech is unacceptable.”

Ecuador closed a television station accused of espionage last month and Bolivia also has closed media outlets. Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner also recently proposed a law to break up Grupo Clarin, a media conglomerate, calling it a monopoly that has been abusing its power in Argentine politics.

President Hugo Chávez has denied accusations that his government is trying to silence opposition voices. Chávez’ government has announced plans to close 29 more radio stations, in addition to the 32 shut down just last month. The Venezuelan government cites invalid broadcast licenses or a failure to renew licenses as reasons for the closings.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

August 19, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Washington and Bogota Agree on Defense Pact

On August 14, the United States and Colombia finalized a defense agreement that will allow the U.S. military to operate out of Colombian bases to coordinate counternarcotics operations. The agreement comes in the wake of the closure of a U.S. base in Manta, Ecuador. In a U.S. Defense Department news briefing, U.S. General James Cartwright said the goal of the pact is “to be able to provide to the Colombians what they need in order to continue to prosecute their efforts against the internal threats that they have.” The accord awaits signature by the U.S. and Colombian governments.

Still, the bilateral pact stirred up hemispheric tensions in recent weeks, particularly between Colombia and its neighbor Venezuela, as Liz Harper writes in the Americas Quarterly blog. On Tuesday, after meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to squelch concerns about “what the agreement does and does not do,” saying it involves bilateral cooperation rather than the creation of U.S. bases in Colombia.

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Diplomacia a Gritos: Colombia y Sus Inmediatos Vecinos Siguen Con Las Relaciones Rotas

August 12, 2009

Es la tercera vez en cinco años que el Presidente Venezolano Hugo Chavéz mete en el congelador las relaciones con Colombia. Por eso la palabra crisis en esta frontera binacional ya no es nueva. Retiro de embajadores y personal diplomático, amenaza de expropiaciones a empresas colombianas en Venezuela, suspensión de importaciones (10.000 carros que no rodarán en tierras venecas), tímido cierre de fronteras y una verborrea de avanzada militar hacia ellas. Un libreto repetido, que no por serlo, le quita a esta pelea su gravedad. Aunque en la explosión diplomática no faltó el ingrediente del supuesto apoyo por parte del gobierno de Chávez a las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), esta vez por el hallazgo en poder de esa guerrilla de lanzacohetes suecos vendidos a militares venezolanos hace más de dos décadas, el verdadero combustible de esta ruptura tiene nombre propio: Estados Unidos.

No es un secreto que el gobierno colombiano tiene una relación visceral con Estados Unidos desde los tiempos de la administración de Bill Clinton cuando se firmó el Plan Colombia. El paquete multibillonario de ayuda militar para enfrentar el narcotráfico pronto se convirtió en una estrategia antiinsurgente, cuya cooperación quiere extenderse hoy al aumento de la presencia de personal militar y civil estadounidense en siete bases militares del país hasta 2019. El anuncio derivó en los ya consabidos calificativos que usa el presidente Chávez: "El gobierno de Colombia no tiene el más mínimo respeto por sus vecinos [...]. Ya comenzaron a llegar tropas yanquis aquí. Es sin duda una agresión contra Venezuela [...]. Es un gobierno entregado al imperio norteamericano, es vergonzoso. [...]. “Ante el fracaso histórico de construir un país viable (la élite colombiana) ha tomado la deshonrosa decisión de entregarlo en comodato a los Estados Unidos…” [...] "Vamos a comprar varios batallones de tanques rusos", amenazó Chávez.

La respuesta de Uribe fue una gira por Latinoamérica para convencer al resto de la región que la presencia norteamericana no es una amenaza para el vecindario. Si bien consiguió un par de espaldarazos de los gobiernos de Brasil, Chile, Uruguay y Paraguay, que se mostraron respetuosos basados en el principio de la no intervención en las decisiones soberanas de un país, Bolivia y Argentina no ocultaron su rechazo. El fugaz viaje de dos días de Uribe no obstante pareció más una escapada a los gritos que mantiene con sus inmediatos vecinos, en donde reside el verdadero problema. Desde marzo de 2008, después del bombardeo al campamento de Raúl Reyes en Angostura en la frontera con Ecuador, que acabó con la muerte del líder guerrillero, el gobierno de Rafael Correa también rompió relaciones con Colombia y su más severo castigo hasta ahora ha sido el alza de aranceles a los productos colombianos. No hace poco un video incautado a la guerrilla en el que el "Mono Jojoy", miembro del secretariado de las FARC, menciona un aporte económico a la campaña electoral de Correa, atisbó los ánimos de nuevo.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

August 12, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

North American Leaders Meet in Guadalajara

The leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico met in Guadalajara, Mexico on August 9 and 10 for the North American Leaders’ Summit. The discussion centered on security, trade, coordinating response to the H1N1 virus, climate change, and clean energy. A Bloggings by boz post says that while all the leaders made a point of formally discussing these issues, “there weren’t any major new agreements.”

Read AS/COA coverage of the summit.

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Colombia Refuses to Attend Union of South American Nations Summit

August 10, 2009

The 12-member bloc of South American nations that constitutes the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is scheduled to hold its third meeting in Quito, Ecuador today to discuss a wide range of issues ranging from the coup in Honduras, to Brazilian-Paraguayan electricity trading.  Notably absent from the meetings are Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who decided not to attend the summit or to send Foreign Relations Minister Jaime Bermudez.

A major topic of discussion at this year’s meetings is likely to be the issue of Colombia’s recently-announced plan to offer the United States the use of seven Colombian military bases. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has been highly critical of an increased U.S. presence in Colombia, has “frozen” his countries diplomatic ties to Bogotá over the issue. Colombia also has had no formal diplomatic ties to Ecuador in the more than a year since it conducted a cross-border raid into Ecuadorian territory while combating guerrilla forces.

The meeting, which will conclude late this afternoon, coincides with the swearing in of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa following his April re-election under a new constitution. At the meeting’s close, Ecuador will receive from Chile the rotating presidency of the regional group.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

July 22, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Second Round of Talks Falls Short in Resolving Honduran Crisis

This latest round of mediated talks between representatives of Honduran interim leader Roberto Micheleti and deposed President Manuel Zelaya ended with little solution. Costa Rican President and negotiations mediator Óscar Arias’s proposed a seven-point plan to peacefully reinstate Zelaya, but the Micheleti delegation firmly rejected it. The New York Times’ Ginger Thompson reported Wednesday that a new round of talks would be postponed after Honduras’ current Foreign Minister Carlos López Contreras failed to convince the de facto government to accept terms that would allow Zelaya’s return to power.  Rumors of another attempt by Zelaya to return to Honduras repeatedly crop up; CNN Expansión reported Wednesday morning that Zelaya himself is planning his return in upcoming days.

In an AQ blog post, AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini takes a look at the negotiations, Arias’ plan, and the increasingly isolated situation Honduras finds itself in as countries and multilateral institutions cut large swathes of aid. On Monday, the European Union followed suit, suspending $92 million in financial aid to Honduras, reports the European Voice.

Access AS/COA’s resource guide to the Honduran crisis.

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Ecuador Limits Daytime Television Broadcasts of The Simpsons

July 2, 2009

On Wednesday, the National Council of Radio and Television (Conartel) temporarily prohibited Teleamazonas, a private broadcast television network, from airing The Simpsons between 6:00am and 9:00 p.m. The government agency issued the suspension out of concern that the American animated television sitcom transmits content not suitable for children and young adults. Ecuadorian law mandates that all TV programs broadcast prior to 9:00 p.m. should be appropriate for the general public. Its ruling was sparked by the May 22 airing of “La Guerra de Lisa” and is in effect pending the results of an investigation by the National Council of Childhood and Adolescence.

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Ecuador Seeks International Aid for Colombian Refugees

June 25, 2009

Ecuador’s Minister of Internal and External Security, Miguel Carvajal, requested financial aid from the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights today to help assist Colombian refugees living in the country. With 135,000 refugees from Colombia’s 45-year-long civil war living within its borders, Ecuador receives more refugees than any other country in the Western Hemisphere.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

June 17, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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Peru's PM to Resign, Push for End of Decrees that Sparked Amazon Conflict

Peruvian Prime Minister of Peru Yehude Simon announced that the government will ask congress to eliminate decrees 1090 and 1064, which are among the laws at the core of the violent clashes between protesters and police on June 5. Those clashes claimed dozens of lives. Simon also said that he would resign from office as soon after the stand-off with indigenous people in Peru’s Amazon was resolved. The government also granted permission for indigenous leader Alberto Pizango to leave the country after he was granted political asylum by the Nicaraguan government.

An Americas Quarterly web exclusive goes into detail about the set of controversial decrees and how they fueled popular discontent that led to the clashes. Furthermore, AQ offers ongoing coverage of the conflict in a dedicated “Issues In-Depth” section.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

June 3, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

OAS on Overturning 1962 Rule Suspending Cuba

Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Relations Fander Falconí told journalists Wednesday that the ministers at the OAS General Assembly have agreed to overturn a 1962 decision that expelled Cuba from the organization. Falconi said that Cuba’s suspension will be lifted as a result of a new proposal that eliminates conditions for Cuba to rejoin. This came after the first day of the assembly ended with no consensus about allowing Cuba to rejoin the organization. U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton insisted that Cuba must show clear steps towards addressing human rights and political freedom before the island can be allowed to rejoin.

Despite the United States opposing proposals to allow the readmission of Cuba without the country meeting certain democratic standards, signs of a U.S.-Cuba thaw continue. On May 30, the head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington Jorge Bolaños officially accepted on behalf of Havana the U.S. proposal to resume high-level talks on legal immigration. Talks will also cover bilateral cooperation on drug trafficking, terrorism, disaster readiness, and resuming regular mail services.

Financial Times takes a look at how some members of the U.S. Senate hope to block easing of restrictions in U.S.-Cuba relations. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) suggested at COA’s Washington Conference that the United States should reexamine its funding for the OAS if the agency allows Cuba to rejoin.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

May 27, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

White House Chooses First Hispanic for SCOTUS

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama announced his choice for a Supreme Court justice to replace David Souter, picking the first Hispanic judge in history to be selected for the highest court in the United States. Sotomayor, whose credentials include three decades in the field of law and 16 years as a federal appeals judge, is from the South Bronx and of Puerto Rican descent. Pundits suggest that her ethnic background could serve as an obstacle for Republicans fighting her confirmation. Read AS/COA analysis about the nomination.

The Houston Chronicle’s Immigration Chronicles blog points out that several media outlets made the mistake of saying Sotomayor was born to immigrant parents. Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917.

AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini joined PBS’ Worldfocus to talk about the historic nature of Sotomayor’s appointment, as well as how Latin America is receiving her nomination.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

April 29, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Swine Flu Strikes

An outbreak of Type A/H1N1 influenza in Mexico has rung alarm bells around the world over the possibility of a swine flu pandemic. More than 150 people have died in Mexico, there has been one fatality in the United States, and cases have been confirmed in seven other countries. BBC offers multimedia coverage of the outbreak, including maps and country-by-country updates on cases and precautionary measures taken. The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are seeking out answers about the disease and the “rapidly evolving situation.” Much remains unknown, with arguably the most nagging question being why death rates have been so high in Mexico while cases appear to be milder in other countries.

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From Quito: Reactions to Rafael Correa's Re-Election

April 29, 2009

I was a little taken aback last week when I told a high-minded Peruvian journalist I would be traveling to Quito to cover the presidential elections. Correa! she said, eyes alight, eyebrows waggling, her elbow giving me a knowing dig in the ribs.

I might have written this off as a case of sensory deprivation brought on by years of covering the none-too-pretty underbelly of Limeño politics, were it not for the groupies at Rafael Correa’s final Quito campaign rally this week. Starry-eyed, perfectly coiffed, with heavy eyeliner—and I think in one case, false eyelashes—they jostled for position at the barricades demanding to know when El Presidente would be there. Granted this was a political rally, and flag-waving, chanting and fist-waving are par for the course. But there is no denying the man has charisma.

And for now, it seems, he has the trust of the people. Correa’s closest rival, Lucio Gutiérrez, the former president ousted in 2005, outpaced expectations. But even so he raised the possibility of fraud. Exit polls, though, still show the president with a convincing margin of victory.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

April 22, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

Sign up to get the Weekly Roundup in your email box each Wednesday.

After the Summit

The Summit of the Americas took place over the weekend, featuring high-profile handshakes, star treatment of U.S. President Barack Obama, and much discussion of an absent Cuba. The summit concluded without unanimity on the declaration, but ended with “hope,” said Barbados’ Caribbean360. Voice of America reports that the summit gave Washington a “fresh start” with the 33 other countries in attendance. The Miami Herald asks readers to consider “the genuine progress that was achieved in healing the breach between the United States and its neighbors.”

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Daily Focus: Ecuador

April 20, 2009

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa announced yesterday a controversial move to buy back the country’s 2012 and 2030 bonds at only 30 cents on the dollar. Investors are less than pleased, though probably not surprised. Last December, Correa’s government failed to make a scheduled interest payment on its 2012 bonds. At that point, the government’s two other global issues (2015 and 2030), were also considered in default.

That default, unlike the bulk of past defaults in the region, was not caused by empty coffers. Ecuador’s debt is currently less than 20 percent of GDP—a relatively light burden. Argentina’s debt at the time of its 2001default, by comparison, was “equivalent to 150 percent of its GDP.” Correa instead justified the move on moral grounds, calling the debt “immoral and illegitimate.” An audit commissioned by Correa found evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the issuance of its foreign debt.

How investors will react to yesterday's news is uncertain, especially in this economic climate. But one thing is certain. Correa’s tough stance has bolstered his popularity at home, and increased his odds of an easy re-election this coming Sunday. Polls from Cedatos-Gallup and Santiago Pérez Investigaciones y Estudios show Correa with between 49 percent and 52 percent support, which would provide a first-round victory.

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