Official Claims Venezuelan Military Armed FARC

August 31, 2010

Carlos Molina Tamayo, former national security advisor to President Hugo Chávez, told Miami’s El Nuevo Herald today that the Venezuelan military has, in the past, supplied arms to the Colombian Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). According to Tamayo, former Minister of the Interior Ramon Rodriguez Chacin asked him to help send rifles to the FARC, when he was in charge of the Venezuelan armed forces’ armory.

Mr. Tamayo claims that Mr. Rodriguez Chacin asked him for 300 FAL rifles for an irregular operation and asked how they could be shipped out of Venezuela without being detected. Though Tamayo was never directly asked again to send more weapons, he claims that rifles, mortars and grenades and even anti-tank AT4 rockets would regularly “disappear” or were “stolen” from the Venezuelan caches.

Tamayo’s on-the-record statements come only a month after former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe accused President Chávez of harboring 1,500 FARC guerrillas and funding the FARC movement in Colombia. Chávez responded by cutting all diplomatic ties with Colombia, raising the threat of a military clash along the countries’ shared 2,300km border. The tensions finally eased in mid-August when Juan Manuel Santos met with Chávez in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, shortly after succeeding Uribe.

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FARC Looks to UNASUR to Facilitate Dialogue

August 23, 2010

The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) today published an open letter to the Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR) proposing that the multilateral organization begin mediating long-stalled talks between the FARC and the Colombian government. According to the letter, the FARC continues to desire a “political resolution to the conflict” and is “ready to explain during a UNASUR assembly, our vision of the Colombian conflict.”

The letter is the FARC’s second public statement since the inauguration of Colombia’s new President Juan Manuel Santos, following a July 30 video message to Mr. Santos that proposed restarting direct talks.

President Santos has not outright rejected the new overtures but has insisted that that any new talks must be "based on the unalterable premise that (the guerrillas) give up arms, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, and intimidation".

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

August 18, 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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Colombian Court Freezes U.S. Base Deal

Semana reports on the Colombian Constitutional Court’s decision to suspend a pact with Washington that allowed U.S. access to Colombian military bases for counternarcotics and anti-terrorism operations. The Court questioned the constitutional legality of the manner in which the deal was passed and is now requiring President Juan Manuel Santos to gain congressional approval. The military accord, negotiated in 2009 between the Obama administration and Santos’ predecessor Álvaro Uribe, has been a source of debate in South America and a sore subject for some of Colombia’s neighbors, particularly Venezuela.

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El legado de Uribe

August 6, 2010

A pocas horas de que el mandatario que por más años ha estado en el poder en Colombia deje finalmente el palacio presidencial, vale la pena hacer una retrospectiva sobre lo que hereda su sucesor Juan Manuel Santos. Aunque el recién elegido presidente llegó al poder gracias a la maquinaria del Partido de la U, que valga recordar se nombró precisamente en honor al apellido de Uribe, Santos ha marcado ciertas distancias por lo menos en lo que a sus primeros nombramientos se refiere. Su gabinete de ministros parece por ahora tecnócrata y competente aunque aún le quedan muchos puestos por repartir en el Estado. En el sistema presidencial colombiano, la falta de leyes claras sobre meritocracia, hace que el habitante de la casa de Nariño nombre a dedo cientos de puestos. Con ello, puede pagar cientos de favores políticos y cuotas burocráticas.

Por ahora como toda luna de miel de los nuevos gobiernos, Santos mantiene una popularidad del 75 por ciento según una encuesta de Invamer Gallup, la misma con la que se va Uribe a pesar del desgaste de dos periodos de gobierno. Lo que logró el mandatario saliente fue que un país tradicionalmente conservador y católico, girara aún más a la derecha y se convirtiera en uribista profeso gracias al miedo que, estratégicamente, Uribe logró manejar a su favor: el miedo a que la guerrilla se tomara el poder y convirtiera en Estado fallido al país. Un miedo no infundado que tuvo un poderoso impulsor en los gobiernos precedentes: el de Ernesto Samper (1994-1998) infiltrado a más no poder por el narcotráfico y el de Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002) quien con el ánimo de conseguir la paz, abrió los diálogos con la guerrilla y les entregó una zona de distensión en la que no hicieron otra cosa que fortalecerse militarmente.

Semejante terreno casi árido de gobernabilidad, permitió prontamente que Uribe, quien llegó al poder por primera vez en la disidencia de un partido tradicional, el Liberal, y quien se inscribió como independiente con un millón de firmas, sedujera con su estilo proselitista tradicional en plena era cibernética: Uribe volvió a los pueblos más remotos usando carriel y poncho y aquel lema de trabajar, trabajar y trabajar fue pronto un hecho del que no se salvaron ni siquiera los domingos. Los famosos consejos comunales televisados—que superaron los 300 durante su gobierno—similares a los que aún hace el presidente Hugo Chávez en Aló Presidente, permitieron que ejerciera un gobierno en permanente campaña.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

July 28, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Western Hemisphere Drawn into Colombia-Venezuela Rift

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez cut diplomatic ties with Colombia after Bogota brought evidence to the Organization of American States (OAS) that Venezuela provides safe haven to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) camps. After the OAS held the July 22 extraordinary session about the dispute, Colombia also pledged to bring its case against Caracas to the International Court of Justice. With tensions rising between the neighbors, Chávez warned that he would cut off oil exports to the United States if Colombia, a U.S. ally, took military action against Venezuela. Yet Venezuela, not Colombia, boosted troops on the border this week. “[Chávez] is trying to turn a very significant accusation against his country into a win for himself domestically,” commented COA’s Eric Farnsworth to The Christian Science Monitor.

Although the administration of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe sounded the alarm about the FARC camps, President-elect Juan Manuel Santos will inherit the diplomatic woes when he takes the reins on August 7.  Still, Latin American countries hope to help resolve the dispute. Santos met with Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on Monday and Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nicola Maduro traveled to Buenos Aires on Tuesday. On Thursday, Ecuador will host a Union of South American Nations ministerial meeting about the Andean rift.

Read an AS/COA analysis about the Colombian-Venezuelan dispute.

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Colombia-Venezuela Dispute Gets Hearing in Argentina

July 27, 2010

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner met this week with both sides of the simmering dispute between Colombia and Venezuela. Colombia has alleged that the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) is operating out of bases on the Venezuelan side of the border, and in response, President Hugo Chávez has cut off all diplomatic relations with the Uribe government.

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Santos Aims to Rebuild Relationship with Venezuela

July 13, 2010

Re-establishing relations with neighboring Venezuela will be a “priority” of the Santos government, says Maria Ángela Holguín, Colombia’s incoming foreign minister.

Following a meeting with Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez, Holguín stated that the President-elect had maintained an interest in re-establishing relations with Venezuela throughout his campaign.  “For that to happen,” she stated, “there is a need for respectful and transparent dialogue, in which we are already engaged.” Holguín also confirmed that an invitation to Santos’ inauguration had been sent to President Chávez.

Relations with Venezuela had deteriorated in 2009 after Colombia signed a pact with the U.S. granting access to seven military bases around the country.  Venezuela viewed the agreement as a threat to sovereignty in the region.  Recently, however, it has signaled a desire to mend relations with Colombia.

Holguín also announced details of Santos’ upcoming Latin American tour. Beginning July 22, the President-elect will travel to Mexico, Panama, Chile, Argentina, and Peru to meet with each country’s head of state.

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Santos Sets New Tone for Colombian Foreign Policy

July 8, 2010

Four weeks before his August 7 inauguration, president-elect Juan Manuel Santos is already using the occasion to alter the tone of Colombian foreign policy. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez have both been invited to the ceremony despite their countries’ strained relations with Colombia, and Mr. Correa has indicated that he plans to attend.

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Legalidad vs. Continuismo: Un dilema resuelto en las elecciones de Colombia

June 19, 2010

El día llegó. Y no precisamente porque se vaya a cumplir el estribillo de la canción que se convirtió en el tema de campaña del candidato del Partido Verde Antanas Mockus “Antanas llegó”. Lo que llegó fue el epílogo de una campaña emocionante que a pocos días de la primera vuelta se volvió predecible y que a vísperas de la segunda, no deja duda alguna de que el próximo presidente de Colombia será Juan Manuel Santos.

El heredero natural de Uribe no obstante no la tuvo fácil. Se enfrentó a un candidato que encarna en buena medida, opuestos interesantes al gobierno actual que se marcaron como nunca en los últimos debates signados por la controversia. Mockus mostró su indignación por haber sido víctima de una campaña negra en la que se dijo todo sobre él: Que era ateo, que acabaría con la policía y algunos programas estatales, que no podría gobernar porque padece del mal de Parkinson. El aspirante, que impregnó su campaña de símbolos como el lápiz y el girasol, terminó andando bajo el brazo con un papel firmado ante notario en el que se comprometía a no hacer todo eso que estaban diciendo de él.

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Canada Passes Trade Agreement with Colombia

June 15, 2010

Some good news for Colombia on the trade front: Canada’s House of Commons passed the pending free trade agreement with Colombia on June 14, by a better than 2-1 margin.  The Senate will now vote on the accord for final approval.  Nonetheless, this is an important step for both countries, and a signal of support—both from Prime Minister Harper’s governing Conservatives and the opposition Liberals—for the priority effort to build Canada’s ties with the hemisphere.

Two-way trade between the countries is already over $1.25 billion each year; expect that to expand, especially in agricultural products, now that Canada has a privileged position in Colombia’s economy vis-à-vis other trade partners, including the United States.  Expect the United States to continue to lose market share in Colombia, a market we have traditionally dominated, even as the White House calls for a doubling of U.S. exports over a five-year period.

Many observers have complained that there is no trade agenda in the hemisphere.  In fact, that’s incorrect.  There is a huge trade agenda in the hemisphere.  It’s just that, for the first time in history, the United States is sitting on the sidelines.  Not only are we not leading the effort, we’re not even playing.  It’s difficult to win at anything, in fact, if you’re not in the game, which is where we are right now with U.S. trade policy in the Americas.

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Candidates Turn to Alliance Building in Colombia

June 1, 2010

The two leading vote-getters in Sunday’s presidential election are now focused on building political alliances ahead of the June 20 run-off election.  Juan Manuel Santos of the Partido de la U (46.6 percent of the vote) and Antanas Mockus of the Partido Verde (21.4 percent) came in first and second, respectively, but neither secured enough support to prevent a second round of voting.  (See the full election results at VoteBien). With less than three weeks until the next vote, each candidate is now building out a larger base of support.

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Santos vs. Chávez: una década de desencantos

May 26, 2010

A solo una semana de la gran jornada electoral que elegirá en primera vuelta el favorito para ocupar la Presidencia de Colombia, es innegable que uno de los personajes que más tuvo incidencia durante la campaña, fue el mandatario venezolano Hugo Chávez. Los candidatos con intención de voto por encima del 1 por ciento, Antanas Mockus del Partido Verde, Noemí Sanin del Partido Conservador, Rafael Pardo del Partido Liberal, Germán Vargas Lleras de Cambio Radical, Gustavo Petro del Polo Democrático y Juan Manuel Santos del Partido de la U, indignados, alcanzaron a sugerir la suscripción de un acuerdo en que le pedirían al presidente vecino, no intervenir en la actual contienda electoral.

El canciller colombiano Jaime Bermúdez fue más allá y manifestó su molestia ante la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) durante el Consejo Permanente, calificando como “inaceptables e indignantes” las declaraciones de Chávez en las que ha tildado hasta de “mafioso” al candidato presidencial uribista, Juan Manuel Santos. El secretario general de la OEA, José Miguel Insulza, sostuvo entonces que los comentarios de Chávez son “una mala práctica”, pero se abstuvo de calificarlos como intervencionistas.

Precisamente Santos ha sido el eje de la polémica, pues Hugo Chávez ha reiterado en repetidas ocasiones que, palabras más, palabras menos, una probable elección del candidato uribista, significaría más guerra y menos posibilidades de reactivar el comercio bilateral interrumpido desde el año pasado.

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Uribe Wins High Approval Ratings, Presidential Race Tightens

May 20, 2010

According to a poll released today in Bogotá, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe boasts higher favorability ratings than any of the candidates competing for votes in the May 30 presidential elections. Although Mr. Uribe’s 73.7 percent approval rating is a historic high for a sitting president in Colombia, a February Supreme Court decision barred him from seeking a third term in office.

The presidential contenders also earned favorable reviews: 68 percent of poll respondents gave a favorable opinion of Antanas Mockus, who is the Green Party candidate and a former mayor of Bogotá. Partida de la U candidate Juan Manuel Santos earned a 59.4 percent favorability rating, followed by Conservative Party candidate Noemí Sanín with 58.2 percent.

A second poll released today, commissioned by 14 Colombian newspapers, shows a tight race between Mockus and Santos. Santos’s two percent lead is an improvement since late April, when polls showed Mockus surging ahead. If neither candidate receives 50 percent of the vote on May 30, the two biggest vote-getters will face each other in a runoff election on June 20.

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La libertad de prensa y el DAS en Colombia

May 6, 2010

Esta semana se celebró el día mundial de la libertad de prensa y el gremio amaneció con muy buenas noticias: Dos colombianos, Hollman Morris y Claudia Julieta Duque fueron galardonados con sendos premios internacionales por su defensa de este derecho fundamental. El primero, quien además será este año un Nieman Fellow en Harvard,  recibió el premio Samuel Chavkin a la Integridad en el Periodismo otorgado por NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America). A Duque por su parte, Reporteros sin Fronteras Suecia le otorgó el premio de Libertad de Prensa 2010 como un reconocimiento a su labor en contra de la injusticia y la censura en Colombia.

A ellos, sin embargo, los atraviesa un triste episodio en común: Encabezan la lista de periodistas 'chuzados' por el Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS), policía secreta de Colombia, que les ha dedicado manuales enteros que indican como amenazarlos, perseguirlos, desprestigiarlos e incluso, intimidar a sus familias.

El escándalo del DAS por el que ya se han llamado a juicio a cuatro ex directores, tres de ellos destituidos, toca en especial las fibras de estos dos colegas y sus familias, a quienes conozco y aprecio por su entereza y lucha por conocer la verdad sobre quién está detrás de toda esta estrategia de sabotaje, si se tiene en cuenta que ésta central de inteligencia es un organismo adscrito directamente a la Presidencia de la República.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

May 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Mexico, Germany Host Climate Talks

Germany and Mexico jointly hosted this week informal climate talks aimed at deciding what steps should be taken in the lead-up to the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico, in December. The Petersberg Climate Dialogue held near Bonn, Germany, brought together representatives from 45 countries to discuss topics such as the carbon market, reducing emissions from deforestation, and technology. While the talks—initiated by Mexican President Felipe Calderón and German Chancellor Angela Merkel—did not produce any climate change agreements, they “built up trust” and helped to “bring movement to the climate talks,” Mexico’s Environment Minister Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada told Bloomberg. View a video of President Calderón speaking at the Petersberg Dialogue.

LatAm Governments Join Chorus against Arizona Law

The Latin Americanist blog takes a look at rising criticism from governments across the Americas against the Arizona immigration law. Mexico voiced its opposition to the law, and Colombia, Brazil, the OAS, and UNASUR have rejected the law as well. During this week’s summit in Argentina, UNASUR leaders issued a declaration rejecting the law for its “criminalizing of immigrants.”

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

April 21, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

2010 Energy and Climate Ministerial Convenes in Washington

Energy ministers from the Americas met in Washington D.C., on April 15 and 16 for the 2010 Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas. An article penned by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu explores the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, which has the goal of developing a clean energy network across the Western Hemisphere to cooperate and share information on energy initiatives. “[C]lean, reliable energy will provide a foundation for broad-based economic growth that will widen the circle of prosperity across our hemisphere and also reduce our carbon emissions,” they write.

Learn more about AS/COA’s Energy Action Group.

Bolivia Hosts Alternative Climate Change Summit

Ten thousand delegates from more than 100 countries gather in Bolivia this week for the first-ever World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, taking place in Cochabamba, Bolivia, from April 19 through the 22. The summit was arranged by Bolivian President Evo Morales as an alternative to the Copenhagen summit in 2009. The Democracy Center, based in Cochabamba, offers day-by-day coverage of the People’s Summit on Climate Change.

Far-Reaching Immigration Bill Passes in Arizona Senate

On April 19, Arizona’s Senate approved a bill that allows local police officers to search people for their immigration papers and also makes it a crime for employers to hire illegal immigrant day laborers. The Latin Americanist blog points out that while supporters of the bill say it will help lower crime, opponents argue that it will encourage “racial profiling” by police and target Arizona’s Latino population.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ), currently engaged in a reelection campaign and considered a longtime advocate of comprehensive immigration reform, caused a stir by backing the legislation and saying border security is a top priority. Politico reported that immigration reform advocates were “bewildered.” His political rival, Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), described McCain’s shifting position as “political gamesmanship…born of political convenience—driven by his need for personal political gain.”

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El Alcance de la Marea Verde

April 14, 2010

Así como el partido Verde logró poner sorpresivamente en el legislativo a ocho congresistas, el candidato presidencial por ese movimiento Antanas Mockus promete convertirse en el fenómeno electoral de los comicios del 30 de mayo. Luego de nombrar como su fórmula presidencial a Sergio Fajardo, quien declinó su aspiración por el Movimiento Ciudadano por Colombia, ambos matemáticos y ex alcaldes de las dos ciudades más grandes del país—Bogotá y Medellín—repuntaron en las encuestas como espuma y se ubicaron con un favoritismo del 22 por ciento entre el electorado.

Esta trepada les da un lugar casi seguro en la segundo vuelta, detrás del candidato del uribismo Juan Manuel Santos, quien no sólo representa la continuidad de los ocho años del actual mandatario, sino cuyo favoritismo (37 por ciento) lo hace un rival difícil de vencer.

Mockus y Fajardo crecen a un promedio de 10 mil fans diarios en sus páginas de Facebook y Twitter, espacio donde los demás candidatos siguen rezagados. La dupla gana cada vez mayores adeptos entre jóvenes, y hace cálculos optimistas de que en un país de tradición abstencionista, 3 millones de nuevos votantes (es decir aquellos que apenas recibieron su cédula o quienes han sido tradicionalmente apáticos con la política), irán a las urnas a marcar la X en la casilla de los verdes.

Aunque en Estados Unidos estos fans virtuales pueden ser decisivos en elecciones, no es así en un país subdesarrollado como Colombia donde las poblaciones rurales y alejadas, todavía tienen que escuchar las promesas del candidato en plaza pública o de voz a voz, no precisamente a través de la banda ancha. Y ahí está la debilidad de Mockus: Es un personaje reconocido en los grandes centros urbanos pero pocos lo saben nombrar en el país que vive de los subsidios paternalistas que ha entregado este gobierno, como los beneficiarios del programa “Familias en Acción”.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

April 7, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Top U.S. Envoy Announces U.S.-Brazil Security Negotiations

During a stop in Ecuador as part of his tour of the Andes this week, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela confirmed that negotiations were taking place between the United States and Brazil on their first major bilateral security agreement since 1977. According to Brazilian press, the agreement would establish a joint anti-narcotics facility in Rio de Janeiro to monitor drug-trafficking and smuggling, and would be under Brazilian command.

Floods Claim over 100 Lives in Rio de Janeiro

Mudslides and flooding caused by heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro this week claimed at least 102 lives, according to Brazilian authorities. On April 6, 11 inches of rain flooded the streets of Rio and left nearly 1,200 people homeless and stranded. According to Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes, the rainfall was the heaviest in Rio in such a short period and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said it was “the greatest flooding in the history of Rio de Janeiro.” Experts say that a mixture of geographic and structural factors, including poor drainage, is responsible for the destruction. View an MSNBC slideshow of the flood.

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Entrevista sobre las relaciones entre Colombia y los Estados Unidos en la era posturibe

April 1, 2010

Brian Nichols, Ministro Consejero de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Colombia, habla en esta entrevista sobre lo que se espera de la relación entre la administración de Barack Obama y el mandatario de Colombia en la era post-Uribe. Continuación en las políticas de extradición y antidrogas. TLC, aún en vilo. (Esta entrevista fue originalmente publicada en el website de Votebien.com.)

En materia de política exterior, uno de los asuntos más importantes para Colombia es su relación con Estados Unidos. Durante los últimos ocho años, con el Presidente Álvaro Uribe como un claro aliado del gobierno de George Bush en la región, la política antidrogas se mantuvo a través del Plan Colombia, al igual que las extradiciones y hasta la cooperación judicial.

La entrada del gobierno de Barack Obama no dio un giro sustancial en esta relación bilateral pero sí aumentó la presión de los grupos demócratas para no firmar el TLC, en razón a las violaciones a derechos humanos y asesinatos de sindicalistas que suceden en el país.

¿Cambiarán estas relaciones con un nuevo gobierno en la era posturibe?, ¿Qué políticas le interesa a la administración de Barack Obama mantener? Votebien entrevistó sobre estos temas a Brian Nichols, quien desde 2007 es el Ministro Consejero de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Bogotá y el segundo al mando después del embajador William Brownfield.

La Corte Constitucional declaró inexequible el referendo que permitiría una segunda reelección del presidente Álvaro Uribe.  ¿Cómo recibió el Gobierno de Estados Unidos este fallo?

Brian Nichols: Para nosotros es una muestra muy clara de la fortaleza de las instituciones colombianas, y creo que la respuesta por parte del presidente Uribe de acatarse al fallo, significa que Colombia es un país maduro con instituciones maduras. El presidente Uribe demostró que él es un estadista que respeta la democracia y el Estado de Derecho.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

March 31, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

UN Hosts Donors Conference for Haiti

The United Nations plays host to an international donors conference at its headquarters in New York on March 31. UN Dispatch reports that reconstruction will cost the international community $11.5 billion and that the Oval office has requested $2.8 billion from U.S. Congress to support Haiti’s rebuilding efforts. More than a dozen countries are participating in the summit and are expected to raise $4.8 billion. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the UN’s envoy to Haiti, will co-chair a rebuilding commission along with Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is announcing a $1.15 billion pledge to Haiti to be disbursed over the next two years.

A new report by the International Crisis Group makes a series of recommendations with the goal of assuring Haiti’s political stability, particularly given that legislative elections were postponed in light of the January 12 disaster.

COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth writes in the March 2010 issue of Poder: “There is a significant opportunity in the wake of the earthquake to build Haiti into a modern, economically stable, environmentally sound nation.”

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Colombia: Decepción tras las elecciones parlamentarias; Presidenciales, la esperanza

March 26, 2010

Varios hechos vergonzosos marcaron la jornada electoral del pasado 14 de marzo: Compra de votos en al menos ocho departamentos según denuncias de la Misión de Observación Electoral de la OEA; 28 senadores y 21 representantes a la Cámara elegidos pese a sus vínculos filiales o políticos con condenados por parapolítica e incluso muchos de ellos mismos con investigaciones en curso por diversos delitos; retardos en la entrega de resultados que significan que sólo hasta el 19 de julio sabremos como estará conformado oficialmente el Congreso (sí, un día antes de su posesión); cinco días en ascuas para conocer el candidato presidencial por el Partido Conservador que finalmente será Noemí Sanín; investigaciones abiertas a la firma UNE encargada del conteo de votos y hasta al mismo Registrador Carlos Ariel Sánchez por haber supuestamente ingerido licor el día de elecciones …

En Colombia hace rato que el término fiesta democrática se ha convertido en un eufemismo para significar que sin duda muchos hacen ‘fiesta’ el día de elecciones, pero entre los celebrantes no está ni el votante, ni mucho menos la democracia. Que un partido desconocido como el PIN (Partido de Integración Nacional) haya obtenido casi un millón de votos, colocando ocho senadores e igualando a fuerzas tradicionales como Cambio Radical y el Polo Democrático, que más allá de simpatías partidistas de izquierda o derecha, llevan años de trabajo parlamentario en el país, dice mucho de nuestras libertades electorales.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

March 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Shift on Drug War Strategy Stems from Clinton's Mexico Trip

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a cabinet-level delegation to Mexico this week as part of bilateral efforts to make progress in the ongoing drug war that plagues the Mexican border region and Ciudad Juarez in particular. After the meeting, Clinton described a new approach that would fall under the umbrella of the $1.4-billion security pact known as the Merida Initiative and incorporates strengthening institutions and communities. “We are expanding the Merida Initiative beyond what it was traditionally considered to be, because it is not just about security,” said Clinton. “Yes, that is paramount, but it is also about institution building. It is about reaching out to and including communities and civil society, and working together to spur social and economic development.” The talks also resulted in renewed focus to target arms trafficking and money laundering.

Top U.S. Envoy to the Western Hemisphere: Engaging the Americas

In an exclusive blog post for Americas Quarterly, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela writes about new ways for Washington to engage the Western Hemisphere. The post covers regional security, strengthening democratic institutions, environmental protection, and bridging the inequality gap.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

March 17, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

In Wake of Consular Killings, Calderón and U.S. Ambassador Visit Ciudad Juarez

Mexican President Felipe Calderón traveled to Ciudad Juarez Tuesday to express his “strongest indignation” over the March 13 murder of three people leaving a children’s party in the violence-plagued border city. Gunmen thought to have links to the Los Aztecas gang killed a U.S. consular worker and her husband driving in one car, and a Mexican man married to another U.S. consular worker traveling in a separate vehicle. The Federal Bureau of Investigation believes there’s a chance the murders were a case of mistaken identity, but investigations continue.

U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual joined Calderón in Ciudad Juarez and clarified that Mexican authorities are leading the investigation in Mexico while working in coordination with American officials on the U.S. side of the border. He also said Washington will keep cooperating with the Mexican government “to break the power of narcotrafficking organizations and to put an end to the violence they cause.” Both the White House and the U.S. State Department released statements regarding shared responsibility in fighting drug and arms trafficking.

Calderón’s visit to the border town marked his third this year and comes as public support wanes for a three-year-old military push to combat drug cartels. The battle has left 18,000 people dead since the president took office in 2006. On Tuesday, he gave details about “We are all Juarez,” a series of social programs designed to give the city’s residents better educational and job opportunities. The project was first launched in the wake of a January massacre of over a dozen teenagers at a party in Ciudad Juarez.

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How Will Colombians Vote on Sunday?

March 10, 2010

Colombians have a wide and strange array of options as they go to the polls this Sunday.

2,559 candidates are running for seats in the Senate, the Chamber of Representatives and the Andean Parliament; there seems to be a candidate for every taste. Some popular, if nontraditional candidates include the Partido de Integración Nacional’s (PIN) Benjamin Arrieta, (currently a Senator with the Convergencia Ciudadana party), who proposes free vasectomies and tubal ligations for the country’s poorest citizens and the Partido de la U’s María Fernanda Valencia, a former newscaster who promises to pose nude if elected. Cristián Fredy Murcia Guzmán, the brother of pyramid schemer David Murcia Guzman’s (DMG Holdings) is running for the Senate with Movimiento Apertura Liberal, on a platform that includes calls to restore his brother’s disgraced enterprise.

Complicating Sunday’s elections is a relatively new voting system first instituted in 2006.  Intended to strengthen the country’s political parties and movements, Colombians will vote first and foremost for their favorite party. If the party has an open list, voters may (but are not obligated to) specify which candidate they support within that party. But if the party has a closed list (which some do), then the party will have already assigned priority rankings to its candidates and voters will not be able to specify their personal preferences. As a result, many votes may ultimately help elect candidates who are not the voter’s preferred choice. Fortunately, almost all parties for this year’s elections (excluding, most noteably,  Movimiento MIRA for the senate race)  have presented open lists.

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Colombia, Paraguay to Enhance Security Cooperation

March 9, 2010

Colombia and Paraguay signed a declaration on Tuesday pledging to enhance bilateral cooperation primarily on security matters, but also in commerce, investment and tourism.

The agreement follows the resolution of a recent diplomatic dispute between the two countries that occurred prior to February’s Río Group Summit in Mexico. At the summit, Paraguayan Minister of Defense Luis Bareiro objected to the presence in Paraguay of Colombian military advisors, who had been assisting the Paraguayan military in efforts to capture members of the armed group Ejército Paraguayo del Pueblo (EPP). In an effort to patch things up, Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo then met with Colombia’s Álvaro Uribe in Mexico, after which he publicly thanked Colombia for its assistance.

After signing the agreement today in Asunción, Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez urged Paraguay to continue its efforts to weaken the EPP, which officials allege has been responsible for numerous kidnappings and attacks on police in recent years.

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Campaign Season in Colombia

March 5, 2010

Colombian President Álvaro Uribe and his allies were already taking candidate-like precautions before the country’s Constitutional Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that his run for a third term would be unconstitutional.

Juan Manuel Santos, one of Uribe’s closest disciples and a former defense minister, refused to launch his campaign as long as the possibility existed of a third term for Uribe.  Meanwhile, other candidates and pre-candidates for the presidency limited their campaign activity while waiting waited for the rules of the game to be set.

Hardly a few minutes after the president publicly accepted the court’s ruling, Santos launched his campaign, asking Colombians to show their support for the current administration’s policies by voting for him.  The next day Santos and Uribe met in Cali, where Uribe expressed his support for Santos’ political project.

But Santos is not alone as Uribe’s top pick. The president has also offered his strong backing to Agriculture Minister Andrés Felipe Arias.

Of the many who would like to succeed Uribe, Santos and Arias are among the few who are not registered candidates. Santos is expected to be chosen by the Partido de la U at a virtual national congress on Monday. Arias is competing in the Partido Conservador’s primaries against Uribe’s former ambassador to the United Kingdom and two-time presidential candidate Noemí Sanín.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

March 3, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Leaders from Across Americas Reach out to Chile

In the days since an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile claimed roughly 800 lives and devastated infrastructure, leaders from across the Western Hemisphere have rallied to show their support for relief efforts. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton each traveled to Chile in the wake of the disaster to pledge assistance. Peruvian President Alan García, who has not traveled to Chile in a year due to a maritime-boundary dispute, also visited to pledge humanitarian aid, saying: “We need to strengthen our fraternity, our closeness, and in these moments of need, work toward a true union of peoples.” Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that he will donate half his salary to Chilean and Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and Peru are among the countries sending crucial supplies, such as satellite phones, field hospitals, medical equipment, and blankets.

Access an AS/COA Online resource guide to the Chilean earthquake, with links to maps, images, and additional sources of information.

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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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

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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Colombia’s Indigenous Peoples Face Growing Abuse

February 24, 2010

Ongoing conflict and lack of state support threaten Colombia’s 1.4 million indigenous people, who face killings, sexual abuse, recruitment as child soldiers and the persecution of their leaders, according to a new report released Monday by the international human rights organization Amnesty International. The group is urging the Colombian government to adopt firmer measures to guarantee indigenous rights.

The release of the report follows Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) attacks on three communities in Southeastern Colombia this past weekend. 

Colombia’s Interior Minister Fabio Valencia Cossio, who assumed presidential duties while President Álvaro Uribe attended the Rio Group Summit this week, released a communiqué on Tuesday saying that the Amnesty report is too harsh. He contends that the group has failed to recognize the government’s achievements on indigenous rights, which were praised by the United Nations in July. The communiqué also says the cultivation of illicit drugs is a primary reason for the displacement of indigenous communities.

While indigenous people make up only 3.4 percent of Colombia’s population, they constitute 7 percent of the country’s displaced people, according to Amnesty International.

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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

February 17, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Haiti Reconstruction Costs Higher than Anticipated

A new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study estimates that Haiti’s reconstruction could cost as much as $14 billion, far higher than earlier forecasts of $5 billion. The IDB study thus predicts Haiti’s earthquake will be costlier than the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Canada to Build Temporary HQs for Haitian Government

Following a visit to Haiti this week, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that his country will construct temporary Haitian government headquarters in Port-au-Prince after last month’s earthquake destroyed the government’s buildings. The provisional headquarters will cost $11.5 million.

Young and Jobless in Latin America

A recent report released by the International Labor Organization (ILO) shows that at least 600,000 young Latin Americans were unemployed in 2009, making them “hardest hit” by the global financial crisis, reports the Latin Americanist blog. The ILO report also showed that, of the 104 million youth in Latin America, only 34 percent attend school, only 33 percent work, and just 13 percent do both.

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

February 3, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Costa Rica Gears up for Presidential Elections

Alex Leff blogs for Americas Quarterly about Costa Rica’s presidential campaigns ahead of the February 7 elections. Campaigns have taken a turn for the quirky, from conservative candidate Otto Guevara’s televised polygraph test to the Social Christian Unity Party’s Luis Fishman’s slogan that “the lesser evil is better.” While Guevara’s support in the polls rose from 13 to 30 percent in September, surveys estimate that President Óscar Arias’ chosen successor, Laura Chinchilla of the National Liberation Party, will win 40 percent of the vote.

Congressional Report Examines U.S. Policy toward Haitian Migrants

In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti, a Congressional Research Service Report examines U.S. migrant interdiction and detention policies toward Haitians. Human rights advocates have raised concerns over these policies, saying Haitians receive inferior treatment when compared to other asylum seekers trying to enter the United States.

Read an AS/COA analysis about the U.S. debate over Haitian immigration.

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Opposition Still Hopes to Block Referendum in Colombia on Uribe Candidacy

January 26, 2010

A Colombian opposition party called for candidates in the May 2010 presidential elections to work together to prevent President Álvaro Uribe from seeking a third consecutive term in office.  In a January 25 statement on Caracol Radio, Jaimie Dussán, director of Polo Democratico Alternativo party, asked fellow opposition leaders to sign a letter rejecting Uribe’s possible candidacy. 

The letter would be delivered to Colombia’s Constitutional Court, which is reviewing a bill calling for a national referendum on the issue.  The bill passed Colombia’s lower house in September after the Senate approved it in August. 

Dussán, who considers the referendum illegal, wants conservative politicians including German Varags Lleras and Noemi Sani to join left-leaning politicians in opposing it.

Uribe’s supporters hope the referendum can be approved and passed in time for his name to be on the May ballot.  Uribe previously circumvented a constitutional ban on reelection through a national referendum in 2006 before winning his second term by a landslide. 

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Four Months Until Colombia’s Election: Is President Uribe Already Running?

January 21, 2010

It’s hard to believe that President Uribe won’t run for a third term after more than two years of keeping the country in political limbo. In yet another sign that he wants to be re-elected for a third term, he is now stopping the TV transmission of his weekly communal council meetings in towns across Colombia. This may yet be another signal that he does not want to have an unfair advantage over other candidates. Could his “soul” no longer be at the crossroads?

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Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

January 20, 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.

Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.

Aftershock Hits Ravaged Haiti

A 6.1-magnitude aftershock hit Haiti early Wednesday morning even as the country reels from last week’s ruinous earthquake. At least one person suffered injuries immediately after the aftershock. No deaths or damages were immediately reported. Even in the midst of chaos, officials around the world are considering what efforts can be implemented to aid Haiti’s long-term recovery. In a blog post on NationalJournal.com, COA’s Eric Farnsworth writes: “A long term project will require long term attention, and political will that goes beyond the provision of emergency relief efforts.” Foreign Policy features five views on how to help Haiti rebuild using emergency aid and development.

Piñera Victory Ends Concertación Rule

Business tycoon Sebastián Piñera won Chile’s runoff elections on January 17, marking the first win for a conservative presidential candidate since the country’s return to democracy. According to an article in The Washington Post, Chile will most likely continue to follow free-market policies that rendered the country prosperous since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. COA’s Christopher Sabatini, quoted in the article, said Latin Americans “are making the choice to support market economies and rational leaders.”

Read an AS/COA analysis of recent and upcoming Latin American elections.

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