“Maletagate” suspect pleads guilty; debate over Colombian free trade

The main focus of news in Latin America over the past few days has been on Raul Reyes’ death by Colombian forces and the subsequent diplomatic row involving countries like Venezuela. However, a pair of other stories has emerged from Colombia and Venezuela that have caught out attention.

One of the defendants in the “Maletagate” case pled guilty in a U.S. federal court. In his guilty plea, Carlos Kauffmann said that he and four others tried to coerce Guido Antonini Wilson [image] into staying quiet. (Wilson has been accused of smuggling $800,000 in cash from Venezuela to fund the campaign of current Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

As part of the agreement, Kauffmann’s possible jail time may be significantly reduced and he may not be deported to his native Venezuela.

Meanwhile, a U.S. legislator wants to investigate into the removal of a Colombian judge from "a special tribunal” looking into the deaths of labor leaders. With Congress debating the approval of a free trade pact with Colombia, Rep. George Miller believes that the Uribe administration needs to ensure the safety of trade unionists:

"As the U.S. Congress debates the proposed trade agreement with Colombia, it is essential that we consider whether Colombia is doing everything it can to protect the safety of workers who want to exercise their basic workplace rights without worrying about becoming a victim of violence," Miller said in a statement.

Sources- Reuters, Los Angeles Times, International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist

Image- El Pais