Mexican government supports ICC

Mexico’s government will back the right of the International Criminal Court to prosecute U.S. troops even though the U.S. has threatened to withhold nearly $1 million in aid to Mexico. "This country will be irrefutable in supporting the protocols of the international court, whatever the cost," said a spokesman for Mexican president Vicente Fox. (El Universal)

Bolivian coca growing should be limited, says Evo

Bolivia’s coca farmers should not grow more than their personal share, said president Evo Morales in a speech on Saturday. Morales also criticized the heavy reduction of U.S. military aid to Bolivia by declaring that "the lives of Bolivians are not worth a million dollars." (CNN)

Haitian presidential election: Preval should be prez says Brazil; used ballots found in dump

Supporters of candidate Rene Preval have intensified their protests in light of television footage showing ballots and other election material discarded in a Port-au-Prince garbage dump.

Meanwhile, there have been calls from Brazil and Haiti’s interim government for Preval to be recognized as Haiti’s next president. With over 90% of votes counted, Preval holds a 37.1% lead over his closest rival, but is 1.3% short of avoiding a runoff.

Recent entries on Haiti’s presidential election:

http://ourlatinamerica.blogspot.com/2006/02/haitian-presidential-election-preval.html

http://ourlatinamerica.blogspot.com/2006/02/haitian-presidential-election-vote.html

http://ourlatinamerica.blogspot.com/2006/02/former-president-likely-winner-in.html

http://ourlatinamerica.blogspot.com/2006/02/photography-elections-in-haiti.html

Interrogation center under Pinochet remodeled into art museum

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. The Salvador Allende Solidarity Museum in Santiago, Chile is set to open next month in the same mansion used as a spy center under Pinochet's rule. Workers that remodeled the former spy center found objects such as passports and diagrams of locations under surveillance. (The Australian)

U.S. cuts military aid to Bolivia

The Center for International Policy's blog on the Colombia Program discusses the U.S. cut in military aid to Bolivia and the practical consequences it will have. (Plan Colombia and Beyond)

Ticos take electoral recount in stride

-Contributed by presidential election, with a quiet uncommon in Central America, according to the Houston Chronicle. The waiting game affects citizens and politicians alike, including Congress's debate on Costa Rica's involvement with the Central America Free Trade Agreement. (Merco Press)

Venezuela: Chavez publicly insults Bush and Blair

-Contributed by the greatest terrorist in the world" British head Tony Blair a pawn of imperialism who should hand the Falkland Islands to Argentina. Meanwhile, Venezuelan police apprehended Colombian drug lord Alonso Ojeda, one of the most wanted drug barons in Latin America.

Haitian presidential election: Preval supporters

-Contributed by (CTV) On the cusp of what appears to be Preval's victory, the Miami Herald shows the obstacles that lay ahead for Haiti's next president as well as Preval's problems during his previous administration. (Miami)

Op/ed article in NYU student newspaper on “Killer Coke” campaign

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. An op/ed article in the Washington Square News points out the lack of “sustainability” as to why the ban against Coca-Cola at NYU, has been ineffective in causing real change. “The core of the ‘Killer Coke’ campaign isn’t murders in Colombia, but the insanity that a cost-benefit analysis could justify having workers killed to keep others from demanding better working conditions. That central principle needs to be generalized and made explicit” according to the article. (NYUNews)

colombia, latin america, South America, coke, NYU

Costa Rica: Recount begins of dead-heat presidential election

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Costa Rica’s electoral board began a recount on Tuesday to see if either ex-president Oscar Arias or rival Otton Solis won outright or will face each other in a second round. Though exit polls indicated Arias won easily, it is believed that a winner will be announced in two weeks. (ABC)

central america, latin america, international politics, Costa Rica, oscar arias

Venezuela’s state oil company will pay off debt

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Petroleos de Venezuela SA will pay off its multibillion dollar debt traded in U.S. markets in order to avoid filing financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "We should not be in the Security Exchange Commission, and when we pay off our private debt we will leave," said the president of Petroleos de Venezuela SA on Wednesday. (Business Week)

Venezuela, latin america, South America, latin america, Petroleos de Venezuela

El Salvador will continue sending troops to Iraq

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. El Salvador’s government will send another group of troops to serve in with coalition forces in Iraq even though President Tony Saca mentioned last year that the decision would be up to coalition officials. El Salvador is the only Latin American country to have troops in Iraq. (Mercury News)

el salvador, central america, donald rumsfeld, latin america, international politics, Iraq, Tony Saca

Halliburton subsidiary wins contract to build U.S. immigration detention centers

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Kellogg Brown & Root won a contract worth nearly $400 million in order to build temporary immigration detention centers. A government spokesman noted that these centers are useful in emergency situations, though Representative Henry Waxman critiqued that “with Halliburton's ever expanding track record of overcharging, it's hard to believe that the administration has decided to entrust Halliburton with even more taxpayer dollars.” (New York Times) (Registration required).

bush administration, immigration, Halliburton

Foot-and-mouth disease hits Argentina

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Officials in Argentina have identified an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle located near the border with Paraguay. Argentina was hit with a serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle five years ago, while Brazil was hurt by it last year. (The Latin Americanist)

argentina, foot and mouth, latin america, South America

Flores continues leading Peru presidential race

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Center-right candidate Lourdes Flores holds a near double-digit lead over her nearest rival, Ollanta Humala. Humala has been hurt by recent accusations that he committed human rights abuses as a local police chief in the early 1990s. (Angus Reid)

international politics, latin america, Peru, South America, lourdes flores

Amerindians from five South American countries seek their own nation

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Thousands of Amerindians belonging to the Guarani nation are demanding lands taken by 18th century European colonialists. "Without land, we cannot live, there is no health, there is no education. And we need our full land, with forest, rivers and air," according to a Guarani from Paraguay. (WAPO)

brazil, international politics, latin america, South America, amerindians, paraguay