Argentina : Isabel Perron Arrest Ordered by Judge

Former President of Argentina, Isabel Peron,wife of Argentine strongman Juan Peron, was ordered arrested yesterday to be questioned regarding ties to right-wing death squads before she was overthrown in a 1976 military coup.This Mrs. Peron followed the (in)famous Eva Peron.

Although nearly 13,000 people are reported dead or missing from the 1976-83 junta era, human rights groups say the toll approaches 30,000 dissidents killed before civilian rule was restored in 1983.

Isabel Peron currently resides in Spain.

Link : CNN

Image : Amerika-live.de

Tags : Argentina, Isabel Peron

Cuba : Wake Held for Dissident Miguel Valdés Tamayo

A wake was held Miguel Valdés Tamayo, a Cuban dissdent, in La Habana today. Valdés Tamayo had been incarcerated, with a sentence of 15 years, in 2003 and was released after a year because of ill health. He died of a heart attack on Wednesday.

"Vamos a hacerle una guardia de honor, junto a sus compañeros de causa", explicó a la AP Laura Pollán, una de las llamadas Damas de Blanco, esposas de los disidentes presos que suelen marchar pidiendo la libertad de sus maridos.

He was one of 75 anti-Castro activists who were imprisoned in 2003.

Link : Univision.com

Image Link : Nueva Prensa

Tag : Cuba, Miguel Valdés Tamayo

Nicaragua : Daniel Ortega is Back

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez isn't the only Latin American leader sworn in today. Daniel Ortega, the former president of Nicaragua and Sandinista leader, was sworn in as president again today. While Ortega is promising a more middle of the road regime than his image as a revolutionary leftist enemy of the U.S. from the 1980's, he is friendly towards current U.S. enemies like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro.

Link : VivirLatino, Fox News
Tags : Daniel Ortega , Nicaragua

Cuba : Going Consumerist?

Post-Navidad and Dia de Reyes numbers has some Cuban officials worried that people on the island are losing their communist perspective.

In a two-page spread, the Juventud Rebelde reported on the revival of "Three Kings Day," a Latin American tradition of giving gifts to children on Jan. 6, commemorating the arrival of three wise men who offered the newborn Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

"A tradition that seemed extinct in Cuban society rises again," the state-run newspaper said. "Although no one sees celebrating the millennial festivity of the Three Kings as heresy, the danger could be in (the holiday) accentuating consumerist habits and social differences."

Reportedly stores in central Habana were packed, especially the toy department.

Link : Fox News
Tags : Cuba, Communism, Three Kings Day

Venezuela : Chavez to Nationalize Power and Telecommunications

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela today announced plans to nationalize the country's power and telecom companies.

"All of those sectors that in an area so important and strategic for all of us as is electricity — all of that which was privatized, let it be nationalized," Chavez said in a televised speech after swearing in a new Cabinet.
"C.A. Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela (CANTV), let it be nationalized," Chavez said. "The nation should recover its property of strategic sectors."

Chavez is making good on the promise made after his reelction to make more radical movements in tge direction of socialism.
Link : Yahoo! News
Tags : Hugo Chavez, Venezuela

Colombia : After 6 Years Official Escapes FARC Kidnappers

Fernando Araujo, a former development minister in Colombia, was last seen in December 2005 exercising in Cartagena when he was allegedly kidnapped by members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia aka the FARC. Yesterday, the minister escaped as Colombian army and marine troops battled the FARC.What followed was Araujo treking five days through the mountainous jungle to San Agustin, 350 miles north of the capital city of Bogota.

Image : Wikipedia
Tags : Colombia, FARC

Sevilla, Spain to Take On Cuba's Reading Model

The town council of Sevilla, Spain has decided to handle its literacy problems, with about 15,000 who cannot read and write, and nearly 331,000 do not have any academic qualification, by looking to Cuba. The Seville Town Council recently announced it is working to apply the Cuban literacy method "Yes, I Can" it in that Spanish region.

Link : La Prensa Latina
Tags : Cuba, Spain, Literacy

Venezuela : New VP is a Psychologist

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez doesn't officially start his new term in office until January 10th but he already is making some changes in his cabinet. Chavez has appointed a new Interior Minister and a new Vice President, the latter who is a psychologist.

Link : la Prensa Latina
Tags : Venezuela, Hugo Chavez

Nicaragua : Outgoing Presidente Fingered for Corruption

Outgoing Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños and his administration are being accused of widespread corruption by a transition commission designed by the elected president Daniel Ortega who takes office on January 10th. Among the accusations are payment of high wages to people with false names, misappropriation of funds and excessive payments for auditing and consultancy.

Link : La Prensa Latina
Image : Radio Nederland Wereldomroep
Tags : Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, Enrique Bolanos

Cuba : Fidel Sends New Year's Message

Cuban President Fidel Castro may be out of sight but that doesn't mean he's going to allow himself out of the minds of the Cuban people. Before 2007 was actually rung in on the Caribbean island, a statement from Castro, who hasn't been seen since last summer, was read on state-run radio stations.

Concerning my recovery I always said it would be a long process, but it's far from being a lost battle.I have not stopped being informed of the most important information and events. I discuss them with my closest comrades when cooperation on vital matters is called for.

Link : Yahoo! News
Tags : Cuba , Fidel Castro

Latin American New Year's Traditions

With New Year's just days away, most of us have our party plans set. Part of those plans include partaking in traditions with roots in our native countries. Many of us partake of the ritual stemming from madre Spain, eating 12 grapes at the 12 strokes of midnight, making a wish with each uva and ensuring 12 months of good luck. Many South American countries including Ecuador and Colombia burn an effigy of the old year. Others insist in wearing, sometimes inside out, yellow or red underwear. Regardless of how you celebrate the New Year, may all of you have a healthy and happy one.

Feliz 2007!

Links : Yahoo! Answers

Plaza De Mayo Madre Passes On

The Madres of la Plaza de Mayo, protesting with white scarves on their heads in Argentina the disappearances under Argentina's military rule of their children and the children of others have always served as an inspiartion for me and other activists. Sadly one of the founding members passed away.

Nelva Mendez de Falcone, 76, died Monday of an unspecified lung problem for which she had been hospitalized for the last 10 days in La Plata, 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of the capital of Buenos Aires, the family said.

Nelva had lost her own daughter, Maria Claudia Falcone, to the 1976-83 dictatorship.

The impact and pressence of the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo has been used an a point of study by other mothers fighting in the name of their children even here in the United States. For example, Latina mothers in New York City who lost their sons to police brutality, met with some of the Plaza de Mayo mothers in the late 1990's.

According to official figures, some 13,000 people disappeared under the dictatorship's "dirty war" against dissidents, though human rights groups put the number at 30,000.

Mendez de Falcone's family said her body would be cremated and some of her ashes scattered in the Plaza de Mayo.

Link : CNN, VivirLatino
Tags : Argentina, Plaza de Mayo

Chile : Colo Colo Wins National Title

Ever since I lived in Chile and thanks to satelite television, I've been a big fan of Chilean futbol's Colo Colo. I and other Colo Colinos are celebrating Colo's recent win of the Clausura Crown.This feels especially good after Colo's loss to Pachuca.

Link : Sporting Life, VivirLatino
Tags : Futbol, Chile, colo colo

Ecuador and Colombia At Odds Over Spraying

The neighboring South American nations of Ecuador and Colombia are not seeing eye to eye on the issue of spraying herbicides over a 10 mile area. Colombia has been spraying glyphosate and has no intentions of stopping. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa canceled a planned trip to Colombia until Colombia decides to stop the spraying.

Colombia is spraying the herbicide, with the backing of the U.S., in order to wipe out Coca fields.

There are questions as to the safety of the herbicide.
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Link : La Prensa Latina, International Herald Tribune , Earth Justice
Image : WikiNoticias
Tags : Ecuador , Colombia

Raul Castro Promises a Different Kind of Leadership

Interim man in charge in Cuba, Raul Castro, brother of the ill President Fidel Castro, is saying that he's planning on taking a different road in terms of leadership than his hermanito.The changes promised in publiched comments include delegating more and making less (and hopefully shorter) speeches.

Link : Fox News
Tags : Cuba , Fidel Castro, Raul Castro

Venezuela Moves to Have More Indigenous Representation

A special committee of Venezuela's National Assembly is presenting a draft Indigenous Languages Law intended to preserve the 34 native languages existing in the country.There is an additional move to elect Indigenous representatives to the Assembly.
Link: Prensa Latina
Image : Business Directory Venezuela
Tags : Venezuela