Tag Archives: Mexico

Castaeda’s raw deal








Almost a good idea – Jorge Castaneda’s political warfare/illegal immigration deal should be a non-starter.
By Dr. J. Michael Waller


Mexico’s most prominent former foreign minister has issued a call to “undertake the necessary ideological struggle to check” Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez and the transitioning regime in Cuba.


It’s a near-surprise call from a onetime Marxist who, as his country’s top diplomat from 2000 to 2003, had aggressively challenged the United States and worked to dismantle the inter-American security system.


Commenting on President Bush’s “too little, too late” trip to Latin America, Jorge G. Castaeda writes in the Washington Post that momentum in the region has shifted away from the United States and toward America’s adversaries, and that it’s time to take action.


“The balance of forces in the region has shifted. Not only has the leftward tilt persisted – with electoral victories in Nicaragua and Ecuador, unprecedented near-misses in Mexico and Peru, unexpected advances in Colombia – but the Venezuelan president’s influence has expanded,” Castaeda writes. “Hugo Chavez has found his sea legs and assembled an impressive array of tools to seduce the region.”


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Castaeda (pictured) outlines concerns about the rise of the hard Left, adding that it’s one thing if Chavez wrecks his own country, “but if he seeks to extend his concentration of power in Venezuela or elsewhere, that is everyone’s business. It is time for others to say so and to undertake the necessary ideological and political struggle to check Chavez and Havana, both rebutting their populist fallacies and failures and vaunting the merits of the democratic alternative, a globalized market economy, imperfect as it may be.”


The former diplomat argues that US leadership against the Caracas-Havana axis would be counterproductive, and that Latin American leaders should mount the counteroffensive: “Mexico’s [President] Felipe Calderon is ideally suited to engage Chavez and the Castro brothers in the inevitable ideological fisticuffs.”


A wonderful suggestion! This author made a similar point two years ago, before Calderon’s election, in a Center for Security Policy Occasional Paper arguing that Latin American leaders must take the lead against Chavez.   


However, Jorge Castaeda doesn’t expect Mexico to challenge Chavez for free. He doesn’t think his country can stand on its own without crucial (if resented) support from Uncle Sam.


In his Washington Post article, the former foreign minister explains why he thinks Mexican President Felipe Calderon is the only Latin American leader suitable or able to take the lead. And here’s where he drops a poison pill: The Mexican president can’t be expected to assume his proper role against Chavez and the Castros unless the United States gives in on “comprehensive immigration reform.”


“Comprehensive immigration reform” is Castaedaspeak for uncontrolled Mexican emigration into the United States – his main agenda as foreign minister.


What Castaeda is really saying is that not a single democratic leader in Latin America is willing to stand up to Chavez on his own, or even capable of doing so, and that not even the president of Mexico will try unless he squeezes huge concessions from the United States first. And here is where Castaeda’s otherwise excellent ideological and political warfare idea flops.


Castaeda then hints at Mexican extortion to get its way: Calderon, he says, might cut a separate peace with Chavez. No surprise there. That’s how Castaeda has always operated.


He is reinforcing the stereotype of Mexican leaders: they might do the right thing – if you bribe them.


Back when he was foreign minister, Castaeda was more interested in dismantling the hemispheric security system, using the United Nations as a platform against the US, and running covert political operations inside the US to accommodate Mexican emigration. (For its part, Mexico has very tough immigration laws.)


This when President George W. Bush brought then-President Vicente Fox to the White House and proclaimed his goal of a “special relationship” with Mexico – a term we had only reserved for the United Kingdom. Then, after 9/11 hit, Foreign Minister Castaeda made sure that Mexico was one of the last countries in the world to issue condolences to the United States after the 9/11 attacks.


All this when Chavez was on the rise, Venezuela still had a viable opposition, and Mexico could have taken the lead.


Latin American democrats will have to push back Chavez on their own. They won’t do a thing if Washington takes the lead, and most would snipe at the US if it did. So Castaeda is floating his idea to extort bribes from the United States. He still seems more intent on intervening in the internal affairs of this country (where he lives) than helping his own country step out of its shell and solve bigger problems in the hemisphere.


A few years from now, he will probably say that Chavez’s campaign of hemispheric chaos was directly due to Washington’s failure to appease Mexican demands that the US change its immigration laws.

The surging threat in Latin America

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the principal foreign policy and intelligence institutions of the United States considered that communism had disappeared. Soon after, a new threat emerged: terrorism, and since then, intelligence organizations in the US lost interest in the subject. However, communism did not disappear. In Latin America, under the direction of Fidel Castro and with the support of Lula da Silva, all the leftist groups reorganized in the region with the purpose of taking power under the umbrella of the Forum of Sao Paolo.

NEWS:

  • Mexico: U.S. breaks up Mexican drug gang.
  • Latin stocks fall because of plunge in Chinese shares. The next day there are gains.
  • Defector says Cuba is developing biological weapons. College professor and wife spied for Cuba from Florida.
  • Venezuela takes control of foreign oil projects. Venezuela and Cuba sign agreements in excess of U$ 700 million. Chavez scaring away investments in the region. US warns that Venezuela is unleashing an arms race in Latin America.
  • Deported from Bolivia, Cuban dissident will accept asylum in Norway.
  • Bolivia : opposition blocks oil contracts. Gazprom and YPFB sign memo of understanding.
  • Brazil : Gazprom and Petrobras sign cooperation accord.
  • Argentina: former government official, picketer Luis D’Elía, goes to Iran. Interpol lists 1 Lebanese and six Iranians in bombing of AMIA.
  • Colombia to invest U$ 3.7 billion to combat drugs and FARC. It has been five years since Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian Presidential Candidate was kidnapped by FARC. Fernando Araújo: new foreign minister. Ex-guerrilla (former M-19) leads opposition in Colombia against Uribe.
  • President Bush: backs FTA with Peru. Will visit Lima in 2008.
  • Nicaragua : Ortega seeks closer ties with Iran. Congress gives special powers given to Ortega.

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For any questions, comments, or those interested in receiving this report in the future or seeking to have their email removed from our list please contact Nicole M. Ferrand at our new e-mail address: mengesproject@centerforsecuritypolicy.org. If you have news stories that you think might be useful for future editions of this report please send them, with a link to the original website, to the same e-mail address. If you wish to contribute with an article, please send it to the same address, with your name and place of work or study.

New threat: communism in Latin America

By Alejandro Pea Escluza








 
Communism is surging south of the border, thanks to the work of lefties like Hugo Chavez and Luiz Ignacio Lula de Silva
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the principal foreign policy and intelligence institutions of the United States considered that communism had disappeared and they ruled it out as a real threat. Soon after, a new threat emerged: terrorism, and since then, intelligence organizations in the US lost interest in the subject, forgetting about communism in the process.


However, communism did not disappear. In Latin America, under the direction of Fidel Castro and with the support of Lula da Silva, all the leftist groups reorganized in the region with the purpose of taking power under the umbrella of the Forum of Sao Paolo. [1]



To conceal their intentions, the Forum of Sao Paolo (FSP) abandoned its Marxist discourse and adopted diverse themes to carry on their struggle: Appealing to indigenous populations, Liberation theology, and a fierce criticism of capitalism and globalization.


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The organization is typified by the strong relationship between its chief leaders: Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Sandinista, Daniel Ortega, and, since 1995, Hugo Chvez, Venezuela’s president. His entrance marked a change of phase for that organization, since it was able to have control over an unlimited flow of petrodollars to expand.





Since 1990, when the Forum of Sao Paolo was first established its growth has been impressive. The Presidents of nearly every Latin American nation belong to the FSP or have achieved power supported by the Forum of Sao Paolo.



The United States has not been able to fully grasp the danger of the revival of communism in the region. It is perceived that the mere coexistence with the free market of some “moderate” members of the Forum of Sao Paolo mean that they   are not actively supporting the efforts of the Chavez/Castro Axis (Lula da Silva, Nstor Kirchner, Michelle Bachelet, Tabar Vsquez, Torrijos [2]); secondly, there is no present nuclear threat coming from any of these countries.   As can be seen in the following list there are communist as well as terrorist organizations that are represented in the Forum’s membership.



Some of the Participants of the Forum are [3]:



  • Argentina – Communist Party of Argentina

  • Barbados – Clement Payne Movement

  • Bolivia – Communist Party of Bolivia

  • Brazil – Workers’ Party, Communist Party of Brazil

  • Chile – Communist Party of Chile, Socialist Party of Chile

  • Colombia – Colombian Communist Party, National Liberation Army (FLN), Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

  • Costa Rica – Costa Rican Peoples Party

  • Cuba – Communist Party of Cuba

  • Dominica – Dominica Labor Party

  • Dominican Republic – Dominican Liberation Party

  • El Salvador – Farabundo Mart National Liberation Front (FMNL)

  • Guatemala – Unin Revolucionaria Nacional de Guatemala (URNG)

  • Guyana – Working People’s Alliance

  • Mexico – Party of Labor, Popular Socialist Party and Partido de la Revolucin Democrtica (PRD)

  • Nicaragua – Sandinista National Liberation Front

  • Paraguay – Paraguayan Communist Party, Free Homeland Party

  • Peru – Peruvian Communist Party, Socialist Party of Peru. Ex-leaders of the MRTA.

  • Puerto Rico – Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Socialist Front, Hostosian National Independence Movement, University Pro-Independence Federation of Puerto Rico.

  • Uruguay – Broad Front, Communist Party of Uruguay, Socialist Party of Uruguay, Tupamaros

  • Venezuela – Communist Party of Venezuela.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, some communist groups decided to accept the neo-liberal model in the economic front, but keeping their political scheme intact. But to coexist with the free market does not mean that they have embraced the model. In the case of Kirchner and Lula, they have made a pragmatic decision to “accept” free markets only because it is useful to them, but not because they disagree politically with Castro-Communism. In fact, every time they can, they support the Chvez regime.


Regarding nuclear armaments, it is true that up to now the Forum of Sao Paolo has not been able to obtain weapons of mass destruction, but it is only a matter of time. In the long run, its member’s alliances with Iran and North Korea will provide the necessary supplies and technology to achieve this goal.


The lack of understanding by the United States with respect to this threat is evident when its authorities think they will be successful by asking the “moderate leftists” to contain the “radical leftists” (Castro, Chvez, Morales, Correa, Ortega).


The Forum is not satisfied with their extraordinary accomplishments achieved up to now; they also want to have control over Colombia and Mexico. That is why, in the next few months they want to destabilize the administrations of Alvaro Uribe and of Felipe Caldern. The FARC and the PRD [4] of Lpez Obrador, members of the Forum of Sao Paolo, will have the political support and the petrodollars of this organization to use towards that end.


It is of vital importance for the security of the Western Hemisphere that the institutions of the United States open their eyes with respect to the new threat that is emerging on its southern border and that they carefully study the dangers posed by the Forum of Sao Paolo.   


*Alejandro Pea Esclusa is a leader of the Venezuelan Opposition and founder of the organization, Fuerza Solidaria. He ran against Hugo Chavez in the 1998 presidential elections and lectures widely throughout Latin America.






[1] The Sao Paulo Forum: fall and rise of communism. http://www.fuerzasolidaria.org/WebFS/Escritos/FSPFallAndRise.html



[2] Martn Torrijos Espino. President of Panama.



[3] Leftist Front-runners in Brazil, Nicaragua. Aug. 21, 2001. NewsMax.



[4] Party of the Democratic Revolution (in Spanish: Partido de la Revolucin Democrtica, PRD) is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador is affiliated with this group.

Scandal in Colombia – is Chavez behind it?








Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Maria Consuelo Araujo, has resigned because of her brother’s alleged connections to paramilitary groups. 


By Nicole Ferrand


Colombia’s Foreign Minister resigned on Monday February 19, after her brother, Alvaro Araujo Castro, a Senator, was accused of conspiring with paramilitary groups in a political scandal that could hurt President Alvaro Uribe, a key ally of the United States in its fight against drugs and the terrorist group known as the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). “I am leaving,” Maria Consuelo Araujo said…I see clearly that the judicial process must be free of any interference”… “The certainty of the innocence of my father and brother forces me to leave, so I can be free to be by their side and help them as a daughter and a sister.” [1]




President Alvaro Uribe gave his total support to Maria Consuelo Arajo and urged her to continue with her duties, but since in addition to her brother, her cousin, governor of the state of Cesar, Hernando Molina Araujo, was also under investigation for the same case, authorities were concerned that the nation’s international image could be damaged by the family’s alleged ties with paramilitaries, so she stepped down. Mrs. Arajo’s husband is an Associated Press photographer.



Uribe has already named former development minister Fernando Arajo Perdomo, 51, as his new foreign minister. Arajo, who is not related to his predecessor, escaped six weeks ago from leftist rebels who kidnapped him in 2000. Arajo Perdomo is a civil engineer from the city of Cartagena who on December 4 of 2000 was kidnapped by the FARC while jogging. Although his family paid the ransom, he managed to escape during a military attack with helicopters on the site he was held captive at the end of 2006. He is one of the 59 politicians, soldiers and policemen that have been held by FARC during the last nine years with hopes of exchanging them for 500 imprisoned guerrillas. After he was liberated, Arajo promised to keep working for the liberation of all hostages and political prisoners and several political groups proposed his name to President Uribe as Colombia’s Peace Counselor. 


[More]


Alvaro Arajo, the brother of Maria Consuelo Arajo, was arrested with four other pro-Uribe lawmakers last week on charges of meeting with the AUC (United Self-defense forces of Colombia) paramilitary leaders. AUC is a right-wing paramilitary group involved in Colombia’s forty-year civil war with the FARC. Prosecutors allege Araujo helped finance the AUC and that he was involved in the kidnapping of a political rival. Colombia’s Supreme Court has recommended that prosecutors also investigate his father, former minister of Agriculture, lvaro Arajo Noguera. Eight pro-Uribe lawmakers have been jailed since the scandal broke in November, another is on the run and an active army colonel has been suspended. [2]


The scandal


The Para-political scandal began in June 2005 after the leader of the opposition, Clara Lopes Obregn from the Alternative Democratic Pole party claimed the existence of links between paramilitaries and some congressmen. Soon after, Paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso publicly declared that 35% of the elected Congress in 2006 were “friendly towards his former group.” The police confiscated a computer whose owner was former AUC leader Rodrigo Tovar Pupo a.k.a. ” Jorge 40″ which contained documents with information that implicated many politicians. On November 9, 2006 the Supreme Court ordered the detention of three implicated congressmen. [3]


Days later, members of Uribes group met in the Palacio de Nario to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to arrest the three congressmen. In that meeting Senator Alvaro Arajo Castro said, ” If they come for me, it means that they are also coming for the minister (his sister), the Inspector General ( Edgardo Maya Villazon) and the President (Uribe).” After this, Arajo temporarily resigned from his post. He was called to testify to the Supreme Court and on February 15, 2007 was arrested for the crimes of kidnapping and extortion in association with the paramilitaries. [4]


In 2006 several right-leaning congressmen were charged with colluding with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). The group has been accused of infiltrating Colombian politics and even the people in the government. According to El Tiempo, paramilitary leader Rodrigo Tovar Pupo wanted to attain total power in Colombia, and to achieve this, he claims, he bought influential politicians during the AUC demobilization in Santa Fe de Ralito, offering money to 40 members of congress to support the groups fight to achieve power. [5]


The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia began negotiations with the Uribe government in July 2003, and demobilized some 31,000 paramilitaries. The AUC, which is on both the U.S. and EU list of terrorist organizations, consist of militias formed in the 1980s to combat thousands of leftist guerrillas in Colombia. [6]


On November 21, 2006, Rafael Garca Torres, former Information Technologies Chief of the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad) was interrogated by the Supreme Court after being accused of accepting bribes from paramilitaries and narcotraffickers in exchange for erasing their criminal past from the state intelligence database. Garca claimed to have knowledge of Jorge 40s plans to bribe several congressmen. [7]


Mr. Garca Torres also said that the former head of DAS, Jorge Noguera   had close ties to “Jorge 40” and that they met many times to talk about local politics, including support for candidates in the 2003 municipal and presidential elections. He claims that during those meetings they discussed the situation of Hernando Molina Araujo, cousin of Mrs. Araujo and governor of the Department of Cesar. President Uribe publicly asked Noguera to appear before the Attorney General’s office, but Noguera refused alleging security reasons. Noguera was, at the time, consul in Milan. [8]


The scandal continues to grow and more than 60 federal and regional politicians are being questioned, almost all of them supporters of the President and it appears that the crisis could implicate the President himself. The opposition is calling for early congressional elections, claiming that the infiltration by the paramilitaries is so profound that the legislature has lost credibility. Colombian Interior Minister Carlos Holguin on Monday rejected a proposal by opposition senator, Gustavo Petro, to recall the nation’s legislature. [9]

It is important to acknowledge that the history of the paramilitaries in Colombia goes back to the 1960s, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy promoted regional security initiatives such as Plan LASO (Latin American Security Operation), to counter the possible expansion of Soviet influence in the region by guerrilla insurgents and local Communist Parties. Small groups of civilians throughout Latin America were armed and trained as informants and security personnel by military officers, to give aid in counterinsurgency operations and to establish a permanent citizen militia and intelligence network. [10]


Although many people in Colombia believe that the paramilitaries are criminals, others support AUC arguing that they are greatly responsible for fighting the terrorists and that if it wasn’t for the Self-defense forces (they refuse to call them paramilitaries), the country would be in the hands of the FARC. (Alvaro Uribe’s father was gunned down by the FARC in 1983 on the family ranch in the city of Antioquia).


It is estimated that AUC has between 10,000 and 20,000 men. It underwent gradual demobilization in 2003 during the process of negotiations with the administration of President Alvaro Uribe Velez. One of the most disputed issues between the paramilitaries and the Colombian government was the extradition of some of their top leaders to the United States for drug trafficking charges, which halted the demobilizations. In November, 2005 the demobilizations restarted and were expected to conclude by February 15, 2006. The AUC fully demobilized after the process, but remnants from these groups are still operating in small groups under new names, as the case of the guilas Negras (Black Eagles) in the Department of Norte de Santander or as common criminals. [11]


Analysis


Mara Consuelo Arajo Castro has had an impeccable career, and has achieved excellent results in the Ministry of Culture before and as Colombia ‘s foreign minister. It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court’s decision to accuse her brother and father forced her to resign. But it is necessary to acknowledge the fact that this scandal was provoked by the revelations of links between some political leaders and paramilitary groups, who for years have been imposing their criminal power in many regions of the country.


It is curious that the scandal came just weeks before the visit of President George W. Bush who is scheduled to arrive in Colombia in March. President Bush is a big supporter of Alvaro Uribe because of his achievements in combating the FARC and drug trafficking and and considers him one of Washington’s staunchest allies in South America, capable of countering the regional influence of Hugo Chvez of Venezuela.


It is also peculiar that the Uribe administration was about to secure funds for the second stage of Plan Colombia. Plan Colombia is a U.S. strategy aimed at curbing drug smuggling by supporting different Drug War activities in Colombia. Its goals are aimed at social and economic revitalization. In addition it seeks to end the armed conflict and create an anti-narcotic strategy. It also includes aerial fumigation to eradicate coca. [12]


The United States Congress is also studying the approval of a free trade agreement (FTA) and a request from President Bush to provide Colombia with U$3.9 billion in military and antinarcotics assistance. Since 2000, Colombia has received more than U$4 billion in military funding to fight the cocaine trade and the FARC who use drug trafficking to finance the country’s internal conflict.


Political analysts are already speculating that the paramilitary crisis could damage Uribe’s efforts. The Democrats control the U.S. Congress and since they are against the ratification of the Free Trade Agreements with Peru and Colombia, they could use “human rights” as an excuse to block the initiative.  


Senator Patrick Leahy , Democrat of Vermont, the chairman of the subcommittee that oversees aid to Colombia, said in a statement on Monday that the resignation and recent arrests were “positive” but left questions unanswered. He said assurances were needed that Colombia’s government had “severed links to these terrorist groups.” [13]


Some analysts have begun to speculate that the FARC and Hugo Chavez are behind this scandal to try to topple Alvaro Uribe. First, it is no secret that Chavez finances the FARC to assist him in spreading his Bolivarian Revolution. President Uribe has accused Senator Piedad Cordoba, who is in the opposition party, of having ties to the ELN and FARC terrorists. It is not difficult to imagine that others like Piedad Cordoba could have ties to these two groups and the paramilitaries and are trying to implicate people close to the President to reduce his popularity, which still remains at 70%.


Evo Morales from Bolivia has already joined Chavez in his plans to “unify the region” and create a new socialism, and together with his Venezuelan counterpart, constantly attack the neo-liberal model and consider the United States an enemy. Since Colombia has been successful in diminishing the group’s power, the existence of Uribe in the Presidency is an obstacle to accomplishing the Morales- Chavez plan.


In addition, Plan Colombia has been extremely successful. U.S. government statistics would show that a significant reduction in leftover coca (total cultivation minus eradicated coca) has been observed from peak 2001 levels of 1,698 square kilometers to an estimated 1,140 square kilometers in 2004. A record high aerial herbicide fumigation campaign of 1,366 square kilometers in 2004 has reduced the total area of surviving coca, even as newer areas are planted. [14] This is why the FARC, Chavez and their allies are desperate to stop the program and it is no surprise that the crisis comes at the verge of obtaining the resources needed to complete the program. The scandal gives ammunition to the critics who want to eliminate Plan Colombia.   


Another factor of importance is that that Quito and Bogot are in the middle of a diplomatic mess over the fumigations of coca in the border by Colombia. Both countries had agreed to stop the spraying for a while because Ecuador said that it was damaging the environment. The FARC took advantage of this situation and planted coca crops in the area and when the Uribe administration re-started the fumigations, Ecuador immediately threatened to destroy the planes that were being used for that purpose and complained to the international court of The Hague. It is no coincidence that Hugo Chavez immediately sided with Rafael Correa.


Mr. Uribe and the people of Colombia are trying to put an end to a 40 year old civil war that has claimed the lives of thousands. They need the U$ 3.9 billion to continue disbanding the FARC to live in peace and they also need the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States to achieve economic prosperity. This scandal created by people linked to the FARC has emerged when the country needed it least. The US Congress dominated by the Democratic Party will possibly try to use this crisis to stop US aid and block the FTA, which could be catastrophic.


It is important to remember that the people that have been arrested are innocent until proven guilty. The investigations will hopefully clarify the situation, and the media and politicians should not jump to conclusions with an electoral agenda in mind. Colombia has demonstrated that their institutions still work independently and democratically.


If Colombia’s economic, politic and social situation deteriorates, Uribe could be toppled and that would mean a victory for the FARC and Chavez. With this scandal that is exactly what they are trying to achieve and the international community must understand this.






[1] Colombia: cay la ministra de Relaciones Exteriores. Feb. 19, 2007. Infobae, Argentina.


[2] La ministra colombiana de Exteriores dimite por el caso que vincula a ‘paras’ y polticos. Feb. 19, 2007. IBLNEWS, AGENCIAS.


[3] Renuncia canciller de Colombia. February 20, 2007. El Universal, Venezuela.


[4] La dimisin de la ministra Araujo, primer efecto del escndalo de la ‘parapoltica.’  Hispanidad, Espaa. Feb. 20, 2007.


[5] Ex Congresista dice que ninguno fue obligado a firmar , RCN TV , January 20 , 2007 . February 18, 2007.


[6] Renuncia la canciller de Colombia presionada por la narcoparapoltica . Feb. 20, 2007. La Jornada, Mexico.


[7] Detenidos otros cinco Congresistas por caso de la parapoltica . La Republica, Feb. 16, 2007.


[8] Colombia President Attacks the Press. Fox News, April 16, 2006.


[9] Ex Congresista dice que ninguno fue obligado a firmar. RCN TV. Jan. 20, 2007.


[10] Why the End of the Cold War Doesn’t Matter? Bristol University Politics Department. Feb. 27, 2006.


[11] Colombia’s Killer Networks: the Military-Paramilitary Partnership and the United States. Human Rights Watch. April 1, 2006.


[12] Helping Colombia Fix Its Plan to Curb Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Insurgency. The Heritage Foundation (April 26, 2001).


[13] Colombia names former hostage Foreign Affairs minister. February 20, 2007. MercoPress, Uruguay.


[14] The State Department’s new coca data. The Center for International Policy. March 30, 2005.

Colombia’s ‘Paragate’ scandal

The Foreign Minister of Colombia, Maria Consuela Araujo, has resigned after her brother was accused of conspiring with paramilitary groups, among them the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).  This political scandal could hurt the Uribe Administration.  Top members of the adminstration worry that the ongoing imbroglio could damage the international standing of Uribe’s government, and thus accepted Aruajo’s resignation.

Disturbingly, some analysts worry that the FARC guerrillas and the Chavez government in Venezuela are supporting these events as a way to undermine the U.S.-friendly Uribe regime.

NEWS:

  • El Salvador envoys slain in Guatamala.  Menchu to run for President in Guatamala.
  • Venezuela, Argentina fully collaborate.
  • Ortega to visit Venezuela.
  • Ecuador to rejoin OPEC.
  • Russia to industrialize Bolivia gas.  Bolivia, U.S. negotiating "Fair Trade."
  • London and Venezuela sign oil deal.  Chavez sends Brazil sulfer after "devil" Bush visit.  Venezuela wants sub fleet for conflict with U.S.
  • Colombia: ex-secret police chief arrested for alleged ties with paramilitaries.
  • Mexico sends troops to U.S. border to fight drugs.

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For any questions, comments, or for those interested in receiving this report in the future or seeking to have their email removed from our mailing list please contact us at our new e-mail address: mengesproject@centerforsecuritypolicy.org. If you have news stories that you think might be useful for future editions of this report please send them, with a link to the original website, to the same e-mail address. If you wish to contribute with an article, please send it to the same address, with your name and place of work or study.

Evo and Peru: Conflict over a terrorist

Relations between Bolivia and Peru have sunk to a low point after Lima’s demand that Bolivia extradite Walter Chavez Sanchez, and close friend and advisor to Evo Morales.  Sanchez allegedly has ties to terrorism, which makes one wonder, "why is Bolivia supporting him?"

Evo Morales Names Friend as President of YFPB

Bolivian leader Morales has appointed a longtime crony to be head the country’s state-run oil and natural gas company.  This posting has aroused cries of nepotism and corruption from Bolivia’s opposition, which fears that the country is headed down the wrong path.

NEWS:

  • President Bush is scheduled to travel to Brazil, Uruguay, Columbia, Guatamala, and Mexico in an effort to highlight a "common agenda" of freedom, democracy, and prosperity.
  • Al-Qaeda threatens to attack Mexico, Venezuela, and Canada as part of its plan to hit those countries that supply the U.S. with oil.
  • President Bush has begun lobbying for the formation of a free trade area (FTA) between Columbia and Peru.  China and Peru are exploring possibilities for an FTA.  Peru and Chile seek to settle border issue,
  • Ecuador’s Congress has consented to hold a plebiscite on the formation of a national Constituent Assembly.  Ecuador delays payment of debt interests.  Ecuador boosts security at Columbian border.
  • Hugo Chavez moves to take control onf Venezuela’s largest communications company, CANTV. Chavez invites Peruvian leader to energy summit in Caracas.  Chavez TV show to be broadcast daily.  Chavez threatens to nationalize supermarkets.
  • Bolivia to consolidate customs service with neighboors.  Glencore seeks compensation from Bolivia.  Bolivia suspends 14 foreign oil firms’ contracts.
  • Nicaragua joins LatAm electricity plan.
  • Brazil to pay more for gas from Bolivia.
  • Calderon vows no yield in war on drug cartels.

View the full version of the Americas Report (PDF)

For any questions, comments, or for those interested in receiving this report in the future or seeking to have their email removed from our mailing list please contact us at our new e-mail address: mengesproject@centerforsecuritypolicy.org. If you have news stories that you think might be useful for future editions of this report please send them, with a link to the original website, to the same e-mail address. If you wish to contribute with an article, please send it to the same address, with your name and place of work or study.

License to Kill







The 9/11 hijackers had a total of 17 licenses and 20 U.S. or state- issued identification cards.  (Source: 9/11 Commision)


By Amanda Bowman


Would you hand a .50-caliber sharpshooter rifle, a weapon that can take down a low-flying commercial airliner, to a total stranger? How about the keys to the White House, the New York Stock Exchange or Chicago’s Sears Towers?


Special-interest groups are pushing Gov. Spitzer to do pretty much that, rallying as recently as Saturday to try to force his hand.

At issue is the most powerful document in America – one that gives holders access to guns, high-profile terror targets, money from overseas and the appearance of legitimacy at security checkpoints: a driver’s license.

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During his campaign, Spitzer promised to review critical safeguards put in place after 9/11 to keep terrorists from getting driver’s licenses and using them again to kill our citizens.

That card in our wallets is far more than its name implies; it’s America’s de facto identity card – a powerful weapon in the wrong hands and a proven terrorist tool.

Al Qaeda used state-issued driver’s licenses to plan and execute its attacks. The 9/11 cell got a number of them from states with weak licensing laws and used them to attend flight schools, rent cars and safe houses, get $100,000 in operating cash wired from confederates abroad, and, ultimately, to board the airplanes that day. Licenses were the key tool that allowed them to operate on our soil freely and unnoticed.

Had the 9/11 terrorists used foreign passports to do all those things, they’d almost certainly have been flagged at the time for greater scrutiny. They definitely would be today.

The 9/11 Commission recognized the serious threat posed by driver’s licenses in the wrong hands, and, in its report, called for smarter, tougher standards for state-issued licenses.

Fortunately, New York was ahead of the game. Even before the 9/11 Commission began meeting, the Empire State began improving its licensing requirements and became a national model for common-sense security reforms in this area.

Understandable: New York learned up close and personal what that little laminated card can really do.

Spitzer said during his campaign last year that he would change Department of Motor Vehicles licensing policy if he became governor – but did not specify what the special interests are now demanding.

If Spitzer were to give in to those demands, any terrorist who slips across our border, from Canada or Mexico, would be able to get a New York driver’s license and be off to the races. He could gather all the tools necessary to carry out another terrorist attack at the drop of a hat.

Try buying a .50-caliber rifle in this country with a Saudi passport.

New York’s common-sense licensing requirements have brought enormous peripheral benefits to New Yorkers as well. For example, the reforms triggered the discovery of more than 100,000 stolen Social Security numbers – the key to identity theft. Also exposed were fraudulent voters, convicted drunken drivers applying for licenses under fake names and deadbeat dads trying to assume new identities. For those reasons alone, the security reforms should remain.

Encouraging talk has come from Spitzer’s press office in recent days. Although he reportedly is under enormous pressure, the governor reportedly is reconsidering his position, the mark of a truly thoughtful leader.

New Yorkers all hope that Spitzer turns out to be a strong, effective and proactive governor. But on driver’s-license security, the best we can hope is that he do nothing.

Identification Documents of the 9/11 Hijackers:
(Source 9/11 Staff Monograph on 9/11 and Terrorist Travel, Chapter 2, pg 31-32)


































Mohamed Atta:
FL DL, 05/02/01		 Marwan al Shehhi:
FL DL, 04/12/01
FL DL duplicate, 6/19/01
Khalid al Mihdhar
CA DL, 04/05/00
USA ID card, 07/10/01
VA ID card, 08/01/01		 Nawaf al Hazmi
CA DL, 04/05/00
FL DL, 06/25/01
USA ID card, 07/10/01
VA ID card, 08/02/01
Hani Hanjour
AZ DL, 11/29/91
FL ID card, 04/15/96
VA ID card, 08/01/01
Failed VA DL test, 08/02/01
MD ID card, 09/05/01		 Ziad Jarrah
FL DL, 05/02/01
FL DL duplicate 5/24/01
VA ID card, 08/29/01
Satam al Suqami
No DL or ID card		 Waleed al Shehri
FL DL, 05/04/01
FL DL duplicate with different address, 05/05/01
Ahmed al Ghamdi
USA ID card, 07/2001
VA ID card, 08/02/2001		 Majed Moqed
USA ID card, 07/2001
VA ID card, 08/02/2001
Hamza al Ghamdi
FL ID card, 06/26/01
FL DL, 07/02/01
FL DL duplicate issued 08/27/01		 Mohand al Shehri
FL ID card, 07/02/01
Ahmed al Nami
FL DL, 06/29/01		 Wail al Shehri
FL DL, 07/03/01
Ahmed al Haznawi
FL DL, 07/10/00
FL DL duplicate issued 09/07/01		 Fayez Banihammad
FL ID, 07/10/01
Saeed al Ghamdi
FL ID card, 07/10/01		 Salem al Hazmi
USA ID card, 07/01/01
VA ID card, 08/02/01
Abdul Aziz al Omari
USA ID card, 07/10/2001
VA ID card, 08/02/2001		  

The contradictions of the Forum of Sao Paolo

On January 15, 2007, El Salvador hosted the XIII Encounter of the Forum of Sao Paolo (FSP), an organization that was created by Fidel Castro and Lula da Silva in 1990 to regroup the leftist forces in the region after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent failure of Communism.The occasion prompted the publication of a document, written by, among others, the Brazilian Workers Party (PT) and the Fifth Republic Movement (Movimiento Quinta República or MVR) from Venezuela.

The text is full of contradictions and lies. The most blatant consists of trying to represent the Forum as an organization of opposition to the system, when in reality its members have been in power for many, many years in a majority of Latin American countries.

NEWS:

  • Editor’s Comment: Chavez to rule by decree.
  • U.S.-Mexico border tunnels raise concerns.  Blair praises Mexican model.
  • Corruption scandals taint Chile’s image.
  • Columbia’s Uribe advocates for military rescue of Americans.
  • Venezuela’s Chaves warns against U.S. military offensive against Iran.  Chavez is a threat to democracy in Latin America.  Venezuela bad for Mercosur, Zoellick says.  Venezuela builds unmanned planes with Iranian help.  Venezuela, Iran sign join venture agreement on cement plant.  Chavez to raise gasoline price in Venezuela.  Venezuela to buy anti-aircraft missiles.  Chavez is urged in Brazil to keep democracy.
  • Spanish mediator seeks solution in pulp mill feud.
  • Bolivia: Opposition walks out of Morales’ speech.  Uneasy peace as division in Bolivia deepen.  Close advisor of Morales sought for terrorism in Peru.  Bolivia to nationalize phone company.  Bolivia names Manuel Morales to head state-run oil company. 
  • Correa’s supporters storm Ecuador’s Congress.  Protests in Ecuador shut down Congress.  Ecuador names second female defense minister.  Ecuador reinforces fears of default.
  • Cuban TV shows Castro images.
  • Russia pledges military cooperation with Nicaragua.
  • Cartel of Tijuana members captured in Peru.
  • Brazil raid target drug gangs.

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The importance of the Colombia FTA

For some time now, media outlets in Latin America and the US have been closely monitoring the negotiations for an Andean Free Trade agreement involving Colombia , Peru and the United States . Lima ‘s agreement was signed on April 12, 2006 and the Peruvian Congress ratified it on June 28 2006. Bogota signed the FTA on November 22, 2006 . The US Congress still needs to ratify both of them.

Over the course of many years, the United States has been trying to get the cooperation of Colombia and Peru to combat narcotics trafficking and the trade agreements were promised as a sign of recognition for their success on this front. No one can deny Uribe’s success since he has enacted tough policies to confront not only drug-trafficking but also the terrorist group inside Colombia , known as the FARC which is greatly responsible for the narcotic trafficking problem in South America . Since July, 2006, after Alan Garcia was elected in Peru , defeating Hugo Chavez’s puppet, Ollanta Humala, the country quickly aligned itself with the United States and has also made progress in their fight against drugs.

NEWS:

  • Columbian counter-narcotics efforts to serve as model for Afghanistan.
  • Chavez and energy shortages major threats to Latin America.
  • Ecuador Defense Minister killed in crash.  Ecuador to investiage fatal crash.
  • Opposition to Chavez protests in Venezuela.  Venezuela likely to return to Andean Community of Nations.  Venezuela and Brazil cooperate to build ships.  Chavez’s policies create inflation in Venezuela.  Venezuela’s arms purchases top China, Iran, Pakistan.  Russia, Venezuela sign natural gas agreement.  Venezuelan army to buld road in Nicaragua.  Venezuela, Cuba sign new economics accords.
  • Bolivia’s Morales replaces 16 cabinet members.  Morales has a former terrorist as a principal advisor.  Bolivia: ETA ties.  Morales backs off on key referendum.  Morales submits tax "reforms" to Congress.
  • Panamanian ex-dictator to be released soon.
  • Mexico’s Calderon proposes cap on government salaries.  Mexico praised over extradition.
  • UN court abstains on Argentina-Uruguay dispute.  Argentina, Brazil file WTO complaint against U.S. corn subsidies.
  • Cuban militany enters plea in Texas.
  • Guatemala voters undecided.
  • El Salvador remittances rose 17% in 2006.

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Correa’s Ecuador and American drug policy

The election of Rafael Correa as President of Ecuador late last year has accelerated the formation of a new Latin American axis which might have serious repercussions for the region in general and also for the United States. He has adopted the Chavista ideology which among other things includes criticism of existing representative institutions, hostility to neo-liberal and free trade policies, a harsh anti-Americanism, and, a bitter opposition to US drug polices in the Andes. An analysis of the developments in the Andean region.                               

NEWS:

  • Venezuela ‘s hard turn left. Chavez sworn in gives speech on "Fatherland, socialism or death." Plans to nationalize oil, power companies and RCTV television station using country’s reserves. Latin stocks fall. Venezuela’s Rosales to lead campaign against nationalizations.
  • OAS members support Insulza after Chavez’s insults.
  • Iran’s Ahmadinejad leaves for Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua.
  • Nicaragua : Ortega sworn in. Country to join ALBA but pledges to stay on capitalist path.
  • Chavez’s soldiers in Bolivia to quell protests. Unrest in Bolivia signals danger ahead.
  • Ecuador and Colombia ‘reach deal.’
  • Colombia ‘s Uribe absent from Chavez’s inauguration. May attend Correa’s despite tensions.
  • Peru and Colombia optimistic about ratification of FTA.
  • Ruling on Shining Path terrorists angers Peru.
  • Mexico’s Calderon wants closer ties with Nicaragua and Latin America.

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