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Category Archives: South America
Colombia Farc rebels ask for ‘more time’ for peace deal
Editorial (source 
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Colombia’s left-wing Farc rebels have rejected criticism that efforts to end almost fifty years of conflict are moving too slowly. Farc’s lead negotiator said peace talks should not be seen as a cycle race Farc lead negotiator Ivan Marquez said achieving lasting peace in Colombia would take “more time”. He spoke as the rebels and the Colombian government marked six months since peace talks began. … Continue reading
Posted in Guerilla war, Politics, Reconciliation, South America
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El Salvador gangs say Supreme Court ruling threatens truce
Editorial (source )
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The leaders of El Salvador’s main street gangs have said a decision taken by the Supreme Court threatens a truce that has saved thousands of lives. The gangs were formed by Salvadorean immigrants in the United States The Constitutional Chamber of the Salvadorean Supreme Court declared illegal the appointment of Security Minister David Mungia Payes. He is one of the main architects of the truce, … Continue reading
Posted in Agreement, Diaspora, Judgement, Leadership, Protest, Reconciliation, Society, South America
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Western leaders study ‘gamechanging’ report on global drugs trade
Jamie Doward (source )
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Review by Organisation of American States on illicit drugs ‘could mark beginning of the end’ of prohibition José Miguel Insulza, secretary general of the Organisation of American States, which commissioned the report. Photograph: Mauricio Due As Casta Eda/EPA comments European governments and the Obama administration are this weekend studying a “gamechanging” report on global drugs policy that is being seen in some quarters as the … Continue reading
Posted in Drugs, Global issues, Humanity, Leadership, Politics, Society, South America, Study
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From Mexico to India: Monsanto is killing more than just biodiversity
Jen Wilton and Liam Barrington-Bush (source )
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In late April, world renowned Indian ‘seed activist’ Vandana Shiva travelled to the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca to join a gathering of Mexican farmers, indigenous leaders and environmentalists, fighting to protect Mexico’s native corn crops against the imposition of genetically modified alternatives. Shrine dedicated to corn at the event in Oaxaca, Mexico The group gathered for the ‘Pre-audiencia Nacional: Contaminación Transgénica del Maíz Nativo‘ … Continue reading
Jorge Rafaél Videla dies in jail aged 87
Phil Gunson (source )
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Argentinian dictator infamous for torture, murder and the abduction of children of his opponents Article history Jorge Rafaél Videla in 1978, two years after he led the coup that overthrew the Perón government in Argentina. Thousands of citizens were ‘disappeared’ under his brutal regime. Photograph: Eduardo Di Baia/AP comments The former Argentinian dictator Jorge Rafaél Videla was a prominent member of the group of uniformed tyrants … Continue reading
Posted in Historical, Human rights, Obituary, South America, Torture
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Venezuela: A House Divided
Editorial (source )
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Caracas/Bogotá/Brussels: Legal challenges to the close 14 April presidential election and the government’s reluctance to commit to a full review cast a shadow over the sustainability of the new administration in an already deeply polarised Venezuela. Venezuela: A House Divided, the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the presidential election triggered by the death of President Hugo Chávez. Nicolás Maduro, Chávez’s chosen successor, … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Leadership, Opinion, Politics, Protest, Reconciliation, South America
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Statement on the Ríos Montt Conviction for Genocide, War Crimes
Editorial (source )
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Guatemala City/Brussels – In a historic decision, a Guatemalan court convicted former military dictator José Efraín Ríos Montt on 10 May of genocide and crimes against humanity for the massacre, torture, rape and forced displacement of indigenous villagers during counter-insurgency campaigns in the early 1980s. The verdict is unprecedented: never before has a national court found a former head of state guilty of genocide. It … Continue reading
Land for Peace in Colombia
Oliver Kaplan and Michael Albertus (source )
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Even as Colombian troops face off against rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the jungle, negotiators from both sides have been making headway in peace talks in Havana. A FARC rebel monitors the delivery of released hostages from a cocoa plantation. (Jaime Saldarriaga / Courtesy Reuters) Article Summary and Author Biography The issues on the agenda include the FARC’s participation in … Continue reading
Posted in Agreement, Diplomacy, Guerilla war, Human rights, Leadership, Politics, Poverty, Reconciliation, Security, Society, South America
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An Opportunity in Guatemala: Deciding the Ríos Montt Case
Mary Speck, Senior Analyst, Guatemala (@speckmary) (source )
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A historic case is unfolding in a Guatemalan courtroom: the trial of former military president José Efraín Ríos Montt on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. People gather outside the court where former military president Ríos Montt is on trial. PHOTO: Bernardo Jurema/Crisis Group The case sets a precedent not only in a nation whose justice system has barely begun to investigate abuses committed … Continue reading
