In the wake of a devastating report on his presidency by the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Inter-American Commission, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s loudest defense has come from actor Sean Penn, known most recently for his roles in Milk and Mystic River. In the OAS report, Chavez is accused of …
On March 1, Spanish prosecuting judge Eloy Velasco issued indictments against 12 terrorist members of the ETA, the chief Basque separatist/terrorist organization, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Both ETA and FARC are considered international terrorist organization in Europe and by the U.S. The Spanish judge charged the …
The buzz in Latin America was the February 22 shout-fest in Cancun, Mexico between Colombia’s pro-American leader Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela’s populist, anti-American president Hugo Chavez. The showdown erupted during a private luncheon for Latin American and Caribbean presidents gathered to discuss [without the U.S. or Canada present] a framework …
In a recent letter to Speaker Pelosi, President Obama stated that North Korea does not fit the criteria for being listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, which would automatically impose sanctions. That leaves four countries on the list: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. But given testimony this week from …
A seemingly uneventful transition of power will take place today in the small Central American country of Honduras as Interim president, Roberto Micheletti, hands over the keys to the presidential palace to president-elect Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo. The occasion will be marked with the usual pomp, celebration and traditions that mark …
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez took another step aimed at consolidating his authoritarian choke hold on Venezuela by forcing cable providers to dump Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) from their broadcasting lineups. The popular, anti- Chavez channel first ran afoul of the populist leader for its critical programming back in 2007. At the …
Today, the United States began surveying the damage inflicted by a devastating earthquake in Haiti this week. In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake should address long-held concerns over the fragile political environment that exists in the region. The U.S. government response should …
President Hugo Chavez, architect of Latin America’s so-called “Socialism of the 21st Century,” roiled Venezuela’s economic waters with his decision to devalue the Bolivar, the national currency, on January 8. Under a new exchange regime, the first devaluation in five years, Venezuela will operate a three-tiered exchanges rate system. For …
This morning while President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference, his allies were busy trying to shield him of the political fallout from the conference’s apparent failure to produce anything substantial. Throughout the conference, one of the biggest obstacles to an agreement was the insistence of developing …
