Most of the international media underlined that José Mujica, the new president of Uruguay, is a former guerrilla who changed weapons for democracy in order to arrive to power. The point is important for a country like Colombia, where guerrillas have five decades trying to do so through a long and painful war. José Mujica (say in English Joseph Mo-he-ca), a 74 years old leftist, became president of the Uruguayans in an official act in the Parliament last 1rst of March. All the South American presidents were present, with the exception of President Bachellet of Chile for obvious reasons. (more…)
Peru signed Free Trade Agreements with the United States and Canada and so did Colombia. Peru led the negotiations for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, while Colombia recently ratified the declaration. (more…)
The International Center of Fairs and Conventions of San Salvador on October 2008, the place of the 18th Ibero-American Summit. Photo Wikimedia Commons.
2008 was the last year of the economic boom of Latin America that started in 2003 and was slowed by the world financial crisis, according with the economical regional institute for Lat. America, CEPAL. However, it is the region of the world better prepared to face the global economical recession thanks to that boom. (more…)
On 2007/11/26, In Culture, By Albeiro Rodas
Foto: Archivo / EL TIEMPO
The political tensions between Colombia and Venezuela come already to a highest level with the outspoken speeches of the two most famous current Latin American presidents: Álvaro Uribe of Colombia and leftist Hugo Chávez. The Venezuelan President said that Uribe is a lier and that Colombia needs a best president, while Uribe answered that Chávez wanted only to make intervention in Colombia following an expansionist project in the continent and that he wants a government influenced by terrorism.
Hugo Chávez was approved by the Colombian government to conduct dialogues with the guerrillas in order to get release the hostages. In that task, president Chávez was together with the Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba. But a phone call from Córdoba and Chávez from Caracas to the high Colombian commander was interpreted by Uribe as interferences in domestic affairs giving as a result the cancel of the mediator role of the Venezuelan president. (more…)
On 2007/11/25, In Culture, By Albeiro Rodas
Caracas — ColPas. President Hugo Chávez said that he lost the truest and that it is serious for the relations among the two countries. Chavez said also that President Uribe should ask him first clarification about the incident before taking a such a decition and that it was a violation of the agreement they have done before.
President Uribe, at his part, said that he is ready to hold a constructive dialoge with Chávez after the cancelation of his role in the process with the guerrillas. Luis Carlos Restrepo, commisioned for peace, said in a communication that the guerrilla wants to create this kind of situations among Colombia and Venezuela and both presidents should care not to fall in their intentions. Chávez said to the Colombian “W” Broadcasting that he did not know if Restrepo was “a commisioned for peace or a commisoned for war“.
Commercial relations among the two South American countries remain the same, although there are some fears that this situation would affect the binational economy.
Sen Piedad Córdoba would give to Chávez the evidence of the survival of one of the hostages, Guillermo Solórzano, a police official from Valle del Cauca State, who was kidnapped by Farc since last June, while Chávez said he is ready to receive the hostages if the guerrillas wanted to do so.
On 2007/11/25, In Culture, By Albeiro Rodas
By Hugh Bronstein
BOGOTA, Nov 23 (Reuters) – When President Alvaro Uribe abruptly fired Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez this week as mediator in hostage talks with rebels it confirmed Uribe as the kind of tough decision maker most Colombians say the country needs.
A quick-to-anger micro-manager who takes charge of everything from army offensives to road building, the conservative Uribe took office in 2002 pledging to push leftist guerrilla rebels out of the cities and off the highways. >>Read more
On 2007/11/23, In Culture, By Albeiro Rodas
President Chávez and Sen Córdoba, former mediators in the humanitarian release of the guerrilla hostages. Caracoal Broadcasting Picture.
El Universal of Venezuela said that the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy would send a letter to the Colombian president Alvaro Uribe asking to reconsider his decision on canceling the mediation of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez with the Farc. The Venezuelan newspaper wrote that the French spokesperson assured that the French ambassador in Bogotá will give a letter of Sarkozy to Uribe, although such letter is not yet written.
The Colombian journalist Darío Arismendi, Caracol Broadcasting, said in 6am Hoy por Hoy from Bogotá that according (more…)
On 2007/11/22, In Culture, By Albeiro Rodas
Bogotá — CP. The Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, canceled the mediation of the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez and the Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba with the Farc, the leftis guerrilla that has in its power 45 persons, among them three US citizens, 5 former Congressmen, a former governor and some men of the National Army, many of them since 10 years ago.
The official communication was read by Mauricio Velásquez, the Presidencial Spokesperson, dated 21th November, 2007 and said that the President of the Republic informs that today the Senator Piedad Córdoba, called by phone the commander of the Army, General Mario Montoya, asking an appoitment and, immediatly, she gave the phone to President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. President Chávez asked to General Montoya questions about the kidnapped by the Farc. The communication said also that during the meeting of Santiago de Chile, President Uribe told to President Hugo Chávez that he was not agree that the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela takes directly communication with the Institutional High Command of Colombia and therefore, the President of the Republic, cancels the mediation of Senator Piedad Córdoba and the mediation of President Hugo Chávez to whom he is very grateful for the help they have provided. (more…)
Recent Comments