Ex-Panamanian president who replaced Noriega dies

Ex-Panamanian president who replaced Noriega dies



Delicious Digg Facebook Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! Bookmarks Print AP – In this photo taken Feb. 2, 2009, former Panama's President Guillermo Endara holds a stick as he talks … By KATHIA MARTINEZ, Associated Press Writer Kathia Martinez, Associated Press Writer – Mon Sep 28, 10:55 pm ET
PANAMA CITY – Former President Guillermo Endara, who led Panama to democracy after the U.S. invasion that toppled dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega, died Monday. He was 73.

Endara, who governed from 1989 to 1994, died at his home in Panama City. His cardiologist, Dr. Sergio Solis, said the cause might have been a heart attack. Endara, who suffered from diabetes and kidney ailments, had been hospitalized recently for dialysis treatment.

President Ricardo Martinelli expressed condolences and hailed Endara for "delivering us from dictatorship and giving us back democracy."

"He was a great politician, statesman, and I feel personally, and in the name of the government, very saddened by this tragic death," Martinelli said.

Backed by a coalition of civilian parties, Endara overwhelmingly won the presidential election in May 1989, but Noriega refused to recognize the results and unleashed a wave of repression against his opponents.

Seven months later, President George H.W. Bush ordered in U.S. troops and toppled the Noriega regime as it became increasingly linked to Colombian cocaine cartels. Endara took over the presidency in the middle of the fighting.

Noriega was tried and convicted of drug racketeering in a Miami federal court. His sentence, reduced for good behavior, ended Sept. 9, 2007, but he remains in custody as he fights extradition to France, where he faces money-laundering charges.

Robust and good-natured, Endara tried to put aside past grievances and focus on restoring democracy to Panama. He promoted freedom of speech and created a new civilian-led police force to replace Noriega's Defense Forces, which were devastated in the invasion.

Endara also faced the challenge of lifting Panama from ruin after years of economic turmoil, U.S. sanctions and devastating rioting during the invasion. Under his presidency, the economy grew at an average annual rate of 8 percent.

But Endara also faced intense street protests and sporadic uprisings from Panamanians incensed over the U.S. invasion.

In the 1994 presidential elections, his Arnulfista Party lost to the Democratic Revolutionary Party, the former political arm of the military.

As he handed over the presidency to Ernesto Perez Balladares, Endara expressed confidence his achievements would be recognized in the long-run.

"When the passage of time erases the passion of the moment, when it eliminates mistrust and doubt between brothers, when it clarifies the uncertainty and confusion of our nascent liberty, only then will the efforts of those who took over in 1989 be appreciated," Endara said his speech.

Endara later broke with the Arnulfista Party and made two unsuccessful bids for the presidency, the latest in May when he received just 2 percent of the vote.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Hondurans weary after 3 months of coup dispute

Hondurans weary after 3 months of coup dispute



Fark Newsvine Reddit Stumble Upon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! AP – Honduras' interim President Roberto Micheletti gestures during a press conference at the presidential …
Slideshow:Honduran president ousted By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – 6 mins ago
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Honduras' interim president promised to restore civil liberties and allow into the country an Organization of American States mediation team, quickly backpedalling from tough measures amid criticism from his own allies that he had gone too far in his fight to stay in power.

Roberto Micheletti's decision Monday to reverse an emergency decree declared a day earlier reflected the largest public show of dissent within the ranks of his supporters to date. Some conservatives feared the decree would endanger the Nov. 29 presidential election, which they consider Honduras' best hope for regaining international recognition.

Zelaya, speaking via telephone to a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, deplored the decree, which suspended freedoms of speech and assembly and allowed warrantless arrests. He called it proof "this is a fascist dictatorship that has repressed the Honduran people."

The interim government said the measures were needed to counter calls for civil war by Zelaya's supporters.

The reversals came in a roller-coaster 24 hours.

Micheletti first gave the Brazilian government a 10-day ultimatum to get rid of Zelaya — who has been holed up at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa since sneaking back into the country Sept. 21 — warning Brazil it would have to take down its flag and remove the embassy crest. Then on Monday, Micheletti said he wanted to send "a big hug" to Brazil's president and pledged nothing would happen to the diplomatic mission.

Ahead of the three-month anniversary of the June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya, officials restricted free speech and the right to assemble, closed dissident television and radio stations and expelled OAS employees. But they revoked the measures Monday and said an OAS delegation would be welcome to help mediate talks scheduled for early October.

Micheletti said he had been swayed by a delegation of congressional leaders who asked him to revoke the decree. He acknowledged his government was concerned about the decree's affect on the election, in which all the major candidates oppose Zelaya's policies.

Thousands of Zelaya supporters had responded to his call for a "final offensive" against the government. That and Zelaya's presence in the country had rattled interim authorities.

"Some radio stations, some television stations, were calling for violence, for guerrilla war, and that had us in the government super worried," Micheletti said.

He said that was why they issued the decree banning unauthorized gatherings and allowing police to arrest people without warrants or shut news media for "statements that attack peace and the public order, or which offend the human dignity of public officials, or attack the law."

All the drama belied the fact that throughout three long months demonstrations by both sides have been largely peaceful.

On the average day, pro-Zelaya marches have been accompanied by mocking "Goriletti" gorilla dolls dancing on poles, while the Jesus Aguilar Paz School band beat out a samba-like "punto" rhythm from Honduras' Garifuna region, sending anti-government protesters into hip-swaying dances.

The months of protests have given rise to impromptu heroes like 75-year-old Dionicia Diaz, affectionately known as "Granny Number One," who marches with a megaphone in hand. Shouting slogans and instructions, Granny Number One is considered a leader, in part because soldiers and police are thought to be less likely to confront her.

"We've been in the streets for 91 days, and nobody is going to stop us," she said.

But Honduras is deeply divided. Even the high school band is split: the more conservative horn section quit, while the drums renamed themselves "The Band of the Resistance" and have marched in about five dozen protests to demand Zelaya's reinstatement.

Band leader and music teacher Rafael Rubio said the music "takes the stress out of people ... it makes them less likely to be confrontational." But the 35-member band isn't here; only about 14 drummers remain, with their drums heavily patched and only a few drumsticks.

"When this started, society got divided. Some of the kids' families belong to the National Party, and they support the coup," including almost the entire horn section, Rubio said.

The conflict has divided Honduras into two camps: the conservative "white shirts" and the liberal "red shirts" — "the perfumed ones" against "the sweaty ones."

So far, protests have seen little bloodshed. The government says three people have been killed since the coup, while protesters put the number at 10. Protest leader Juan Barahona said that could change.

"This mass movement is peaceful, but to the extent they repress us, fence us in and make this method useless, we have to find some other form of struggle," he said.

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Badmouths Jewish State at UN

(CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez revealed a deeply personal side in an interview Thursday night, saying he loves Jesus Christ and would have liked to play Major League baseball in Yankee Stadium.


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke highly of President Obama at the United Nations on Thursday.

He also expressed a fondness for American people and culture, saying he likes the movie actor Charles Bronson and the poet Walt Whitman. He loves to sing, he said, though he does not do it well.

And Chavez had kind words for the U.S. security detail protecting him during his visit to New York, saying he chatted with them while out walking and that they "have been very gracious, very efficient and very attentive, very kind."

In an exclusive interview with CNN's Larry King, Chavez spoke at length about a host of issues: relations between Venezuela and the United States and his hopes for improved ties with President Barack Obama; Iran, Israel and those who deny that the Holocaust existed; efforts to overthrow him and have him assassinated; criticism that he is power hungry and trying to silence critics.

Chavez, a self-proclaimed socialist, spoke with King a few hours after giving a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, in which he praised Obama but criticized some U.S. policies. Watch Chavez speak at the U.N. General Assembly »

When asked whether he is misunderstood in the United States, Chavez seemed to turn reflective.

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"I'm a man with many defects," he said. "I love. I sing. I dream. I was born in the poor countryside. I was raised in the countryside, planting corn and selling sweets made by my grandmother. My children, my two daughters are with me and I want a better world for my grandchildren, for your grandchildren.

"Now, they demonize me. But that's the start of these world campaigns to try to defend what you cannot defend -- a system that is destroying the world. ... I'm a Christian. I want the world of justice and equality. This is the only way to achieve peace."

Chavez then talked about his religious upbringing and current faith.

"I was an altar boy," he said. "My mother wanted me to be a priest. I am very Christian and Catholic. ... I'm very faithful. I believe in God, in Jesus Christ. I love Jesus Christ. I am a Christian. ... I cry when I see injustice, children dying of hunger."


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez talks to CNN's Larry King. What does he think of President Obama and the United States? Tonight at 9 ET


see full schedule »
His comments were all the more remarkable because Chavez and the Catholic Church have been at odds since he came to power in 1999. The church has been one of his major critics, with Pope Benedict XVI and other church leaders expressing concern over what they see as attempts by Chavez to limit the church's influence. Chavez's efforts to change anti-abortion laws have been at the top of those concerns.

Chavez, in turn, has referred to church leadership as a "tumor."

Speaking of other matters, Chavez said he hopes for improved relations with Obama, but "we want relations based on respect, relations of peoples where we are respected."

That has not been the case so far, he said.

"Most governments in the United States in a hundred years have not respected the peoples of Latin America," Chavez told King. "They have sponsored coup d'etats, assassinations. It's enough. We want to be brothers and sisters. We want respect and equality."

Chavez particularly criticized former President George W. Bush, whom he accused of orchestrating an assassination attempt on the Venezuelan leader during a short-lived coup in 2002. Chavez regained power within days. Watch Chavez discuss the alleged assassination attempt »

"The Bush government toppled me," he said. "They asked for my assassination. They disrespected us. ... I saw my assassins. ... I was a prisoner in Venezuela, being a president. They took me to the seaside. I was debating with those who wanted murder me. They received the order to kill me. However, at this very moment, a group of soldiers refused. They did not kill me, but I saw those who wanted to kill me, and the order came from the White House."

Chavez also expressed concern that the United States, which he calls "the empire," still would like to topple him. As he has numerous times in recent weeks, Chavez criticized U.S. plans to begin operating out of military bases in neighboring Colombia. The United States says it needs a presence in Colombia to fight drug traffickers. Chavez sees a sinister intent.

When asked what country he fears would harm him, Chavez replied, "The empire. The empire. Seven military bases ... in Colombia, that's a serious threat against Venezuela."

Chavez also defended his relationship with Iran but denied having said that Iran would help Venezuela obtain nuclear technology. Iran has embarked on a nuclear program that the United States and other nations think will lead it to develop nuclear weapons before long.

"They have fooled you," Chavez said. "I've never said that Iran is going to help us to have nuclear technology. ... That's a strategy to attack Venezuela and say that we are building an atomic bomb. That's the next accusation. And I'm going to say this now: Please, come on. That's crazy. That's crazy."

Chavez said he does not agree with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's contention that the Holocaust, in which 6 million European Jews were killed during World War II, never existed.

"But there also was another holocaust in South America," Chavez said. "I do not deny the Jewish Holocaust. And I condemn it. But in South America, when the Europeans arrived, there were close to 90 million Indians; 200 years later, we only had four million remaining. That was a holocaust. And the Europeans denied this holocaust."

Israel came under criticism from Chavez, who called it a "small country with atomic bombs, and very aggressive country. ... They have massacred entire families. It is a war-mongering country."

Turning to the situation in his own country, Chavez denied that he is trying to shut down critical media, such as the independent Globovision TV station. Government officials have levied several charges against the station, saying that it is disseminating false information and trying to foment dissatisfaction against Chavez.

The Chavez government has repealed licenses for other independent TV and radio stations, and has threatened to do so against Globovision.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter this week joined human rights groups and others who have expressed concern over what they see as Chavez becoming too authoritarian. Chavez dismissed the criticism.

"Never in Venezuela have we had so much freedom of speech as now," he said.


Pressed by King about whether he is going to shut down Globovision, Chavez answered, "I do not know. It depends on them. If they keep on sponsoring coup d'etats, if they keep on calling for my assassination, if they keep on breaching the law even as well, it is not Chavez that's going to close them. I want to apply the law. We need to respect the law. It is the law. It's out of logic, and it's pure logic."

As to Carter, Chavez said, "Yes, I read that and I regret for him, because I think he's totally confounded and lost. It's a long time since he visited us. I respect him enormously, but I think he is wrong. He's a victim of so much falsehood in the world."

If Zelaya get back in as President, How Many People Will He Kill???

Zelaya rules out deal with Honduras coup leadersOusted president say terms offered by military-backed government are 'totally outside any possibility of agreement'

story by Haroon Siddique and agencies guardian.co.uk,

Manuel Zelaya speaking to supporters at the Brazilian embassy after returning from exile.

Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty

The ousted Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, said after talks last night that there was no possibility of a deal with the military-backed government that ousted him.

Zelaya has been threatened with arrest by the coup leader Roberto Micheletti if he steps outside the Brazilian embassy, where he has been sheltering with his family and dozens of supporters since sneaking back into the country on Monday.

He told the country's Channel 36 television last night that an official from Micheletti's administration had taken "an extremely hard" stand and the government's positions were "totally outside of any possibility of agreement".

Zelaya, who upset conservative elites by allying himself with the socialist Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, is insisting on his reinstatement while the de facto government has said he faces arrest and elections will be held in November.

Earlier, Zelaya had said talks were at an early stage and expressed hope at the outcome, but he had changed his tune by the end of the day.

Troops continue to surround the embassy and partial curfews were declared in border areas and the northern industrial city of San Pedro Sula, the country's second-largest city, from last night until this morning. Despite the threat of arrest hanging over Zelaya, Micheletti said yesterday he was "willing to establish dialogue wherever and whenever to try to find a solution".

Armed soldiers toppled Zelaya and sent him into exile in his pyjamas on June 28 after the supreme court endorsed charges of treason and abuse of authority against the leader for repeatedly ignoring court orders to drop plans for a referendum on whether the constitution should be rewritten.

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the US president, Barack Obama, are among world leaders who have called for Zelaya's reinstatement.

The UN security council is due to meet today to discuss the political crisis in Honduras and Zelaya's future.

Micheletti has said the conflict will be resolved when Hondurans elect their next leader on 29 November. The US and other countries have said they may not recognise the vote unless Zelaya is reinstated first.

Costa Rica: Pacific Cruise Ship Season Begins with California Liner

Pacific Cruise Ship Season Begins with California Liner


By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


The Puntarenas tourism industry is happy with the start of the cruise season. The Island Princess docked Wednesday and became the first visitor of the season. The boat has San Francisco, California, as a home port.

The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo estimates that there will be more cruise ships visiting Costa Rica this season. Some 122 are scheduled for the Pacific, and the total is expected to exceed the 238 that visited at both ports last season.

There were 1,947 passengers on the Island Princess.
They were greeted with a ceremony put on by the Municipalidad de Puntarenas with the mayor, Agnes Gómez.

Last year nearly 320,000 cruise passengers visited Costa Rica counting both the Pacific and Limón. The high season for cruise ships runs through April on the Caribbean and through May 15 on the Pacific.

The tourism institute said it welcomed the creation of the Asociación Costarricense de la Industria de Cruceros, formed in August, to develop better services for the visitors. Members are many of the tourism operators in the area.

Costa Rica: The Royal Dutch Navy supply ship Amsterdam

The Royal Dutch Navy supply ship Amsterdam departed Limón Thursday after a visit of three days.

Story by AM Costa Rica

Despite the designation, the boat is becoming more and more involved in the fight against drug smuggling. The craft contains launches and hangers for helicopters.

The boat, based in Curaçao, also is used to render aid in emergency situations like hurricanes.

The Dutch ambassador to Costa Rica, Matthijs van Bonzel, was the host when the ship was in port. He gave a presentation pointing out his country's concern over drug smuggling and the treaty with Costa Rica that was desgined to stem drug traffic in the Caribbean.

Does China Know Hugo Chaves is Installing Iranian Missle Bases

China in huge Venezuela oil deal

By Will Grant

BBC News, Caracas

Mr Chavez is seeking greater economic independence from the US
Venezuela has announced a $16bn (£10bn) investment deal with China for oil exploration in the Orinoco river.

The move comes shortly after Venezuela signed a similar agreement with Russia, which is estimated to be $20bn (£12bn).

President Hugo Chavez said the deals would boost oil production in Venezuela by about 900,000 barrels per day.

Investors in Venezuela's oil industry have complained for months that a lack of government investment in infrastructure has hurt production.

Multi-polar world

Speaking on state television, Mr Chavez said the deal with China was over three years and that the investment would go towards developing heavy crude oil resources in the Orinoco River belt.

For President Chavez it is part of a wider effort to increase his base of bilateral partners in the oil industry.

The socialist leader often speaks of what he calls a "multi-polar world" in which Latin American countries are less dependent on Washington.

However, US companies and the US government are still the mainstay of the Venezuelan energy industry.

The Venezuelan leader will hope that these multibillion dollar deals, signed with countries which are more friendly to his "21st Century Socialist Revolution", will give him further economic independence from Washington.

Hugo Chaves Friends: Taliban gun down tribal elders in Pakistan

Taliban gun down tribal elders in Pakistan

Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Militants ambushed a convoy of prominent anti-Taliban tribal elders in volatile northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, spraying their cars with gunfire and killing nine people, police said.

The members of the anti-Taliban citizens' group were traveling from the Machikhel area to meet security officials in Bannu district when their three-vehicle convoy was attacked by insurgents, police officer Mohammad Ghani Khan said.

Pakistani authorities have urged tribal elders to speak out against the Taliban, and in turn the militants have killed scores of local leaders. With government backing, some elders have raised militias, known as lashkars, to battle the insurgents. The militias have been compared to Iraq's Awakening Councils, which helped U.S. forces turn the tide against al-Qaida there.

Nine bodies were recovered from the bullet-riddled cars, including at least four tribal elders who had opposed the Taliban in the region, said Ajaz Khan, another police officer. Six people were hospitalized with injuries, he said.

Armed local residents came out of their homes and fought off the Taliban after the ambush, preventing them from killing the survivors, Khan said. Witness Inayatullah Khan said tribesmen killed two militants in the gunbattle. Security forces later arrived in the Khaisur area and joined the fight.

The ambush followed a separate attack by militants who killed two members of another anti-Taliban committee Thursday in the Swat Valley to the northeast. The assailants struck as members of the "peace committee" slept in the Sertelegram area, Mayor Mohammad Ibrar Khan said. Security guards fought the militants and killed several of them, although no bodies were recovered, he said.

Local people formed the Sertelegram group last week to protect their area from Taliban fighters who controlled the valley until July, when a major offensive by the Pakistani army scattered them.

The formation of militias has angered the Taliban, leading to deadly attacks.

In a third area, the Kanju district near Swat's main town, Mingora, thousands of armed citizens gathered at the Saidu Sharif airport, fearing a possible Taliban comeback and pledging to protect their area.

"This is our effort of self-help and people turned up here with whatever weapon they have from a baton to an assault rifle and pistols. ... We will resist militants and guard our area for a lasting peace," Inamur Rehman, head of the Swat National Council, told The Associated Press.

A leader of the private militia will be chosen in the coming days, Rehman said.

"This is a welcome sign that people have risen to protect themselves and guard against the militants," senior army official Brigadier Salman Akber said, adding that security forces would assist the group.

Soldiers killed at least six militants in the nearby Malakand region during a clash early Thursday, police said.

Insurgents ambushed a vehicle carrying Pakistani troops near an Afghan refugee camp, police official Akram Khan said. The soldiers returned fire and killed the six attackers, he said. None of the troops was hurt.

The military said in a statement that 10 suspects were arrested in operations over the past 24 hours and 15 militants surrendered to security forces.

Chavez Offers Obama Backhanded Compliments

Chavez Offers Obama Backhanded Compliments

By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The last time he was here, Hugo Chavez called then U.S. President George W. Bush "the devil," but on Wednesday Venezuela's leader offered slightly more-positive sentiments for Barack Obama.

"The arrival of President Obama, who can deny it, generates, has generated and will continue to generate big expectations," Chavez told a meeting of U.S. union leaders at the Venezuelan mission to the U.N.

In New York for his scheduled address before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Chavez praised Obama's Wednesday speech before the same body, noting that the U.S. president said Washington is ready to work to promote peace.

But Chavez also said the White House and the foreign policy it crafts is unlikely to live up to the president's lofty words.

"Sometimes one gets the sensation that there are two Obamas. One, who gave the speech, is good. The other, really, makes decisions that are contradictory to his speech," he said.

In his words to the General Assembly, Obama pleaded for "a new era of engagement" on global problems, telling assembled world leaders that the United States shouldn't pursue a go-it-alone stance.

Chavez said that when Obama talks about peace, "you have to applaud that," but added "if you are promoting peace, then why the seven military bases in Colombia?"

The U.S. has asked Colombia for greater access to that country's military facilities, but says the proposal will not constitute a permanent presence there. Chavez isn't buying that.

"More soldiers, more weapons, more war," he said. "Don't send more soldiers, nor more bombs because what you would be doing is, well, throwing gasoline on the fire. And that effects all of us in South America."

"Obama, instead lets talk about peace. Let's set up a peace dialogue," Chavez said, later adding, "I say 'Obama, let's go Obama! Let's work truly together to promote peace! But I hope, hope, hope to God ... that Obama could become the instigator for a process of internal change."

Chavez has a history of causing a stir at the General Assembly. In 2006, he used his speech there to infamously call Bush "the devil" no less than eight times.

Later Wednesday, the Venezuelan president headed with Oliver Stone, actor Danny Glover and Bolivian President Evo Morales to the U.S. debut of Stone's documentary "South of the Border."

The director said the movie is meant to illustrate the sweeping progressive changes in Venezuela and elsewhere in South America in recent years as a counterpoint to what he sees as Chavez's depiction as a dictator by U.S. and European media.

"We're hearing one side of the story in America and that's all," Stone said. "He's an underdog and I want to give him the fair shake."

Chavez softened his stance toward Obama a bit as the night wore on, saying "it's important the American public learns the truth ... we want peace, we are brothers and we want to be brothers."

"We want good relations with Obama," he said.

Chavez also provided some - but not all - of the details about ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya's cloak-and-daggar return to his homeland, where he has been holed up for days in the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

Zelaya was escorted from the country in his pajamas at gunpoint in a June military coup and the new government has remained in power despite not being recognized by any other nation.

"It's not up to me reveal secrets and it was a secret operation," Chavez said.

But he also said he called Zelaya and told him he would fly him to New York for the U.N. General Assembly aboard a Venezuelan plane, repeating the plans over and over by telephone because he was convinced agents of the new Honduran government had bugged his lines.

The plane took off as normal, but secretly landed in an undisclosed Central American location en route, Chavez said, and Zelaya rode in a series of car trunks and even aboard tractors to cross into Honduras by land.

"It was Zelaya who came up with the plan," Chavez said. "He's a cowboy like Pancho Villa. Brave and with lots of courage." Pancho Villa was a famous Mexican outlaw and revolutionary.

"He told me, 'Chavez, if I die, I die, but I am going to get to Tegucigalpa," Chavez said, "and that's where he is now."

---

AP reporter Rachel Jones in Caracas, Venezuela contributed to this report.

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Ousted president says he hopes dialogue will reinstate him

Ousted president says he hopes dialogue will reinstate him


By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services


Ousted Honduran president José Manuel Zelaya Rosales says he has hope that dialogue will soon be re-established with the current government.

Zelaya remains in the Brazilian Embassy in the capital, Tegucigalpa, where he has taken refuge since his return to Honduras Monday.

The leader of the interim government, Roberto Micheletti, says he is willing to talk with the deposed leader, but only if Zelaya recognizes presidential elections scheduled for November. Micheletti also says he will not discuss dropping any of the charges against Zelaya.

Meanwhile, the situation at the Brazilian Embassy remains tense. Soldiers and police continue to patrol surrounding streets. A nationwide curfew, airport closings and roadblocks are also in place to keep Zelaya's supporters from rallying around him.
Brazil is calling for the U.N. Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Honduras. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva told the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday the international community is demanding Zelaya immediately resume his role as president. He also stressed the importance of ensuring the Brazilian Embassy is secure from violation.

Zelaya is in the embassy with dozens of friends, relatives and some embassy staffers.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators outside the embassy Tuesday. The ousted leader has urged supporters to stage peaceful protests. One man died of gunshot wounds and five others suffered injuries in confrontations elsewhere in ther capital.

Zelaya was forced out of Honduras at gunpoint on June 28. The interim government accuses the deposed leader of planning to hold an illegal referendum in a bid to extend his time in power.

Zelaya gets a litany of support at U.N. General Assembl

Zelaya gets a litany of support at U.N. General Assembly


By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services


Latin American leaders pressed for the return to office of ousted Honduran president José Manuel Zelaya Rosales in their U.N. General Assembly speeches Wednesday, as the deposed leader remained holed up in Brazil's embassy in Tegucigalpa. In his U.N. speech, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva demanded protection for his country's mission in Honduras.

The ouster of the Honduran president in June was condemned by all other member countries of the Organization of American States, and U.N. General Assembly policy statements by several Latin American leaders Wednesday made clear that diplomatic support for Zelaya has not diminished.

Da Silva, whose country by tradition opens the annual General Assembly debate, warned that unless international support for Zelaya is able to force his return to office, Latin America could see a return to an era when military coups were commonplace.

"Unless there is more political will, we will see more coups, like the one which toppled the constitutional president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, who has been granted refuge in Brazil's embassy in Tegucigalpa since Monday," said Da Silva. "The international community demands that Mr. Zelaya immediately return to the presidency of his country, and must be alert to insure the inviolability of Brazil's diplomatic mission in the capital of Honduras."

The left-leaning Zelaya was arrested and deported by the Honduran military June 28, as he sought to arrange a referendum that could have kept him in office beyond the end of his term in January.

Honduran authorities contend that his ouster and
replacement by interim President Roberto Micheletti was carried out in accordance with the country's laws. But that position was rejected by all other Organization of American States countries, including the United States.

In their U.N. messages, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez also demanded Zelaya's immediate restoration to power, with the Chilean leader saying Honduras' planned November elections should go forward only with, in her words, the country's "constitutional president leading this process."

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner protested water and power cutoffs this week to the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa and a local television station that reported Zelaya's return as well as a crackdown on his supporters.

She said the action by Tegucigalpa authorities was misbehavior that not even the 1980s military dictatorships in South America would have engaged in.

"Not even in Chile under the dictatorship of General Pinochet, nor in Argentina under the dictatorship of GeneralVidela - perhaps the most cruel dictatorships in Latin America — even then, we didn't see similar conduct with embassies that were actively working to give shelter to refugees," said President Kirchner.

Ms. Kirchner warned that if multi-lateral political action fails to return democracy to Honduras, it would set a very serious precedent in a region where in past decades military regimes killed thousands of opponents and exiled many others.

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that Brazil has asked the U.N. Security Council to meet to discuss the safety and security of Zelaya and Brazilian facilities in Honduras, and that the United States, holder of the council's rotating presidency, is working on that request.

Costa Rica: Security Ministry Tries to Crack Down on Sex Tourism Ads

Security Ministry Tries to Crack Down on Sex Tourism Ads

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


Publicizing Costa Rica as a sex tourism destination would be a crime under a proposal announced by the security ministry Wednesday. The prohibition extends to any medium of communications, presumably including the Internet.

The proposal also creates a secret procedure for handling human trafficking cases.

The bill is supposed to be 30 pages long and will be presented to the Asamblea Legislativa in a few days, officials said.

The presentation came on the International Day Against Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in Persons. The proposed legislation builds on the new and existing immigration laws that contain penalties for coyotes and for harboring illegal immigrants.

In a summary of the proposal, the ministry said that the bill stipulates a prison term of from four to eight years for persons who promote, run programs, campaigns or advertisements, making use of whatever medium, to project the country as a tourist destination accessible for commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution of persons of whatever gender or age.

Since adult prostitution is legal in Costa Rica, that section would seem to be unconstitutional on its face.

The bill also would punish with two to five years the operators of an establishment or place that is a destination or benefits from the trafficking of persons or related activities. The summary does not provide more details.

The bill also would punish those in the business of trafficking in human organs, fluids or tissue.

The measure also would punish those who hold employees in servitude by threats, trickery or force. The penalties would be larger if the victim were a minor.

Officials said that the bill will have 85 separate sections.

The bill also will specify how the law is applied. Among
these precepts is one of confidentiality which includes all the information and administrative or jurisdictional activities related to the protection of victims of trafficking crimes. Law enforcement would be obliged to put the life, physical integrity, liberty and security of victims first and consider the wishes of the victim. There is a precept against revictimization, too. The summary also said that in all public and private actions involving a minor, the child's rights and protection would be the highest interest.

The bill came from the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública, which held a press conference to announce the existence of the bill. That ministry is headed by Janina del Vecchio.

The bill seeks to promote public policies for the prevention of trafficking of persons, said the summary. Also supporting the bill was the Judicial Investigating Organization., Casa Presidencial, The Ministerio de Justicia y Paz, the Defensoría de los Habitantes and the International Organization for Immigration. All sent representatives.

The most recent case of human trafficking involved two Costa Rican women who answered a newspaper here and and ended up working as prostitutes in México under duress. They were returned to the country, and another Costa Rican woman was identified as the author of the scheme.

Previous efforts to address human trafficking have suffered from definitions that were too broad. Most foreign prostitutes who come to Costa Rica do so voluntarily, so the element of force does not exist. In addition, many come as individuals, although they may end up living with other prostitutes.

The prohibition against running sex tourism programs or campaigns would seemed to be aimed at excursions like the annual Michigan Boy's trip to the Pacific Coast. A charter jet full of individuals from that U.S. state arrives during the U.S. winter with the stated objective of engaging in fishing. But the visit attracts prostitutes from all over the country who descend on the hotel where the men are staying.

Some offers found on the Internet are far more explicit.
The legislation summary also does not seem to address the fact that most Internet servers are outside the country.

Costa Rica: Tourist access to pre-Columbian city to be easier

Tourist access to pre-Columbian city to be easier

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


Tourists visiting the Monumento Nacional Guayabo next year might find an elevated walkway covering nearly the entire length of the monument's protected area, some 700 meters long, about 2,300 feet.

This is one of the projects that the Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes has in the works to increase tourist to the ancient city near Turrialba and to stabilize what exists there.

The monument has been in the news lately because it was named by the American Society of Civil Engineers an international historic civil engineering landmark. The monument, part of a city inhabited from about 1000 B.C. to about 1400 A.D., contains extensive water works and aqueducts. This is only the second pre-Columbian site in the Americas to receive such a designation. The first is Machu Picchu.

The site 11 kms (7 miles) north of Turrialba became a national monument in 1973. Although it is famous in archaeological circles, it ranks low on a must-see list of tourists. The protected area is 232 hectares or about 573 acres. The site is shaped like a guitar and runs along the Quebrada Cerdita. Much of the adjacent land is unprotected but certainly was part of the sprawling city.

Not until 1893 were archaeological artifacts systematically collected from the site, and the first major scientific excavations were not done until 1968. There is a lot of work to be done. During a session on the monument Wednesday night some connected with the site complained that the Universidad de Costa Rica has no plans to do a major study and that foreign universities might be solicited.

The walkway will be about two feet above the ground level, and it will provide wheelchair access to the bulk of the site, something that is not possible now with the rocky paths at the monument. Tourists will not have to circumvent the frequent mud.

Plans also call for putting in better restrooms. shaped like a pre-Columbian pyramid. Also in the words are better road signs to direct tourists to the monument.

Even with new construction, trying to keep


A.M. Costa Rica graphic

Arrow shows location of national monument



Guayabo intact is a chore. Experts Wednesday explained that leaf-cutter ants, lichen and water are the big enemies of the monument.

What is visible are petroglyphs, stone paths, walls and circular platforms where, it is presumed, structures stood. Heavy Costa Rican rains can erode the base of the strongest wall, despite the water channels constructed by the earlier Costa Ricans. But leafcutter ants, Atta cephalotes, also can do damage. They are fun to watch as the worker ants carry leaf cuttings to underground farms where fungus grows. But the experts Wednesday said that the ants can create giant chambers that undermine rock structures.

Lichen also seems harmless, but the tiny organisms create environments for other, most destructive growths, that can damage rock, said the experts.

Guayabo, located on the southern slope of Volcán Turrialba, was a population center of about 10,000 persons, archaeologists have estimated. Francisco Corrales, a former director of the Museo Nacional, said there was not a lot of contact between the Guayabo residents and the populations that fabricated the stone spheres in southwest Costa Rica. He is developing a museum of the spheres near Palmar Sur. However, he was one of the spectators Wednesday night at the presentation of the Guayabo plans. He said it was an important site.

A museum might be in the future for Guayabo. Museo Nacional staffers said that much of the artifacts excavated there is in storage. A museum at the site would be a way to display the objects

Venezuelan’s A People with No Balls

Venezuelan’s A People with No Balls

Story by Panama Jack

I do not think I have seen a sadder bunch of misfits then the Venezuelan’s. In Venezuela the people let a thug of a dictator take power steal peoples assets and threaten North, South and Central America with the installation of nuclear missiles on its soil. The North American are the biggest blame for the Hugo Chaves problem that plagues the America’s, Allowing him to seize United States oil assets and use the stolen moneys to wage war on the United States with the aid of his terrorist buddies in the middle east.

Iran to Install Nuclear Missile Bases in Venezuela

Iran Plans to Install Missile Bases in Venezuela Capable of Hitting Panama and the United States and all of Central, South and North America.

Story by Panama Jack

President Mahmoud Ahmaninejad and Hugo Chaves have signed a pact to install Iranian missile bases in Venezuela. The question is are they going to be nuclear and is Panama and the United States going to allow this to happen ? Hugo Chaves has borrowed 2 billion dollars from Russia for the purchase of missiles from Iran soon to be capable of carrying Iranian nuclear warheads. I thought Chaves hero was Castro, but it appears not to be it is Hitler. Is this the beginning World War III? In the streets of Iran people chant “Down With The United States”. Iran has the American troops tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan and now is moving the war front to America’s. Are the American people, I mean all the American People North, South and Central America going to allow Hugo Chaves to install nuclear missile bases in his country? Here is a bigger question are there no Venezuelan’s with the balls to stand up to Hugo Chaves and take him out.

It is wake-up time

Panama: Panama Youth Team Ready For Regional Tourney

Panama Youth Team Ready For Regional Tourney

La Prensa

Panama's national youth baseball team is getting ready for a regional tournament that starts Friday.

Panama will face rival Colombia in the first game it plays in the Pan-American youth tournament that begins Friday in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

Panama had been scheduled to open against Aruba, but tournament organizers had to juggle the schedule because the Dominican Republic had to drop out of the event because of administrative problems.

The competition will now consist of seven countries who are vying for one of three bids to the 2010 world tournament to be held in Canada.

Panama Coach Manuel Rodríguez said he has not yet decided whether to keep Roilan Garrido as the starting pitcher for the opening game.

Tuesday will be the team's last practice and on Wednesday they will depart for Venezuela.

The tournament is for players ages 17 and 18.

Panama: Judge Opens Road To Provide Beach Access In Sea Cliff

Judge Opens Road To Provide Beach Access In Sea Cliff

story by La Prensa

A superior court judge in the Second Judicial District has ruled that a landowner at Sea Cliff has to allow the public to use a road leading to the beach in front of his property.

"The existing road is a necessary step to allow access to public property, which in this case is the beach," Judge Juan Francisco Castillo wrote in his decision, which reversed a lower court ruling.

The closure of the road has resulted in a long-running feud between residents of the community and property owner Richard Crucet. Crucet had erected a fence blocking the road, which had angered many residents who used it to access the beach.

The situation came to a head last year when police had to be called in to quell a disturbance between armed guards hired by Crucet and local fishermen who wanted to tear the fence down.

The judge said his ruling was based on expert testimony and documentary evidence that showed that the road was used for years as a right of way to the beach. The judge also ordered the easement to be entered into the Public Registry.

Panama: Noriega Denied Pardon by France

Noriega Denied Pardon by France

story by La Prensa

The French Justice Ministry yesterday denied the possibility of pardon by President Nicolas Sarkozy to Manuel Noriega to save him from being extradited because French law allows a pardon only after a person has received a final sentence.

Noriega was convicted in absentia in France in 1999, but is entitled to a new trial when he arrives there.

"You can not pardon someone who has not been definitively condemned," said Guillaume Didier, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice of France, responding to questions on the Noriega case.

Noriega requested a pardon through a London-based attorney, Giovanni di Stefano. Noriega is also fighting the extradition request in U.S. courts, and is waiting for the Supreme Court to decide if it will hear an appeal of the case.

Noriega faces criminal charges in France related to his activities when he was head of the military dictatorship in Panama. He has finished serving a sentence in the U.S., but has voluntarily remained in that country while fighting an extradition request by French authorities.

Zelaya Surfaces At The Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa

Zelaya Surfaces At The Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa



By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services


Deposed Honduran president José Manuel Zelaya Rosales has returned to his country's capital, Tegucigalpa, and taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy to avoid arrest.

In a television interview Monday, Zelaya said he had returned to Honduras to reclaim his presidency in accordance with the will of the people. He called for for a national dialogue.

Initial reports that Zelaya had returned were unclear about his exact location. Crowds of supporters rallied outside the United Nations building in Tegucigalpa amid reports that he was inside.

A spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Ian Kelly, said the U.S. reiterates its almost daily call for supporters of both Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that could provoke violence.

Kelly added the U.S. still considers Zelaya Honduras's democratically elected and constitutional leader.

Zelaya was forced out of the country at gunpoint on June 28. Leaders of the interim government that ousted him in the military coup have said he would be arrested if he returns.
The United States has refused to recognize President Micheletti's interim government despite that government's assertion Zelaya was legally removed.

The interim leaders say Zelaya violated a Supreme Court order to drop efforts to change the constitution.

In New York, President Óscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica held a joint press conference with Hillary Clinton, the U.S. secretary of State. Mrs. Clinton reiterated that the United states supports the San José Accords that Arias drafted in an effort to return Zelaya to power.

"Once again, the Costa Ricans will be using their good offices to try to encourage that to occur, because now that President Zelaya is back, it would be opportune to restore him to his position under appropriate circumstances, get on with the election that is currently scheduled for November, have a peaceful transition of presidential authority, and get Honduras back to constitutional and democratic order in a very – on a very clear path toward that goal," said Mrs. Clinton.

Arias said he would be willing to go to Tegucigalpa if both sides to the dispute invite him. "I think this is the best opportunity, the best time, now that Zelaya is back in his country to sign the San José Accord. It’s all we have on the table. There is no B plan. And when we wrote this San José Accords, it was after listening to everybody."

A.M. Costa Rica Chávez Appears To Be Starting A Latin American Arms Race

Chávez Appears To Be Starting A Latin American Arms Race


By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services



Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez is leading a new diplomatic effort to strengthen ties with a set of distant partners. He signed a new billion-dollar arms deal with Russia and has promised to ship gasoline to Iran to circumvent possible international sanctions.

Chávez is no stranger to foreign capitals, and he has just completed an 11-day tour of Africa that included stops in Libya, Iran and Russia. One of the outcomes was a deal to buy 100 Russian battle tanks and air-defense rockets with all the funding coming from Moscow.

"The Russian government approved a $2.2 billion loan for weapons," Chávez said. "And we must thank them."

Chávez announced the deal only days after voicing support for pro-Russian separatists in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Nicaragua is the only other nation in the world community to recognize those regions' breakaway from Georgia.

Some Latin American leaders fear the Venezuelan deal is part of an arms race. Uruguay's President Tabaré Vázquez expressed his concern at a meeting in Washington.

"We have already expressed time and again our position against an arms race," Vázquez said. "We believe it is quite inconvenient for the region to devote such significant economic resources to purchasing arms."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Chávez has not been clear about how the weapons will be used.

"So there is concern that we have expressed, and we'll continue to raise with other countries in the region. And we hope that we can see a change in behavior and attitude on the part of the Venezuelan government," Mrs. Clinton said.
The Venezuelan leader says the deals with Russia, which also include fighter jets, are for self-defense. Tensions are rising with Colombia, since Chávez denounced his neighbor for opening Colombian military bases for use by U.S. anti-drug missions.

Venezuela's oil sector, crucial to the national economy, also has been watching the new agreements that Chávez signed.

Jorge Pinon is a former executive for Amoco Oil and a researcher at the University of Miami.

"There are a lot of people concerned, even in the energy sector, with what we see in the region as an arms race. There is no need," Pinon said, "I am not aware of any armed conflict going on between two Latin American countries."

Pinon says the concern is that Venezuela's struggling oil sector may lose much-needed investment. Production has yet to recover from a major strike in 2002, and slumping world oil prices have reduced government revenues.

Chávez also risks pushing away Western nations. During his travels, Chávez slammed Israel as genocidal, and he pledged to send 20,000 barrels of gasoline a day to Iran to offset possible U.N. sanctions arising from Tehran's nuclear development program.

But Pinon says that may be a hard promise for Venezuela to keep."In the last 60 days, Venezuela has had problems with its refinery structure, and is actually importing gasoline from Brazil. Anything Venezuela does today, you have to look at it," he adds, "Is it really a political issue, or is there an economic foundation behind it?"

Over time, Chavez's actions will show which alliances are more important to his government.

Despite Economy, Credit Card Types Keep Growing

Despite Economy, Credit Card Types Keep Growing

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff


Costa Rican shoppers have 13 more types of credit cards, according to a survey by the economics ministry. That brings to 414 the types of credit cards available in the country.

The ministry said Banco Citi, Bancrédito and Banco Nacional offer the best interest rates on colon-denominated credit cards. Other lenders have interest rates that go as high as 54 percent per year. That figure is 30 percent higher than the lowest colon credit card.

One also has to be a careful shopper because Citi offers 94 types of credit cards. Credomatic offers 92. Bancrédito offers 42 and Banco Nacional offers 37. All have different rates and regulations.

The Ministerio de Economía, Industría y Comercio studies the credit market four times a year. This study includes the period from June to August. The ministry noted that the highest rate had increased 4 percent since the last study.

The card with the highest rate, 54 percent, is the Compra Facil local brand put out by Medio de Pago MP S.A., said the ministry. Tarjetas BCT S.A. is close behind with its Visa at 50.4 percent. Medio de Pago MP S.A. holds the third and fourth highest rates, 49.82 and 49.41 percent with its Visas.

The fifth highest rate is with Citi Tarjetas at 49.32
percent with some 28 Visa cards and three Mastercards.

Citi Tarjetas also issues the card with the lowest rate, also a Visa called Signature Internacional, at 20 percent.

Other providers with lower rates are Banco Nacional with both Mastercard and Visas at 22 percent, Bancrédito with a Visa at 23 percent, and both Banco Nacional and Bancrédito in fourth place with Visa and Mastercards that have rates of 24 percent.

Banco de Costa Rica has the next lowest rate card, according to the survey. That includes several types of Visa and Mastercards at 25 percent.

Colon-denominated credit cards carry higher rates than dollar cards, which were not included in the study. There also are other types of cards for professional groups and organizations that have restricted access. They were not rated either.

Some of the cards in the survey have a charge to open an account. The ministry said that 325 types of cards did not required an initial fee. Coopegrecia requires a 3,500-colon payment, about $6. American Express and several prestige cards of Credomatic require an initial payment of 118,000 colons, the ministry said. That's $201 at the current exchange rate. Some cards, but not the majority, require an annual renewal fee, the ministry said.

Panama City: Panama Can Stop the War That Is Coming To Central America

Panama City: Panama Can Stop the War That Is Coming To Central America
Story by Panama Jack editor of the Republic of Panama


It is now time for the Republic of Panama to shine in the eyes of the world. Panama has the ability to stop in its tracks the arms buildup that is coming soon to Central and South America. The government of the Republic of Panama needs to issue a direct statement to Hugo Chaves that if he continues the purchase of Missiles, Fighter Planes, Warships, Tanks and Arms, that are capable attacking Panama, that Panama will not allow Venezuela to ship any oil through the Panama Canal. This voice from Panama will be heard loud and clear to the president of Venezuela. Ricardo Martinelli has the power to stop this now.

New York City, The United States Of America: United Nations

New York City, The United States Of America: United Nations

Story by Panama Jack

President Mahmoud Ahmaninejad is coming to speak at the United Nations building in New York City. Upon arrival to New York he should be arrested for the kidnapping of American Diplomats and other personal at the American embassy in Iran. He has never paid for this crime he committed; Ahmaninejad was not a diplomat at the time and has no immunity from this crime.

Panama: Rosh Hashanah celebration

Jewish Community Readies for Rosh Hashanah

La Prensa

Traditional foods are an important part of the Rosh Hashanah celebration.

The Jewish community will begin celebrating Rosh Hashanah, of the Jewish New Year, Saturday with prayers and family gatherings, said Panama's head rabbi, Haim Levy.

The holiday is actually two days, as Sunday is the Day of Reckoning. According to tradition, this is the day that God judges people according to the acts committed during the year that just ended, and decides their fate for next year.

This holiday calls for businesses owned by Jews to be closed on Saturday and Sunday, as no work is permitted during these holidays.

A highlight of the holiday is the feast at which symbolic foods are eaten, including pomegranate seeds, lentils or beans and dates. It also includes an apple with honey and beef.

Another symbolic food eaten on this day is pumpkin, which is supposed to help get rid of bad luck and replace it with good luck.

The first 10 days of the Jewish new year also have a special meaning within the religion. These days are considered the holiest of the year, and are meant as a period for prayer and self-reflection. The belief, said Levy, is that God is closely watching the actions and behaviors of his followers during this time.

This period ends with Yom Kippur, which is a period of fasting for 24 hours. This year, Yom Kippur is from the afternoon of Sept. 27 until the evening of Sept. 29.

Panama: More Tainted Medicine in 1,155 Bottles

Panama: More Tainted Medicine in 1,155 Bottles


Writer Juan Zamorano, Associated Press Writer

PANAMA CITY – The death toll from contaminated medicine sold three years ago in Panama could be higher than previously believed after 1,155 bottles of tested positive for a chemical commonly found in antifreeze and brake fluid, investigators said Thursday.

Authorities are trying to track down the names that appear on the bottles that tested positive for diethylene glycol to see if any of the users of the medication died, possibly raising the official count of 116 fatalities.

"At the moment, we have no knowledge of these 1,155 people," Guevara said. "We don't know if any of them died, we don't know if any were affected."

The 1,155 bottles are among 6,774 handed over to authorities after people were sickened in 2006 from poisonous cough syrup, antihistamine tablets, calamine lotion and rash ointment made at a government laboratory.

Prosecutor Dimas Guevara said test results were pending for thousands more bottles.

Relatives of the victims have long questioned the official estimates of how many people were sickened by the chemical, which was allegedly made by two Chinese companies that sold it to a Spanish firm saying it was 99.5 percent pure glycerin, a sweetener and thickening agent commonly used in drugs. The Spanish company then allegedly sold it to a company in Panama, which in turn sold it to the government lab.

A director of the Panamanian company, Medicom, has been detained for a year pending the investigation. Another dozen people are also under investigation.

The Committee of Families for the Right to Health and Life, which represents relatives of other victims, has always said more than 1,000 people have been affected, said Gabriel Pascual, the leader of the group.

Panama: 22 Countries Taking Part In Military Exercise Involving Canal

22 Countries Taking Part In Military Exercise Involving Canal

Story La Prensa

Some 800 officers from Panama's Aeronaval Service are taking part in "Operation Panamax 2009," which will conclude Sept. 22.

The military operation has taken place annually since 2003, but this is the first time that tactical maneuvers will be held on land, sea and in the air. Admiral Roberto García Márquez, of Colombia, who is in charge of the headquarters of the multinational exercise, said that some 5,000 troops from 22 countries will take part in the operation.

Panama will contribute six patrol boats to the exercise, as well as 10 ships from the Aeronaval Service.

The military maneuvers are focusing on counter-terrorist activities, drug and arms trafficking, and possible cases of a pandemic. One of the scenarios that the troops will be using is a potential attack on the Panama Canal by submarine

Panama: Boxing Champ Lines Up Next Opponent

Boxing Champ Lines Up Next Opponent


Sroty by La Prensa

Bantamweight champion of the World Boxing Association Anselmo Chemito Moreno has accepted a challenge issued by Venezuelan contender Nehomar Cermeño for the title.

"We have never refused a fight," Moreno said Tuesday. "I will fight Cermeño anywhere."

Representatives of Moreno said that details about the fight, such as where and when it will take place and the amount of prize money that it will generate, have yet to be worked out.

Moreno won his last title defense with a split decision victory over Mahyar Monshipour of France in July. He won his title by defeating Ukranian Wladimir Sidorenko in 2008. His record is 24 wins, a loss and a tie.

Panama: Credit Cards Can Overwhelm Users

Credit Cards Can Overwhelm Users

story by La Prensa

Credit cards can be a double-edged tool: a financial lifeline or an overwhelming wave.

They are easier to carry than cash, but there are risks, especially when consumers don't think carefully before pulling them out to pay for an item.

As of June 1, Panama's residents had some 524,000 credit cards with a total outstanding balance of $799 million.

According to the Panamanian Association of Credit, a consumer should carefully read the terms of a contract and be clear on issues such as late fees and dates when payments need to be made. Many cards require the holder to cancel all balances within 25 days from the date of
the issuance of the bill, or face financing charges.

The minimum monthly payment for most cards is 3 percent of the amount financed, but the customer must bear in mind that if the only amount paid is the minimum, the interest will quickly begin to pile up.

The ideal scenario for consumers is to use a credit card responsibly, and avoid compiling a huge debt that generates large amounts of interest payments.

Panama: Taxi Permit Scandal Takes New Direction

Taxi Permit Scandal Takes New Direction

Story La Prensa

ATTT, the country's transportation authority, decided Tuesday to suspend the process of canceling the more than 200 temporary taxi permits that were allegedly improperly issued by a senior official of the entity.

After a meeting between ATTT representatives and transportation union leaders, president of the National Transport Chamber, Dionisio Ortega, explained that the order to revoke the permits was lifted because those drivers have documentation certifying that they complied with the legal requisites to obtain one.

Additionally, Ortega said compelling evidence corroborating charges that ATTT Deputy Director Roberto Moreno sold the permits to taxi drivers. "It's a question of signatures and of who is authorized to sign permits and that's no problem for us," said Ortega. "And whether or not there's corruption, the drivers are not involved in it."

General Secretary of United Taxi of Arraiján Eduardo Restrepo reported that the ATTT had canceled the permits of all drivers within his company, and though they could still operate for 90 days, they must appear at ATTT offices this week with the contested documents.

It was also agreed at the meeting that the ATTT inspectors would visit the taxi yards to verify that vehicles meet conditions required to provide taxi services.

Costa Rica: Bolivia, Venezuela and Burma on U. S. Anti-Drug Blacklist

Bolivia, Venezuela and Burma on U. S. Anti-Drug Blacklist


Special to A.M. Costa Rica


Three countries, Bolivia, Burma, and Venezuela, have failed to adhere to international counternarcotic pacts and take anti-drug measures, according to the White House.

Under the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, the president is required to notify Congress of those countries he determines to be major illicit drug-producing countries or major drug-transit countries. A country’s presence on the list does not necessarily reflect its counternarcotics efforts nor does it reflect its cooperation with the United States, said the State Department. The designation can reflect a combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to be produced and/or trafficked through a country despite its own best efforts, the department said.

When a country does not live up to its obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and conventions, the president determines that the country has “failed demonstrably.” Such a designation can lead to sanctions, according to the law. However, the president may also execute a waiver should he determine that continuing U.S. assistance is in the national interest of the United States. Even without such a waiver, humanitarian assistance and
counternarcotics assistance may continue.

This year Barack Obama has identified the following countries as major drug-transit or drug-producing countries: Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.

Of these 20, the president has determined that only Bolivia, Burma, and Venezuela, “failed demonstrably” during the last 12 months to adhere to international counternarcotic agreements and take counternarcotic measures set forth in U.S. law, said the State Department. In the cases of Bolivia and Venezuela, the president has issued a national interest waiver so that the United States may continue to support specific programs.

In Venezuela, funds will continue to support civil society programs and small community development programs, the State Department said.

In Bolivia, the waiver will permit continued support for agricultural development, exchange programs, small enterprise development, and police training programs among others, the State Department said.

Costa Rica U.S. Blackhawks Help Bring Care to Remote Native Villages

U.S. Blackhawks Help Bring Care to Remote Native Villages

By Tech. Sgt. Mike Hammond

Joint Task Force-Bravo public affairs


For many with cold and flu-like symptoms, relief is just a few minutes away through a local drug store or visit to the family physician. But at Tolokichá in this remote, mountainous and heavily forested region of Costa Rica it's a lot more complicated.

Rogelio and Melli Segura and their five children — all under 10 years old — walked an hour and a half up and down mountains to see a doctor for the first time ever.

The Seguras, who farm corn for subsistence and are expecting their sixth child, made the long walk after suffering from headaches and other pains for the past five days.

After the whole family received examinations from a physician's assistant, they left with bottles of Tylenol — medicine that is over-the-counter in places like the United States but considerably harder to come by in a place inaccessible by road and a three-day hike from the nearest medical care.

The Seguras represented six of the more than 240 patients seen here Friday during a combined medical readiness and training exercise conducted by the Costa Rica ministry of health and members of Joint Task Force-Bravo, headquartered at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras.
Residents of the area came from miles around to see healthcare providers from the ministry and the task force. Some heard of the opportunity through word-of-mouthand some, like 50-year-old Rafael Martínez, simply heard the two UH-60 Blackhawks approaching. "I heard the helicopter go by and walked for about an hour to see the doctor," Martinez said. "It has been at least two years since I saw one." [Central Valley residents also heard the helicopters and excahgned messages on various Internet discussion lists about them.]

According to the mission commander, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Curtis Anderson, the effort to come to Costa Rica was beneficial to all involved.

"This exercise was an initiative of the Costa Rica ministry of health, and we are glad to help support the effort," Anderson said. "Our providers get needed training in practicing medicine in more remote and austere conditions not seen in a traditional clinical setting," he said, noting the lack of electrical power or running water in the area. "The patients benefit from getting medical care which is not readily available, and everyone benefits from two partner nations teaming up to work together toward a common goal."

The care provided came on the first of a two-day exercise, and the combined Costa Rican and JTF-Bravo team was prepared to see as many as 500 more patients Saturday at the second location, Xichiari in Turrialba near the Chirripó peak.

Chaves, Wants to Wage Nuclear War in the America's

Venezuela's Chavez Aims to Tap Nuclear Energy



By IAN JAMES ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez say goodbye after their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday said his country has recognized the independence of Georgian separatist regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Pool)
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Hugo Chavez wants to join the nuclear energy club and is looking to Russia for help in getting started.

The Venezuelan leader is already dismissing critics' concerns over his nuclear ambitions, offering assurances his aims are peaceful and that Venezuela will simply be following in the footsteps of other South American nations using atomic energy.

Yet his project remains in its planning stages and still faces a host of practical hurdles, likely requiring billions of dollars, as well as technology and expertise that Venezuela lacks.

Russia has offered to help bridge that gap, and Chavez has announced that the two countries have created an atomic energy commission.

"I say it before the world: Venezuela is going to start the process of developing nuclear energy, but we're not going to make an atomic bomb, so don't be bothering us afterward ... (with) something like what they have against Iran," Chavez said Sunday.

The socialist president is closely allied with Iran and defends its nuclear program while the U.S. and other countries accuse Tehran of having a secret nuclear weapons program.

"We're going to develop nuclear energy with peaceful aims as Brazil, Argentina have," Chavez said.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly on Monday expressed misgivings about Venezuela's nuclear ambitions. Responding to a reporter's question about whether the United States would be worried about nuclear transfers between Iran and Venezuela, Kelly said: "The short answer is, to that, yes, we do have concerns."

Kelly noted that Venezuela is a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which would restrict any nuclear program to nonmilitary purposes.

Some of Chavez's critics among American lawmakers are alarmed. U.S. Rep. Connie Mack urged the U.S. and its allies to "unite to prevent Chavez from gaining access to new nuclear technology." Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a fellow Florida Republican, said Russia's plans to sell Venezuela more arms, along with plans for nuclear cooperation, "create an eerie sense that the history of Iran's Russia-backed military and nuclear buildup is repeating itself almost identically in Venezuela."

Chavez said he discussed the nuclear issue last week with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow.

"Putin himself has said it: 'We're going to support Venezuela so that it has nuclear energy,'" Chavez said.

Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom, said a framework agreement signed last year that pledges cooperation is "all there is for the moment."

"There are no concrete projects that have been worked out and agreed upon," Novikov told The Associated Press in Russia on Tuesday.

Any joint work on mining uranium or the radioactive metal thorium is likely "a long way" off at this point, Novikov said. He noted that Venezuela says it has deposits but needs to decide whether it wants Russian help exploring them and, if so, create a joint venture for the purpose.

If an agreement is reached for Russia to help Venezuela create a nuclear research center, Russian specialists would likely participate closely to ensure nuclear safety and security, he said.

A Venezuelan delegation visited Moscow last month, and discussed creating programs for training Venezuelan specialists in nuclear safety and in the use of reactors, the Russian nuclear agency said in a statement. It said they also discussed training Venezuelans on designing and building "a cyclotron or research reactor with the aim of producing radioisotopes for medical purposes."

It wouldn't be the first time for Venezuela to build a nuclear reactor. A small, experimental reactor was completed in 1960 at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Studies near Caracas. In the past decade, it has been used as a sterilization plant that treats pharmaceuticals, surgical supplies and other products using cobalt-60 radiation.

"Its objective was lost due to technological obsolescence, but we're going to start, and we're working on that with Russia," Chavez said.

It remains unclear what sort of nuclear technology, if any, Venezuela could seek from Iran. Chavez as early as 2005 expressed interest in developing nuclear energy and mentioned Venezuela could discuss it with Iran.

He said while visiting Iran on Sept. 4 that "we're carrying out the visualization of the nuclear energy project, so that the Venezuelan people can also count on that marvelous resource for peaceful uses in the future."

He said Venezuela and Iran agreed to work together on geological studies in the Venezuelan Andes and the foothills in his home state of Barinas, because "we already have satellite information that indicates there are good mineral resources, different minerals that are very important for the country's development." He didn't elaborate, and didn't mention uranium.

It also remains unclear how much Chavez intends to spend on the nuclear project. His government has been coping with a sharp decline in revenue in the past year due to lower prices for Venezuelan oil, which funds nearly half the national budget.

Elsewhere in South America, Argentina already has two operating nuclear plants, as does Brazil.

Brazil is also planning to invest $3.7 billion to build a third nuclear plant after receiving environmental approval earlier this year.

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Associated Press writers Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Foster Klug in Washington; Alan Clendenning in Sao Paulo; and Mayra Pertossi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.