The Argentinian economy Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Cross-posted

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your links included please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

This week's top stop stories:
Venezuela's support of Hamas, and Argentina's bleak economic outlook.

Last week Chavez expelled the Israeli ambassador to Caracas. Yesterday he was threatening to expel the American Charge d'Affaires in Caracas, John Caulfield, for going to a wedding in Puerto Rico. Chavez claims Caulfield was plotting against him...at the wedding.

Argentina's economic outlook is bleak, and not likely to improve over the short term. While the country has been invited to the G20 summit and may be distancing itself from Caracas's influence, government spending is out of control,

Argentina’s Ministry of Economics estimated in midsummer that the country was carrying about $150 billion in debt. The government has been borrowing from anyone who will lend — namely, the captive domestic bond market and regional ally Venezuela — at high interest rates to fund its populist programs, which include steep energy subsidies and the outright nationalization of six (now seven, counting Aerolineas) companies. Payments on Argentina’s debt will total more than $10 billion in the first six months of 2009 alone. At the same time, the government is assuming more and more responsibilities across the board and shows no sign of halting.

Because the 2009 government budget did not take the nationalized pension funds into account, it appeared at first blush that the government might have secured for itself some means of taking the bite out of debt payments with that appropriation. Given that the original budget was based on highly optimistic economic performance forecasts — the global downturn and the decline of Argentina’s agriculture industry notwithstanding –- it was possible to argue that the move was relatively prudent, despite the jitters felt by investors.

But the reality is that Fernandez is increasing spending at such a rate that the administration will quickly burn through the extra cash. This is not typical debt manipulation, but rather, as investors had feared, the outright commandeering of Argentines’ retirement savings to prop up the government’s populist policies.

Setting aside the emotional and financial impact to Argentine workers as they contemplate their futures, the government has ensnared itself in an accounting dilemma. If spending continues in the face of falling revenue and limited credit, Buenos Aires eventually will hit a wall. And so far, its only recourse has been to liquidate what few financial assets remain in-country. Although there could yet be a grand scheme that will compensate for this problem, the government has shown no evidence thus far that one exists. The odds of an outright debt default and a return to the economic crisis of 2002 are growing.

I'll be talking about Argentina's economy in today's podcast at 11AM Eastern.

LATIN AMERICA
The world of the FARC (Part I: Europe)

The world of the FARC (Part II: America)

Going South

Battle for Influence in Latin America

Political Risk Bulletin from Market Memorandum

Spain's Bets Sour in Latin America

ANTIGUA
Cuban-trained doctors in Antigua denied enrollment as medical practitioners

The Antigua Sun reported that the Antigua and Barbuda Medical Registration Board (MRB) refused to register the documents because, according to the Chairman of the MRB, David Dorset, the requirements were not satisfied that they could practice medicine by themselves.

Additionally Dorset said the applicants had not proven their entitlement to practice medicine in another country. Therefore, they would not be registered in Antigua and Barbuda under the Medical Act.

ARGENTINA
Housing in Argentina. Misery in their midst: A fight over an iconic shantytown

BOLIVIA
Sospechosa liberacion de narcos vinculados al MAS

BRAZIL
Lula's last lap: A freakishly popular president has only a year left before electioneering curtails his mandate. He will spend it reacting rather than reforming

COLOMBIA
Third term temptation: Álvaro Uribe pushes his luck

COSTA RICA
Death toll rises to 9 from Costa Rica quake

CUBA
Like Generation Y, Penultimos Dias got hacked.

The humble

Charts and figures

Change stirring in Cuba

Via The Real Cuba, Havana Cuba, 1930s



Cincuenta años de revolución cubana --2ª parte--



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Dominican Republic buys eight planes from Brazil

ECUADOR
Ecuador: Using OPEC Cuts to Take Over the Energy Sector

Ecuador is willing to talk with Colombia

Ecuador 14 January: The Studfather

More Financial Crimes Underway in Correa's Ecuador

JAMAICA
Jamaican residents forced to flee homes in face of violence

MEXICO
Via Instapundit, New reports about Mexico, the failing state on our border

Ten of Mexico's Most Notorious Drug Traffickers Extradited to U.S.

NICARAGUA
Ortega se apoya en Chavez y se enfrenta al mundo

PANAMA
Mail Going Outside of Panama

PERU
Peru: As corrupt as ever

PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico union leaders meet with Economic Advisory Panel

Puerto Rico expands coastal reserve

ST KITTS-NEVIS
Return of the noose: St Kitts has just hanged its first man for a decade and believes it is the only way to beat violent crime

VENEZUELA
Dictatorship for Dummies: Learn how to quash dissent Chávez-style.

Moneda virtual “Sucre” será aprobada en diciembre por el ALBA

Crece el apoyo a Chávez en el Medio Oriente

Government reduces travel quotas for Venezuelan residents Travelers can take out even fewer dollars in order to conserve its US currency reserves.

Israeli Ambassador Expelled from Venezuela

Israeli Ambassador Booted by Hugo Chavez

According to this report, the embassies are closing Las últimas palabras del Embajador de Israel antes de su partida

Embajador Israel
by noticias24

El Loco outreach suspended in Boston

AP: Turkey Holds Iran Shipment to Venezuela

An open letter to the more than 100 Latin American "experts" who criticized the report on Venezuela by Human Rights Watch

Kristallnacht in Caracas?

Venezuela reducing oil to US refineries on OPEC cut

Via IBD: Drilling stops in 17 oilfields
The suspension affected oilrigs in Anaco, El Tigre and Campo Boscán

Crudo venezolano cerró la semana al alza con un precio de US$37.62

US POLITICS
Eric Holder and the FALN Pardons

10 Points for President-Elect Obama's Latin America Strategy

Special thanks to Ada, the Baron, Eneas, Kate, Larwyn, Maggie and Maria.

These week's posts and podcasts:
The Jews Face a Double Standard
Venezuela expels Israeli ambassador to protest Gaza offensive
Turkey holds Iranian explosives heading to Venezuela, transition purgatory, and other news items
At Real Clear World:
Argentina's Outlook: Bleak
Bolivia Launches State-Run Media
Podcasts:
Tango
Latin America and Israel
Venezuela expels the Israeli ambassador to protest Gaza offensive, and other headlines from Venezuela
Humberto Fontova talks about the Cuban Communist revolution: 15 Minutes on Latin America
Argentina runs out of change: 15 Minutes on Latin America



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The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean: FARC establlishes undercover cells in 17 countries

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts included in the Carnivals, please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

The big story: The FARC has set up undercover cells abroad in 17 countries.
Spanish newspaper El Pais published yesterday a report, Las FARC crean células clandestinas para su expansión internacional
Documentos del ordenador de Reyes revelan una red de apoyo en 17 países.
FARC creates clandestine cells for international expansion
Documents from Reyes's computer reveal a support network in 17 countries.

The article (in Spanish) states that the FARC, through its Coordinadora Continental Bolivariana (CCB) [Continental Bolivarian Coordination] network created in 2003, the FARC has developed a strategy that involves legal groups, clandestine cells and guerrilla training. These groups are closely associated with leftist organizations in seventeen countries, including Germany and Switzerland.

They opened four organizations in Mexico, managed by two cells that answer directly to the Secretariado, the FARC's leadership.

In the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela the FARC sponsor guerrillas through so-called "Biodiversity Forums", in addition to "official political-diplomatic relations" with Communist parties and the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador.

Their aim, is

"Crear un gran Ejército revolucionario con el apoyo de masas para derrocar el sistema capitalista e instalar el socialismo".
"To create a great revolutionary Army with the support of the masses in order to destry the capitalist system and install socialism."

Al Jazeeera has a related Report: Farc set up cells abroad

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has established undercover cells abroad in 17 countries, a Spanish newspaper says, quoting from documents found on the computer of Raul Reyes, a slain commander of the anti-government group.

All this information comes from the computers seized from Raul Reyes.

Both Interpol and US intelligence officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have verified that the Reyes files are authentic.

Maite Rico of El Pais continues today their series on the FARC with this article, La guerrilla que pasó a ser mafia
Los documentos de Raúl Reyes reflejan la descomposición interna de las FARC The guerrilla that became a mafia: Raul Reyes's documents show the FARC's internal corrosion.

Among the details in today's article in addition to their narcotraffic involvement, the FARC is the world's largest planter of land mines, their ties with internations criminal organizations, and their revenues from kidnappings, among them half a million dollars revenue from kidnapping two Swiss executives from pharmaceutical company Novartis.

You can read the articles at El Pais in Spanish. The above is my translation and summary. Please credit me if you use it. Thank you.
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Add Angela Merkel to the list of people Hugo has insulted: Venezuela's Chavez slams Germany's Merkel comments

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday almost told German Chancellor Angela Merkel to go to hell, but stopped short of insulting the woman leader on Mother's Day.
Instead he called her a political descendant of Adolf Hitler and German fascism.
"Ms. Chancellor, you can go to ...," he said, pausing for effect and eliciting giggles from the audience, a group of military officers, cabinet ministers and government officials. "Because she's a woman I won't say anything else."

Being insulted by Chavez is indeed a mark of honor.
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CARNIVAL LINKS:

LATIN AMERICA
South America: Leaders Warn of Autonomy Attempts in Venezuela, Ecuador

Narco subs pose new challenge for US coast guards

BOLIVIA
Chavez Threatens To Intervene in Bolivia!

Bolivia's largest state votes on sweeping autonomy measure

Open letter to my Santa Cruz friends in Bolivia

BRAZIL
Amazon's future in delicate balance

CHILE
Hacker leaks 6m Chileans' records

COLOMBIA
New Colombia drug gangs wreak havoc

CUBA
The "Non-Judgmental" Michael Moore

Slave-labor tourism: Destinations: Varadero and Havana

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Two Cheers for Fernandez: The president heads for a third term

ECUADOR
Ecuador's Constitution: Going nowhere
Another leftist bogs down

Chavez and Correa Must Go: FARC Materials Authentic

MEXICO
Mexican Drug Cartels Making Audacious Pitch for Recruits

Democrats wrong on cutting Mexican anti-drug aid

Via Siggy, Believers flock to 'Narco Saint's' shrine

NICARAGUA
Nicaraguan Councils Stir Fear of Dictatorship

PERU
Peru Takes The Other Path

Poverty amid progress: A revolution in South America's fastest-growing economy is not reaching everyone

PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Presidential Primary roundup at American Taino

Obama Slaps the Puerto Ricans in the Face

VENEZUELA
A must-read: From FARC to Venezuela to...

Chavez sought Belarus help for Colombian rebels: report

Chavez Tried to Arm FARC with Help From Belarus
Chavez tried to get arms from Belarus for FARC
Chavez tried to arm FARC, El Pais reports

Via Maggie and Instapundit, Morning Bell: Why Are Liberals Actively Helping Terrorists?

Colby Cosh on Hugo Chavez and FARC: Meet the Western Hemisphere's first state sponsor of terrorism

A simple cure for Venezuela's inflation

ENTERTAINMENT
Time to dance to Imigrante latino by Hermanos Flores (Flores Brothers) from El Salvador:




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The Saint Patrick's Day Edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Welcome to the Saint Patrick's Day Edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. Starting the week in a festive mode, today's big story is the concert at the Venezuela-Colombia border.

Juanes, other stars stage concert for peace on Colombian-Venezuelan border

Tens of thousands of Colombians and Venezuelans flocked to a border bridge on Sunday for a free concert that Grammy-winning rocker Juanes organized to help heal the worst crisis in Andean relations in decades.

Held atop the Simon Bolivar bridge connecting the northeastern Colombian town of Cucuta with San Antonio in Venezuela, the show also featured Colombian singer Carlos Vives, Dominican Juan Luis Guerra and Spain's Miguel Bose and Alejandro Sanz on the playbill.

As you may recall, Alejandro Sanz had cancelled a concert in Venezuela due to pressure from Chavistas.

The BBC has more


If you would like your posts included in the Monday Carnivals, please email me the link: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

LATIN AMERICA
Rice Urges South America To Keep Terrorists Out

Bush and Uribe v. Chavez and Correa

A natural gas disaster

The FARC Files

U.S.: An unreliable ally
Center for Strategic and International Studies (pdf file) Tension in the Andes

Tension in the Andes

BOLIVIA
Bolivia court suspends constitution vote

BRAZIL
Portrait In Red: One of the world's most successful AIDS programmes faces new problems

CHILE
Chile: Palestinians look for a new future in South America

COLOMBIA
Bush to push vote on Colombian FTA?

Colombia Has Earned Its Trade Pact

Peace in our time, on the box, But it may well prove to be as phoney as the war

Obama and FARC

The pattern of pursuit

FARC looking for anti-aircraft missiles

Chiquita Sued By U.S. Families for Support of the FARC

COSTA RICA
Costa Rica finds FARC funds

CUBA
Babalu Blog has been on the story about the Defecting Cuban soccer players
7 Cuban soccer players abandon free health care

La amnesia del Vaticano by Maria Werlau of Cuba Archive

Cuba Lifts Ban on Computers, Other Electronics

Wall Street Journal reports Cuban link to FARC

Center for Security Policy's study (PDF file) Implications of the recent Change in Cuban Leadership

DOMINICA
Dominica: The Caribbean's Next 'Terror Island'?

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
La lección de diplomacia de Alvaro Uribe ante el 'pobre patán' de Rafael Correa

ECUADOR
Introducing U.S. Congressional Directives Resolving to Tell the Truth about Chavez's FARC Cartels

Guardian Angels of Evil

Correa calls on to establish new OAS without U.S. participation

JAMAICA
Crown and Anchor: The staying power of the British monarchy in its Caribbean ex-colonies

MEXICO
The Mexican milk problem

Opposition Party May Tone Down Radical Voice

Canuck Cook Caged in Guadalajara

Mexico police capture top Tijuana hitman

PERU
Peru meteorite may rewrite rules

PUERTO RICO
Fortuno Wins Puerto Rico Primary

TRINIDAD TOBAGO
Joseph: American paid $55m for police reform

VENEZUELA
Hugo's own Emperor's Club

Sad acts of anarchy surface in daily life in confrontational Venezuela

Le discours belliqueux du Lt. Col. Chavez permet de resserrer les rangs et de disqualifier les opposants, aussitôt accusés de trahison de la patrie

An important week for Hugo Chavez

The American Friends of Hugo Chavez

Pedro M. Burrelli:
What do we do now with Mr. Chavez?

Smuggling is thriving despite Chávez policies
One of President Hugo Chávez's key efforts to prevent smuggling and put food on the shelves in western Venezuela is failing.

The FARC's Guardian Angel

US considering adding Venezuela to states sponsoring terrorism list Venezuela & the terror supporters list: Pros and cons

Gobiernos auspiciadores de terrorismo

PODCAST
Raices de Esperanza interview

Special thanks to Maggie, Larry, Larwyn, Siggy, Armando and Eneas



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The "Move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me" Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

UPDATE, Tuesday March 4
FARC purchased uranium; Chavez gave the FARC $300 million as a Valentine's Day gift

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.

If you would like your posts included in the Monday Carnivals, please email me your links, faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

Today's big story: After the Colombian army did a brief raid into Ecuador and killed the FARC's #2 guy, Hugo's ordered troops, tanks and jets to stand by the border with Colombia, and Hugo's friend Correa of Ecuador has done likewise, probably after Hugo reminded him of their joint projects and asked for a show of indignation.

What will it come to? I try to answer that question this morning at Pajamas Media. More from Venezuela News and Views here.

LATIN AMERICA
What the world is hearing

Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis?

NAFTA Nonsense Insults Our Allies

U.S. Candidates & Latin America experts: a clue to policy

The Democrats and NAFTA bashing

ARGENTINA, BRAZIL
Proliferation of Nuclear Technology in Latin America Continues

CHILE
Chile stocks fall on US recession fears, earnings

COLOMBIA
Colombia's hostages

FARC releases four more hostages

Top FARC Dog Raul Reyes Killed By Colombian Forces

CBS/AP Fail to Call FARC Narco-terrorists Terrorists

CUBA
Video: Transition of Power in Cuba from Fidel to Raul Castro


The Same Old Cuba

Tyler Cowen on visualizing poverty

Young Blood

Via Instapundit, Can't say that of Cuba

A view of the Cuban economy

Cuba, North Korea and the Terrorism List

Cuba signs rights treaties at U.N. Socialist regime accuses U.S. of harming rights of Cubans

"We're all in this together"

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Fighting cocks culled

ECUADOR
TENSIONS RISING-- Documents Link Ecuador's President to FARC

Correa and Chavez Act to Support the criminal cartel FARC while Colombia Does the Right Thing

"Sovereign Trusts" Clone Russian Cartels and Replace Liberties in 3 Andean Nations

GUYANA
Investigations into Guyana massacres said to be progressing

HAITi
Commentary: Giving a jolt to the Haitian economy!

MEXICO
Mexico under siege

Mexico discovers due process

NICARAGUA
Daniel Ortega's approval rating

PANAMA
Making a dream of retirement in Panama a reality

PERU
Llamas and mash

PUERTO RICO
New York labor leader Dennis Rivera in shady Puerto Rico union deal

VENEZUELA
Propaganda, not policy: Hugo Chavez has not ended illiteracy

Squatting in Venezuela: worse than ever

Is Chavez admitting an alliance with FARC?

Venezuela Targets English Terms

A tax break for Hugo Chavez

China steps forward as Venezuela's key oil buyer

The Muzzle by Teodoro Petkoff

Behind the Chavista bomb attack and the invation to the Archbishop Palace

More on Fedecameras

Jungle Travel

Special thanks to Siggy, Maggie, Jose and Larwyn.

UPDATE, Tuesday March 4
Welcome Instapundit and Red State readers. If you have a chance, please listen to my podcasts on Venezuela and its politics.

If you're a blogger, would you like to join us for dinner and brunch at Spring BlogFest East on April 5 and 6?



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The second-Monday-in-January edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. This week's top stories are the two released FARC hostages, and the increasing anti-Semitism in Venezuela, but don't miss the Strategy Page article on submarines and the drug trade in Colombia.

If you would like your post(s) to be included in the Monday Carnivals, please email me by Sunday morning at faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com. As you can see, I don't have a limit on the number of countries or the subject of the posts, as long as the posts are informative and well written on the subject of Latin America.

SPANISH-LANGUAGE WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Martha Beatriz Roque Info

PODCAST
Val Prieto, Siggy and I had the pleasure of talking with Carlos Eire last Wednesday night.

LATIN AMERICA
The LatinAmericanist has an excellent daily roundup of headlines from Latin American countries.

ARGENTINA/VENEZUELA
Suitcase of Cash Tangles U.S. and 2 Latin Nations in Intrigue

The Venezuela business model

ARUBA
Natalee Holloway: Mother of Former Suspect, Joran van der Sloot, Wants Investigation of Investigation


ARGENTINA
Italian Immigration to Argentina

Penguins and many other birds spill survive oil spill

BARBADOS
"Authentic"? Yes

Election fever peaks in Barbados

BOLIVIA
Bolivia: Energy profile

BRAZIL
Underwater oil discovery to transform Brazil into a major exporter

The granny from Ipanema So many more women on the beach than men

CHILE
The centre cannot hold Bachelet picks a new strongman

CUBA
AP Obit Paints Traitorous Ex-CIA Agent, Castro Apologist As Travel Agent

A traitor’s death

Death of a Traitor

Traitor dies, victim of Cuban healthcare system

Codepink's "big" protest

Cuba's Transition Begins

COLOMBIA
Drug Sub War Intensifies

The subs, made of fiberglass, are constructed by the drug gangs, using technicians and materials brought in for the purpose. This costs several hundred thousand dollars per boat. Which is not so bad when you consider that each voyage moves a cargo worth $100 million or more. The craft are from 50-80 feet in length, have a crew of three or four, and carry 3-10 tons of cocaine up the coast to Central America, or farther north.

These are not submarines in the true sense of the word, but "semi-submersibles". The fiberglass boats, powered by a diesel engine, have a small "conning tower" above the water, providing the crew, and engine, with fresh air, and permitting the crew to navigate the boat. A boat of this type is the only practical kind of "submarine" for drug smuggling. A real submarine would be much more difficult to build, although you can buy commercial subs for a million dollars or so. These, however, can carry only a few hundred pounds of cargo, and not for long distances.

The main problem with real subs is that they are not much more effective than the "semi-submersibles" that are coming out of Colombia (and even Europe). Submarines can only travel underwater, on battery power, for a short time. Otherwise, they are on the surface, or in a "semi-submersible" state, running on diesel power.

So the drug gangs had the right idea, but their "sub" was not stealthy enough to avoid detection all the time. However, it appears that these "semi-submersibles" do work, because the drug gangs keep using them. Most of them are apparently getting through. Delivery by sea is now the favored method for cocaine smugglers, because the United States has deployed military grade aircraft detection systems, and caught too many of the airborne drug shipments. The smugglers did their math, and realized that improvised "submarines" were a more cost-effective way to go.

Colombia's Uribe unmasks the FARC

Le "geste" des FARC confirme les relations étroites entre Hugo Chavez et les rebelles, qui disposent de centaines de camps de repli au Venezuela

L'ancien FARC déteste qu'on le mette dans le même sac que les "paramilitaires démobilisés"

Gloria Inmarcesible?
Bungle in the Jungle
FARC's 'Gift' To Hugo Chavez
Hugo and the FARC kiss and make up; Hugo sends helicopters
Freed Colombian hostage reveals ordeal

COSTA RICA
The Iguana Tease

CUBA
AP Obit Paints Traitorous Ex-CIA Agent, Castro Apologist As Travel Agent

A traitor’s death

Traitor dies, victim of Cuban healthcare system

En Cuba no hay judios, pero hay homosexuales

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
purification installation at Cure Hospital in Santo Domingo

ECUADOR
Headlines: "IT'S THE LIES & FAKERY, STUPID"

Evidence of Correa's corruption

MEXICO
Mexico's Drug Related Abductions Now Showing Up In Phoenix Area

From last month: 12-6-7
Merida Initiative NOT Plan Mexico

Of Mayas and Markets

NICARAGUA
The Heritage Foundation, on Daniel Ortega

Nicaragua's President Ortega: The Balancing Act After One Year

PANAMA
John McCain: Natural Born Citizen?

PARAGUAY
Rare birds at San Rafael National Park in Paraguay

PERU
Suffer the children Malnutrition amid growing plenty

PUERTO RICO
SCOTUS BLOG Analysis: Police, state sovereignty and the Constitution

Travel 2008: 33 hours from San Juan to Chicago

TRINIDAD TOBAGO
Trinidad's music pirates of the Caribbean

VENEZUELA
Hugo Chavez Knows Nothing About Economics, Part 2,843,971

A cynical Hugo Chavez tries to defend the undefendible
Chavez: the Colombian FARC is not a terrorist group
Better Yet, Call Them Activists

The "Hero"

Anti-Semitism in Venezuela

"Government Sponsored" Antisemitism Grows Under Chavez
VENEZUELA: JEW HATRED CHAVEZ STYLE

Venezuelan Jews Fear Growing Government Sponsored Anti-Semitism

VENEZUELA: US Neo-Cons Accuse Chavez of Anti-Semitism

Venezuela Is Facing A Mountain Of Problems And Crises . . .

A Chavez, Joe Kennedy and Oil Math

Why did Venezuela surrender to Chavez?

VIDEO
Whale watching in Los Cabos, Mexico


HUMOR
Not related to Latin America, but sent in for the Carnival Hillary Clinton denies steroid use. Please note that from now on I'll only post Latin America-related posts in the Carnival.
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For more Carnival fun, visit SheBlogs Carnival hosted by Sex and the South.



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The New Year's Eve Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Welcome to the New Year's Eve Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your post to be included in next week's Carnival, please email me: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

This week's big story-in-the-works is the purported release of three Colombian hostages, which has been delayed:

An operation by Venezuelan helicopters to collect three hostages due to be released in Colombia by the Farc rebel group has been delayed for a third day.
Venezuelan officials said the group had not provided the co-ordinates for the handover and that there was not enough time to complete the mission on Sunday.

The rebels have promised to release the hostages as a humanitarian gesture to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Mr Chavez said on Saturday that he hoped they would be released by Monday.

Or whenever.

To a cynic like myself, it appears that Hugo's not willing to share the limelight with anyone so don't expect the hostages release to take place until the Bhutto story (and much else, for that matter) is not in the headlines. I hope I'm wrong, but my cynicism is greatly boosted by the fact that Oliver Stone's at the location to film the release. For now, the FARCical mission has been put on hold.

For more on the hostages, please read the links under Colombia and Venezuela.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: HACER's YouTube channel

LATIN AMERICA
Liberty Theology

Latin American economy improving but lagging

An Andean media circus

US ties to Latin America: Cool or cordial?

ARGENTINA
Argentina's mirage

And one more for the road

BOLIVIA
Bolivian Breakup?

Bolivia Amends New Constitution and Faces Mutiny from Within

¿Hacia donde va Bolivia? - Maletagate I (cont.) y Maletagate II (dual language post)

Bolivia's Morales faces divided nation

VIDEO: Class struggle in Bolivia

CHILE
Violent Games Get Chilly Reception in Chilean Parliament

COLOMBIA
Chavez Is FARC'ed Over... Hostage Release Party Pushed Back Again

Failed rocket attack adds tension to Chavez's hostage recovery mission in Colombia

Chavez's Bid to Free Colombia Hostages Faces Deadline
At the IBD blog

The drug-financed FARC terrorists of the Colombian jungle, after offering up three hostages as a 'Christmas present' to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, have thus far stood him up, along with some 15 international observers from that many countries, an ex-presidente of Argentina among them and film director Oliver Stone. It's like rain is coming down on their media circus and they're starting to look less like clowns than fools.

Spare a thought for them as they cool their heels in the hot fetid Colombian swamp jungle near Villavicencio with nothing to do but talk to each other. The Brazilian among them is starting to complain about missing his New Year's holiday, and they probably all are, wondering how the heck they got in that no-man's land, waiting for a bunch of jungle terrorists who are now snickering up their sleeves at the suckers for fooling them again.

It doesn't get more ridiculous than this. FARC, for the second time in about a month, has lied to Hugo Chavez and Hugo will go right on believing in them, worshipping them, trying to get their autograph, until they suckerpunch him again. After all, they know that Chavez's keister is in the wringer and he's just coddling them to try to win back his tattered international reputation. FARC doesn't care about international reputations, FARC kidnaps innocents, blows up villages, lays land mines, employs child soldiers and controls the cocaine trade for a living. It gave up international reputations a long long time ago. But Chavez still wants his and FARC is pulling the rug out from under him. Chavez must feel like mierda right now. Snort!

Colombian government sets deadline for hostage release by rebels

Chavez's $500million hostage deal in the works. Venezuelan helicopters to pick up Colombian hostages: the three-ring circus rolls right along

Una ingenuidad criminal.

CUBA
The Cuba Archive has launched a Database of Documented Deaths believed to have resulted from the Cuban Revolution. This is an invaluable resource.

At Man's Expense

Viva Cuba: Propaganda for children

Castro is losing his last fight

Fidel's running? Yeah, right, whatever...
Raul Castro Seeks Support for Fidel Bid
Castro 'well enough for election'

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Getting Down and Dirty in the Bushes

ECUADOR
A Quechua Christmas Carol

Ecuadorean Tax Plan Deceptively Couches Cuban Style Income Redistribution. For more Ecuador blogging, go to ECrisis and scroll down.

HAITI
A drug route grows through Haiti

NICARAGUA
Nica expats voice their opinion. A colombo-americana's perspective has plenty more on Nicaragua and Latin America, and it's a must-read blog.

In Spanish: Presidente de Nicaragua llama "hermano" al Jefe de las FARC


PUERTO RICO
What a terrible loss to the world is Bhutto's killing

VENEZUELA
Mammoth post at Caracas Chronicles' 2007 Year in review

Chavez: Romancing the Stone

The Chavez hostage road show

The FARC Farce: Starring Hugo Chavez, Directed by Oliver Stone

Hollywood's new favorite dictator

Chavez vows to put "revolution" back on track

Of Puppets, Puppeteers, Hostages and Politicians

Chavez Faces Challenge From Former Comrade

Venezuela's Political Disaster - December 28, 2007

Chavez, Oliver Stone Launch Hostage Rescue

HUMOR
Via Larwyn, not quite suitable for work, but funny, Spicoli Divorcing, Announces Engagement to Chavez.

Special thanks to Siggy, Maggie, Eneas, Kate, Monica, and Obi's Sister for their support in 2007.

For more Carnival fun, don't miss SheBlogs #10 hosted by Sex and the South.

Wishing all of you a joyful 2008 filled with blessings, Happy New Year!



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The Bolivian secession edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

UPDATE
Not secession - federalism, instead.
See below (*)


The big news this week in Latin America: The four richest Bolivian regions declared autonomy from the Morales government, on the same day as Evo Morales formally received a new draft Constitution.

(*) Clarifying: It's not secession; it's federalism
I just received an email from Alek Boyd of VCrisis

First off governors of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija have been democratically elected, as Morales. Ergo that rules out accusations about lacking democratic credentials the official propaganda machine is leveling against them.

Second, they are not seeking independence. Contrary to what the MSM is publishing the autonomic statute in first article states:

"Santa Cruz se convierte en Departamento Autónomo, como expresión de la identidad histórica, la vocación democrática y autonómica del pueblo cruceño, y en ejercicio de su derecho a la autonomía departamental, reforzando la unidad de la República de Bolivia, y los lazos de hermandad entre todos los bolivianos".

That is to say they are not proposing secession, what they are proposing is self rule in economic, education, tax and resource management issues.

Some of you may think that such a thing amounts to independence from Bolivia, however the prefectos have been very clear in that respect, their proposal is similar to the current system of autonomic regions in Spain.

Third, the issue of autonomic rule was presented to popular vote through referendum. In 4 out of the 9 departments (Santa cruz, Beni Pando and Tarija) the SI option, that is the one supporting autonomy, won. Ergo, said proposal is as democratic as Morales'-driven national constituent assembly from a strictly legal point of view, for if what Morales needed to rewrite the constitution was the approval of "the people" said approval was granted by "the people" to provincial statutes of self rule in those regions.

Fourth, Morales' constituent proposal has violated procedures, the most striking evidence of it is a) the seat of constituent assembly discussions to get the new charter approved was moved from Sucre to Oruro, so that Morales supporters could get it passed by simple majority [2/3 of votes were never reached], and b) the text approved in Oruro contained originally 408 articles as opposed to the one presented to Morales last Saturday which contains 411 articles. A drafting committee in charge of modifications has introduced 3 new articles which have not been approved
by the constituent assembly, therefore illegal.

Related links in Spanish: Gobierno Departamental de Santa Cruz, and Con los estatutos, prefectos controlan tierras y tributos. From reading this information it's clear that what the prefectos are after is a federal system like the USA's.

Special thanks to Alek for clarifying this question. My apologies for my mistake.

Previous post:
Links listed from most recent to older:

Bolivia set on collision course over autonomy

All the legislation - as well as a separate and especially contentious constitutional provision limiting the size of landholdings - has to be submitted to referendums that are expected to take place early next year.

"I am convinced that we will not retreat a millimetre nor move one step to the side," Ruben Costas, the governor of Santa Cruz, told tens of thousands of jubilant supporters waving the department's green and white flags. Mr Costas warned the central government not to send in troops or police. "This is a warning. Do not dare to invade us or militarise us."

Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando departments, which all announced autonomy on Saturday, form a half-moon shape around the solidly pro-government capital and heavily indigenous departments of La Paz, Potosi and Oruro. Two other departments - Cochabamba and Chuquisaca - are unhappy with the new constitution, railroaded through by an emergency session of a constituent assembly eight days ago by pro-government supporters. "The country has taken two different directions," said an editorial in El Deber, a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz.

The deputies at the Constituent Assembly approved one version but Evo received a different one; VCrisis has the captures. The first version states that the power comes from the people while the second version stresses the preselection of candidates. Gateway Pundit has more.

At play? Natural gas, which Gazprom is eyeing, along with Brazil and Chile.

Ed Morrissey correctly points out

If these districts can secure themselves against the central government, this could get very, very ugly. Natural gas is their chief export and their resource for hard currency. If the breakaway districts can keep it for themselves and safely export it (mainly to Brazil), they can build a significant war chest while leaving Morales to feed the rest of Bolivia's poor in the west. That will prompt Morales to march on the east, perhaps assisted by Chavez in Venezuela, and a civil war will almost certainly erupt -- and sooner rather than later.

Publius Pundit, Blue Crab Boulevard are blogging on the story, while Marginal Revolution asks, What does Bolivia have to do to make the front page?

Bolivians Now Hear Ominous Tones in the Calls to Arms

Bolivia tense amid autonomy push

Cardinal Terrazas calls for peace in overcoming crisis in Bolivia

Bolivia Leader Is Mobilizing Armed Forces
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SPANISH-LANGUAGE WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Two this week:
Penultimos dias, and Red Liberal Hispanoamerica

LATIN AMERICA and CARIBBEAN
The Bank of the South:
Bolivarian finance: The IMF can sleep easy

Caribbean nations, EU reach agreement on access to markets. The Caribbean countries are Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.

Caribbean Net News is an excellent resource on the islands. Don't miss also HACER's weekly roundup

ARGENTINA
Marital bliss: A different Kirchner is in charge, but many of the policies remain the same

Irish Tourist Ronan Lawlor Missing in Argentina or Chile

ARUBA
OpenSEA adds members, promises smooth saling for 802.1x NAC

BRAZIL
Is Brazil changing its focus from income redistribution to income creation?

Energy: Brazil's not peaking

CAYMAN ISLANDS
Lesson 4: Not Every Disaster is a Disaster

CHILE
Insulza's Divided Attention

COLOMBIA
Pouty Hugo: "I Will Not Speak to Uribe For As Long As I Live"

FARC FAILS to Kidnap President Uribe's Two Sons

Uribe's anticorruption chief resigns

CUBA
Cuban diplomat seeking asylum in Spain

A Cuban diplomat who allegedly aided a dissident doctor in Mozambique has skipped a flight out of Paris to seek political asylum in Spain, Spanish daily El Mundo reported Sunday.

Lorenzo Menendez said he faces prison for helping the dissident but believes socialist Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will bow to pressure from Havana to deport him.

Zapatero is a weak leader, indeed.

BEATDOWN IN HAVANA!!... Castro Thugs Bash Democracy Protesters

video: Now you see the light

Huckabee does a flip-flop on Cuba

Huckabee Unaware of Issues Between U.S. and Cuba

Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty continue their campaign.

DOMINICA
One laptop per child project initiated in Dominica

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Pirate Captain William Kidd’s Ship, the Quedah Merchant, Possibly Found in the Caribbean

ECUADOR
Correa celebrates the Chavez coronation in Argentina: A faustian pact called bolivarianism

GUATEMALA
A post on Guatemala's new and more restrictive adoption law And Even More...

GUYANA
Relations between Venezuela and Guyana remain strained due to the continued incursions of Chavez's military into the other country, the latest of which was

Last November 15, a contingent of 36 armed Venezuelan military personnel, led by a general, forced the crew off of Guyanese-owned dredges and bombed the pontoons.

That was followed by unauthorised overflights by Venezuelan helicopters in Guyana’s airspace.

Guyana-Venezuela joint group to be set-up to prevent incursions

MEXICO
The Fantastico Mr. Fox

Lessons for Mexico in Brazil's Boom: In the energy sector, open markets work.

The Dark Side of Microlending

NICARAGUA
Iran making push into Nicaragua

Iran and Nicaragua: A new relationship?

Iran's foothold in Monkey Point, Nicaragua

Danielito gone wild

PERU
Peru Is In, Now Where's Colombia?

Peru: Barrick Gold Corp. Helicopter Crashes because of Engine Failure

Converted Buses to be Taken Off Peru's Highways

PUERTO RICO
Rush's Snakes & Arrows world tour to be extended

VENEZUELA
Venezuela, and Oil and podcast

Organized crime in Venezuela administration

Venezuelan Chavista agents arrested in the US for voting plot

Miami Maletagate indictments: Just the tip of the iceberg?

Chavez lives down to his reputation

LAC roundup

Patria, Vuitton o Muerte! Gastaremos!

Chavez vs. The Venezuelan Electorate

HUMOR
Funnimetric's Post details: Fausta's Carnival of Latin America

Chucha Libre (Spanish)

Mundial de patos (Spanish)
----------------------------------------------------

BLOGGING ABOUT THE CARNIVAL:
A colombo-americana's perspective
A Second Hand Conjecture
Babalu
Billy Jones
Sex and the South
Wizbang

====================================================
More Carnival fun at SheBlogs Carnival, brought to you by Sex and the South



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The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean "Por Que No Te Callas" Edition

UPDATE
scroll down

As usual, Chavez manages to suck off all the air when it comes to Latin American news.

The "Por que no te callas?" fallout continues. While the story went mostly ignored here in the USA, it was the story of the week in Latin America and parts of the USA: there's even a ringtone:
The king's on the phone, and he says: 'shut up!'

To give an idea of how much attention the king's five-word outburst has received, consider the numbers on YouTube.com. Three YouTube postings with the exchange have been viewed almost 800,000 times.
By comparison, the first part of the YouTube/CNN Democratic debate received about 73,000 hits, according to YouTube.

Happy to oblige, here's the You Tube explaining the event:


But I prefer the Juan Carlos as Leonidas:


Via GM Roper, the cartoon

Spanish Smack-Down

Distraction tactics in Venezuela

The Latin American Terminator

The bully is blustering

Por que no te callas

The Hilarity: 'Tis Overwhelming

Plenty of You Tube to go around.

First it was King Juan Carlos; Now it's King Abdullah's turn. Is this the beginning of a trend? More Governments seem ready to join the King of Spain in telling Chavez to shut up.

Spanish-language link of the week:
Via Kate, El comandante y el Rey: La salida de Juan Carlos I, tras las interrupciones e insultos de Hugo Chavez, tuvo la virtud de rasgar el velo de hipocresía que rodea las Cumbres Iberoamericanas

Also don't forget to visit The Wall Street Journal in Spanish.

In other Venezuelan news,
The referendum on the Constitution is scheduled for December 3. Here's what Chavez wants to do and what will really happen

Evil incarnate

Chavez's radical push spurs military dissent

Chavez's proposal to change the name of the National Guard to that of Territorial Guard, and reassign its members to other security forces, triggered a wave of discontent in mid-August. Corporals in the 40,000-strong Guard complained that the change amounted to the Guard being eliminated -- and Chávez was forced to backtrack.

Will Chavez pull the trigger?
Venezuelans may give their president the power to restrict oil production -- and cause a global recession.

Hugo Chavez: Students forced masked soldiers to shoot them.

Students Emerge as a Leading Force Against Chavez

Food rationing in Venezuela

Hugo Chavez Certifiably Insane

More Trouble for Chavez

The Perils of Petrocracy

Venezuela scrambles for food despite oil boom

Via Siggy, who calls it "journalistic fraud and deceit re: South America", If Hugo Chavez is a dictator, then so are Brown and Sarkozy

Sean Penn: Hugo Chavez Is 'Much More Positive' for Venezuela Than Negative

Dumb and Dumber

Among the inbound luggage there might be the odd flying carpet bought by the more outlandish visitor to Tehran's Grand Bazaar. But Venezuela's main international airport is buzzing with rumors that the "ghost plane" comes and goes laden with artifacts that would make a TSA official throw a fit: automatic weapons, electronic gadgets, and suspect lead crates.

---------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:
Jackson Diehl of the Washington Post is exactly right (emphasis added):

For the past week, the press of the Spanish-speaking world has been abuzz about a verbal slapdown of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez by King Juan Carlos of Spain. Incensed by Chavez's ceaseless insults and interruptions during an Ibero-American summit meeting in Chile, the normally temperate Juan Carlos turned to Latin America's self-styled "Bolivarian" revolutionary and blurted: "Why don't you shut up?"

The story might have lasted a day, while everyone chuckled over something that, as one Spanish newspaper put it, "should have been said a long time ago." That it has lasted a week is the work of Chavez. He called a news conference last Monday in which he recounted the history of Spanish colonialism and compared himself to a persecuted Jesus Christ. He held another news conference Wednesday to announce that he was reviewing all ties between Venezuela and Spain. He demanded a royal apology. He even coined his own phrase: "Mr. King, I will not shut up."

Crude and clownish, si, but also disturbingly effective. Borrowing the tried-and-true tactics of his mentor Fidel Castro, Chavez has found another way to energize his political base: by portraying himself as at war with foreign colonialists and imperialists. Even better, he has distracted the attention of the international press -- or at least the fraction of it that bothers to cover Venezuela -- from the real story in his country at a critical moment.

In 13 days, abetted by intimidation and overt violence that has included the gunning down of student protesters, Chavez will become the presumptive president-for-life of a new autocracy, created by a massive revision of his own constitution. Venezuela will join Cuba as one of two formally "socialist" nations in the Western hemisphere. This "revolution" will be ratified by a Dec. 2 referendum that Chavez fully expects to win despite multiple polls showing that only about a third of Venezuelans support it. Many people will abstain from voting rather than risk the retaliation of a regime that has systematically persecuted those who turned out against Chavez in the past.
...
If you're thinking you haven't heard much about this transformation in a major oil-producing country two hours by air from Miami, you're right. U.S. media and human rights groups have basically ignored Chavez's latest power grab. Human Rights Watch, which has been conducting a campaign about what it says is the "human rights crisis" in neighboring, democratic Colombia in close cooperation with congressional Democrats, has issued no statement on the Venezuelan violence -- including the shooting of the students by government-backed paramilitaries on Nov. 7 -- and objected to only one of the 69 new constitutional articles.

The Bush administration seems to have abandoned any effort to influence events in Caracas, hamstrung by Chavez's use of "the empire" as a foil. Worst of all, Latin America's own democratic leaders, who rallied in the 1990s against a less-ambitious attempt by right-wing Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori to install an autocracy, have largely been silent. Unlike Chavez, Fujimori didn't have petrodollars with which to subsidize his neighbors' fuel or buy their debt bonds; Chavez has spent billions on both. The summit of Spanish-speaking countries would have been entirely harmonious had not Chavez himself deliberately provoked Juan Carlos. The king missed his cue; rather than addressing Chavez, he should have asked the assembled heads of state: "Why don't you speak up?"

Bravo!
---------------------------------------------------
ELSWHERE IN LATIN AMERICA:
Posts on SOUTH AMERICA in general
Brrrr... South America Has Coldest Winter in 90 Years

The Latinobarometro Poll: A warning for reformers. Latin Americans expect more from the state and less from the market

ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, PARAGUAY (Tri-border area)
In Paraguay, Piracy Bleeds U.S. Profits, Aids Terrorists

BOLIVIA
Hugo's having trouble exporting his Bolivarian Revolution,
Revolution postponed: A popular president deadlocked by a determined opposition

U.S. to Bolivians: Stop attacking ambassador

CHILE
After the Caudillo

7.7 Quake Shakes Northern Chile

COLOMBIA
Colombia's Uribe Seen as Solidifying Power
Opponents Say Widely Popular President Is Toughening Stance Against Critics

CUBA
Cuban farmers reject Venezuela-Cuba confederation

Reality in Cuba: "El Concierto", "The Concert"

A roundup of Anti-Fidel "International" Blogs

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:
Dominican Government Calls for Censorship of HRF Film on Human Trafficking

HONDURAS:
The latest phone company wiretapping scandal.

Ancient Americans had chocolate alcohol

ECUADOR:
CHAVEZ AND IRAN BUY PAL CORREA: CORREA EASILY BOUGHT TO STAND UNITED FOR NUCLEAR ANDES

MEXICO
The U.S. and Mexico: Taking the "Merida Initiative" Against Narco-Terror

GUERRILLAS IN THE MIST:
In a Modernizing Mexico, Blasts Reveal Shadowy Side

You must be a legal resident to get a driver's license in Mexico

NICARAGUA
A Colombo-americana’s perspective has a huge roundup links on the subject of Venezuela's influence in Nicaragua

PANAMA
Kucinich Protests Army Training School

PERU
The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa

4,000-Year-Old Temple, Mural Found in Peru

Education and Peru: The Work of Tapurisunchis

PUERTO RICO
Adios: Pharma Retreats From Puerto Rico

Pet massacres carried out in Puerto Rico

URUGUAY
Another day, another country: Uruguay

Special thanks to Eneas Biglione of HACER

Would you like to send a link to next week's Carnival on Monday November 19? Email me your links to: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

BLOGGING about the Carnival:
A Colombo-Americana's Perspective
Cubanology
Gateway Pundit
Obi's Sister



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