The Brazilian diplomacy Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

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

This week's big story: Brazil continues its ascendance as a diplomatic powerhouse for the hemisphere. Last week thirty-three countries met in Brazil for the first Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development. Today president Lula hosts French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who's visting the country to bring about bilateral cooperation in several areas, including the production of defense submarines. I'll be discussing Sarko's visit in today's podcast at 11AM Eastern, which you can listen to here.

LATIN AMERICA
Via Pat, Latin America’s Deafening Silence by Jorge Castañeda.

Interesting post (in Spanish) on the UnoAmérica pro-democracy NGO meeting in Bogota; their website here.

Only in Argentina

ARGENTINA
Nestor Kirchner is unwell

Argentina and the drug trade

Confuso triple juego hispano-ruso-argentino

ATFA Condemns Ecuador's Debt Default Decision Defaulting on Foreign Debt

Austroraptor cabazai: They Just Don't Make Big Scary Dinosaurs Like They Once Did

Argentina Seizes Assets of Iranian Terrorist-Diplomat

BELIZE
Commentary: One Belizean's perspective on agreement between Belize and Guatemala

BRAZIL
Slide show: Brazilians in Ireland

Comments on Bloomberg News' Brazil Defence Story

Brazil Fails to Earmark Budget Money for Sovereign Wealth Fund

CHILE
FruityRumPunch update

COLOMBIA
Pass FTA and amend Plan Colombia

Combined with a revamped Plan Colombia, the FTA can then promote both human rights and the overall quality of life in Colombia. One of the loudest proponents for the FTA is Asocolflores, Colombia's flower exporters association. Dependent on the U.S. market, its companies employ 200,000 Colombians. This and other export industries create jobs and opportunities that provide poor Colombians alternatives to growing coca, the plant used to make cocaine.

Real change will not come from bulletproof armor, helicopters, and tanks, but will depend on Colombia's institutional capabilities and the economic opportunities it can offer its citizens. The United States should focus Plan Colombia on improving justice and human rights, and pass the FTA to improve economic opportunities for both countries' citizens. President-elect Obama's campaign promised change; our regional partners could use some, too.

COSTA RICA
New World Post-pandemic Reforestation Helped Start Little Ice Age, Say Scientists

CUBA
Russian warships bound for Cuba in new show of strength

Blogger and Castro kin clash on the Web

EL SALVADOR
Will El Salvador Veer Left?

MEXICO
Iraq is safer than Mexico

Mexico - US – Italy cocaine connection

NICARAGUA
Now Nicaragua can't just blame the Empire

PANAMA
The Dry Season Has Arrived

PARAGUAY
¿Quiere Lugo imitar a Salvador Allende? - ABC Color

PUERTO RICO
Pharma-Bio acquires assets and operations in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico governor elect heads to New York to meet with credit agencies

TOBAGO
Now that the price of fuel is down, airline carriers are returning to the region: Non-stop Delta service returns to Tobago

VENEZUELA
OPEC cuts production, Venezuela lies, oil drops yet again

The Chavez permanent show: 170 hours of cadena

HRW v Hugo Chavez et sycophants

Yet another Russia-Venezuela joint venture: Government to install gold refinery at Las Cristinas – Venezuela

Chavez After the Oil Boom

Chavez Latin America Allies Escalate Rhetoric on Debt

Venezuela's foreign policy loses its gas

AMERICAN POLITICS
Fixing Border Security

ENTERTAINMENT
Che Guevara was a murderer and your t-shirt is not cool

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

This week’s posts and podcasts
Iran using Venezuela ties to duck UN sanctions
Latin America: Summits and Crisis, at Real Clear World blog
Report: Drug cartels move beyond borders
From the Mexican war zone: Kidnapping Negotiator Is Now a Victim in Mexico
Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development excludes Bush, as China, Russia loom







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Nicolas Sarkozy assassination scare: Mystery over suicide policeman

After meeting with Palestinian and Israeli leaders in his trip to Israel, a soldier shot himself dead during Sarkozy's airport departure ceremony on Tuesday.

UK Telegraph headline: Nicolas Sarkozy assassination scare: Mystery over suicide policeman

Here's a video report:


Another video, at the BBC.

Here's the Times on Line video clip

The policeman's family refutes claims that he killed himself

Police said that Mr Ghanan, 32, was from the northern Israeli town of Beit Dajan and was a member of the Druze community, a minority group whose religion includes an eclectic mix of beliefs rooted initially in Islam.

Naif Ghanan, Raed’s brother, said that police who informed the family of the death told them that the circumstances of the incident were still being investigated. "It is unthinkable that my brother took his own life. We believe this was an accident ' or even an incident in which my brother was accidentally shot by one of the security officials in the area," he said.

The family said that it had hired a lawyer to ensure there was a "complete and detailed" investigation and to gain access to security video footage from the airport.

I'll be following this story.



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Carla's week

Via Maria,
Ma semaine: Carla Bruni Sarkozy

"Nicolas!" I scold, peering out the window. "Maintenant! Put away ton Game Boy! For there is Prince Charles. Best behaviour!" "Sacré bleu!" roars Nicolas. "Quelle is this insult? He is avec un des Rolling Stones, qui est wearing a dress! J'espère que it n'est pas one que tu as shagged!" "C'est Camilla, Duchess de Cornouaille," I point out. "Ah," says Nicholas.

Read it all.

Today's Sarko news watch: a wedding, a photo, a trip

It didn't take long, but Cecilia remarries after Nicolas Sarkozy divorce. She married the guy she was with in 2005:

Mr Attias, 48, was the Moroccan-born Jewish lover Miss Ciganer-Albeniz, 50, left her ex-husband for in 2005, only to return to Mr Sarkozy's side in the run-up to the French presidential elections last year.

I probably ran into her at the time. One day I was in New York walking down Fifth Avenue by one of the hotels. There were a couple of guys with cameras across the street, and on the same sidewalk. Suddenly they all picked up their cameras and started taking pictures of a woman wearing jeans and a white shirt who had just come out of the hotel with a man by her side. The following Thursday, I saw the photograph of the woman on the cover of the latest Parish Match. But I digress.

Cecilia's wedding was held at the Rainbow Room on the Rockerfeller Centre's 65th floor and featured singers from the Harlem Gospel Choir, and was preceeded by a three-day celebration involving dinners and a trip to see the Broadway musical Mamma Mia. Somebody must like Abba, but the musical has a wedding theme.

Christies is auctioning nude photos of Sarko's current wife, Carla Bruni. I'm not sure why these photos come as any surprise to anyone.

In more serious news, Sarko raises prospect of snubbing [the Olympic] opening ceremony over crackdown in Tibet; additionally,

An official from France's state television company said the broadcaster would likely boycott the Games if coverage was censored.

Today Sarko ls for 'Franco-British brotherhood' as state visit begins

In an interview, Mr Sarkozy said that it was time to reinvent the cross-Channel relationship from the strategic co-operation enshrined in the entente cordiale to become one of genuine closeness and "hand-in-glove" warmth.
...

Launching a charm offensive designed to realign French foreign policy, Mr Sarkozy told the BBC via a translator: "Whoever the British leader may be he will need others, other Europeans.

"And how can we do without your strong economy, your language which is the most spoken language throughout the world — do without your defence, which is the most significant in Europe? I want a new Franco-British brotherhood."

Times on Line has a feature on the trip, Sarkozy state visit: follow it live here

Sarko renewed France's commitment to NATO in Afghanistan,

He emphasised France's commitment to the Nato-led alliance in Afghanistan, saying that his country had no intention of pulling out troops and may even be prepared to send in more.


"In Afghanistan what's at stake, it's part of our battle against world terrorism," he said. "Do we need a new strategy in Afghanistan? Perhaps. Placing more trust in the Afghans themselves? The answer is yes.

"Is the only response in Afghanistan a military one? Obviously not. Does France intend to pull out? Obviously not.

"We have to see how long we are prepared to stay...If all the terms and conditions are met, why not send in more troops?"

The Sarkos will be in the UK for thirty-six hours.

Unrelated, but of interest, Maria sent A Guide to the French.



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Sarko points to Iran as security risk; pledges to reduce French nuclear warheads

France's Sarkozy Reaffirms Nuclear Deterrence, Warns Iran

President Nicolas Sarkozy affirmed France's commitment to a strategy of nuclear deterrence, saying that countries in the Middle East and Asia are developing missiles that pose a threat to Europe.

"Everyone must be aware today that powerful nuclear missiles can reach Europe in less than half an hour," Sarkozy said in the Channel port of Cherbourg on a visit to France's latest and fourth nuclear-powered submarine, Le Terrible.

"I am thinking in particular of Iran," Sarkozy said in a speech to military personnel. "Iran is increasing the range of its missiles, while serious suspicions surround its nuclear program. It is Europe's security that is the issue."

Possibly to counter the Iranian threat, Sarkozy has been paying a lot of attention to the Middle East and Arab countries:

He's currently pushing his "Club Med" idea, i.e., the Union for the Mediterranean. So far it's not flying,

Analysts blame the disappointing results of the process so far partly on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also on Mediterranean governments' poor record in using the EU funds on offer.

But his nuclear power deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco are going ahead. As I said last January upon reading the question, "Why should Arab countries be deprived of the energy of the future?"

Why indeed, when they have the mullahs breathing down their necks? Especially if companies that develop and build the nuclear power plants are owned primarily by the French government?

Sarko has already made himself clear when it comes to the Iranian bomb: "No nuclear weapon for Iran, an arsenal of sanctions to convince them, negotiations, discussions, firmness."

Today, however, Sarkozy has pledged to reduce France's number of airborne nuclear weapons by one third:

Mr Sarkozy said the reduction to fewer than 300 missiles would leave France with "half the maximum number of warheads we had during the Cold War".

But he also insisted he was committed to France's nuclear deterrent, saying it was its "life-insurance policy".

He made the comments in a major defence policy speech after inaugurating a new nuclear-armed submarine, the Terrible.

Let's hope the Terrible works better than its name implies, but let's ask one question: Is it a good idea to reduce the nuclear arsenal while trying to prevent the Iranians from starting one?

UDPATE:
Via commenter Pat Patterson,

I forgot to point out that the missiles that Pres. Sarkozy is deactivating are all older models with single warheads. All the rest and the newer models are MIRV with 6 nuclear devices each, 1800 in all. I feel the aura of peace already.

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In other Sarko news, he's dropped the text-message lawsuit; the bling-bling's not going over well.



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Sarko outs Correa as a liar

Yesterday Robert Neiman of the Huffington Post was playing the world's smallest violin over Rafael Correa's statement,

Ecuador says it was in talks with rebels to release 12 hostages, including Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans, that the talks were in an advanced stage, and that the process was thwarted by the Colombian raid.

Of course Correa's going to bring up Ingrid Betancourt: she's the FARC's most valuable hostage. As a Colombian-French citizen, France has constantly pursued negotiations towards her release.

Unfortunately for Correa, Nicolas Sarkozy has shown Correa as a liar: France did not contact late FARC leader "recently"

The number two man of the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), who was killed last Saturday in an attack the Colombian Army launched on Ecuadorian territory, did not contact "recently" French officials to address the release of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, Wednesday said French government's spokesperson Laurent Wauquiez.

The spokesman was replying to a statement the FARC made on Tuesday that Reyes was in Ecuador making efforts to arrange a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss the situation facing Betancourt and other FARC-held hostages, AFP reported.

"In fact, in the past, yet not recently, Reyes was an interlocutor of France, but in the same way he was an interlocutor of the countries involved in efforts for the release of the hostages," Wauquiez told reporters following a cabinet meeting.

"For some time he was an interlocutor of the countries involved in the release of hostages, particularly France and Switzerland, but not during the last few days in particular," the spokesman added.

It's worth noting the source of the story on the "upcoming" Betancourt release:

According to the FARC's communique - published by the Bolivarian Press Agency (close to the guerrilla group), Reyes, with the mediation of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, was trying to arrange a meeting with Sarkozy to find a solution to Betancourt's situation.

That is, Correa was telling a lie based on what Chavez wanted people to believe.

All the hostages recently released by the FARC have stated that Betancourt is near death.

Sarko made himself totally clear during a press conference for the Colombian media: France's Sarkozy urges FARC to free Betancourt

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned the leader of Colombia's FARC rebel movement on Thursday that he would be viewed as murderer throughout the world if he let hostage Ingrid Betancourt die.

Daniel explains,

That is right, Sarkozy implied that there was no more 300 million payments to the FARC or retreats inside Venezuela and Ecuador: the solution of this whole problem was in the hands of the FARC. That he added that Uribe understood that the solution could not be only military was in fact a reinforcement of the message to the FARC: do the political thing and release Ingrid because if the FARC also choses only the military exit then Uribe might just win.

Correa went visiting with Hugo and both had a cadena (by which all licensed TV stations in Venezuela show Hugo's show only) and ranted about Colombia. Do keep in mind that Hugo's holding Correa by the purse strings.

Last night the FARC blew up an oil pipeline (h/t Gateway Pundit). As expected, the FARC did it in retaliation.

In the meantime, Ecuador and Colombia (that's right, Ecuador) agreed to an OAS resolution that brought down a notch the rethoric we've been hearing by setting up a commission that "will propose formulas for approachment between both parties". A meeting was scheduled on March 17 at OAS headquarters in Washington to follow up on their findings and recommendations.

As Daniel said, the Prozac is starting to hit the spot.

The real news? The real news behind South America's latest border fracas is Colombia's looming victory in its own narcotics-powered civil war.

UPDATE
This Ain't Hell's also blogging about it.
Free trade and Colombia
Via Larwyn and Prairie Pundit, Colombia ignores Chavez's war.



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Sarko ties the knot, version 2.0?

UPDATE
Yes, this time they really did get married
Sarkozy marries Bruni at the Elysee: report

French President Nicolas Sarkozy married supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, French radio reported quoting several witnesses.

Two radio stations said the pair tied the knot at a low-key ceremony conducted by the mayor of the Paris district that houses the grandiose Elysee estate.

"The bride was wearing white and was ravishing," mayor Francois Lebel told Europe 1 radio. "The bridegroom wasn't bad either," he added, without naming the couple.

Not that we haven't been faked out before...

I'll believe it when I see the marriage certificate.

No, this doesn't count as celebrity blogging because Sarko is a head of state and I've been posting about him for several years.


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Le Divorce

Maverick French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his beautiful wife Cecilia are doing a most American thing: something so American the Americans themselves haven't caught up yet.

They are divorcing while he is in office.

Rather than remain in a marriage of convenience for the sake of Appereances, the way Bill and Hillary, and Mitterand, and Chirac, and so many others in power have, when their marriage ended, the Sarkos are ending it "by mutual consent."

Sarko has a reputation as a ladies' man, and Cecilia ran off with her boyfriend two years ago. For a while there they did the French thing and got back together. Now they are divorcing.

The French are indignant that the Sarkos are being honest with themselves and with the public:

Noël Mamère, France's other bushy mustached American hating globophobe (who spends his time arranging illegal marriages for criminals), declares that "It's time to close the book on the Americanisation of French public life".

How French.


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Volver, Sarkozy, Beeb memos, and Che Cola

Volver de nuevo (To return again)
Paul Martin of Melbourne Film Blog has misgivings similar to mine in his review of Volver. He explains,

Almodovar has been lauded by prominently putting women in strong roles, supposedly reversing stereotype. While it's highly desirable to see women in good roles, I find Almodovar's depiction the opposite side of the same sexist coin. The polar opposite of the Arctic is still ice. The opposite of exclusion of one is not the exclusion of the other - it is inclusion.

If Hollywood is sexist and misogynistic, then Almodóvar's work may also be seen as sexist - not misogynistic, but misandrist. His work doesn't counter a gender imbalance - it merely adds to it. Bear in mind that I believe there is an ubiquitous and overlooked attitude of misandry in western society.

You must read the rest, and all the other reviews at his excellent blog. -------------------------------
Will Cindy stop drinking the Kool-Aid now that Che Cola's out? Or will she stick to Jamba Juice? Do I sound catty if I ask, will the Jamba Juice continue to stick to her?
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New additions to the blog roll:
Melbourne Film Blog
The Daily Ablution
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Sarkozy's goal: For the centre-right's choice there are pitfalls on the road to the Elysee

A third risk is that Mr Sarkozy frightens even his own voters. When polls dissect his image, his strengths are his energy, courage, dynamism and determination. By contrast, he scores less well when rated against adjectives such as nice, reassuring and seductive. The French plainly admire Mr Sarkozy, but they do not warm towards him, and seem to find him a bit scary.

Me, I like the guy exactly because of that.
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Read about the internal BBC memo Stephen Pollard read,

If this is what passes for high-level analysis at the BBC, is it any wonder its reporting is so poisonous?

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Maria sent this picture,

and Janette tells me they have a Owen and Mzee's Web Log. How cool is that!
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"Put down your weapon!"
Countdown to 24
You know where I'll be Sunday and Monday from 8 to 10PM ... you can safely guess that I won't be answering the phone...
Blogs 4 Bauer has the kill counter ready. Update Not only does Blogs 4 Bauer have the kill counter ready, it has the kill counter challenge.

I miss George Mason. If only they'd ressurect him.