Neighbors react to ‘coup attempt’ in Brazil

 

Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro storm the Planalto Palace building in Brasilia, January 8, 2023 © AP / Eraldo Peres

Source: RT

World leaders express their solidarity with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government

The newly-inaugurated Brazilian president was forced to declare a state of emergency in the Federal District of Brasilia on Sunday, after thousands of supporters of his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, overran Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential Planalto Palace.

The leftist leader denounced the demonstrators as “vandals and fascists,” blaming Bolsonaro for filling their heads with extremism, and vowed to make those responsible for the chaos “pay with the force of the law,” while pledging to get to the bottom of “who are the financiers” of the unrest.

Security forces already detained at least 170 people for storming the government buildings and other crimes allegedly committed during the riot, according to police. The Governor of the Federal District Ibaneis Rocha claimed that “more than 400 people” have been detained.

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, was among the first regional leaders to address the crisis he dubbed an attempted coup.

“Fascism decides to carry out a coup. The right wing has not been able to maintain the non-violence pact,” he tweeted on Sunday, calling on the Organization of American States to prove its relevance and hold an urgent meeting.

President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina meanwhile declared that his nation stands “together with the Brazilian people to defend democracy and never again allow the return of the coup ghosts promoted by the right.”

“I put the member countries on alert so that we unite in this unacceptable anti-democratic reaction that is trying to be imposed in Brazil,” he added as a rotating president of two other regional organizations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Southern Common Market.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also described the chaos as a “reprehensible and anti-democratic coup attempt,” accusing the “leaders of oligarchic power, its spokespersons and fanatics” of inciting the unrest.

Chilean president Gabriel Boric slammed the incident as a “cowardly and vile attack on democracy,” also expressing full support for the government of Brazil.

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro expressed confidence that Brazilian people “will surely mobilize in defense of peace and their president,” blaming the violence on “Bolsonaro's neo-fascist groups.”

Havana also expressed solidarity with its “sister nation,” with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemning the “violent and undemocratic acts that occur in Brazil, with the aim of generating chaos and disrespecting the popular will.”

Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry condemned the violence as an attack “against the institutional framework in Brazil” and reaffirmed the country's “unrestricted support for democracy and the legitimately elected government.”

The US also issued a brief comment on the events unfolding in the South American neighbor, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that “using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable.” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan added that President Joe Biden “is following the situation closely and our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering.”

Bolsonaro responds to Brazil riot charges

Former president said that “peaceful demonstrations” are “part of democracy”

Former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro has denied any responsibility for the unrest that unfolded in the capital Brasilia on Sunday, after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accused his right-wing predecessor of filling the heads of his supporters with extremism.

“Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, escape the rule,” Bolsonaro tweeted on Sunday evening, after authorities regained control of the government buildings seized by rioters earlier in the day.

“I repudiate the accusations, without evidence, attributed to me by the current head of the executive of Brazil,” Bolsonaro added, without mentioning Lula by name. The former leader left Brazil several days before the traditional swearing-in ceremony on January 1 rather than appear to legitimize the leftist’s win by showing up.

“This genocidist... is encouraging this via social media from Miami,” Lula claimed in a televised address earlier on Sunday, blaming what he described as the day’s “unprecedented” violence on his nemesis. He vowed to make those responsible for the chaos “pay with the force of the law,” while pledging to get to the bottom of “who are the financiers” of the riot.

On Sunday, a massive crowd of Bolsonaro's supporters marched through the capital in yet another protest, reiterating claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was open to fraud and other llegations of voting irregularities. After reaching the Three Powers Plaza, where all three branches of the government are located, swarms of protesters rushed through barricades and overran the Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential Planalto Palace.

As the crowds wreaked havoc inside, authorities struggled to contain the unrest. The president, who was in Sao Paulo at the time, was forced to declare a state of emergency in the Federal District of Brasilia, appointing justice minister Ricardo Garcia Capelli to lead the “federal intervention.”

By Sunday evening, after hours of clashes and hundreds of arrests, riot police managed to regain control of the government buildings using tear-gas and water cannons. The Justice Minister announced that at least 200 people were detained, and warned that the arrests could continue throughout the night, as authorities are trying to identify everyone involved in what he dubbed an act of “terrorism” and an attempted “coup.”

Venezuela’s electoral campaign closes with massive rallies (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Source: Russia Today

Incumbent Hugo Chavez is facing down rival Henrique Capriles in the South American country’s elections after 14 years in power. Thousands gathered to hear the candidates’ closing speeches as they vied to drum up support before ballots open.

Chavez is currently leading in the popularity polls, pitting Capriles to the post by a narrow margin that fluctuates between 2 and 20 points.

Analysts say that the vote is likely to be the tightest race in over a decade with 19 million people registered for the elections, 96.6% of the voting population.

Chavez’s supporters flooded Caracas’ Bolivar Avenue to show solidarity for the charismatic leader, while rival Capriles drew almost a million followers to a rally in the Venezuelan capital.

In his closing speech Chavez focused on the social reforms that have won him the popularity of the lower classes in Venezuela. He pledged to continue the fight against poverty and inequality in the Latin American state.

"In all these years, we managed to save the country and have built the foundations for the future. In six years' time, we will be the first on health and education. In 10 years, there will be no more homeless in Venezuela," Mr Chavez pledged.

Capriles, a 40-year-old lawyer, attacked the government’s policy on the economy and promised to focus on education and job creation should he be elected.

“14 years is enough and 20 is too much,” he said in an address to his supporters, stressing that the Chavist government had run out of steam.

Hugo Chavez has received a lot of negative coverage by western media, many regarding him as a reactionary seeking to cling to power for another presidential term. His controversial foreign policies have provoked the anger of the US on more the one occasion.

Chavez has condemned the support of the opposition in Syria and advocates Iran’s right to enrich uranium. In addition, he has been a key figure in the movement for Latin American integration and the exclusion of the US regarding internal policies.

In contrast, Capriles has resolved to radically change Venezuelan foreign policy upon election, heralding a possible strengthening of ties with the US.

Chavez’s health has also been a bone of contention in the elections. The Venezuelan president had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor less than six months ago, but has reassured supporters he is fit to serve another term in power.

Venezuelans will make their way to the ballots on Sunday to pick the victor in the presidential battle.

­Capriles ‘more malleable’ for US

James Petras, professor emeritus of Sociology at Brighampton University told RT that given Chavez’s anti-US policies Washington would prefer Capriles as the “more malleable client.”

“Along the line, both domestically and foreign policy-wise, President Chavez has been defining an alternative route for Latin America and has played a major role in lessening the US influence in the region,” said Petras. He added that this effectively meant the “exclusion of the United States.”

Citing Chavez’s promotion of the “redistribution of politics and the nationalizing of several important oil, petroleum and gas companies,” Petras said that the US and EU would like to “get rid of Chavez” because on many issues he is “on the other side of the political map.”

Handout photo released by the Venezuelan Presidency of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (C) waving to supporters during the closing rally of his campaign in Caracas, on October 4, 2012. (AFP Photo/Presidencia)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gestures amid a downpor during his closing campaign rally in Caracas, Venezuela on October 4, 2012. (AFP Photo/Luis Acosta)

Handout photo released by the Venezuelan Presidency of an aerial view of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's closing rally in Caracas, on October 4, 2012. (AFP Photo/Presidencia)

Venezuela's president and presidential candidate Hugo Chavez greets supporters in the rain during his closing campaign rally in Caracas October 4, 2012. (Reuters/Miraflores Palace/Handout)

Supporters of the Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles hold pictures of him at his campaign rally in Barquisimeto, in the state of Lara October 4, 2012. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Supporters of the Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles attend his campaign rally in Barquisimeto, in the state of Lara October 4, 2012. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles Radonski (C), waves to supproters during the closing rally of his campaign in Barquisimeto, Lara state, Venezuela on October 4, 2012. (AFP Photo/Leo Ramirez)

'Let Cuba In!' Sixth Summit of Americas sends ultimatum to US

Barack Obama (L) and Juan Manuel Santos (AFP Photo / Saul Loeb)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/summit-us-cuba-democracy-175/

When the heads of both Americas met for their Sixth Summit in Colombia, a key issue was finally put squarely on the table: either Cuba is invited to the next Summit or… there will be no next Summit.

Officially sponsored by the Washington-based OAS – Organization of American States – these “Summits” are held every three years or so since 1994.For the most part, they have been instruments promoting US hegemony over its “backyard” South of the Rio Bravo.

As with most multilateral political, economic and financial institutions – the UN, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, NAFTA, or the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) – the OAS is one of many instruments used by the Global Power Masters deeply embedded inside the public and private power structures of the United States, to wield political, financial, even legal control over all of the Americas.

During this Summit in Colombia, however, at least some key issues were addressed which is why no final official declaration could be agreed upon by all participants, mainly because the United States and its few regional allies fully oppose even addressing these issues.

Cuba

Cuba had been barred from attending because it was thrown out of the OAS back in 1963 at the height of the Cold War – right after the Kennedy-Khrushchev Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the Bi-Polar World of yore as close to nuclear confrontation as it ever got.

During the cold war years, the US imposed regional security strategies on Latin America centered on “the fight against communism”; today this has shifted to our region’s role in the “global war on terror”.

The fact that there is a British nuclear military base on the Falklands since 1982, or that George W. Bush reactivated the US Fourth Fleet in the South Atlantic in 2008 or that for decades, there are official and un-official US, British and Israeli military operatives in Colombia, Paraguay, Mexico and Argentina, is completely ignored.

As the heads of state of the Americas met for the sixth time, things are not looking so well for the US in our Region: to begin with, hostingPresident Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia – a traditional US ally – opened the Summit saying that “it would be unacceptable to have any future Summit in which Cuba is not present”.A long throw from Colombia’s staunchly pro-US President Alvaro Uribe who opened up his country to US military operations.

Sadly, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez who has been the rallying voice in the region when it comes to openly speaking out against illegitimate US bullying was absent while he continues medical treatment for cancer in Cuba. Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rafael Correa of Nicaragua and Ecuador respectively, both boycotted the Summit over the Cuba issue.

Democracy

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said that before Cuba can rejoin the OAS, “there should be an opportunity for a transition to a full democracy in Cuba”.

“Full democracy”?No one denies that Cuba does not have an ideal democracy (whatever that is), but then again neither does the US.Does the US (or the UK, or Europe, or Argentina, Brazil or Mexico) have a “full democracy”, when election of all their presidents, vice presidents, governors, senators, representatives and mayors is systematically, directly, and proportionally linked to how many hundreds of millions – even billions – of dollars go into their electioneering and campaigning?What kind of “democracy” is that?

Even President Barack Obama is feeling the heat of 'Money Power' this election year when he will measure himself against Mitt Romney whose greatest virtue is to have amassed a formidable personal fortune of over 250 million dollars.Clearly, political clout is not about ideas, but about huge amounts of money sloshed around Washington and New York halls of power and boardrooms – whether your personal money, as with Romney or the Bushes, or corporate money from the coffers of Halliburton, Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Enron, AIG, JPMorganChase coffers; or both.Is that what US “full democracy” is all about?

As the case of Argentina clearly shows, US-style “democracy” more often than not results in grossly corrupt governments peopled by crooks and thieves.Is the best thing that Clintonite “full democracy” can offer just “government by the rich, for the rich and of the rich”?Clearly, US “full democracy” is nothing but “the best democracy that money can buy”.

In the case of Cuba, if you consider almost half a century of US aggression against Cuba – which includes military invasion and repeated assassination attempts against Fidel Castro – then one can understand the highly defensive national security strategy of that island-country, limiting all hope for Democracy.

Can we really say that Cuban “democracy” is less “full” than US “full democracy”.Actually, many would add strong adjectives as to what US “democracy” is really “full” of…

When it comes to sins against True Democracy, who out there can throw the first stone?

War on Drugs

And it’s not just about the unjust and irrational exclusion of Cuba.It’s also about key topics like the regional security threat posed by British (and US) militarization of the South Atlantic in the Falkland/Malvinas, or worsening social problems arising from poverty, hunger, unfair and lob-sided trade relationships, or perverse cultural domination and the so-called “war on drugs”.

Narco-violence has gripped drug-producer countries like Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia and most others throughout the region.The US approach is to tackle these as military, policing and security problems inside producer countries, thus justifying US “military and security assistance” to client regimes in Colombia or Mexico.They play down, however, the fact that the key problem lies with gigantic US, UK and European demand for drugs.All coupled with huge mega-banker profits as they recycle and regurgitate trillions of dollars through their global financial system.

This not only reflects how very sick US, UK and European societies really are, but also how their so-called “soft power” – Hollywood flicks, TV series, rap music, MTV and other instruments of global Psychological Warfare – promote and install a global pro-drug culture, particularly amongst the young.

Latin America’s Sovereign Debt

Take hunger, poverty and related social problems, for example.In Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Mexico – even Brazil – they are intimately linked to the many decades of gross exploitation by the global mega-banking financial structure that engineered, consolidated and macro-managed enormous unnecessary and illegitimate Sovereign Debt frauds.They have thus skimmed hundreds of billions of dollars from our Region, thanks to local puppet and caretaker governments, financed into power through US-style money-controlled “democracy” that ensures that nothing ever changes; nothing is ever resolved.

Adrian Salbuchi for RT

Adrian Salbuchi is a political analyst, author, speaker and radio/TV commentator in Argentina. www.asalbuchi.com.ar

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the story are solely those of the author and do not necessarily

UNASUR criticizes UK oil exploration plans in Malvinas Islands

The inauguration ceremony of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Drug Council Meeting, La Paz, Bolivia, November 17, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/232260.html

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) has denounced British oil exploration plans in the hotly disputed Malvinas Islands, amid mounting tensions between Britain and Argentina over the archipelago.

The UNASUR, created in 2008, is made up of 12 countries in the region, namely Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela, Ecuador and Uruguay.

"The military presence of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland in the Islas Malvinas ... goes against the region's policy to seek a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute, and [the region] reiterates its rejection of that presence," the foreign ministers of the UNASUR said in a joint statement on Saturday.

"It also rejects unilateral British activities in the disputed zone, which include, among other things, the exploration and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable Argentine natural resources as well as military exercises," the statement added.

Argentina says drilling activities and exploration by Britain are illegal and has vowed to take legal action against any companies operating in oil exploration off the disputed islands in South America.

The reaction of the South American nations came after the British oil and gas exploration company, Rockhopper, announced it was seeking a partner to invest in the 2-billion-dollar exploration project.

Tensions have been mounting in recent months over the Malvinas Islands, with the UN calling on Britain to discuss decolonization. The UK has so far refused to do so.

Britain has deployed its most sophisticated warship, HMS Dauntless, and a nuclear submarine to the South Atlantic to prevent Argentina’s possible counter-move.

The Malvinas Islands, located about 300 miles off Argentina's coast and home to about 3,000 inhabitants, have been declared as part of the British Overseas Territories since Britain established its colonial rule on the islands in 1833.

Britain and Argentina also fought a 74-day war in 1982 over the islands, which ended with the British side claiming victory over the Argentineans.

'US fears Iran clout in Latin America'

Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/173507.html

In reaction to the US concerns over the growing ties between Iran and Latin America, a senior Iranian lawmaker says Washington is cognizant and fearful of the influence of Iran's Islamic Revolution.

“The US is fearful that the Islamic Revolution in Iran has increased the awakening of Middle Eastern and North African nations,” member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash said Wednesday.

He added that it is an “undeniable” reality that the Islamic Revolution has had positive effects on nations and predicted that similar events in the Middle East and North Africa would take place in Latin America in the near future, Majlis news agency (ICANA) reported.

“However, the difference is that Islamic inspirations are behind the revolutions in the Middle East but the revolution of Latin American countries will pursue” the path of democracy, Ahmadi Bighash pointed out.

The remarks by the Iranian lawmaker comes after General Douglas Fraser, the head of the US Southern Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that Iran has expanded its ties in Latin America beyond its close relationship with Venezuela.

Fraser said that Iran has nearly doubled the number of embassies and cultural centers in the region, adding that the number of Iran's embassies has gone up from six in 2005 to ten in 2010, and that it is also building cultural centers in 17 countries.

"My concern, as I look at it, is the fact that there are flights between Iran and Venezuela on a weekly basis, and visas are not required for entrance into Venezuela or Bolivia or Nicaragua," he added.

Last month, Washington warned Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez against 'violating' sanctions on Iran; however, US officials noted that there was no evidence Venezuela had violated the sanctions.

Australia's Brisbane stricken by flood

Police patrol a flooded Limestone Street in the Ipswich city centre, some 40 kms southwest of the Queensland city of Brisbane on January 12, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159771.html


Australia's third-largest city, Brisbane, has been surrounded by water as flooding across the waterlogged state of Queensland turns violent.

Brisbane mayor Campbell Newman warned on Wednesday that the number of homes expected to be affected by the flood is to reach about 19,700 as Brisbane River overflows its banks in the city's worst deluge since 1893, AFP reported.

"We are bracing for a one-in-a-hundred-year flood. We are bracing for a massive amount of water coming into this river system and it will flood thousands of properties," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said.

More evacuation centers have been opened in Brisbane, which is the latest place stricken by the flood. Hundreds of people had to be rescued by helicopter.

However, helicopters dispatched to save people in flood-stricken areas of the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane, had to cease their operation due to lashing rain.

Also the city center is expected to be submerged when the rising waters reach their highest on Thursday. There would be a massive power outage for safety reasons.

At least 10 people have been reported dead and more than 90 missing as the flashfloods smashed high through towns in the Great Dividing Range to the city's west on Monday and at least 15 more are feared to have been killed.

Heavy rainfall, coupled with strong winds, has forced residents of 30 suburbs of Brisbane to pack up and leave their homes to save their lives.

Tsunami-like floods race to NE Australia

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159603.html


Australia is bracing for more downpours after flashfloods claimed at least eight lives in a small town near the northeastern city of Brisbane, Queensland's capital city.

Tsunami-like flashfloods raced toward Australia's third-largest city of Brisbane on Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents from its outskirts, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

After a surging two-meter wall of water killed at least eight people overnight in the town of Toowoomba in west Brisbane, a flood warning was issued for the financial district in Brisbane.

Australian authorities have also predicted that the death toll is likely to climb. Nearly 70 people have been reported missing after flood waters inundated Toowoomba.

Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh said four children lost their lives and there were "grave concerns" for at least 11 of the 72 missing.

The flood threat is expected to peak in the country's third largest city in the coming days.

Officials say some 6,500 properties are at risk of being submerged in Brisbane's worst flooding in 118 years, while, a further 16,500 properties would be partially affected. The country's prime minister has also warned of a grim situation ahead.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned Queenslanders that there are more dark days ahead as they try to deal with massive flooding across the South of the state.

Queensland has been in the grip of its worst flooding for more than two weeks, after tropical downpours across a vast portion of the state covered an area the size of France and Germany combined.

Entire towns have been swamped, with more than 200,000 people affected, and the coal and farming industries virtually shut down.

The state estimates the deluge will cost $5 billion and has earmarked $680 million for emergency repairs.

Floods displace 100,000 Brazilians

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159275.html


Brazilian officials have announced that the recent floods in the country have left nearly 100,000 people homeless in four southeastern states.

Regional civil defense officials said on Saturday that Minas Gerais state, where 16 people were reported dead as of Friday, is the hardest hit area.

In Sao Paulo state, 57 cities, including the capital, are in a state of emergency. Eleven people were killed in the state, the Associated Press reported.

Southeastern Brazil has been hit by weeks of heavy flooding and mudslides caused by torrential rains.

Rescue teams are searching for bodies and survivors in the worst affected areas as weather forecasts predict more rain in the region in the coming days.

Over 470 people died across Brazil due to heavy rain and flooding last year and 7.8 million people were affected.

Iran, Venezuela to form joint oil firm

Iran's Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noghrekar Shirazi



Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137326§ionid=351020102


A top Iranian oil official speaks of a fresh round of talks between Iran and Venezuela, saying the two sides have agreed to set up a joint oil shipping company.

Upcoming Tehran-Caracas talks will focus on the establishment of a joint oil shipping company as agreed in a memorandum of understanding the two countries signed last year, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noghrekar Shirazi told Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.

"We intend to purchase a few oil tankers to pave the way for the establishment of this shipping company", he underscored.

Iran's deputy oil minister said the joint venture will help boost mutual cooperation in upstream and downstream oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

The company will also export Venezuela's crude oil as well as oil products to Asian and European countries.

Meantime, another Iranian oil official said Iran currently has the largest fleet of oil tankers in the Middle East which is the fourth largest in the world.

Hassan Ahmadian said the Venezuelan National Oil Company and Iran's Petropars are in talks at the moment, discussing development of oil fields.

Meantime, Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noghrekar Shirazi also touched upon oil cooperation with Iran's neighbors.

"Negotiations are underway to draw a road map on oil and gas cooperation with regional countries" he said.

He highlighted Iran welcomes promotion of cooperation with regional nations, adding ground is now prepared for foreign investment as well as multilateral partnership in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

Stone exposes US policy on Americas

Oliver Stone and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez



Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137357§ionid=351020706


Famous US film director, Oliver Stone, has criticized the US stance towards South American states, including Venezuela and Bolivia.

In an interview with The Christian Science Monitor, Stone was asked: "US diplomacy and the American media have reacted with general hostility to the empowerment of the poor and indigenous in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and, to some extent, in Brazil. Why is that?"

"I suppose it comes from the old imperial impulse of the US toward Latin America going back to the Monroe Doctrine, Teddy Roosevelt, the protection of American business interests, and support for military dictators throughout the cold war," he said.

"The US remains hostile to anyone on the left coming to power in their backyard, anyone who thinks the resources of a country belong to its people," Stone added.

He also noted that for the first time in modern history much of South America is beyond US control, with the notable exception of Colombia.

Cold kills dozens in Latin American countries

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135624§ionid=3510212


A brutal cold front in Latin and South America has claimed dozens of lives across many countries as the region shivers through its coldest winter in decades.

At least 33 people have died in Argentina over the past several days as polar air sent temperatures down to around minus 14 degrees Celsius. Many of the victims were homeless people who died on the streets of the capital, Buenos Aires.

Even in tropical areas of Bolivia, where temperatures rarely dip below 20 degrees Celsius, a total of 18 people have died as a direct or indirect consequence of low temperatures, the Peruvian state-run Andina news agency reported.

Bolivian officials said temperature in the major city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is 3 degrees Celsius, the lowest in 29 years.

In Paraguay, the health ministry reported nine people died of hypothermia and another three were killed after inhaling toxic fumes from coal-burning ovens.

In Uruguay, local media reported two weather-related fatalities.

Although there were no reported deaths in Chile, parts of the country reported unusually heavy snowfall, even in generally temperate areas.

Similarly, Peru is experiencing the coldest weather in three years.

The southern cone of South America is now at the peak of its winter season.

Colombia's US military pact challenged in court

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120239&sectionid=351020703

Colombia's Constitutional Court is to review a treaty that gives US forces access to Colombian military bases, following a legal challenge of its unconstitutionality.

The lawsuit brought by a legal group called "Jose Alvear Restrepo," argue that the October 2009 military accord is invalid since it was signed by the government of President Alvaro Uribe without a prior discussion in Congress, as mandated by the constitution.

They additionally accuse Uribe of ignoring the advice of the State Council, the highest court on administrative matters, which has also urged him to allow the congress take up the agreement before it was signed.

The Uribe administration deemed the State Council's opinion nonbinding arguing that the accord was not a new one but merely an extension of a 1974 military pact with the United States, and as such required no legislative oversight.

The military pact, part of what the US-backed Uribe government calls a joint effort to counter drug trafficking and insurgencies, has been denounced by neighboring Venezuela as US interference in the region, raising tensions between Bogota and Caracas.

Chavez Warns Columbia not to Attack Venezuela

Source: PressTV

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned Columbia not to attack his country.

Addressing the Colombian bourgeoisie, Chavez said on Sunday that Bogota is preparing an attack on his country. He warned them, saying that if an attack on Venezuela takes place, "you will regret it. We are not disarmed nor are we sitting here with our arms crossed."

He told his countrymen that they must be calm but fully alert as Colombia has sent two army battalions to the Venezuelan border.

Also, the Yankees are setting up seven bases across Colombian territory and are moving their planes to Aruba and Curacao, he said in his weekly “Alo Presidente” television show.

He went on to say that the US military, in preparation for a possible attack, has sent intelligence agents, war ships, and spy planes to Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire, which are self-governing Dutch islands.

The US has given billions of dollars in aid to its ally Colombia, ostensibly to help it fight guerrillas and drug traffickers. President Alvaro Uribe says the new base deal is just an extension of existing military cooperation for operations limited to Colombian territory.

Official US Air Force Document Reveals the True Intentions Behind the US-Colombia Military Agreement

By: Eva Golinger

An official document from the Department of the US Air Force reveals that the military base in Palanquero, Colombia will provide the Pentagon with “…an opportunity for conducting full spectrum operations throughout South America…” This information contradicts the explainations offered by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the US State Department regarding the military agreement signed between the two nations this past October 30th. Both governments have publicly stated that the military agreement refers only to counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations within Colombian territory. President Uribe has reiterated numerous times that the military agreement with the US will not affect Colombia’s neighbors, despite constant concern in the region regarding the true objetives of the agreement. But the US Air Force document, dated May 2009, confirms that the concerns of South American nations have been right on target. The document exposes that the true intentions behind the agreement are to enable the US to engage in “full spectrum military operations in a critical sub-region of our hemisphere where security and stability is under constant threat from narcotics funded terrorist insurgencies…and anti-US governments…”

The military agreement between Washington and Colombia authorizes the access and use of seven military installations in Palanquero, Malambo, Tolemaida, Larandia, Apíay, Cartagena and Málaga. Additionally, the agreement allows for “the access and use of all other installations and locations as necessary” throughout Colombia, with no restrictions. Together with the complete immunity the agreement provides to US military and civilian personnel, including private defense and security contractors, the clause authorizing the US to utilize any installation throughout the entire country - even commercial aiports, for military ends, signifies a complete renouncing of Colombian sovereignty and officially converts Colombia into a client-state of the US.

The Air Force document underlines the importance of the military base in Palanquero and justifies the $46 million requested in the 2010 budget (now approved by Congress) in order to improve the airfield, associated ramps and other installations on the base to convert it into a US Cooperative Security Location (CSL). “Establishing a Cooperative Security Location (CSL) in Palanquero best supports the COCOM’s (Command Combatant’s) Theater Posture Strategy and demonstrates our commitment to this relationship. Development of this CSL provides a unique opportunity for full spectrum operations in a critical sub-region of our hemisphere where security and stability is under constant threat from narcotics funded terrorist insurgencies, anti-US governments, endemic poverty and recurring natural disasters.”

It’s not difficult to imagine which governments in South America are considered by Washington to be “anti-US governments”. The constant agressive declarations and statements emitted by the State and Defense Departments and the US Congress against Venezuela and Bolivia, and even to some extent Ecuador, evidence that the ALBA nations are the ones perceived by Washington as a “constant threat”. To classify a country as “anti-US” is to consider it an enemy of the United States. In this context, it’s obvious that the military agreement with Colombia is a reaction to a region the US now considers full of “enemies”.

COUNTERNARCOTICS OPERATIONS ARE SECONDARY

Per the US Air Force document, “Access to Colombia will further its strategic partnership with the United States. The strong security cooperation relationship also offers an opportunity for conducting full spectrum operations throughout South America to include mitigating the Counternarcotics capability.” This statement clearly evidences that counternarcotics operations are secondary to the real objetives of the military agreement between Colombia and Washington. Again, this clearly contrasts the constant declarations of the Uribe and Obama governments insisting that the main focus of the agreement is to combat drug trafficking and production. The Air Force document emphasizes the necessity to improve “full spectrum” military operations throughout South America – not just in Colombia – in order to combat “constant threats” from “anti-US governments” in the region.

PALANQUERO IS THE BEST OPTION FOR CONTINENTAL MOBILITY

The Air Force document explains that “Palanquero is unquestionably the best site for investing in infrastructure development within Colombia. Its central location is within reach of…operations areas…its isolation maximizes Operational Security (OPSEC) and Force Protection and minimizes the US military profile. The intent is to leverage existing infrastructure to the maximum extent possible, improve the US ability to respond rapidly to crisis, and assure regional access and presence at minimum cost. Palanquero supports the mobility mission by providing access to the entire South American continent with the exception of Cape Horn…”

ESPIONAGE AND WARFARE

The document additionally confirms that the US military presence in Palanquero, Colombia, will improve the capacity of espionage and intelligence operations, and will allow the US armed forces to increase their warfare capabilities in the region. “Development of this CSL wil further the strategic partnership forged between the US and Colombia and is in the interest of both nations…A presence will also increase our capability to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), improve global reach, support logistics requirements, improve partnerships, improve theater security cooperation and expand expeditionary warfare capability.”

The language of war included in this document evidences the true intentions behind the military agreement between Washington and Colombia: they are preparing for war in Latin America. The past few days have been full of conflict and tension between Colombia and Venezuela. Just days ago, the Venezuelan government captured three spies from the Colombian intelligence agency, DAS, and discovered several active destabilization and espionage operations against Cuba, Ecuador and Venezuela. The operations - Fénix, Salomón and Falcón, respectively, were revealed in documents found with the captured DAS agents. Approximately two weeks ago, 10 bodies were found in Táchira, a border zone with Colombia. After completing the relevant investigations, the Venezuelan government discovered that the bodies belonged to Colombian paramilitaries infiltrated inside Venezuelan territory. This dangerous paramilitary infiltration from Colombia forms part of a destabilization plan against Venezuela that seeks to create a paramilitary state inside Venezuelan territory in order to breakdown President Chávez’s government.

The military agreement between Washington and Colombia will only increase regional tensions and violence. The information revealed in the US Air Force document unquestionably evidences that Washington seeks to promote a state of warfare in South America, using Colombia as its launching pad. Before this declaration of war, the peoples of Latin America must stand strong and unified. Latin American integration is the best defense against the Empire’s aggression.

*The US Air Force document was submitted in May 2009 to Congress as part of the 2010 budget justification. It is an official government document and reaffirms the authenticity of the White Book: Global Enroute Strategy of the US Air Mobility Command, which was denounced by President Chávez during the UNASUR meeting in Bariloche, Argentina this past August 28th. I have placed the original document and the non-official translation to Spanish that I did of the relevant parts relating to Palanquero on the web page of the Center to Alert and Defend the People “Centro de Alerta para la Defensa de los pueblos”, a new space we are creating to garantee that strategic information is available to those under constant threat from imperialist aggression.
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Source: Global Research
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=15951

Eva Golinger is a Venezuelan-American attorney from New York, living in Caracas, Venezuela since 2005 and author of the best-selling books, “The Chávez Code: Cracking US Intervention in Venezuela” (2006 Olive Branch Press) and “Bush vs. Chávez: Washington’s War on Venezuela” (2007, Monthly Review Press). Since 2003, Eva, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and CUNY Law School in New York, has been investigating, analyzing and writing about US intervention in Venezuela using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain information about the US Government’s efforts to destabilize progressive movements in Latin America.