by the El Reportero’s staff
Mauricio Fumes
El Salvador’s President Mauricio Funes asserted his leadership credentials within Central America this week. Funes, the first elected head of state representing the left-wing Frente Farabundo Martí de Liberación Nacional (FMLN) to visit Washington, requested that the US either enhance its security-cooperation initiative Plan Mérida to assist Central America, rather than predominantly Mexico, or design a new bespoke package for the sub-region. He also spearheaded calls for the full reincorporation of Honduras into regional institutions.
Peru’s García facces another scandal
President Alan García has said that he will decide whether or not to dismiss his justice minister by midday today (March 16). The justice minister, Aurelio Pastor, is under heavy criticism after an anti-corruption judge issued an arrest warrant on March 12 for José Enrique Crousillat, a local TV magnate. In December 2009 Pastor had supported a presidential pardon for Crousillat (77), on health grounds, following Crousillat’s conviction in 2006 for his links with Vladimiro Montesinos, the intelligence chief under the former president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000).
Felipe Calderón
Earthqueke shatters illusions as as infrastructure
The powerful earthquake, measuring 8.8 on the Richter Scale, which struck south-central Chile on Feb. 27, led to a severe breakdown in law and order in Concepción and major questions about the authorities’ emergency planning. The recriminations and finger pointing marred the final weeks of President Michelle Bachelet’s administration, though not her opinion poll ratings, which are still around 84 percent. She hands over to Chile’s first elected right wing president for 52 years, Sebastión Pióra, on 11 March.
President Felipe Calderón, lame duck
Porfirio Lobo
President Felipe Calderón’s authority is weakening almost by the day. Usually, Mexican presidents manage to avoid becoming complete lame ducks because of their power to influence the choice of their successor. Calderón’s tragedy is that he may not even possess this power.
U.S. will restore aid to Honduras
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday the United States will restore aid to Honduras that was suspended after a coup and urged Latin American states to recogniSe new President Porfirio Lobo’s government.
Clinton announced the move on a visit to Costa Rica, which tried to mediate a deal between deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti, who in the end organized new elections without Zelaya. U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration condemned the June 28, 2009 army-backed coup and suspended more than 30 million dollars in aid in a bid to force Zelaya’s reinstatement. But the efforts failed and the United States ultimately recognized the elections last November that resulted in victory for Lobo. However, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua, Venezuela and other countries in the region refuse or are reluctant to recognize the results because the elections were sponsored by a government that came to power in a coup.
