by the El Reportero’s staff
On Feb. 17 a joint Mexican army and federal police unit chased a criminal gang through the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, killing five gang members. Local gangs have confronted the army and federal police more frequently this year and, as a result, the homicide rate is rising again, after a brief lull in December and January. Both the government and the gangs are positioning themselves for the mid-term congressional elections in July. Politicians from all parties maintain that the gangs have been behind a recent spate of demonstrations by masked youths against the deployment of the army in the fight against organized crime. Politically, this is a big worry for the government.
Only FARC scandal can dent Correa’s re-election bid in Ecuador
Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa will face three main challengers in the presidential elections on April 26: one from the right, one from the centre and one from the left, inasmuch as these political categories mean anything where populist policies tend to prevail. Opinion polls suggest that Correa should win re-election at a canter. There is, however, one nasty cloud on his horizon: the growing evidence that some members of his government were complicit with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc). This undermines one of Correa’s main preconditions for re-establishing diplomatic relations with Colombia: that Bogotá stop linking his government to the Farc.
Chihuahua shootout results in 21 deaths
At least 21 people were killed in a fi re-fight between the army and criminal gang members in Chihuahua, northern Mexico on Feb. 10. This was the biggest military incident so far this year. Although the military operation was not entirely successful, it does suggest that its intelligence operations are improving.
Guatemala Colom Appreciates Cuba
Havana, Feb 18 (Prensa Latina) Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom’s first ofi cial visit to Cuba, which concluded on Wednesday, has been marked by full gratitude for Cuban solidarity towards his people.
The president has been reiterating that feeling for two days until hours before his scheduled departure today.
Colom’s gratitude was not only expressed with words, but with the symbolic gesture of the Quetzal Order, Guatemala´s highest decoration, granted by his own decision upon the Cuban Revolution’s leader Fidel Castro.
Before handing over the distinction to Cuban President Raúl Castro, Colom explained it as proof of love, affection, and gratefulness for all the solidarity.
France to Train Bolivian Officials
The Bolivian press highlights Wednesday the new accords signed between President Evo Morales and his French peer Nicolas Sarkozy, after the former’s offi cial visit to Paris, which concluded February 17.
According to Radio Patria Nueva station and Cambio newspaper, France will create a managerial school to train officials of the new plurinational state, in accordance with the new Constitution.
Morales stated that the French head of State will visit La Paz in September, to open that professional center, media reported. (Latin News and Prensa Latina contributed to this report).
