by the El Reportero’s news services
This week (August 25) marks the start of four weeks of campaigning for the September 26 legislative elections in which the opposition, which boycotted the last election in 2005, is hoping to secure up to 40 percent of the 165 seats up for grabs in the unicameral National Assembly (AN).
As ever, all elections in Venezuela effectively become a referendum on President Hugo Chávez himself. The ruling Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV), which is not particularly popular as a party, is already calling on its supporters to ‘vote for Chávez’, despite the fact that he is not on the ballot – and despite the fact that pollsters have identified mounting voter fatigue with the president.
Colombia’s Farc call for Unasur summit A
Colombian guerrilla group, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc), released a public letter addressed to the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) in which it offered to “put forward our vision of the Colombian conflict in a Unasur summit”. The letter is the second call from the group for a dialogue since President Juan Manuel Santos was elected on June 20. On July 30, ‘Alfonso Cano’ (Guillermo Sáenz), the leader of the Farc, released a video message in which he asked Santos to “talk”. The administration, however, has refused to hold a dialogue with the guerrillas as long as the latter continue to refuse the government’s three preconditions to hold talks: the release of all hostages; the release of all child soldiers; and an end to the use of land mines.
Peru leader charged with rebellion eyes politics
A Peruvian protest leader facing rebellion charges stemming from deadly clashes last year announced Wednesday that Amazon Indians are looking to form their own political party, and he may be its presidential candidate.
Aidesep, an umbrella group representing 65 tribes across the Peruvian jungle, is collecting signatures to register the new party and could pick a candidate as soon as September for next April’s election, said Alberto Pizango, a Shawi Indian who is the group’s president.
“If the people propose that I be the political figure who can carry forward their grand ideals, their grand proposals, their grand projects, I will accept” the nomination,” Pizango said.
The new party is to be known as the Alternative Alliance of Humanity. It also intends to field congressional candidates.
Farc bomb attack and court ruling on US base accord could boost Santos
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos announced during his investiture on August 7 that the successes of his predecessor Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010) on the security front had left him free to concentrate on economic issues and social justice. Within the first 10 days of his term, Santos was given two sharp reminders that he will not be able to switch off on security at Any point.
Firstly the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) sent a stark warning to Santos that it remains a force by detonating a car bomb in central Bogotá. Then, the constitutional court (CC) ruled that the October 2009 Defense Cooperation Agreement between Colombia and the US was unconstitutional. Both developments could actually have tangible benefits for Santos. (Latin News and Associated Press contributed to this report.)
