Here is an excerpt from Stewart Powell's article in The Houston Chronicle: "In a potentially sweeping and politically charged escalation of the U.S. offensive against Mexican drug cartels, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, introduced legislation in Congress Wednesday to designate six murderous Mexican drug cartels 'foreign terrorist organizations.' Such a designation by the State Department could expose Mexican drug traffickers and U.S. gunrunners to charges of supporting terrorism......

Honduran authorities should conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the serious threats received recently by a prominent human rights defender, Leo Valladares Lanza, Human Rights Watch said today. Valladares is Honduras' former ombudsman and the former president of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. Valladares told Human Rights Watch that he has received intimidating phone calls, and noticed people monitoring his home and following him, after he questioned the...

President Obama’s trip to South America has showcased promising partnerships in Brazil and elsewhere. His visit, however, should also focus attention in the region and within his administration on the fact that Iran and Venezuela are conspiring to sow Tehran’s brand of proxy terrorism in the Western Hemisphere. On Aug. 22, 2010, at Iran’s suggestion, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hosted senior leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in a secret...

In secret negotiations with Iran, Argentina has offered to "forget" the bombings of the Israeli embassy and the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, in 1992 and 1994, respectively, in exchange for improved relations between the two countries. According to the Argentine weekly Perfil, which broke the story yesterday, Foreign Minister Hector Timerman is personally involved in the talks. The Argentinean Foreign Ministry has so far declined comment. For his report, the veteran...

With the acquisition of hundreds of tanks, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles as well as submarines and missile networks, Venezuela is arming itself at a speed unprecedented in the history of the South American country. Experts consulted by El Nuevo Herald have said that Hugo Chávez’s has created unrest in the region with purchases to expand its military that total more than $15 billion. The analysts warned that the purchases are made in an improvised fashion, following a...

Over 100 lawyers representing the families of some 4,000 Colombians allegedly murdered by illegal armed groups funded by Chiquita Brands International are working together to make one giant case against the banana company, lawyer Paul Wolf said Wednesday. The two new lawsuits Wolf filed against Chiquita represent the families of 931 people who lost their lives in the name of the banana giant. The attorney told Colombia Reports that he has filed a total of 2,100 cases in Washington courts. ...

Journalism has become a risky profession in Venezuela. As evidence of this, from January 2006 through December 2010, eight journalists have been killed and other 211 have been attacked and harassed for fulfilling their duty to inform. This complaint was made by the National Commission of Journalists (Conapro) in a report submitted this week to South Africa's Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, and to the UN Human Rights Council, within the framework of the Universal...

A Spanish court asked again the Spanish government to request the extradition from Venezuela of Arturo Cubillas, an alleged member of Basque separatist group ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom), after a new charge was filed against him for allegedly being involved in the training of members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The Spanish National Court, the main court in the European country, issued on Wednesday an order "proposing the Spanish government to request the...

"No country has the right to bomb another country," said on Sunday Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, during his weekly program Aló Presidente (Hello, President). "We repeat our message from Venezuela, from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA): We demand a halt to the attack against Libya. If you want to help a country, you should not bomb it, you have to talk with the parties," Chávez admonished. He added that he was...

The rebel known as Oliver Solarte controlled drugs and weapons smuggling operations in southern Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos said. He died in an attack on rebel positions near the border with Ecuador. It is the latest in a series of blows to the guerrillas, who have lost many of their top leaders in recent years. Farc setbacks President Santos said the death of Oliver Solarte was an "important blow" to the left-wing group. ""I want to tell them once again...