Colombian vice-president elect Angelino Garzón said in an interview with an Ecuadorian radio station that he "highly" appreciated the call made by Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez to the Colombian guerrillas to "reconsider" their armed strategy. "I highly value the recent statements made by President Hugo Chávez when he told the Colombian guerrilla that they have no reason to exist," Garzón told Radio Quito. He recalled that Cuban...

The Colombian government ruled out on Thursday any deployment of troops on the Venezuelan border as a result of Venezuela's decision to break diplomatic relations. The move on severing ties was announced by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez after rejecting a complaint filed by Bogotá at the Organization of American States (OAS) with regard to the alleged presence of Colombian guerrilla members in Venezuelan territory, DPA reported. Caracas' decision was made known to...

The Venezuelan government has set a 72-hour deadline for Colombian diplomats to leave the country, shortly after Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez severed ties with Colombia, Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro reported on Thursday. "We have sent a diplomatic note to the chargé d'affaires of the Republic of Colombia in Caracas for them to shut their embassy down within 72 hours and leave the country," Maduro said. The Venezuelan Head of...

Luis Alfonso Hoyos, Colombia's ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS)," in an extraordinary session of the OAS held in Washington on Thursday said that Venezuela "always insults us and says that we are criminals. We can do much more together than we can do apart or as accomplices of those who kidnap, kill and destroy," Colombian newspaper El Tiempo quoted Hoyos. The Colombian diplomat showed a map with the alleged location of several guerrilla camps in...

At least four people were killed on Thursday, including two policemen, after an explosives-laden car rammed two police vehicles in Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez, officials said. The attack occurred after the arrest of Jesus Armando Acosta Guerrero, also known as “El 35,” the alleged leader of the organized crime organization called “La Linea” that coordinates and operates kidnappings, extortion, and drug trafficking, according to federal officials. Thursday’s...

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) will investigate military agression against three journalists who covered a police operation in Nuevo Laredo, in the state of Tamaulipas, reported El Universal. According to La Jornada, the CNDH also asked the army to take precautionary measures to protect the aggreived jounalists as a way of guaranteeing the free exercise of journalism. In a statement, the commission said that fighting crime does not justify assaulting journalists. ...

Judge Jesús Fernández arrived Saturday, July 10, in Honduras for a special mission to help the government of Porfirio Lobo in its investigation into the deaths of at least seven journalists this year, reported El Heraldo. In May, President Lobo asked Spain for help to investigate these crimes, which according to Honduran authorities have nothing to do with the journalists practicing their jobs, and the government insists public institutions are not involved, reported Europa...

The first seven political prisoners released by the Cuban government landed in Madrid Tuesday, July 13. The prisoners are part of the 75 dissidents who were arrested during a crackdown in 2003, reported The Associated Press and ABC. Six of the freed prisoners are journalists, according to the BBC: Léster Luis González Pentón, Omar Ruíz Hernández, Julio César Gálvez Rodríguez, José Luis García Paneque, Pablo Pacheco Avila y...

The rights enshrined in the Venezuelan Constitution that allow the existence of political pluralism, as well as freedom of thought and opinion, were the principles supported by Jorge Cardinal Urosa Savino, upon his arrival at Venezuela from Rome. "The Venezuelan Constitution enshrines democratic pluralism, freedom of opinion and freedom of thought. I refer to these thoughts only when I talk to Venezuelan people," said the Catholic leader at Maiquetía International Airport,...

Six Fighters Dassault Mirage 50EV/DV ex-Venenzue in transferred to Ecuador in 2009 equipped with radar Cyrano IVM3 and valued at some $ 3 million, are grounded for maintenance difficulties. Although to certify its use must be authorized by France, which had sold the lot to Venezuela as the last user, according to some sources, it appears that the aircraft are in a period of unemployment logistical motivated by the fact that different hydraulic components are in very poor condition....