Juanson World

The statute of limitations to try former Mexican interior minister and president Luis Echeverría was extended, allowing special prosecutors to move forward on genocide charges in the massacre of students in 1968. New York Times, BBC

The polling wars in Venezuela continue, as opposition candidate Manuel Rosales claims that he is in the lead despite most polls giving president Hugo Chavez roughly a 20 point advantage. Financial Times

Gustavo Coronel of the Cato Institute pens an op-ed where he attacks Chavez for a poor record on corruption and allevation of poverty in his eight years as president. Miami Herald

The former director of DAS in Colombia ordered leaks of DEA data to drug traffickers, according to a former DAS official now in prison. El Nuevo Herald

Ecuadorian president-elect Rafael Correa represents the consummate political outsider and a rejection of the establishment in the country. Christian Science Monitor

Correa vows that he will not renew an agreement with the United States which expires in 2009 to operate an airstrip out of the port city of Manta. Washington Times

Cuban president Fidel Castro will not appear at his 80th birthday celebration due to poor health. Reuters, Miami Herald

A brawl broke out in Mexico's congress when PRD lawmakers threatened to block the inauguration of president-elect Felipe Calderon. AP


Human rights groups criticized Calderon for naming as his interior minister hard-liner Francisco Ramirez Acuña. Financial Times

"Mobile consultates" are providing services to Latin America immigrants who are working in remote places such as Alaska. Wall Street Journal

The varying results of pre-electoral polls reflect the bias and polarization of the upcoming Venezuelan elections. However, it is unlikely that opposition candidate Manuel Rosales will close a 20 point gap between him and Hugo Chavez. Miami Herald

In Bolivia, where 50,000 families own 90 percent of usable land, the senate has approved president Evo Morales's land reform bill when three opposition senators broke rank with their parties. BBC, AP

Rafael Correa was a landslide winner in Ecuador's presidential election by toning down his populist rhetoric with pragmatic economic policy proposals. Many analysts believe that he will govern from the center despite early bombast against the Bush administration and a close friendship with Hugo Chavez. New York Times

Correa faces a legislature without a single member of his own party: a stiff challenge to his proposed constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution. Wall Street reacted to his proposed restructuring of Ecuador's debt by dumping national bonds. Financial Times, Wall Street Journal

Polarization in Venezuela is at an all-time high as presidential elections approach. BBC

Nicaragua's ban on abortion, approved by the legislature at the beginning of this month, mirrors policies around the region. Washington Post

Norman Bailey, a conservative expert on national security, was named mission manager for intelligence on Cuba and Venezuela. Miami Herald

Cuban rock climbers, who often receive their equipment and training from foreigners, have entered into an unexpected political row with the Castro regime. Wall Street Journal

# posted by Juanson : 10:17 AM  1 comments

Leftist Rafael Correa has come from behind to apparently win Ecuador's presidential election by a large margin. BBC, Washington Post, New York Times

Andres Oppenheimer debunks the conspiracy theories that are floating around the Latin American blogosphere vis-a-vis US aims to control the water supply in the region. Miami Herald

Violence flared in Oaxaca yesterday as members of APPO set fire to several buildings, resulting in 43 injuries. AP

For Latin America, a new Congress implies the distinct possibility that trade deals that have been signed with Peru and Colombia will be difficult to ratify. Economist

The Wall Street Journal runs a front page article on the decline of populism in the region as demonstrated by recent electoral results. The article highlights the changing electoral tactics of leftist Rafael Correa in Ecuador's presidential election as being reflective of an overall trend. Wall Street Journal

The Mexican government, amid little fanfare, has issued the final draft of the details of the dirty war waged by the government from the late 60s to early 80s. The report details thousands of cases of torture and hundreds of state-sponsored disappearances. Washington Post

With president Hugo Chavez spending $100 million to upgrade and build health clinics in Venezuela, traditional hospitals that have not played the political game have suffered. Miami Herald

The trial of extradited FARC rebel Ricardo Palmera in the US has resulted in a mistrial. BBC

Mexican president-elect Felipe Calderon has named a number of prominent academics and economists to key cabinet posts. BBC

The executive branches of the US and Colombian governments are to sign a free trade agreement today, but ratification of the accord remains a difficult task for the US congress. Financial Times

Despite Argentine opposition to the construction of a Finnish pulp mill on the Uruguay River, the IFC has approved a $170 million loan to initiate construction on the project. Financial Times

On the anniversary of the Mexican revolution, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held a "swearing-in" ceremony for the "legitimate president of Mexico." New York Times, Financial Times

The Wall Street Journal op-ed page accuses Mexican president Vicente Fox of "appeasing" AMLO, urging him to "draw a line in the sand." Wall Street Journal

In Bolivia, six of nine regional governors have cut off ties with president Evo Morales, accusing him of consolidating executive power. Washington Post

As Congress prepares to debate whether to continue the aid package of Plan Colombia, US resources are being pulled out of the province of Caqueta, one of the most concentrated areas of previous development programs and a hot-bed for coca growing. The pullout was mainly due to security concerns in the province, which has a strong FARC guerilla presence. Miami Herald

Violence continues to plague the slums of Rio de Janeiro, where police have killed 608 people in confrontations thus far this year. Residents believe that many casualties are innocent bystanders. Miami Herald

In a speech to the Council of Americas, US State Department Secretary of Political Affairs Nicolas Burns said that the US will aim to soon meet with many governments in the Latin American region, saying that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is now "on the defensive." Chief among these priorities is Brazil. Miami Herald

In Peru's regional elections, president Alan Garcia's APRA party suffered defeats in losing 10 of 12 regional governorships it holds and maintains a slim lead in Lima province. Peruvian voters by and large chose independent candidates as they expressed their dissatisfaction with traditional political parties. AP

The drug trade of the Taliban in Afghanistan strongly parallels the FARC in Colombia. Christian Science Monitor

President Enrique Bolaños of Nicaragua signed an anti-abortion law into effect, making abortion illegal under any circumstances, including when a woman's life is in danger. BBC

Although facing an uphill battle, Manuel Rosales has emerged as a worthy contender against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in December's elections. Miami Herald, Washington Post

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador faces declining popularity for both himself and the PRD as he attempts to make life difficut for Mexican president-elect Felipe Calderon. Financial Times, Wall Street Journal

Days after the Financial Times proclaimed that Bolivian president Evo Morales was governing from the pragmatic center, the same newspaper reports that Morales has moved to consolidate power by mobilizing protestors on land reform and approving changes in the constituent assembly. Financial Times

The Colombian government probe into ties between certain Sucre congressmen and paramilitaries has not been good for president Alvaro Uribe, as the implicated are members of parties loyal to Uribe. Economist

Since the end of Guatemala's civil war ten years ago, violence continues to plague the country. President Oscar Berger has been unsuccessful in his efforts to reform the tax system, improve security forces, and provide land holdings to peasants. Economist

President Nestor Kirschner of Argentina fired his housing secretary, Luis D'Elia, for making comments accusing Argentina of supporting an American-Israeli alliance by issuing a warrant for Iran's former president. Economist

Under president Evo Morales, Bolivia appears to be leaning towards a more moderate, pragmatic left. Venezuela's influence is waning in areas such as regional integration and natural resource ownership, and foreign companies are doing better now after the "nationalization" than they were in previous goverments, due to soaring gas prices. Financial Times

Mary O'Grady urges the US Congress to ratify bilateral FTAs with Peru and Colombia. She argues that preferencial access to US markets has already existed for both countries, and that doing the same for the US would benefit both countries. In addition she points out that the murder of labor leaders in Colombia is due to generalized violence rather than a reflection of poor labor standards in that country. Wall Street Journal

The most recent poll in Ecuador's presidential election has leftist Rafael Correa surging to within three points of Alvaro Noboa. AP

US Ambassasador Paul Trivelli has confirmed that he will meet with Nicaraguan president-elect Daniel Ortega. AP

The Government Accountability Office has found abuses, including expenditures on Gameboys and Sony Playstations, over the last decade in $74 million of USAID funds to Miami-based groups promoting democracy in Cuba. Washington Post, Chicago Tribune

Some of these USAID monies have been directly to universities such as FIU, UMiami, Georgetown, and Loyola of Chicago, and results have been mixed. Miami Herald

Mario Alonso, who previously was in the running for the presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank, has dreamed of building a canal in Nicaragua for over forty years and is determined to make his pipe dream a reality, at a cost of 12 years and more than three times the country's annual GDP. Christian Science Monitor

Despite polls strongly against him, opposition candidate Manuel Rosales believes that he has a legitimate chance to unseat Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who seeks another six years after eight years in power. Financial Times

The Wall Street Journal op-ed page blasts the newly created UN Human Rights Council, saying that it has focused too much on Israel. Wall Street Journal

The Miami Herald op-ed page argues for the passage of ATPDEA and bilateral FTAs with Peru and Colombia for the lame duck session of Congress. Miami Herald

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's refusal to accept defeat in Mexico's presidential election continues as he is actively seeking donations for a parallel administration. He has named a cabinet and plans on being sweared in as well. AP

Conspiracy theories abound in Peru, as the Financial Times reports that the Peruvian congress is set to approve a law that would force NGOs to register with a state watchdog and be subject to sanctions if they have "stepped beyond the national interest:"

Many in Peru suspect the proposal was revived in response to the administration’s perception that NGOs are helping organise protests against foreign investors.

Officials were irritated at the role they said Racimos de Ungurahui, a Lima campaigning group, had in encouraging indigenous Achuar protesters to occupy an oilfield operated by Pluspetrol, the Argentine energy group, in the northern Amazon last month.

There are other theories, including one that suggests that members of the Apra party are conspiring with pro-Fujimori supporters in the congress to delay his extradition to Peru for alleged human right abuses during his ten year presidency. In effect, this law is a stark demonstration of the polarization between civil society and government that exists in certain parts of Latin America. This is the money quote:

“Many of these NGOs are run by communists, pinkos and failed politicians who have set themselves up in opposition to the political class,” [Jorge del Castillo, Peru's prime minister] says.

Colombian president Alvaro Uribe was in Washington yesterday lobbying for the ratification of a bilateral US-Colombia free trade agreement. The agreement, which will be signed with the US in December, faces stiff opposition from Democrats in the new Congress who will be demanding stricter labor standards. Wall Street Journal

The Associated Press profiles Flavio Sosa, a leader and founder of the Oaxaca People's Assembly. AP

Nicaraguan president-elect Daniel Ortega refused to talk to the media during his campaign, and major Nicaraguan outlets are taking a "wait and see" approach to his presidency. AP

The Miami Herald op-ed page calls the UN resolution on the Cuban embargo "hypocrisy" and calls the vote against an Australian amendment to call for the release of political prisoners evidence that the UN vote was simply a show of anti-Americanism. Miami Herald

Carlos Alberto Montaner warns that Ortega's presidency will lead many Nicaraguans in the US to withdraw investments in the country, and that a road towards Chavismo could eventually lead to Ortega's ouster. Miami Herald

Immigrants from Brazil to the US represent the fastest growing immigrant group in the US. Governador Valadares, a city in Minas Gerais, is estimated to receive almost 14 percent of the dollars sent from the 1.5 million Brazilians in the US. Washington Post

Presidents Lula and Chavez inauguarated a $1.2 billion bridge over the Orinoco River. While the bridge was finished in July, some analysts believe the ceremony was delayed to coincide with Chavez's reelection campaign, implying Lula's support of Chavez in the upcoming election. BBC

In Tegucigalpa, poverty striken children live and work at city dumps, collecting food and recyclables from the mountains of trash. Programs designed to remove children from the dumps and enroll them in schools have had moderate success, but this phenomenon exists across Central America. Miami Herald

Former contras in Nicaragua are aghast at the reelection of their former foe, Sandinista Daniel Ortega. Since the end of the contra war, many of the former fighters have remained at the margins of Nicaraguan society. Washington Post

Basing their analysis on videos of the ailing leader, the US believes that Fidel Castro has eighteen months to live with terminal cancer. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer profiles some of the newly elected legislators in the Senate and the House and concludes that the Congress will become much more protectionist in terms of free trade. This includes Democrats who will become committee chairs, such as Charles Rangel and Max Baucus, who voted against DR-CAFTA. Miami Herald

A McDonald's in Oaxaca was fire-bombed by four youths on Sunday, adding to the unrest in the city. AP

In Colombia, where 28 journalists have been murdered in the past decade, threats are a way of life for photojournalists. Miami Herald

The BBC reports on the status of the more than 400,000 Colombians living in Ecuador. Few have been granted official refugee status and encounter discrimination as they attempt to establish themselves. BBC

Despite crusading against NAFTA in his 1992 presidential bid, Ross Perot has expanded Perot Systems into Mexico, opening a technology center in Guadalajara. New York Times

The last few weeks have been very exciting for politics junkies in the Western Hemisphere. Elections in Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the midterms in the US proved thrilling theater for poll watchers in the Americas. We’ll barely have time to exhale, as Hugo Chavez’s reelection bid approaches in the first weekend of December.

While people often talk about the polarization of US politics, it is difficult to compare the red/blue division domestically to situations in Nicaragua and Venezuela. Bring up Chavez or Ortega to a national of either country and reactions fall in the extremes: perceptions are fraught with deep emotions. For opposition movements in each country, a win (in a democracy!) for these populists signifies much more than a difference in opinion vis-à-vis public policy; they represent authoritarianism, ineptitude, and megalomania.

One cannot say the same in America, although many a bleeding heart felt rage and despair when Bush was reelected in 2004. I always joked with my friends, “If you were a Democrat in 2000, and you wanted to come up with a Bush first term that would guarantee a Democratic win in ’04, you couldn’t have dreamt up a more ideal scenario.” In reality, one must govern from the center in order to be successful – the failure of Bush’s privatization of Social Security being just one example.

In Latin America, leaders such as Ortega and Chavez continue to appeal to the marginalized because they are politicians whom the poor feel actually represent them. The opposition, which split itself in half in Nicaragua and continues to shoot itself in the foot in Venezuela, could learn a lesson from the populists. Like the Democrats, they must find a way to represent more than just an alternative to those in power.

In Colombia, two senators and one deputy - both supporters of president Alvaro Uribe - were arrested by the Colombian Supreme Court on allegations that they were conspiring with paramilitary groups. BBC

In response to "concern about leftist victories," the USA Today reports that the US is providing military aid to Latin America in order to "blunt a leftward trend." In fact, the ban on military aid was lifted October 2, which was tied to regional countries unwillingness to grant US servicemembers immunity of prosecution before the International Criminal Court. USA Today

In Argentina, a judge has issued an arrest warrant for former Iranian president Rafsanjani and eight other former Iranian officials in connection to the 1994 AMIA terrorist attack. BCC, AP

Key to the success of Daniel Ortega's second presidency is his ability to balance the need for American investment and Venezuela's aid. Among his most pressing problems economically are energy shortages and a significant public debt. Economist

During his victory speech, Ortega took on a moderated tone, thanking his leftist "brothers" in Latin America and calling for US troop withdrawal in Iraq, but also reaffirming his commitment to CAFTA and private property. AP

Mary O'Grady says that despite the Ortega win, there is a silver lining in the establishment of the ALN party as a significant political force in Nicaragua. She also points to minor tampering by the Sandinista controlled Supreme Electoral Council but blames the loss on "Nicaragua's Ross Perot," PLC candidate Jose Rizo. Wall Street Journal

Marcela Sanchez offers her analysis of the Ortega win. Washington Post

A State Department spokesman has said that the US looks forward to building a positive relationship with the Ortega government. Washington Times

Peru's new president Alan Garcia's approval rating hovers at around 60 percent, as he has kept his populist image in check through cutting public sector salaries and perks, focusing on cutting red tape for businesses and pushing a free trade agreement with the US. Economist

In the aftermath of several anti-immigration candidates losing in the midterm elections, Mexican president Felipe Calderon met with President Bush yesterday and stressed that the construction of a wall between the two countries was the wrong thing to do. Bush reaffirmed his commitment to complete immigration reform. Miami Herald

Mexico City's legislature has passed a measure legalizing civil unions between gay couples, 43-17. The bill faced strong opposition from the PAN and the Catholic Church. New York Times, BBC

Daniel Ortega's victory has alarmed ex-patriates and foreigners that own property in Nicaragua. While Ortega has claimed that he has changed, many are experiencing flashbacks to his first presidency and will not return to Nicaragua as they had once planned. Miami Herald

After working as an OAS electoral observer, Marifeli Perez-Stable offers her analysis of the Nicaraguan election and reports that democracy is strong in the country. Miami Herald

Hugo Chavez has offered some of his harshest criticism yet of the Bush administration, as the Venezuelan legislature issued a resolution that the 9/11 attacks were "self-inflicted," and compared the "genocidal" Bush to Hitler, depicting him in Nazi wartime garb. Chavez claims that there is indisputable evidence that it was Bush, not Al-Qaeda, that initiated the terrorist attacks on the US. Miami Herald

The Democratic sweep of Congress represents a different outlook for US-Latin American relations, with bilateral free trade agreements and Plan Colombia the issues that will be up for debate both in the lame duck session of Congress and in next year's Democratic controlled sessions. It is likely that the legislative stance on Cuba and immigration will not differ substantially. Miami Herald

The UN has passed a resolution with a vote of 182-4 declaring the the US should end the embargo on Cuba. The countries voting against were the US, Israel, the Marshall Islands, and Palau. AP

Mexico's president-elect Felipe Calderon meets with President Bush today. Calderon said yesterday that he believes the results of the midterm elections represent an opportunity for improvement in US-Mexican relations. Calderon is a critic of the wall along the border and will also focus on investment and trade in his meeting with Bush. Washington Post, BBC

Hugo Chavez has criticized funds of over $25 million channeled to Venezuelan organizations through USAID, NDI, and IRI as he paints the upcoming presidential election as a choice between his candidacy and the United States. These funds have be dispursed through the Office of Transition Initiatives, which has been the subject of controversy in regards to alleged US meddling in the outcome of elections in the country. New York Times

Peru's attorney general has begun a formal investigation of former president Alejandro Toledo and his connection to alleged corruption scandals during his presidency. BBC

Mexico's lower branch of the legislature has voted to prevent outgoing president Vicente Fox from taking a trip to Australia and Vietnam. They consider the trip unnecessary in light of domestic conflicts such as the ongoing violence in the state of Oaxaca. BBC

How will the Democratic congressional win affect relations with Latin America? Critical to US-Latin American relations are the negotiations for bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs). While both parties were strong proponents of NAFTA, DR-CAFTA encountered stiff resistance in the House from Democrats and only passed by two votes. The US signed agreements with both Peru and Colombia in the past twelve months, but neither FTA made it to Congress for a vote.

Now in the lame duck session, the Andean Trade Preferences and Drug Eradication Act (APTDEA), which covers Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, is up for renewal at the end of the year. Extending ATPDEA is crucial for the bilateral agreements with Colombia and Peru to have any chance of making it through the Democratic House. It will be interesting to see whether the new Congress – composed of many moderate Democrats – will see the benefits of these agreements. The Republicans in the House will do everything possible in the lame duck session to extend ATPDEA until the Peru and Colombia agreements pass the House. It is in the interests of both parties to continue this accord, which claims to provide benefits for drug eradication as well.

President Bush’s fast track authority, set to expire next July, could also be in jeopardy. Without significant reworking and bipartisan cooperation, it is unlikely that the two agreements pass the Congress either in this lame duck session or in next year’s Pelosi Congress.

The Nicaraguan election has been decisively won by Daniel Ortega. Boz points out that corruption, the first 100 days, and relations with the Bush administration, including US aid, are key to the second Ortega presidency. Bloggings by Boz

Argentina's minister of the environment has accused the IFC of meddling in its dispute with Uruguay over the construction of pulp mills and their effect on the environment. Financial Times

In Chile, president Michele Bachelet and Costa Rican president Oscar Arias both addressed a meeting of socialist leaders and argued that globalization is not, in fact, an instrument of imperialism. AP

In Mexico City, a number of small radical guerilla organizations have taken responsibility for the three bombings. They also called for the resignation of Oaxaca governor Ruiz and the freeing of those arrested in connection with the teacher protests. LA Times

In a Washington Times editorial, the newspaper criticises the US meddling in the Nicaraguan election and rightfully points out Nicaragua's limited importance in this post-Cold War era. Washington Times

In what might be bigger news than Ortega's decisive win in Nicaragua, bombs have gone off this morning in Mexico City, at the PRI headquarters, a ScotiaBank branch, and the Federal Electoral Tribunal.

The Miami Herald is reporting that Daniel Ortega has decisively won the Nicaraguan presidential election.

Ortega 33, Montealegre 25, Rizo 20... second round Montealegre over Ortega. Ortega pulls an AMLO.

Marcela Sanchez writes about the "next phase" in Plan Colombia, and concludes that efforts by Colombian and American officials need to broaden from a purely security-based focus towards a more broad based economic development model. Washington Post

Mary O'Grady calls the situation in Oaxaca a "dinosaur brawl" and blames both the PRI and the teacher's union for the "anarchy" that has resulted in several deaths. Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal gives an overview of the issues at play in the upcoming Nicaraguan elections, focusing on US Ambassador Paul Trivelli's involvement (including the accusation that one of the candidates is a homosexual) which has been criticized by Nicaraguans and Americans alike. Wall Street Journal The Economist

The IMF is positive in its analysis of the region's economy, saying that growth is up and inflation is down for 2006 in Latin America. BBC

The Economist analyses the prospects for Lula's second term, focusing on the effects of a modification of Brazil's macroeconomic policy on interest rates, inflation, and growth. The Economist

The Economist deems Evo Morales' "nationalization" of Bolivia's gas reserves as a political victory, and analyses the actual terms of the agreements between the government and private companies, which continue to be involved. The Economist

Evo Morales' popularity has fallen from a high of 80 percent down to 50 percent, and faces several challenges eight months into his term, including the uncertainty surrounding the constituent assembly, growing unrest in Santa Cruz, and the inexperience of Morales loyalists in key government posts. Miami Herald

The video released last weekend shows an alive Fidel Castro, but officials in the US are not certain that he indeed is suffering from terminal cancer. Miami Herald

Latin American heads of state have joined Spain, Portugal and Andorra in Montevideo to kick off the Iberoamerican Summit, where protesters rally against free trade. Miami Herald

Colombian president Alvaro Uribe lashed out against the FARC rebels, reaffirming that they are indeed terrorists and vowing to defeat them. His hard-line remarks came two days after the deadliest attack since he was re-elected earlier this year. Reuters

The violence escalated yesterday in Oaxaca, where the Benito Juarez university has served as a traditional point of safety, since riot police in Mexico do not usually enter state universities. Washington Post

Michael Shifter writes that US meddling in Nicaragua's upcoming presidential election - including visits by Ollie North and threats from US congressmen to cut off remittances to Nicaragua - are overreactions and stain the Bush's administration's otherwise clean record in Latin America's recent elections. Washington Post

Juan Forero writes that Colombia has the highest number of landmine victims in the world, a tragic situation in the Andean country. Washington Post

Panama receives a boost by becoming the unexpected consensus candidate between Guatemala and Venezuela for the open UN Security Council seat. The decision comes after 47 rounds of voting. Associated Press, New York Times, BBC

FARC rebels attacked a police station in the Colombian province of Cordoba, resulting in at least 17 casualties. It was the deadliest attack since Alvaro Uribe was re-elected president. BBC

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned Cuba for the jailing of 75 dissidents and the execution of three hijackers. It is questionable whether Cuba falls under the jurisdiction of the OAS since it has not been a member since 1962. Miami Herald

Raul Castro has taken a more low-key approach to governing since July 31st, when an ailing Fidel put him in charge of governing the island nation. This weekend a video was released showing that Fidel is indeed alive. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer says he disagrees with Brazil's stance that it won't apply pressure in Cuba for a democratic transition after Fidel Castro's death. Miami Herald

The WSJ editorial page gives an overview of the Nicaragua election. Wall Street Journal

Apparently George Soros has financed the latest poll in Nicaragua, which has Ortega at 30, Montealegre at 27, Rizo third and Jarquin at 17.

Mexico agrees to extradite former Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo to face trial in Guatemala for alleged theft of millions from the defense budget. BBC

The vice president of Colombia has turned to attacking consumers of cocaine, such as British model Kate Moss, as being indicative of the European attitude towards illegal drugs. BBC

Bolivian president Evo Morales has backed off from his plan to nationalize the mining industry, indicating that it is too expensive. AP

Andres Oppenheimer notes that in Lula's victory speech, he did not mention strengthening ties with the US, but focused on improving Mercosur and the Community of South American Nations. Miami Herald

As the Nicaraguan elections approach, the question remains whether former president and Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega will come out on top as the polls predict, acheiving 35 percent of the vote with a five percent lead over the second place candidate, or whether the results will betray the polls. Miami Herald

The stalemate in deciding Latin America's representative to the UN Security Council continues, as the foreign ministers of Guatemala and Venezuela meet today to try and find a compromise candidate. Among those countries being considered are the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Panama. Miami Herald New York Times

The governor of Oaxaca, Ulises Ruiz, refuses to step down despite the ongoing strike. Washington Post