Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was inaugurated yesterday and his speech contained characteristic bombast and socialist rhetoric. New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Economist, Christian Science Monitor
Daniel Ortega was also inaugurated yesterday as Nicaragua’s president and was joined by fellow leftist presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Financial Times, LA Times, AP
Ecuador and Colombia came to an agreement over Colombia’s aerial spraying of coca plants near the Ecuadorian border. Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa met during Ortega’s inauguration and Uribe pledged that Colombia would let Ecuador know in advance of any spraying. BBC
Venezuelans are shocked by Chavez’s unveiling of plans to nationalize the electricity and telecommunications companies. Miami Herald
Ricardo Sanguino, head of Venezuela’s congressional finance commission, assured that Chavez’s government would compensate any private firms it nationalizes. Shares of CANTV and the national stock market recovered yesterday. AP
Manuel Vazquez says that Fidel Castro is figuratively already deceased. Miami Herald
Over 1,000 Mexican troops were dispatched to Acapulco and two other cities in the state of Guerrero but unlike the operation in Tijuana the troops will not relieve local police of their weapons. AP
Bolivian president Evo Morales repeated his pledge to nationalize the country’s mining industry. AP
The Miami Herald editorial page urges compromise between Morales and opposition leaders. Pro-Morales protestors sparked violence in Cochabamba as they demanded that the state prefect resign. Miami Herald
In what was deemed a prank gone awry, two members of the Colombian army died from burns in a fire accident. AP
# posted by Juanson : 11:02 AM
