Colombian authorities seize huge amount of green bucks
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
BOGOTA, (Xinhua)—Colombian authorities have seized 28 million U.S. dollars in Bogota and they are investigating if there is any relation between the money and Mexican and Colombian drug-traffickers, the district attorney’s office of Colombia announced Thursday.
General District Attorney Guillermo Mendoza said 12 million dollars were seized on Monday in a car and 16 million dollars were found Wednesday in another vehicle in Bogota.
More...Colombian Vice President Announces Government’s Intent to Work with IOM on the Restitution of Lands
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
During the Second International Forum on Migration and Peace, held this week in Bogota with support from IOM, Colombia’s Vice President Angelino Garzón expressed his government’s commitment to the internally displaced population and reiterated their intention to work on the restitution of lands, in partnership with IOM Colombia.
14 Colombian police killed in ambush blamed on leftist rebels
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Suspected leftist rebels killed 14 police officers and wounded seven in an ambush of a five-truck convoy in southern Colombia, a police commander said Thursday.
More...Rousseff promises, if elected, full support for Colombian president Santos
By Admin Thursday, September 2, 2010
Brazilian incumbent presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff held on Wednesday a private meeting with visiting Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos and promised if elected that Brazil would continue with its willingness to mediate with the Colombian FARC guerrillas, as long as Bogotá formally makes a request.
“If Colombia at some point requests the presence of Brazil, we would participate, but in the case it does not, we don’t have why to participate, because the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, are not a Brazilian problem”, said Rousseff on leaving the Colombian embassy in Brasilia.
More...Colombia’s Santos meets Lula da Silva in his first overseas visit
By Admin Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos arrived Tuesday in Brazil for an official two-day state visit that begins Wednesday with a meeting with President Lula da Silva to address a regional political agenda and strengthen bilateral trade.
Santos will be the first leader to be received at the refurbished Planalto Palace, seat of the Executive that underwent 18 months of maintenance and upgrading. He arrived in Brasilia with Foreign Affairs minister Maria Angela Holguin and Sergio Díaz-Granados head of Trade, Industry and Tourism.
More...Las FARC y los cárteles mexicanos cultivan al menos 10 años de relación
By Admin Wednesday, September 1, 2010
BOGOTÁ (CNNMéxico) — Con la detención de 11 personas presuntamente ligadas al cártel de los hermanos Beltrán Leyva en Colombia, se exhibe nuevamente la relación que por años han cultivado los grupos guerrilleros en este país sudamericano con los grupos criminales mexicanos.
More...Colombia, U.S., Honduras Begin Anti-Drug Naval Drills
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
BOGOTA - Colombian, U.S. and Honduran naval forces started joint anti-drug trafficking military exercises Tuesday. The three-day drills are being carried out by the Colombian National Army, the Honduran patrol ship “Tegucigalpa” and the U.S. Coast Guard vessel “Escanaba” on the Colombian island of San Andres.
More...COLOMBIA – US Military Aid Contingent on Reversal of Rights Record
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
WASHINGTON, (IPS) – As a new administration takes over in Bogotá, some groups are hoping for change in the human rights record of Colombia – and that the U.S. will use its clout in the country to ensure that change occurs.
At some point in September, the U.S. State Department will likely certify that Colombia is meeting the human rights conditions required for receiving some of the military aid provided by the U.S. But in the year since the last certification numerous human rights violations have occurred in the country, Colombian and U.S. NGOs said in a statement issued Monday.
More...Obama downshifts American imperialism in Colombia
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
An argument can be made that the U.S. owes a national “morality debt” of diplomatic reparations for centuries of state-sponsored terrorism and deplorable interventionism in and around the Republic of Colombia. Numerous “banana republics” joined Colombia, resulting from 500 years of “gun-point capitalism” fueled by the U.S. State department at the behest of multi-national corporate interests. Since the arrival of Christopher Columbus, after whom Colombia takes its name, an utter disregard for the democratic interests of Latin American citizens has been the only constant down through history.
More...Police search for Cabanas shooter in Colombia
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian police are searching for a Mexican fugitive wanted for the shooting in January of Paraguay soccer player Salvador Cabanas, a senior officer said on Thursday.
Finding Jose Jorge “JJ” Balderas, whom a drugs lord captured in Mexico this week identified as the shooter, was a priority, Judicial Police chief Carlos Mena said.
More...A veteran rock-and-roll manager returns to spotlight - in South America
By Admin Thursday, September 2, 2010
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - He was once one of London’s best-known ‘60s-era rogues, dressed flamboyantly, spinning around town in a Mini Cooper and using a bodyguard known as “the butcher” to threaten his rivals.
More...Girl dies of injuries from Colombian plane crash
By Admin Thursday, September 2, 2010
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — An 11-year-old girl injured when a jetliner carrying 131 people crashed on Colombia’s San Andres Island last month has died, raising the accident’s death toll to two.
Carlos Hernandez, deputy scientific director at Simon Bolivar Hospital in Bogota, says Maria Camila Angarita could not recover from multiple head traumas and died Wednesday.
More...Bogota Colombia Business
Colombia’s ETB Shares Fall 27% As Sale Process Flops
Friday, September 3, 2010
By Inti Landauro
(Adds comments from an analyst and the mayor of Bogata and that the company president did not return phone calls for comment in the last three paragraphs.)
BOGOTA -(Dow Jones)- Shares of Colombian state-controlled telephone company Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota SA (ETB.BO), or ETB, lost 27% Thursday after the company halted the process to sell a controlling stake as no bidders showed up.
Endeavor Colombia has contributed to the strengthening of the social and human capitalThursday, September 2, 2010
Colombia is the fifth-largest economy in Latin America in terms of GDP. Over the past few years—prior to the world financial crisis -– rising consumer confidence, easing credit terms, and falling unemployment have given rise to a strengthening middle class in Colombia.
Deep in Colombian jungle, a first in eco goldThursday, September 2, 2010
A green gold miner works with his relatives at their shared mine in the community of Angostura in Tado, Colombia on July 7, 2010. Green gold was born in 2000 as a programme for traditional mining families of the Choco region. It is the first certification scheme for environmentally and socially responsible practices for traditional mining of gold and platinum.
American News
U.S. private sector starts hiring
Friday, September 3, 2010
A decline in government employment offset an increase in private-sector hiring and caused the U.S. economy to shed 54,000 jobs in August. Underlying the overall drop was the encouraging sign that the private sector actually added 67,000 jobs during the month, the Labour Department said Friday.
That just wasn’t enough to offset the 114,000 government jobs lost as Washington laid off temporary workers hired to conduct the census. “Private sector job growth is still modest, no question there. But the picture is looking a little less bleak,” BMO economist Jennifer Lee noted.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Beatrice Capra looked every bit the part on the court and in the conference room, oozing the teenage innocence that made “Courage” an inspirational accessory on tennis sneakers.
Capra wore a T-shirt at her press conference with the message “Serves You Right.” But there was no inscription on her sneakers. Not yet.
World News
40 killed in Pakistan suicide blast
Friday, September 3, 2010
QUETTA, Pakistan, Sept.3 (Xinhua)—At least 40 people were killed and over 100 others injured in a Friday afternoon suicide blast that took place in Pakistan’s southwest city of Quetta, reported local media.
According to the reports, the blast occurred at about 3:05 pm when a suicide bomber blew himself up among a rally at the Meezan Chowk area of Quetta city. The rally is reportedly gathered to show the support for the Palestinian people. An estimated 2,500 people reportedly took part in the rally, said an eyewitness, adding that the rally is organized by Shia muslims.
Ahmadinejad predicts failure of Mideast talks, Israel - SummaryFriday, September 3, 2010
Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday that this week’s Mideast peace talks as well as Israel itself were “doomed to collapse” as millions of Iranians were expected to turn out for state-organized anti-Israel rallies.
Iran marks the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan as Quds (Jerusalem) Day, during which the nationwide rallies are held. This year’s rallies coincided with the first direct Middle East peace talks in almost two years, which were held in Washington.
Brazil
Brazil’s Petrobras unveils $64 bln share offer
Friday, September 3, 2010
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras on Friday unveiled a huge share offering which could raise 64 billion dollars to help finance new exploration projects in the country.
Some 2.1 million common shares and 1.5 million preferred shares would be issued to help finance deepwater exploration, the company said in a statement.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s government will charge state oil company Petrobras $8.51 per barrel for crude reserves to be used in a $43 billion oil-for-shares swap, the government and the firm said on Wednesday, a price seen as high that could hit interest in a related share offering.
The government will trade 5 billion barrels of oil for company shares, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said. The transaction will go alongside a stock issue for private shareholders that could raise as much as $25 billion more in cash.
Honduras
Honduran Coffee Production on the Rise
Friday, September 3, 2010
Honduras will produce 6.4 percent more coffee in the upcoming 2010/11 season as farmers, spurred on by high prices, buy more fertilizers and expand their coffee growing land, the head of the national coffee association said.
According to Marcial Flores, Honduras sees production for the 2010/11 season at 3.83 million 60-bags of coffee compared with the 3.6 million bags produced in the 2009/10 season.
Honduras Infastructure Badly DamagedThursday, September 2, 2010
The already deteriorated road network in Honduras has been further affected after the constant rains that hit the country. There are many areas that have been cut off by landslides and floods, due to the accumulation of water in the soil.
Miguel Pastor, head of the Department of Public Works, Transportation and Housing (Soptravi) said this morning that at least 80% of the road network in Honduras is damaged; and a heavy investment will be required for its rehabilitation.
Venezuela
Jailed Chavez opponent charged, calls case a farce
Friday, September 3, 2010
CARACAS, Venezuela —The leader of a conservative group opposed to President Hugo Chavez has been charged with hiding explosives in his home - allegations he called a farce in comments sent from his jail cell.
Prosecutors announced conspiracy and arms trafficking charges against Alejandro Pena Esclusa on Friday, more than six weeks after he was arrested on July 12.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
•Washington should take advantage of the temporary détente between Colombia and Venezuela and relate to Caracas constructively.
•Would-be U.S. Ambassador designate Palmer fails at behaving diplomatically.
•You do not insult your perspective host and then expect to be warmly greeted in the house.
•While Chavez sometimes acts boorishly, he has the right to challenge U.S. charges against him when they are often
driven by propaganda rather than by hard facts.
Canada in the News
Hurricane Earl targets Maritimes
By Admin Friday, September 3, 2010
Environment Canada has ramped up its weather advisories as a weakening but large Hurricane Earl stays on course for the Maritimes.
Hurricane watches were extended to Nova Scotia’s Halifax and Lunenburg counties on Friday morning, and tropical storm watches to Cape Breton and Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
Features
Former hostage Betancourt’s book to be published this month
Friday, September 3, 2010
Paris, France (CNN)—Former Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt tells the story of her six-year captivity in a book due to hit the shelves later this month, her publisher said Friday.
Travel tourism
Vacationing on the Colombian Island of San Andres
Thursday, September 2, 2010
While living here in Medellin I had decided that I would try to see as much of Colombia as possible, and so earlier this month, I set out to visit the small and relatively unknown island of San Andres, Colombia (located off of Nicaragua’s coast, just about 2.5 hours from Medellin by air). The island was an absolute paradise, and pretty inexpensive (if thinking in US $) which made the vacation one of the best I’ve ever taken.
Restaurant reviews
Colombian Spices
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Colombian food is constituted by the fusion of European tastes with African cuisine. Spices are prominent in the cuisine, and almost every dish is characterized by mild heat. However, the majority of spices used in contemporary spices were introduced by European colonists. Only allspice and chilies are native to the continent, but even those had to be brought to Colombia from other South American countries.
Sports
Colombian club’s players end strike over unpaid salaries
Friday, September 3, 2010
BOGOTA, (Reuters) - Players of Colombia’s Once Caldas ended a strike and returned to training on Wednesday after reaching agreement with the club over stalled salary payments.
Club vice-president Jose Manuel Lopez and team captain Alexis Henriquez issued a joint statement announcing the agreement ending two days of strike action by the players.
Colombian club looks to hit back at striking playersWednesday, September 1, 2010
BOGOTA, (Reuters) - Colombian former South American champions Once Caldas could punish or sack players who have gone on strike over owed salaries, a club official said on Tuesday.
Nineteen squad members signed a letter on Monday advising the club they would not train until their back salaries were paid, with the board of the Manizales-based side rejecting their stance.
...No one seems to know how many there are. Passersby are too busy going to and fro their business to contemplate the growth of their ranks. They are the “canchosos” (street dogs) who roam freely...
Step aside, Julio Iglesias and all you other romantic Latino singers, Paco the Parrot is here.
While soap opera fans the world over are watching the never-ending misadventures of “Bety la fea” (Ugly Betty), there is another every day soap opera going on in a certain Anapoima mandarino tree.