Governance in Latin America

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE FACTS January 2001 Argentina The Mexican justice system ordered the extradition of Ricardo Caballo, an Argentine former military accused of committing terrorism, genocide and torture. Although the final decision is in the hands of the Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretariat, this is the first time the Mexican judiciary decides in favor of international law enforcement. Human rights organizations celebrated the decision. "This man will shortly be imprisoned in Madrid awaiting trial, regrettably, outside our country but justice was ultimately served", said Estela Carlotto, president of the Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers. Bolivia Several ministers have stated their concern regarding the procurement of ten F-16 aircraft by Chile. Oscar Vargas, Bolivian Defense Minister, expressed that such purchase will alter the military balance in the region. According to the minister, as a result of these circumstances, Bolivia will seek opportunities to increase its warfighting capabilities. However, he clarified that his country is far from pursuing an arms race like Chile, which seems to keep a conflict scenario with its neighbors. Chile During the first COSENA meeting since President Lagos took over, the Armed Forces expressed it was convenient to construe the 1978 Amnesty Law in its strict sense. This would set free both Pinochet and several dozens of military members who have been prosecuted. With the return to democracy, the Supreme Court opened up the possibility to prosecute the military on the basis that amnesty can not apply until the crime and the responsible individuals are identified. When opening the meeting, the President expressed his reluctance to the survival of this organization created by the military dictatorship (COSENA). President Ricardo Lagos handed over to his country´s justice system, information on hundreds of prisoners missing during Augusto Pinochet´s dictatorship. According to the media, such information had been collected and supplied under military secrecy by the military, several religious creeds and the freemasonry. The Supreme Court appointed two full-time judges, as requested by the President, to work on finding out the remains´ whereabouts. The first digging - though - has had negative results thus casting doubts on the reliability of the information provided by the military. Augusto Pinochet disobeyed the order given by Judge Juan Guzmán to be performed medical tests to determine his mental condition. The former dictator failed to be performed such tests on the grounds that the judge changed the conditions set by the court, i.e. that all procedures be followed at the same military hospital. However, the judge ordered that blood and urine samples be tested in other hospitals, thus showing doubts about the integrity of military health establishments and of the Armed Forces themselves. Colombia President Pastrana stated that he will insist on negotiating peace while also strengthening the Armed Forces to face a total war situation if guerrilla groups cut off negotiations or become drug cartels. The strengthening plan includes reforms to the legal system in order to face insurgency with greater possibilities of success and added that if any revolutionary organization becomes involved with druck-trafficking, as a drug cartel, negotiations will come to an end. Colombia and other four countries (Ireland, Norway, Singapore and Mauritius) entered the United Nations Security Council as non-permanent members. The Colombian Defense Ministry released a report that places the country as the main coca leaf producer in the world. With 122,500 hectares devoted to cultivation, 67% of annual production is harvested. Peru and Bolivia are second and third, showing a considerable decrease in cultivation. The report highlights "the mobility of crops in recent years, especially from Peru to Colombia and a decision of Colombian drug-traffickers to vertically integrate their business". The document also states that most of the money that the main armed groups have come from this illegal business to which they dedicate a considerable part of their efforts. During a meeting with the Senate, the US Secretary of State, Collin Powell, insisted that the administration of President Bush will continue to support the Plan Colombia to fight drug-trafficking and the guerillas in South America. Also, and considering the criticism made to the Plan by Venezuela, Ecuador and Perú, he added that "one of the things this new government will have to do is to regionalize the approach so that all nations in the region may admit that Colombia´s problem is their own problem". President Andrés Pastrana decided on a one-week extension to the demilitarized zone with the FARC and urged its Leader, Manual Marulanda, to hold a meeting where the bases to resume peace talks should be agreed upon. Ecuador Congressmen and the Media requested the government and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE) to open channels of communication to overcome the conflict that has resulted in clashes with the police in some provinces of the North. Differences arose due to an economic package launched by the government which provides for rises in fuel and transport prices. CONAIE announced its decision to continue with the protests until such measures are abandoned. The Minister of Defense, Hugo Unda, indicated that behind all this "there are people and institutions who are willing to destabilize the country". Mexico The federal government, contrary to the announcements made by President Fox some time before, decided to act as a mediator in the political crisis originated in the State of Tabasco. The Secretary of Government, Santiago Creel, expressed that "the new democratic governance should rule to avoid impositions from the Center". A Mexican judge legally ordered the extradition to Spain of the Argentine former-military Ricardo Cavallo, accused of committing terrorism, genocide and torture. Though the final decision will be made by the Foreign Affairs Office, this is the first time the Mexican judiciary decides in favor of international law enforcement. Based on the partial efforts made by the government in response to the three conditions imposed by the EZLN for resuming peace talks, President Fox resorted to the rebels´ good will inviting them to resume the dialogue and lay down the arms. Rebels demanded the release of all zapatista prisoners, the military withdrawal from seven points in the conflict zone, and the submission of the Indigenous Rights Bill to the Congress. Since he took office, Fox has ordered to dismantle 53 posts and three of the seven military bases requested by the EZLN. The bill submitted by the Concord and Pacification Committee (COCOPA) on indigenous rights was taken as a law initiative and the authorities released 20 zapatista troops. President Fox launched a national offensive to fight drugs and organized crime. His announcement was made in Culiacán, one of the cities most affected by this problem and, with the company of the Minister of Defense, Ricardo Vega, the general attorney, Rafael Macedo and the Secretary of the Public Security Department, Alejandro Gertz, who will be in charge of a new division against drugs and organized crime still to be opened. Paraguay The Minister of Defense, Admiral (ret) Ramón Ocampos, resigned from office as he disagrees with the military policy of President González Macchi. As informed by the Presidential Chief of Staff, Jaime Bestard, his resignation responded to his disagreement with the restructuring process of the Armed Forces Strategic Higher Studies Institution (Instituto de Altos Estudios Estratégicos de las Fuerzas Armadas) (IAEE), since it forces to do without all civilian professors in the Institution. However, Senior officials (no identified) of the President´s office indicated that such resignation was the result of difference of opinions between the Minister of Defense and the President´s military advisors, which go beyond the IAEE problem: "The Minister was concerned about the fact that the President, following his advisors suggestions, may step back in the relationship between the armed forces and civilians". IAEE has been, during the last decade, one of the most important institutions in terms of enhancing civil-military relations". Peru After being arrested for 15 days in his own domicile, the former Commander in Chief of the Army, José Villanueva Ruesta, was imprisoned for allegedly committing crimes of personal complicity and justice obstruction in Vladimiro Montesinos´ escape. In the meantime, other four former military chiefs, related to Montesinos, were arrested in relation to illegal activities such as corruption, money laundering and arms trafficking. Those are General Walter Chacón (former Minister of the Interior and Former Army Chief of Staff), Juan Yanqui (former Army Education and Doctrine Commander), Luis Delgado de la Paz (former Chief of the First Military Region) and Luis Cubas (Montesinos´ brother-in-law and former Chief of the Second Military Region).