Latin america round-up

In Cuba, according to Escambray, they are prearing to march against the release, by George W.'s supposedly anti-terrorist regime of, yup, a terrorist. Although the Cuban regime is doing its own bit to reduce the jail population by releasing seven political dissidents itself (although the balance is five out as they've just jailed two more).

The terrorist Luis Posada Carriles carried out a bombing which killed 73 people in 1976 had been in US custody since January. Clearly they thought he'd suffered enough. The Venezuelan government disagrees however and is to petition the UN over the decision.

Of course the big news from Latin America is again from Mexico where abortion has been legalised in a vote 46 to 19. Yeeee Haaaaaa! Thousands of women die every year in illegal, backstreet abortions in Mexico and it is a tremendous step forwards that the health and welfare of these women is finally being recognised as something really important, even if they are neither rich nor ordained members of the Catholic Church.

Argentina is putting the leader of the 82-83 Junta on trial. The charges involve "giving children to members of the armed forces". Fuck him, excuse my language.

Meanwhile the Bolivian government has its greedy eyes on renationalising the Telecoms industry seizing 47% of the stock of Entel, and are looking at *purchasing* 50% of an Italian telecoms company, Telecom Italia, something that the usually divided Parliament backed unanimously.

And finally, a heart warming story of a man with his name well and truly cleared. President Lula of Brazil has been cleared in the courts of charges of attempting to buy dirty information against his political rival during last year's election. The court said they did not have enough evidence which I think we all know means Lula's hands must be clean as clean can be.