18
The Belize Times
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Presidents of Colombia, Venezuela to meet in effort to end dispute
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and newly elected Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will meet Tuesday for talks aimed at ending a diplomatic dispute between the nations. The two heads of state will meet in Santa Marta, Colombia, to discuss how to repair ruptured relations. Chavez broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia last month over accusations that Venezuela is harboring Marxist guerrillas who want to overthrow the Colombian government. Venezuela denies allegations that it is sheltering rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (also known as FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN). It was at least the third time in three years that relations between Venezuela and Colombia have been strained. Chavez froze relations last year when Colombia signed a military agreement with the United States and in 2008 when Colombia conducted a raid against leftist guerrillas into Ecuadorian territory. Santos was sworn in Saturday, vowing to unify his country around the goals of prosperity for all and of thwarting
the nation's leftist rebels. In an early test of Santos' diplomatic skills, his inauguration was attended by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. Maduro held talks with his Colombian counterpart, Maria Angela Holguin, on Sunday and said he wanted to deliver a positive message from Chavez. "We would like to deliver -- that's what President Hugo Chavez specifically
indicated -- a message of love and solidarity to all of the people of Colombia; a message for the future and for hope," Maduro said. "We would like to reach out with our loving hand, of friendship and of fraternity to all of the people of Colombia." Chavez also said on Saturday that he wanted to meet with Santos. "I invited Santos to go to Caracas,"
Chavez said. "If he can't come, I'll go to Bogota." "But I am telling you," Chavez said at another point in the speech, "the first disrespect to Venezuela, the first false accusation, and everything will be over." Santos was elected president of Colombia in June with the highest vote total in his country's history, garnering more than 9 million ballots -- roughly 70 percent of the electorate. He ran as a conservative promising to improve Colombia's security. During Santos' tenure as defense minister under former President Alvaro Uribe, the Colombian army scored important victories against Colombian guerrillas, including the liberation of a former presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt. Chavez has said that under Uribe's eight-year presidency, Colombia has isolated itself and become "aggressive and violent." Tensions between the South American neighbors have affected cross-border trade, which was worth a record $7.3 billion in 2008 but has fallen since then, according to the Venezuela-Colombia Integration Chamber.
THE Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said it booted 149 cops from its ranks between January and July this year in what it admitted was an aggressive and ongoing campaign to rid the police force of cops who continued to operate unprofessionally. Head of the Anti-Corruption Branch, Assistant Commissioner Justin Felice yesterday said the number of cops dismissed in the first seven months of the year was close to the number given marching orders for the entire 2009. A police news release yesterday said that 34 of the dismissals were effected last month. According to the news release, between January and July, 105 cops were not permitted to re-enlist, 26 were retired in the public interest, and 18 were cashiered as a result of corruption. Another 21 cops have been charged with breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act and are now before the courts. One gazetted officer, four sergeants and one special sergeant were listed among 36 cops arrested for corruption breaches. Also arrested were three corporals, 19 constables, one special corporal, six special constables, and one district constable. Assistant Commissioner Felice said that in addition to corruption, some of the cops were dismissed for unprofes-
sional behaviour. He said that removing rouge policemen and women from the constabulary was always a difficult task. However, one method being used to achieve this goal was rigorous review of the services of members when they come up for re-enlistment every five years. He said those cops found to be involved in corrupt activities or whose actions or attitude were not in keeping with what the JCF required would not get their contracts renewed. Felice also warned that the drive would be intensified in coming months. "We are going to be working hard over the next three months and year to rid the force of anybody who is not up to the standards required," said Felice. He also warned that part of the drive going forward was to also target civilians who attempted to corrupt policemen and women. That point was highlighted in yesterday's news release which reported that since the start of the year 10 civilians have been charged for corrupting members of the JCF. The release also said that a total of 55 personts (36 police and 19 civilians) have been arrested since the start of this year for corruption breaches. Of the 55, males numbered 50. Last year, former head of the St Catherine North Police, Superintendent Harry 'Bungles' Daley, became the most senior Jamaican police officer to be found guilty of a crime. Daley, accused of collecting protection money, was found guilty of the corruption charges that were levelled against him. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. However, he is on bail pending the hearing of an appeal.
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro yesterday addressed the communist country's National Assembly for the first time since ceding power four years ago, appearing energetic in his trademark olive green military uniform. Top leaders, including President Raul Castro and Cuban legislators, cheered and cried "Viva Fidel!" as the father of the revolution entered the chamber in an event broadcast live on state television and radio. Standing at the podium for the first time since handing over the reins to his brother in 2006, Fidel Castro warned of the perils of nuclear war and a dramatic shake-up of world order should atomic weapons be unleashed. But he was conspicuously silent on Cuba's economic troubles, and made no mention of human rights on the island, including the recent release of a number of opposition activists. His remarks lasted little more than 10 minutes — short by the standards of Castro, who once delivered a speech to the United Nations lasting more than four hours. The former president, who turns 84 on August 13, had earlier called for the special meeting, which comes one week after the first of two annual National Assembly sessions. He talked about his fear that the United States and Israel are about to launch a nuclear attack on Iran. Castro said it would be up to US President Barack Obama to issue the order to carry out such a strike, but that, if he realised the consequences of such an action, "he would not take it". "We are making a contribution to that persuasive effort," said Castro. He stressed that should nuclear war be unleashed, "the existing world order would not survive and would immediately collapse". Castro has turned his attention
recently to the Middle East in a series of articles that he has been publishing intermittently in state media since he stepped down as president. After a long period of seclusion, he has slowly begun appearing in public again, and was last seen at a ceremony marking a key event in the Cuban revolution on July 26, his seventh public appearance in three weeks. Wearing his military shirt, Castro was seen in television images at the ceremony and later speaking with people, including religious leaders and members of the US-based group Pastors for Peace. Though no longer president, Fidel Castro still holds on to the powerful position of first secretary of the Communist Party and remains a member of Cuba's legislature. His remarks yesterday made no mention of Cuba's battered economy or human rights on the island. But Cuban legislators spoke of their joy at seeing "comrade" Fidel addressing the assembly, with lawmaker Eduardo Borges saying he was "very proud" of Fidel Castro's return "now that the world is caught between war and peace". Some Cubans said it was startling to see images of the ageing leader back in front of the assembly. "It was surreal to see Fidel Castro reappearing to tell us about the Iranian crisis and not the one in Cuba," a young Cuban artist told AFP on condition of anonymity. On August 1, Raul Castro expanded opportunities for self-employment ahead of looming Government plans to slash as many as one million jobs -- 20 per cent of communist Cuba's workforce -- from state payrolls. The economy, 95 per cent of which is currently in state hands, does not have the ability to absorb such vast numbers of jobless people. Raul Castro's move aims to try to reduce the socioeconomic fallout, but an uphill battle is expected.
149 cops booted Castro addresses National Assembly