China View & Prensa Latina & Senator Jorge Robledo – 2007-03-06 22:42:49
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/06/content_5806173.htm
US Sends Aircraft to Uruguay Ahead of Bush Visit
Yao Runping, Editor /China View (www.chinaview.cn)
MONTEVIDEO (March 5, 2007) — Four large US Air Force C5 Galaxy aircraft arrived in Uruguay Monday as part of the security operation ahead of this week’s visit by President George W. Bush, local media said.
The Galaxy planes were carrying US Army Sikorski CH-53 Superstallion helicopters in kit form, two mechanical diggers and dozens of soldiers who immediately began assembling the helicopters.
Bush is to visit Uruguay from Friday to Sunday. He will meet his Uruguayan counterpart Tabare Vazquez Saturday at the presidential residence in Colonia, 190 km west of Montevideo.
Uruguay has granted visas to 400 people accompanying Bush during his journey. Authorities are also allowing 400 foreign reporters to come along for news coverage, including 140 from the United States.
Meanwhile, left-wing protestors were reported to be preparing demonstrations Friday and Saturday against the visit. They accuse Bush of genocide by launching the US invasion of Iraq.
Bush will also visit Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
Guatemalans Repudiate Bush Visit
Prensa Latina
GUATEMALA (March 3, 2007) — With a concentration in front of the US Embassy in this capital, demonstrations for rejection to the next visit of US President George W. Bush to Guatemala, started Saturday.
During the protest, convoked by the Madreselva Group and newspaper La Cuerda, there will be mottos against massive deportations, the Free Trade Agreement and the presence of US troops in the Guatemalan national territory.
“We don”t have any motives to congratulate each other when we have been witnesses of the US policy fostered by Bush with massive deportation and prosecution of Latin Americans,” said a communiqué by the Anti-Imperialist Block.
Only last year, US sent more than 18,000 Guatemalans back to their native country, and in the two first months of 2007, the number went over 2,000 people.
Defending organizations for the rights of migrants, students, farmers, indigenous people, women and trade unions will join to the protests.
The March 8 traditional march for the Women”s International Day will have among its objectives to reject the presence of Bush, FTA, neoliberalism and violence.
Meanwhile, for March 10, a walk starting from a zone known as El Trebol, south of Guatemala City, will go through the US Embassy and end in the Central Park.
Orlando Blanco, from the Collective of Social Organizations (COS), said in recent statements to Prensa Latina that Bush was not welcome in Guatemala, and the role of the US administration has been very harmful and during it, attacks against several peoples in different places of the planet have taken place.
Protests Against Bush in Brazil
Prensa Latina
RIO DE JANEIRO (March 3, 2007) — Brazilian social movements began protests against the forthcoming visit of US president, George W. Bush, to Sao Paulo scheduled for March 8 and 9.
A group of young people for the Solidarity Network of Bolivarian Circles and the Jose Marti Cultural Association met in a central park, Cinelandia, in front of the headquarters of the Legislative Assembly, to repudiate Bush.
There were no speeches in this first demonstration where participants wore black to shirts to signify that “the main terrorist in history will visit Brazil adding that he has placed in mourning Afghan and Iraqi families because of his intervention.”
The demonstration began at 4 pm local time and lasted until 10. Bush was linked to international terrorist, Luis Posada Carilles who has escaped punishments for his crimes, under the protection of the US president. He is accused of preparing the bombing of a civilian Cuban plane in flight killing 73 persons.
The demonstrators also demanded the immediate release of Gerardo Hernandez, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, the five Cuban patriots unjustly imprisoned in the United States for having warned of terrorist plans against their country.
Candles were lit in remembrance of the victims of state terrorism by Washington against other peoples and flew the flags of Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine, “nations threatened by the empire and its puppet states,” the organizers explained.
Although Bush will not visit Rio de Janeiro, social movements have begun expressing their rejection a week before his visit and demonstrate in the streets that he is not welcome.
As part of these activities, the social movement spokespersons announced that they will release a document in the coming days listing US interventions in the 20th century to remind Brazilians of the history systematically silenced by the great mass media of the US.
Cuban Daily Recalls Sabotage in Havana Port
Prensa Latina
HAVANA (March 3, 2007) Cuban Granma daily recalled on Saturday the sabotage to the French ship “Le Coubre” in Havana, on the occasion of the anniversary of that terrorist action, of which the US CIA was accused
The happening on March 4, 1960, left more than 100 deaths and around 400 people wounded, due to the magnitude of the explosions on the ship.
“Le Coubre” came to Cuba with ammunitions and antitank and antipersonnel grenades bought by the Island in Belgium, to face up to the wave of terrorist attacks unleashed against this country after the revolutionary victory in 1959.
Workers of the port installations, guards of the area, members of the entities in charge of transporting the military supplies, and fire department members were among the victims of this attack.
The number of victims increased after the first explosion, when many people went to assist those wounded and there was a second blast, which proved that the action was thoroughly planned.
The daily included in its report some survivors´ testimonies of the most important attack against the Island, as part of the US destabilizing plan, followed by the invasion of Playa Giron.
Let Washington Divulge What it
Knows about Paramilitary and “Para-political”
Activities in Colombia
Press Release / Senator Jorge Robledo
BOGOTA, Colombia (March 5, 2007) — In connection with the planned visit of President George W. Bush to Colombia, Senator Jorge Robledo, spokesperson for the Polo Democrático Alternativo (PDA), wanted answers to the following questions:
“Are the State Department and the US Embassy in Colombia aware of what has happened in terms of paramilitary activities and “para-politicking” in Colombia over the last 20 years?
Do they know that nearly one hundred political leaders close to President Uribe are jailed, fugitives from the law, and named or implicated because of their relations with paramilitary organizations?
Do they know that already nine members of the Colombian Congress, all close friends of the Uribe administration, have been ordered to jail by the Colombian Supreme Court because of their involvement?
Are the State Department and the US Embassy aware that in Colombia people speak increasingly of “para-Uribismo,” not merely “para-politicking”?
Was there no connection between US policies and the formation of these criminal organizations and activities?”
Senator Robledo formulated these questions after sources close to the administration of President Uribe touted the forthcoming March 11 visit of George W. Bush to Colombia. These sources portrayed the visit as an explicit backing by the White House of Colombia’s President, even with respect to the para-politicking scandal.
Senator Robledo reminded us that, under Plan Colombia, the military presence of the United States increased to the tune of four billion dollars.
The US presence includes well-known robust operations by numerous agents of the CIA, the DEA, the FBI, regular US military as well as mercenary forces. In that regard Robledo cited comments by US Senator Patrick Leahy who said that “the Colombian government is not simply a victim of their corrupt influences.”
Leahy further stated that the Colombian government “allowed the flourishing of paramilitary groups, sometimes colluding with those groups, other times fostering their activities.” (El Tiempo, March 4, 2007)
Senator Robledo emphasized that the truth about paramilitary and para-political activities must be addressed for peace to be achieved in Colombia.
Senator Jorge Robledo is the Official Spokesperson of the Polo Democrático Alternativo (PDA).
Posted in accordance with Title 17, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
