McClatchy blog: Inside South America

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com:80/southamerica/colombia/","20130318090618","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1363597578"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <title>McClatchy blog: Inside South America</title> <meta name="description" content="The Inside South America blog is written by Jim Wyss, the South America bureau chief for the Miami Herald and McClatchy Newspapers."/> <meta name="keywords" content="Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, Juan Manuel Santos, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, FARC, ELN, Henrique Capriles, guerrillas, South America politics, ALBA, South American crime, drug trade, BACRIM, paramilitary"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618cs_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/styles.css" type="text/css"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Atom" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/atom.xml"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/index.rdf"/> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://www.typepad.com/t/rsd/1556698"/> <link rel="meta" type="application/rdf+xml" title="FOAF" href="http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/foaf.rdf"/> </head> <body> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="header"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/south_america_banner_web.jpg" alt="Inside South America"/></a> </div> <div id="content"> <div id="col_1">  <h2 class="date-header">November 12, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2017ee503b386970d"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/pets-pinky-and-dry-excrement-colombian-gangs-and-their-silly-aliases.html">Pets, Pinky and Dry Excrement - Colombian gangs and their silly aliases</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>Los Rastrojos is one of Colombia’s most feared criminal gangs and their top leader was recently arrested as he held a “Mafioso summit” at his farm, authorities said.</p> <p>The man’s name is José Leonardo Hortúa Blandón, but he’s better known as <em>Mascotas</em> or Pets. Police also arrested the gang’s number-two man <em>Picante</em> or Hot, as in spicy. He had assumed the leadership position after his predecessor <em>Pinky, </em>sometimes spelled <em>Pinkhy,</em> had been arrested.</p> <p>Colombia’s criminals and guerrillas are fond of absurd monikers. Among some of the most memorable are <em>Gordolindo</em> (Fat beauty), <em>Vasodeleche </em>(Glass of Milk) and<em> Mierda Seca </em>(Dry Excrement)<em>.</em> Dry Excrement, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, earned his name due to his chronic halitosis, according to Semana Magazine.</p> <p>The excellent periodical has a list of some of the more ridiculous monikers <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.semana.com/enfoque/diccionario-alias/186767-3.aspx" target="_self">here</a>.</p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 11:07 AM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/guerrillas/">Guerrillas</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/pets-pinky-and-dry-excrement-colombian-gangs-and-their-silly-aliases.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/pets-pinky-and-dry-excrement-colombian-gangs-and-their-silly-aliases.html#comments">Comments (0)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/pets-pinky-and-dry-excrement-colombian-gangs-and-their-silly-aliases.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F11%2Fpets-pinky-and-dry-excrement-colombian-gangs-and-their-silly-aliases.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">November 08, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2017c333b47b5970b"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/the-us-elections-as-seen-from-south-of-the-rio-grande.html">The US elections as seen from south of the Rio Grande</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>I spent election day on Colombian naval base on the Pacific. Military men are pretty circumspect when it comes to politics, but everyone said it wouldn't have mattered who won the vote, because US-Colombia relations are so institutionalized and far-reaching that they're immune to politics. I'm not sure that's completely true, but thought it was an interesting sentiment.</p> <p>My colleagues Mimi Whitefield and Tim Johnson take a deeper look at the Latin American reaction to the US vote in today's Miami Herald.  </p> <p>MEXICO CITY -- There’s agreement across the region that Latin America wasn’t a priority during the first term of President Barack Obama but analysts say there are issues that might raise the profile of Latin America and the Caribbean during the president’s second term. Among them: trade, potential political change in the region, the potent voting bloc U.S. Hispanics have become, immigration, changing U.S. attitudes toward drug policy and security. But, in general, regional expectations for meaningful change in U.S. Latin American and Caribbean policy during Obama’s second term were muted. The campaigns of both Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney “proved that Latin America is not a priority for the United States,’’ said Simon Pachano, a political science professor at the Latin American Faculty for Social Sciences in Ecuador. “Latin America existed when they were looking for Hispanic votes, but it wasn’t present in their foreign policy proposals.” </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/07/3086849/will-latin-america-become-a-higher.html#storylink=cpy" target="_self">Read the full story here. </a></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 10:26 AM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/amazon/">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/andes/">Andes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/argentina/">Argentina</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/bolivia/">Bolivia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/brazil/">Brazil</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/chile/">Chile</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/ecuador/">Ecuador</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/politics/">Politics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/venezuela/">Venezuela</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/the-us-elections-as-seen-from-south-of-the-rio-grande.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/the-us-elections-as-seen-from-south-of-the-rio-grande.html#comments">Comments (0)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/the-us-elections-as-seen-from-south-of-the-rio-grande.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F11%2Fthe-us-elections-as-seen-from-south-of-the-rio-grande.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">November 05, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2017d3d49a61d970c"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/colombias-farc-find-new-line-of-work-refining-crude.html">Colombia's FARC find new line of work: refining crude</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>Colombia’s FARC guerrillas have always had a yen for business. Along with extortion, kidnapping and drug running, they’ve made inroads into mining and logging, according to authorities.</p> <p>Now there appears to be a new line of work.  </p> <p>Last week, the army said it broke up a FARC-run oil refinery in Nariño. The clandestine operation was being used by the Daniel Aldana faction of the guerrillas to refine crude stolen from the Trans-Andean Oil Pipeline, which is also a frequent target of guerrilla attacks.</p> <p> According to the statement, the army recovered 600 gallons of gasoline.</p> <p>It’s worth remembering that the FARC and the government will be gathering in Havana Nov. 15 to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/18/3056590/colombia-peace-talks-off-to-touchy.html#storylink=misearch" target="_self">begin peace talks in earnest</a>. Among the issues that will have to be dealt with: demands that the FARC give up the drug trade.</p> <p> Leaded or regular?</p> <p> Here’s the full release:</p> <p> <strong>Localizan refinería ilegal de las Farc</strong></p> <p><strong>Bogotá, dos de noviembre de 2012.</strong> En el marco de las operaciones realizadas por soldados del Ejército en contra de las organizaciones ilícitas de minería ilegal, en las últimas horas se logró neutralizar una refinería clandestina en el departamento de Nariño.</p> <p>La acción militar fue desarrollada por los hombres de la Brigada Móvil No. 32, quienes lograron ubicar y destruir una refinería ilegal utilizada por terroristas de la cuadrilla ‘Daniel Aldana’ de las Farc, para el hurto y procesamiento de crudo del oleoducto Transandino.</p> <p>Los hechos se registraron en el municipio de Tumaco, en  el Kilómetro 80, lugar donde los efectivos localizaron una refinería artesanal, más de 600 galones de petróleo y una piscina.</p> <p>El material incautado fue puesto a disposición de las autoridades competentes.</p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 08:00 AM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/economy/">Economy</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/colombias-farc-find-new-line-of-work-refining-crude.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/colombias-farc-find-new-line-of-work-refining-crude.html#comments">Comments (1)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/colombias-farc-find-new-line-of-work-refining-crude.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F11%2Fcolombias-farc-find-new-line-of-work-refining-crude.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">August 03, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2017616fdbd9e970c"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/08/the-olympic-issue-cuba-has-best-per-capita-showing-except-for-new-zealand.html">The Olympic issue: Cuba has best per capita showing except for New Zealand</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>It's day seven of the Olympics and time to see how Latin America is faring in the medal race. While none of the nations have <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/2012-standings/index.html" target="_self">broken the Top 10</a>, there's plenty to be proud of. Colombia's Rigoberto Uran came out of nowhere on day one to win a silver in cycling and trounce the hometown favorites. Venezuelan Fencer Ruben Limardo (seen biting his medal below) won that nation's first gold since 1968. And as usual, Cuba is doing very well considering its size. With a population of 11 million and 5 medals so far, that works out to 1 medal for every 2.2 million residents. Unless I am missing something, that's the best per capita showing save New Zealand (six medals and a population of 4.3 million, or 1 medal for every 716,66 people).</p> <p>Here's the Latino per captia breakdown:</p> <p><strong>Cuba</strong>            1 medal per 2.2 mln</p> <p><strong>Colombia</strong>     1 medal per 15 mln</p> <p><strong>Mexico</strong>         1 medal per 16 mln</p> <p><strong>Venezuela</strong>   1 medal per 28 mln</p> <p><strong>Brazil</strong>           1 medal per 34 mln</p> <p>And here's the medal breakdown</p> <p><strong>Nation  <span style="color: #ffff00;">Gold </span>   <span style="color: #b7c296;">Silver</span>  <span style="color: #bf5f00;">Bronze </span> <span style="color: #0000bf;">Total  </span></strong>  </p> <p><strong>Brazil</strong>    1        1         4            6</p> <p><strong>Cuba</strong>     2        2         1            5</p> <p><strong>Mex.  </strong>   0       3         1             4</p> <p><strong>Col.</strong>       0       2         1            3</p> <p><strong>VZ.</strong>        1        0         0            1     </p> <p>And here's the medal biter:</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=00cbdaa594&view=att&th=138e420b2b60e61e&attid=0.1.2&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1"/></p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 06:29 PM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/andes/">Andes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/venezuela/">Venezuela</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/08/the-olympic-issue-cuba-has-best-per-capita-showing-except-for-new-zealand.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/08/the-olympic-issue-cuba-has-best-per-capita-showing-except-for-new-zealand.html#comments">Comments (1)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/08/the-olympic-issue-cuba-has-best-per-capita-showing-except-for-new-zealand.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F08%2Fthe-olympic-issue-cuba-has-best-per-capita-showing-except-for-new-zealand.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">July 16, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e201774366ebec970d"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/just-got-back-from-a-fascinating-trip-to-torib%C3%ADo-colombia-where-i-was-writing-this-story-in-short-we-got-to-see-the-t.html">In Colombia's troubled Cauca, sticks trump guns (sometimes)</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e201761680b037970c-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="IMG_3395" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451c64169e201761680b037970c" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e201761680b037970c-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="IMG_3395"/></a></p> <p>Just got back from a fascinating trip to Toribío, Colombia, where <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/12/2893157/in-war-torn-colombia-an-indigenous.html" target="_self">I was writing this story.</a></p> <p>In short, we got to see the the town’s Indigenous Guard tear apart an army base and chase away FARC roadblocks without a single drop of blood. That may seem unremarkable, but this is Colombia, where even casual confrontations seem to generate a body count.</p> <p>Quite frankly, I didn’t know too much about the Indigenous Guard before I arrived in the beleaguered village, but the more I learned the more impressed I am. The guard was formed 11 years ago by the indigenous Nasa as an all-volunteer force that controls and patrols the territory.</p> <p>They’re easy to recognize because they wear green and red bandanas and carry tasseled sticks. The sticks, they claim, are only used defensively, but they’ve managed to pull off some impressive feats with them.</p> <p>In 2004, when Toribío Mayor Arquimedes Vitonas was kidnapped, some 400 members of the Indigenous Guard marched two days into the jungle to retrieve him from the FARC. Again, it was a bloodless operation and they had him back within 20 days; this in a country where hostages often spend years in the jungle and government rescue operations often include casualties.</p> <p>The Indigenous Guard want both the army and the FARC to clear the area so they can exercise control.But it's unclear how this is going to shake out. It would be political suicide for President Santos to concede any ground, and the FARC aren't going to retreat from one of their historic strongholds.</p> <p>Above: A solider gathers his belongings after villagers from Toribio, led by the Indigenous Guard, marched almost three hours uphill to dismantle the base.</p> <p>Below: The regional head of the Indigenous Guard Luis Alberto Mensa, with his staff and green and red bandana. </p> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e20176168149c8970c-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_3351" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451c64169e20176168149c8970c" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e20176168149c8970c-500wi" title="IMG_3351"/></a><br/><br/><br/></p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 12:00 PM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/guerrillas/">Guerrillas</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/just-got-back-from-a-fascinating-trip-to-torib%C3%ADo-colombia-where-i-was-writing-this-story-in-short-we-got-to-see-the-t.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/just-got-back-from-a-fascinating-trip-to-torib%C3%ADo-colombia-where-i-was-writing-this-story-in-short-we-got-to-see-the-t.html#comments">Comments (0)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/just-got-back-from-a-fascinating-trip-to-torib%C3%ADo-colombia-where-i-was-writing-this-story-in-short-we-got-to-see-the-t.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F07%2Fjust-got-back-from-a-fascinating-trip-to-torib%25C3%25ADo-colombia-where-i-was-writing-this-story-in-short-we-got-to-see-the-t.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">July 09, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2016768516d86970b"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/semana-mag-three-us-cops-at-wedding-of-dead-colombian-drug-dealer.html">Semana Mag: Three U.S. "cops" at wedding of "dead" Colombian drug dealer</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e20177432c4b2a970d-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="13" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451c64169e20177432c4b2a970d" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e20177432c4b2a970d-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="13"/></a></p> <p>What were U.S. policemen doing at the lavish wedding of a “dead” Colombian narco-trafficker?</p> <p>Colombia has been eating up details of the week-long wedding of Camilo “Fritanga” Torres, who allegedly ran drugs for the notorious Urabeño gang.</p> <p>The usually low profile Fritanga brought more than 200 guests to the island of Múcura, off the coast of Cartagena, for a bash that featured models, actors and a line up of famous singers and bands.</p> <p> Fritanga <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.flickr.com/photos/26302209@N04/2468324634/" target="_self">(the name of a fried meat dish)</a> had kept a low profile until the wedding, police said. Although he spent a stint in prison, he was released in 2009 before the courts reversed the decision and ordered his detention again. By that point a notary had certified that Fritanga had died Dec. 11, 2010.</p> <p>Colombian police told <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.semana.com/nacion/policia-estados-unidos/180377-3.aspx" target="_self">Semana Magazine</a> that when they raided the party at 4 AM on July 2, the guests thought the officers were just another part of the show. It wasn’t until they had the musicians on the ground and arrested the shirtless groom that the crowd reacted.</p> <p>Along with actors, singers and other celebrities at the party, police told the magazine there were seven guests with U.S. passports, and that three of them claimed to be U.S. policemen. Their names have been turned over to the U.S. Embassy for verification, the magazine said.</p> <p>Fritanga is wanted in the U.S. on drug charges, so it's feasible the men were in fact cops on some sort of under cover mission. </p> <p>The raid didn’t seem to dampen Fritanga’s spirits. According to the magazine, as guests applauded and toasted him, his last words as he was led away were: “Conocieron al parcero, al amigo, y seguiré siendo el amigo forever.” (Translation: “You met the buddy, the friend and I’ll keep being your friend forever.”)</p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 10:13 AM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/drug-war/">Drug war</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/semana-mag-three-us-cops-at-wedding-of-dead-colombian-drug-dealer.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/semana-mag-three-us-cops-at-wedding-of-dead-colombian-drug-dealer.html#comments">Comments (0)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/semana-mag-three-us-cops-at-wedding-of-dead-colombian-drug-dealer.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F07%2Fsemana-mag-three-us-cops-at-wedding-of-dead-colombian-drug-dealer.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">July 06, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e201774315eff8970d"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/colombia-2014-former-interior-min-londo%C3%B1o-for-president.html">Colombia 2014: Former Interior Min Londoño for President?</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has officially turned on his one time ally and current President Juan Manuel Santos. At a sold-out event last night, Uribe said he would be forming a new center-right coalition that will ultimately back a new candidate in the 2014 presidential race.</p> <p>Uribe has been blasting the administration for months, accusing it of being soft on the FARC guerrillas, too accommodating with Venezuela and not providing enough guarantees for the military. </p> <p>Thursday night’s event was to honor Uribe’s former Interior Minister and conservative columnist Fernando Londoño who survived a FARC assassination attempt in April. It was also to launch something that translates awkwarldly to “The Front Against Terrorism and Appeasement, and for Solidarity.” But the meeting had all the markings of a political rally.</p> <p>When Uribe mentioned backing a new candidate the crowd broke out into a chorus of “Londoño for President!" </p> <p>However, Londoño is ineligible for office due to the Invercolsa case. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.lasillavacia.com/perfilquien/33340/fernando-londono-hoyos" target="_self">Check out his bio and that episode here.</a></p> <p>That has to sting Santos, who was Uribe’s minister of defense and handpicked successor in the 2010 race. He hasn't announced whether he will seek reelection, but it's clear that if he does run again it won't be with Uribe's blessing. Since taking office, Santos has steered away from many of Uribe’s hawkish policies and suggested that a negotiated peace with the FARC is a possibility.</p> <p>On Thursday before the event, Santos said the fight against terrorism shouldn't be dragged into politics or “become an electoral cause.” But it's clear that Uribe, who left office with record-high approval ratings, aims to do just that.</p> <p>The venue choice was also interesting: It took place at the Nogal social club, which was bombed by the FARC in 2003, killing more than 30 people.</p> <p><span style="background-color: #fdeee0; color: #ff0000;">UPDATE:</span> Former Housing Minister Oscar Iván Zuluaga told RCN radio this morning that he hopes to be the presidential candidate with Uribe's support.</p> <p> </p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 09:49 AM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/colombia-2014-former-interior-min-londo%C3%B1o-for-president.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/colombia-2014-former-interior-min-londo%C3%B1o-for-president.html#comments">Comments (0)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/colombia-2014-former-interior-min-londo%C3%B1o-for-president.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F07%2Fcolombia-2014-former-interior-min-londo%25C3%25B1o-for-president.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">July 03, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2017742fd7f9e970d"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/the-dead-don-speaks-a-new-book-based-on-interviews-with-pablo-escobar-casts-fresh-light-on-old-alleg.html">The Dead Don Speaks: A new book based on interviews with Pablo Escobar casts fresh light on old allegations</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>I just finished reading Germán Castro Caycedo’s excellent book about drug lord Pablo Escobar called “Operación Pablo Escobar.”</p> <p>Caycedo, a respected veteran journalist in Colombia, said he interviewed the notorious head of the Medellin Cartel almost a dozens times as he was researching a book about the rise of drug dons. When Escobar was hunted down and killed in 1993, it also killed the book project.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/10/2842979/colombias-escobar-resurrected.html#storylink=misearch" target="_self">But amid renewed interest in all things Escobar</a>, Castro released the book this month.</p> <p>I’m not an Escobar scholar - I read Mark Bowden’s impressive “Killing Pablo,” but that’s about as far as I’ve gotten - but I think there are some new things in Castro’s account.</p> <p>*While it’s well known that Escobar had ties to the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, in this book Escobar claims the connection goes back to the Somoza regime in the 1970s. In his telling, the Colombia-Nicaragua-US drug route was established when a plane belonging to drug kingpin Jaime Cardona crashed on a Somoza estate. Escobar said the U.S.-backed dictator made the pilot a deal he couldn’t refuse: freedom in exchange for having a cut of all future drug runs through Nicaragua.</p> <p>*Escobar also sheds some light on the Barry Seal episode. You may recall that Seal, a drug runner for the cartel and a CIA informant, used a concealed camera to show Escobar and Jorge Ochoa presumably loading kilos of cocaine into a C-123 transport plane in Nicaragua. Seal was reportedly gunned down in 1986 in Baton Rouge by the Medellin cartel, but Escobar said he had nothing to do with the murder.</p> <p>He also said he never loaded cocaine in Nicaragua, as the pictures suggest, but that he was loading cash. He said the sting and the cocaine story was part of a complicated coverup to hide the fact that U.S. Col. Oliver North was financing Nicaragua’s Contra war with cocaine delivery contracts. (Seal and others were charging the cartel $5,000 per kilo, and the cocaine was landing on CIA-controlled fields in Texas and Louisiana.) </p> <p>Many of these allegations may have been made in one way or another, and there's no paticular reason to put much faith in anything Escobar said, but it was interesting to "hear" them from the mouth of the dead don. </p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 03:27 PM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/the-dead-don-speaks-a-new-book-based-on-interviews-with-pablo-escobar-casts-fresh-light-on-old-alleg.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/the-dead-don-speaks-a-new-book-based-on-interviews-with-pablo-escobar-casts-fresh-light-on-old-alleg.html#comments">Comments (2)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/the-dead-don-speaks-a-new-book-based-on-interviews-with-pablo-escobar-casts-fresh-light-on-old-alleg.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F07%2Fthe-dead-don-speaks-a-new-book-based-on-interviews-with-pablo-escobar-casts-fresh-light-on-old-alleg.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">July 02, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e2017742f27305970d"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/coca-as-cash-in-colombias-drug-war-backwaters-.html">Coca as cash In Colombia’s drug-war backwaters </a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p><a class="asset-img-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e20176160c3827970c-pi" style="float: left;"><img alt="IMG_3090" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451c64169e20176160c3827970c" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/.a/6a00d83451c64169e20176160c3827970c-320wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="IMG_3090"/></a></p> <p>Don Antonio unscrewed a vitamin bottle and dumped a few chunks of coca base – a precursor to cocaine – in his hand. In this part of Colombia, along the Guayabero River that divides Meta and Guaviare, coca base, or <em>mercancia</em>, is as good as cash.  A gram is worth 2,000 pesos and might buy you a Coca-Cola.</p> <p>I just got back from a trip to the region with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Despite the decades-long war on drugs and routine fumigation flights in the area, locals said about 90 percent of the population depends on the shrub to make a living. Those who have tried to make the switch to legal crops say the costs of trying to get their yucca or corn harvests to the nearest town, where they might find buyers, make it unfeasible.</p> <p>Coca base, on the other hand, is easy to transport and buyers will often visit the remote villages for pickup. It makes sense financially, but the farmers find themselves hounded by the law and caught between the crossfire of the military and the FARC guerrillas that roam the area.</p> <p>While I was on the trip, and disconnected from the outside world, there were two interesting developments in regional drug policy. The small nation of Uruguay legalized marijuana and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://news.yahoo.com/uruguay-says-pot-law-wont-drug-haven-164552495.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CbotPFPyHEA32LQtDMD" target="_self">announced that the government would become a grower and seller</a>. (Before you book your ticket, the new law also prohibits the sale to foreigners.)</p> <p>Also, Colombia’s Constitutional Court upheld a Supreme Court ruling <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-29/news/32474481_1_colombia-court-jail-time-drug-legalization" target="_self">making it illegal to imprison people for carrying up to 22 grams of marijuana and one gram of cocaine.</a> Civil rights groups said the move would help steer people toward rehab and take pressure off of overcrowded prisons. The Attorney General, however, said he would fight the ruling. </p> <p>Along the Guayabero River, Don Antonio will still be buying his Cokes with coca.  </p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 11:26 AM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/drug-war/">Drug war</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/guerrillas/">Guerrillas</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/coca-as-cash-in-colombias-drug-war-backwaters-.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/coca-as-cash-in-colombias-drug-war-backwaters-.html#comments">Comments (1)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/07/coca-as-cash-in-colombias-drug-war-backwaters-.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F07%2Fcoca-as-cash-in-colombias-drug-war-backwaters-.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <h2 class="date-header">May 31, 2012</h2> <div class="entry" id="entry-6a00d83451c64169e201630603a93c970d"> <h2 class="entry-header"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/05/want-joy-move-to-venezuela.html">Want Joy? Move to Venezuela</a></h2> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p>Columbia University's Earth Institute published its first World Happiness Report last month, and Venezuela is pleased. The study found the Andean nation was the most joyous place in South America and No. 2 in Latin America after Costa Rica.</p> <p>Out of 156 nation's ranked, Venezuela came in at 19, behind Costa Rica at 12. Brazil was 25, Argentina was 39 and Colombia was 41. Nicaragua was the grumpiest place in LatAm at 89. </p> <p>"It is not just wealth that makes people happy: Political freedom, strong social networks and an absence of corruption are together more important than income in explaining well-being differences between the top and bottom countries," the institute said.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2960" target="_self">Check out the full report here.</a> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </div> <div class="entry-footer"> <p class="entry-footer-info"> Posted by Jim Wyss at 05:45 PM in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/">Colombia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/venezuela/">Venezuela</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/05/want-joy-move-to-venezuela.html">Permalink</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/05/want-joy-move-to-venezuela.html#comments">Comments (0)</a> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/05/want-joy-move-to-venezuela.html#trackback">TrackBack (0)</a>  <script src="/web/20130318090618js_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.mcclatchydc.com%2Fsouthamerica%2F2012%2F05%2Fwant-joy-move-to-venezuela.html" type="text/javascript"></script> </p>  </div> </div> <div class="pager-bottom pager-entries pager content-nav"> <div class="pager-inner"> <span class="pager-right"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/colombia/page/2/"><span class="pager-label">Next</span> <span class="chevron">»</span></a> </span> </div> </div>  </div> <div id="col_2">  <div class="box_1"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/rss.xml"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/icon_rss.gif" border="0" width="22px"/></a> <h3>ABOUT THIS BLOG</h3> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618im_/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/wyss-100.jpg" alt="jim wyss" align="right" width="100" height="120" hspace="10" vspace="10" border="0"> <p>Inside South America is written by Jim Wyss, the South America bureau chief for the Miami Herald and McClatchy Newspapers.</p> <p>Feel free to send a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/mailto:jwyss@miamiherald.com">story suggestion</a>. 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class="vlist2"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/"><strong>McClatchy homepage</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico"><strong>Blog:</strong> Mexico Unmasked</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/china"><strong>Blog:</strong> China Rises</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/washington"><strong>Blog:</strong> Planet Washington</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/law/"><strong>Blog:</strong> Suits & Sentences</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="box_2"> <h3>RECENT POSTS</h3> <ul class="vlist"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2013/02/three-colombian-police-killed-along-venezuelan-border-amid-smuggling-activities-.html">Three Colombian Police 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Chile</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://caracaschronicles.com/" target="_blank">Caracas Chronicles: Venezuela</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times' La Plaza</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.southamericannews.com/" target="_blank">South America Daily</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.buenosairesherald.com/" target="_blank">Buenos Aires Herald</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.ain-bolivia.org/" target="_blank">Andean Information Network</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.narconews.com/" target="_blank">Narco News: Reporting on the drug war</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.thedialogue.org/index.cfm" target="_blank">Inter-American Dialogue</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.theargentinepost.com/" target="_blank">The Argentine Post</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.incakolanews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Inca Kola News</a> (English)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.elnuevoherald.com/" target="_blank">El Nuevo Herald</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.chavez.org.ve/" target="_blank">Hugo Chavez Blog: Venezuela </a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Ultimas Noticias: Venezuela</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.noticias24.com/" target="_blank">Noticias24: 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Latinoamericana de Información</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/" target="_blank">La Nacion: Argentina</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.clarin.com/" target="_blank">Clarin: Argentina</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.tercera.cl/" target="_blank">La Tercera: Chile</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.emol.com/" target="_blank">El Mercurio: Chile</a> (Spanish)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/" target="_blank">Agência Brasil</a> (Portuguese)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://oglobo.globo.com/pais/noblat/" target="_blank">Ricardo Noblat: Brazil</a> (Portuguese)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.dpi.inpe.br/proarco/bdqueimadas/" target="_blank">Brazil's National Institute of Space Research: Deforestation</a> (Portuguese)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://oglobo.globo.com/" target="_blank">O Globo: Brazil</a> (Portuguese)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.uol.com.br/" target="_blank">UOL: Brazil</a> (Portuguese)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://tangosetragedias.folha.blog.uol.com.br/" target="_blank">Tangos e Tragedias: Noticias Argentinas - Folha de Sao Paulo</a> (Portuguese)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.overmundo.com.br/" target="_blank">Overmundo</a> (Portuguese)</li> </ul> </div> <div class="box_2"> <h3>MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS</h3> <ul class="vlist2"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.adn.com/" target="_blank">Anchorage Daily News (AK)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.beaufortgazette.com/" target="_blank">Beaufort Gazette (SC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.belleville.com/" target="_blank">Belleville News-Democrat (IL)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.bellinghamherald.com/" target="_blank">Bellingham Herald (WA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.sunherald.com/" target="_blank">Biloxi Sun Herald (MS)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.bradentonherald.com/" target="_blank">Bradenton Herald (FL)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.centredaily.com/" target="_blank">Centre Daily Times (PA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/" target="_blank">Charlotte Observer (NC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.elnuevo.com/" target="_blank">El Nuevo Herald (FL)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.star-telegram.com/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.fresnobee.com/" target="_blank">Fresno Bee (CA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.idahostatesman.com/" target="_blank">Idaho Statesman (ID)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.islandpacket.com/" target="_blank">Island Packet (SC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.kansascity.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Star (MO)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.kentucky.com/" target="_blank">Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.macon.com/" target="_blank">Macon Telegraph (GA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/" target="_blank">Merced Sun-Star (CA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.miamiherald.com/" target="_blank">Miami Herald (FL)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.modbee.com/" target="_blank">Modesto Bee (CA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.thesunnews.com/" target="_blank">Myrtle Beach Sun News (SC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.theolympian.com/" target="_blank">The Olympian (WA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.newsobserver.com/" target="_blank">Raleigh News & Observer (NC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.heraldonline.com/" target="_blank">Rock Hill Herald (SC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.sacbee.com/" target="_blank">Sacramento Bee (CA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.thestate.com/" target="_blank">The State (SC)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.sanluisobispo.com/" target="_blank">San Luis Obispo Tribune (CA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.thenewstribune.com/" target="_blank">Tacoma News Tribune (WA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/" target="_blank">Tri-City Herald (WA)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://www.kansas.com/" target="_blank">Wichita Eagle (KS)</a></li> <ul> </div> <div class="box_2"> <h3>THIS MONTH</h3> <ul> <table summary="Monthly calendar with links to each day's posts"> <tr> <th>Sun</th> <th>Mon</th> <th>Tue</th> <th>Wed</th> <th>Thu</th> <th>Fri</th> <th>Sat</th> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2013/02/three-colombian-police-killed-along-venezuelan-border-amid-smuggling-activities-.html">1</a></td> <td>2</td></tr> <tr> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>6</td> <td>7</td> <td>8</td> <td>9</td></tr> <tr> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>15</td> <td>16</td></tr> <tr> <td>17</td> <td>18</td> <td>19</td> <td>20</td> <td>21</td> <td>22</td> <td>23</td></tr> <tr> <td>24</td> <td>25</td> <td>26</td> <td>27</td> <td>28</td> <td> </td> <td> </td></tr> </table> </ul> </div> <div class="box_2"> <h3>ARCHIVES</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2013/02/index.html">February 2013</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2013/01/index.html">January 2013</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/12/index.html">December 2012</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/11/index.html">November 2012</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/10/index.html">October 2012</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/09/index.html">September 2012</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130318090618/http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/southamerica/2012/08/index.html">August 2012</a></li> <li><a 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