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| Welcome to edition 3513 published on 04/04/2008 | There are 6 articles in this week´s edition.
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When the United States signed its first free trade agreement with Mexico in 1994 the EU quickly followed suit with its own version. Now that the US has finalized CAFTA, a larger free trade agreement including most of Central America, the EU has opened its own negotiations on a similar treaty. As the second round of these closed-door meetings ended last month, Central American leaders found their proposals losing ground against those put forward by their European counterparts.
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published 04/04/2008 |
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Five months after El Salvador's opposition party, the Farabundo Martí Front for National Liberation (FMLN), announced its candidate for the 2009 presidential election, the ruling National Republican Alliance (ARENA) has nominated its own candidate. The winner is Rodrigo Ávila, former director of the country's National Civil Police (PNC), who promises to bring unity to a party that seems to be unraveling at the seams with internal conflicts. Only two weeks into his nomination, Ávila is pinned between fellow ARENA members accusing his campaign of fraud and a challenge from a highly popular FMLN candidate.
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published 04/04/2008 |
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President Colom's recent trip to Brazil made it clear that oil is at the top of his government's agenda. As the rising price of oil on the international market and a drop in Guatemala's domestic production cast a dark shadow over the national economy, Colom is actively seeking to attract Brazilian investment and is hoping to entice state-owned PETROBRAS to invest in newly discovered oil fields. Meanwhile, Perenco, the largest oil company operating in the country, has threatened to withdraw part of its investments in Guatemala. At a local level, the mayors of the oil rich department of Petén, in northern Guatemala, have demanded a greater share of oil sector's profits.
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published 04/04/2008 |
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On March 15, candidates were selected for Nicaragua's local elections to be held in November. Some were elected by popular vote while others were selected by party leaders, yet the end result has been a forging of new alliances and a possible challenge to the leading Sandinista (FSLN) party. For the first time in the past five years a group of parties has put aside their differences and joined under the banner of the “Let's Go Eduardo” Movement (MVCE). To further complicate matters for the FSLN, new reports have emerged charging the party with voter manipulation at the polls.
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published 04/04/2008 |
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Panamanians have been fighting an uphill battle to protect the country's natural resources from the effects of mining, dam building, and other extractive industries. More often than not these struggles have been waged outside of the spotlight of the national press, but increased political repression of activists has begun to bring greater attention to the issue.
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published 04/04/2008 |
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The tight grip held by Musa and his supporters appears to have finally been loosened and the former power hierarchy within the party could crumble as Briceño takes over as leader of the People's United Party (PUP) and Fonseca's supporters leave their posts. Though the party has only 6 out of 31 seats in the House of Representatives, the departure of party members widely believed to be inextricably linked to corruption would leave the door open for a disabled PUP to rebuild popular support.
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published 04/04/2008 |
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