NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs articles from February 2005

NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs archives from February 2005

U.S. BACKS FRANCISCO FLORES AS EL SALVADOR, MEXICO, AND CHILE VIE FOR TOP ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) SPOT.
February 3, 2005... The US has made official its support for Francisco Flores in his bid for secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). Flores is a former president of El Salvador (1999-2004) and because of that meets two of the US criteria...

DEATH SQUADS RETURN TO CENTRAL AMERICA.
February 3, 2005... A rash of killings in Guatemala and neighboring countries has encouraged speculation that justice-by-death-squad is returning to the region. Patterns reminiscent of past pogroms include the use by unknown assailants of white panel trucks in...

REGIONAL OUTLOOK FOR 2005: MODERATE GROWTH ON SHAKY GROUNDS.
February 3, 2005... Economists of the region are projecting moderate growth in 2005, according to chief economist of the Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economica (BCIE) Marvin Taylor Dormond. This year will be much like 2004, with expected growth of 3.3%....

HONDURAS VOTES ITS CONSCIENCE, GETS MILLENNIUM-ACCOUNT MONEY.
February 10, 2005... Allegations of arm-twisting and blackmail of the cruelest kind have surfaced in Honduras as the US seeks to garner support for its favored candidate in the election of a secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). A...

CORRUPT POLICE PURGED IN GUATEMALA AS FEMICIDE SOARS.
February 10, 2005... As crime escalates beyond crisis proportions in Guatemala, the police have been shown to be a significant part of the problem. The numbers of criminals and alleged criminals wearing the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) badge is enormous. In...

GUATEMALA'S HIGHEST COURT DISMANTLES KEY MASSACRE CASE; MASS MURDERERS COULD WALK.
February 17, 2005... Guatemala's Corte de Constitucionalidad (CC) has struck down the legal basis of a case against 16 Army officers accused of orchestrating the massacre at Dos Erres in the department of Peten during the 36-year internal war that officially ended...

GUATEMALAN CAFTA OPPOSITION'S WORST FEARS SUPPORTED, BUT GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS CAMPAIGN FOR PASSAGE.
February 17, 2005... With battle lines drawn throughout the region and in the US regarding passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the opposition in Guatemala now may have what advocates said did not exist--an alternative. At least one analyst...

PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT APPROVES SINGLE REGIONAL PASSPORT.
February 17, 2005... The Cumbre Centroamericana held in Tegucigalpa Feb. 2 resulted in a unique initiative mixed in with more mundane agenda items. The meeting at the Presidential Palace featured an item first put forth by Honduran President Ricardo Maduro. In...

HONDURAS PRIMARIES YIELD POLAR OPPOSITES FOR PRESIDENT IN 2006.
February 24, 2005... Hondurans went to the polls Feb. 20 to choose candidates for national elections slated for Nov. 27. The following day, the Tribunal Superior Electoral (TSE) announced winners: Porfirio Lobo Sosa for the ruling Partido Nacional (PN) and Manuel...

NICARAGUA, A POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE-ENERGY HOTSPOT.
February 24, 2005... As the price of oil bulged beyond the US$50 per barrel mark for the first time in 2005, Nicaragua again found itself lost in a conundrum. With its geothermal, hydroelectric, and wind resources, the country is a potential generator of renewable,...