Weekly Roundup: Russia's LatAm Ties, Caracas Seizes Cemex, and Paraguay's New President

Russia Bolsters LatAm Military Ties

As global attentions turn to Russia’s invasion of Georgia, some analysts wonder about ways Moscow seeks to expand its sphere of influence to the Western Hemisphere. U.S. missile shield plans in Eastern Europe led to rumors that Russian planned to step up its commercial, financial, and technological ties with Cuba and Venezuela in an effort to strengthen its geopolitical influence in Washington’s backyard. Rumors that Moscow plans to station bombers in Cuba may become a new leveraging tool for Cuba, explains ISN's Sam Logan. Cuban-born journalist Carlos Alberto Montaner writes for PostGlobal about not only the Cuba rumors, but also others about the possibility of a Russian base in Venezuela.

El Espectador reports that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez recently announced on his weekly radio program "Aló Presidente" that Russian warships may visit Venezuelan ports soon and that Caracas could purchase submarines from Moscow, which has become a major vendor of military equipment to Venezuela in recent years.

Chávez Expropriates Cemex Assets

The Financial Times reports that Caracas seized the holdings of Mexico’s Cemex in Venezuela before a compensation agreement was reached. While negotiations will likely continue, Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramírez called Cemex’s demand of $1.3 billion “way, way above” its plants’ value.

Venezuela’s Satellite Plans

The Latin Americanist reports that Venezuela plans to launch a Chinese-made broadcast and telecommunications satellite named for Simón Bolivar. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez also hopes to launch a second satellite to map Latin America. “Do you hear that crumpling sound?” asks blogger Erwin C. “It’s the noise of one too many tinfoil hats being placed on the noggins of conspiracy theorists.”

Grim Signs of Violence in Mexico

As Mexicans prepare for an August 30 march to protest violent crime and insecurity, the country’s attorney general’s office released figures showing that the number of kidnappings jumped by more than 9 percent in the first five months of 2008. Foreign Policy’s Passport comments that “drug wars in Mexico have sunk to a new low” after gang members killed eight patients in a Ciudad Juárez rehabilitation center last week. “Mexican organized crime needs organized resistance,” suggests a Houston Chronicle editorial that urges the government of President Felipe Calderón to stamp out corruption at all levels.

Read a recent AS/COA hemispheric update on the Merida Initiative and Mexico’s wr on organized crime.

Recommending More Mexican Reforms

In a policy paper published by the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy, Standard & Poor’s Joydeep Mukherji writes that, even as Mexico has taken action to boost its economy, the country must push through more reforms—particularly in the energy sector—to move from economic stability to dynamism.

Slow Transformations in Cuba

The Financial Times' Richard Lapper explains that while Cuba's economy continues to grow stronger, its internal political tone is also changing and finally involves discussion of thorny issues like income inequality and the replacement of the costly and inefficient food rationing system.

Peru Declares State of Emergency in Amazon

Jurist, the University of Pittsburgh’s legal news site, covers Lima’s decision to declare a state of emergency in the Peruvian Amazon in response to protests by indigenous groups over a law “reducing the majority by which a tribe must agree to sell communal land to oil and natural gas companies.” Government officials defended the decision to institute a state of emergency, which bans gatherings and temporarily increases police presence, to protect power stations that have been attacked during protests.

Lugo Begins Presidency on Strong Footing

On August 15, Fernando Lugo took the reins as Paraguay’s new president—marking the end of the more than six decades of Colorado Party power—with his approval ratings hitting 93 percent.

Interview with an Ex-Paramilitary

In a Washington Post interview Ever Veloza, an ex-paramilitary commander jailed in Colombia, underlined the importance to "not to talk a lot, but tell the truth" when referring to his testimony. Veloza, who once directed two militias of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, has participated in a special judicial process in which he confessed to hundreds of killings and kidnappings.

Hispanics Fuel U.S. Population Growth

The U.S Census Bureau released data predicting that Hispanics' share of the U.S. population could more than triple, growing from 46.7 million to a roughly 132 million by 2050. In an interview with the Miami Herald, experts recommended policymakers should rethink their spending and redirect funds to education for immigrant children.

A new AS/COA white paper examines private sector efforts to support Hispanic integration.

Argentina Faces Economic Concerns

The administration of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner faces another round of strikes from the country's farmers, who demand an immediate end to agricultural taxes. Simultaneously, the country’s economy faces the possibility of default similar to the one in 2002 due to the constant string of negative financial results, according to an RGE Monitor analysis.

Canadian PM’s Handling of China Relations

Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien criticized current Prime Minister Stephen Harper for harming the country’s relations with China. Harper did not attend the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics and gave honorary Canadian citizenship to the Dalai Lama.

Underwater Hezbollah Connections?

Wired magazine’s Danger Room blog asks whether the growth in the number of drug-smuggling submarines in Latin American waters could be connected to terrorist activities in the Middle East. The analysis links a recent capture of a submarine, the increased presence of the U.S. Navy’s Fourth Fleet in Latin America, and the Southern Command’s Admiral James Stavridis’ suspicions that illicit activities in the Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay tri-border border area fund Hezbollah activities.

Read a recent AS/COA Online analysis about the reactivation of the Fourth Fleet.

In a new AS/COA interview with U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Clifford Sobel discusses U.S.-Brazil cooperation in the field of security.

The Legacy of Brazil's Minister Gil

OpenDemocracy profiles the mixed reactions towards the resignation of the renowned Brazilian Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil. According to the analysis, the popular musician-tuned-politician was fiercely attacked by detractors but managed to outline new policies to decentralize media ownership in Brazil.

Editor's note: AS/COA Online will not publish the Weekly Roundup on August 27, 2008. Look for the next issue on September 3, 2008.