Bolivia announces UNASUR summit

Translated by Brian Schwarz

Originally published January 4, 2010 in "La Prensa" of Managua, Nicaragua (laprensa.com.ni) under the heading Bolivia anuncia cumbre de Unasur

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (AFP) – The Bolivian government announced Monday in La Paz that the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) will host a summit in Quito, Ecuador, January 27 and 28, to discuss the issue of the seven U.S. military bases in Colombia.

“We will be arranging a meeting of the heads of state of UNASUR, January 27 and 28, where we will discuss exclusively the issue of the military bases” in Colombia, said Bolivian defense minister Walker San Miguel, interviewed by the private radio station Erbol.

The Bolivian official announced that “the Bolivian government will take its well-known stance” at the meeting, referring to La Paz’ firm criticism of the U.S. military bases, a position clearly shared by Colombia’s neighbors, Venezuela and Ecuador.

The existence of more than six bases staffed with U.S. personnel has generated a total impasse in the region, which feels uncomfortable with the foreign presence”, said the defense minister, Bolivia’s point person on the Colombia-U.S. military situation.

At the last meeting of UNASUR, held in Quito last November, defense ministers agreed to organize a regional meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in order to discuss the matter.

UNASUR, headquartered in Ecuador, is comprised of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Perú, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela. [UNASUR in this article refers to the voting body formed by the UNASUR treaty, signed in 2008, which aims to organize South America in a model similar to that of the European Union with a common currency, parliament, and passport.]

Gay marriage, adoption rights open path to equality in Latin America

Translated by Brian Schwarz

Originally published in “El Tiempo” of Bogota, Colombia (eltiempo.com) under the heading Poco a poco se abren paso las bodas gays en América Latina

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY – For the gay community, 2009 was a year of great advances in the fight for equal rights in a region where fierce resistance stems from a strong Catholic tradition.

With the celebration in Argentina of Latin America’s first gay marriage and the legalization of this type of wedding in Mexico City, the gay community closed the year with important advances in its fight for equal rights, this in open conflict with the strong tradition of Catholicism throughout the region.

The Argentine wedding took place just two days after the Mexico City’s legislative assembly approved December 21 a law that would allow gay couple to marry. That law becomes effective in Mexico in February.

Buenos Aires and Mexico City, as well as Uruguay and Colombia, already allow civil unions, but marriage among people of the same sex was not made legal in the region until now.

The controversy over gay marriage carries with it a debate over adoption rights for couples of the same sex.

Along these lines, this year there were advances in Uruguay. A new law passed to authorize adoption for gay couples while another passed which allows name and sex records to be changed.

In El Salvador, an attempt to expressly block gay marriages failed. While clauses that prohibit sexual discrimination were included in the constitutions of Bolivia and Ecuador.

In Colombia, an ongoing judicial struggle indicates that couples of the same sex may win adoption rights, according to Germán Rincón, member of Colombia Diversa.

Even Cuba seems to have left marginalization behind and has raised the possibility of permitting legal unions and adoptions.

On the other hand, in Costa Rica the highest court rejected a plea to legalize gay unions. And in Peru, the government passed a new police law mandating severe sanctions for officers who are gay, because they affect the image of the institution.

Venezuela completes delivery of Mirage aircraft to Ecuador

Translated by Brian Schwarz

Originally published Friday, December 11, 2009 in "El Comercio" of Ecuador (elcomercio.com) under the heading Venezuela completa la entrega de aviones Mirage a Ecuador

MARACAY, VENEZUELA - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez yesterday dispatched during an anniversary ceremony for the Venezuelan Air Force the final three Mirage 50 aircraft being donated to Ecuador.

“With this act the departure of our Mirage airplanes to Ecuador becomes a reality, and there are those who say they are just scrap metal, but they are combat aircraft in perfect condition”, Chavez said.

Chavez stated that “three of these already have arrived there” in the month of October, and “these three make the six [we promised]”.

The ceremony, held in the city of Maracay, some 100 Kilometers from Caracas, Ecuadorian pilots led by the defense envoy from the Ecuadorian Embassy in Caracas, Colonel of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramón Paz y Miño and major Santiago Galarza.

The president emphasized that the gesture is a “reaffirmation” of the “true South American unity” that drives his government and and assures that the donated aircraft will “help defend the sovereignty and peace of Ecuador”.

In January, Chavez also recalled, the first six Chinese-built K8 airplanes and the Brazilian-made T27s arrived in Venezuela.

On Thursday the president issued a decree that changed the air force’s anniversary date to November 27 in commemoration of the uprising of pilots who sought to reissue Chavez’ failed coup [on then constitutional president Carlos Andrés Pérez] on February 4, 2002, nine months later.