Peace & Justice UpdateDecember 4, 2009

(Volume 23, Number 9)

The countries for the Peace & Justice Updates have been chosen as areas of focus at the Institute.

Source information: Information presented in this update is condensed from wire and newspaper reports from Lexis/Nexis and from electronic sites on the World Wide Web. Complete bibliographical information is unavailable from these services, but every attempt has been made to properly cite information and give credit to source materials. This update is intended for use by IPJ staff and associates for informational purposes only. As the material in this update is condensed, and does not directly quote the primary source, information from the update should not be quoted.

Update subscriptions: Electronic subscriptions to the Peace & Justice Updates are free; simply send an email to updates@sandiego.edu and include the word “subscribe” in the subject line.

1

The Peace & Justice Updates are written by the Fall 2009 interns at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at the University of

San Diego.

The interns are Christina Chen (University of California, San Diego), Jill Covert, MA (University of San Diego ’09), Hannah Evans

(University of San Diego), Elizabeth Skurdahl (University of San

SOURCE LIST

Abidjan = Abidjan (www.abidjan.net)Affaires Stratégiques = Affaires Stratégiques (http://www.affaires-strategiques.info/)AFP = Agence France-Presse (www.afp.com)AI = Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org)Al-Jazeera = Al-Jazeera (http://english.aljazeera.net)All Africa = AllAfrica.com (www.allafrica.com)Analyst = The Analyst (http://www.analystliberia.com)AP = Associated Press (www.ap.org)APA = African Press Agency (www.apanews.net)Asia News = Asia News Network (www.asianewsnet.net)BBC = British Broadcasting Corporation (www.news.bbc.co.uk)BBC Monitoring = BBC Monitoring International Reports (www.monitor.bbc.co.uk)BBC Mundo = BBC Mundo (www.bbc.co.uk/mundo)Bloomberg = Bloomberg (www.bloomberg.com)CFR = Council on Foreign Relations (www.cfr.org)Chicago Tribune = The Chicago Tribune (www.chicagotribune.com)CIA = CIA - The World Factbook (www.cia.gov)CNN = Cable News Network (www.cnn.com)Colombia Reports = Colombia Reports (www.colombiareports.com)CSM = The Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com) Daily Monitor = Daily Monitor (www.monitor.co.ug)Daily Nation = Daily Nation (www.nation.co.ke)Daily Observer = Daily Observer (http://www.liberianobserver.com)DSR Sri Lanka = Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (www.priu.gov.lk) Economist = The Economist (www.economist.com)EFE = EFE (www.efe.com)El Diario de Hoy = El Diario de Hoy (www.elsalvador.com)El Tiempo = El Tiempo (www.eltiempo.com)Enough = Enough (www.enoughproject.org)Euronews = Euronews (www.euronews.net)Financial Times = Financial Times (www.ft.com)

2

Govtrack = Govtrack (http://www.govtrack.us/)Guardian = The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk)Guatemala Times = Guatemala Times (www.guatemala-times.com)Haitian Times = Haitian Times (www.haitiantimes.com)Hill = The Hill (www.thehill.com)Himalayan Times = The Himalayan Times (www.thehimalayantimes.com)Hindu = The Hindu (www.hindu.com) HRW = Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org)iAfrica = iAfrica (http://iafrica.com)IANS = Indo-Asian News Service (www.ians.in) ICG = International Crisis Group (www.crisisweb.org)IHT = International Herald Tribune (www.iht.com)Independent = The Independent (www.independent.co.ug)Informer = The Informer (www.theinformer-lr.com)IPS News Agency= Inter Press Service News Agency (www.ipsnews.net)IRIN = Integrated Regional Information Network (www.irinnews.org)Jeune Afrique = Jeune Afrique (http://www.jeuneafrique.com)E-Kantipur = Kantipur News (www.ekantipur.com)Kuwait Times = Kuwait Times (http://www.kuwaittimes.net/)LAHT = The Latin American Herald Tribune (www.laht.com)La Prensa Grafica = La Prensa Grafica (www.laprensagrafica.com)LA Times = Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com)Latin America Press = Latin America Press (www.latinamericapress.org)LBO = Lanka Business Online (www.lankabusinessonline.lk)Miami Herald = The Miami Herald (www.miamiherald.com)Mindanews = Mindanews (http://www.mindanews.com/)MSF = Médecins Sans Frontière (www.msf.org)Monitor = The Monitor (www.monitor.co.ug)NACLA = North American Congress on Latin America (www.nacla.org)Nepal News = Nepal News (www.nepalnews.com)New Times = The New Times (www.newtimes.co.rw) New Vision = The New Vision (www.newvision.co.ug)NSA = National Security Archive

(http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB297/index.htm)

NYT = The New York Times (www.nytimes.com)Observer = The Observer (http://www.observer.ug/)Oxfam = Oxfam International (www.oxfam.org)Patriote = Le Patriote (www.lepatriote.net)Prensa Libre = Prensa Libre (www.prensalibre.com)Relief Web = Relief Web (www.reliefweb.int) Reuters = Reuters (www.reuters.com)Rewmi = Rewmi (www.rewmi.com)

3

RFI = Radio France Internationale (www.rfi.fr)República = República (www.myrepublica.com)Sec. Council Report = Security Council Report (www.securitycouncilreport.org)South Asia News = South Asia News Magazine (http://www.southasia.net) Sudan Tribune = Sudan Tribune (www.sudantribune.com) Sunday Leader = The Sunday Leader (www.thesundayleader.lk)TIME = Time (www.time.com)Times Live = Times Live (www.timeslive.co.za)Times of India = Times of India (www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Times Online = Times Online (www.timesonline.co.uk) TRC = Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (www.trcofliberia.org)Ugandaclusters = Ugandaclusters.ug: (www.ugandaclusters.ug)UGPulse = UGPulse (www.ugpulse.com)UHRC = Uganda Human Rights Commission (www.uhrc.ug)UN News = UN News Center (www.un.org/news)UNESCO = UN Educational, Scientific, & Cultural Organization (www.unesco.org) UNHCR = UN High Commissioner for Refugees (www.unhcr.org)UNICEF = UN Children’s Fund (www.unicef.org)UNIFEM = UN Development Fund for Women (www.unifem.org)UNMIL = United Nations Mission in Liberia (http://unmil.org) VOA = Voice of America News (www.voanews.com)WSJ = The Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)WP = The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com)Xinhua = Xinhua News Agency (www.xinhuanet.com/english)

4

UPDATE SUMMARY

AFRICA

CÔTE D’IVOIRELand reform program may exclude IDPs.

GUINEACamara wounded in assassination attempt.Presidential elections postponed as Camara bars potential contenders.

LIBERIA

5

Opposition wins Montserrado special election.

SUDANTurmoil over voter registration leads to deaths of seven IDPs.

UGANDAOfficials will tackle HIV/AIDS epidemic in a new way.

ASIA

NEPALMaoist protests diversify and continue, but budget passes.

PAKISTANZardari’s corruption amnesty expires, Obama identifies partnership with Pakistan as a key part of U.S. surge in Afghanistan.

PHIILIPPINESFamily of candidate for governor and others massacred in Mindanao; alleged perpetrator linked to President Arroyo.

SRI LANKAFonseka announces intent to run for president.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

COLOMBIAVenezuela military forces over 400 Colombians from gold mining region.

CUBALargest military exercise in five years concludes.

EL SALVADORGovernment rejects legitimacy of elections in Honduras.

GUATEMALA“Operation Sofia” documents proving Guatemalan genocide presented before Spanish National Court.

HAITIProminent political parties banned from elections.

6

AFRICA

CÔTE D’IVOIRELand reform program may exclude IDPs. A reform program designed to formalize land rights may exclude the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to a new report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). NRC Secretary General Elisabeth Rasmusson adds, “The implementation of the law may lead to further tensions over land if certain provisions and procedures are not adapted to the specific situation of IDPs.” Access to land remains a priority for IDPs; however, they may not be able to recover the land they had left behind because their absence may have compromised the legitimacy of their land claims. The reform program aims to give land ownership to those with customary rights, which could prevent IDPs who have been absent from asserting their land rights. Armed conflict broke out in Côte d’Ivoire in 2002 and ended in 2004. The conflict separated the country in two: the rebel-controlled north and the government-controlled south. Additionally, there has been a mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in the two regions, Moyen Cavally and Dix-Huit Montagnes, situated in the cocoa- and coffee-producing western part of the country. With the return of IDPs, it is feared that land disputes will only multiply. (IRIN, December 1; Relief Web, November 30, 2009)

GUINEACamara wounded in assassination attempt. Junta leader Moussa “Dadis” Camara was shot by one of his aides in Conakry December 3. Communication Minister Idrissa Cherif said Lieutenant Aboubacar “Toumba” Diakite was behind the attack. Diakite has been recently accused of participating in the bloody crackdown September 28 in which 157 were killed and 1,200 were wounded. The assassination attempt occurred shortly after Camara confronted Toumba at military camp Koundara concerning Toumba’s freeing of officers that were loyal to him December 3 but whom Camara had ordered arrested for their participation on September 28. Toumba is currently in hiding, and in response, the military has enforced blockades at main roads in Conakry December 4. Cherif assured that Camara is “doing fine…He has a slight wound on his shoulder. It’s nothing to worry about.” However, a senior civil servant who remained anonymous spoke of a serious head wound. Camara was medically evacuated to Morocco December 4. Camara seized power in a coup d’état December 2008, and the assassination attempt illustrates deep divisions within the military that appear to grow following the bloody crackdown September 28. (AFP, BBC, December 3; AP, December 4, 2009)

7

Presidential elections postponed as Camara bars potential contenders. Presidential elections, originally scheduled for January 31, 2010, will be postponed until February 14, 2010. Neither electoral material nor electoral lists have been prepared, rendering the January 31 date impossible. In addition, junta leader Moussa “Dadis” Camara has prohibited former prime ministers from running for the upcoming elections. Camara has accused Sidya Touré (July 1996-March 1999); Francois Lonsény (February 2004-April 2004); and Cellou Dalein Diallo (December 2004-April 2006) of “pillaging” and “selling out” Guinea. The three ex-Prime Ministers are also the main opponents to Camara’s presidency. According to Diallo, Camara has barred them from running for presidency because he wants to eliminate potential opponents to his candidacy. Recent negotiations have, nonetheless, allowed Camara to run for the presidency and have recommended he to stay in power for a transition period of 10 months. Opposition leaders have rejected this proposition made by President of Burkina Faso and mediator, Blaise Compaoré. Camara’s bid for presidency had sparked a demonstration on September 28, which led to a bloody crackdown by the military in which 157 were killed and 1,200 wounded. Analysts from the International Crisis Group have claimed that Comaporé is not the most reliable in advocating democracy and supporting civil government. Compaoré’s background as patron to ex-rebel chief and president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, military background, and own coup d’état 22 years earlier potentially biases him in favor of the junta. Citizens are waiting for new talks between the junta, the opposition, and Compaoré that will bring an end to Guinea’s political deadlock. (Jeune Afrique, November 25, 26, 28, 2009)

LIBERIAOpposition wins Montserrado special election. Opposition party Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) won a special election against President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s ruling Unity Party November 26. The special election was held November 10 to fill a vacant senate seat, which is now filled by CDC candidate Geraldine Doe-Sheriff. The election, in the Montserrado province, was considered important because a win in the election would likely be followed with a seat in the national government. Doe-Sheriff stated that her victory was a reflection on President Sirleaf’s policies. Some observers have claimed that the Unity Party’s defeat was made possible by the government’s failure to prosecute several officials accused of corruption, and its failure to address the high unemployment rate. To address the public’s needs, Doe-Sheriff had promised to pass laws that would support education, ensure equal rights, protect the Constitution, clean up the corrupt societal, economic and political

8

systems, and promote economic and technological development during her electoral campaign. CDC’s victory was also made possible by an unusual collaboration among six opposition political parties. It is important to note that discontent with the government is now expressed “through the ballot and not through the bullet,” a clear sign that Liberia is recovering from its 14-year civil war (1989-2003). (Analyst, VOA, November 26, 2009)

SUDANTurmoil over voter registration leads to deaths of seven IDPs. Government troops killed seven internally displaced persons (IDPs) November 27 at the Deleij IDP camp in West Darfur. The Sudanese regular forces and militia were in the region accompanying local authorities who were attempting register the IDPs for the upcoming presidential election. However, the IDPs refused to register, claiming they first wanted the government to disarm the militia, hold accountable the perpetrators of the atrocities in the region, and conclude a peace deal before organizing an election. According to Hussein Abu Sharati, the spokesperson for the Darfur IDPs and refugees, the IDPs “had a hot discussion with the officials after declaring their support to [the rebel leader] Abdel Wahid Al-Nur, then the regular forces and the militia started to shoot on the innocent civilians.” He went on to say that peacekeepers were present at the time of the attack but did not intervene and warned that similar events could occur in other Darfurian IDP camps. This attack occurred on the same day that the U.S. released a statement expressing skepticism about the ability of Sudan to hold legitimate elections. The statement stated that the National Congress Party of the North and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement of the South, “continue their discussions to resolve key outstanding issues relating to the 2010 national elections and the 2011 referenda in Southern Sudan and Abyei. Unfortunately, they have not yet demonstrated the political will necessary to achieve resolution on these difficult and sensitive issues.” The government in Khartoum rejected these aspersions, claiming the U.S. was attempting “sabotage with a goal of achieving [a] special agenda.” The Sudanese government began a nationwide voter registration for the upcoming general election that was meant to last one month. The registration process was recently extended for one week, however, due to irregularities and lack of access to certain remote regions. (Sudan Tribune, November 29, 2009)

UGANDAOfficials will tackle HIV/AIDS epidemic in a new way. The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) is planning to change its campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS “after HIV prevention messages were less

9

successful than hoped.” Uganda’s ABC model – “Abstain, Be Faithful, or use Condoms” – brought HIV levels down from 20 percent in the 1980s to about 6 percent in 2000. However, since then, “Uganda’s HIV levels have stagnated, showing a marginal increase in prevalence over the past few years.” The UAC has planned to tailor its campaign to spreading knowledge about the causes and consequences of the disease. According to Saul Onyango, a senior health educationist with the UAC, the campaign “shall use basic facts in the messages to communicate effectively because we have realized that the level of knowledge about basic facts on HIV information is quite limited.” A team of medical and communication experts will work together to develop this new campaign and then coordinate with “English and local language media to disseminate [it].” Some officials are also calling for a return of messages based on fear, first used in the early 1980s. David Kihumuro Apuuli, the UAC director-general, said “we have to change the destiny of this country, even if it means putting back the drums of the 1980s that used to frighten people.” According to the UAC, there are 110,000 new HIV infections every year and 63,000 deaths from HIV-related illnesses. (IRIN, November 16, 2009; Guardian, November 30, 2009; Daily Monitor, December 1, 2009)

ASIA

NEPALMaoist protests diversify and continue, but budget passes. The legislature passed the state budget on November 25 after months of delay. The bill, put forth by Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, was previously blocked by Maoist (UCPN-M) lawmakers. In a move out of the political deadlock the government has been involved in for months, Maoists encouraged the passage of the budget by allowing Parliamentary business to continue. Protests by the UCPN-M have continued, however, in other venues. As part of a third round of protests carried out in the past month, Maoist Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai has announced that his party will declare and occupy new “autonomous states” as part of a shadow government from December 11-18. Maoist leaders have responded to international concern over their proposed parallel government by claiming that the announcement is “purely symbolic.” The concept of autonomous state declaration was brought up in the group’s second round of protests, but was dropped. Bhattarai said that the strategy was now needed because the government needs more pressure on it to listen to Maoist demands, and as the Maoists say, “restore civilian supremacy.” In another form of protest, an estimated 10,000 people identified with the UCPN-M who claim to represent the landless have occupied 10 kilometers of state-owned forest in the country’s Kailali district. A

10

human barricade has been formed around temporary shelters, and protesters claim that they will not allow anyone to evict them. Maoist protests in recent months have raised international concern over the state of the peace process signed by Maoists and the government in 2006, ending a decade-long civil war. (Himalayan Times, November 26; Hindustan Times, November 28; Kathmandu Post, November 21, 26; Press Trust of India, December 1; Xinhua, November 21, 2009)

PAKISTANZardari’s corruption amnesty expires, Obama identifies partnership with Pakistan as a key part of U.S. surge in Afghanistan. An amnesty protecting Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistani politicians from corruption charges is due to end December 5. While parliament could extend the National Reconciliation Ordinance, as the amnesty is called, political power in the legislature is too weak, analysts say. The ordinance keeps Zardari and many of his colleagues in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from being tried while they remain in office. Once the amnesty expires, the whole party could be significantly weakened. As the deadline approaches, Zardari has relinquished many of his powers to others, most notably by handing over control of the country’s nuclear arsenal to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani November 27. Critics say that although the move is diplomatically significant, the responsibility for nuclear weapons has always been a joint task for the president, prime minister, and army chief, so in practice not much power was shifted with the Novembr 27 decision. Analysts said that Zardari’s willingness to share powers was an indicator of an informal compromise that would allow him to stay in power past the end of the amnesty. U.S. President Barack Obama called Zardari December 1 to brief him on the statement Obama would release in the U.S. hours later, outlining the U.S. military strategy in neighboring Afghanistan. Obama identified Pakistan as an essential ally against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda as he announced a surge of 30,000 U.S. troops to the war in Afghanistan, amidst heated public debate. Obama declared a new phase of partnership with Pakistan, saying that the U.S. would not “abandon” the country. In addition to political instability in the government, violence has brought decreased security to Pakistan in recent months. U.S. attack drones aimed at militants, a Pakistani army offensive, and continued suicide bombings by Taliban groups have created a climate in which reconciliation has been deemed difficult. Calvin Woodward and Robert Burns of AP have stated that Obama’s view is unrealistic, and that Pakistani and U.S. military forces have different strategies and aims in mind, which must be addressed. Prime Minister Gilani stated December 1 that U.S. drone attacks have interfered with the army’s ability to target and isolate militants, leading to drawn-out violence.

11

(AFP, December 1; Al-Jazeera, November 28; AP, Bloomberg, December 1, 2009) PHILIPPINESFamily of candidate for governor and others massacred in Mindanao; alleged perpetrator linked to President Arroyo. Prosecutors charged Andal Ampatuan Jr., the mayor of Datu Unsay in Maguindanao Province on the island of Mindanao, with 25 counts of murder December 1. Ampatuan was accused of orchestrating the massacre of 57 people November 23, more than half of whom were journalists and members of the media. The victims also included the wife, sisters, aunt, and supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, a local politician. The group was on its way to the provincial capital to file papers for Mangudadatu’s candidacy for governor, a position for which Ampatuan was also running. The victims were stopped by Ampatuan and dozens of armed men while en route. They were then shot, mutilated and buried in mass graves not far from the highway. The Ampatuan family is a strong presence in Maguindanao province, with Andal Ampatuan Sr. occupying the governorship for many years. Furthermore, the “Ampatuan clan is a close ally of [President Gloria Macapagal] Arroyo and has traditionally delivered crucial swing votes to candidates in the ruling administration coalition.” However, the “Mangudadatu family is also an old, powerful clan and it is now feared that they will soon begin revenge killings.” This increase in clan violence, according to analysts, could negatively impact humanitarian efforts for the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the island. Stephen Anderson, the country representative for the World Food Program (WFP), said “we are not pulling our staff out, but if the security situation deteriorates further, it could affect us.” The WFP has been providing aid to IDPs displaced by the conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a rebel separatist group. According to “the National Disaster Coordinating Council, more than 250,000 people are still in camps or with friends and relatives.” (IRIN, November 30, 2009; New York Times, December 2, 2009)

SRI LANKAFonseka announces intent to run for president. Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief who played an important role in the defeat of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) announced November 27 that he intends to run for president during the upcoming elections, scheduled for January 26. He announced his candidacy as head of the recently formed coalition of opposition parties. Fonseka’s announcement came after his resignation from his post in the army two weeks earlier. He accused the current president, Mahinda

12

Rajapaksa, of sidelining him due to fears of a coup d’état. Rajapaksa, as the incumbent president, has completed only four years of his six-year term, yet he called for elections to occur nearly two years early. Rajapaksa’s coalition currently is in strong public favor in most provinces, and analysts have said that he called for the early elections in order to benefit from his postwar popularity. Analysts such as BBC’s Charles Haviland have speculated that the personal rift between Rajapaksa and Fonseka is beginning to drive state politics on the highest levels, and because of each candidate’s roles in the conflict, the war would become the central issue of the election. Although Fonseka has publicly denounced conditions in the government-run camps in the north where an estimated 280,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were illegally held until recent weeks, critics have decried his role in the conflict. Fonseka oversaw the military strategy against the LTTE that killed an estimated 7,000 civilians in the last months of the war, and has been informally accused of human rights abuses and war crimes. The U.S. State Department is among those concerned over Fonseka’s history, and unsuccessfully attempted to question him while he was in the U.S. in early November. The government, under mounting international criticism, has responded in recent weeks by releasing IDPs from the camps in which they have been held illegally since May. Some escapees have called the situation for ethnic Tamils in the country a form of genocide. Due to economic pressures, the government has released 120,000 IDPs in addition to the 40,000 released in October, making the January deadline more plausible than analysts previously considered. (Al-Jazeera, November 29, December 1; AP, November 29; BBC, November 10; NYT, Reuters, November 29, 2009)

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

COLOMBIAVenezuela military forces over 400 Colombians from gold mining region. Without warning, the Venezuelan National Guard flew in with helicopters November 26 and told hundreds of Colombian miners and their families to leave a makeshift gold mine in Venezuela. The Venezuelan government said it is illegal to mine in that region, which is part of the Yacapana National Park. According to one of the women forced to flee, the people were stripped of their possessions after leaving the camp and spent all of Thursday and Friday in the mountains, “hungry and thirsty.” The expelled miners went downriver to the small Colombian border town of Puerto Inírida, which was unprepared to host the hundreds of displaced workers. According to

13

the Associated Foreign Press, Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva said he would propose a special status for the displaced so they can receive financial assistance while in Puerto Inírida. Silva also said Colombia would report the “forced displacement to international human rights authorities because it violates international humanitarian rights.” Venezuela accused the Colombians of politicizing the event and using it to create a “psychological war” against Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez’s government. The miners’ expulsion is the latest episode in the ongoing crisis between Colombia and Venzuela, which intensified when Colombia agreed to allow the U.S. access to seven of its military bases back in July. Subsequently, Venezuela cut off diplomatic and economic ties, and in early November sent 15,000 troops to the Colombian border to “prepare for war.” Reuters said no one is expecting a major war between the two countries, but cited Jane’s Intelligence Weekly as stating recently, “The risk of a military clash between Colombia and Venezuela has risen in recent weeks from low to moderate, and is increasing.” (AFP, Reuters, December 1; El Tiempo, November 30, 2009)

CUBALargest military exercise in five years concludes. On November 26 Cuba launched its largest military maneuver since 2004, “Bastion 2009,” “aimed at raising the country’s capacity to prevent a military confrontation.” Bastion 2009 was a three-day exercise, which mobilized regular troops, Ministry of the Interior units and the militia to practice ground, flight and artillery tactics. Although President Barack Obama has recently claimed that “the United States has no intention of using military force in Cuba,” Cuban officials said they must prepare the military for an attack from the U.S. According to General Leonardo Andollo Valdés, a member of the high command of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, “The current political-military situation that characterizes the confrontation between Cuba and the U.S. government has made these strategic exercises a necessity of the first order.” Tension between the U.S. and Cuba has been slightly alleviated, as President Obama has lifted restrictions on Cuban-American travel and remittances. However, “the fear of an attack [by the U.S.] has been a constant concern” in Cuba. In 1961, the U.S. backed Cuban exiles in an invasion of the Bay of Pigs, and that same year established the economic embargo that remains in place today. In addition, the CIA has made numerous attempts to assassinate former President Fidel Castro. According to Valdés, the “political, military situation that characterizes the confrontation between [Cuba] and the empire [U.S.] can go from a relatively normal situation to a much more urgent, confrontational, aggressive one in a month, a week, or even in a night.” Bastion 2009 concluded with a military

14

parade November 29, Cuba’s National Defense Day. Cuba holds military exercises of this sort once every four years. (AP, November 29; CNN, November 27; Reuters, Xinhua, November 26, 2009)

EL SALVADORGovernment rejects legitimacy of elections in Honduras. President Mauricio Funes said November 30 that El Salvador, for the time being, does not recognize the results from the new Honduran presidential elections. In the election, held November 29, Porfirio Lobo from the conservative National Party (PN) won with 55.9 percent of the votes. Lobo is to replace interim President Roberto Micheletti, who became president in June after ousting former President Manual Zelaya in a coup d’état. The Salvadoran government rejected the coup against Zelaya and has refused to accept the legality of the Micheletti administration. According to Juan José Figueroa, the foreign minister of El Salvador, the government does not recognize the results of the election, but is open to changing positions if the new Honduran president brings positive change. Figueroa’s spokesperson said, “[At] this moment we do not recognize the result, but if the elected president has an attitude to promote the formation of national unity and a truth commission, it is possible [that we will accept Lobo as president]. The attitude of the [Honduran] president will determine that.” President Funes has viewed the election as a “new political moment in search of alternatives to the political crisis,” and said he hopes that Lobo will be able to “reestablish constitutional order” in Honduras. Support for the election is divided, with Colombia, the U.S. and Panama accepting the results and key actors such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and the Organization of American States rejecting the legitimacy of the election. Zelaya was ousted June 28 by a coup led by troops numbering between 200 and 300, after critics charged him with acting unconstitutionally by trying to extend presidential term limits. Micheletti, who was constitutionally second-in-line to the presidency, was then sworn in as de facto leader. (AFP, December 1; El Faro, La Prensa Gráfica, November 30; LA Times, December 1, 2009)

GUATEMALA“Operation Sofia” documents proving Guatemalan genocide presented before Spanish National Court. On December 2, Kate Doyle of the National Security Archive at the University of George Washington brought forth evidence to Judge Santiago Pedraz in Madrid confirming that the Guatemalan army deliberately massacred tens of thousands of Mayan civilians in the early 1980s. Hundreds of thousands were displaced as they ran from the army’s attacks. Doyle testified that the documents, which came from military intelligence records, were authentic. The National Security Archive website reported that the

15

documents “contain explicit references to the killing of unarmed men, women and children, the burning of homes, destruction of crops, slaughter of animals and indiscriminate aerial bombing of refugees trying to escape the violence.” The attacks were conducted under the leadership of General Efraín Ríos Montt. Ríos Montt and General Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores, who at the time was Vice Minister of Defense, are both defendants in the case. According to Pedraz, more than 200,000 people were killed and 45,000 disappeared. The international genocide case was initiated by Nobel Peace Laureate, Rigoberta Menchú in 1999, which is when the documents were originally requested. In 2008 the Guatemalan Constitutional Court ordered the military to hand over the documents, but the military said they were unable to locate them. (NSA, Prensa Libre, December 2, 2009)

HAITIProminent political parties banned from elections. Haiti’s electoral council banned the Fanmi Lavalas political party of former President Jean-Bertrand Artiside November 26 from participating in the 2010 legislative elections. The party is among 17 groups barred from the 2010 legislative elections, including the Lespwa party that formed around current President René Préval. Artiside, who has been living in exile in South Africa and was overthrown during a 2004 rebellion, called the decision “an electoral coup d’etat.” The Lavalas party had also been barred from the 2006 presidential elections. The council has stated that the 17 rejected parties submitted improper documents and has offered no additional explanation for its “irreversible” decision. Outside of the 17 rejected parties, 53 were approved to run. The U.N. peacekeeping mission, a 9,000-member force deployed in Haiti after the 2004 rebellion, urged Haitian officials to provide a justification for banning the political parties, asking them to “avoid making decisions that might hint at unequal treatment” and to “review documents from all parties with openness and equality.” The legislative elections are scheduled for February 28, but may be postponed to coincide with a presidential ballot later in 2010. (AP, November 26, 27, 2009)

16