Bolivian President Evo Morales spoke out Aug. 3 in defense of his colleagues Rafael Correa of Ecuador and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, saying the charges of their links to Colombia's FARC guerillas are an "montage to discredit revolutionary presidents." Last month, he likewise defended Guatemala's Álvaro Colom against charges of involvement in the murder of lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg, saying the country's "oligarchy" of scheming to "invent a death" to create conflict. (EFE, Aug. 3)

The Bolivian government has started implementing provisions outlined in the new constitution that give indigenous people the right to govern themselves. On Aug. 2, President Evo Morales enacted a decree setting out the conditions for indigenous communities to hold votes on autonomy. These referenda will take place in December, along with presidential and congressional elections. The provisions allowing for votes on indigenous autonomy were presented in a ceremony in Camiri, the eastern region of Santa Cruz. Morales called it "a historic day for the peasant and indigenous movement."

The Mexican newspaper Milenio finds that July was the bloodiest month in the country since President Felipe Calderón took office in December 2006. According to Milenio, 854 people were killed in narco-violence in the country in July alone. Hardest hit is Ciudad Juárez, where 250 people were killed in July. Between January and July 4,300 people were killed in drug-related violence in Mexico, compared to 2,651 killed in the same period in 2008. By government figures, over 7,700 have been killed in drug-related violence since 2006, but Milenio said the actual figure was closer to 13,000. Milenio also found that kidnapping has increased by 154% over 5 the past five years.

A judge sentenced 15 members of Colombia's military to between four and 30 years in prison for killing two civilians they tried to disguise as guerillas killed in combat, prosecutors said Aug. 1. An officer, three of his subordinates and six rank-and-file troops were found to have overseen or participated in the plot to kill the two young men in Medellín in May 2006. Five other troops were found to have covered up details in the case, for which they were sentenced to four years. The young men were restaurant workers who went missing on their way home from work; their bodies turned up the following day, labelled as killed in combat by an infantry battalion. The case was one of the highest profile of a series of so-called "false positive" scandals. (AFP, Aug. 1)

Venezuelan Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega July 30 proposed legislation to limit the media's freedom of expression in certain circumstances, citing the importance of national security. Under the proposed law, journalists could face up to four years in prison for "threatening the social peace, security and independence of the nation, public order, stability of state institutions, mental health, and public morals and for generating a climate of impunity or insecurity. The law would also punish those who disseminate false information, resulting in public panic. Ortega later stressed to the media that the measures are essential for balancing freedom of expression with safety and security concerns.

Trials began Aug. 1 of 100 protesters arrested following Iran's disputed June presidential election. For the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution, dozens of senior officials, including former ministers, vice-presidents and lawmakers, have been put on trial. The official IRNA news agency quoted the indictment as saying the charges against the defendants include acting against national security by planning unrest, participating in an attempted "Velvet Revolution" and conspiring against the ruling system. The indictment names Gene Sharp and the Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization (IRMO) as masterminds of the unrest. (Tehran Times, Daily Times, Pakistan, Aug. 2)

China will begin trials over the next weeks for suspects accused in last month's deadly riots in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, state media announced. China Daily said officials are organizing special tribunals for "a small number" of the 1,400 detained, most of them ethnic Uighurs. Earlier this week, the authorities arrested an additional 253 suspects, many through tips provided by Urumqi residents. Those who provide information leading to an arrest can collect up to $7,350 in reward money. Li Zhi, the head of the Communist Party in Urumqi warned: "To those who have committed crimes with cruel means, we will execute them."

Chinese human rights group Gongmeng announced July 30 that its co-founder, prominent attorney Xu Zhiyong, was arrested at his home the previous morning and has not been heard from since. The group has also been unable to reach a second staff member, Zhuang Lu. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have expressed concern over the detentions of Xu and Zhuang, calling for their immediate release. China's recent measures against human rights lawyers are viewed by many as an attempt to quash dissidence as the 60th anniversary of Communist rule approaches in October.