The army is patrolling the streets of Jos, in central Nigeria, after four days of violence between Muslims and Christians left hundreds dead. A Muslim charity says it has collected more than 300 bodies that had been brought to local mosques, and fatalities are also expected among Christians. Homes, churches and mosques were put to the torch before troops restored order and imposed a curfew. The Nigerian Red Cross says at least 10,000 people have fled their homes. The violence broke out following contested elections in Plateau state Nov. 26, in which the Christian-backed ruling People's Democratic Party was declared to have won. The result was challenged by the opposition All Nigeria People's Party, which has wide support from Muslims. (AlJazeera, Nov. 30; BBC News, Nov. 29)

Bolivia's government said Nov. 30 it is preparing "terrorism" charges against Branko Marinkovic, a leader of the autonomy movement in the country's four hydrocarbon-rich eastern departments, in connection with a wave of strikes and protests earlier this year in which at least 17 people were killed. "We have enough evidence in this investigation to allow us to link Mr. Marinkovic with the acts of terrorism that occurred in several parts of the country in September," government minister Alfredo Rada told state radio. "What Mr. Marinkovic has to do is prepare his defence and not try to run."

Mexican President Felipe Calderón, speaking at last week's APEC summit in Lima, warned US President-elect Barack Obama against following through on his campaign pledge to consider revising the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it would send more Mexicans across US borders. "If you eliminate the benefits of free trade, you eliminate many of the opportunities for jobs and for growth for both Americans and Mexicans," Calderón told reporters. "If you get rid of the trade and job opportunities, one of the effects, which no-one wants, would be an increase in emigration from Mexico."

Twenty people were killed in apparent narco-violence Nov. 28—mostly in the border cities of Ciudad Juárez and Tijuana. The single bloodiest incident occurred when a group of hooded gunmen opened raided on a party at Juárez seafood restaurant, singling out and killing eight diners. Nov. 25 was one of the most violent days Ciudad Juárez has seen this year, with 17 assassinated in 15 hours, seven of whom were tortured and left just a few meters from a school. Ciudad Juárez is now Mexico's most violent city, accounting for more than 1,000 of the nearly 5,000 drug-related homicides registered nationwide this year. (EFE, Nov. 28; El Diaro, Juárez, Nov. 26)

Peru's President Alan García Nov. 27 blamed his country's recent rash of guerilla attacks on Mexico's drug cartels, saying their inroads have sparked violent turf wars. "Mexican cartels are capturing, or trying to capture, the Peruvian market. This is the problem," Garcia told a group of foreign reporters. "The Mexican cartels are much more aggressive than those from Colombia," he added. He was speaking the day after five police were killed in a presumed Sendero Luminoso ambush in the jungle zone of Tingo Maria. In the last two months, at least 22 police and soldiers have been killed in Peru. García's administration says the guerillas have largely abandoned their Maoist ideology in favor of narco-profiteering, and accuse them of teaming up with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. (Notimex, Nov. 28; Reuters, Nov. 27)

In the prelude to last week's APEC summit in Lima, the leaders of Canada and Colombia met in the Peruvian capital to sign a free trade agreement. "In a time of global economic instability free trade is more important than ever," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. "By expanding our trading relationship with Colombia, we are not only opening up new opportunities for Canadian businesses in a foreign market, we are also helping one of South America's most historic democracies improve the human rights and security situation in their country."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced on live television Nov. 27 that he would not permit "foreign commandos" to be contracted by opposition politicians, in response to rumors that the newly elected governor of Miranda state, Henrique Capriles Radonski, is planning to bring in Israeli military advisors to train the local police. In a telephone interview with the state TV program Dando y Dando, Chávez asserted that to take such a move without permission of the national government would violate the constitution. (Apporea.org, Venezuela, Nov. 27)

In a ceremony capping the first visit of a Russian president to Venezuela, Hugo Chávez met with Dmitri Medvedev aboard a Russian warship moored off the port of La Guiara Nov. 27, four days before joint military exercises between the two nations were set to begin. Hundreds of Russian sailors in white uniforms stood at attention as the two men boarded the ship to sign accords pledging cooperation in nuclear energy and oil exploration, as well as the purchase two Russian Ilyushin II-96 300 jets, a model often used for travel by Russian presidents. In recent years, Chavez's government has bought more than $4 billion in Russian arms, including Sukhoi fighter jets, helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.