A Brazilian judge ruled in favor of local indigenous groups Feb. 28, blocking President Dilma Rousseff's plans to move ahead with construction of the controversial Belo Monte dam in the Amazon rainforest. Federal Judge Ronaldo Desterro in Para state also ordered the national development bank, BNDES, not to fund the project. In his ruling, Judge Desterro found that the project had received insufficient review from IBAMA, Brazil's environmental agency, with many potential impacts ignored.

Some 25,000 people in Honduras' second city of San Pedro Sula joined a march against rising criminal violence Feb. 27. Dressed in white, the protesters marched in silence to press their demand that the government do more to improve public security, with banners reading "We want peace" and "respect life." The march was organized by the conservative National Democratic Alliance (ADN). One incident that sparked the march was the slaying of the president-elect of the Association of Evangelical Pastors while walking his pet schnauzers Feb. 21. He was apparently shot by thieves who attempted to steal the dogs. It was the second slaying of an evangelical pastor in Honduras this year. (Worthy Christian News, Feb. 28; BBC News, EFE, La Prensa, San Pedro Sula, Feb. 27)

Mexican federal police on Feb. 28 announced the capture of Victor Torres Garcáa AKA Édgar Mauricia Barrera Corrales AKA "El Papirrin"—alleged leader of a drug network that calls itself "The Resistance." "El Papirrin" was detained in Uruapan, Michoacán, along with two alleged associates, several guns and bags of drugs. La Resistencia was so-named because it was formed as an alliance of various cartels to resist the drive by Los Zetas to dominate Mexico's narco networks. "El Papirrin" was said to be a veteran of the Beltran Leyva cartel.

Tunisia's Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi resigned Feb. 27, as security forces again clashed with protesters. "I am not ready to be the person who takes decisions that would end up causing casualties," Ghannouchi said. "This resignation will serve Tunisia, and the revolution and the future of Tunisia." (Middle East Online, Feb. 27) Three protesters were killed in street clashes with security forces in Tunis the previous day. (Middle East Online, Feb. 27)

The UN Security Council on Feb. 27 unanimously ordered a travel ban and asset freeze on Moammar Qaddafi's regime, and ordered an investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Libya. The council made a new demand for an immediate end to the violence, which it said had been incited "from the highest level" of Libyan leaders. The travel ban and asset freeze in Resolution 1970 targets the 68-year-old Libyan leader, four of his sons, and top defense and intelligence officials. (Middle East Online, Feb. 27)

Last month, Louisiana's Sen. David Vitter and Kentucky's Sen. Rand Paul introduced legislation aimed at amending the Fourteenth Amendment—specifically, denying birthright citizenship to those born to undocumented immigrants. (The State Column, Jan. 30) This idea was notoriously broached last year ("worth considering," he said) by then-House Minority Leader—today House Speaker—John Boehner. (CNN, Aug. 8, 2010) This would be an alarming enough development, if it were not happening amid a sinister mainstreaming of pro-Confederacy revisionism...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez expressed his support for embattled Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi in a Twitter post Feb. 25: "Long live Libya and its independence! Qaddafi is facing a civil war!" The Tweet was immediately protested by Venezuela's opposition, which is also demanding that Qaddafi return a replica of independence hero Simón Bolívar's sword that Chávez decorated him with when he hosted the Libyan in 2009.

Fighting in Libya spread to western towns near Tripoli Feb. 25, as cities in the east organized interim governments, raising the old flag from before Moammar Qaddafi came to power in 1969. Dueling rallies were held in Benghazi, where thousands celebrated their liberation from Qaddafi's regime, and in Tripoli, where the dictator himself appeared at the capital's Green Square. Qaddafi called on his partisans to "defend Libya," pledging, "If needs be, we will open all the arsenals." Before the Tripoli pro-regime rally, security forces fired on protesters, leaving several dead. Oblivious to the deadly repression that preceded his address, the strongman appealed to Libya's youth to "dance and sing, Moammar Qaddafi is with you."