Colombia's FARC guerilla army announced Feb. 26 its intention to release all 10 captive members of the security forces, and to abandon kidnapping of civilians for extortion purposes. The announcement was made in a statement published on the website of ANNCOL, a news organization with alleged ties to the rebel group. The FARC announced "our decision to add the remaining four to the announced decision to release six prisoners of war" and that "from today on we ban the practice" of "the retention of people...in order to finance our struggle." The guerrilla group announced that it will continue its armed struggle, but to "resort to other forms of funding and political pressure."

After traveling 100 days cross-country, Bolivia's "Wheelchair Caravan for Integration" arrived in La Paz Feb. 24, demanding measures to accommodate social inclusion of the disabled, as well as an annual state subsidy of 3,000 bolivianos, or about $400—up from the current $120. Some 250 in wheelchairs and on crutches covered more than 1,500 kilometers from the city of Trinidad, living off aid provided by communities along the way. Arriving at the capital's central Plaza Murillo, they attempted to push past riot police who barred their way—and were met with truncheons and pepper-spray. The protesters were able to establish an encampment a block away from the plaza, where the local press reported two "crucified" themselves. March organizer Camilo Bianchi said from his wheelchair that they would not move until their demands are met. "We don't want to use radical methods, but they are forcing us to," he said. (Opinión, Opinión, Cochabamba, Feb. 25; EFE, BBC News, Televisa, La Gran Epóca, Feb. 24)

It is really, really a drag to have to do this, but we really have no choice. Whatever legitimate reasons there are to oppose Henrique Capriles Radonski, it doesn't let the Hugo Chávez political machine off the hook for the most vulgar Jew-baiting. Once again, the chavistas serve up propaganda ammo on the proverbial silver platter for the corporate media to shoot right back at them. Fools. From Reuters, Feb. 17:

Carlos Pérez, one of four El Universo managers convicted of libel against Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa, was granted asylum by Panama on Feb. 17. El Universo is the second largest newspaper in Ecuador. Two of the four men, Cesar and Nicolas Pérez, have already fled to Miami. The announcement that Carlos Pérez had been granted asylum came after Ecuador's National Court of Justice upheld the conviction against the four El Universo managers. The men were sentenced to three years in prison each and fined $40 million in total. Correa indicated that he was surprised that Panama granted the men asylum because, in his view, they were common criminals and not persecuted political activists. He also stated that he was considering pardoning the men. El Universo officials stated they will bring an appeal to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to fight the verdict.

Peru's President Ollanata Humala flew into a remote jungle military base in the Upper Huallaga Valley Feb. 12 to announce the capture by soldiers stationed there of the last "historic" leader of the Shining Path guerilla insurgency, Florindo Eleuterio Flores Hala AKA "Comrade Artemio." Troops at the Santa Lucía base, in Tocache province, San Martín region, brought "Artemio" in via military plane after after finding him gravely wounded near the Río Misholla. Some reports indicated he was hit in a shoot-out with government forces; others that he was shot by his own bodyguards. "Peru has won," declared Humala. "We can now say that the terrorist delinquents have been defeated, and we can begin the process of pacification."

A procession of some 1,000 cross-country marchers entered Lima Feb. 9, holding a massive rally joined by thousands more in Plaza San Martín to oppose the Conga mining project in Cajamarca region, and like projects across Peru's sierras. Having marched nine days from Cajamarca, the protesters filled the square with cries of "¡Conga no va!" Speakers included Cajamarca protest leaders Wilfredo Saavedra and Marco Arana, who asserted: "This is the voice of the people, and it must be complied with." They were followed by Cajamarcs's elected president Gregorio Santos, who warned the government of President Ollanta Humala not to "underestimate" the movement's power. Participants later attempted to march on the Congress of the Republic, but were barred by a thick cordon of riot police. They were prevented from meeting at the intersection outside the Congress building with a delegation of dissident lawmakers from Humala's Nationalist Party, led by Natali Condori.

Colombia's former Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo was charged with conspiracy, fraud and illegal arms trafficking Feb. 10, despite having left the country. The prosecution, having already successfully sought an arrest warrant against Restrepo, demanded the close ally of ex-president Alvaro Uribe be sent to jail while awaiting trial because of his attempt to flee and failure to appear before hearings five times. According to prosecutor Francisco Villarreal of Colombia's Fiscalía, the ex-peace commissioner had actively taken part in a fraudulent demobilization of 62 bogus FARC fighters in 2006.

Colombia's armed forces are scouring the country's southwest region in the hopes of capturing FARC guerrilla leaders following a of audacious and deadly attacks. President Juan Manuel Santos called the FARC "hypocrites" playing a "double game" for committing "terrorist acts" weeks after raising the prospect of peace talks. Following a security council meeting in the Pacific coast town of Tumaco—where a bomb planted in a tricycle killed nine people and wounded 76 outside a police station on Feb. 2—Santos said such violence "rejects everyone and it moves us away from any possibility of peace." A 3-year-old girl, a 19-year-old woman and a police commander were among the six people killed in in another Feb. 2 attack, on a police post in the town of Villa Rica, Cauca department. Santos offered a reward of $668,000 for the capture of FARC commander "Rambo," believed to be responsible for the new attacks.