Colombian officials declared a state of emergency Nov. 19, boosting their powers of arrest and money seizure to help deal with multimillion-dollar investment scams that have targeted mostly poor investors. President Álvaro Uribe's office said the measure was taken because of a "serious deterioration in public order" in connection with "massive illegal collection of public funds."

On Nov. 12 Cuba released La Paz en Colombia (Peace in Colombia), a 265-page book by former president Fidel Castro giving new information about the Cuban government's relations with Colombia's leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In the book, which Castro says took 400 hours of work, the former president repeats criticisms he made last July of the FARC's treatment of prisoners of war and "the capture and holding of civilians not involved in the war." In the book he also notes that holding "prisoners and hostages deprived the combatants of the ability to maneuver."

Between Nov. 13 and 14, more than 30 offices of bogus financial companies were attacked by protesters across Colombia in continuing unrest over pyramid scams. One town official was killed as protesters clashed with police in Buesaco, Nariño department. The official was apparently mistaken for an employee of the pseudo-firm Easy Money, Fast Cash (DRFE). (Cronica de Hoy, Mexico, Nov. 14)

Thousands of Colombians rioted around the country Nov. 12, demanding their money back after being defrauded in a series of pyramid schemes. In some of the nine cities where the protests erupted, police used batons and tear gas. In recent months, several phony loan companies have vanished along with millions of dollars in deposits after promising interest rates of up to 150 percent.

Bolivian officials Nov. 11 formally requested that the US issue extradition orders for former Bolivian president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada to face "genocide" charges for his repression of October 2003 protests over corporate exploitation of the country's natural gas resources that left at least 60 dead. The officials called for the extradition of Sánchez de Lozada's former defense and energy ministers under a 1995 extradition treaty with the US.

The US has halted aid to three Colombian army units after officers and soldiers were implicated in the killing of civilians, a senior US official told Reuters. "We have determined that three army units are no longer eligible to receive assistance, a step we took based on the government of Colombia's information that these units were involved with gross violations of human rights," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

From The Hill, Nov. 11:

Newly designated White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday that the incoming Obama administration opposes attaching the Colombia Free Trade Agreement to an economic stimulus package in order to get the approval of the Bush Administration.

Venezuela plans to build five military bases along its border with Colombia, Justice Minister Tarek El Aissami announced Nov. 9 on a visit to the mountainous border zone, saying the bases will help President Hugo Chavez's government fight drug smuggling, extortion and kidnapping. The bases will run along the Sierra de Perijá, a range that follows the 2,300-kilometer border. Chávez says Venezuela is doing all possible to crack down on Colombian guerillas, paramilitaries and other criminal groups that operate along the frontier. (Canadian Press, Nov. 9)