Luis Hernando Gomez Bustamante—known as "Rasguño," or "Scratch"—alleged head of Colombia's Norte del Valle cocaine cartel, has been extradited to the US to face charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. He was flown by helicopter July 19 from the Combita maximum security prison to an air base near Bogota, where he was turned over to DEA agents. Norte del Valle rose to become Colombia's most powerful narco mafia after the dismantling of the Medellin and Cali cartels in the 1990s. Colonel Cesar Pinzon, head of Colombia's Judicial Police (DIJIN), called Gomez the "capo of capos." The DEA says he was the source up to 60% of all cocaine consumed in the US. Gomez got his nickname when he laughed off a bullet wound to his cheek as "just a scratch." He was first arrested in Cuba in July 2004 after entering on a false passport, and returned to Colombia six months ago. (BBC, July 20)

Indigenous people in Bolivia are marching cross-country from the lowland city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra to the judicial capital, Sucre, where the country's Constituent Assembly is meeting. About 400 men, women and children from the tropical zone's ethnicities, led by the Confederation of Indigenous People of Eastern Bolivia (CIDOB), launched their 608-kilometer march this weekend. CIDOB leader Adolfo Chávez said the marchers will take their demands for autonomy for indigenous peoples to the Assembly, which has been hashing out a new constitution for Bolivia since it opened in August 2006.

Peruvian unionists, campesinos, leftists and nationalists came together to stage a massive one-day general strike on July 11 to protest the economic policies of President Alan Garcia of the social democratic Aprista party. The July 11 Day of National Struggle, called by the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGTP), Peru's largest labor group, and backed by former nationalist presidential candidate Ollanta Humala, shut down much of the country.

From the Colombia Support Network (CSN), July 14:

On July 13, 2007 at 12:15 PM two men who had the previous day identified themselves as members of the "Black Eagles" paramilitary organization, stopped a public transport vehicle, forced Peace Community member Dairo Torres out of the vehicle, and shot and killed him. Dairo was the coordinator of the Alto Bonito humanitarian zone, located about four hours walk from the San Josecito Peace Community, since 2004. He was a serious, responsible leader in the hamlets in the San Josecito area.

Peru's National Federation of Miners, Metalworkers and Steelworkers called a nation-wide strike for July 10 and 11, in solidarity with more than 1,500 workers at the Casapalca mine who walked out in May. The conflict has claimed five lives so far. On July 13, the company owners agreed to sit down and talk with the workers and the authorities for the first time.

President Evo Morales pledged to personally negotiate with strikers who have shut down Bolivia's largest tin mine if the 4,800 employees return to work first. Miners at the state-operated Huanuni mine went on strike last week to demand greater administrative control of the mine's growing profits. The strike is costing Bolivian state mining company Comibol the production of some 25 metric tons (27 US tons) of tin ore each day—roughly 80% of the country's total tin output.

From Reporters Without Borders (RSF), via the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), July 6:

RSF deplores President Rafael Correa's verbal attacks on the press and above all his decision not to give any more news conferences. The aggressivity of some of the news media towards him is undeniable, but he should try to defuse the tension between the press and the government, RSF said.

Jorge Noguera, former chief of Colombia's secret police, was arrested on charges of colluding with illegal paramilitaries July 7. Noguera, freed from prison three months ago because of procedural errors, was ordered detained again by Colombia's chief prosecutor, Mario Iguaran on charges of colluding with the paras—including providing them with information that led to several slayings. Noguera, who ran Colombia's Administrative Security Department (DAS) from 2002 to 2005, is the closest ally to President Alvaro Uribe to be imprisoned in connection with the scandal linking Colombia's political class to paramilitary forces responsible for some of the nation's worst atrocities. (LAT, BBC, July 7)