International

31 August 2009. The Trial Court of Chimaltenango ordered the immediate arrest of Felipe Cusanero Coj, the ex military commissioner responsible for the disappearance of six people from the village of Choatalum during the “internal armed conflict”, and sentenced him to 25 years in prison for each person disappeared. This legal ruling is a landmark in the history of Guatemala.

The main subject at the summit was the installation of US bases in Colombia. Alvaro Uribe defended the decision to allow them in order to combat drug-trafficking, while President Correa pointed out that “Never before have we discussed foreign bases in South America, and we used to have them in Ecuador for example,” and he stressed the creation of “criteria and rules”.

Minister of Education, Dr. Leonardo Garnier Rímolo, demonstrates his support endorsing and organizing activities in the file of education for the World March. Dr. Rímolo considers the the March to be of great interest to the country, “Education for Nonviolence”, especially the elements that can be incorporated in the Costa Rican curriculum, is very useful in this moment.

High school students of St. Paul College of Pasig City form and document human peace and nonviolence signs as part of their preparation to the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. This is an anticipation of the “Million Human Signs for Peace” campaign which officially starts on September 21 (International Day of Peace) promoted by Genevieve Kupang.

At the summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to be held in the city of Bariloche, Argentina, Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia, will propose a continental referendum on the establishment of US military bases in Colombia. In recent declarations he has called for a defence of the interests of Latin American peoples.

The Scottish Minister of Justice, Kenny MacAskill, says Libya failed to keep its word about the return of the Lockerbie bomber last week. MacAskill said Libya had agreed on a modest reception for al-Megrahi, who was released from prison in Scotland because he is suffering from terminal cancer. However, when he arrived at Tripoli airport, he received a hero’s welcome.

Peace proponent Cindy Sheehan calls all peace leaders to come sail with her aboard ‘SS Camp Casey’ anchored in Martha’s Vineyard for a shipboard peace summit from August 27 to 29. Cindy, who is sometimes referred to by the media as “the peace mom” lost her son Casey in the Iraq War when he was killed in action on April 4, 2004.

Honduran civil society organizations have called for a World day of protest on 28 August against the coup d’ètat and the complicity of US intelligence corps with the de facto regime. “We exhort all people committed to democracy and solidarity to join the protest against the dictatorship set up by the Honduran oligarchy”, the organizing body said.

The Scottish government has again defended its decision to release the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi who is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. In the US, the decision has been criticized. Scotland’s spokesperson said that: **”Compassionate release is not part of the US justice system but it is part of Scotland’s.”**

Throngs of South Koreans bid farewell to former President Kim Dae-jung. The former president, who died last Tuesday, was 85 years of age. He was interred today, Sunday. Some 24,000 people were present at his burial. The North Korean delegation that attended his funeral visited South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, delivering a message from the President of North Korea.