Cuba: Ex President Fidel Castro Reunites with "The Five"

The ex president of Cuba Fidel Castro met last Saturday with the Five Cuban agents who were imprisoned in the US for espionage, as related by the revolutionary leader in an article published Monday in the official media of the island.

"I  received them on Saturday 28 February, 73 days after they stepped on Cuban territory," writes Fidel Castro at the beginning of his article, which states him as "happy" for this meeting, which lasted five hours, and held at the home of president.

The "Five Heroes Antiterroristas" as it is known in Cuba Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez were arrested in 1998 in the US when the Federal Bureau of Investigation dismantled the network of Cuban espionage "Wasp" , acting in southern Florida, and were sentenced in 2001 to imprisonment.

In his article, Fidel Castro ex spies stresses that "never did any harm to the United States." "They tried to forestall and prevent terrorist acts against our people organized by US intelligence agencies that the whole world is well aware," the Cuban leader.

Panama: Martinelli's Scandal

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Panama's ex President, Ricardo Martinelli, faces the justice, after being pointed for corruption during his government from 2009 to 2014.




Last monday, Panama's Supreme Court of Justice, rejected the appellation that he posed to oppose his prosecution for embezzling USD $45 millions from a State program. At an extraordinary meeting, the Court upheld its decision to approve a process is open to prosecute Martinelli. The former president, who ruled Panama from 2009 to 2014, is at the heart of a storm of political scandals for alleged acts of corruption committed during his government.




The Court, in a statement, "flatly rejected the two reviews" that Panamanian lawyer Rogelio Cruz and Raul Gonzalez filed against the decision of January preceding "who admitted the criminal case against Martinelli for alleged crimes against the public administration"

Accordingly, the board ordered that everything agreed in late January unanimously start running: to admit knowledge of the criminal case on Martinelli for alleged crimes against public administration and ask the Electoral Court to lift the immunity that has exgobernante in his capacity as president of the opposition Democratic Change and preventing criminal prosecution.



Faced with the decision of the Court in January, the ex President traveled to Guatemala to assert his immunity as a deputy of his country to the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and supposedly be protected against possible charges against him. However, the Guatemalan former vice president Rafael Espada, president of the regional forum, said that it is false that the Panamanian politician is exempt from prosecution for belonging to that instance. "Martinelli has no immunity. If the Panamanian parliament does not give immunity, neither give us," said Espada.






After handing the presidency to Varela, Panama has been rocked by allegations of irregularities and corruption that occurred, presumably, within five years of management Martinelli.

Colombia: Santos sends military aides to negociate FARC ceasefires

President Juan Manuel Santos, will send a top delegation of military corps to negotiate a formal ceasefire with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Santos said during a forum for Colombia's peace celebrated in Madrid, that there will be traveling six persons from the military.

After more than two years of conversations with unevenness among Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Cuba, agreements have been reached in three points: agricultural development, political participation of the guerrillas and drug trafficking cease. 

Nevertheless, there still remain two of the most delicate aspects. "We agreed that there will be discussed simultaneously the victims topic, transitional justice, which is the major issue, and the fifth point that is in fact, the cease of the conflict by a DDR: disarmament, demobilization and reimbursement" of the guerrilla to civil life, he explains.

" The cessation the definitive fire has to be negotiated under a few very clear rules, is a complex topic ", he has affirmed. For this motive " we have decided that they should be the own active military men  those who negotiate in Havana"  said the president, assuring to have informed the armed forces about the whole process of peace " inclusive in the secret phase ".

Related posts and articles:

Us Envoy meets FARC peace talks behind close doors hereSantos da pasos decididos para que las FARC firmen el tratado de paz

Santos enviará a seis militares a Cuba para negociar con las FARC

Venezuela: Maduro imposes Visas to American Citizens

Photo Credit: NBC News

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that from now on, all Americans visiting the country must have a visa. The leader also asked to downsize the number of US embassy staff in Caracas.

“I've thought about it…First I have ordered the Foreign Ministry...to proceed immediately, to review...[and] limit the number of officials at the [US] embassy in Venezuela,” Maduro said. “They have 100 staff, we have 17.” 

“In order to protect our country...I have decided to implement a system of compulsory visas for all Americans entering Venezuela,” Maduro said in a speech on Saturday.

He claim that this is a reciprocal measure to equal what every Venezuelan needs to pay to travel to the US. While announcing this new measure, he affirmed that Venezuela has caught various american citizens involved in espionage. 

Bans Bush and Chaney 

While giving his speech he added that former US President George W. Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Republican Congress members Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Robert Menendez, and Marco Rubio won't have access to visas, labeling Bush and Cheney as “terrorists.”

The travel bans, Maduro said, target those who “violated human rights and bombed villages as in Iraq, Syria and Vietnam.”

From now on, US diplomats will be required to seek approval from the Foreign Ministry for meetings they conduct in Venezuela.

Related posts: 

Venezuela to shrink Us Embassy Staff here

Maduro says Venezuela detains U.S. citizens; announces moves against U.S. here

Venezuela: Caracas Mayor was Captured

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Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's President, ordered to capture and arrest Caracas Mayor, Antonio Ledezma. 

This took place February 19th, after Maduro accused him of planing a putsch against him, prior to the declarations signed with other political leaders who are already in prison. This declaration stated that in 2014 Maduro's turn should finish, by 2015 it had to be a must. 

Couple of hours after being captured, Venezuela's President confirmed on national radio and TV, that Ledezma was caught and that he would face the processes of the Venezuelan Justice in order to declare all his crimes against the peace, security and Constitution of this country. 

On his defense, Ledezma stated that Maduro's accusation that linked him to an allegedly putsch were fake. He relies under the argument that only in 2015, Maduro has declared 12 fake "coup de etat's". 

Ledezma isn't new in politics. he had always been a great critic of the Socialist Venezuelan system. He comes from the Left-Centered Venezuelan Party called Acción Democrática, Chavez greatest opposition. He has been Congressman twice, Senator, Governor and current Mayor. 


Related Posts: 

Caracas mayor, linked by Venezuelan President to alleged coup plot, arrested

Venezuela arrests Caracas mayor over alleged coup plot

Ledezma detenido en Ramo Verde

Argentina: The curious case of Alberto Nisman

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Last January 18th, the happening was everywhere: Alberto Nisman, an Argentinan lawyer, was found dead in his apartment. 

Nisman, worked as a federal prosecutor, noted for being the chief investigator of the 1994 car bombing of the Jewish center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people, the worst terrorist attack in Argentina's history.

Alberto Nisman, who worked at the very beginning of the government with Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner, had an unexpected accusation. He claimed he had proof that President Kirchner and the Foreign Minister Hector Timerman were in the process of creating a cover-up in the investigation of Iran over the 1994 bombing of AMIA (the main Jewish community center of Argentina).

 He presented a large report proof to a federal judge, who was not able to immediately reveal its content.  The opposition convoked Nisman to the Congress to present his findings. The meeting, scheduled for the 19 January, never happened. He was found dead at his apartment a few hours before. 

The main media of Argentina, sworn enemies of the government, threw out doubts over the circumstances of Nisman's death, suggesting that he was either murdered or pushed to commit suicide in a last-minute attempt to prevent his presentation to the Congress.

There are several theories about Nisman's death. Some media sources say it was a murder, other say it was a suicide and there are even some theories that it might be a political murder. 

Since this time, La Nación an Argentinian journal has been posting almost daily, information about this case. 
Here are several publications about it: 
Nisman worked on his cause even hours before his dead

Nisman's maid said he wouldn't commit suicide



Past week, the Argentinians threw away a massive walk in name of Nisman. They stood after two hours under the rain and it was estimated that more than 400,000 people assisted. (La Nacion)



Related Posts:
Alberto Nisman’s Death and AMIA
Argentina's President says Nisman's death was not a suicide

Marllory Chacón Rossell: All about "La Reina del Sur"

Marllory Chacón Rossell: All about "La Reina del Sur"

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Who is Marllory Chacón Rossell?

Marllory Dadiana Chacón Rossell, is a Guatemalan citizen, accused by the US Government for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Chacón Rossell, born in El Cerinal, Barberena, Santa Rosa who started working for various local drug traffickers, helping them to launder the money obtained from the deals. 

The US Intelligence Agency, has linked her to several drug cartels. In 2011 she was identified as being close to Mario Ponce, one of the biggest drug traffickers in Honduras. Also, Freddy Oswaldo Chacón Rossell, who is one of her brothers, has been documented as a trafficker in Colombia and linked to the Lorenzana's family. 

The OFAC, an entity liked to the United States Department of the Treasury, that works against drug trafficking, has pointed her as the leader of the drug cartel and money laundering organizations based in Guatemala and Mexico. Making her an important figure of the drug cartels in the region. 

According to some justice records, she was demanded in 2003 by Ottoniel Turcions Marroquín, a drug dealer captured in Belize in 2011. In addition to this case, we found her husband, Jorge Andrés Fernández Carvajal (Honduran), and a dozen of  enterprises, such as Bingotón Millonario included in a list published by the OFAC, pointed as beig used for drug dealing and money laundering purposes. The OFAC  says that all the money that proceeds from this enterprises make her the most active money launderer of Guatemala and the region. (El Periódico)

Her "Capture"

There are my different stories about her capture. The most reliable is that Hayron Eduardo Borrayo Lasmibat, one of her partners,  was captured in France, in 2013. After this, it's believed that Marllory Chacón submitted herself to the authorities in May,  while she was in Bahamas, and was extradited to Miami.

There's something curious about this case. the day after she was allegedly captured, she gave an interview to a Guatemalan newspaper (Prensa Libre's full article). She denies her arrest,  saying that she was in vacations with her daughter in Paris and that she would had a public hearing in November of the same year. (Prensa Libre)

Nevertheless, she appeared to be incarcerated on September the 10th, in Miami's federal detention center. The mystery lies in the fact that her name doesn't appear in any public file of any other American Court, plus,  Florida's Southern District Attorneys office refuses to give information about that case, according to Plaza Pública. 

Linked to Guatemalan Politicians

According to a series of  articles published in El Periódico, in the timeline of this case, they affirm that Chacón Rossell has close relationship with several businessmen, congressmen in charge, bankers and the most notorious, a very close relationship with the highest spheres of the government authorities, specially with Guatemala's Vice President, Roxana Baldetti. (El Periódico: here and here). 

They claim that they had a very close friendship, something denied later by Baldetti, although Chacón told Prensa Libre once (here) that both of them had Beauty Salons and they met once in an activity for cosmeticians. To contradict Baldetti's declaration, El Periódico assure, she appeared during  Baldetti's  50 birthday party celebrated in her residence. The party held important people regarding to politics, such as Valentin Gramajo and Alejandro Sinibaldi.

Who is Alejandro Sinibaldi?

Alejandro Sinibaldi, former minister of Communications and current party's presidential candidate has also been involved in mediatic scandals. In Decembember 2014 a series of dossiers from OAS enterprises were caught by the brazilian police. The brand was being investigated for a case of corruption and money laundering from the oil giants PETROBRAS, apparently and according to Brazilian media, they donated Alejandro Sinibaldi one million dollars for his campaign with Partido Patriota. It's not the first time he faces political scandals. (La Hora)


In September 2014, Plaza Pública, posted an article in which they point Sinibaldi, as the owner of a estate called Finca Fisher in Yaxhá, a natural reserve in Petén. They said that this land piece has almost 676.8 acres.In the article, they recall the fact that this place must preserved, and that the entities that should regulate them, didn't denied or supervise the project. At the end of their investigation, they link the person that appears as the owner of the property as Sinibladi's sponsor. 
(More information here)

Also, La Nación, another newspaper from Guatemala, published that Alejandro Sinibaldi, owns 1,128 acres valued in Q.30 millions, and a 28 km road headed to the property. It's believed that this road is being constructed with public funds. Neighbors from the villages nearby showed their discontent because this construction has no benefit for their comunities. (Full post here.)

El Periódico,  also published that Chacón and Borrayo had supported with around $2 million dollars to Baldetti, for her presidential campaign with her political party "Partido Patriota".  There is no official information and no one has claimed anything about this publication. 

And other politics figures involved...

Other politicians seem to be somehow involved with this character. Gustavo Alejos was the Private Secretary of the Colom family, Alvaro Colom and Sandra Torres (Colom's former wife and Guatemala's First Lady) during their government. He was responsible of receiving money from illegal groups and drug traffickers in order to get confessions.

Apparently, Mr Alejos exploited his businesses and personal bonding with a person called "Favio". this character is his partner in a restaurant and bank. It's important to mention that due to this Mr. Alejos claim to have his own bank and banker in his private office. It's also known that this bank received money from Chacón Rossell and a former director of a Guatemalan news paper called "Siglo XXI". 

Chacón declares herself Guilty

Yesterday in El Periódico, after being in an audience last September, she declared herself not guilty. But, after the Office Attorney presented the evidence against her, she changed her strategy and decided to collaborate with the authorities, confessing she was part of an international structure of money laundering and drug trafficking. 

She signed a plea agreement, on December the 12th accepting she conspired of trafficking more than 5 kg of cocaine to the US.

Besides, she accepted to collaborate with the American authorities giving away all the information, documents and testimonies in the cases of drug trafficking that they required. The objective of this agreement is to get a reduction in sentence, that could give her a minimum of 10 years incarcerated, 5 years of probation and a $10 million fee. 

Nevertheless, it will be up to the judge in charge of the case if the Court approves it. 

Related Links and articles:
La Reina del NarcoPersona de Interes:Marllory Chacon
Boletin Us Embassy
rainiastalage's Blog
Caja de Pandora en Guatemala
Baldetti niega vinculos
Sabias quien es Roxana Baldetti