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Daily Archives: January 21, 2008

Betancourt’s Family to Put the Pressure on FARC

January 21st, 2008

1-114.jpgMembers of FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt‘s family say they will not let up on pressuring the Colombian government and the international community to push for more liberations.

Lorenzo Delloye [pictured above with his sister], son of the ex-politician kidnapped 6 years ago told Radio Caracol that the family has hope that FARC will facilitate a new humanitarian agreement which would open up the possibility of the return of those being held.

“We are going to seek out all of the international pressure necessary to support the European emissaries and the Church, and to ask FARC to accept a dialogue. We need for them to say where they want to negotiate,” he said.

Delloye made the statement after the FARC denied the Colombian government’s offer to provide the hostages with medical services. FARC leaders said they denied the visit because it would put the lives of the hostages at risk.

Via / Crónica

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Cuba May Legalize Same-Sex Unions

January 21st, 2008

cubagay.jpgAs hinted at last month, the Cuban government has announced — via Raul Castro’s daughter — that it’s looking into the possibility of legalizing same-sex unions in the island nation.

“The topic of homosexuality has to be touched on the Family Code, a civil law. There is a modification project for many things that are important to Cuban families, and this is one of them: giving rights to gay and transsexual people,” explained the psychologist.

In 2006, Cenesex [the National Center for Sex Education] presented a proposal to recognize the rights of homosexuals and transsexuals which included a reform to the Family Code — included in the code since 1975 — which will be analyzed by the Parliament before being submitted to other institutions for review.

[Castro] states that she can’t say exactly when it will be submitted for approval to the Parliament, though she is working to “try to convince that it be done as soon as possible.”

Cuba still has many other issues (some would say that is a gross understatement) but this at least sounds like a step in the right direction. I wonder if it’s a result of a lot of LGBT Cubans leaving because of persecution?

Via / 20 Minutos

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Chavez Vs. Food and Farmers

January 21st, 2008

art.chavez.ap.jpgWith the focus off Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his role in the liberation of two FARC hostages, attention is drawn back internally and to reports of food shortages. The shortages on staples such as milk,bread,eggs and meat are being linked to government controls on prices. These controls are set to insure that all residents can afford these staples. However, some farmers are choosing to sell their wares outside of Venezuela, where they can get higher prices. This has caused one of the scariest words (at least in the US) to be thrown around : nationalization.

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