Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has come through on an asylum offer to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, making the announcement on television during a the broadcast of a parade marking the country’s independence day.

On Friday Nicaragua also joined Venezuela in extending an asylum offer for the fugitive former spy agency contractor, who is still holed up in a transit section of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since fleeing Hong Kong twelve days ago.

Maduro, who often employs the same boisterous rhetoric employed by his predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez, has said his country will shield the whistleblower from prosecution by the US.

"I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American, Edward Snowden, so that in the fatherland of Bolivar and Chavez, he can come and live away from imperial North American persecution," said Maduro.

The leader of Venezuela’s political opposition, Henrique Capriles Radonski, criticized the asylum offer extended by President Maduro, and took the opportunity to tie Maduro’s move to ongoing domestic politics.

According to Caprilles, the runner-up in the last presidential elections and governor of the state of Miranda, Venezuela’s president aimed to use the Snowden saga in a bid to “conceal the fact that he stole the elections,” asserting that the offer “does not grant him legitimacy, nor will it make people forget about the economic disaster, a growing sense of insecurity and scarcity.”

The two offers for political asylum from Central and South America come on the heels of an emergency UNASUR bloc meeting which was held Thursday in Cochabamba, Bolivia following an incident in which Bolivian president Evo Morales was denied entry into French airspace.

Morales’ plane was forced out of European airspace and to make an unexpected landing in Austria after a US diplomat lied about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden being onboard, local media reported.

The plane had departed from Moscow on July 2, but was not allowed to fly over France, Spain, Portugal or Italy after those governments were told the plane was carrying Snowden aboard.

When the plane landed in Vienna to refuel, US Ambassador to Austria William Eacho phoned officials from the Austrian Foreign Ministry, the Austrian daily newspaper Die Presse reported. Eacho “claimed with great certainty that Edward Snowden was onboard” and referenced a “diplomatic note requesting Snowden’s extradition.”

The Thursday meeting of the Latin American bloc was attended by the leaders of Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay, Suriname and Bolivia with representatives of Brazil, Chile and Peru also in attendance.

Following the emergency summit, the bloc issued a statement which voiced support for Morales and expressed indignation at Tuesday's moves by France, Portugal, Italy and Spain to obstruct the Bolivian head of state’s aircraft from free passage.

The incident "set a dangerous precedent of violating international laws" in the world, the statement said.

"The European people have seen the cowardice and the weakness of their governments, which now look like colonies of the United States," the Venezuelan president said of the episode.

Friday’s asylum offers by Venezuela and Nicaragua suggest they may be related to coordination following UNASUR’s assembly. Moreover, the announcements by those countries come at an opportune time for Snowden, as Moscow has been voicing increasing irritation at his continued presence in Russia, and a bid for Icelandic citizenship failed after the country's parliament voted not to debate it on Friday before its summer recess.

On Thursday Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Snowden will not find asylum on Russian soil, and that he'll have to find another option.

"He needs to choose a place to go," said Ryabkov.

"As of this moment, we do not have a formal application from Snowden asking for asylum in the Russian Federation," he added.

Snowden has been making a slew of asylum requests, with legal help from WikiLeaks and direct intervention on his behalf coming directly from Julian Assange, himself still receiving an asylum of sorts at Ecuador’s London Embassy for the past year.

On Friday, WikiLeaks announced that six additional asylum bids had been made on behalf of Snowden, bringing the total number to 27, though many countries had so far declined to extend any political or legal protection to the whistleblower.

Eleven nations have already rejected the whistleblower's requests, including France, Finland, Brazil, Poland, India and Germany, leaving him trapped in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport.

New Delhi said on Tuesday that it has “no reason” to grant the whistleblower’s request. In his application to Poland, Snowden said that he risks facing execution if he is returned to the US.

Spain, Norway, Italy, Ecuador and Austria have also rejected Snowden’s applications, stating that asylum requests cannot be granted unless the applicant is inside the country. Italy also stated that Snowden’s application was made via fax, which is not allowed, ITAR-TASS reported, citing a source in the Italian Foreign Ministry.

France went a step further, saying that Snowden would be arrested if he were to enter the country due to an existing US extradition request.

In contrast, President Maduro extended congratulations to Snowden during his comments on Friday.

"He has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the US spying on the whole world," Maduro said.

"Who is the guilty one? A young man ... who denounces war plans, or the US government which launches bombs and arms the terrorist Syrian opposition against the people and legitimate President Bashar al-Assad?"

"Who is the terrorist? Who is the global delinquent?” added Maduro.

The White House declined to comment on Venezuela’s asylum offer.

http://rt.com/news/maduro-snowden-asylum-venezuela-723/

Once again, See why you should not be so naively happy during a time like this? 

Brazil is the scene of record breaking rallies with over 1mn people across 100 cities demonstrating their discontent with the government. Two people have been killed in the protests and dozens injured, despite reforms promised by the country’s president.

23:59 GMT: Salvador police have detained a suspect carrying several Molotov cocktails, a gas mask, rubber gloves and a note threatening to kill Governor Jaques Wagner. In another note there were statements about President Dilma and references to the “revolution.”

23:16 GMT: A group of protesters peacefully rally in front of the governor’s house in Rio de Janeiro, demanding better public services. The area remains calm and protesters are even offering food to the policemen guarding the property.

23:07 GMT: Police estimate that at least 35,000 people have taken part in a number of marches all across Sao Paolo on Saturday. 

22:46 GMT: Fifteen people have been injured in clashes in Belo Horizonte, police spokesman Colonel Márcio Santana said. Four of those injured were police officers. Authorities were not using excessive force, the spokesman stressed, explaining that there was a group of provocateurs among the crowd while the majority of protesters were rallying peacefully. He has called on protesters to reunite with their families and go home peacefully.

22:21 GMT: A major shopping mall Iguatemi has closed its doors in Salvador with clashes taking place right in front of it. Meanwhile at least six bus stops have been vandalized across Bahia state.

22:05 GMT: A video allegedly showing the moment police used tear gas against the crowd near the Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte after a group of protesters tried to breach police cordon.

22:01 GMT: Police in Belo Horizonte have used rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of violent protesters at the front of the march. After the rioters fled, a representative of the military police force reportedly addressed the remaining crowd of peaceful protesters.

21:40 GMT: Firefighters have been deployed to an area near the Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte, where protesters have set at least one vehicle on fire.

21:21 GMT: Mounted police deployed to the scene of clashes in Belo Horizonte are trying to disperse protesters, Globo reports.

21:16 GMT: A protester has fallen from the overpass over Abraão Caram avenue in Belo Horizonte reportedly suffering numerous fractures.

21:03 GMT: The situation is reportedly getting out of control in Belo Horizonte, Globo reporter says. Protesters are setting fires and clashing with police. At least three demonstrators and four protesters have been injured so far. The Risoleta Neves hospital confirmed receiving a young woman with a head injury.

20:54 GMT: A march has been dispersed in Vale dos Barris avenue in Salvador. At least three people have been arrested for misbehavior, including public urination, confrontation with police and an attempt to break into a store, Globo reports.

20:29 GMT: At least 4,000 demonstrators are marching peacefully in the center of Sao Paulo, according to police estimates.

20:14 GMT: Military police have dispersed a group of violent rock throwing protesters near the Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte. The situation seems under control as the vast majority of the 65,000 protesters rally peacefully, Globo reports.

19:42 GMT: Some 5000 protesters gathered 5 killomers away from the stadium in the northeastern city of Salvador, where the national football squad played Italy in a match for the Confederations Cup. The crowd demanded  better schools and transportation and criticized spending on next year's World Cup.

19:14 GMT: Up to 20,000 protesters in Belo Horizonte are marching to the stadium where the game between Japan and Mexico is being hosted.

19:05 GMT: Some 30,000 people protested in the streets of the town of Santa Maria, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

18:31 GMT: New rallies kick off in Sao Paulo and 60 other cities across Brazil, reports RT en Espanol.

16:26 GMT: The Brazilian Government has called in the military to help police monitor and ensure safety in tonight’s game with Italy in Salvador de Bahia as protests continue to spread. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff tried to calm the protests via a televised address, promising new plans for public transport, the health care system and pumping oil royalties into education. 


Source: http://rt.com/news/brazil-protests-transport-unrest-871/

Costa Rica and Laura Chinchilla just sold the soul of Costa Rica.  The price tag was $1.5 Billion, adding to the running total which includes the national stadium.  

Do not forget that this includes a $900 Million line of credit for an oil refinery on the Caribbean coast. Showing once again that the Costa Rica government is not really wanting to go “green” and be carbon neutral.  It also shows once again they do not care about the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

During an official visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two countries signed nine cooperation agreements totaling $1.5 billion that will provide resources for improving Costa Rican roads and public transit fleets, purchasing solar panels and the building of a new police school.

Costa Rica is the only Central American country that has diplomatic relations with China, the world’s second-largest economy, and has been rewarded with projects and visits by two sitting Chinese presidents since it first recognized the Asian giant over Taiwan in 2007.

The refinery, in Puerto Limon, is small and old and refines about 18,000 barrels of imported crude a day. The remodel could boost production to 65,000 barrels a day, with the Chinese sharing in the profits. Costa Rica sought help from China in updating the facility.

But the project is under debate as Costa Rican economists and politicians question the Chinese feasibility studies, and say the money would be better spent seeking alternative forms of energy.


Rene Castro, minister of environment and energy, said that the agreement only means having a line of credit available and that Costa Rica’s government still has asked state universities for analysis to determine whether the project is feasible.

The Chinese also ratified Costa Rica’s sanitary protocol to allow the export of pork to China, while the largest dairy business in the country, Dos Pinos, announced new exports of fresh and flavored milk.

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said her country will make the visa process more flexible to increase the number of Chinese tourists and business vistors.

Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo said Costa Rica will speed up the process for Chinese who already have visas from other countries, such as the U.S. and European Union, and will add people in the Beijing and Shanghai consulates to process paperwork quicker.

China has more than 100 million tourists traveling worldwide, Castillo said, noting that if Costa Rica could get 500,000 of them, it would boost tourism visits by 25 percent. Currently Chinese tourism to Costa Rica is very small because of visa problems.

But the Costa Rica government is making sure these tourists are pushed to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. If there is an oil spill they are not worried as it will only hurt the a coast filled with people that the leaders of Costa Rica with their racism have deemed unimportant.


Source: http://www.costaricantimes.com/china-buys-costa-rica-for-1-5-billion/16500

Argentina's former-military leader Jorge Rafael Videla has died of natural causes at the age of 87 while serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity.

The general was jailed in 2010 for the deaths of 31 dissidents during the 1976-83 military dictatorship, of which he was overall leader until 1981.

He was also sentenced to another 50 years in 2012 for the theft of children born to female prisoners.

Up to 30,000 people were tortured and "disappeared" by the military during the dictatorship, in a campaign known as the "Dirty War".

Suspected regime opponents were swept into secret prisons, tortured and murdered.

In his last public appearance on Tuesday, an unrepentant Videla told a court that his subordinates acted under his orders and assumed "full military responsibility for the actions of the army in the war against terrorism".

Videla died in the Marcos Paz prison south-west of Buenos Aires, where he spent his final days in a spartan cell with a wooden cross on the wall.

"Last night he didn't feel well. He didn't want to eat and this morning they found him dead in his cell," Cecilia Pando, the head of the Association of Family and Friends of Political Prisoners, told reporters.

A medical report said Videla was found "without a pulse or pupillary reflex, so an EKG was performed confirming his death at 8:25 (11:25 GMT) on this date."

"He dies condemned by justice and repudiated by society," Nora Cortinas, of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo rights organisation, said.

Videla showed little remorse for the systematic abuses that occurred during his presidency, a traumatic five-year upheaval still being felt today.

"Let's say there were 7,000 or 8,000 people who had to die to win the war against subversion," Videla said recently in a prison interview, according to journalist Ceferino Reato.

"We couldn't execute them by firing squad. Neither could we take them to court," Videla was quoted as saying.

Military leaders had agreed that secretly disposing of their prisoners "was a price to pay to win the war," Videla said, according to Mr Reato in his book Final Disposition.

"For that reason, so as not to provoke protests inside and outside the country, the decision was reached that these people should be disappeared."

After this interview was published, Videla said he had been misinterpreted.

The journalist insists that the general had reviewed his handwritten notes and approved them before publication.

Adolfo Perez Esquivel, the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize winner who drew international attention to the junta's abuses, said Videla "never repented of the crimes and he is taking a lot of information with him".

Videla was the head of the army when the military overthrew Isabel Peron, the widow of Juan Peron, at a period of mounting instability, punctuated by guerrilla attacks and a surge of killings by right-wing death squads.

The junta that assumed power suspended the constitution, outlawed political parties and imposed censorship on TV and radio in what was called a "Process of National Reorganisation".

A fierce campaign of repression unleashed on the leftist guerrilla groups active in Argentina soon spread far beyond their ranks.

Family members, suspected sympathisers, labor organisers, politicians, clergy, students, journalists, artists and intellectuals were killed or secretly imprisoned in clandestine concentration camps.

The regime's trademark became the unmarked Ford Falcon sedans that hooded agents used to drive their captives to some 500 detention centres.

Among the victims were French nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, Catholic bishop Enrique Angelelli, Swedish student Dagmar Hagelin, the union leadership at Ford and Mercedes Benz, and even members of Argentina's diplomatic corps.

Argentina's military joined forces with like-minded dictatorships in Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay under "Operation Condor", sharing intelligence and helping capture each other's political enemies.

Rail-thin and with a rigid military posture, Videla in his heyday cut a sombre, unsmiling figure with large dark eyes, a brush moustache, and hair slicked back from a bony face.

He delivered speeches in a strident manner and often appeared uncomfortable in public, wringing his hands as a nervous tick played across his cheeks.

Although aligned with the United States, Videla was at loggerheads with US president Jimmy Carter over the regime's human rights abuses and for refusing to join a US-backed grain embargo against the Soviet Union.

In 1981, Videla handed over power to General Roberto Viola to begin the slow transition to democracy.

But General Leopoldo Galtieri ousted Viola in a palace coup and took Argentina to war and ultimately to a humiliating defeat against British forces in the Falkland Islands the following year.


Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-18/argentine-dirty-war-leader-jorge-rafael-videla-dies/4697798