Latin America Round Up and Chavez Watch

Real quick, because there is not enough time in the day, here are some highlights of what has been going on in Latin America over the last couple of weeks--or at least some of what has been going on. My source on all this is the New York Times, but when I finally get a chance, I'll try to track down some regional sources for their slant.

• Okay, first of all, Argentina has just elected a female president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, a powerful senator and also the current first lady. She actually won a senate seat before her husband, Nestor Kirchner got into politics, so she is the real deal. We do however have to watch what deal the Argentines are being sold. As the Argentine Constitution allows presidents to run again after they take four years off, are we looking at an endless rotation of Kirchners? (A note for trivia buffs--Argentina did have a female president in the past, but she was not elected. Juan Peron's second wife, Isabela (not the famous Evita) succeeded her husband after his death in office.) Mrs. Kirchner joins Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile, and Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica, as a leader of Latin American nations.
  
• Former Shining Path rebels now working with narco-trafficers in Peru killed a police chief last week.
  
• Bolivia's busiest airport was taken over by locals in the province of Santa Cruz, whose leaders want autonomy from Evo Morales' socialist government. The federal government no longer controls it. Since a number of airlines have canceled flights due to demands for cash. Sounds messing. Stay tuned. I need time to investigate this one.
• Wacky, scary Chavez is at it again. Besides trying to adjust the nation's clocks by 30 minutes to increase metabolism, the Venezuela leader is starting his own regional Development Bank meant to diminish the influence of the World Bank, which is under the leadership of the United States. We need to keep our eyes on this one, because big, regional players like Brazil have signed off on the proposal.
• Even more frightening, our favorite Latin American demagogue, Mr. Chavez, has had his puppet government approve amendments to the Constitution, which would allow him to be re-elected indefinitely.. Now the voters will have the final say, but we need to watch that major violence does not erupt as the campaign gets underway nor do we want voter-fraud. Is the fix already in?
  

Keep checking back. More news to come.