Central America News

Police seek shooting suspect
19 October 2004

NEW BEDFORD -- Detectives searched yesterday for a 23-year-old man accused of fatally shooting an immigrant from El Salvador early Sunday morning.
Police believe the suspect, Alexander Dominguez, gunned down 37-year-old Miguel Mendez outside a South End house party around 3 a.m., said Lt. Richard M. Spirlet, a spokesman for the New Bedford Police Department.
Mr. Dominguez, whose last known address was 42 Ashley St., is about 5-feet, 7 inches tall and weighs roughly 155 pounds.
New Bedford police arrested him in July for carrying an open bottle of beer while riding in the passenger seat of a car, according to court records.
He frequents the city's South End and is considered armed and dangerous, police said.
While authorities were still looking yesterday for the alleged shooter, they arrested a 24-year-old man charged with driving the suspect's getaway car.
The driver, Jose J. Rivera of 122 David St., pleaded not guilty yesterday to accessory to murder during an arraignment in New Bedford District Court.
Assistant District Attorney John Letourneau said a witness saw Mr. Rivera's car speed away from the scene of the killing on South First Street shortly after the fatal shots were fired.
Mr. Rivera's defense attorney, Katy Connolly, say authorities lack probable cause to charge her client, who has a minimal criminal record and works in a fish processing plant.
"There's no indication from this witness that Mr. Rivera was the driver of the car," she said.
Judge David Turcotte set bail at $100,000.




Top OAS officials visit Nicaragua to address impeachment threat
Posted on Mon, Oct. 18, 2004

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - A high-level mission from the Organization of American States arrived in Nicaragua on Monday as President Enrique Bolanos battled an impeachment threat over campaign financing allegations.
Acting OAS Secretary General Luigi Einaudi and Permanent Council chairman Aristides Royo met with Bolanos and planned to meet with opposition leaders in what Nicaraguan officials called "preventive diplomacy" to avert a breakdown in the country's democratic order.
The mission was also scheduled to meet with members of the Supreme Court and civic leaders during their two-day trip.
Bolanos alienated the country's two dominant political parties by launching an anticorruption crusade shortly after he took office in early 2002. But the Nicaraguan comptroller's office asked the National Assembly last week to impeach the president for failing to explain the origin of $7 million in funds for his 2001 presidential campaign.
The OAS mission's findings, which will be presented to its Permanent Council later this week, could determine whether the hemispheric body ends up invoking its Democratic Charter on the case of Nicaragua, should the U.S.-backed Bolanos be impeached.
The Charter makes it possible for the OAS to expel any nation when the constitutional order breaks down. Nicaragua, Latin America's second-poorest nation, could lose millions in foreign aid if it is ostracized by the international community.
Bolanos' opponents stand a good chance of impeaching him if they decide to press ahead with the case. Only a handful of the National Assembly's 92 members support the president.
The rest back two former presidents, Daniel Ortega of the leftist Sandinista Front, and Arnoldo Aleman of the conservative Constitutionalist Liberal Party.
Managua's ambassador to Washington, Salvador Stadthagen, called the possible impeachment a "judicial aberration" concocted by Bolanos foes who are fighting the president's efforts to clean up the country's democratic institutions.
Aleman was sentenced last December to 20 years in prison for fraud, embezzlement, criminal association and misappropriation of public funds.
He is now in a hospital recovering from hand surgery and is fighting to serve his term under house arrest rather than in jail.
Bolanos has repeatedly alleged since his campaign financing scandal erupted in late 2002 that Ortega and Aleman were trying to forge an agreement that would impeach the president and leave Aleman under house arrest.
But Ortega has never openly backed an impeachment effort, apparently trying to wring concessions from Bolanos rather than help the strongly anti-Sandinista Aleman.





Elizabeth Edwards to Campaign in Panama City and Pensacola
Florida October 19, 2004

Elizabeth Edwards will travel to Florida on Tuesday to continue the Kerry-Edwards' Campaign five-day swing across Florida to energize voters for early voting options. Mrs. Edwards will talk to voters on Tuesday, Oct. 19th with campaign stops in Panama City and Pensacola. On Wednesday, her daughter Cate Edwards will join her to campaign in Sarasota. As she encourages people to get to the polls, Mrs. Edwards will talk with voters about the Kerry- Edwards plan to make America stronger at home and more respected in the world.

Schedule for Elizabeth Edwards, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2004: All events open to the public and press.
12 p.m. CDT -- Elizabeth Edwards Gives Remarks to Panama City Voters
WHERE: GLENWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER, 722 East 9th Court, Panama City, Fla.
3:30 p.m. CDT -- Elizabeth Edwards Gives Remarks to Pensacola Voters
PENSACOLA CULTURAL CENTER, 400 South Jefferson Street, Pensacola, Fla.
Wednesday Oct. 20th: Elizabeth and Cate Edwards to campaign in Sarasota, Fla. Event details to be announced.




Panama, United States launch fifth round of trade talks
October 19, 2004

PANAMA CITY, Panama – Panama and the United States launched their fifth round of free trade talks on Monday, focusing on what has been the most sensitive issue of negotiations: removing barriers to agricultural trade.
The talks, expected to last all week, are the latest negotiations in the region. Earlier this year, the United States wrapped up talks for a free trade agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic.
Negotiations with Panama began under former President Mireya Moscoso. New President Martin Torrijos, who took office Sept. 1, has said "much prudence and caution were required" on the issue because of the economic power of the United States.
Panama wants more access to the U.S. agricultural and industrial market, but fears opening fully its market to U.S. food products, saying Panamanian farmers can't compete with U.S. subsidies.
"We will be proactive in defending the most relevant topics for Panama," Commerce and Industry Minister Alejandro Ferrer said. "The goal isn't to close the market just to close the market, but to arrive at a better agreement that addresses our interests."
Panamanian farmers have protested throughout the country, demanding protection for homegrown milk, meat and poultry products.
It remains unclear which products will be most affected by the agreement.
"A well-negotiated accord, fair and balanced, can benefit the entire agricultural sector and the country," Agriculture Minister Laurentino Cortizo said.
He said Panama wants to use the agreement to boost Panama's exports of tropical fruits, including pineapple and melons, which already enjoy free access to the U.S. market under an accord that expires in 2008.
The United States is Panama's main trading partner and the destination for half of the country's more than $800 million in exports.

BDWN