President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela announced at a news conference on Thursday, July 22, 2010 that he was putting an end to diplomatic relations with South American neighbor Colombia. Chavez`s announcement came after a meeting in Washington of the Organization of American States that discussed Colombia`s persistent claims that FARC and ELN guerilla fighters are being protected on Venezuelan land. Chavez`s pronouncement is the latest in the cooling of relations between the two countries, as diplomatic relations were frozen nearly a year ago.
 

 
1. What are the main reasons for the foreign military presence in Costa Rica?

It has been said that allowance of the presence of ships, crews and troops from the United States by the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Costa Rica is due to operations for the suppression of drug trafficking, in accordance with the agreement for cooperation signed in 1998 and authorized by law number 7929 of 28 September 1999. But this is not true, for reasons I will discuss:

The Centre de Amigos para la Paz, and organizations of our support network, categorically reject the U.S. military ships entering our territory, as well as any further increase of militarism as a solution to the conflicts in global politics.

We oppose the permission granted by the Costa Rican Legislature, which allows for joint patrols against the transfer of drugs entering our country with up to a possible 46 warships, 200 helicopters, 10 AV-8B Harrier aircraft and 7,000 marines.

   Members of Centro de Amigos para la Paz huddled around the table at their weekly meeting this past Wednesday, June 16, 2010 to give their thanks and blessings to fellow member Gerardo Brenes Montoya, who will be representing them, and Costa Rica, at the School of the Americas Watch Encuentro. This conference, which aims to build solidarity between the North and South American efforts to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly the School of the Americas), is taking place in Sanare, Venezuela from the 21st to 26th of June.

A nightime raid on an aid ship carrying humanitarian supplies and civilian passengers has resulted in at least nine civilians dead, dozens injured, and a stunned international community. The Mavi Marmara, one of six ships carrying relief and developmental aid enroute to Gaza, was boarded by Israeli military commandos from helicopters at aproximately 4:30AM on Monday, May 31st, with violence breaking out shortly afterwards.