News Round-Up

Argentina

President of the Grandmothers, Estela de Carlotta, has had a crucial day in court testifying about the disappearance and murder of her daughter. She has not yet found her disappeared grandchild.
Argentine rights leader testifies about daughter (AP)

Juan Peron is a lasting icon in his home country.
Argentina's Peron follows Che, goes commercial (AFP)

Argentina's last dictator, Reynaldo Bignone, has been sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity (he was already jailed for other crimes).
Argentina's last dictator gets life in prison (AFP)
Argentine de facto president following Falklands’ war defeat sentenced to life imprisonment (Mercopress)

Brazil

Relatives of former Brazilian president Joao Goulart have taken heart from the example of Chile, where the authorities are to reinvestigate the death of president Salvador Allende. Goular died in 1976 in Argentina, and his family suspect that he may have been poisoned by agents working as part of Operation Condor.
Investigation on Allende's death gives hope to relatives of former Brazilian leader (Mercopress)

Chile

Chile is to exhume the body of Salvador Allende again. His family still tend to believe that he did commit suicide, but they are going along with the renewed investigation.
Aiming to end a mystery, Chile will exhume Allende (AFP)

Colombia

A detailed article about the "false positives" scandal in Colombia, and the Mothers of Soacha group which is fighting for justice.

"The government say human rights lawyers pay us to say this, that we are liars, that we collaborate. But they are the liars. We respect the state, but we reject their criminal actions. I swear to you that this is true."

The devastation of Colombia's civil war (The Guardian)

El Salvador

A former defense minister of El Salvador, Eugenio Vides Casanova, is undergoing trial to decide if he will be deported from the US to El Salvador to face charges of torture
Torture trial starts for ex-El Saldavor official (AP)

Peru

A former Peruvian prime minister, Juan Carlos Hurtado, has given himself up after spending the last decade in hiding. Hurtado went into hiding in 2000 over corruption allegations during the Fujimori administration.
Wanted ex-prime minister turns himself in after 10 years in hiding (Peruvian Times)

United States

The US denies entry to a German journalist, Gabriele Weber, who specialises in South American human rights issues.
US denies visa to German investigative journalist (AP)
Children thefts in Argentina: German investigative journalist barred from the US (Mercopress)