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Shannon Martin Murder Trial Resumes
A forensic specialist identified a knife allegedly used to kill a University of Kansas student in 2001 during the second day of testimony in the trial of three people accused of homicide in the woman's death.
The knife was introduced as evidence Wednesday by an attorney representing the family of Shannon Martin, a 23-year-old student from Topeka,
Kansas.
Martin was stabbed to death on May 13, 2001, after she left a nightclub in this Pacific coast town about 100 miles south of San Jose. Martin was in Costa Rica to gather specimens for a biology project.
Forensic specialist Luis del Valle, one of six witnesses to testify Wednesday, said the knife matched the qualities of the weapon used to kill Martin, who was stabbed 15 times.
Del Valle said it was clear that Martin attempted to defend herself, but was aggressively attacked and continued to be attacked after her death.
Rafael Zumbado, 48, Kattia Cruz, 28, and Luis Alberto Castro, 38, have been accused of homicide in Martin's death.
Martin's body was found along an airport access road about 100 feet from her host family's home.
An agent of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Larry Thomas, has helped the family gather evidence and locate witnesses. He was expected to testify later in the week.
Prosecutor Erick Martinez said it was possible the trial would conclude Friday, although it could last longer due to the large number of scheduled witnesses.
The trial already has suffered a series of setbacks, beginning in June, when a judge postponed the proceedings to give Martin's family a chance to sign on as a plaintiff.
The trial was rescheduled for Oct. 27, but delayed again after Zumbado was forced to seek a new defense lawyer. On Oct. 31, the trial began with the testimony of three witnesses, including that of Martin's mother, Jeanette Stauffer.
The trial did not resume again until Wednesday because of court scheduling conflicts.
Cruz was jailed pending trial, while Zumbado was already serving time for a separate homicide. Castro was allowed to go free, but was required to check in with the court every 15 days.
Stauffer vowed Wednesday to remain in Golfito for the duration of the trial.
"I'll stay until I see the killers of my daughter jailed, because they have to pay for the terrible pain of these years," Stauffer said.
Latin American officials, businessmen discuss FTA with US
Officials and businessmen of Latin America met with US officials on Wednesday in Washington to discuss negotiations on a Central American Free Trade Agreement, local media reported.
The meeting was aimed at exchanging views over the negotiations on the free trade agreement between the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, said a statement released in San Jose by Costa Rica's Foreign Trade Ministry.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, chief negotiators of the involved parties, some Latin American businessmen living in the United States, Central American ambassadors and ministers attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Zoellick told Latin American entrepreneurs that the "negotiation goes beyond the commercial relations" and has to do "with the reduction of poverty, the strengthening of development and democracy."
Zoellick said the establishment of free trade between the United States and the Latin American countries for a "more united, strong and prosperous hemisphere" is a very important opinion of US President George W. Bush.
Anabel Gonzalez, the chief negotiator of Costa Rica who also serves as the spokeswoman of the Central American delegation, said it is important to create new opportunities for the Central Americans.
"Some of our countries have just finished civil conflicts and wars and have managed to establish peaceful societies based on freedom and democratic values. The stability and consolidation of our democracy are directly linked to the creation of new opportunities for our people," she added.
The meeting was jointly organized by the Washington-based Latin American Coalition for Trade and the White House.
Zoellick Sees
Tough Congress Fight on Centam Trade
The Bush administration faces a tough battle in Congress next year to win approval of a free trade agreement with five Central American countries because of strong opposition from organized labor, the top U.S. trade negotiator said Wednesday.
"There will be a real battle here," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said at an event to tout the economic and social benefits of the proposed agreement. "The labor unions have just put this in their gun sights."
The Bush administration expects to finish negotiations with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua in December. That would set the stage for votes in Congress by the middle of next year, Zoellick said.
Some analysts have expected the White House to delay a vote on the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement until after the November 2004 presidential election.
But Zoellick played down that possibility, noting that Congress approved a free trade trade agreement with Canada shortly before the 1988 presidential election.
U.S. labor groups and Democratic lawmakers have pushed for tougher labor provisions in the CAFTA agreement than were included in recent pacts with Chile and Singapore.
They argue the region's poor labor record warrants stronger provisions to require the countries to beef up their laws.
Zoellick said the CAFTA countries already have "pretty good" labor laws on the books, but need more resources to properly enforce them. The United States is providing financial assistance to help with that, he said.
Woman Pleads
Guilty to Harboring Fugitive Husband
A woman pleaded guilty in federal court in Fort Myers,
Florida on Wednesday to harboring her fugitive husband after he faked his death to avoid prison.
Anne Gaudet Young, 44, was indicted last December for concealing a person from arrest, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Young’s husband, former Marco Island businessman Raymond David Young, 56, was two days away from going to prison for tax fraud when he disappeared in April 1993 in what was said to be a diving accident.
Young stayed on the run for eight years but was finally tracked down in Costa Rica and was sentenced in October 2001 to seven years in prison.
Anne Young also was found in Costa Rica. She was arrested Oct. 6 after surrendering to officials in Houston.
Anne Young went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas N. Frazier on Wednesday and entered her plea.
Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Molloy said a
pre-sentencing investigation must be prepared before she is sentenced. No date for the sentencing was set.
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Colombian president considers cabinet crisis over
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said on Wednesday that he considered the ministerial crisis was over and urged the members of cabinet to work and attain results.
He called on his collaborators to "work with a macro vision
and a micro devotion," -- to have a wide view of the national
problems and search for solutions for each and every Colombian.
Uribe said he focused on keeping democracy and defeating terrorism, not "winning or losing elections."
Sources of the Presidential Palace of Narino emphasized that for the moment no further changes would take place in cabinet.
The recent ministerial crisis resulted from the resignation of Interior and Justice Minister, Fernando Londono; Defense
Minister, Martha Ramirez, and Environment, Housing and Territorial Development Minister, Cecilia Rodriguez.
On Wednesday, the armed forces commander General Jorge Mora stepped down and his resignation will take effect on Nov. 20.
Only a day ago, National Police commander Teodoro Campo quit after revelations of a police embezzlement scandal in Colombia's industrial city,
Medellin.
The cabinet was plunged into a crisis last month, when Colombians failed to back Uribe's economic and political reform package in a national referendum.
All the cabinet members submitted their resignations on Oct. 29,so that the president could make a reshuffle to iron out the crisis.
On Oct. 25, Colombia held a national referendum on economic contraction, aimed at preventing corruption in government institutes, cutting the size of congress and reducing salaries
and pensions of congressmen and officials.
US, Mexico agree on step-by-step approach on migration
The United States and Mexico, aware of a slim chance to reach an agreement on migration issue any time soon, agreed Wednesday to adopt a step-by-step approach to deal with the issue which has troubled bilateral relations for years.
"Migration still remains a very important issue for both of our nations. Both of our presidents remain committed to migration reform," US Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters after meeting a Mexican delegation headed by Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez.
"We were very candid with each other about the difficulties we have encountered as a result of Sept. 11 (terrorist attacks) and some of the actions we had to take to ensure that our homeland was secure," Powell said.
"We're going to look for ways to move forward step by step to make sure that we can make it safe, legal and in all other ways respectful of our need for labor and the desire to make sure that we treat those who come to our country in a very, very appropriate way, and to do everything we can to regularize this traffic back and forth," he added.
Derbez, for his part, echoed Powell's position, saying that a solution to the migration issue takes time. "The one thing that we should not be doing is announcing things before they are done, because that is what creates the kind of expectation and frustration for people," the Mexican minister said.
Mexico has been concerned over the fate of some three to four million Mexican migrants in the United States. The US neighbor also complains of the killing of some illegal Mexican migrants by US border troops
Security tight in Bolivian city for Latin American-Iberian Summit
Security is tightening in the Bolivian economic center of Santa Cruz de la Sierra before the 13th Latin American-Iberian Summit opens here on Friday.
The two-day summit will be held in the Los Tajibos Hotel Conventions Center amid intense security efforts which will involve 1,600 police and many troops.
The Latin American and Iberian community comprises Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal.
The Bolivian government is reported to have spent two million US dollars on organizing the summit, during which a permanent general secretariat will be set up by the 21 country leaders present.
About 5,000 people will congregate in Santa Cruz de la Sierra this week, mostly delegates of participating countries and journalists.
Hotels estimate that from Thursday till Saturday, nearly 1.6 million US dollars will pour in. Crafts stores around the September 24 Square, in the center of the city, have replenished stocks for buyers.
Young people are also taking part, with some 250 university students working for the organizers for a daily income of 10 to 20dollars.
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Admits Faking Medical Records in Order to Escape Arrest
In an extraordinarily supportive report published in the Miami Herald, fugitive former Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Fedecamaras) president Carlos Fernandez, now living in Weston (Florida, USA), admits that he faked a medical condition and fled to the United States to avoid trial on treason, public instigation to commit crimes and rebellion conspiracy charges.
His fellow conspirator, likewise fugitive former Confederation of Venezuelan Trade Unions (CTV) boss, Carlos Ortega is enjoying political asylum in Costa Rica after fleeing the country last March.
Fernandez and Ortega were the main leaders of the sabotage campaign that caused the country billions of dollars in losses and caused the biggest drop in GDP in the country's history.
The sabotages at the state oil company PDVSA, brought the country's main industry to a halt, and prevented it from producing oil for at least three months. After the sabotage and illegal strike organized by Fernandez and Ortega, the Public Attorney's office filed charges against them and ordered their arrest.
Fernandez was captured and requested house arrest citing "health concerns". Ortega evaded authorities and requested political asylum in the Costa Rican Embassy.
Details have come to light after law professors and students at Nova Southeastern University (Florida) completed an international human rights petition that they claim may help two Venezuelans "to reclaim their lives and careers."
The Miami Herald reports that, last year, Carlos Fernandez led a 2-month 'strike' intended to topple President Hugo Chavez Frias but that the 'strike' failed and he was captured by the police.
In the Herald interview, Fernandez says of the failed 'strike': ''it was something the people were ready for ... there was no waiting, no choice we had left.''
Fernandez says that Chavez Frias had refused to acknowledge Ortega and Fernandez as the elected leaders of the unions or to protect workers' collective bargaining rights set forth in union contracts.
The report neglects to mention the CTV's and Fedecamaras' refusal to complete constitutionally supervised procedures for internal democratic election of their officials ... but cites human rights organizations across the world as condemning Chavez Frias for "quashing of his countrymen's liberties."
The report continues by stating that President Chavez Frias was "briefly overthrown in a military coup initially backed by the Bush administration" but within days he had regained his position, his power even greater than before. "Although Fernandez were briefly under house arrest by Venezuela's military police," NSU law professor Douglas Lee Donoho says he escaped and fled the country before he could be arrested.
Fernandez, now living in Weston, faked a medical ailment and fled from a hospital. Ortega is now seeking asylum in Costa Rica, a country known for its sympathetic laws toward human rights exiles.
The petition, which details how Chavez' administration allegedly breached internationally-recognized human rights will soon be presented to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IAHRC) in Washington D.C. "which will then give Chavez Frias a chance to respond to the allegations." The petition and Chavez' defense could go before the Inter American Court of Human Rights which "has the power to remove the Venezuelan leader or ... at the very least ... legally recognize Ortega and Fernandez as leaders of their respective organizations and give them a chance to return home."
Miami Herald: 'It's been very hard on my family and my businesses,'' said Fernandez to a mostly Spanish-speaking crowd at the Broad Law Center. His wife and two sons moved with him to Weston, which has a large population of Venezuelans. They immediately recognized the man who had become, with Ortega, the embodiment of the Venezuelan working person's chance to take control of their government from a tyrant.
''It's been a complete change for me because we've all had to begin a new life.'' Because Chavez supporters live in Miami, he has chosen not to live there. Unlike his partner Ortega who has has received threatening phone calls, Fernandez has only heard the voices of Chavez' supporters once. ''I was on a radio show and someone called in ... it's to be expected, but I don't feel very much in danger here in Florida.''
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