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Leaders of Spain, Portugal,
Latin America urge Falklands
dialogue
Leaders from Spain, Portugal and
their former colonies in Latin
America urged Britain and
Argentina to renew their
dialogue on the Falkland
islands, known in Argentina as
the Malvinas.
"The heads of state and
government ... reaffirm the need
for the governments of Argentina
and Britain to resume as soon as
possible negotiations aimed at
achieving a swift solution to
the sovereignty dispute over the
Malvinas islands," a special
statement issued by the Ibero-American
summit in Costa Rica's capital
said.
The 1982 war over the Falklands,
some 550 kilometers (350 miles)
off the Argentine coast, left
649 Argentine and 255 British
soldiers dead.
Argentina told a United Nations
committee in June 2003 that its
claim to the islands was a top
priority and a month later
Argentine President Nestor
Kirchner told British Prime
Minister Tony Blair that
the two countries should revive
talks on the islands' status.
The two countries resumed
diplomatic relations only in the
early 1990s and Blair in 2001
became the first British premier
to visit Argentina since the
war.
Relations cooled again in
December when Kirchner urged
Britain to apologize for
transporting nuclear weapons on
British ships during the war.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero said
participant nations also had
backed a planned Alliance of
Civilizations, aimed at
fostering dialogue between
Christians and Moslems.
"This was a very important step
for this idea to move forward at
the United Nations," the
socialist Spanish leader said.
The leaders also signed a
declaration at the end of the
summit committing their nations
to taking a bigger role in the
economic and political recovery
of Haiti ahead of elections
scheduled for next year.
The Ibero-American gathering was
largely overshadowed by the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation
summit in Santiago, also held
over the weekend, and a strong
earthquake that rocked San Jose.
And it was marked by the absence
of presidents Luiz Inacio Lula
da Silva of Brazil, Ricardo
Lagos of Chile, Fidel Castro
of Cuba, Alejandro Toledo of
Peru, Jorge Fernando Brando de
Sampaio of Portugal and Hugo
Chavez of Venezuela.
Education also was on the
agenda, and a draft of the final
declaration calls for "creative"
new approaches to tackle the
lack of funding in that sector.
Visiting dignitaries were jolted
into action early Saturday -- if
not by the work ahead of them by
the strong earthquake that shook
central Costa Rica early
Saturday. Authorities linked
eight deaths to the quake.
"I thought it was a train going
through a station," quipped
Spain's King Juan Carlos. "I
went back to sleep."
Seismic experts at Costa Rica's
National University said the
quake's magnitude was six on the
Richter scale and said the
epicenter was about 10
kilometers (six miles) north of
Puerto Quepos on Costa Rica's
west coast.
The US Geological Survey
measured the quake at 6.2 and
located its epicenter 40
kilometers (25 miles) southwest
of San Jose, at a depth of 23
kilometers (14 miles).
Peru Vows to Keep US Woman in
Prison
Peruvian officials say they will
not free a U.S. woman serving a
20-year sentence for terrorist
collaboration, even if a
regional human rights court
orders her release.
Foreign Minister Manuel
Rodriguez said Saturday if the
Inter-American Court of Human
Rights orders Lori Berenson's
release, Peru would refuse.
The Costa Rica-based court is
set to discuss the case this
coming week.
Berenson was arrested in 1995
and accused of involvement in a
failed attempt by the rebel
Tupac Amaru Revolutionary
Movement to seize Peru's
Congress.
A military court initially
convicted and sentenced Berenson
to life in prison for treason.
That sentence was overturned and
she was re-tried by a civilian
court. She was acquitted of
being an active member of the
rebel group but convicted of
helping the guerrillas plan the
attack on the Congress.
Berenson has maintained her
innocence.
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Colombian police confiscates 1
ton of cocaine
The Colombian police announced
Sunday it seized one ton of
cocaine in the northwestern city
of Turbo.
The police conducted the
operation when the drug
smugglers were carrying the
cocaine from a truck to a
motorboat at the suburb of
Turbo. The drug traffickers
escaped the operation.
Preliminary investigation showed
the cocaine would first be
transported to Mexico and its
final destination is the United
States.
This is the second time that
Colombian police has seized such
a large quantity of cocaine in
this month.
On Nov. 2, the Colombian navy
seized 2.1 tons of cocaine and
captured 5 drug traffickers on
the international waters of the
Pacific Ocean.
Colombia is one of the top
producers of cocaine in the
world. The annual output reached
580 tons, accounting for 90
percent of the world production,
most of which ends up in the
United States and Europe.
China, Mexico pledge to push
forward strategic partnership
Chinese President Hu Jintao and
his Mexican counterpart, Vicente
Fox, agreed in their talks
Sunday to push forward the
strategic partnership between
the two countries.
The meeting took place here on
the sidelines of the 12th
Economic Leaders' Meeting of the
Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum. Both
China and Mexico are members of
the forum.
The Chinese president spoke
highly of Sino-Mexican strategic
partnership and appreciated
Mexico's support on Taiwan and
human rights issues, according
to a press release issued by the
Chinese delegation.
The meeting also focused on
developing bilateral economic
and trade ties.
Hu said the Chinese government
attaches great importance to
strengthening cooperation in
trade and investment with Mexico
and encourages Chinese
businessmen to invest in Mexico.
"We hope to work together with
Mexico to expand the economic
and trade cooperation, seek
positive trade balance and
achieve win-win results based on
mutual benefit," said the
Chinese president.
Fox said Mexico is following
with interest China's economic
development and its contribution
to world trade, adding his
country is looking forward to
strengthening bilateral economic
cooperation and trade.
Mexico supports China's bid to
join the American Development
Bank and is exploring the
feasibility of tourism
cooperation and direct air
flights, Fox added.
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