Venezuela considers presenting candidate for OAS top job
Venezuela is considering the possibility of presenting a candidate for the post of secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), local press said Saturday.

OAS chief Miguel Angel Rodriguez announced his resignation on Friday.

Venezuela is opposed to a Salvadorean proposal of having another Central American as OAS chief, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jesus Perez told the El Nacional newspaper.

"Central America had its chance to have a secretary general through the former Costa Rican president (Rodriguez)," he said.

The Venezuelan foreign minister on Saturday concluded his four-day visit to Cuba after signing four agreements.

Under one agreement, Havana agreed to extradite Venezuelans imprisoned in Cuba, which, Cuban Foreign Minster Felipe Perez says, represents an important progress in cooperation between the two countries in the fight against international crime, including drug trafficking.

Two other documents deal with the exemption of visas for diplomatic, service and official passport holders.
 

S. American countries vie for OAS top job after Rodriguez quits
Immediately after the resignation of Organization of American States (OAS) chief Miguel Angel Rodriguez, names begin to appear in South America as possible replacements of the embattled former Costa Rican president.

Rodriguez announced his resignation on Friday amid a corruption scandal that prompted an arrest warrant against him. He leaves hispost a week later.

Patricio Rojas, vice president of the Christian Democratic Party of Chile, said Interior Minister Jose Insulza could be a candidate for the vacancy.

"Insulza was well positioned to occupy that post this year, but preferred staying in Chile," Rojas said, adding Insulza's candidacy has won the support of Brazil, Argentina, Canada and other countries of the region.

"One should not rule out any possibility, because the international situation is changing," said Rojas.

He cited Insulza's experience as a minister for more than 10 years in three administrations of the present ruling coalition in Chile.

Insulza is a university professor and occupied different posts in the Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry. He is recognized for his capability to negotiate political agreements with the right-wing opposition.

Uruguay's El Pais daily reported that Uruguayan Foreign Minister Didier Opertti would be one of the candidates to replace Rodriguez. Uruguayan authorities have not confirmed the report.

Several names, including Opertti, appeared on a list of possible candidates for the OAS post, El Pais reported.

Opertti also eyes the top job at the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), as he is the only candidate at the moment.

Opertti is a professor of international law and has occupied several important positions both in and outside Uruguay.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jesus Perez said Venezuela is studying the situation to decide on the presentation of a candidate for the OAS post.

"We're considering the scenario to determine whether or not to present a candidate," he told local daily El Nacional.

Venezuela rejected the Salvadorean proposal of appointing another Central American as OAS secretary general, he said.

"Central America had its chance to have a secretary general through the former Costa Rican president," said Perez.

At the request of the Attorney General's office, a Costa Rican judge on Saturday issued an international arrest warrant against Rodriguez, who was accused of receiving money in 2001 from French telecommunications company Alcatel for a contract in the country.

Attorney General Francisco Dall'Anese told the press Friday night that the arrest warrant was issued because the former Costa Rican head of state "is an indicted individual who is abroad."

"We have to take the necessary measures to make sure he is going to be back here" in Costa Rica, said Dall'Anese.

The international arrest warrant will become effective on Oct. 15, when Rodriguez's resignation takes effect, and "the US authorities will be in charge of that," the attorney general said, adding Rodriguez will be treated in Costa Rica as "any indicted individual."

Rodriguez said in his resignation letter to the OAS Permanent Council that he was leaving the OAS "to dedicate myself exclusively to my defense and to clearing up the facts before the Costa Rican judicial authorities."
 

Argentina, Bolivia to sign agreements on energy, cooperation
Argentina and Bolivia will sign on Thursday a series of agreements on the supply of natural gas and broad bilateral cooperation, diplomats said Saturday.

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and his Bolivian counterpart, Carlos Mesa, will meet in Sucre and sign a contract to increase Bolivian gas sales from 4 to 6.5 million cubic meters per day, according to reports from La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia.

A 1,000-km pipeline is to be built in north Argentina to guarantee the supply of natural gas from Bolivia, which started pumping the fuel to Argentina in June. The bidding process starts next month.

The two countries will also sign a document on cooperation in technology, industrial development, mining, agriculture, tourism and health.

FARC murders five members of a family in Colombia
Five members of a Colombian family were killed and another one injured in a deep night attack, which police said on Saturday was conducted by the country's largest rebel group FARC.

The family was attacked Friday night by eight armed men dressed up as civilians in Colombia's Sucre department, local police commander Colonel Carlos Millan said.

Four women, including one with four-month pregnancy, and one man were killed in the attack and another one injured on legs, Millan said.

He said Front 35, a rebel group belonging to the FARC, did the attack.

According to press reports, two of the killed women, aged 21 and 26, were girl friends of local police staff.

The FARC, with 20,000 combatants, is the country's largest and oldest rebel organization and allegedly finances itself through drug trafficking and kidnappings.

Colombia has been plagued by a four-decade civil war, in which leftist rebels, far-right paramilitary and government troops fight each other, killing 3,500 people every year.