Chilean FM begins visit to Brazil, Ecuador
Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker left for Brazil and Ecuador on Tuesday for an official visit, the Chilean government said on its web site.

Walker will talk with Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday and then meet with his Brazilian counterpart Celso Amorim.

During the visit to Ecuador, the Chilean official will meet with his Ecuadorian counterpart Patricio Zuquilanda and attend a signing ceremony of a joint communique.

Walker will also meet with Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrezand President of Ecuador's National Congress Guillermo Landazuri.
 

Bush sued in Chile for crimes against humanity
A group of left-wing and human rights leaders Tuesday sued US President George W. Bush, who is scheduled to visit the country in November, for crimes against humanity.

"We want Bush to be questioned when he comes here," said lawyer Juan Enrique Prietoin, who filed the suit on behalf of the Communist Party and Humanist Party in the Santiago Appeals Court.

Also mentioned in the suit were Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former Iraq Administrator Paul Bremer.

Bush will visit Santiago for a summit of Asian-Pacific leaders on Nov. 19-21.

Human rights attorney Hugo Gutierrez said the unprecedented action will let the world know "this country (Chile) has international jurisdiction to judge crimes committed in other countries and by non-Chilean nationals."

"Undoubtedly, it will be difficult. But we are doing what our conscience demands as we are deeply concerned about the crimes committed by the United States in Iraq," Gutierrez said.

According to Chile's legal procedure, the court will take a few days to decide whether to accept this type of complaint and then assign a judge who has the power to interrogate the sued person. Filing criminal suits by civilians is common in Chile.