Chilean interior minister
lobbies for Haiti support to OAS
candidacy
Chilean Interior Minister Jose
Insulza traveled to Haiti on
Tuesday to seek the country's
support to his bid to secretary
general of the Organization of
American States (OAS).
According to reports reaching
here, Insulza went to Haiti
without President Ricardo Lagos,
with whom he visited Guyana,
Grenada, Barbados and Trinidad
and Tobago on Friday.
Chile was stepping up its
campaign to seek support from at
least 12 of the 13 countries of
the Caribbean bloc for Insulza's
OAS candidacy. The Haiti tour is
part of Santiago's plan in the
final phase of the campaign.
On Friday, Lagos completed an
intense lobbying with 11 heads
ofs tate and government who
participated in the Caribbean
summit in Guyana.
Government officials said that
up to now, Insulza was only two
or three votes short of the 18
needed for his election.
Nonetheless, the rest of the
votes are difficult to obtain
both in North America and South
America. Belize and Saint
Vincent keep their support for
Mexican Foreign Minister Luis
Derbez, the prime rival to
Insulza.
Six countries have officially
expressed their support to
Insulza. Chilean Foreign
Minister Ignacio Walker said
earlier Insulza will gain the
majority by garnering 24 votes
in the 34-nation bloc.
The OAS has been without a
secretary general since former
Costa Rican President Miguel
Angel Rodriguez was forced out
of the post in October after
just one month in office due to
a corruption scandal back home.
The organization plans to hold
elections in June.
Cuba Develops Project to Reduce
Organic Pollutants
Cuba has developed a program to
reduce or eliminate persistent
organic pollutants POPs, even
though the Island has low levels
of this substance, according to
local reports on Wednesday.
The strategy consists of
carrying out a national campaign
in each site that POPs could be
still stored after its use in
agriculture, basic industry and
health care, among others.
Organic pollutants are dangerous
chemicals for its toxic, semi
volatile, bio-accumulative and
permanent character.
Experts from the Science,
Technology and Environment
Ministry are currently working
on the identification of
pollutants in each company that
uses POPs in its production to
implement the precise treatment.
Environmental authorities said
this policy is an example of
Cuba´s commitment with the
Stockholm Convention, a legally
binding international agreement
signed in 2001. The agreement
bands the use of certain types
of harmful substances to humans
and other species.
The country has been promoting
initiatives to lessen
environmental pollution during
decades with good result despite
the fact that many
industrialized nations have
failed to work on the
elimination and reduction unsafe
pollutants.
Cuba is seeking alternatives to
clean the environment and cut
the risks the pollution
represents for life.
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Mexico's Fox Gives Priority
to Relations with Guatemala
President
Vicente Fox asserted his
country prioritized
relations with Guatemala,
which he considered a
neighboring and friend
nation, while receiving his
counterpart Oscar Berger.
We, Mexicans, are very close
to the Guatemalan people, as
we are united by historic
profound roots and millenary
cultures, Fox noted.
Vicente Fox said the values
and interests both countries
shared proved the high level
of understanding and
cooperation between their
governments.
He considered joint works at
the highest level allowed
strengthening and boosting
economic links, and
promoting cooperation in
security, migration and
border development.
The Mexican leader
maintained they had taken
firm firms toward the
creation of a Middle
American Community of
Nations to contribute to
regional development and
growth.
Thanks to the Tuxtla
Mechanism of Dialogue and
Coordination and the Puebla-Panama
Plan, Guatemala and Mexico
have a decisive role in the
process of integration of
the Middle America Community
of Nations, and the Latin
American integration, he
added.
On Monday, Berger opened a
three-day tour of Mexico
from which three
collaboration agreements are
expected to stem.
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