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Poetry fans in Chile and all around the world are celebrating 100 years since the birth of Pablo Neruda, one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century, on 12 July. Neruda, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971, was born Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto in July 1904 in the town of Parral in Chile. He changed his name to Pablo Neruda at the age of 16, in memory of the Czechoslovakian poet Jan Neruda.

Chavez pointed out in a live radio and television show that what he said was a document proving that the National Endowment for Democracy gave the money to several opposition groups.

The National Endowment for Democracy was created in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions around the world through non-governmental efforts.

The money was used to draft a government and economic plan entitled Country Consensus, which was released by the opposition alliance Democratic Coordinator on Friday as a blueprint for a post-Chavez Venezuela.

"The government of Mr. George W. Bush continues putting its hands where it should not put them," said Chavez. He also accused the opposition of "selling its soul to the devil".

The leader said a Venezuelan organization called the Economic Information Dissemination Center (CEDICE) was responsible for channeling the funds to the opposition.

While Chavez was delivering his weekly "Hello President" live television and radio show, at least one person was injured Sunday when the president's supporters threw stones, bottles and firecrackers at opposition backers visiting a local mayor detained at the security police headquarters.

It was the first violent incident since the two sides started their campaigns ahead of the August referendum on whether to recall Chavez.

On June 8, the National Election Council of Venezuela announced that the opposition had collected 2.5 million signatures against Chavez, more than the required 2.4 million to call a recall vote.
 

Former Mexican energy minister to run for president
Former Mexican energy minister Felipe Calderon declared on Sunday that he would run for president in 2006.

Calderon resigned as energy minister in May after President Vicente Fox criticized him for his presidential ambitions, reports said.

Mexican law prohibits Fox from running for a second term in 2006.

Calderon said he would seek the nomination of Fox's National Action party (PAN).

Speaking to supporters in Mexico City, Calderon said "I have decided to seek the presidency and I will fight with all I have until I win the presidency of the republic in 2006, for the PAN, for Mexico, for my children and the children of all Mexicans."

"Citizens do not want to wait for politicians to agree on solutions. They want realistic actions that deal with the problems and face off against crime," Calderon said.

Candidates for 2006 presidential election also include Zacatecas state Governor Ricardo Monreal of the Democratic Revolution Party, former Assistant Attorney General Everardo Moreno Cruz of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and former Foreign Relations Secretary Jorge Castanedas.
 

Colombia seizes 1.5 tons of cocaine
The Colombian Navy has announced that it has seized 1.5 tons of cocaine and arrested two drug traffickers.

A navy spokesman said the traffickers had planned to smuggle th e drug into the United States from the sea around the San Andres islands. CRIENGLISH.com reported Monday.

The navy launched its operation on Saturday afternoon.

The annul output of the illegal narcotic cocaine in Colombia accounts for 90 per cent of the world total.