LA Quick Hits: Fidel is NOT Going to Die, Unfortunately Correa Isn't Either, Garcia and Hugo, Calderon's New Buddies? & Much More

• The doctor who prompted the latest Fidel is going to die rumors is refuting them.
  
• Correa is now in charge of Ecuador. He wants a constitutional assembly, to renegotiate debt, kick US out and move his nation towards socialism. I love the fact that papers keep harping about his doctorate from U of Illinois - it exposes what goes on in most University eco depts.
• The Herald explained why Correa has no support in the Congress - his party ran no candidates.
• Alan Garcia of Peru and Hugo kiss and make up. Relations within the two countries should be renewed within the month. I wouldn't expect Garcia to get too cozy with Hugo, he has to great an ego to be anyone's follower. I think both sides just felt like this was an unnecessary distraction.
• Venezuela cut off negotiations with oil companies concerning Orinoco ops.
• Manfred Reyes Villa, the Evo hating gov of Cochabamba, is concerned that Ecuador stands on the precipe of civil war. (en esp.) I don't know about Ecuador but Cochabamba is certainly undergoing one as we speak.
  
• The not so shocking news of the day: Cuba is unhappy that Posada was only charged with lying.
  
• HoustonChron has a piece explaining that Calderon is hanging with LA lefties to distance himself from the idea that he is close to the US. That's fine since Mex and US really do not have coinciding interests for the most part. Calderon is the most agreeable head of state that we could have desired but that does not necessarily make him a close friend.
• Some are deriding Calderon's use of the military to fight the drug war and to provide security in strife ridden areas of Mex. I'm of two minds - only the military can provide the security and safety desired but the longer they are out there the more suceptible they are to corruption.
• Uribe blew off concerns that he may nationalize sectors of Colombian economy. (en esp.) Now that would surprise me.
• Speaking of blowing off - that is exactly what Venezuela did with the accusation from a former Colombian drug trafficker who snitched on Boliviarians for drug running. (en esp.)
  
• Stuff like this is custom made for VDARE - a mother of a slain Mexican "migrant" (illegal border crosser) wants the Border Patrol agent who shot her son to get the death penalty.
  
• I can't believe that it's news that one police officer in Mexico has been arrested for ties to a drug cartel. Let's see how many they get in Tijuana - I doubt they nail even one.
• The DEA wants three offices on the other side of the border.
• Cuba sent out a mixed message on freeing the press - trust me if it is mixed ignore it. When things get tough the gov't will rescind the good stuff and ante up the bad.
• Police are still trying to clean up Rio.