LA Quick Hits: The Hugo Effect, Evo Destruction, Insulted Insulza, The AMLO Show, Babalu Bash & More

• The markets respond to Hugo's nationalization plans with a freefall. The Carcas exchanged dropped almost 19% and the street value of the bolivar plumetted to almost half its previous value. The Hugo effect also nailed other LA markets with Argentina, Mexico and Brazil registering almost 2% losses or more. I would imagine Mexico will bounce back relatively quickly with Argentina and Brazil trailing but recovering too. It is unlikely that any of them will follow Hugo. I'm sure that investors in the Hugo alliance (Ecuador, Bolivia and maybe Nicaragua) will think twice before fronting more money. If nationalization goes through the US is expecting compensation but as far as I'm concerned they don't deserve it. I am incredulous at investors who are shocked that this is happening quicker than they thought. Does that mean that they expected it to happen anyway and were hoping he just took his time. These companies deserve what they got.
• CSM has an overview of what is going down in Venezuela.
• Evo lovers are making a mess in Cochabomba - they are hoping to oust the anti-Evo gov. Blog from Bolivia thinks this is unlikely and unproductive.
• The Cuban dissident in Bolivia has been deported to Colombia. Sure the US helped, via the UN, (en esp.) but why wouldn't we take him?
• Ecuador cried to the OAS yesterday (en esp.) about Colombia's border spraying.
• OAS members backed Insulza (en esp.) after Hugo's tirade.
• The AMLO show had it's premiere - the paid infomercial ripped Calderon's anti-crime initiative and proposed a law to break up "monpolies." God idea! Let's start with PEMEX!
• I can't defend Oscar Corral this time...he trots out the old boring story that we've heard a thousand times - that travel restrictions and the embargo divide the Cuban exile community. I can recite that crap in my sleep. This piece will get ripped on Babalu before sun up.
  
• This is a shock - Mexico extradited a murder suspect back to the US. I doubt we waived the possibility of the death penalty.
• There are now "only" 333 dissidents in jail in Cuba. Newsflash - the entire friggin' island is a jail.
• More Cuban doctor stuff. How can you beat propoganda like that? Perhaps by doing some of it yourself. It's certainly cheaper than funding crop eradication and it makes someone happy.
• In case anyone was wondering ETA confirmed that they bombed Madrid...oh and by the way the ceasefire is still on. Go ahead Zapatero - take the bait.