LA Quick Hits: Elections Colombian Style, Shut 'em Down Hugo Style, A Bunch of Stuff on Drugs - An Arrest, A Fungus and A Runner & More

• Uribe blew off para leader Mancuso's revelation that the paras pressured voters to support Uribe. (en esp.)
  
• Want to know why Hugo is shutting down RCTV? WaPost has the best story thus far on what it is about RCTV that ticks Hugo off.
• Texan lawmakers are asking for $850 million dollars over five years to fight the drug war in Mexico. Once again we are looking for a proxy to do our fighting for us. Once again we are looking for our southern neighbors to bear the brunt of the drug war. Why don't we spend $850 million to get people off drugs or to get them off of our streets?
• Pedro Diaz Parada, allegedly a drug cartel leader, was arrested in Oaxaca. This is the first major arrest of the Calderon crackdown.
• "Franken-fungus" a powerful herbicide may be to controversial and dangerous to spread here but some in DC don't have a problem in using it in LA to combat drugs.
• Colombian authorities stumbled on $54 million worth of loot while conducting drug raids in four houses.
• Cubans wait and wonder as to the state of Fidel's health. I'll say it again, when he dies there will be wailing in the streets. I'm just preparing myself psychological for the sight and the glowing news reports.
• Cuba is keeping a Colombian drug runner under lock and key, even though they haven't charged him with anything drug related. The insinuation in the piece is that if they let him go he may reveal something to embarass the Cubes. Not that I think the Castro Bros. don't run drugs (I do) but I doubt they would have made a high profile case over a weak link.
• A miner's death has some in Coahuila skittish. 65 miners were buried alive last year and safety remains a concern.
• Former LA prezes are being nailed when they leave office. The Herald explains why...I'll do it quicker most LA gov't's are dirty.
  

LA Quick Hits: Fidel's Ass, Former Para Talking (Dead Man Walking?), Isa Going to Jail?, Correa Takes Reins, Nica Poverty Fight, Just Say No! & More

• Castro almost got an artificial anus but opted against it. This and other scintillating details about Fidel's colon and rectum were revealed by el Pais in Spain.
• Salvatore Mancuso, a former "para" leader in Colombia, confessed/boasted about his crimes in an effort to take advantage of a deal provided to all "paras" to disclose crimes and serve reduced sentences.
• A second arrest warrant has been issued for Isabel Peron, a request for extradition should come next.
  
• El Salvador marked the 15th anniversary of the signing of the peace accords that allowed the FMLN to put down its weapons.
• Correa marks his first day on the job by signing an oil deal with Hugo.
• Nicaragua's new finance minister is making poverty his number one concern. He says the right things but is incredibly vague as to the policies that he will implement - that is rarely a good thing.
  
• Calderon starts a jobs program providing incetives to companies to hire first time workers.
• Evo's land reform is posing challenges to its benficiaries.
  
• Mexico is ticked that an illegal border jumper was killed by the Border Patrol.
  
• Texas border mayors say "no" to a fence. I can respect that but what should be done then, any suggestions? One mayor sends that a barrier would send the "wrong message." The message that a wall/fence says to me is don't cross the boder illegally - is that the "wrong message."