LA Quick Hits: Calderon on Tijuana and Security, Hugo's Party (By Invitation Only), the Machu Men, Pulling a Hugo, Coca and Fish and More

• A second victim of the "permanent" ETA ceasefire has been found in Madrid.
• Operation Tijuana has begun with federal troops swarming into the city. Eventually 3,300 (actually 3,296) troops will be assigned to cleaning out the border town. Yesterday Calderon took the time to visit the troops that have been working to clean out Michoacan.
• Calderon also called on his security cabinet heads to devise an integrated plan to attack crime and security issues. (en esp.)
• About two weeks ago I linked to a story on Hugo's plan to forge one huge Socialist party out of the disparate elements that currently constitute his regime - NYT finally gets around to telling everyone today. Considering that it is NYT it isn't bad.
• In the LA Briefs section in the Herald there is a note on Brazil's efforts to clamp down on crime in Rio prior to the Pan Am Games. Also mentioned is the Pinochet posse being cleared of charges and a "Grand Warlock" in Mexico predicting Castro's death.
• A US senior citizens group is ripping a proposed US/Mexico accord that they say would allow illegal aliens to collect on Social Security even after they leave the US
• Let's call this the year of the Mexican Woman. The new under secretary for management at the UN is Mexican career diplo Alicia Barcena Ibarra. Criticism is that she is a former member of Kofi's crew - she was his last chief of staff.
• WaPost reports on the "Machu Men," the senatorial delegation that opted to continue with its South American jaunt while the rest of political world (and most of America) paid tribute to the late President Ford. The Machu Men, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spent a total of 3 hours meeting with Alan Garcia, Evo and Correa. The rest of the time was spent galavanting in the region. The senators were accompanied by their wives...hmmm. I used to have to do business trips, lots of them. I don't ever recall anyone on a business trip taking their spouse.
• Pulling a Hugo Pt. 1 - Evo accuses his Supreme Court of being corrupt. (en esp.)
  
• Pulling a Hugo Pt. 2 - In a victory tour Correa met with neighborhood brigade members of his Movimiento Pais. (en esp.)
• In Peru another program to get farmers to stop growing/selling coca.
• Guatamalan asylum seekers in the US are getting kicked out.

LA Quick Hits: Uribe's Problem, Rafting Still, Drug War, Evo War, You Can See Marti, Hugo the Socialist and More

• A para leader is set to testify today in Colombian court. The problem for Uribe is that the more that comes out on this the deeper his gov't finds itself mired in scandal - political associates have been implicated.
• Rafts are still the transportation of choice for Cubans seeking to come to the US. Unfortunately Cuba is right (sort of) in stating that wet foot/dry foot encourages potential immigrants to take the chance. Of course what really encourages people to leave is a repressive regime and a country with no prospects or opportunity.
• The operation in Michoacan continues. Thus far the gov't is reporting the arrest of 55 drug traffickers, the destruction of 6 tons of harvested pot and the destruction of 600 acres of marijuana plants. The Mex gov't has said it will use all the power at its disposal to nail traffickers. (en esp.)
• The last American hunter kidnapped by the Zetas near the border was released yesterday.
• Oscar Corral is still at it. Today he touches on the cronyism afoot at TV/Radio Marti. Among the issues explored is the hiring of individuals with no broadcast experience to six figure jobs. One of these is the politically connected and incredibly annoying Luis Zuniga. I always thought it was illegal but apparently TV/Radio Marti will be broadcasting locally in S. Florida in an attempt to use these signals to reach Cuba. I actually always thought that it was a stupid law to restrict VoA and other gov't programs from running but the timing of this latest move seems just a tad politically motivated.
• Some of Bolivia's governors are still fighting with Evo. (en esp.) Needless to say Santa Cruz is in the middle of all this. Morales cried that "the oligarchy will never accept an indian government." (en esp.)
• Ecuador isn't sending it's ambassador back to Bogota (en esp.) until Colombia stops fumigating on the border.
• Chavez has promised to shake up his cabinet, again. (en esp.) In the Javier Corrales' Foreign Policy piece that I linked to previously. He mentioned cabinet shake-ups and instability as part of the Chavez method of holding onto power.
• The Fifth Republic Movement, the Hugo vehicle has dissolved to give way to the Socialist Party. (en esp.)
• Alan Garcia wants the death penalty back.
• The plan to raise taxes on sodas and cigarettes (en esp.) by 5% passed in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies.