Peru – Page 23

The relationship between Bolivia and Peru has deteriorated rapidly over the last year, in part because of disagreements on foreign

July 1, 2008July 3, 2008 COHA

Protecting Peru and Brazil’s Uncontacted Amazon Tribes

What is it about the recent photographs of the “uncontacted” indigenous tribe of the Peruvian-Brazilian Amazon region that has caused

Peru Press Releases

June 20, 2008June 26, 2008 COHA

The Greater Significance of the 2008 EU-LAC Conference

The fifth biennial summit between members of the European Union and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Countries was held in Lima, Peru on May 16-17, 2008. In spite of the regions’ active pursuit of tangible agreements that would address the problems of poverty and development, little progress was made. The lack of progress was a devastating blow to the legitimacy of the conference. Leaders of both regions must be held accountable for this lack of progress, and need to realize that future relations between these two regions depend on the achievement of goals set for summits like Lima.

History of the Strategic Partnership
In 1999, the first summit between member states of the EU and LAC was held in Rio de Janeiro. At Rio, forty-eight heads of state attempted to address some of the issues affecting their respective countries and to find collaborative solutions to those issues. Both regions also aspired to strengthen consensus on international issues so that they could be contentious with other international powers, especially the United States.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Kristin Bushby

EU Recognizes Significance of Reforms under Raúl Castro and Inefficiency of Sanctions: Will the US be as Clever?

On June 19, 2008, the European Union (EU) unanimously voted to lift its 2003 diplomatic sanctions against Cuba despite the traditional destructive negativity of countries like the Czech Republic and Sweden who affirm that Raúl Castro has not implemented sufficient reforms to warrant this measure. The sanctions limited the ability of high-level government officials to visit Cuba and participate in its cultural events while establishing amicable relations with Cuban dissidents. This decision, spearheaded by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, aims to encourage further liberalization through dialogue that is “unconditional, reciprocal, non-discriminatory and results-oriented… in the context of the recent changes initiated by President Raúl Castro.” It calls upon Cuban authorities to protect human rights and release political prisoners while resuming economic aid to the island. In a year, the EU will review the island’s progress and, if this measure proves ineffective, they can reconsider their strategy to further encourage the democratization process.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Michelle Quiles

Bolivia Brazil Colombia Cuba Ecuador Guyana Peru Venezuela

May 28, 2008March 9, 2010 COHA

Brazil Spearheads UNASUR Defense Council, but in a Surprise move, Colombia Withdraws

• Implications for Brazil
• The Venezuela-Colombia Rift
• Regional Autonomy
• The Rebirth of the Fourth Fleet and with it the Ghost of Gunboat Diplomacy
• The new Pattern of United States-South American Relations

Member states of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) signed a pact on Friday, May 23 in Brasília to establish judicial and political components for the emerging, limited union. On the docket was a plan to create a military coordinating component of UNASUR, the Conselho Sul-Americano de Defesa (CSD). However, the CSD was destined to be founded without the important exception of Colombia, which recently confused its neighbors by revoking its intention to join. Brazil, in collaboration with Venezuela, spearheaded the creation of the defense portion of the pact, which will be increasingly NATO-like in structure.

Successfully founding the CSD, which had been scheduled to include Colombia, would have represented an enormous victory for what has been called President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s “pragmatic left” leadership. It was no secret that Brasília hoped to use the CSD to strengthen regional ties across highly sensitive boundaries, with Colombia on the right, Venezuela on the left, and Brazil hoping to act as the mediating middle. However, the withdrawal of Bogotá, with one of the region’s most advanced militaries, has significantly weakened the pact from its onset. Brazilian defense minister, Nelson Jobim, described the basic tenets of the CSD as an integrated alliance without an operating field capability. CSD forces would cooperate, for example, in contributing to UN and other humanitarian missions if necessary. The alliance will also be expected to coordinate military technology and resources.