Peru grants Chavez critic asylum

[bemildred]

Source: al Jazeera

Peru has granted political asylum to a Venezuelan opposition leader who has accused the government of President Hugo Chavez of persecuting him.

Manuel Rosales sought asylum in Peru earlier this month after corruption charges were filed against him over his 2002-2004 term as governor of the state of Zulia.

Rosales denies the charges and says he is being politically persecuted by Chavez, against whom he ran as the main opposition candidate in the 2006 presidential election.

Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde, the Peruvian foreign minister, told the country's congress on Monday that Rosales had been granted asylum.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009427195127362184.html

[EFerrari]

1. Somewhere in Zulia, money launderers and drug runners

are lifting their glasses.

[rabs]

2. This could get interesting

because Peru owes Venezuela's Hugo Chavez big time.

In June 2001, Venezuelan military agents captured Vladimiro Montecinos, at the time the most-wanted fugitive in Latin America. He was Vladimiro Montecinos, the right hand man of now-convicted President Alberto Fujimori of Peru.

Montecinos was captured in Caracas after about eight months on the run and where he had gone to undergo plastic surgery.

Chavez promptly ordered Montecinos flown to Peru, where Montecinos was convicted and is now rotting in a naval prison in Callao, Lima's seaport.

Montecinos was connected to the CIA, drug trafficking, sales of 10,000 rifles to Colombian rebels, political murders of students, media extorsion and some Peruvian officials estimated he may have embezzled up to one billion dollars. His capture and trial led to the downfall of Fujimori and his flight to Japan.


Now we shall see if President Alan Garcia of Peru returns the favor to Chavez with Rosales.

(Spanish, on Montesinos' capture) http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=315253

(English on who Montesinos is, good read) http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Vladimiro_Montesinos

[EFerrari]

3. That's amazing. I had no idea.

:wow:

[StClone]

4. Thanks!

[rabs]

7. You're welcome

and nice avatar. :-)

[AlphaCentauri]

5. I would like to see a video of Montesinos in jail

just to make sure he is not living in Miami

[rabs]

9. Venezuela has reacted with outrage

The Venezuelan ambassador to Peru was recalled, effective immediately, in protest of the decision by Lima to grant political asylum to Rosales.

An official communique released tonight said Venezuela also was re-evaluating its relations with the government of Peru.

Venezuela's foreign ministry said Peru's decision was a mockery against International Law, a blow to the fight against corruption and an insult to the people of Venezuela.

(Communique in Spanish) http://www.abn.info.ve/noticia.php?articulo=179527&lee=4

[EFerrari]

10. Good. n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

6. The interpol will take care of Rosales

corruption charges have nothing to do with his political asylum or his religion

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j-U8BHosoUFOao2TvqezEzBYAgzg

[rabs]

8. Not sure if Interpol can intervene

when political asylum already has been granted. Will look around for precedents.