President Santos Moves To Build On Security Gains Of His Predecessor To Address Root Cause Of Conflict: Land Ownership BOGOTA - President Juan Manuel Santos has surprised friends and foes alike during his first year in office by distancing himself from his onetime boss, former President Alvaro Uribe, and setting an ambitious agenda to try to repair the damages from a long-running civil war. With approval ratings at over 75% and a solid majority in congress, Mr. Santos has secured a package of groundbreaking laws, including one to return nearly 16 million acres of land-equal to West Virginia-taken from peasants during the war. [continues 693 words]
BOGOTA, Colombia-Mexico's biggest cartels are expanding their operations throughout Central and South America, gaining power as they diversify and consolidate in new regions but also exposing themselves to new challenges, according to top law-enforcement officials. Cartels like the Sinaloa gang and the Zetas are sending more operatives to South America than ever before, seeking to fill the void left by the demise in recent years of powerful Colombian drug organizations. "There are more Mexican drug-cartel emissaries in South America than in any other time in the history of Mexican cartels and drug operations," said Jay Bergman, Andean regional director for the Drug Enforcement Administration, in an interview this week. [continues 530 words]
