By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil — The warrant compelling Brazil’s ruling Worker’s Party’s treasurer to testify was just one of 62 arrest, search and other legal orders police issued Thursday in the investigation into an enormous kickback scheme at the state-run oil company Petrobras.

Treasurer Joao Vaccari Neto, was one of the people implicated by a former Petrobras director who was arrested last year, was order to testify about his knowledge of the scheme.

“We want to obtain information regarding donations he requested, legal, or illegal, involving people who had contracts with Petrobras,” federal prosecutor Carlos Lima stated at a news conference.

Vaccari arrived at federal police headquarters in Sao Paulo to be questioned, shortly after the conference.

Brazillian prosecutors have noted that the kickback scheme involved at least $800 million in bribes and other illegal funds.  Some of that money was funneled to the campaign funds of the Workers’ Party and other allies, often described as legal corporate donations.

The federal prosecutors have said they’ve recorded about $170 million involved in the scheme and more than 230 businesses of all sizes are being investigated for their participation in the scheme.  According to the prosecutors 86 people so far are facing charges, including several top executives from Brazil’s main construction and engineering firms who have already been jailed.

The prosecutors are also expected this month to announce charges against more than a dozen politicians, mostly congress members, in connection the the case.

The warrants came just one day after Petrobras CEO, Maria das Gracas Foster, the chief executive handpicked in 2012 by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, and five top directors resigned from the company.  The departures were announced Wednesday morning with a succinct, one-sentence statement posted on the company website, a quick let down after days of rumors surrounding the resignations.

The statement noted that the executives would be replaced on Friday.

Furthermore Thursday, Eduardo Cunha president of the lower house Chamber of Deputies approved the creation of a congressional panel to investigate the kickback scheme.  Specifically, the panel will investigate the “practice of illicit acts and irregularities at Petrobras between 2005 and 2015,” Congress’ website said.

Petrobras is a sad story for its investors worth $310 billion at its peak in 2008, a valuation that made it the world’s fifth-largest company, is just worth $48 billion today.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Warrants Issued in Brazil’s Petrobras Corruption Scandal – 5 Feb. 2015

NY Times – Petrobras Executives Quit Amid Scandal – 4 Feb. 2015

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Petrobras, $262 billion poorer, exposes busted Brazil dream – 5 Feb. 2015

the guardian – Oil giant boss quits as Brazil corruption scandal puts pressure on president – 4 Feb. 2015

by Delisa Morris
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Right after accusing the Argentine government of a massive cover-up prosecutor Nisman was found dead.  Before his untimely death he had drafted an affidavit calling for the arrest of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, detailed the lead investigator in the case, Tuesday.

Alberto Nisman was a special prosecutor hired to investigate the 1994 terrorist attack in Buenos Aires.

For 10 years, Nisman had been investigating the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history: the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center that left 85 dead and hundreds wounded.

Nisman alleged that Fernandez and her government tried to cover-up Iran’s role in the terrorist attack.  Adding fuel to the fire with the affidavit for Fernandez’s arrest, Nisman’s death is raising more than a few eyebrows.

The draft document calling for President Fernandez’s arrest was found in a trash can at Nisman’s apartment, lead investigator Vivian Fein said.  Fernandez was not the only name on the affidavit, there was also a call for the arrest of Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and several political supporters of the President.

There has been much speculation concerning the existence of the document, with denial even by the lead investigator.  On Tuesday, however, Fein released a statement saying that there had been a miscommunication. She admitted the document existed and that it was included among the many documents gathered by police from Nisman’s apartment. All the documents are awaiting analysis, she said.

The draft affidavit warns the would-be judge that Fernandez, Timerman and the other subjects of his complaint could exert pressure on the judicial system, Clarin reported. Those he accuses, Nisman wrote, have a “total lack of scruples.”

Fernandez, who is out of the country in China, made no public comment on the matter.

Though Nisman may have contemplated the arrests, he never filed for an arrest warrant before his death.

Nisman’s report, totaling almost 300 pages, reported a massive cover up on the part of Argentina’s government of who was behind the 1994 bombing.  Arrest warrants were issued to eight Iranian nationals believed responsible for the attack, in 2006.

Nisman claimed that Fernandez’s government helped orchestrate a bargain with Iran: Cash-strapped Argentina would get Iranian oil. Iran would get Argentine grain and meat. And the bombing would remain unsolved.

“The most important information in the investigation (by) Nisman is the Argentine government (wants) to take away (Iran’s responsibility in) the bombing of AMIA,” Bullrich said. “They want to destroy the investigation of the Argentine justice.”

Ten days after Nisman’s death, he was buried in a ceremony carried live on Argentinian television. His grave is in the same cemetery where victims of the 1994 explosion are buried.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Argentina prosecutor Nisman ‘planned warrant’ for President Fernandez – 3 Feb. 2015

The New York Times – Draft of Arrest Request for Argentine President Found at Dead Prosecutor’s Home – 3 Feb. 2015

CNN – Dead Prosecutor Sought Arrest of Argentina’s President, Investigator Says – 3 Feb. 2015

USA Today – Argentine Official Drafted Arrest Warrant for President – 3 Feb. 2015

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has decided to crack down on Venezuela’s socialist government as ask for the freedom of a prominent opposition leader.  In the past Colombia has preferred a hands-off approach in dealing with Venezuela, in hopes for the country’s support in peace talks with Colombian rebels.

This changing climate comes at a time when Venezuela’s deepening economic crisis has fellow Latin American countries reconsidering how the renewed unrest from the opposition in Colombia should be responded to.  This is not the first time the countries have been on opposing sides.

In 2008, there was tension that led to talks of war on both sides of the border.  Colombia became the first Latin American country to call for the release of activist Leopoldo Lopez late Monday evening.

Almost a year ago anti-government rallies stormed Venezuela, with Lopez being one of the people at the helm.  Lopez has been incarcerated for almost 11 months on charges of instigating violence at the rallies.  Until Monday Venezuela’s neighbors preferred to push dialogue with the government, while the U.S. and European governments openly condemn Lopez’s jailing.  The governments are also concerned with Venezuelan President Maduro’s crackdown on his opposition after the rallies.

“I don’t pretend for Colombia ever to adopt our socialist model or break its dependence on U.S. imperialism,” Maduro said at a military ceremony. “But nobody can accept lessons imparted from abroad about who can or cannot be jailed.”

It is clear that Maduro is not happy about the countries supporting his opposition.  Over the weekend former Colombian President Andres Pastrana attempted to visit Lopez in jail,  in addition to former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera.  The two leaders were barred from entering the military facility outside of Caracas where Lopez is jailed.  Following this Maduro said in a speech at the wo the countries have “”blood on their hands” for supporting groups trying to oust him.

While Maduro is unhappy, his Venezuelan opposition celebrated Colombia’s statement almost immediately.

“Our hearts are smiling,” Lopez’s wife, Lilian Tintori, told Bogota’s Caracol Radio. “We thank you for this statement because we need your help.”

Maduro has never been friendly with Colombia, constantly claiming that Colombia is working with the U.S., to overthrow him.  Santos has largely ignored Maduro’s jabs, but seems to be interested in distancing himself from the country.

However, Maduro and Santos came to a consensus on Wednesday in Costa Rica, where they both attended a meeting for Caribbean and South American leaders.

For more information, please see: 

Buenos Aires Herald – Free Leopoldo Lopez – 27 Jan. 15

ABC News – Colombia Angers Venezuela With Call to Free Jailed Opponent – 27 Jan. 2015

Colombia Reports – Venezuela defuses diplomatic tensions with Colombia – 29 Jan. 2015

The Washington Post – Colombia Angers Venezuela With Call to Free Jailed Opponent – 27 Jan. 2015

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina has come under fire in the press in the past few days with the suspicious murder of Prosecutor Alberto Nisman.  Nisman was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head just hours before he was expected to come before Congress and charge President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of having illegal dealings with Iran.

His allegations, in part, accuse Fernandez and top officials with deep ties to labor unions, social movements, and attempting to strike a deal between 2011 and 2013 in which they would export food products to Iran in exchange for importing oil.

In exchange, the Kirchner government would attempt to remove eight Iranian suspects in the AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing from an Interpol arrest list.

The so-called “oil for food” deal never materialized, which Nisman attributed to Foreign Minister Hector Timerman’s inability to persuade Interpol to remove the Iranians from its list.

Mr. Timerman has responded to these allegations by calling them “baseless”, and states that Argentina has never imported oil from Iran as evidence to the fact. He claimed that: “We don’t have too much trade with Iran.  In fact it was Iran who placed an embargo against Argentina because of the accusations about their role in the bombing … and that they lifted unilaterally in 2007. But our trade with Iran is very small”

Furthermore, Fernandez claimed that Argentina had never imported petroleum from Iran.  Which is false.  In another statement Fernandez noted that Argentina does not import crude oil from Iran, because they do not have the facilities to process it.  Also a false statement.

While the trade data shows, that no “oil for food” agreement was ever reached, Iran and Argentina have a clear trading partnership.  This comes at a time when Iran’s trading partners are few due to US sanctions against companies that choose to trade with the country.  Iran is benefitting from Argentinian food and Argentina has proven their willingness to disregard US sanctions.

Also, Fernandez is calling for the dissolution of the intelligence agency after the Nisman’s death, stating that it’s time to reform the intelligence service, because the existing one “has not served the national interests.”

For now Nisman’s death will remain a mystery, but there are many conspiracy theories in the air.

For more information, please see:

Business Insider – All Of Argentina Is Questioning Its Relationship With Iran — Here’s What That Relationship Actually Is – 27 Jan. 2015

Bueno Aires Herald – Iran’s representative in Argentina Denies Parallel Diplomacy – 25 Jan. 2015

NPR – Argentina’s President Dissolves Intelligence Agency, Citing Prosecutor’s Death – 26 Jan. 2015

CNN – Argentina’s President pushes intelligence shakeup after Nisman scandal – 27 Jan. 2015

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador – – Two Shaman along with a family of four died just before midnight on Tuesday.  The family was participating in a healing ceremony when the hot springs they were bathing in, located in the northern Andean province of Imbabura, leaked a poisonous gas, probably methane.

Nearby a seven-year-old-boy, the couples son, slept in the car.  The tragedy came after he fell asleep while he waited for the night ceremony to finish.

Gabriel Bunay and his wife Martina Tacuri were taken to a thermal rockpool inside an indigenous settlement with their three children for an ‘energy healing’ ritual after being met by a local in the nearby city of Otavalo.

Shaman Gladys Tercero died along with another Shaman, her helper.  The spring, a thermal rockpool, began emitting a poisonous gas during the ceremony, thought to be methane gas.

Police chief Jacqueline Haro added: “The boy that survived fell asleep inside his family’s car after his mother told him to go and rest because the water was cold.”

“He is now in a children’s home receiving counselling while we wait for relatives to come and pick him up” she added.

“It’s an accidental death resulting from the inhalation of toxic gases emanating from the thermal waters,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

Local firefighter Carlos Lopez told AFP that toxicological tests had not yet been performed, “but it is confirmed that it is from inhalation of gases.”

t the site, authorities found homemade cane liquor, candles, eggs, medicinal plants, entrails and dead birds, as well as the business card of a shaman offering to solve problems with money, love, work, business and travel.

This isn’t the first time a participant has died during a ritual with Shamans:

Last April British student Henry Miller died at a tribal ceremony in neighboring Colombia.

Henry, 19, from Bristol, collapsed after taking a hallucinogenic drink called yage at a remote rainforest near the village of Mocoa in the south-east of the country.

For more information, please see:

London Evening Standard – Six dead from Healing Ceremony Methane Poisoning in Ecuador – 22 Jan. 2015

Jamaica Observer – Six die in shamanic ritual in Ecuador – 22 Jan. 2015

Business Standard News – Six die in shamanic ritual in Ecuador  – 23 Jan. 2013

The Straits Times – Six die in shamanic ritual in Ecuador – 22 Jan. 2013