Argentina: Calls for Amnesty http://memoryinlatinamerica.blogspot.com/2010/03/argentina-calls-for-amnesty.html

In Argentina, right-wing military supporters are planning to hold a march on 20 April entitled "An amnesty for a Bicentennial with political prisoners". The group known as Asociación de Familiares y Amigos de los Presos Políticos de la Argentina (AFyAPPA; Association of Family and Friends of Political Prisoners in Argentina) and headed by Cecilia Pando considers military human rights abusers to be "political prisoners" and call for "reconciliation",

or moving away from the past. They claim that human right activists are solely bent on revenge and accuse them of neglecting the memory of the victims of left-wing violence.Former Argentine President spoke in a similar tone a few weeks ago, saying,"in 2011 we have to give birth to a government for all of us" that respects "the ones who are keen on (Jorge) Videla and does who are not,"

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Colombian party accused of 'parapolitics' http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8580-parapolitics-to-live-on-through-pin-.html

Colombian political party PIN, (Partido de Integracion Nacional) is facing increased criticism for alleged paramilitary ties as the March 14 congressional elections approach.Semana reported Monday that Senator Luis Alberto Gil, currently serving time in prison for supporting paramilitary organization AUC, continues to control many of PIN's decisions from La Picota detention center, outside Bogota. According to the news magazine, Gil gives direct orders to Alvaro Caicedo, the official head of PIN.PIN was created after Gil was jailed, out of the ashes of several other political parties, including Colombia Viva and Convergencia Ciudadana, which fell apart after many of their members were imprisoned for paramilitary links.

Among the 100 candidates for Senate that PIN is backing, many have family ties or other associations to politicians now serving prison sentences for "parapolitics." These include Gil's wife, who is running for his former seat, and the son of ex-governor Hugo Aguilar, who was investigated for ties to paramilitaries in the Santander department.Gil is also believed to be masterminding the integration of former political party ADN members into PIN. The national electoral council suspended ADN's legal status on January 28, citing the number of imprisoned politicians involved in the party's formation.According to Semana, PIN stands to gain up to a million votes and thus win between 10 and 14 seats in the Senate, and some 20 in the House of Representatives.

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Army to investigate 4 colonels' attendance at 'narco' wedding  http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8581-four-colombian-colonels-attend-suspected-narco-wedding.html

The Colombian Armed Forces opened an investigation into four Colombian colonels, after Commander Freddy Padilla received anonymous footage of the high-ranking officials celebrating at the wedding of a suspected drug trafficker. Commander Padilla announced Monday that he had received an anonymous package containing the video and photographs of the event a week ago.The footage, published Sunday on El Tiempo's website, depicts four army officials, two of whom are in active service, celebrating at the wedding of Nestor "El Duro" Ramon Caro.El Duro is wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking.

The north american nation has offered $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.As well as the four Colombian officials, the list of attendees at the wedding reportedly also included suspected drug kingpin Hugo Bernal, extradited in 2008.Padilla said that the four military officials will be called to respond to the allegations made against them.One of the colonels is currently serving in Brazil and will be summoned back to Colombia for investigation.All four of the men have denied knowledge that El Duro was suspected of illegal drug-trafficking at the time of the wedding.