The government of Buenos Aires province, Argentina's biggest and most populous, is embarking upon an high-profile anti-crime offensive, with the support of the federal government. In early July, the province's security minister, Juan Pablo Cafiero, took personal command of the provincial police force (which over the years has been hit by one scandal after another), after its chief, Commissioner Alberto Sobrado, was persuaded to step down.
Buenos Aires governor Felipe Solá had earlier urged the federal government to issue a decree formally declaring that a 'state of security emergency'. Justice minister Gustavo Béliz dismissed the governor's suggestion, saying, 'The emergency situation already exists; it needs no decree to confirm it. People are being killed every day in every corner of the country and we have to work to improve that situation.'
He told the governor to 'grab the bull by the horns.' However, acknowledging that the province of Buenos Aires is the leading crime black spot in the country, Béliz announced that in that district the government would be increasing the strength of the three federal agencies: the Federal Police, the Gendarmería (paramilitary border police who double up as an emergency anti-riot force) and the Prefectura Naval (which, also with a paramilitary structure, combines the functions of riverine police and coastguard). He also announced the replacement of the general commanders of the Gendarmería and Prefectura Naval.
The 12 highest-ranking officers of the federal police had earlier been replaced by recently-installed President Néstor Kirchner.
Kirchner declassifies Amia bombing files
The 1994 bombing of the Amia-Daia Jewish community centre, which killed 86 and injured 200, is now more likely to be solved. President Néstor Kirchner, overcoming the reluctance shown by his two immediate predecessors, Carlos Menem and Fernando de la Rúa, has ordered the state intelligence secretariat, Side, to declassify all the documents it holds on the case.
Investigators have already uncovered much of the 'local connection' (which included a number of police officers) and one magistrate has issued arrest warrants against a number of Iranian officials accused of planning and directing the bombing -- one of the only two instances of acts of international terrorism in Latin America (the other having been the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992).
PARAGUAY|'Corruption hinders search for terrorists'
The commander of the US Southern Command, General James Hill, says that Paraguay's inability to control corruption and illegal trade in the 'Triborder' area (where Paraguay meets Argentina and Brazil) makes it difficult to track down Middle Eastern terrorist groups there. Addressing a conference in Miami on 25 June, Hill said that groups in the area continues to serve as support and logistics staff for Hamas and Hizbollah. He also said that 'terrorists who have planned or participated in attacks in the Middle East, such as the recently captured Khalid Sheik Mohammed, have spent time in our region.' This is an allusion to recent press reports citing unnamed intelligence sources, putting Khalid in Foz in 1995, the same year other reports said Usama bin Laden had visited the area.
[Full analyisis of this subject in our special report Latin America and the US 'War on Terror', SR-03-02.]
End of preview - This article contains approximately 539 words.
Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article
Not a Subscriber?
Choose from one of the following options
