LatinNews Daily Report - 12 March 2013

POLITICS | The son of Chávez pledges support for Colombian peace talks. On 11 March acting President Nicolás Maduro pledged Venezuela’s continued support for the Colombian peace talks. The former president Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) was believed instrumental in getting the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) to the dialogue table with the government led by President Juan Manuel Santos.  Venezuela, along with Chile, is accompanying the talks in Havana, Cuba. Maduro said that Chávez (who previously called for the Farc to be recognised as a belligerent group and was accused by Colombia and the US of sheltering Farc guerrillas inside the Venezuelan border), was passionate about the talks and wanted to see an agreement inked this year. There is some speculation that without Chávez around, the Farc might now feel more pressure to sign a deal.