With shouts of ''Fatherland, socialism or death -- I swear it, Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez was inaugurated on January 10, for a second six-year term. During the inaugural week he has announced to the country and the world at large his dramatic "New Year’s Resolutions" as his Bolivarian revolution takes a pronounced leftward turn. After a resounding 61-38% electoral triumph last December 3, in which he garnered more than twice the number of votes he received in 1998, Chávez now feels the wind of a mandate at his back. But he also has gained in popularity because of his social welfare programs and food subsidies, fed by windfall oil profits.

The upcoming presidential elections in Colombia will either produce a new president, or the reelection of Alvaro Uribe. Neither the solution to the conflict nor human rights violations appear to be core aspects of the electoral campaigns, especially when compared to the elections that took place in 2002. This article aims to bring attention to the gravity of the human rights situation in the country, and the need for the "new" Executive to tackle this challenge from a different perspective to that which they have been doing to date.

Within Latin America, Colombia is one of the countries with the greatest electoral tradition. Similarly, it hosts the oldest guerrilla movement in the world. Over the last four decades a difficult combination has configured itself with the continued presence of illegal actors and the maintenance of legal procedures for the legitimation of political power, converting Colombia into a unique case: a country at war, that holds regular elections.

President Bush remained a lonely figure at the fourth Summit of the Americas held in Mar de Plata, Argentina in November, his economic position directly defended only by Vicente Fox of Mexico. Facing mass protests in the streets Bush was overshadowed by the popular support accorded Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez (who, standing by Bolivia’s Evo Morales, in front of a larger-than life image of Che Guevara, led an anti-American, anti-globalization rally of more than 25,000 people in the city) and Brazil’s Luis Ignacio "Lula" da Silva.

CIP-FUHEM SPECIAL DOSSIER

After the close victory of Réne Préval in the presidential election, Haiti prepares for the second round of the legislative elections next 21st of April. Many Haitians and the international community hope that the new era opening now brings a halt to the violence and the stabilization of the country. As the new president and institutions will be key in achieving this goal, these developments still need the support of the international community.

Leandro Nagore examins the electoral results in the Haitian context and the prospects for the future in his article Elections in Haiti, an Exercise of Faith

Paola Wächter interviews Juan Gabriel Valdes, head of the UN Mission in Haiti, as he reviews the main aspects of the international and MINUSTAH role in the country.

Elena Couceiro speaks to Radio CKUT in Montreal and analyzes the key questions regarding the situation in Haiti. (only available in Spanish)

Over the last few years, the European Union has developed different strategies toward the Colombian conflict that have oscillated between the promotion of a negotiated exit from the conflict and the support of the Government of Álvaro Uribe and his politics of Democratic Security. At the present moment, the European Union is faced with various dilemmas that emanate from the process of demobilization and from the reintegration of the paramilitary groups. Not supporting it would suppose the rejection of the official argument of the Government, which states that this is the first step to a more extensive process of peace. Not supporting it will also, at this moment, appeal and promote the insurgent organizations. It would place the EU in a difficult position since the political point of view, neglecting to accept that in fact something has changed in the Colombian setting, and that there is an opportunity for peace that should be taken advantage of.

The full document is available at www.cip.fuhem.es (only in Spanish)

After registering a new delay in the date for the parliamentary and presidential elections, scheduled for January 8 2006, Haiti and the international community try to fix the minimum conditions to hold credible and transparent elections which can provide a legitimate government. Security conditions remain worrying, as much as it is the volatile political scene. The new issue of the electronic bulletin InfoCIP reviews these aspects. We recommend the following analyses:

- Elections in Haiti?, by Jordi Urgell

- Haiti: The MINUSTAH, a Strong Mandate, a Frustrating Interpretation, by Elena Couceiro

For further resources, we include a bibliography on Haiti in the period 2000-2005.

During the last term of 2005 and along 2006 thirteen countries in Latin America will hold elections. While in various countries it will mean a continuation of the previous trend, the results in some other countries could lead to some changes in the political environment and a renewal in the institutional spheres. Along 2006 we will witness if the trend towards a rise of the left in Latin America is confirm or not. Winning candidates such a Evo Morales in Bolivia have risen high expectations for some and distrust for other. Beyond specific cases, the results in the elections can represent an opportunity to face some of the most serious threats in Latin America: the lost of credibility of democracy, institutional weakness, poverty and inequalities, social exclusionand, high corruption and violence in different forms. 2006 can be the year of changes for Latin America.