Global briefs
USA: Treasury Secretary John Snow said last week that his department was in the process of reviewing the many comments it had received over its new, tighter policy on Cuba travel. The rules took many by surprise when they went into effect on June 30. Snow said it would be inappropriate to say whether the rules might be changed, but said people's comments would be "well- considered in the final actions that are taken." He said the new regulations, which in part limit Cubans visiting family on the island to once every three years, rather than every year, were being taken to "weaken the Castro regime."* * * ARGENTINA: In the face of sharp disagreements between Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on August 8 the Argentine Government decided to temporarily suspend negotiations with the international financial organisation, which is putting on pressure on issues that do not concern it, according to the Government. As Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna stated, it is about unacceptable interference in Argentina's internal affairs via which the IMF is insisting that the issues pending with private creditors must be resolved first. Only then, it argues, will it be possible to reach an "understanding" on renegotiating Argentine goals concerning its external debt. That stand will not be tolerated, Lavagna stressed. The big "creditors" include the private debt of major corporations, including national and foreign individuals and companies from Europe, Japan or the United States.* * * INDIA: A joint meeting of central trade unions and all India federations/associations and employees and workers in bank, insurance, railways, central and state government offices, departments, telecom, postal, defence, petroleum and other sectors took place in New Delhi this month to demand the Government address serious economic and social questions. These include extra funding allocations for social security for the workers in the unorganised and agricultural sectors, effective enforcement of all labour laws relating to minimum wages, social security benefits etc in all sectors (including contract workers), and the revival of the public sector.* * * COLOMBIA: Three new killings of union leaders by the Colombian Army were reported this month by Colombia's ANNCOL news agency. Hector Alirio Martinez, head of the National Peasants Association, Leonel Goyeneche, a leader in the United Confederation of Colombian Workers (CUT) in Arauca, and Jorge Prieto, a leader in the National Association of Hospital Workers, were under the protective measures program of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission when they were murdered by members of the Reveis Pizarro Battalion of the Colombian Army. The human rights organisation Humanidad Vigente said two other leading unionists - - Samuel Morales, president of the CUT in Arauca, and Raquel Castro, a member of the Arauca Teachers Association — were detained in the same operation. Human rights organisations are calling for urgent protests to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe (auribe@presidencia.gov.co), denouncing the murders and demanding release of the two detained unionists.