Ottawa
British MP barred: Canadian officials have refused to allow a British member of Parliament into the country for a speaking tour because they say he supported terrorists. The Canadian Border Services Agency said George Galloway abetted terrorism through his gift of vehicles and cash to Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement, which advocates the destruction of Israel. Barred from the country, Galloway this week delivered his speech, planned for Toronto, via webcast from New York. “Instead, 100, 1,000, 10,000 times the audience is watching the meeting this evening because of their attempts to silence us,” Galloway said. “It is poetic justice.” Galloway is best known for his longtime support of Saddam Hussein and his efforts to get sanctions against Iraq lifted.
San Jose, Costa Rica
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Biden stands firm on deportations: The U.S. will continue deporting undocumented Central Americans, Vice President Joe Biden told disappointed leaders of Central American nations this week. Leaders from Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Belize had wanted the U.S. to ease up on deportations. Some 80,000 Central Americans were deported last year, and their home countries are having trouble dealing with the influx. But Biden said that during an economic crisis, the U.S. simply couldn’t legalize all 12 million undocumented workers. He said the problem could only be solved in the context of overall immigration reform.
Bogotá, Colombia
Assassination averted: Colombian police have foiled an elaborate plot to kill defense minister and presidential contender Juan Manuel Santos. Police said FARC rebels rented a property next to Santos’ farm, where they stashed police uniforms, guns, and motorcycles in preparation for an assault. It was the 11th plot against the defense minister uncovered in the past two years. Since Santos assumed office in 2006, he has led the Colombian military’s successful campaign against the FARC, the rebel group that controls the cocaine trade. A cross-border raid into Ecuador last year claimed the life of the FARC’s No. 2 commander, Raul Reyes. Santos is a front-runner to succeed President Álvaro Uribe in next year’s elections.
