Guatemalan police are searching for the former president, Alfonso Portillo, after the US requested his extradition to face money-laundering charges. Police officers have visited several of his properties but Mr Portillo has so far not been located, officials said. more at BBC
In Haiti, aid comes with an agenda (Globe and Mail)
The international rush to help Haiti has produced some strange bedfellows and left some Haitians confused about who is running their country. Bitter rivals everywhere else, the United States, Venezuela and Cuba have found themselves working side by side in Haiti. Dozens of American soldiers are camped just outside the Venezuelan embassy, which is located…
Venezuela TV channels taken off air (BBC)
The Venezuelan government has taken six cable television channels off the air for breaking a law on transmitting government material. The privately owned RCTV International, openly opposed to President Hugo Chavez, is one of those affected. more at BBC
Thousands protest in Venezuela (Al Jazeera)
Thousands of protesters have turned out in Venezuela, both in support of Hugo Chavez, the president, and against him, signaling a heated political climate ahead of the 2010 elections. Organised by the opposition to coincide with the anniversary of the downfall of General Marcos Perez Jimenez, a former dictator who was overthrown in the late 1950s, protesters marched to the centre…