Arnoldo Aleman

COLOMBIA Convictions for FARC supporters Monzer Al Kassar, alias El Taous, and his associate, Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, were convicted following a three week trial in a Manhattan federal court. The defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to murder US

ARGENTINA: Minister Resigned as Monday Laundering Suspect:; BRAZIL: The Berezovsky Connection; Lawsuits against Investigative Reporting; CHILE/PERU: Thicker and Thicker; EL SALVADOR: New Initiative to Report Financial Transactions; MEXICO: Former Governor Extradited; Frozen Money to Be Shared; NICARAGUA/PANAMA: Alemán Is Summoned.

CHILE: Informal Exchange Market Should Be Regulated; NICARAGUA: Ends Row over Frozen Money; PERU: Plot Thickens for Fujimori; REGIONAL: Coca Flourishes; Soccer under the microscope; and URUGUAY: More Anti-laundering Controls.

BRAZIL New intelligence unit Brazil's Foreign Ministry officially announced the creation of an intelligence center, in cooperation with Argentina and Paraguay, located in Foz do Iguacu - in the so called tri border region - to combat money laundering and

COLOMBIA: Uribe set for win;; Arrested for Money Laundering; MEXICO: Laundering Couple Trapped; NICARAGUA: Efforts to Repatriate Alemán's Assets Continue; PANAMA: Prestigious Law Firm Involved in Pinochet Scandal; and PARAGUAY: Saving Cooperatives under Scrutiny.

CHILE Pinochet Had 125 Bank Accounts A further investigation by a U. S. Senate Subcommittee into former dictator Augusto Pinochet's riches revealed this month that he held 125 bank accounts in the U. S., and not a few as previously

ARGENTINA Menem in exileFor the second time, an Argentinean judge issued an international arrest warrant for the former President, Carlos Menem, on allegations of tax fraud.Apart from other crimes, Menem is accused of embezzling tens of millions of dollars during

ARGENTINA: The Swiss connection; New charges for banker; BRAZIL: Lula faces first scandal; EL SALVADOR: Sentences in El Carmen case; GUATEMALA: Portillo on the run; MEXICO: Court rules U.S. operation unconstitutional; PARAGUAY: Looking for minister Ferreira; The Peirano brothers: scapegoats?; and PERU: Toledo in trouble.

ARGENTINA More incriminating data against MenemFormer Iranian spy Abolghasem Mesbahi confirmed from Berlin in a videotaped interview at the AMIA trial taking place in Buenos Aires that an alleged envoy sent by Carlos Menem requested $10 million in exchange for

COSTA RICAMoney laundering on the rise A report by the Drug Enforcement Administration identifies an increase in Costa Rica's vulnerability to money laundering. According to the report, the real estate sector has become one of the favorite ways of laundering

ARGENTINA: Circle around Menem narrower; COSTA RICA: Costa Rica becoming popular; ECUADOR: No foreign holidays for Noboa; MEXICO: Pressure mounts over big banks; NICARAGUA: Alemán in prison: PANAMA: Marc Harris' friends in Panama in trouble?; and PARAGUAY: González Macchi ordered to stay put.

ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY and URUGUAY: Banco General de Negocios, Multibanco, Banco Comercial sagas continue; NICARAGUA and PANAMA: Following Marc Harris' steps in Nicaragua; PANAMA and COLOMBIA: Colombian scandal affects Panama; and PERU: Kroll unable to find Fujimori's money so far.

ARGENTINA: Purge in the making; DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: The consequences of Baninter banking scandal; ECUADOR: Ex-minister investigated for laundering; MEXICO: HSBC investigated; NICARAGUA: New charges for Alemán; and PANAMA: Iranian citizen arrested; Frozen Guatemalan assets; New rules; The legacy of Marc Harris in Panama.

ARGENTINA: Investigator investigated; CHILE: A major financial scandal erupts; COSTA RICA: More controls for Costa Rica; GUATEMALA: USA resumes aid; Congress Chair in trouble for alleged corruption; MEXICO: The PRI fined; Divine bank accounts; NICARAGUA: Bolaños presents policy; PANAMA: Portillo's account in the open; REGIONAL: Eleven jurisdictions of "concern" in Latin America and the Caribbean; URUGUAY: Controversy! What controversy?; and VENEZUELA: Chavez under scrutiny.

ARGENTINA Switzerland to investigate Menem's bank accountsSwiss judge Christine Junod will investigate whether beleaguered former president Carlos Menem had money in the country's banking system. Until now, Menem has escaped prosecution in spite of the fact that he has been

ARGENTINA The bankers' parade Michael Smith, of HSBC, declared before judge Claudio Bonadío that bribes were somewhat customary in Argentina. Smith—a British citizen who has been only months in the South American country—was testifying in a new case of alleged

ARGENTINAMenem off the hook, for the moment Judge Julio Speroni concluded there is not enough evidence to indict former President Carlos Menem in the case of the illegal arms sale to Croatia and Ecuador. Judge Speroni added, though, that Menem

ARGENTINA: Menem in deeper trouble; Funny operations to save BISEL; Duhalde criticized; COLOMBIA: New President; LATIN AMERICA: Enron tentacles in Latin America; NICARAGUA: No visa; Alemán, formally accused; PARAGUAY: New financial scandal; and URUGUAY: Little Uruguay sneezes, Latin America is already sick.

ARGENTINA: BGN fiasco unfolds; COLOMBIA: Perception of corruption increases; ECUADOR: Failure in international bid; GUATEMALA: New regulations in Guatemala; "Twin  banks" investigated since 1996; MEXICO: The honeymoon is over in Mexico; NICARAGUA: $2 million lost in Nicaragua; The high life of a president; …And Taiwan wants its money back; and PANAMA: Welcome to Panama.

Menem's secret accounts in Switzerland; Mexico still cleaning up after the Salinas family; Alemán's hidden money; Disappearing money in Bolivia; and Huge investigation in El Salvador.

September 11 side effects on already slowing regional economy The attacks on the United States on September 11th will have profound economic effects, further slowing a world economy already growing at its lowest rate in a decade and speeding up