Hotspots Digest

Submitted by Templar Titan on Wed, 06/09/2004 - 14:57.

Tuesday - May 25, 2004 To Tuesday - June 1, 2004


Globalization is taking executives and employees into areas where security
risks are a fact of life. Representatives of multinational corporations
are often targets for kidnapping, robberies, and other serious crimes.
While simple preventative precautions may be all that are necessary in
some locations, professional executive protection services are imperative
in others.

Wackenhut professionals provide advice, support, and protection for key
executives and other employees who face potential threats to their safety
and security in domestic or international settings. Current intelligence
is reviewed to determine the political and economic stability, terrorist
activity, street crime frequency, health hazards, etc. of each location.
Qualified protection specialists and professional drivers are assigned to
limit exposure to dangerous or unpleasant situations.
For more information on Wackenhut's executive protection services, please
contact us at 1-800-275-8310 or visit our Web site at www.ci-wackenhut..com
and click on the Protection Services link.

AMERICAS
Argentina (4)
Bolivia (2)
Colombia
Costa Rica
Mexico (2)
Peru
Puerto Rico
United States (3)
Venezuela (2)


ASIA
Bangladesh
China
China ( Hong Kong)
India
Indonesia
Malaysia
Nepal (2)
Pakistan (3)
South Korea


EUROPE
Czech Republic
Denmark
France (2)
Greece
Italy (2)
Monaco
Norway
Russia
Slovakia
Turkey
United Kingdom (2)


MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Iran (2)
Iraq (2)
Israel (2)
Lebanon (3)
Morocco (2)
Saudi Arabia


SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Burundi
Chad
Côte d'Ivoire (2)
Democratic Republic Of Congo (3)
Eritrea
Kenya
Liberia
Madagascar
Somalia
South Africa (3)
Sudan
Uganda


GOVERNMENT WARNINGS
Colombia
Haiti
Indonesia
Nepal
Australia
Turkey
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic Of Congo
Malawi



AMERICAS


Argentina:  On  1  June 2004 at 0800 local time, the Jorge Newbery Airport
and  the seaport in Buenos Aires stopped their operations due to heavy fog
that  is  affecting  visibility. Traffic delays are also being observed on
the main highways. No further information is available at this time.


Argentina:  More than 6,000 people demonstrated in the central city of San
Luis on 27 May 2004, protesting against various policies announced by Gov.
Alberto  Rodriguez  Saa  and  demanding  that federal lawmakers intervene.
Violent  clashes  occurred  between  demonstrators  and  police  officers.
According  to  local  reports,  demonstrators threw tar bombs, bottles and
rocks  at  government  offices. One person was severely injured during the
clashes.


Argentina:  Unemployed individuals, state workers and members of picketing
groups  will  continue to block roads in the main streets of Buenos Aires,
Jujuy,  Salta, Tucumán and Rosario on 27 May 2004. The demonstrations ware
scheduled  to  begin  at  1000  local time and are scheduled to last until
1700.  The  demonstrators  are  demanding more social plans, a monthly pay
increase  of  350  pesos  and a lowering of natural gas prices. The groups
also  want  the government to take control of the energy and gas companies
and  give  more power to their workers. Traffic jams are expected in these
cities,  especially  in  Buenos  Aires where the demonstrators will likely
march in the downtown area.


Argentina:  Members  of various civil organizations and unemployed workers
will  march  on 26 May 2004 to the San Martín Square in front of the local
government  headquarters  in Buenos Aires, where they will join with state
workers  to  demand  wage increases, state ownership of all energy and oil
companies  and to reject the hike in natural gas prices and the payment of
the external debt. According to leaders of the groups, the protests, along
with road blockage, will continue on 27 May.


Also, members of the Argentinean Workers Union (CTA) will gather in Plaza
Paso and march to the government headquarters in La Plata, demanding a
better distribution of the national wealth, wage increases and a bigger
budget for health, education and justice. Several sectors also announced a
72-hour strike and nationwide demonstrations.


Bolivia:  On 31 May 2004, striking teachers took hostage the vice-minister
of  education  in  Sucre, demanding that the government pay their salaries
from  their approximately 30-day strike, increase their pay and reform the
pensions  system.  Meanwhile, coca growers blocked the Nor Yungas Highway,
demanding   more   markets   for   their  product.  Salaried  miners  also
demonstrated  in  La  Paz  after  being threatened with dynamite sticks by
other  miners  in the city of Caracollo. The salaried miners threatened to
immolate  themselves  if  the government does not resolve their issues and
allow  them  to  go  back  to  work.  Several  cities  of  the Santa Cruz,
Cochabamba  and Potosí departments are also affected by road blockages and
the  invasion of several oil plants. Citizens of El Alto announced a civic
strike  for 1 June 2004 and announced road blockages on the El Alto-La Paz
highway, and teachers will march at 1500 local time in La Paz.


Bolivia:  Hundreds  of  rural  teachers  marched in La Paz on 26 May 2004,
blocking  all  access to the main streets in the downtown area and causing
severe  traffic  delays.  Police officers dispersed the demonstrators with
tear  gas and rubber bullets after they began throwing rocks and fireworks
at  government  buildings.  According  to  police  reports, one person was
injured and two were arrested during the clashes.


Colombia:  Approximately 250,000 members of the Colombian Armed and Police
forces  are  on  a  state  of  alert in response to the threat of possible
terrorist  attacks  by  the  Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
rebel  group,  which is commemorating the 40th anniversary of its founding
on  27  May  2004. According to military reports, military forces seized 1
ton  of  dynamite,  ammunition,  2,000  m/6562  ft of conducting cable and
documents  noting possible targets for the attacks which included military
and   police   units,   strategic   roads   and   oil  and  communications
infrastructure.  Security  measures  have been heightened in the cities of
Bogotá,  Cali, Medellín and Bucaramanga, particularly in the main airports
and bus stations. According to local reports, approximately 5,000 soldiers
are reinforcing security in these areas.


Costa Rica: An estimated 10,000 people gathered in San Jose on 31 May 2004
to protest against the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
Protesters marched through downtown streets and blocked a number of roads,
including  the  highway  to the international airport near San Jose. There
were no reports of violence or arrests.


Mexico:  Protesters  clashed  with police officers in Guadalajara, located
approximately  150  mi/250 km northeast of Mexico City, on 29 May 2004, on
the  last  day of a summit of European Union and Latin American leaders in
the  city.  The  clashes  occurred  near  the  site of the summit's venue.
Approximately  20 people, including police officers, were injured and more
than  90 people were arrested. Protesters threw rocks and other objects at
police  officers,  while riot police officers responded by using tear gas,
water cannons and batons on the protesters for several hours. Nearby banks
and shops in the city were looted.


Mexico:  On  26 May 2004, an estimated 600 protesters gathered in downtown
Guadalajara,  in  Jalisco  state,  to  demand  that the Mexican government
compensate  migrant  workers  for  unpaid  retirement funds. There were no
reported  incidents of violence, although demonstrators attempted to break
through  security  barricades  surrounding the site of the Third Summit of
the  Latin American, Caribbean and European leaders, which is scheduled to
take  place at Guadalajara's Hospicio Cabanas cultural center on 28-29 May
2004.


Peru:  Thousands  of  people marched on 26 May 2004 in the main streets of
Lima   demanding  the  declaration  of  presidential  vacancy  and  a  new
constitution.  The  demonstration  paralyzed  the  city for several hours.
President  Alejandro  Toledo,  whose  approval  rate  is  currently only 4
percent,  announced  on 25 May that participants in demonstrations or road
blockages  would  be punished with up to 8 year imprisonment. This measure
was   rejected   by   several   sectors   in  the  government.  Meanwhile,
dmeonstrators  also  marched  and  demanded  Toledo's  resignation  in the
Ancash, Tacna and Puno region.


Cuzco residents began on 27 May a regional strike demanding changes in the
economic policy and Toledo's resignation. The city was paralyzed and local
television images showed demonstrators blocking roads and burning tires.
Demonstrations are scheduled thorughout the city on 28 May, and
approximately 110 civil organizations will participate. Peru Rail, the
company that runs trains between Cuzco and the Inca tourist mecca Machu
Picchu, suspended the trains services for security measures.


Puerto  Rico:  An  assailant armed with a knife took an unidentified woman
hostage  at  the  governor's  mansion  in  Old  San  Juan  on 27 May 2004.
According  to  police  sources,  the assailant was demanding to see Puerto
Rican  Governor  Sila  Calderon, who was not on the premises. Authorities,
who  sealed  off  the  areas  surrounding the premises, were attempting to
negotiate with the hostage-taker.


United  States:  Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes raged in the states of
Indiana,  Kentucky  and  Missouri  on  30  May 2004, killing one person in
Indiana and injuring several others. On 29 May, 92 tornadoes swept through
eight  states  --  Missouri,  Kansas,  Oklahoma, Nebraska, North and South
Dakota,  Oklahoma and Mississippi -- in the center of the country, killing
three  people, injuring at least eight others and destroying four homes in
Missouri.


United  States:  U.S.  Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge
announced  on  26  May  2004  that  there  is new intelligence regarding a
possible  summer  2004  terror  attack  against  targets inside the United
States.  According to Ridge, a group of terrorists already deployed inside
the  United  States  is  preparing to launch an attack during the upcoming
summer months. An anonymous counterterrorism official reportedly described
the  threat as "extremely credible" and "backed by an unusually high level
of  corroboration."  A  news conference by Department of Homeland Security
officials  is  scheduled  for  1400 U.S. Eastern time (1800 UTC) on 26 May
2004.  In  an  earlier  interview  on  26 May, Ridge stated, "There are no
current  plans  to  lift  the national alert status from Code Yellow." Air
Security  International,  L.P.  will continue to monitor the situation and
report as necessary.

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