MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US Senate expected to approve revamped rescue package

The United States Treasury Department on Tuesday froze the US assets of eight members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which it has deemed a narco-terrorist organization.

The US Treasury's action, termed a "designation," also prohibited US citizens from conducting business with FARC. "Today's designation exposes eight 'International Commission members' of the FARC," said Adam Szubin, director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Through their service to the FARC as international representatives and negotiators, these persons provide material support to a narco-terrorist organization." The eight in Tuesday's designation represent FARC in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico and Canada, the Treasury Department alleged. "As representatives of the FARC and members of its International Commission, these individuals work abroad to obtain recruits, support and protection for FARC acts of terrorism" the department said in a written statement. "Some are also themselves violent criminals." One, Jairo Alfonse Lesmes Bulla, was arrested in August for allegedly plotting the assassinations of some South American officials, Treasury said. Bulla represents FARC in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, according to the department. Another, Orlay Jurado Palomino, who represents FARC in Venezuela, is wanted in Colombia on charges of kidnapping, rebellion and terrorism, the department said. And Francisco Antonio Cadena Collazos, who represents FARC in Brazil, was arrested in August 2005 at the request of Colombia on charges of rebellion, the Treasury statement said. A fourth, Nubia Calderon de Trujillo, was recently granted asylum by Nicaragua, the department said. The other four are Ovidio Salinas Perez; Jorge Davalos Torres; Efrain Pablo Rejo Freire; and Liliana Lopez Palacios, according to the US Treasury statement. US Senate expected to approve revamped rescue package United States will vote on Wednesday on a revamped financial rescue package after the House of Representatives rejected an initial 700 billion US dollars plan. The new package is expected to be similar to the initial plan, but will include some new measures to ease its passage through Congress. One of those new clauses will raise the government's guarantee on savings from 100,000 to 250,000 US dollars. The vote comes after senior Democrats pledged to find a bipartisan solution. Senator Harry Reid and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to President George W Bush saying they expected a bipartisan rescue plan to soon be approved. "Working together, we are confident we will pass a responsible bill in the very near future," they said. Earlier President Bush had warned of "painful and lasting" consequences for the US should Congress fail to agree a rescue plan. The Dow Jones index closed up 4.7% on Tuesday, recouping some losses from Monday's rout, after the markets reacted favorably to the president's statement. Markets in Japan and Australia saw gains as they opened on Wednesday morning, with the Nikkei climbing 1.2%. Analysts say the Senate is more likely to pass the bill because senators are not facing the same pressure from voters as members of the House. All representatives face re-election in November compared with only one-third of senators. The measure will require 60 of the 100 senators to vote in favour in order to pass. The BBC's Jonathan Beale, in Washington, says a positive vote in the Senate is likely to give the bill momentum when it goes back to the House. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, who both support Mr Bush's efforts to bail out the economy, say they will return from campaigning to vote in the Senate. President Bush said at the White House: "We are in an urgent situation and the consequences will grow worse each day if we do not act". The economy was depending on "decisive action on the part of our government", he added. Bush said he wanted to "assure our citizens and citizens around the world that this is not the end of the legislative process". "Our country is not facing a choice between government action and the smooth functioning of the free market," he said. "We're facing a choice between action and the real prospect of economic hardship for millions of Americans," he warned.