An Aug. 5 confrontation between the campesino group "Padre Guadalupe Carney" and landowners left at least nine dead at El Tilín, in the Honduran Caribbean coastal department of Colón. The Honduran Security Secretariat said some 200 armed peasants attacked the property of local police commander Henry Sorto, burning buildings, in a dispute over contested lands. Campesino militants also blocked roads, barring security forces access to the seized property. Campesino leader Rafael Alegría in a statement issued to the media called upon the national authorities to appoint a commission to mediate the conflict. (El Heraldo, Honduras, Aug. 6)

Georgia is calling home 1,000 of its 2,000 troops in Iraq for a general mobilization to fight Russian-backed separatists in South Ossetia. Georgia's national security chief Kakha Lomaia said Tbilisi ordered the withdrawal to "defend ourselves from Russian aggression." (AGI, Aug. 8) Late Aug. 8, Georgian officials reported at least one Russian air-strike, on the Black Sea port of Poti. They said Russian bombers were flying over Georgian territory and that the presidential offices and residence in Tbilisi had been evacuated. (NYT, Aug. 9)

Several separatist leaders are under house arrest in India-controlled Kashmir, as a complete general strike has paralyzed Srinagar for four days following the death of a protesting youth in the city Aug. 5. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Shabir Ahmad Shah were placed under house arrest to prevent their proposed march to the headquarters of the UN Military Observers Group (UNMOG). (Indo-Asian News Service, Aug. 8)

The international community is condemning the Aug. 6 military ouster of Mauritania's President Sidi Mohamed ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya ould Ahmed Waghf. The coup started just hours after a presidential decree that declared the dismissal of Mauritania's top four military leaders. By the morning, soldiers had barricaded and occupied the presidential palace. Coup leaders announced the creation of a state council to be led by head of the presidential guard, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz—who told the reporters the takeover was not a coup, but rather an attempt to restore security. He cited security problems, including terrorism, that only the army is capable of eradicating.

Georgia declared a cease-fire following an outburst of heavy fighting with separatist forces in the breakaway region of South Ossetia Aug. 7. Georgia is blaming Russia for the escalation of violence. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in televised remarks: "The Russian peacekeeping forces told us several hours ago that they have totally lost control over the separatist forces. We are in permanent contact with the Russian Foreign Ministry, but it fails to convince the separatist[s] to cease fire." Moscow has not yet responded to the claim.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez signed 26 new laws regulating the armed forces, public administration, social security system, banks, agricultural production, and the tourism industry on July 31—the final day of the 18-month period during which the National Assembly granted Chávez the power to pass laws by decree. The government says the laws seek to increase state management of "strategic" sectors and public institutions considered vital for progress toward "21st Century Socialism."

A meeting between presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia, Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and Cristina Fernández of Argentina was called off because of violent opposition protests in the southern Bolivian city of Tarija. The leaders had planned to sign energy integration agreements and launch a project for construction of a natural gas plant in Tarija. The ceremony was also to include the delivery of housing to poor families, built with financial support from the Venezuelan government. Tension is running high in the last week before Bolivia's Aug. 10 recall referendum that will decide the fate of Morales, his vice president and eight of the country's nine regional governors. (IPS, Aug. 7 via Upside Down World)

Bolivian national authorities are investigating a clash between miners and police that left two dead and 30 wounded in the region of Huanun Aug. 4, Government Minister Alfredo Rada confirmed. Rada said the incident was sparked when the police moved to break up a roadblock by workers demanding a new pension law. Rada told reporters that the workers' demands are being debated in the National Congress, and accused the opposition of trying to disrupt the Aug. 10 recall vote. Rada refuted media accounts alleging use of firearms by the police. He said police intervened when they learned the miners planned to blow up a bridge in the town of Caihuasi, in the central department of Oruro.