Latin America

Given the recent rumors about the possible death of the Venezuelan president, VP Nicolás Maduro, said today that Hugo Chavez is currently battling for his health and life. However, he insisted that Chavez is still giving orders despite his breathing difficulties.

A federal judge has once again ordered the state of Louisiana to release Albert Woodfox, a former Black Panther who has spent more than 40 years in solitary confinement. Woodfox and Herman Wallace, another prisoner of the “Angola 3,” were convicted of murdering a guard at Angola Prison. The Angola 3 and their supporters say they were framed for their political activism.

Oxfam has released a comprehensive report that measures how the world’s 10 largest food companies perform on food justice issues. No company emerges with passing grades. The 10 companies Oxfam scores are Associated British Foods, Coca-Cola, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg, Mars, Mondelez, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever. Collectively, these companies make $1 billion a day.

As protests grow in the West Bank over the death of a Palestinian inside an Israeli prison, we speak to a pair of Israeli and Palestinian fathers who’ve responded to personal tragedies with activism for peace.

In a Black History Month special, we air excerpts of a rarely seen Oscar-nominated documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the rise of the civil rights movement. Produced by Ely Landau, “King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis” is made from original newsreel footage and other original video footage shot of marches, rallies and church services.

Venezuelan VP, Nicolás Maduro revealed over the weekend that President Hugo Chavez, met members of his government team for five and a half hours, and gave his orders in writing, reported PULSAR news.

Despite being the Arab world’s most populous country, Egypt had never previously hosted the Islamic Summit. And the conference was given further historic resonance thanks to the attendance of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran.

Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for February 16th to 22nd 2013.

Wall Street Journal journalist Jess Bravin reports on the controversial military commissions at Guantánamo. Describing it as “the most important legal story in decades,” Bravin uncovers how the Bush administration quickly drew up an alternative legal system to try men captured abroad after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous joins us to discuss his recent trip to Bahrain, where the Sunni monarchy continues its crackdown on a two-year-old uprising. Since February 2011, at least 87 people have died at the hands of U.S.-backed forces.