Cubans sent to Nicaragua say U.S. is final destination*** MANAGUA - The tattoo etched into the smooth underside of Javier Pérez's right arm reads ''U.S.A.'' -- the land of his dreams. Over each letter is a permanent reminder of why this one-time Cuban soldier got on a raft and tried to make it to Miami: round, cigar-sized burn scars that he described as the handiwork of Cuban state security. Pérez never made it to Miami, but on his last try he was picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard and transferred to Guantánamo Bay naval base. The Nicaraguan government recently agreed to give residency to Pérez and 19 others who were some of the last Cubans left living on Guantánamo. But here in Nicaragua, these exiles say they are not satisfied and won't be until they make it to the United States.***
Venezuela's opposition seeks unified strategy for ousting Chavez *** CARACAS, Venezuela - Conservatives wore green, while radical leftist students wore red. The vast majority of marchers last weekend, though, were not representing any political party and simply waved Venezuelan flags. The hundreds of thousands of marching Venezuelans dwelled less on their incompatible ideologies than on a deeply shared longing: to oust President Hugo Chavez.
One month after Chavez was removed from office and then quickly restored, dissent is rebuilding in this South American nation of 24 million people - but it is leaderless and disoriented. Most Venezuelans look upon the opposition parties with disdain, considering them corrupt and incapable of proposing a viable alternative to Chavez's self-described leftist "revolution." In desperation, the parties have pledged a unified strategy for toppling Chavez: convoke a national referendum to push him out.***