Political developments in Latin America continue to spill over into US Courts, as two recent cases show. One, Colella v Argentina (May 29 2007), involved the successful assertion of sovereign immunity from seizure of a presidential jet from Argentina's creditors. The other, Mamani v Sánchez de Lozada, (April 15 2008), is a lawsuit against Bolivia's ex-President, asserting human rights abuses by his ousted government. Mamani's most recent ruling (deciding on trial venue) did not involve sovereign immunity but, like Colella, accentuates the continuing challenges that US courts face when dealing with sovereign issues.
Tango Zero One
The Colella dispute had its origins in the Argentine financial crisis of 2001. The two plaintiffs, Michele Colella and Denise Dussault, own sovereign debt bonds issued by Argentina. Argentina had waived sovereign immunity for failure to make any payment of principal or interest on the bonds. After Argentina defaulted on those bonds, the...