UPDATE ~ Chavez accuses US exiles of terror attack on top Venezuelan prosecutor News
UPDATE ~ Chavez accuses US exiles of terror attack on top Venezuelan prosecutor

[JURIST] Updating a story reported this morning in JURIST's Paper Chase, a spokesperson for Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez claimed Friday that Venezuelan exiles in the US were behind the assassination of a top prosecutor, Danilo Anderson, in a car bomb attack Thursday. Chavez accused the terrorists of training for the execution in Florida and called on the US for accountability. The US Embassy in Caracas has not commented yet. The killing was supposedly aimed at halting the prosecution of those who supported the 2002 Venezuelan coup against Chavez, which was followed by a two-month national strike and Chavez's triumphant return to power. Anderson was preparing a case against nearly 400 people who had signed a declaration supporting interim President Pedro Carmona during the coup. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.