President Felipe Calderon's reliance on the army in Mexico's war on drugs was shaken in the past days with the arrest of three generals and a lieutenant colonel on corruption charges.
With Mexico's presidential election just six weeks away
and political campaigns in full swing, supporters allege that at least one of
the arrests is politically motivated.
Most shocking was the detention of retired major general
Tomas Angeles, a close aid to Defense Minister Guillermo Galvan and a soldier
with a sterling reputation.
Angeles was the second highest-ranking officer in the
ministry during the first two years of Calderon's administration and had been
seen as a likely candidate for defense minister until his retirement in 2008.
Soon after taking office in December 2006, Calderon
launched a fierce crackdown on Mexico's powerful drug cartels, relying heavily
on soldiers deployed to crime-ridden regions and often used them to replace
corrupt local and state police.
Angeles was arrested on May 15, the same day as Brigadier
General Roberto Dawe, who is in active service and was assigned to a base in
the state of Colima, on Mexico's Pacific coast and a key transit route for
illegal narcotics heading north into the lucrative US market.
Two days later officials arrested retired brigadier
general Ricardo Escorcia, the defense ministry said.
And on Friday, the defense ministry arrested Silvio
Hernandez Soto, a retired lieutenant colonel, in connection with the case of
the three generals.
A prosecution source who spoke on condition of anonymity
said the arrests are related to bribes allegedly paid by the Beltran-Leyva drug
cartel, a group that Mexican security forces have crippled in the past years.
Federal anti-drug prosecutors said they interrogated
Angeles and Dawe, and on Thursday ordered that they remain in custody. Under
Mexican law, authorities can hold suspects for up to 40 days without pressing
charges.
Escorcia and Hernandez are being held for a first
interrogation, after which officials will determine if they will be held or
released.
The men are part of "an investigation for crimes
relating to organized criminal activities," the federal prosecutor's
office said in a statement.
The probe is being carried out "with full respect
for their rights," and it "lacks any political connotation or any
relationship with the current (political) campaigns," the statement read.
Angeles's lawyer, Alejandro Ortega, told Milenio radio
that the bribe allegations are based on hearsay, and that the accusers
"had never seen" the general.
Adriana Angeles, the general's daughter, told the daily
Reforma that her family is convinced that the arrest "has been tainted by
politics," suggesting it is retaliation for her father's role at a May 9
forum on security organized by a group linked to the opposition Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI).
The PRI's candidate, Enrique Pena Nieto, is on a direct
path to be Mexico's next president: he has a 20-point lead over Josefina
Vazquez, candidate for president Calderon's National Action Party (PAN) and is
comfortably ahead of all other candidates.
At the May 9 forum, Angeles openly criticized Calderon's
anti-drug strategy, saying that there was no overarching strategy and there was
a lack of defined goals. He also acknowledged human rights violations in
military operations.
"Where there is injustice, inevitably there is
violence," Angeles said at the event.
Angeles's arrest is a "shameful" affair that
"damages the dignity of the army," federal deputy Luis Garfias,
himself a former general, told the daily La Jornada.
Since 1997 at least eight Mexican army generals have been
investigated for corruption linked to the illegal drug trade. Of these, only
one was exonerated of the charges.
The highest-ranking general to fall was major general
Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo, who worked for attorney general's office as the
country's top drug czar.
Gutierrez was arrested in 1997 and eventually sentenced
to a lengthy prison sentence on charges of accepting bribes from Amado Carillo
Fuentes, the head of the Ciudad Juarez drug cartel, and helping protect his
organization.
More recently, on April 20, general Mario Arturo Acosta
Chaparro, who was in prison for nearly seven years on charges of protecting a
drug lord but was eventually exonerated, was shot in the head three times and
killed in Mexico City.
Pena Nieto said that, if elected, he will continue using
the army to battle the drug cartels.
fecha |
Título |
08/03/2022| |
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08/02/2022| |
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09/05/2020| |
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08/05/2020| |
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29/04/2020| |
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16/03/2020| |
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12/03/2020| |
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10/03/2020| |
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06/03/2020| |
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05/03/2020| |
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02/03/2020| |
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24/02/2020| |
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22/02/2020| |
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18/02/2020| |
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08/02/2020| |
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08/02/2020| |
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29/01/2020| |
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21/01/2020| |
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30/12/2019| |
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28/12/2019| |
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16/12/2019| |
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14/12/2019| |
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25/11/2019| |
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24/11/2019| |
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10/11/2019| |
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23/10/2019| |
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18/10/2019| |
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14/10/2019| |
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29/09/2019| |
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29/08/2019| |
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12/08/2019| |
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10/08/2019| |
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01/08/2019| |
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25/07/2019| |
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22/11/2018| |
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05/11/2018| |
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18/10/2018| |
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17/10/2018| |
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10/10/2018| |
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15/09/2018| |
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11/03/2018| |
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20/02/2018| |
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20/02/2018| |
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28/12/2017| |
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25/08/2017| |
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15/08/2017| |
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04/07/2017| |
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10/05/2017| |
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04/05/2017| |
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17/04/2017| |
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10/03/2017| |
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16/02/2017| |
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30/12/2016| |
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07/12/2016| |
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27/11/2016| |
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21/08/2016| |
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09/07/2016| |
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19/05/2016| |
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18/04/2016| |
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08/04/2016| |
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07/04/2016| |
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05/04/2016| |
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05/04/2016| |
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02/04/2016| |
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01/04/2016| |
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25/12/2015| |
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12/12/2015| |
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19/11/2015| |
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08/10/2015| |
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04/10/2015| |
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08/07/2015| |
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15/06/2015| |
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07/06/2015| |
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17/03/2015| |
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08/10/2014| |
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07/10/2014| |
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06/10/2014| |
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27/08/2014| |
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25/08/2014| |
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25/08/2014| |
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20/06/2014| |
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29/04/2014| |
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28/04/2014| |
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28/04/2014| |
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24/03/2014| |
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29/12/2013| |
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29/12/2013| |
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20/11/2013| |
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20/11/2013| |
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08/11/2013| |
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31/10/2013| |
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27/10/2013| |
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26/10/2013| |
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26/10/2013| |
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15/10/2013| |
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15/10/2013| |
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04/09/2013| |
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24/08/2013| |
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22/08/2013| |
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17/08/2013| |
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15/08/2013| |
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09/08/2013| |
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27/07/2013| |
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26/07/2013| |
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20/07/2013| |
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20/07/2013| |
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20/07/2013| |
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03/07/2013| |
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27/06/2013| |
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14/06/2013| |
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14/06/2013| |
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29/05/2013| |
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15/05/2013| |
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14/05/2013| |
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07/05/2013| |
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27/04/2013| |
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11/03/2013| |
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25/02/2013| |
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24/02/2013| |
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24/01/2013| |
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30/12/2012| |
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15/12/2012| |
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03/12/2012| |
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29/11/2012| |
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17/11/2012| |
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14/11/2012| |
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11/09/2012| |
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27/08/2012| |
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25/08/2012| |
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21/08/2012| |
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17/08/2012| |
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08/08/2012| |
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06/08/2012| |
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01/08/2012| |
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01/08/2012| |
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31/07/2012| |
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31/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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29/07/2012| |
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28/07/2012| |
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28/07/2012| |
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28/07/2012| |
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28/07/2012| |
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27/07/2012| |
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27/07/2012| |
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27/07/2012| |
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27/07/2012| |
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24/07/2012| |
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19/07/2012| |
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18/07/2012| |
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18/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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16/07/2012| |
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13/07/2012| |
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12/07/2012| |
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12/07/2012| |
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10/07/2012| |
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06/07/2012| |
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04/07/2012| |
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04/07/2012| |
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03/07/2012| |
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29/06/2012| |
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18/06/2012| |
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17/06/2012| |
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28/05/2012| |
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16/05/2012| |
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11/05/2012| |
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10/05/2012| |
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06/05/2012| |
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06/05/2012| |
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05/05/2012| |
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02/05/2012| |
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01/05/2012| |
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30/04/2012| |
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22/04/2012| |
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21/04/2012| |
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20/04/2012| |
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28/03/2012| |
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26/03/2012| |
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19/03/2012| |
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19/03/2012| |
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07/03/2012| |
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07/03/2012| |
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07/03/2012| |
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07/03/2012| |
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06/03/2012| |
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06/03/2012| |
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04/03/2012| |
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04/03/2012| |
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02/03/2012| |
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02/03/2012| |
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02/03/2012| |
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01/03/2012| |
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01/03/2012| |
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01/03/2012| |
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01/03/2012| |
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01/03/2012| |
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01/03/2012| |
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25/02/2012| |
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25/02/2012| |
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25/02/2012| |
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20/02/2012| |
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20/02/2012| |
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20/02/2012| |
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05/11/2011| |
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03/11/2011| |
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25/10/2011| |
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25/10/2011| |
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16/10/2011| |
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15/10/2011| |
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05/10/2011| |
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02/10/2011| |
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01/10/2011| |
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29/09/2011| |
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29/09/2011| |
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29/09/2011| |
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28/09/2011| |
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27/09/2011| |
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26/09/2011| |
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22/09/2011| |
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15/09/2011| |
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08/09/2011| |
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08/09/2011| |
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08/09/2011| |
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08/09/2011| |
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07/09/2011| |
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07/09/2011| |
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01/09/2011| |
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01/09/2011| |
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31/08/2011| |
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31/08/2011| |
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19/08/2011| |
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17/08/2011| |
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12/08/2011| |
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20/07/2011| |
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20/07/2011| |
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18/07/2011| |
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18/07/2011| |
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15/07/2011| |
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15/07/2011| |
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12/07/2011| |
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12/07/2011| |
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03/07/2011| |
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03/07/2011| |
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30/06/2011| |
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30/06/2011| |
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20/06/2011| |
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20/06/2011| |
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16/06/2011| |
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16/06/2011| |
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12/06/2011| |
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12/06/2011| |
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12/06/2011| |
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12/06/2011| |
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11/06/2011| |
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11/06/2011| |
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10/06/2011| |
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10/06/2011| |
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05/06/2011| |
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05/06/2011| |
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26/05/2011| |
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26/05/2011| |
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25/05/2011| |
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25/05/2011| |
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24/05/2011| |
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24/05/2011| |
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21/05/2011| |
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21/05/2011| |
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20/05/2011| |
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20/05/2011| |
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19/05/2011| |
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19/05/2011| |
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18/05/2011| |
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18/05/2011| |
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17/05/2011| |
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17/05/2011| |
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16/05/2011| |
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16/05/2011| |
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16/05/2011| |
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16/05/2011| |
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14/05/2011| |
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14/05/2011| |
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11/05/2011| |
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11/05/2011| |
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09/05/2011| |
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09/05/2011| |
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09/05/2011| |
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09/05/2011| |
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05/05/2011| |
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05/05/2011| |
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29/04/2011| |
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29/04/2011| |
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23/04/2011| |
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23/04/2011| |
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22/04/2011| |
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22/04/2011| |
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21/04/2011| |
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21/04/2011| |
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21/04/2011| |
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21/04/2011| |
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21/04/2011| |
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21/04/2011| |
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20/04/2011| |
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20/04/2011| |
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19/04/2011| |
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19/04/2011| |
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18/04/2011| |
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18/04/2011| |
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18/04/2011| |
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18/04/2011| |
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16/04/2011| |
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16/04/2011| |
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13/04/2011| |
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09/04/2011| |
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07/04/2011| |
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06/04/2011| |
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04/04/2011| |
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04/04/2011| |
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31/03/2011| |
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30/03/2011| |
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29/03/2011| |
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29/03/2011| |
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26/03/2011| |
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24/03/2011| |
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22/03/2011| |
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19/03/2011| |
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13/03/2011| |
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09/03/2011| |
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07/03/2011| |
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04/03/2011| |
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03/03/2011| |
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26/02/2011| |
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25/02/2011| |
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24/02/2011| |
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24/02/2011| |
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22/02/2011| |
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17/02/2011| |
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15/02/2011| |
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23/01/2011| |
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23/01/2011| |
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22/01/2011| |
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21/01/2011| |
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20/01/2011| |
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17/01/2011| |
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13/01/2011| |
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13/01/2011| |
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11/01/2011| |
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07/01/2011| |
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05/01/2011| |
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26/12/2010| |
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26/12/2010| |
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24/12/2010| |
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14/12/2010| |
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30/11/2010| |
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20/11/2010| |
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17/11/2010| |
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11/11/2010| |
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04/11/2010| |
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03/11/2010| |
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01/11/2010| |
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22/10/2010| |
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19/10/2010| |
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03/10/2010| |
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03/10/2010| |
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30/09/2010| |
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15/09/2010| |
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24/08/2010| |
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24/08/2010| |
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16/08/2010| |
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16/08/2010| |
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08/08/2010| |
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06/08/2010| |
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02/08/2010| |
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19/07/2010| |
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12/07/2010| |
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09/06/2010| |
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08/06/2010| |
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02/06/2010| |
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27/05/2010| |
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26/05/2010| |
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11/05/2010| |
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07/05/2010| |
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07/05/2010| |
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05/05/2010| |
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04/05/2010| |
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13/04/2010| |
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06/04/2010| |
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02/04/2010| |
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08/03/2010| |
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16/02/2010| |
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11/02/2010| |
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06/02/2010| |
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01/02/2010| |
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31/01/2010| |
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12/01/2010| |
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31/12/2009| |
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28/12/2009| |
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26/12/2009| |
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02/12/2009| |
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02/12/2009| |
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01/12/2009| |
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01/12/2009| |
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28/11/2009| |
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28/11/2009| |
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27/11/2009| |
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27/11/2009| |
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16/11/2009| |
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16/11/2009| |
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15/10/2009| |
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08/10/2009| |
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07/10/2009| |
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05/10/2009| |
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02/10/2009| |
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29/09/2009| |
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18/09/2009| |
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17/09/2009| |
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14/09/2009| |
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11/09/2009| |
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02/09/2009| |
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01/09/2009| |
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30/08/2009| |
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27/08/2009| |
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27/08/2009| |
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18/08/2009| |
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18/08/2009| |
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09/08/2009| |
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09/08/2009| |
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07/08/2009| |
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07/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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06/08/2009| |
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04/08/2009| |
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04/08/2009| |
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02/08/2009| |
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02/08/2009| |
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02/08/2009| |
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02/08/2009| |
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02/04/2009| |
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30/03/2009| |
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28/03/2009| |
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28/03/2009| |
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28/03/2009| |
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27/03/2009| |
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26/03/2009| |
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14/03/2009| |
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14/03/2009| |
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04/03/2009| |
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04/03/2009| |
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02/03/2009| |
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02/03/2009| |
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08/02/2008| |
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21/10/2007| |
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26/09/2007| |
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28/06/2007| |
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20/12/2006| |
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20/12/2006| |
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10/12/2006| |
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10/12/2006| |
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01/11/2006| |
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02/06/2006| |
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23/02/2006| |
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29/01/2006| |
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12/01/2006| |
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12/01/2006| |
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04/11/2005| |
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04/06/2005| |
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30/11/1999| |
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