World Watch: The Afghan conundrum

* Afghanistan: At the eight-year mark of the war in Afghanistan, the White House is considering whether to deploy tens of thousands of additional troops.

* Universe: NASA scientists have discovered a barely visible ring around Saturn whose diameter is several million miles.

* Italy: Prime Minster Silvio Berlusconi could soon face trial after Italy’s constitutional court removed his legal immunity.

* Japan: Over 21,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas as Typhoon Melor and its 86 mile per hour winds hit Japan.

Image- AFP (“A US Marine from Fox Company 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines writes in his journal.”)
Online Sources- New York Times, CNN, Guardian UK, Bloomberg

Mexico to experiment with tourist police

Between the country’s economic woes, and the swine flu hysteria, Mexico’s tourist industry has had more lows than highs this year.

Officials have attempted several novel methods to promote tourism such as Mexico City offering visitors free health insurance. With crime being such a major problem in the border state of Baja California, authorities want to ensure a steady stream of gringo tourists to areas like Tijuana. Thus, plans for a tourist police force:

Officials from the Baja California cities of Tijuana, Ensenada and Rosarito gathered earlier this week to announce the creation of the task force, which will be made up of bilingual officers and which will be designed primarily to serve Americans…

City officials in San Diego, California, said the city's police force would extend help in ways that Mexican officials deemed necessary in getting the task force up and running, including training the officers…

American travelers, who represented 80 percent of the country's booming $13 billion travel industry last year, are a critical part of Mexico's economy. In 2008, more than 18 million Americans visited the country, according to the Mexico Tourism Board.

What do you think? Good idea or a silly solution?

Image- Los Angeles Times (“A Mexican soldier, top, stands guard on the streets of Tijuana.”)
Online Sources- CNN, Latin Business Chronicle, The Latin Americanist

Educational disconnect hurts Latinos says Pew

Most young Latinos believe that a college education is vital yet only half aspire to get a bachelor's degree according to a study released by the Pew Hispanic Center (PHC).

The PHC report released on Wednesday gave several reasons why the educational aspirations of Latino students don’t tend to correspond to reality. Chief among these was cited by nearly three out of four respondents who said that their educational plans were cut short by family obligations. Despite most parents’ belief that going to college is "the most important thing…to do right after high school," nearly three in five young Latinos claimed that parents need to play a “more active role” in their children’s education.

Other factors cited by the nearly 2000 respondents in the PHC survey included language and foreign-born Latino students:

Diversity among the young Latino population further complicates educational achievement. The survey found that foreign-born students, who compose 35 percent of Latino youths, are much more likely to drop out of high school or abandon higher education. Only 20 percent of foreign-born Latinos pursue school after age 18, the survey found.

Most of these students are in English as a Second Language programs in public schools. Richard Fry, a Pew Hispanic Center senior research associate, said this group was becoming increasingly isolated.

"They're increasingly going to school with themselves," Fry said. "They're not really upset about the institutions educating them. ... It presents a dilemma."

Mark Lopez- the study’s author- hopes that the report can change negative and false perceptions about Latinos not aspiring for a greater education as well as guide schools on how they can work with students' families.

Image- Denver Post (“Todd Legge, who teaches "Spanish for Spanish Speakers" at (Colorado’s) Jefferson High School, helps Carmen Gomez, 16, left, and Jose Luevano, 17.”)
Online Sources- Pew Research Center, McClatchy, USA TODAY, mydeseret.com

Ana Ortiz to La Raza: lay off the Big Macs

“Ugly Betty” actress and recent mother Ana Ortiz is campaigning with PETA for animal rights. According to PETA, the award-winning actress has urged the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) to drop McDonald's as partner for future events. Ortiz cited several reasons against the fast food giant in a letter to NCLR president Janet Murguia:

In the letter, Ortiz points out that poorly paid slaughterhouse workers—many of whom are Hispanic immigrants—face dismal working conditions that result from handling live, terrified birds. Many workers also receive few or no medical benefits.

"McDonald's has no regard for animals or for the people who are paid an unfair wage to kill them," writes Ortiz. "We urge you to avoid partnering with McDonald's for any future NCLR events …."

Animal rights isn’t the only cause Ortiz has been working on; “Ugly Betty” has joined the United Nations as part of an anti-malaria campaign. The upcoming season (which will begin on Friday the 16th) will promote the U.N.’s “Nothing But Nets” program to raise awareness about malaria.

Image- Latina
Online Sources- UN.org, Kiddicare, PETA, theatermania.com
E-Mail Source - Message from PETA

DHS policy change may help detained minors

Contributed by Jill Seymour:

It is no secret that there are many flaws in our immigration system and especially in the facilities where illegal immigrants are held. In the last two years, many stories have surfaced about immigrants dying in detention facilities because of medical conditions and/or lack of medical care, those who disappear into the system, and even those with mental illnesses. Overlooked are the children who are in the system, often separated from their families, and placed in detention facilities with violent criminals.

This week, a small glimmer of hope has shined down upon us from the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. After much criticism about our detention system, the Obama administration is looking at how immigrants are detained. Most people who are accused of immigration violations are sent to jail facilities, when only about 11 percent of them have committed violent crimes. The image of non-violent women and children offenders being hauled off to jail is not a pretty thought. With the changes being discussed, a new classification system would be devised to deal with people who have medical or mental health needs and the new detention center models could be converted hotels and nursing homes. These new options would be less expensive, under contract costing around $14 a day, far cheaper than the $100 a day under contract that jail facilities cost.

Image- Maryland Film Festival (Scene from the documentary “The Least of These” which focuses on families held in the T. Don Hutto Residential Center.)
Online Sources- Immigration Policy Center, New York Times

Daily Headlines: October 7, 2009

* Latin America: Scientists have discovered seven glowing mushroom species in several countries including Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.

* Brazil: An arrest warrant has been issued against TV crime reporter Wallace Souza who has been accused of masterminding at least five murders in order to boost ratings.

* Dominican Republic: Dominican officials and the International Monetary Fund reached an agreement in principle on a $1.7 billion loan to the Caribbean country.

* Puerto Rico: According to analysts approximately 80% of murders in Puerto Rico are drug-related.

Image- wired.com (“Mycena luxaeterna (light eternal) was collected in Sao Paulo, Brazil and was found on sticks in an Atlantic forest habitat.”)
Online Sources- National Geographic, forbes.com, MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, LAHT

Why did Rio de Janeiro win the 2016 Olympics bid?

The answer to the above question was provided by The Daily Show. As the following Not Safe For Work video shows, Rio's winning bid came as a result of one key factor: the hypnotic power of the Brazilian derriere. (Fast forward to about the 3:25 mark).

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Chicago Nope
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

All laughs aside, there are some interesting tidbits to consider regarding Rio and the Games:

• Since 2008, three of the five winning Olympic sites are in the developing BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries - Beijing (2008), Sochi (2014) and Rio (2016).
• The breakdown of votes cast showed that Rio won easily in the second and final rounds. Yet in the first round Rio only placed in second with 26 votes (two behind Madrid but only eight places of last place Chicago.
• Will the implementation of policies a la Rudy Giuliani in 1990s New York City eliminate Rio's security problems ahead of the Olympics?
  

Online Sources - The Daily Show, The Latin Americanist, olympic.org, Foreign Policy Passport, The New Republic

Daily Headlines: October 6, 2009

* Latin America: Immigrant "destination countries” should use the recession to “institute a new deal for migrants — one that that will benefit workers at home and abroad while guarding against a protectionist backlash" according to a U.N. study released yesterday.

* Mexico: The country’s economy may be in its worse recession since the 1930s but that hasn’t stopped Wal-Mart’s Mexico divisions from posting high profits.

* Guatemala: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized the election of Guatemala’s Supreme Court judges which was rushed and “lacked transparency and objectivity.”

* Chile: Four former army officials were will face jail over covering up a 1992 murder related to an illegal arms deal with Croatia.

Image- CBC (“Mexican workers in Manitoba”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, Xinhua, MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, AFP

Nobel Prize to Piedad Cordoba?

One of the most controversial figures in Colombia may be an odds-on favorite to win one of the world’s most prestigious awards.

Piedad Cordoba has served as an opposition senator for several years but more importantly has acted as a broker for the liberation of hostages held by Colombia’s FARC rebels. Her work as liaison has also helped distribute videos of hostages still held captive deep in the jungle and has brought hope to dozens of families anxiously awaiting their loved ones.

Cordoba has also received plenty of flack from her critics; she has been looked upon with suspicion over her seemingly close political ties to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. At times she has locked horns with Colombian leader Alvaro Uribe though tensions seem to have simmered down lately. Such is the disdain for her that she was “showered…with insults and threats” by passengers at Bogota’s main airport last year.

Love her or hate her, Cordoba may soon get the ultimate recognition for her efforts:

Colombia Senator Piedad Cordoba and Afghanistan’s Sima Samar, two women promoting peace and human rights in conflict zones, are among the top contenders for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo said…

Cordoba, 54, “is the most likely candidate,” said Kristian Berg Harpviken, head of the
institute which each year lists potential winners. “She has been able to carve out an independent space for herself in a conflict that’s very protracted. Samar certainly has a very strong personality and played a major role in the Afghan context.”

Image- El Pais
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Colombia Reports, New York Times, Bloomberg,

Hondurans seek end to crisis

Could actions this week provide the breakthrough needed in the Honduran political crisis?

Liaisons of ousted president Manuel Zelaya and de facto chief Roberto Micheletti are planning to meet for discussions. According to a representative from the Organization of American States both presidents may not meet face-to-face but their envoys will talk about how to resolve the rupture in Honduras caused by the ouster of Zelaya over three months ago. For example, Micheletti was quoted as saying that he would lift a controversial emergency decree against civil liberties; a move that Zelaya would surely support.

While Honduras’ leaders tussle and argue over who’s in charge, the country’s people are the ones most suffering. As the video from Al Jazeera English shows, they’ve suffered from an already weakened economy made worse by the political struggle:

Online Sources- Voice of America, BBC News, AFP, YouTube

Daily Headlines: October 5, 2009

* Ecuador: President Rafael Correa said that he would meet with representatives of indigenous protestors who have vehemently demonstrated against several government proposals.

* Venezuela: A ban on violent video games that we told you about in August is expected to soon be voted upon by Venezuela’s legislature.

* Latin America: Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela all qualified to the Round of 16 at the Under-20 World Cup currently being held in Egypt.

* Mexico: Authorities claimed to have seized a record number of meth (37 tons) in a pair of seizures last week.

Image- AP (“Shuar Indians protest laws proposed by Ecuador's President Correa on the Upano bridge near Macas in Ecuador's Amazon, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. Indian groups are protesting proposed laws that would allow mining on their lands without their consent and put water resources under state control.”)
Online Sources- BBC News, USA TODAY, MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, LAHT

Se solicita ayuda!

We're currently seeking fresh faces to write for The Latin Americanist. Any viewpoints are welcome as long as they help inform our hundreds of daily readers and enlighten their knowledge on the Americas.

What type of contributors are we looking for?

• People who can write several posts per week on a regular basis.
• Someone who can do a weekly review in a specific field (e.g. sports, music, business).
• A person who can blog during the weekends.
  

Please contact us at ourlatinamerica@yahoo.com if you are interested in writing for us.

Thanks for you support!

Image- Brownstoner

Argentine folk legend Mercedes Sosa dead

The “Voice of America” has been forever silenced.

Folk singer Mercedes Sosa died on Sunday at the age of 74 due to liver, kidney and heart ailments. Her health had gradually debilitated over the past few days while she lay in intensive care of a Buenos Aires hospital. Despite vigils in her name and visits from her family and other Argentine musicians, Sosa’s health had “progressively worsened” according to doctors.

Born Haydée Mercedes Sosa in rural northwestern Argentina, Sosa was one of the leading figures of Latin America’s New Song movement which combined folk music with social awareness. It was the political messages in her songs that lead to her being severely harassed by Argentina’s rightist Dirty War junta and three-year exile in Europe. She would eventually return to her homeland to with open arms and the same massive popularity she received while performing abroad.

Sosa’s career has spanned nearly six decades and latest double-volume album was recently nominated for a Latin Grammy. Yet Sosa’s most famous tune was one penned decades ago by New Song movement writer Violeta Parra - "Gracias a la Vida" (Thanks to Life):

Rest in peace Mercedes; you will be sorely missed.
Online Sources- LAHT, Bloomberg, YouTube, The Latin Americanist, Washington Post

Weekend Headlines: October 3-4, 2009

* U.S.: Police located safe and sound a week-old baby who was kidnapped by a lady who passed herself off as a fake immigration agent to take the child.

* Latin America: Environmental group Greenpeace blasted Spanish companies for their “arrogant attitude” and illegal practices in Latin America.

* Haiti: Ex-president Bill Clinton defended the trade embargo he placed on Haiti in the 1990s though he admitted that he “hated” doing so.

* Peru: Midfielder Nolberto Solano announced that he would retire from international soccer after Peru’s World Cup qualifiers later this month.

* Colombia: Authorities near the U.S.-Canada border have arrested a Colombian con man who is wanted by over half a dozen countries.

* Cuba: The House of Representatives dealt a blow to the White House’s plans for Guantanamo by voting against the transfer of detainees to the U.S.

Online Sources- Washington Post, LAHT, Reuters, CBC, MSNBC, The Latin Americanist
Image- AP (“This photo provided by the Nashville Police Department shows Yair Anthony Carillo of Nashville, Tenn.”)

World Watch: Death and destruction

* Indonesia: According to the U.N., over 1,000 people died from Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude quake while thousands are still missing and possibly deceased.

* Philippines: About 50,000 Filipinos have been evacuated ahead of Typhoon Parma which is supposed to hit the country on Saturday.

* U.S.: The unemployment rate rose to 9.8% last month; the highest mark since 1983.

* Middle East: Hope has grown for the possible release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier held by Hamas since June 2006.

Image- Guardian UK (“A family grieves this loss of a relative killed in the earthquake as they identify the body in Padang.”)

Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, BBC News, The Telegraph

Rio de Janeiro wins 2016 Olympic bid! (Updated)

Update (1:45pm):

The following is video of the momentous announcement and the boisterous reaction from the Rio contingent and the celebration in Brazil:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Update (12:55pm):

Rio de Janeiro will be the first South American city to host the Olympics.

Moments ago, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge announced that Rio will host the 2016 Summer Games. The historic decision brought jubilation not only on the beaches of Copacabana but across the Americas.

More to come later!

Original Post:

Rio de Janeiro’s road to winning the 2016 Olympics bid has gotten a lot easier.

In a shocking result, odds-on favorite Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting for the 2016 Summer Games. President Barack Obama, talk show host Oprah, and basketball legend Michael Jordan where part of the Chicago contingent that went to Copenhagen to try to convince International Olympic Committee (IOC) brass that the Olympics should be in the “Windy City.” Yet the bid may’ve been outmaneuvered by the other finalists and hampered by questions over financing. (According to Spain’s Antena 3, the Madrid and Rio campaigns colluded to convince the IOC to eliminate Chicago early).

The Chicago upset thus opens the doors for the Brazilian metropolis of Rio de Janeiro to become the first South American city to host the Olympics. An estimated 100,000 have crammed Rio’s Copacabana beach with the hopes that their city will be the epicenter of the Olympics in seven years time.

Rio sent its own heavy hitters to the IOC conference including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who gave an impassioned speech earlier this morning:

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told IOC members Friday it was time to address the "imbalance" and give Rio the 2016 Games. He said Brazil had earned its chance to show the games belonged to people of all continents.

"I honestly believe it is Brazil's time," Silva said through a translator. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country"…

Silva, speaking in Portuguese, addressed IOC members as "dear friends," and invited them to boost Brazil's self-esteem and inspire 400 million South American people.

"Rio is ready," Silva said. "Give us this chance and you will not regret it, be sure."

Rio’s bid is not without problems, however; high crime rates and infrastructure problems are surely on the minds of the IOC members.

Online Sources- AP, New York Times, Washington Post, Wikipedia

Daily Headlines: October 2, 2009

* Latin America: The International Monetary Fund claimed that Latin America is starting to emerge from the global economic slowdown yet according to the World Bank the number of the region’s poor will swell this year.

* Uruguay: Argentina and Uruguay are grinning with pride after the UNESCO granted the tango “protected cultural status” on Tuesday.

* Dominican Republic: Local children’s groups and officials have sounded the alarm over a spike last month in child trafficking from neighboring Haiti.

* Mexico: U.S. authorities claimed that the gun flow to Mexico has been “disrupted" after a months-long operation in Texas.

Image- The Telegraph (Mexican factory workers)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, Guardian UK, Monsters & Critics, AP, LAHT

Mercedes Sosa in intensive care (Updated)

Update (2 October):

Mercedes Sosa's health has worsened on Friday according to doctors at the Buenos Aires clinic where she is in critical condition. She continues to be using an artificial respirator yet she has also fallen into a "pharmacological coma."

Sadly it appears that the “Voice of America” may soon be silenced forever.

Original Post:

One of Argentina’s greatest singers is in very delicate health.

Folk artist Mercedes Sosa is at a Buenos Aires hospital in critical condition while hooked up to an artificial respirator. Doctors at the intensive care unit said that she "has progressively worsened due to heart failure and breathing problems" over the eleven days since she’s been there.

Fans of the “Voice of America” have held a vigil outside the hospital while her distraught son has called on people to pray for her. She has been visited by numerous contemporaries like Facundo Saravia and Fito Paez though one of her friends sees little chance for recovery:

While talking with a Buenos Aires radio station (singer and friend Victor) Heredia confirmed that the 74-year-old “is in a delicate state”.

“One foresees these things far away in time. But it’s a devastating blow when they actually happen.”

Sosa’s career has spanned nearly six decades despite being forcibly exiled during the “Dirty War” dictatorship. Her latest double-volume album was recently nominated for a Latin Grammy and includes collaborations with the likes of Caetano Veloso, Calle 13 and Shakira:

Here’s hoping that Sosa can recover despite her inching towards death’s door.

Online Sources- LAHT, AFP, YouTube, Momento 24, AP earthtimes.org

Faux ICE agent steals newborn

It is one of a parent’s worst nightmares: the kidnapping of their children. That was the case with a Nashville baby who was snatched from his mother’s care.

Yair Anthony Carillo was only four days old when he was kidnapped at the home of his mother- Maria Gurrolla. Gurrolla claimed that she was attacked by “a heavyset white woman with blonde hair” who pretended to act as an immigration agent. The fake official slashed Gurrolla after she initially refused to hand over the child though in the end Carillo was taken away from her.

Nashville police are said to have received leads by the hour after issuing an Amber Alert, while a "person of interest" has been located in New York State. Nonetheless, the incident has spooked the local community, especially the area’s immigrant populace:

Immigrants must be taught to trust U.S. law enforcement and criminals can take advantage of their fears of deportation or police, said Yuri Cunza, president of Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and publisher of La Noticia, a Spanish language newspaper in Nashville.

"I am really concerned about the possibility of newborn babies and Hispanic women can be targeted because of a level of vulnerability," Cunza said…

Cunza said that the suspect posing as an immigration officer will create a chilling effect for Hispanics who regularly interact with immigration authorities. "It is misrepresenting how the government works or behaves in this country," he said.

This week’s abduction occurs four years after another Latina mother was targeted in Nashville. A woman and her 3-year-old daughter where killed in a botched kidnapping plot by a lady deceiving them with false immigration assistance.

Image- AP (“This photo provided by the Nashville Police Department shows Yair Anthony Carillo of Nashville, Tenn.”)
Online Sources- AP, The Tennessean, newsday.com, Sacramento Bee

(Belated) Miercoles Musical: Hopping in the Andes

One word: brilliant.

(Hat tip: Guardian UK’s weekly Classic YouTube archive).

Online Sources- Guardian UK, YouTube

Daily Headlines: October 1, 2009

* Honduras: Several business and political leaders are trying to push a compromise plan to break the Honduran stalemate, while U.S. Congresswoman and pro-Micheletti backer Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will travel to Honduras next week.

* Peru: No deaths or major damage have been reported from a magnitude 5.9 quake that shook southeastern Peru and part of Bolivia.

* Cuba: Fewer Cuban migrants are said to be leaving the island to the U.S. not only through the traditional route via Caribbean waters but also by land via Mexico.

* Brazil: Famed 101-year-old architect Oscar Niemeyer is in delicate heath after undergoing his second colon surgery in a week.

Image- AP (“Riot police walk toward supporters of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya during a protest in Tegucigalpa, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009.”)
Online Sources- ABC News, Reuters, Miami Herald, AFP, csmonitor.com