Political activist Luis D’Elia proposed Wednesday that Argentines begin marking Aug. 2, the birthday of former military dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, as “Son of a B---- Day.”
“In Argentina, above all in the decade of the 1990s, there was a pile of SOBs: (presidents Carlos) Menem, (Eduardo) Duhalde and (Fernando) de la Rua, the former (economy) minister Domingo Cavallo,” D’Elia said on television. “One could name 150, 200 SOBs.” “But we choose Aug. 2 because it’s the day another SOB who preceded them, Jorge Rafael Videla, was born,” the outspoken activist said.
In the Not Safe For Work video below, D’Elia also gave his ongoing support of ex-president Nestor Kirchner who he called “our bastard”:
D’Elia is no stranger to controversy; in 2009 he was in a war of words with well-known TV variety show host Mauricio Tinelli whose programs he called “brothel shows.”
Videla, meanwhile, took to the stands this week at a trial accusing him of human rights abuses during his “Dirty War” presidency. Online Sources- LAHT, YouTube, The Latin Americanist
By now you’ve probably heard that the Netherlands will face Spain in the World Cup final after eliminating Uruguay and Germany, respectively. Though four of the eight teams in the quarterfinals came from South America only Uruguay advanced to the final four and they subsequently lost 3-2 to the Dutch.
Though Uruguay has been seen by some in a negative light due to Luis Suarez’ infamous handball, we prefer to celebrate the extraordinary run by los charruas. Coach Oscar Tabarez has deservedly received plenty of praise for leading his side to one of the best World Cup finishes by a South American side (excluding regional heavyweights Argentina and Brazil) in decades. Suarez may be Uruguay’s leading scorer in South Africa but it was the veteran Diego Forlán who was his team’s heart and soul. Young goalkeeper Fernando Muslera showed that he was one of the Americas’ elite netminders and he could be Uruguay's captain of the future.
In the end, fans of Uruguay are proud of their team’s efforts in reaching the semifinals and perhaps even winning the third place game on Saturday:
Online Sources- Americas Quarterly, SI.com, FIFA.com, The Guardian, Univision.com, The Latin Americanist
* Latin America: Health officials are on high alert after dengue outbreaks killed sixteen and three people in Honduras and Puerto Rico, respectively.
* Venezuela: OPEC’s oil reserves grew by four percent in 2009 partly due to an increased contribution from Venezuela.
* Mexico: Approximately 18,000 residents of the northern Mexican town of Ciudad Anahuac were evacuated due to fears that a nearby dam will overflow.
* Central America: First it was Honduran President Porfirio Lobo; now it’s Guatemala’s Alvaro Colom who claims that there is a conspiracy to oust him from office.
Image – MSNBC (“Although killer diseases such as dengue fever are long-forgotten by Americans, they still plague millions worldwide — and these infections could start becoming more widespread in the U.S. Some, such as dengue fever, are spread by infected mosquitoes.”) Online Sources- AP, LAHT, Bloomberg, BBC News, The Latin Americanist
Google celebrated the 103rd birthday of Frida Kahlo on Tuesday by adding some changes to a self-portrait of Frida and using it for the day's search engine logo. Google artists enhanced a 1940 self-portrait by taking out the horns on her head and giving her a bone necklace similar to the one she wears in another self-portrait (minus the blood dripping down her neck). Frida Kahlo has painted many portraits of personal suffering.
The tradition of creating Google "doodles" on its search engine page dates back to 1999. Since then, special occasions, holidays, important events, and notable people have been celebrated on its page through art.
Update: The Justice Department has officially filed a lawsuit against Arizona over the state's anti-immigration law.
The immigration debate has gotten increasingly contentious in recent months, especially with the signing of Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 into law. At times the discussion has become juvenile such as Cardinal Roger Mahoney comparing the law with Nazism and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer claiming that “most” undocumented immigrants are “drug mules.” Unfortunately this disrespectful rhetoric has even pervaded one local veterans group.
Members of Arizona's largest American Legion Post in Apache Junction voted to bar the group’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Of the 26 veterans involved in the vote only one- ex-Army corporal Harry Robert Warren- voted against the measure. As Warren told one local news source, the decision was "retaliation" against the demonstrations by some Latino groups in protest of SB 1070. "It brings animosity between the different races," added Warren who hopes that the decision can be put up for a new vote in a few months.
“It caught me by total surprise,” mentioned Post Commander Felix Gonzalez to The Arizona Republic in response to the group’s vote. Additionally:
Gonzalez, the son of a Mexican-American father and mother with Spanish roots, said he was powerless to block or postpone a vote, despite his position as the Post's top administrative official.
The official reason given for the vote was that because Mexico does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a national holiday, there is no reason for the Post to celebrate it, Gonzalez said.
Though Cinco de Mayo is not a Mexican national holiday it is observed in several regions. Furthermore, the day commemorates Mexico’s military victory over France in the Battle of Puebla and may have prevented major French help of the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War.
Image- San Francisco Sentinel Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Huffington Post, USA TODAY, CNN, abc15.com, The Arizona Republic, Wikipedia
The BP oil well disaster has caught the attention of countries like Mexico and Cuba who are worried that their shores could be polluted by wayward crude. With the price tag for the disaster climbing upwards of $3.1 billion dollars, the oil giant is looking for ways to pay such massive costs. One option could be in Latin America.
According to the Wall Street Journal, oil fields in Colombia and Venezuela may be part of the over $10 billion in “non-core exploration and production assets” BP could sell in order to pay for the spill. After helping develop the Cusiana and Cupiagua fields in eastern Colombia in the 1990s BP last week ceded “direct operation” of the lands to local company Ecopetrol. Those fields are between Colombia’s largest and produce 177,000 barrels a day.
The larger asset that could be sold by BP is its 60% stake in Pan American Energy, Argentina’s second-largest oil producer. BP’s stake in the company is valued at $9 billion, which makes it an interesting choice for the company to sell according to one analyst:
“Pan American is the obvious place to start,” said Christopher Wheaton, who manages about $400 million of securities at Allianz RCM’s Energy Fund in London, including BP shares. “It’s got a valuation from (offshore oil producer) Cnooc in mid-March and is one of the assets you could carve out of the portfolio easily”…
Pan-American, a venture created when BP bought Amoco Corp. in 1998, produces about 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day and 450 cubic meters of gas, according to the BP website.
An estimated 30,000 to 65,000 barrels of oil are spilling into the Gulf of Mexico daily and numerous efforts to stop the leak have been insufficient. Tar balls from the spill have reached shores as far away as Texas, while cleanup efforts have been hampered by inclement weather.
Image- CBC (“BP workers in Cocodrie, La., pile booms that have been cleaned and repaired for reuse after they were stained with oil from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.”) Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Xinhua, Voice of America, LAHT
One of the worst Latin American dictators of all time took to the stand on Monday to defend his brutal regime.
Ex-Argentine president Jorge Videla has been accused of the murders of 32 political prisoners during his time in office from 1976 to 1981. He admitted to taking “full responsibility” for the actions of the military during the “Dirty War” period, which he deemed as an “internal war against subversive forces.” Nonetheless, he said that he could not be tried twice for human rights abuses and that a military tribunal should hear his case. Despite his claims, prosecutors in the Cordoba court accused Videla of directing a “clandestine plan to exterminate political dissidents”.
Videla was originally sentence to life in jail after Argentina returned to civilian rule in 1985 but that was later overturned on a pardon from then-president Carlos Menem. That action was declared unconstitutional in 2007 and the Supreme Court confirmed that decision in April.
Much like the Mexican government during the 1968 Olympics, Videla and his cohorts tried to use sport to cover up state crimes. In Argentina’s case, it was one of the world’s most famous sporting tournaments:
During his five-year administration, Videla organized the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
Argentina's victory was used to try to clean the international reputation of the military government at a time when reports of massive human rights violations had been seeping out, our correspondent says.
Videla also faces charges in Italy, Spain France and Germany for the murder of some of their citizens in Argentina.
Image- BBC Mundo Online Sources- EPA, Clarin, ABC.net.au, The Latin Americanist, BBC News
Admittedly it's tough putting up with a heatwave like the one hitting parts of the U.S. including outside my sweltering apartment. But it's a wintry day compared to the drought that has hit Bolivia:
* Venezuela: As part of Venezuelan independence day celebrations on Monday honors were given to Manuela Saenz- the lover and confidant of independence hero Simon Bolivar.
* Argentina: Argentine officials are none too pleased with local Chilean authorities that permitted a group of students to visit the Falklands in order to take English-langue classes.
* Brazil: President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva may find himself at odds with Brazilian evangelicals over his plan to preserve classic theatres for film, not for preachers.
* U.S.: The company formerly known as Countrywide Financial has been sued in Illinois over allegedly pushing very risky subprime loans at black and Latino customers.
Image – BBC Mundo (Ecuadorian-born Manuela Saenz is seen by some as adulterous but viewed by others as a key ally to Bolivar’s independence movement in the 19th-century.) Online Sources- ABC Online, MSNBC, MercoPress, The Consumerist
Four South American countries made it to the World Cup quarterfinals but only one would survive into the semifinals. The region’s weakest team to reach the quarters- Uruguay- will play a Netherlands squad looking to claim another South American scalp after beating Brazil 2-1. Before discussing los charruas chances of beating the red-hot Dutch let’s take a quick look at some recent occurrences with other regional sides.
* Paraguay:Iffy refereeing decisions have apparently become a hallmark of this World Cup and to the list of infamy we can the crew during Paraguay’s quarterfinal match with Spain. Late in the first half linesman Carlos Pastrana erred in disallowing a legit Paraguayan goal for offsides. As you can see in the video highlights below, referee Carlos Batres not exactly on the ball after granting Paraguay and Spain penalty kicks in the second half. It’s no wonder that now-former Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino said sarcastically after the game (won by Spain 1-0) that he was hoping FIFA would apologize to his team.
* Argentina: In the aftermath of Germany’s 4-0 spanking of Argentina one of the main question being asked is what will be the fate of team coach Diego Maradona? After returning to his native land on Sunday he hinted that his “cycle has finished” and that he would resign. Since then he has remained mum while fellow players and coaches have come to his side. Whether he stays or goes one thing is for sure: Maradona won’t strip and streak in Buenos Aires.
* Brazil: While Maradona waffles, Brazil’s player-turned-coach Dunga was fired from his post after the loss to the Dutch. Though he coached the Brazilian side to titles in the 2007 Copa America and 2009 Confederations Cup, Dunga was criticized for advocating a defensive, non-“Joga Bonito” style. On the bright side, however, Brazil’s elimination may do wonders for the country’s economy.
* Uruguay: Lastly we come to the charruas who are trying to overcome the controversy of Luis Suarez’ handball. His comments after the game against Ghana may not be helping matters but more importantly Uruguay will be playing without their top scorer. Coach Oscar Tabarez has identified Dutch forward Arjen Robben as the man to stop but the reality is that Uruguay will have to play as perfect a game as possible if they wish to reach their first World Cup title game in sixty years.
So what do you guys think? Will Uruguay beat the Netherlands? How can Argentina and Brazil bounce back from their World Cup eliminations? Is Paraguay good enough to be considered a South American heavyweight? Online Sources- Too many to list!
* Puerto Rico: Police in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan have been accused of brutality during clashes last week with anti-government protestors.
* Haiti: Tens of thousands of Haitian earthquake survivors living in makeshift camps face eviction from landowners worried about insecurity.
* Venezuela: Officials claimed that they arrested an accused Salvadoran accomplice of wanted ex-CIA agent Luis Posada Carriles.
* Brazil: At a summit in Cape Verde, President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva pledged increased Brazilian cooperation with west African countries.
Image – The Guardian (“A student demonstrator, Elisa Ramos, left, and her mother, Betty Pena, shelter from teargas amid riots over budget cuts at the Capitol building in San Juan, Puerto Rico.”) Online Sources- El Universal, Huffington Post, AFP, Christian Science Monitor
The Fourth of July is about to come to an end but we're still going to celebrate America the country as well as the Americas. Take it away, Caetano Veloso:
* Mexico: An IBM study concluded that the traffic in Mexico City and Beijing is the worst among twenty major cities worldwide.
* Peru: Scientists recovered the fossil of a massive prehistoric whale that existed over twelve million years ago.
* Chile: According to recently declassified documents the CIA was involved in the assassination of one of Salvador Allende’s closest supporters in 1971.
* Argentina: In a unique tit-for-tat, visiting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad pledged to support Argentina’s claims to the Falklands in exchange for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s backing of Syria’s claims to the Golan Heights.
Image – CNN (Traffic in Mexico City). Online Sources- MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, Washington Post, AFP, Reuters
With the game in the balance, and with his country's hopes and dreams about to be dashed at the absolute last second of extra time, Uruguay's Luis Suarez intentionally commited a handball to clear the ball off the goal line.
Suarez was shown a red card and sent off the pitch, but the rest will go down in World Cup lore. Ghana's Asamoah Gyan, the striker whose turn-around blast sent the US packing last week, drilled the crossbar on his attempt to win the game for the Black Stars. The whistle blew. That was literally the last play of the game! Uruguay nets four penalty kicks to send the tearful Ghanians - Africa's last hope - out of the Cup.
Suarez sacrificed himself so his side could go on, but his handball ended an amazing storyline for Africa's first World Cup. In the postgame presser he even said "la mano de Dios la tengo yo ahora."
So my question to you all regarding Suarez' handball: was that cool to do?
(As it happened): Really, he might as well stick out his hand. It's a definite goal otherwise. He's saved his team from certain defeat. Horrible cheating, on the other hand. Surely that'll convert the two remaining non-Ghana fans outside Uruguay to get behind the African heroes?
(Post-game recap): They have cheated their way to victory. Within the rules of the game we all love, but cheating all the same.
"This was sporting injustice but we must congratulate Uruguay. "I don't know what I would tell Suarez at this moment. It was bad luck. That's all I can say."
"Saying we cheated Ghana is too harsh a word to use. Yes, he stuck his hand out but it's not cheating - I don't think it's fair to say that. The player instinctively reacted and was thrown out of the match and he can't play the next match. What else do you want? Is Suarez also to blame for Ghana missing the penalty?"
The World Cup quarterfinals start today with the distinct possibility that four South American teams (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) could meet one another in the semifinals. First thing's first, however, as five-time champs Brazil currently play against Holland while later today versatile Uruguay face the speedy Ghanians.
Kaka, Robinho, and co. will be looking to emulate the feat done by their contemporaries twelve years ago in France. Brazil would beat the Netherlands via penalties in an exciting semifinal that had ended 1-1 in regular time. Ronaldo's goal moments into the second half was cancelled out by Patrick Kluivert in the waning seconds of the contest. Both goalkeepers were exceptional yet it was Claudio Taffarel who would become man of the match after making two key saves in the penalty shootout that was won by Brazil:
Update: Today the Netherlands avenged their 1998 and 1994 World Cup eliminations at the hands of Brazil. A Felipe Melo own-goal and a header from close range by Wesley Sneijder were enough for the Dutch to win 2-1 and knock Brazil out of the tournament. (More details including video coming up later). Online Sources - Christian Science Monitor, MSNBC, YouTube
Imagine what would happen if Jon Stewart were to be shot and killed by armed gunmen. Such was the fate of Colombian comedian and political satirist Jaime Garzon who was assonated nearly eleven years ago. Since then, the murder remains unsolved though it has been alleged that the late right-wing paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño ordered his death.
Earlier this week a breakthrough in Garzon’s case emerged when the Attorney General’s office accused a former senior intelligence official with masterminding the killing. An indictment against ex- deputy director of the DAS Jose Miguel Narvaez was handed down late last year, though that information wasn’t publicly revealed until last Tuesday. According to officials, a former paramilitary member testified that Narvaez “instigated” Castaño to kill Garzon.
Colombia’s DAS intelligence agency has come under fire for illegally wiretapping opposition figures, journalists and judges. Narvaez himself has been imprisoned since August 2009 for his supposed role in the chuzadas scandal.
Speaking of the Colombian paramilitaries, one of their leaders was sued in a U.S. federal court by families of two of his victims:
The lawsuit against Carlos Mario Jimenez was filed in federal court June 14 and publicized by the plaintiffs' attorneys Thursday.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages from Jimenez's assets that were seized in 2008. Their attorney acknowledges the funds may be tough to secure, but that they simply want to describe what they've been through and confront the man they consider responsible.
Image- EPA Online Sources- Plan Colombia and Beyond, LAHT, ABC.es, Miami Herald, Colombia Reports
Days after gubernatorial candidate Rodolfo Torre was slain in his home state of Tamaulipas another shooting has once again shined a light on violence in Mexico.
At least 21 people have been reported as killed during a shootout between rival drug gangs in Sonora. The incident occurred a mere twenty miles from Mexico’s northern border with the U.S. and federal police arrested nine people in the area of the shooting. The exact motive for the shootout is unclear in the area so desolate that according to local police cell phone coverage is nonexistent.
Sadly that was not the only violent incident occurring in northern Mexico:
In a city on another part of the U.S. border, gunmen killed an assistant attorney general for Chihuahua state and one of her bodyguards.
After being chased by armed assailants through the darkened streets of Ciudad Juarez, the vehicle carrying Sandra Salas Garcia and two bodyguards was riddled with bullets Wednesday night…
Salas was responsible for evaluating the work of prosecutors and special investigations units in Chihuahua.
Image- Al Jazeera English (The body of recently slain Rodolfo Torre was buried days ago). Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AFP, MSNBC, Milenio
Checking out Foreign Policy's annual "Failed States Index" is not exactly inspirational. But it's largely positive that in our region of interest the first country to appear on the list is Colombia at #46. (Ok, Haiti is #11.)
After Colombia, Bolivia checks in at #53 just ahead of Israel/West Bank at #54. Would love to hear Evo's take on that, given that he cut ties with Israel in 2009 over Israel's incursion/campaign/war/skirmish in Gaza.
As always with Foreign Policy, a beautiful photo essay, and highly recommended..
Image Source: RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images via Foreign Policy ("The streets of Commune 1, a shantytown in the country's second-largest city of Medellín, have been among the most violent in recent years. Drug gangs have fought out turf wars here, contributing to the ranks of the displaced -- still numbering about 3 million even after decades of internal conflict have slowly wound down.")
Thursday morning President Barack Obama spoke on the “moral imperative” to enact comprehensive immigration reform. While his moderate plan was a welcome sign from a White House that has placed immigration on the back burner, it came in the midst of a politically charged debate over immigration. At times the discussion over immigration has gotten ugly and been exploited for petty political gain as in the case of one Arizonan political hopeful.
Four-term state Representative Barry Wong is running for the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC)- an elected panel that oversees public utility issues. In an interview with the Arizona Republic, Wong came upon a far from brilliant idea: cutting off electricity and water to residences with illegal immigrants. "There is a cost ratepayers shouldn't have to bear because of the illegal-immigrant population," said Wong who also claimed that the costs of checking customers for their legal documents would be offset by potential savings.
As expected Wong’s proposal was soundly blasted by immigrants rights activists and even by fellow Republicans running for the ACC. Yet if Wong were elected he would have the power to commission a study on his idea and support from at least two of the five members of the ACC to in order to carry his plan out.
Perhaps E.J. Montini of The Arizona Republic said it best:
Any day now I'd expect some political candidate to suggest bus drivers and light-rail engineers check the immigration status of anyone attempting to use public transit.
To paraphrase a defunct TV show, politicians say the darndest things.
Image- streetinsider.com Online Sources- Voice of America, Reuters, The Arizona Republic, New York Daily News, Wikipedia
Money transfers to Mexico have grown and signify that the county’s economy is rebounding, according to data released earlier today. The twelve percent increase compared to May 2009 marks the second consecutive month of remittance growth to Mexico based on figures from the central bank. The data represents a turnaround after months of decreased money transfers since the end of 2008.
Not all was good news, however; the boost in remittances during May was not enough to cover the losses during the first four months of this year. $8.7 billion in remittances was sent to Mexico between January and May 2010, which was 4.6% less than in the same period last year.
Remittances are vital to Latin American economies though money transfers to the Americas have fallen since the global economic downturn. Some countries like Bolivia continue to struggle in turning around their remittance woes while others like El Salvador have seen increases that aid their respective economies. Could sustained “robust economic growth” throughout the region see a boost in remittances throughout Latin America?
Recent growth spurts around Latin America have surpassed the expectations of many governments themselves. Brazil, the region’s rising power, is leading the regional recovery from the downturn of 2009, growing 9 percent in the first quarter from the same period last year. Brazil’s central bank said Wednesday that growth for 2010 could reach 7.3 percent, the nation’s fastest expansion in 24 years.
After a sharp contraction last year, Mexico’s economy grew 4.3 percent in the first quarter and may reach 5 percent this year, the Mexican government has said, possibly outpacing the economy in the United States.
Image- LAHT Online Sources- LAHT, El Informador, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist, New York Times, EPA, El Universal
Elian Gonzalez commemorated the tenth anniversary of his return to Cuba by claiming that he has “no anger” towards those family members in Florida. His return to Cuba came under very unique circumstances but what about the possibility that more visitors could travel to the island?
Some politicians who have tried to ease the U.S. travel ban on the island scored a very important victory on Wednesday. By a 25-20 vote the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee approved lifting the decades-old ban on travel to Cuba as well as other export restrictions. “This is a great opportunity to expand trade,” said Committee Chairman Collin Peterson on the bill that would also permit U.S. goods to be sold directly to Cuba. Hence, business and farm groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Farmers Union back the proposal.
The bill awaits numerous hurdles in Congress including pivotal votes by other committees followed by the full House and Senate. Furthermore, the plan faces staunch opposition from some legislators including Cuban-American politicos on both sides of the aisle.
On the same day as the committee vote Amnesty International issued a report blasting the woeful human rights situation in Cuba. The study harshly criticized the Castro regime for creating "a climate of fear that stifles and criminalizes dissent":
According to the report, which was released on Wednesday, Cuban laws are so vague and arbitrary that any act of dissent can be deemed criminal…
"No matter how detrimental its impact, the US embargo is a lame excuse for violating the rights of citizens, as it can in no way diminish the obligation on the Cuban government to protect, respect and fulfill the human rights of all Cubans,'' the report said.
Image- New Zealand Herald Online Sources- Al Jazeera English, CNN, AFP, New York Times, Reuters, The Age
Is animation art? One could easily argue "yes" whether it's admiring the cartoons of Chuck Jones and Tex Avery to contemporary works like the Pixar films and Japanese anime. Then there's the work of Argentine Quirino Cristiani, a long-lost pioneer in the world of animation.
Born in Italy, Cristiani emigrated with his family to Buenos Aires at the age of four. As a teenager he developed a love for drawing as well as the politics of the day. In 1917 the twenty-one-year-old Cristiani created the world's first feature-length animated film entitled "El Apostol", a satire praising then-President Hiploito Yrigoyen. Yrigoyen would become the subject of Cristiani's next great film, 1931's "Peludopolis", which was the first sound animated feature and predated Walt Disney's "Snow White" by six years. "Peludopolis" was the pinnacle of Cristiani's career and the great animator would eventually die in 1984.
Though Cristiani's career has been largely forgotten a documentary on his life and accomplishments was recently made. Below is the trailer to the film on Cristiani including footage of the master at work:
(Hat tip: the exceptional Cartoon Brew animation blog).
* Dominican Republic: According to a USAID study Dominican farmers use thousands of highly toxic pesticides that make the food they grow unfit for export.
* Latin America: A leading congressional Democrat- Rep. Steny Hoyer- urged the Obama administration to push for free trade deals with Panama and Colombia.
Image – Businessworld Online Sources- Reuters, Dominican Today, BusinessWeek, The Latin Americanist, AFP
