Daily Headlines: December 17, 2012

* Venezuela: Defeated opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles was reelected as Merida state governor though the ruling Socialist Party won twenty of twenty-three states.

* Cuba: Will the Cuban government expand its radio and television ban on reggaeton to other genres of music?

* Brazil: Corinthians of Brazil beat England’s Chelsea 1-0 in World Club Cup final and, thus, became the first from South America team to win the competition since 2006.

* Argentina: The International Monetary Fund could expel Argentina from the organization after failing to meet an inflation deadline.


* Paraguay: Charges were filed against fourteen peasants involved in deadly land disputes this May that led to the ouster of then President Fernando Lugo.

* Mexico: Seven defendants received prison sentences of 75 to 100 years for their roles in a 2011 arson attack that killed 52 people.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English (Video uploaded on December 15, 2012 before local elections were held).

Online Sources- USA TODAY, LAHT, The Guardian, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, BBC News