Daily Headlines: July 21, 2015

* El Salvador: Salvadoran deputy police chief Howard Cotto ruled out negotiating with street gangs despite a call for dialogue in order to reduce high rates of violence.

* Brazil: Three executives of Brazil's Camargo Correa construction became the first figures to receive prison sentences in relation to a major bribery and corruption scandal that has rocked the South American country.

* Puerto Rico: Could statehood serve as a viable solution to alleviate Puerto Rico’s $73 billion debt?

* Uruguay: Alcides Ghigga, the Uruguayan game-winning goal scorer in the World Cup upset over Brazil known as the Maracanazo, died on the 65th anniversary of that game.

YouTube Source – wochit Latin America (“The month of June saw 677 murders in El Salvador. That's more than in any other single month since the end of the country's civil war.”)
 
Online Sources – Rappler, Deutsche Welle, The New York Times, Fox News Latino

Daily Headlines: July 20, 2015

* Cuba: After fifty-four years the embassies of Cuba and the U.S. reopened in their respective countries and, hence, officially reestablished bilateral diplomatic relations.

* Colombia: On Colombian Independence Day the FARC commenced their latest unilateral ceasefire that could jump start troubled peace negotiations between the rebels and the government.

* U.S.: A report published last week found that immigration authorities did not properly document 93% of deported, unaccompanied migrant children from Canada and Mexico between 2009 and 2014.

* Brazil: Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira became the most decorated athlete in Pan American Games history after winning his 23rd medal in Toronto.

YouTube Source – Associated Press (“After fifty years of frosty relations the United States and Cuba restore full diplomatic relations Monday.”)

Online Sources – ABC News, The Guardian, Colombia Reports, Swimming World