Daily Headlines: September 16, 2011

* Latin America: Seventeen Western Hemispheric nations including all of Central America, Bolivia, and Venezuela were placed on a White House narcotics watch blacklist.

* Mexico: Authorities reportedly believe that the Zetas drug gang may’ve been behind the murders of three relatives of a policeman detained in relation to last month’s arson attack on a Monterrey casino.

* South America: Tensions over areas such as energy and trade have led to deteriorating diplomatic relations between Argentina and Paraguay.

* Cuba: The Cuban government has become increasingly upset at ex-New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s visit to the island in order to negotiate the release of jailed contractor Alan Gross.

Image – AP via BBC News (“The blacklisting came on the day El Salvador celebrates independence from Spain.”)

Online Sources- CNN, MiamiHerald.com, BBC News, UPI

Daily Headlines: September 8, 2011

* U.S.: According to a new government report released “immigration offenses" have helped push Latinos to make up the new ethnic majority in federal prisons.

* South America: Thousands of demonstrators calling for education reform marched in several Colombian cities yesterday while organizers of education protests in Chile suspended their actions this week as a sign of respect for the victims of last week’s plane crash.

* Cuba: Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will travel to Cuba in order to seek the release of imprisoned U.S. contractor Alan Gross.

* Latin America: Could Brazil’s reviving of a “long-running anti-dumping feud” with China hurt economic ties between that Asian nation and the Mercosur bloc?

Image – The Guardian

Online Sources- Fox News Latino, AFP, Bloomberg, UPI, CNN

Postal service to resume between Cuba and U.S.?

Direct postal service between Cuba and the U.S. may be restarted after being suspended for nearly five decades.

According to this Reuters article, unnamed “Western diplomats” said that negotiations will take place in Havana in several weeks. So far there has been no official confirmation from either Washington or Havana of the claims made in the piece.

The possible discussions would represent another sign of the thawing in relations between the U.S and Cuba. Cuban and U.S. officials agreed in May to resume discussions over immigration as well as openness to resuming direct postal service. The current postal arrangement involves mail going through a third country while U.S.-owned firms like UPS and FedEx are barred from making express mail deliveries. (German-owned company DHL can, however.)

Today’s news comes on the heels of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s visit to Havana last week where he called for improved relations between the island and the U.S.:

"There is a good atmosphere [between the two countries]," he said at a news conference in Havana on Friday. "It is the best atmosphere I've seen in many years."

Richardson called for "concrete steps from both sides," but noted a "lack of flexibility in their positions" and reciprocity from the Cuban government.

He also called on the United States to "pay more attention to the Cuba issue, though acknowledged more urgent U.S. priorities like health-care reform have drawn attention away from normalizing relations.

Image- computer-stamps.com
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, CNN, Reuters

Weekend Headlines: August 29-30, 2009

* Cuba: While visiting Cuba, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson called for the Obama administration to do more to improve ties with the island and also backed musician Juanes’ plans for a Havana peace concert next month.

* Nicaragua: On a related note, a group of graduating Nicaraguan med students received a congratulatory phone call from Fidel Castro.

* Mexico: Hurricane Jimena may become a “major” hurricane by the time it hits Mexico’s Pacific coast but will it be enough to combat the country’s water woes?

* Dominican Republic: Despite the global economic woes officials claim that tourism rates in the Dominican Republic will go up this year.

* Peru: Villagers in the southern Peruvian town of Ayacucho commemorated the 25th anniversary of the massacre of 92 people at the hands of army soldiers.

* Colombia: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will be part of the investigation into the deaths of twelve indigenous Awa last Wednesday.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist, LAHT, AP, Dominican TODAY

Daily Headlines: August 28, 2009

* Uruguay: Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church Uruguayan legislators approved a landmark gay adoption bill that is expected to soon become law.

* Cuba: A weakening Florida economy and politics in Cuba are possible reasons experts cite for a massive dip in the number of Cubans migrating by sea to the U.S.

* Chile: Some scientists worry that the strain of swine flu recently found in Chilean turkeys could spread the virus more easily to humans.

* U.S.: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will reportedly be cleared of corruption charges from a supposed pay-for-play deal.

Image- Queerty
Online Sources- Reuters, AP, BBC News, CNN

Richardson to the rescue in North Korea?

Could New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson be sent to North Korea to broker a deal to free two jailed journalists? It’s a very realistic possibility that he may help in the release of Current TV reporters Euna Lee and Laura Ling who were sentenced to twelve years in prison after being accused of spying.

In an interview on NBC yesterday, the ex-presidential candidate admitted that “talk of envoy is premature” though the White House “has reached out to me for advice and I've spoken with the families":

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

Richardson is no novice to diplomacy in North Korea after having previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. He also acted as an unofficial envoy to the Asian country and was able to secure the release years ago of several U.S. citizens held in Pyongyang.

Aside from Richardson, there is speculation that former Vice President Al Gore could be sent to North Korea. Despite being the founder of Current TV, Gore has been strangely silent over the ordeal experienced by Lee and Ling.

Online Sources- Huffington Post, AP, MSNBC, New York Daily News, Politics Daily

Notable Quotables: Adios death penalty

"Regardless of my personal opinion about the death penalty, I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime"...

"Faced with the reality that our system for imposing the death penalty can never be perfect, my conscience compels me to replace the death penalty with a solution that keeps society safe."

---Governor Bill Richardson signed a law on Wednesday repealing the death penalty in his home state of New Mexico.

New Mexico thus becomes the fifteenth state to abolish the death penalty.

Image- AFP (Governor Bill Richardsonat the 2008 Democratic National Convention).
Online Source- CNN

Bill Richardson’s advisors under investigation

This hasn’t been a good week for Bill Richardson.

On Sunday the New Mexico governor withdrew his nomination for Secretary of State under incoming president Barack Obama. Richardson cited an ongoing federal investigation over a possible “pay-for-play” scheme with California firm CDR Financial Products.

Now it's been reported that a former Richardson top advisor is also being investigated for his ties to CDR:

A witness who testified before a federal grand jury in Albuquerque last month said he was asked if David Contarino, the former chief of staff, ordered New Mexico Finance Authority officials to hire Beverly Hills, California-based CDR Financial Products Inc. Another person familiar with the investigation said Contarino, 47, is a subject of the inquiry and that prosecutors are looking at whether he solicited contributions from firms that worked on finance authority bond deals.

On top of that, the AP cited “longtime friend and political adviser” Mike Stratton who worked as a consultant to CDR and earned nearly $1.5 million in fees for helping the firm secure contracts in New Mexico.

Whether the investigation clears Richardson remains to be seen though eyebrows are certainly being raised over the actions of some of his confidants.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AP, Bloomberg

Bill Richardson withdraws Cabinet nomination

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson withdrew his candidacy for the Secretary of Commerce under incoming U.S. president Barack Obama.

In a statement issued today, Richardson said to have dropped out due to a federal investigation against him. "I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process," said Richardson who also insisted of his innocence in the inquiry.

In a joint statement issued with Richardson, president-elect Obama expressed “deep regret” at dropping out yet added that “I look forward to his future service to our country and in my administration.” (Does that imply the possibility that Richardson could serve in an Obama Cabinet should he be cleared of impropriety?)

As we noted last month, the grand jury probe against Richardson has to do with a possible “play-for-pay” deal during Richardson’s gubernatorial bid in 2004. As the Wall Street Journal’s online site detailed:

The grand jury is investigating how the company won more than $1.5 million in work advising the state of New Mexico after making contributions to Mr. Richardson's political action committees. The "pay-to-play" investigation is trying to determine whether the governor's office had any role in the contracting decisions.

The focus is on fees paid to the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based CDR by the New Mexico Finance Authority in 2004 soon after donating $100,000 to Mr. Richardson's voter registration effort. CDR has denied any wrongdoing.

Richardson’s alleged wrongdoing is small potatoes compared to the brouhaha surrounding Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, yet the timing of Richardson’s probe couldn’t be worse.

Richardson hasn’t been the only prominent Latino politico to withdraw from a Cabinet nomination. In 2000, Linda Chavez withdrew her nomination from Secretary of Labor after being chosen by then-president-elect George W. Bush . The right-wing commentator dropped out when it emerged that she housed an illegal immigrant from Guatemala and helped her find work.

Image- The Fix (“President-elect Barack Obama announced New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary during a press conference at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 03, 2008.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, WSJ.com, New York Times, CNN, Voice of America, AFP, politico.com, Reuters

Report: Grand jury probes Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson’s nomination to be the next Commerce Secretary will likely face scrutiny during congressional hearings in February. But surprisingly it could be more than just the Wen Ho Lee affair.

A grand jury in Albuquerque is looking into the New Mexico governor’s dealings with a California firm that received several lucratrive contracts. That in itself is not illegal, yet eyebrows have been raised since the head of CDR Financial Products contributed heavily to Richardson’s political activities. One of these “activities” allegedly includes a Latino registration campaign.

According to the AP:

A person familiar with the proceedings told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the panel is looking into possible "pay-to-play" dealings between CDR Financial Products and someone in a position to push the contract through with the state of New Mexico. The person asked not to be named because the proceedings are secret…

Richardson served as chairman of the Boston convention, and the committee, Si Se Puede! Boston 2004 Inc., helped pay convention expenses for Richardson's staff and supporters. The contribution was reported by the committee as coming from Chambers, Dunhill, Rubin and Co., a former name for CDR.

Richardson may not be the only Obama nominee likely to face criticism by Congress; prospective Attorney General Eric Holder may be grilled over his role in the Elian Gonzalez case.

Image- UPI
Sources- The Latin Americanist, MSNBC, New York Times, AsianWeek, Bloomberg, Guanabee

Richardson tapped for Obama cabinet

Just a short while ago, U.S. president-elect Barack Obama nominated New Mexico governor Bill Richardson to be the next Secretary of Commerce. Though Richardson had been one of the leading candidates for Secretary of State, Obama claimed that Richardson would serve as a "leading economic diplomat" for U.S. interests.

Richardson mentioned that the Department of Commerce would play “a vital role” in Obama’s economic recovery plans. In addition, Richardson gave comments in Spanish were he thanked the Latino electorate for helping elect Obama. More importantly, however, Richardson mentioned that the Obama administration will engage economically with Latin American governments.

Richardson may not be the only Latino politico to be part of Obama’s Cabinet. Representative Xavier Becerra will reportedly be chosen the next U.S. Trade Representative, a post that would very well compliment Richardson’s (assuming he’s accepted).

Richardson’s nomination may please Latino politicos, yet Asian-Americans may not be too glad:

In a move bound to create political tension between Latinos and Asian-Americans, a group of Chinese-American activists in Silicon Valley has launched a nationwide grass-roots movement to fight President-elect Barack Obama's nomination today of Bill Richardson as commerce secretary.

The group is upset at the New Mexico governor for his handling of the nearly decade-old case of Taiwanese-American Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. U.S. officials once suspected Lee of giving nuclear secrets to China when Richardson was President Clinton's energy secretary.

Image- AP
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Fox News, AFP, San Jose Mercury News, U.S. News & World Report

Bill Richardson accepts Cabinet nomination?

Rumor has it that New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has reportedly accepted a position in President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet. Despite his extensive foreign policy and diplomatic experience, Richardson won’t be tapped as Secretary of State:

Sen. Hillary Clinton, New York Federal Reserve President Tim Geithner and former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson have all accepted posts in President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet, according to media reports. Clinton accepted the position of secretary of state, the New York Times reported. Richardson is in line to become Commerce secretary and Geithner was picked to be Treasury secretary, NBC News reported.

Richardson- who is of Mexican background- is expected to be officially announced as the choice for Commerce secretary on Monday. The media buzz around him had been strong over the past few days, especially after so much hype was made over Senator Clinton’s possibility of being Secretary of State.

Richardson had previously served as Ambassador to the U.N. and Secretary of Energy under the presidency of Bill Clinton. Richardson was one of the prominent Latino politicos to back Obama’s presidential run as far back as the primaries, a move that peeved off some of Senator Clinton’s closest allies.

Image- washingtonpost.com
Sources- The Latin Americanist, ABC News, Huffington Post, MarketWatch, MSNBC, AP, Wikipedia,

Daily Headlines: November 15, 2008

* U.S.: Could Hillary Clinton get her revenge on Bill Richardson for not endorsing her presidential bid or is my tin foil hat on too tight?

* Panama: An eagle-eyed blogger discovered that a financial exec working for a local firm was the former Grand Wizard of the Canadian Ku Klux Klan.

* Ecuador: Worries over debt repayments led Standard & Poor's and Moody's to downgrade Ecuador's credit rating.

* Uruguay: As was expected, President Tabare Vazquez vetoed a bill that would've depenalized first trimester abortions.

Image- AP (“Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks at a New York Public Transit Association conference in Albany on Friday, Nov. 14, 2008.”)
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, National Post, Reuters, TVNZ

Daily Headlines: November 7, 2008

* U.S.: Will New Mexico governor and Obama backer Bill Richardson be named the next Secretary of State?

* Venezuela: The country’s mining minister said that Russian firms will help in the development of two important gold projects.

* Mexico: A gruesome discovery was made when a handcuffed and beheaded man was hung from a highway overpass in Ciudad Juarez.

* Colombia: Plan Colombia funds have failed to reach their goal of reducing drug cultivation by 50% according to a General Accounting Office report.

Image- Top of the Ticket
Sources- The Latin Americanist, UPI, Guardian UK, The Australian, BBC News

Today’s Video: Richardson at the DNC

We’re very aware that you-know-who will soon speak at the last night of the Democratic National Convention. Yet earlier in the evening New Mexico governor Bill Richardson spoke in front of tens of thousands at Invesco Field. Richardson- who endorsed Barack Obama after his own failed presidential bid- pulled several punches against John McCain and the Bush/Cheney:

Sources- CNN, The Latin Americanist, YouTube

Richardson stumps for Obama in SoFla

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson stumped for Barack Obama during an appearance last night in Florida. The former Secretary of Energy touted Obama’s energy plans and emphasized the “important legacy” that an Obama presidency could have towards the environment.

The Mexican-American Richardson was recently endorsed by the Denver Post to be Obama’s running mate and in recent weeks he has been increasingly vocal in his support of the Illinois senator’s presidential candidacy. Take Richardson’s appearance on one of the Sunday morning political gab-fests talking about the Russia-Georgia conflict:

“(Republican presidential hopeful John McCain) takes huge amounts of money from oil companies that are profiting in the (former) Soviet Union and many parts of the world," the Democrat told ABC News, attempting to depict a conflict of interest for McCain.

Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, said the crisis vindicated Obama's pledge to rebuild US alliances in Europe that were strained under President George W. Bush.

So what are the odds that Richardson could be Obama’s pick for veep? Not too bad, it seems.

Image- boston.com (“New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, accompanied by Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks at news conference in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 21, 2008, after a rally where Richardson announced his endorsement of Obama. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)”)

Sources- AFP, Local10.com, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Naked Politics, KOAT, Top of the Ticket, The Australian

Daily Headlines: August 1, 2008

* Ecuador: Indigenous leaders are planning to meet with politicians in Washington and will denounce “Chevron's desperate attempt to quash” accusations of polluting in the rainforest.

* U.S.: Governor Bill Richardson may have endorsed Barack Obama though that hasn’t stopped him from planning a pair of fundraisers to lower Hillary Clinton’s campaign debts.

* Brazil: Workers at Petrobras oil firm have decided to suspend their strike planned for this Tuesday.

* Bolivia: After two days of occupying Bolivia’s Communications Palace, protestors agreed to leave but will continue to pressure the government to approve a new pension law.

Image- On Deadline (“In this 1995 AP file photo, Ecuadorean women stand near an open oil pit in the Sucumbios province in the Amazon, where Chevron operated.”)

Sources- The Latin Americanist, AHN, Reuters, Xinhua, MarketWatch

Bill Richardson for VP?

With the Democratic presidential race all but over speculation has run rampant on who will join Barack Obama as the party’s vice prudential candidate. Some pundits have hypothesized that Obama should pick defeated candidate Hillary Clinton and run on a so-called “dream ticket.” However, there are other experienced and qualified Democrats who could be a good fit as V.P.

One of the frontrunners to be on an Obama ticket is New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. Richardson- who is the head of a border state and failed in his long-shot attempt to run for the White House- endorsed Obama’s presidential bid last March. Though Richardson tried not to emphasize his Mexican heritage, analysts believe that his Hispanic background could sway the Latino electorate towards the Democrats. While one of the main critiques of Obama is his lack of experience in office, Richardson is a seasoned diplomat with an extensive foreign policy background. Richardson is also slightly younger than other top V.P. candidates like Joe Biden and Jim Webb though he is of the same age as a pair of leading female names. (Clinton and Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius).

Richardson does have some disadvantages, however. As we noted in 2007, the American public doesn’t know very much about him (and still don’t) and the Wen Ho Lee scandal could serve as fodder against him. During his bid for presidency he had trouble during the debates and his call for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq could serve as a liability with voters on the right.

British oddsmakers William Hill have given Richardson 7/1 odds in being picked to run with Obama. Those are pretty good odds though ultimately the decision rests with Obama himself.

Sources- The Latin Americanist, Crooks and Liars, Fact Checker, Monsters and Critics, boston.com, BBC News, Globe and Mail, Foreign Policy Passport, Casino Beacon

Image- TIME

Daily Headlines: May 22, 2008

* Mexico: Could less corruption in the structure of Mexico’s police benefit the country's counterdrug offensive?

* Panama: Former president Manuel Noriega has issued a new legal appeal so that he could be spared from being extradited to France in September.

* Puerto Rico: New Mexico governor Bill Richardson is expected to be on the commonwealth today in order to campaign for Barack Obama.

* Nicaragua: Apparently, citizens are split over the government’s plan to create local “Citizens Power Councils.”

Sources - The Latin Americanist, Christian Science Monitor, Seattle Times, MSNBC, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Image- tvnz.co.nz

Chavez pledges to help kidnapped U.S. contractors

“We're at their service” said Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez yesterday as he promised to help free three U.S. contractors held hostage by Colombian guerillas. Chavez remarks came a day after meeting with ex-U.N. ambassador Bill Richardson who traveled to Caracas on behalf of the hostages' families.

After returning to New Mexico, Richardosn expressed hope that Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell could eventually be freed after spending five years in captivity:

"This is a very difficult negotiation because you're dealing with a rebel group that's out in the jungle," the governor told a brief news conference Sunday on his return to New Mexico. "You don't know where they are. You don't know what they want"…

Richardson said he will put forward a proposal for the release of the trio in the coming weeks and that Chavez is willing to work with him as a "primary mediator." Chavez confirmed his willingness to help.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is expected to meet with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe today and with Chavez on Wednesday in order to urge for the release of Ingrid Betancourt.

Sources- Reuters, International Herald Tribune, Associated Press, The Latin Americanist

Image- CBS News