Daily Headlines: April 19, 2016

* U.S.: The 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to Lin-Manuel Miranda in recognition of the popular, critically-acclaimed Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

* Latin America: A new report detailed how the Hacking Team cyber security firm allegedly sold spyware and other tools used by authorities in several Latin American states for surveillance against critics and political opponents.

* Colombia: The Colombian government plans to resume using glyphosate to eradicate coca plants even though the World Health Organization classified it last year as a carcinogen.

* Cuba: Carnival reversed its decision to bar Cuban-Americans from traveling on its upcoming cruises to Cuba though it remains to be seen if they will be accepted back on to the island by immigration officials.

YouTube Source – PBS NewsHour
 
Online Sources – Buzzfeed News, ABC News, The Atlantic, Boing Boing

Haitian Musicians Allege Government Censorship

Today is the last day of carnival celebrations throughout the Americas.  Much like their better-known counterparts in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans, carnival festivities in Haiti are fled with color, revelry, and upbeat music.  Yet for some musicians in that Caribbean country this year’s celebrations have been marred by unnecessary criticism.

Members of three musical groups alleged that they were barred from performing at Carnival since their tunes poke fun at singer-turned-president Michel Martelly.

"These songs reflect the Haitian reality, but (Martelly) takes it the wrong way… Where's the freedom of speech? Where's the democracy? It shows that he has no tolerance (for criticism)," said Thomas Asabath, the manager of the Brothers Posse band, according to the Associated Press. 

One of the songs from the Brothers Posse entitled “Aloral” shows the lead singer critiquing a Martelly lookalike for failing to fulfill his goals in the presidency.   (This can be seen between the first and second minutes of the music video for the song).

The singer for RAM, whose group along with Kanpech and Brothers Posse was excluded from the Carnival lineup, said that he was informed that Martelly didn’t like the song they had selected.  The music video for that tune, “Men Bwa W”, supposedly depicts “a woman who physically resembles first lady Sophia Martelly stuffing herself with food – a Haitian symbol for avarice and corruption”.

Daily Headlines: February 17, 2012

* Honduras: Honduran and international human rights groups alleged that the government’s crackdown on gang violence led to overcrowded prisons including the one where over 350 people died in a fire.

* Latin America: According to a new study China has issued $75 billion in loans to Latin America since 2005; thus, topping financing from the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and U.S. Export-Import Bank.

* Brazil: Officials in Rio de Janeiro state reportedly plan to give away over three million condoms during Carnival festivities that begin this week.

* U.S.: A Pew Research Center analysis concluded that Latinos have helped boost the rise in interracial marriages to a record 4.8 million unions.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English (The prison in Comayagua, Honduras where a major fire took place this week housed over 800 inmates, more than double its original capacity.)

Online Sources- Fox News Latino, CNN, Americas Quarterly Blog, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist

Brazil: Free condoms for Carnival participants

Carnival festivities will start in a few days throughout the Americas including the world famous celebrations Rio de Janeiro. The global press has focused primarily on a seven-year-old girl being selected girl drum corps queen for one of Rio’s top samba groups. For instance, the following was CNN’s take on Julia Lira:

Whether one finds Lira’s actions reprehensible or not is up to you, yet the focus on this post is on the press. While they’ve targeted Lira in reports at times bordering on sensationalism, (i.e. the AP referring to Lira as the “Shirley Temple of samba”) a more important Carnival-related story has been largely overlooked. Brazil’s government will handout over several million free condoms at Carnival celebrations around the country as part of an AIDS prevention campaign:

A new television ad features a talking condom that loudly reminds young people to take him along when they go out to party.

Health Minister Jose Temporao said Saturday that this year's campaign is focusing on educating young women and young gay men to use protection.

The slogan is: "The condom. For love, passion or just sex. Always use it."

The free birth control distribution will be similar to those promoted by Brazilian health officials over the past two years and that have been opposed by Catholic Church officials.

It’s a pity that the press has put the condom giveaway on the back burner compared to the gyrations of a little girl. Anything for a buck, I guess.

Online Sources- Washington Post, CNN, Canadian Press, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: February 8, 2008

* Former Mexican Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda rejected reports that he was a Cuban spy in the 1970s.

* A recent poll showed that Chilean president Michelle Bachelet’s popularity has gone down to 43%.

* Thousand of protestors marched in Cuzco, Peru against a proposal that would make it easier to construct near ancient cultural sites.

* Follow-up: Remember the Viradouro samba school that was denied using a Brazilian carnival float depicting holocaust victims? They came in seventh while carnival judges gave Beija Flor their fifth title in six years.

Sources- BBC News, Associated Press, The Latin Americanist, Los Angeles Times, Angus Reid Global Monitor

Image- Univision.com

Daily Headlines: February 1, 2008

* A Brazilian judge has barred the use of a Carnival parade float depicting models of Holocaust victims.

* Mexican director Guillermo del Toro may be behind the lens of two upcoming films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's “The Hobbit.”

* The Argentine government punished two retired admirals and a former navy captain for their roles in the country’s “Dirty War.”

* In an interview, Colombia’s police chief said that a former police cornel fired for helping a drug capo should be extradited to the U.S.

* Follow-up: Ex-Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega cannot be extradited to France until all of his appeals have been exhausted, according to a U.S. magistrate.

Sources- Guardian UK, BBC News, The Latin Americanist, MSNBC, New York Times,

Image- CNN (“The Viradouro samba group has been ordered to remove mannequins representing Holocaust victims.”)

Daily Headlines: December 10, 2007

* Venezuelans voted in a constitutional referendum earlier this month, and so will Bolivians next year.

* Brazil’s government pledged nearly $7 million to samba schools featured in Rio de Janeiro's Carnival parade.

* In a pair of noteworthy events later today:

• Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will step down as First Lady to be inaugurated as Argentina’s next president.
• The trial of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori will start in Lima.

Sources- International Herald Tribune, the Latin Americanist, BBC News, Times Online, AFP

Image- MWC News