Mexican Boy Blocks Anti-Gay Rights March

The actions of a child at a protest against gay rights and same sex marriage in Mexico over the weekend has reportedly become viral.

Foto de niño bloqueando protesta anti gay en Guanajuato, #México se vuelve viralhttps://t.co/ihZ8qwYc7f pic.twitter.com/TofksecuCQ

— Noticias Telemundo (@TelemundoNews) September 12, 2016

In the image, the boy stands alone in the middle of the street with his arms outstretched in front of the multitude of protesters. He seemingly halts the demonstration including the police escort ahead of it.

Nationwide marches organized by the Frente Nacional por la Familia organization were held last Saturday across Mexico including the city of Celaya in Guanajuato where local newspaper photographer Manuel Rodriguez took the photo.

The image was not placed online by the publication Rodriguez works for but instead by an online news site via their Facebook page. The snapshot included the caption “I was nauseous by the sight of so much homophobia but I’ll stick with the image of a boy 'stopping' the protesters.”

Since the photo became more widespread via social media, Rodriguez has been accused of doctoring the image for political purposes or career advancement. Both accusations have been steadfastly denied by the photog who explained to Buzzfeed Mexico how he was placed on an elevated pedestrian crossing when the child ran on to the street and the image was taken.

Daily Headlines: March 25, 2016

* Brazil: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff once again claimed she would not resign despite an impeachment process against her and a deepening political crisis stemming from the “Lava Jato” corruption probe.

* Vatican: Pope Francis is the world’s most popular leader according to a new survey, while the Argentine-born pontiff washed the feet of twelve refugees as par of a traditional Holy Thursday gesture.

* U.S.: Why is the spike in HIV and AIDS cases in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas “a warning sign for the U.S. healthcare community as well as Latino neighborhoods across” the nation?

* Latin America: Researchers believe the Zika virus that has spread across the Americas arrived in South America sometime in 2013 and not during sporting events held in Brazil two years ago such as the World Cup.

YouTube Source – Ruptly TV (“Anti-government protesters demonstrated through Sao Paulo, (on March 20th), as Brazil’s lower house continues to discuss Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's potential impeachment”.)
 
Online Sources – Xinhua, Catholic Herald, The Huffington Post, BBC News, Latina

Daily Headlines: March 9, 2016 (Updated)

* Mexico: An editorial in a Mexican Catholic Church publication questioned Pope Francis’ comments during his visit to Mexico last month admonishing some clergy for their opulence and not connecting with their parishioners.

* Brazil: Will convicted former construction tycoon Marcelo Odebrecht collaborate with Brazilian authorities as part of the “Lava Jato” corruption investigation?

Update: Prosecutors are expected to announce on Thursday that money laundering charges will be raised against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

* Latin America: The Ecuadoran government claimed that envoys from Latin American oil producing states will reportedly meet in Quito this Friday to discuss the low price of crude.

* Venezuela: Street protests, a constitutional amendment and a recall vote are part of the Venezuelan opposition’s strategy to oust President Nicolás Maduro before his term is scheduled to end.

YouTube Source – euronews

Online Sources including Update – BBC News, Fortune, Reuters, The Latin Americanist, Catholic News Service

Daily Headlines: February 9, 2016

* Nicaragua: Nicaraguan officials still plan to go ahead with the construction of an interoceanic canal despite construction delays, financing issues, and strong opposition from residents.

* Latin America: The Vatican presented a more detailed agenda of Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Cuba and Mexico, while Catholics in Chile have urged the pontiff to fire a bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse cases.

* Argentina: The Argentine government offered $6.5 billion to settle with some creditors holding on to $80 billion in defaulted debt but may face pushback from bondholders seeking full repayment.

* Puerto Rico: More bad news for debt-ridden Puerto Rico as economic activity suffered a 0.5% yearly drop last December.

YouTube Source – PBS NewsHour (Video uploaded on April 2015).

Online Sources – The Australian, Catholic News Service, teleSUR English, Bloomberg, Reuters

Daily Headlines: December 1, 2015

* Guatemala: Gang violence was blamed for the deaths of at least sixteen inmates at a Guatemalan prison that is at approximately 500% overcapacity.

* Brazil: Brazil’s recession worsened in the third trimester of 2015 and posted a 1.7% quarterly drop along with a worrying 4.5% annual decline.

* El Salvador: San Salvador Archbishop Bishop Jesus Delgado apologized to victims of sexual abuse by clergy amid a crackdown by the archdiocese against suspected pedophiles.

* Venezuela: Authorities arrested three suspects in the murder of Venezuelan opposition politician Luis Diaz during a recent campaign event to rally support prior to Sunday’s legislative elections.

YouTube Source – Associated Press

Online Sources – iTV News, Reuters, UPI, Yahoo News

Daily Headlines: October 16, 2015

* Chile: Thousands of students took to the streets of Santiago in a protest against President Michelle Bachelet’s planned educational reforms.

* Venezuela: Opposition politician Manuel Rosales was arrested after returning from exile, while a bipartisan group of U.S. Congressmen from Florida have proposed granting immigration relief to Venezuelan expats.

* Latin America: An investigation in the GlobalPost news website followed three U.S. priests accused of sexual abuse who fled to Latin America and continued practicing their faith.

* Mexico: Mexican TV network Televisa revealed unauthorized footage of the escape of fugitive drug capo Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman that casts doubts on the official government version of events.

YouTube Source – Reuters

Online Sources – teleSUR English, Deutsche Welle, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fox News Latino, InSight Crime

Pope Francis Urges Youth, Migrants to “Dream”

During his speech at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Pope Francis urged political leaders to view migrants in a more benevolent manner and help youth "not to turn their back on our neighbors." Francis continued to speak favorably on immigrants during a visit to a catholic school in New York City earlier today.

The pontiff acknowledged the difficulties recently arrived migrants may have to be in a different country including learning "a new language...a new culture." Yet he praised those who open their arms to migrants and help accommodate them amid new surroundings.

"We find new friends...who open doors for us and show us their care and understanding," he said to an of some 150 refugees helped by Catholic Charities in New York.

"(They) help us not feel like strangers, like foreigners. They make us feel at home though our imagination may sometimes lead us to recall our homeland."

The Pope cited the late Rev. Martin Luther King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech  and urged the audience at the Lady Queen of Angels in Harlem  to strive for their goals.

"All of you here, big and small, have a right to dream. I’m pleased that you find in your fellow students and teachers the ability to do so".

Francis, who was no stranger to celebrating with children when he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was overjoyed as he encouraged a student chorus to sing louder for him. he viewed with an apparent wide-eyed curiosity at other pupils who showed him various school projects. The Pope even joked that he was sorry to take away time from teachers and gave students "homework": "pray for me so I can help spread the joy of Jesus' love."

Pope Francis: Migrants Are “People”, Not “Numbers”

Pope Francis strongly advocated for immigrants while speaking at a historic speech during a joint session of the U.S. Congress earlier today.

Reiterating the reference to himself as the “son of an immigrant family”, the Argentine-born pontiff reminded attendees that most of them also “descended from immigrants. He urged the audience of legislators, officials and guests to let go of their “fear” against foreigners, and to view migrants including those from Latin America as “persons” rather than “numbers”.

“We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our ‘neighbors’ and everything around us,” said Francis in English. “Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best”.

The Pope invoked the Golden Rule as a “yardstick” in which people should measure their treatment of others including immigrants and refugees.

“Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves,” he observed.

For Andrea Cristina Mercado, co-director of the “We Belong Together” group of 100 female pilgrims who traveled to Washington, the pontiff’s comments were meaningful and very significant.

Vatican Announces Papal Visit to Cuba

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi confirmed on Wednesday that Pope Francis would visit Cuba this September prior to a three-city tour of the U.S.

“I am able to confirm that the Holy Father Francis, having received and accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba, has decided to pay a visit to the island before his arrival in the United States for the trip announced some time ago,” affirmed Lombardi in a statement.

Lombardi’s remarks come after he claimed on April 17th that plans for a papal visit to Cuba were “still at too early a stage to be able to talk about a firm decision and an operational plan.”

The Argentine-born pontiff will thus become the third consecutive head of the Roman Catholic Church to visit the Caribbean country. Pope Benedict XVI called for greater religious liberties and prayed for dissidents “deprived of freedom” during his trip to Cuba three years ago.  The Cuban government granted greater recognition to Catholics following Pope John Paul II’s visit to the island in 1998. Years before becoming the Pope, the then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergolio, subsequently wrote a book describing the effects of that vital visit.

Pope Francis has been credited with being instrumental to the push between Cuban and U.S. leaders to normalize bilateral relations after decades of mistrust. Francis oversaw final talks between delegations from the U.S. and Cuba at the Vatican last October.  Following the historic announcements by Barack Obama and Raul Castro to improve ties last December, Francis sent them each letters urging them to “resolve humanitarian questions of common interest, including the situation of certain prisoners.”

Daily Headlines: March 23, 2015

* Chile: Scores of protesters gathered in Osorno against the appointment of Bishop Juan Barros and accused him of helping cover up sexual abuse by Father Fernando Karadima.

* Argentina: An Argentine attorney has come under fire for posting a tweet with an “appalling” photo of the bloodied body of the late prosecutor Alberto Nisman.

* Brazil: A lack of enforcement of strict environmental laws is one of the reasons cited for a recent increase in the deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rain forest.

* Mexico: Mexican wrestler Rey Mysterio Jr. could face manslaughter charges in the death of fellow grappler Hijo del Perro Aguayo during a bout last Saturday.


Video Source – YouTube via euronews

Online Sources – Sydney Morning Herald; Buenos Aires Herald; The Latin Americanist; Newsweek; Rappler.com

Daily Headlines: March 20, 2015

* Colombia: “Look at the irony of life, all my life I spent in the military fighting terrorism…and now in a place totally remote from Colombia it takes my wife and son,” said a retired Colombian army general whose relatives were killed in a museum attack in Tunisia.

* South America: At least ten people were killed in a plane crash in Uruguay while Argentine officials earlier this week identified the remains of a deadly helicopter collision on March 9th.

* Dominican Republic: A Catholic priest identified only as Wojciech G. offered to serve seven years in prison over charges of sexually abusing minors in Poland and the Dominican Republic.

* Ecuador: Thousands of Ecuadorans took to the streets on Thursday in order to march in opposition to a plan that would end term limits for the presidency including current leader Rafael Correa.

Video Source – YouTube via Zip News
 
Online Sources – ABC Online; Deutsche Welle; ABC News; SBS; NBC News

Date Chosen for Beatification of Murdered Archbishop Romero

Another major step was taken on the path for sainthood for the late Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero when the day of his beatification was confirmed on Wednesday.

“Monsignor Romero will be proclaimed blessed in San Salvador on May 23,” affirmed Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia at a press conference where he appeared alongside President Salvador Sanchez Ceren.

The Episcopal Conference of El Salvador announced in February that the beatification ceremony would be held at the Divino Salvador del Mundo Square in the capital city of San Salvador.
Paglia praised Romero and acknowledged his sacrifice for the people of El Salvador before he was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980.

“Romero from heaven has become the good and blessed shepherd, who today unites all the people of El Salvador, the people for whom he gave his own life," said the main promoter in the campaign for Romero’s sainthood. "From heaven he wants all of El Salvador to walk on the path of justice and peace,” Paglia added.

As the Archbishop of San Salvador, Romero spoke out against the brutal repression carried out by the military in the early stages of El Salvador’s brutal civil war. Despite the constant threat against his own life, he was unafraid to use the pulpit to denounce human rights abuses and tirelessly advocate for the poor. His time as Archbishop was only three years yet his humanitarianism led his followers to consider him as “St. Romero of the Americas.”

Daily Headlines: January 12, 2015

* Haiti: Deep political divisions, economic uncertainty and outbreaks of disease are some of the challenges still faced in Haiti more than five years after a major earthquake hit the country.

* Cuba: U.S. officials confirmed the liberation of fifty-three Cuban political prisoners “whose release was sought as part of the U.S. agreement last month with the Cuban government”.

* U.S.: Actor, comedian and artist Taylor Negron died on Saturday at the age of 57 following an extended battle with cancer.

* El Salvador: The path to sainthood for assassinated Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero became clearer last week after a Vatican committee reportedly recognized him as a martyr.

Video Source – YouTube user AFP news agency
 
Online Sources – CBC News; The A.V. Club; The Latin Americanist; NPR; ABC News

Daily Headlines: September 1, 2014

* Nicaragua: “The sadness of feeling yourself trapped in a whole is immense but I never lost hope,” said one of the twenty-two workers recently rescued from a collapsed gold mine in northern Nicaragua.

* Cuba: One of the highest ranking Catholic church figures in Cuba, Apostolic nuncio Bruno Musaro, declared that the island’s people are “victims of a socialist dictatorship that has kept them subjugated for the past fifty-six years.”

* El Salvador: Amid a growing homicide rate, the heads of five of El Salvador’s most dangerous gangs including the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha agreed to renew a 2012 truce.

* Brazil: The sale of Burger King to Tim Hortons could add at least $1.3 billion to the estimated $24.8 billion fortune of Brazil’s wealthiest person, Jorge Paulo Lemann.

Video Source – euronews via YouTube

Online Sources – ABC News; Miami Herald; The Globe and Mail; Reuters

Daily Headlines: June 10, 2014

* Brazil: Sao Paulo subway workers suspended their strike though protests are expected to take place in Brazil prior to the start of the World Cup on Thursday.

* Argentina: Vice President Amado Boudou was questioned for several hours by investigators over his possible involvement in a major corruption case that has shaken up the presidency of Cristina Fernandez.
 
* Cuba: Authorities arrested eight people and accused them of being behind a university entrance exam cheating scandal.

* Paraguay: How is Father Carlos Urrutigoity in a “position of power” in Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este despite facing multiple accusations of child sexual abuse in the U.S.?

Video Source – euronews via YouTube

Online Sources – MercoPress; GlobalPost; Los Angeles Times; ABC News

Brazilian Bishops Issue “Red Card” Against World Cup Plans

An organization of Brazilian catholic bishops gave a “red card” to the preparations for the World Cup that will begin on June 12th.

According to a pamphlet issued by the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (known by the Portuguese acronym of CNBB), the group criticized the “inversion of priorities” in the spending of public funds to soccer’s main tournament instead of areas like “health care, education, basic sanitation, transportation and security”.  The CNBB also critiqued the Brazilian government for allowing the “misappropriation of sport” by large corporations and private entities that will likely benefit financially from the World Cup.    

“(The removal of) families and communities for the construction of stadiums is a violation of the right of property in popular neighborhoods and communities,” said part of the pamphlet that is printed in three languages and is expected to be widely distributed during the World Cup.

For the CNBB, several initiatives can be taken that represent a “winning goal” such as ensuring that the residents of poor neighborhoods and homeless have the right to stay in their localities.  In addition, the group urges the authorities not to criminalize “social movements” and respect the rights of people to participate in street demonstrations.

“As a Church, we commit ourselves to stand by players and fans…and be a prayerful presence throughout the World Cup,” according to the CNBB.

It was approximately one year ago this month that over a million people took to the streets to protest against the billions of dollars in public money being spent on the World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.  Though the protests have largely died down since then, a resurgence of mass demonstrations has developed in recent weeks and is expected to last during the tournament.

Uruguay: 5400 Legal Abortions in the Past Year Says Catholic Church

An estimated 5400 legal abortions have taken place in Uruguay over the past year according to information from the local Catholic Church.

As mentioned in the Uruguayan press, the data was based on pamphlets that were distributed in churches nationwide over the weekend.  The statistics were reportedly based on a study that analyzed the number of abortions done since first trimester abortions were legalized in 2012.

The pamphlets allegedly mentioned that parishioners should use the information to “reflect” on the issue of abortion.  In addition, the text in the booklets also advised readers to keep them until October’s presidential election.

The information in the pamphlets contradicts Uruguayan officials that mentioned last February that 6676 abortions took place between December 2012 and November 2013.

The issue of abortion has become an important topic ahead of the presidential election in approximately five months time.  Adding fuel to the fire was the decision by doctors in the city of Salto who refused to oversee the abortion requested in the name of mentally disabled woman who became pregnant when she was raped.  (Uruguayan law permits abortions in the first fourteen weeks when the mother's health is at risk, a fetus has malformations or the pregnancy was due to rape).  As a result, the woman was taken to a hospital in the capital city of Montevideo though it hasn’t been mentioned in the press if she underwent an abortion or not.

Daily Headlines: April 7, 2014

* Costa Rica: Historian and outside candidate Luis Guillermo Solís validated his first round victory in February by easily becoming Costa Rican president-elect after winning in a virtual one-man runoff yesterday.

* Cuba: The recent revelation that U.S. government helped create a “Cuban Twitter” network could hinder the efforts of opposition activists and independent bloggers on the island.

* Argentina: Umma Azul became the first child of a lesbian couple to be baptized by the Catholic Church in Argentina in a ceremony held in the Cathedral of Cordoba.

* Mexico: Renown author Gabriel García Marquez could leave a Mexico city hospital tomorrow and over a week since the Nobel laureate was treated by doctors for a lung and urinary infection.

Video Source– teleSUR via YouTube (Nearly 1.3 million voters opted for Costa Rican president-elect Luis Guillermo Solís in Sunday’s runoff election despite a high abstention rate).

Online Sources – The Guardian; Reuters; Prensa Latina; The Latin Americanist; Tico Times
 

Daily Headlines: March 24, 2014

* El Salvador: Will Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered while celebrating Mass on this day 34 years ago, be granted sainthood by the Vatican within the next three years?

* Spain: Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi’s hat trick helped push Barcelona to a 4-3 victory against their traditional Spanish rivals Real Madrid.

* Brazil: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has reportedly come under fire over alleged irregularities in the costly purchase of a California oil refinery by Petrobras in 2006.

* Uruguay: President Jose Mujica of Uruguay said that his country would take in several Guantanamo Bay detainees in exchange for the U.S. freeing three Cubans convicted of spying in 2001.
 
Video Source – YouTube user interestmedia

Online Sources- The Pilot; SI.com; Forbes.com; Xinhua

Daily Headlines: September 23, 2013

* Venezuela: Three Venezuelan National Guard officials were arrested and accused of being involved in the smuggling of 1.3 tons of cocaine via a Air France flight between Caracas and Paris.

* Brazil: Brazilian rancher Vitalmiro Vastos de Moura was retried and sentenced once again to thirty years in prison for planning the 2005 murder of U.S. nun and environmentalist Dorothy Stang.

* El Salvador: El Salvador's soccer federation punished fourteen national team players with lifetime bans after they supposedly received bribes to fix matches.

* Peru: Catholic officials reportedly removed Peruvian bishop Gabino Miranda from his post due to allegations that he sexually abused minors.

Video Source – YouTube via user afpbr

Online Sources- Reuters; The Latin Americanist; ABC News; Al Jazeera English