Daily Headlines: December 11, 2008

* Mexico: Drug-related murders have doubled this year to almost 5400 and are expected to continue rising according to Mexico’s Attorney General.

* Brazil: Is there a serial killer targeting gays in the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo?

* Argentina: The bones of hundreds of people killed during the country’s “Dirty War” were found at a former detention center.

* Latin America: “Free trade and open markets remain the surest way to economic growth,” claimed U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a trade conference in Panama yesterday.

Image- BBC News (“November was the bloodiest month to date (in Mexico) with 943 murders.”)
Sources- Voice of America, AFP, BBC News, AP

Daily Headlines: December 10, 2008

* Panama: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Panama yesterday in order to attend hemispheric trade talks.

* Venezuela: Hugo Chavez’ push for additional presidential terms is “something very dangerous” according to Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa.

* Latin America: According to a U.N. study poverty levels throughout the region could rise next year due to the global economic crisis.

* Brazil: Protestors yesterday tried to call attention to the reported 9000 people disappeared since January 2007.

Image- AFP
Sources- Reuters, IHT, CNN

Panama to host Rice (and Russians)

This coming Tuesday, outgoing Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will visit with President Martin Torrijos, which will precede Wednesday's regional meeting of foreign ministers from around the hemisphere to discuss the "Pathways to Prosperity" (PPA) initiative launched by the Bush administration earlier this year, framework for working with governments signed onto the FTAA agreements with the US.

It remains unclear what the Obama administration will do to continue the PPA (much less current and potential free trade agreements in the region), though the extent to which concrete proposals or promises are made during the Panama meeting may go some ways towards determining the Obama administration's initial posture (an interesting analysis on this subject can be found at Alainet).

As noted here yesterday, and in a coincidence of no uncertain irony, the first Russian warship since WWII is scheduled to sail through the Panama Canal today. What's more, AFP reports that over 400 Russian soldiers from the ship are set to remain stationed in the former US naval base located at the canal througout all of next week's meetings in Panama City, just 15 minutes away from the canal zone. The same article reports that, according to the Russian embassy in Panama: "The main purpose (of the visit to Panama) is for the soldiers to rest and to replenish (ship) supplies."

Sources: AP, Univision, La Prensa, Alainet, Marketwatch, State.gov

Daily Headlines: September 8, 2008

* Latin America: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Michelle Bachelet (image), the presidents of Argentina and Chile, are among the world’s most powerful women according to Forbes magazine.

* Mexico: The country’s highest court ruled that Wal-Mart acted illegally in paying part of workers’ salaries in vouchers redeemable only at Wal-Mart stores.

* Cuba: The U.S. trade embargo against Cuba won’t be dropped just yet said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday.

* U.S.: The Christian Science Monitor examines an afterschool program in Connecticut designed to encourage Latino youth to avoid dropping out of school.

Image- Time

Sources- Reuters India, IHT, Voice of America, Christian Science Monitor