Daily Headlines: October 27, 2016

* Cuba: Cuban state media hailed as “a triumph of the heroic resistance of the Cuban people” the United Nations General Assembly’s symbolic yet overwhelming condemnation of the United States trade embargo against the Caribbean state.

* Colombia: Envoys for the Colombian government and the ELN rebels are preparing to start formal negotiations in Ecuador, while talks are taking place in Havana over the renegotiation of the peace deal with the FARC that was recently defeated in a tightly contested referendum.

* Brazil: According to Survival International, isolated indigenous groups in northwestern Brazil face “annihilation” over what they view as one of the worst land grabs in decades.

* Venezuela: One police officer was killed and dozens reported injured amid mass demonstrations supporting and opposing the rule of President Nicolas Maduro.

YouTube Source – AFP (Barring abstentions by the United States and Israel, not a single member of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted in favor of the trade embargo against Cuba.)
 
Online Sources – Granma, Colombia Reports, Phys Org, CNN, teleSUR English

Daily Headlines: October 19, 2016

* Venezuela: Tensions between the Venezuelan government and political opposition have once again flared up after electoral authorities postponed gubernatorial elections to the middle of next year, and the Supreme Court tightened the rules on a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro.

* Ecuador: Ecuadoran officials severely restricted Internet access to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has taken exile in the country’s London embassy since 2012.

* Cuba: “I fully intend to maintain our embargo on Cuba,” declared US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan in a statement days after the White House further relaxed trade and travel restrictions.

* Peru: Scientists are looking into what caused the deaths of thousands of critically endangered water frogs along the shoreline of the increasingly polluted Lake Titicaca.

YouTube Source – euronews 

Online Sources – Reuters, NBC News, Sky News, UPI

Daily Headlines: September 23, 2016

* United States: A new report estimated that one million Latinos are expected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease by 2030, which could lead to a cash crunch for families who “are among the least resourced to deal with the financial demand Alzheimer's places on households and on family caregivers.”

* Brazil: Brazilian officials unveiled a controversial education reform that would ironically drop physical education as an obligatory subject in high school despite the national fervor caused by the recent Olympics and Paralympics competitions in Rio de Janeiro.

* Nicaragua: The Nicaraguan government strongly rejected a proposal being considered by the United States (US) Congress that would prevent the Central American country from receiving international loans unless political reforms are made.

* Cuba: Several Latin American leaders at the United Nations General Assembly including the business-friendly presidents of Mexico and Peru called for the elimination of the US trade embargo. 

YouTube Source – National Council of La Raza

Online Sources – NBC News, Xinhua, Retuers, The Miami Herald

Daily Headlines: June 9, 2016

* Brazil: Hundreds of pairs of underwear were laid on Copacabana beach last Monday as part of a protest calling attention to violence against women including the recent suspected gang rape of a sixteen-year-old girl.

* Panama: Shell companies purportedly used by the Cuban government to circumvent the U.S. trade embargo against the island join Argentina’s president and a Chilean anti-corruption activist as some of the entities mentioned in the “Panama Papers”.

* Haiti: U.S. and European Union officials are none too pleased with the decision to rerun Haiti’s disputed presidential elections twelve months after they were first held.

* Guatemala: A UNICEF study found poverty, sexual abuse and machismo have fueled a “shocking” amount of child sex trafficking in Guatemala.

YouTube Source – AFP

Online Sources – The Huffington Post, The Latin Americanist, Quartz, euronews, The Miami Herald

Daily Headlines: January 13, 2016 (Updated)

* U.S.: President Barack Obama’s call to eliminate the trade embargo against Cuba in his State of the Union speech might not sit well with Cuban-American legislators but perhaps they could agree to reform policy for migrants coming from the island.

* Puerto Rico: The Puerto Rican government will allegedly begin discussions today with creditors over the restructuring of approximately $70 million in public debt.

Update: On a related note, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday on a case that could have serious consequences for the island's future sovereignty. 

* Nicaragua: Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean community leaders claimed that officials are obligating them to allow for the building of a controversial interoceanic canal through their lands.

* Guatemala: In one of the latest chapters in the “FIFA-gate” corruption scandal, former Guatemala soccer federation president Brayan Jimenez was detained and accused of bribery.

YouTube Source – AFP

Online Sources including Update – The Hill, The Guardian, Al Jazeera America, Bloomberg, Reuters, ABC News

Daily Headlines: October 28, 2015

* Cuba: Despite a diplomatic rapprochement towards Cuba, the U.S. once again opposed a U.N. General Assembly resolution overwhelmingly condemning the trade embargo against the island.

* Mexico: The Mexican Supreme Court may emit a ruling this week that could open the door to legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

* U.S.: Kansas City Royals pitcher and World Series Game 1 starter Edinson Volquez left for the Dominican Republic hours after his father suddenly passed away at the age of 63.

* Colombia: President Juan Manuel Santos proposed a bilateral ceasefire with the FARC rebels to begin on New Year’s Day of 2016.

YouTube Source – euronews (191 U.N. member states condmned the U.S. embargo against cuba in a resolution that for the second straight year was only opposed to by the U.S. and Israel).
 
Online Sources – USA TODAY, GlobalPost, BBC News, CNN

Daily Headlines: August 3, 2015 (Updated)

* Brazil: Jose Dirceu, the former chief of staff to then-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has become the latest political figure arrested over the Petrobras bribery and corruption scandal.

* Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico will most likely fall into default on its $72 billion pubic debt by the end of today if officials cannot make a $58 million payment to creditors.

Update: It's official - Puerto Rico has fallen into default for the first time in the commonwealth's history.

* Cuba: Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton publicly proposed eliminating the decades-long U.S. trade embargo against Cuba though it remains to be seen if Congress will be amenable to her suggestion.

* Colombia: Representatives of Colombia’s FARC rebels proposed meeting with Pope Francis during the pontiff’s visit to Cuba next month.

YouTube Source – CCTV America (Video uploaded in April 2015).

Online Sources including Update – Bloomberg, Financial Times, NDTV, Reuters, Voice of America

Daily Headlines: July 29, 2015 (Updated)

* Peru: Peruvian authorities claimed to have rescued thirty-nine people including thirteen children held hostage by the Shining Path rebels.

* Puerto Rico: U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew ruled out a federal bailout for Puerto Rico’s massive debt and instead called on changing the law to allow the commonwealth to file for bankruptcy.

* Mexico: The roller coaster ride of Miguel “El Piojo” Herrera as head coach of Mexico’s men’s national soccer team came to a screeching halt after he allegedly struck a journalist.

* Cuba: Rep. Tom Emmer introduced a bill to end the decades-long U.S. trade embargo against Cuba though his proposal faces stiff opposition from fellow Republican legislators.

Update: U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will urge Congress to remove the embargo on Cuba this Friday in Miami.

YouTube Source – teleSUR English

Online Sources including Update – France24, Bloomberg, SI.com, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Politico

Daily Headlines: July 2, 2015

* Cuba: U.S. President Barack Obama called on Congress to drop the trade embargo against Cuba as both countries fully reestablished diplomatic ties for the first time since 1961.

* Mexico: Mexican Supreme Court judge Olga Sanchez urged legislature in 29 of the 31 states banning gay marriage to overturn their restrictions.

* Venezuela: Venezuelan and U.S. representatives have reportedly undergone “quiet” negotiations since March in order to improve years of bitter relations.

* Argentina: Are comparisons between the current financial quagmire in Greece and Argentina's default in 2001 constructive or inappropriate? 

YouTube Source – Associated Press

Online Sources – Bloomberg, The Guardian, BBC News, Reuters

Daily Headlines: May 1, 2015

* Cuba: “We will only advance toward the normalization of bilateral relations (with the U.S.) on a basis of respect for the sovereignty…which includes the lifting of the blockade,” declared the lone speaker at Cuba’s annual May Day parade today.

* Venezuela: Ex-Brazilian President Henrique Cardoso, former Mexican leader Felipe Calderon and 24 other heads of state signed an open letter to the Venezuelan government urging the release of imprisoned opposition activists.

* Nicaragua: Lawmakers in Nicaragua approved a proposal that would allow Russia to build satellite bases on the Central American country.

* Brazil: Police in Curitiba have clashed twice with teachers protesting a planned reform to the pension and retirement system of public employees.

YouTube Source – teleSUR (Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro joined Cuban leader Raul Castro and thousands of other attendees at the annual May Day parade in Havana on Friday.)
 
Online Sources – Bernama, Yahoo! News, BBC News, Fox News Latino

Daily Headlines: March 12, 2015

* Peru: The debate over legalizing same-sex unions turned ugly recently when an “influential” Catholic bishop used a homophobic slur against a gay legislator.

* Cuba: According to a new poll 64 percent of respondents including majorities among Democrats, Republicans and independents support eliminating the decades-long U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.

* Mexico: Ex-ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora was confirmed as the new Supreme Court chief despite questions raised over his close ties to President Enrique Peña Nieto and his alleged role in the infamous “Fast and Furious” weapons transfer program.

* Argentina: The government will reportedly build unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, for defense proposes and at a cost of about $238 million.

Video Source – YouTube user teleSUR English (“Despite opposition from within Peru's traditionally conservative society, debate and pressure are mounting, including in parliament, for recognition of civil unions.”)
 
Online Sources – Reuters; Fusion; Bernama; Los Angeles Times

Daily Headlines: October 29, 2014

* Cuba: Another year, another overwhelming rejection of the U.N. General Assembly against the decades-long U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

* Brazil: Will the reelection of Dilma Rousseff to the Brazilian presidency improve U.S.-Brazil diplomatic relations that have been fractured since last year?
 
* Colombia: A World Bank report found that Colombia is the best country in Latin America and Caribbean to do business in.

* Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition activist imprisoned since February, refused to appear in court this week as a sign of protest.

Video Source – Reuters via YouTube

Online Sources – Fox News Latino; Miami Herald; The Latin Americanist; ABC News

Daily Headlines: June 17, 2014

* Venezuela: American Airlines has become the latest air carrier to slash capacity, sales or routes to Venezuela due to “an unresolved dispute over cash trapped there”.

* U.S.: A new poll released today found that most Cuban-Americans in south Florida, especially younger generations and recent arrivals from Cuba, oppose continuing the U.S. embargo on the Caribbean island.

* Argentina: President Cristina Fernandez said that her country would be unable to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court order to repay billions of dollars to creditors within the next two weeks.

* Colombia: Roughly twenty-four hours after being elected to a second straight term, president Juan Manuel Santos proposed changing the constitution in order to bar presidential reelection.

Video Source – CCTV America via YouTube

Online Sources – Miami Herald; Bloomberg; USA TODAY; Xinhua

Daily Headlines: April 8, 2014

* Latin America: Researchers warned that the chikungunya virus that has already been detected in several Caribbean countries could soon cause a “catastrophic” epidemic in the Americas.
 
* Brazil: More than 2000 construction workers at Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park have been on strike since last Thursday as part of the latest delay to affect preparations for the 2016 Summer Games.

* Mexico: The mayor of Tampico, Mexico believes that rival drug gangs attempting to “settle scores” may be behind the deaths of at least eighteen people over the weekend in the northern border state of Tamaulipas.
 
* Cuba: According to a Havana Consulting Group report, the number of U.S. tourists visiting Cuba continues to grow in the first three months of this year despite a decades-long trade embargo against the island.

Video Source– YouTube user CARPHACampus (The chikungunya virus is spread by the same Aeges infected mosquitos that can carry dengue.  Victims endure severe joint pains that could lead to permanent disability and, in some cases, death).

Online Sources –news.com.au; GlobalPost; NET Website; Dominican Today; The Guardian

Daily Headlines: February 10, 2014

* Colombia: Will the recent revelations of the Colombian military wiretapping of peace talks between the government and the FARC rebels seriously hurt the latest round of discussions?

* Mexico: The leaders of several Michoacán vigilante groups called on authorities to arrest the head of the La Ruana “self-defense” collective after he led the capture of a Knights Templar drug gang stronghold.

* Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro claimed that he would propose a bill aimed at ending “sensationalism and the campaign and propaganda that feeds on the blood and death (the media) promotes.”

* Cuba: Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor who is running again for that office, criticized the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba as a failed policy that needs to be “taken away.”

Video Source – euronews via YouTube (“Allegations of spying on government officials have Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (on February 4th) to dismiss his army's head of intelligence and the director of the army's technical intelligence center.”)
 
Online Sources- LAHT; Fox News Latino; Politico; SBS

U.N. Condemns Cuba Embargo…Again

For the 22nd consecutive year, the United Nations (U.N.) passed a resolution against a decades long U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

A whopping 188 of the 193 member nations of the U.N. General Assembly condemned the embargo while the U.S. and Israel where the only states to reject the resolution.

"Our small island poses no threat to the national security of the superpower," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at the General Assembly. "The human damages caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba are incalculable,” he mentioned though he also claimed that the “blockade” has caused $1.1 billion in “economic damages” to Cuba.

Speaking in the name of the South American Mercosur bloc, Venezuelan ambassador to the U.N. Samuel Moncada blasted the embargo as “the main obstacle to the economic development of Cubans” and a “violation against the principles of justice and human rights.”

Meanwhile, the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean alleged that the embargo and the U.S. labeling Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism” have negated any “progress in the process of reforming” the island’s economy.

In response to the criticism of the embargo, senior U.S. adviser for Western Hemisphere affairs Ronald Godard claimed “Our sanctions policy toward Cuba is just one of the tools in our overall effort to urge respect for the civil and human rights.  He tied to downplay Rodriguez’ comments by noting that $2 billion in remittances were sent to Cuba from the U.S. in 2012 and that the island’s government “silences critics, disrupts peaceful assembly (and), impedes independent journalism.”

Daily Headlines: October 8, 2013

* Cuba: Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno said that for the 22nd straight year his country will push for a U.N. condemnation of the decades-long U.S. trade embargo on the island.

* Brazil: “The United States and its allies must immediately stop their spying activity once and for all,” Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff tweeted after new allegations emerged accusing the Canadian government of spying on the South American country.

* Mexico: The possibility of a U.S. government debt default has apparently led to increased anxiety among economists and officials in Mexico.

* Dominican Republic: Pope Francis named the Vatican’s new ambassador to the Dominican Republic after the previous envoy was removed while being investigated for possible sexual abuse.

Video Source – YouTube via NTDTV (188 nations voted last year at the U.N. General Assembly against the U.S. embargo against Cuba with only the U.S., United States, Israel and Palau supporting the blockade).

Online Sources- Reuters; The Latin Americanist; Voice of America; Salon; CSMonitor.com

Daily Headlines: March 20, 2013

* Brazil: At least 24 people are dead after heavy rainfall led to several landslides in the mountains above Rio de Janeiro.

* Cuba: Dissident blogger Yoaní Sanchez called for the end of the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba that she said was used by the Castro administration as a scapegoat for the island’s economic woes.

* Colombia: Representatives for the FARC guerillas urged the Colombian government to “demilitarize” rural areas and pay reparations to the poor.

* Haiti: A recent report from Doctors Without Borders found that a “lack of funds and supplies” have caused "unnecessary deaths" from cholera.

Video Source – YouTube via ITN

Online Sources- GlobalPost, Foreign Policy Passport, Reuters, Doctors Without Borders

Daily Headlines: October 26, 2011

* Cuba: For the twentieth consecutive year the U.N. General Assembly called for an end to the decades-long U.S. economic embargo on Cuba.

* Paraguay: Will Paraguay seek military aid from neighboring Brazil in order to combat the growing threat of guerilla activity?

* Venezuela: The outgoing Commissioner for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights slammed criticism of the body from the Venezuelan government.

* Mexico: According to a joint report between the U.N. and the Organization of American States, Mexico is the world’s fifth-most dangerous country for journalists.

Image Source – Flickr user Jay Reed (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Online Sources - CTV News, El Universal, UPI, CNN

Daily Headlines: October 17, 2011

* Nicaragua: According to Nicaraguan health officials at least 32 people have been infected with a new outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus.

* U.S.: At a Tea Party rally over the weekend presidential hopeful Herman Cain proposed building an electrified fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

* Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez threatened that planes suspected of transporting illegal drugs could be shot down by the Venezuelan military.

* Cuba: Colombian Vice President Angelino Garzon called for the end to the decades-old U.S. economic embargo on Cuba.

Image – Via Flickr user Guerry (The 2009 outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus first appeared in Mexico).

Online Sources- Solvision, Press TV, New York Times, MSNBC