Daily Headlines: August 8, 2016

* Mexico: At least forty people died following several landslides in Puebla and Veracruz states following Tropical Storm Earl though heavy rain is expected to continue and potentially cause “life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.”

* Cuba: Cuban officials blamed the United States for a surge of nationals fleeing from the country including several hundred migrants awaiting deportation from Colombia.

* Ecuador: Maria Duarte, Ecuador's Minister of Urban Development and Housing, claimed to be “optimistic” over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in a major earthquake nearly four months ago.

* Brazil: Several upsets in tennis at the Olympics on Sunday including Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina beating Novak Djokovic, and the Colombian pair of Juan-Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah surprising the top seed in men’s doubles.

* Bolivia: Bolivian authorities last week seized nearly eight tons of cocaine valued at around $350 million from a cargo truck.

YouTube Source – Associated Press 
 
Online Sources – Reuters, CNN, Business Insider, Houston Chronicle, Al Jazeera English, The Tico Times

The Paulista Who Won at Wimbledon

Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina will attempt to become the first Latin American tennis player to win the men's singles at Wimbledon.  The 2009 U.S. Open champion will likely face a very tough challenge in the semifinals from top ranked Novak Djokovic as he vies to capture his second Grand Slam title.

Two of Del Potro’s fellow Argentines – David Nalbandian and Gabriela Sabatini – made it to the Wimbledon finals though both stumbled at the final hurdle.  In fact, only one Latin American tennis player has won a singles title at the All England Club: Brazil’s Maria Bueno.

In 1959, the nineteen-year-old Bueno captured the Wimbledon crown when she bested Darlene Hard in straight sets:
 
Her accomplishments in 1959 included a U.S. Open title, the World No. 1 ranking and recipient of the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award.  In Brazil, meanwhile, Bueno was treated as a national heroine, received a ticker tape parade in Rio de Janeiro and was honored a special Mass at the cathedral of her native Sao Paulo.

Daily Headlines: September 17, 2012

* South America: The Bolivian and Venezuela governments rejected being placed on a White House drug trafficking "black list" released last Friday.

* Brazil: According to a Brazilian media report former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was the “chief” in the alleged “mensalao” corruption network implicating over thirty politicians and publicists.

* Mexico: At least two Mexico state legislators allied with the PRI political party were murdered over the weekend.

* Argentina: Juan Martin del Potro’s decision to drop out of his second Davis Cup semifinal match due to injury may have cost Argentina the chance to reach the finals.

Video Source – YouTube via AFP

Online Sources- ABC News, Mercopress, Fox News Latino, CBC

Del Potro captures U.S. Open crown

I've never watched an entire tennis match until last night's U.S. Open men's final between Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and #1-ranked Roger Federer. Yet Monday's five-set marathon was an absolutely thrilling affair topped off be Del Potro's stunning victory:

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro ended Roger Federer's five-year unbeaten reign at the US Open in five dramatic sets to win his first Grand Slam title.

The 20-year-old sixth seed twice fought back from a set down to win 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2...

"I had two dreams this week," said Del Potro. "One was to win the US Open and the other one is to be like Roger...

"You fought until the final point. You are a great champion. I'm very happy to be here with this crown, with these people, on this court. This will be in my mind forever."

Del Potroshould expect a hero's welcome upon returning to his native land where his feats have caught nationwide attention:

Online Sources - YouTube, BBC Sport

Del Potro upsets Nadal in U.S. Open

With lips still buzzing over Serena Williams’ outburst, Argentine Juan Martin del Potro took center stage and upset one of the world’s best players.

In only his second Grand Slam semifinal ever, Del Potro beat the third-ranked Rafael Nadal in straight sets at the U.S. Open. Hours after Nadal won over Chile's Fernando González in a rain-soaked quarterfinal, Del Potro blitzed the Spaniard with a convincing 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win. Del Potro "kept Nadal on the defensive” throughout the whole match and overpowered a seemingly tired opponent.

The sixth-seeded Del Potro becomes the first Argentine to make a U.S. Open final since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 and he might face top seed Roger Federer. Del Potro promised the capacity crowd that he would battle in Monday afternoon’s final as strongly as he did today:

After the match on court, the 20-year-old Del Potro addressed the fans expecting a Federer-Nadal final, he said, “Yes, I’m sorry.”

With that, he laughed and explained how special the Open is to him. He called it his favorite tournament. “I am close to doing my dream, to win this tournament,” he said. “I think this is the best moment of my life.”

Image- BBC Sport (“Del Potro is into a Grand Slam final for the first time”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, AP

Weekend Headlines: September 12-13, 2009

* Bolivia: Last year president Evo Morales successfully campaigned against FIFA’s altitude requirement. This year he wants to “nationalize” the country’s soccer teams.

* U.S.: The Texas Border Coalition of elected officials insists that Congress drop a provision that would add more pedestrian bridges to the U.S.-Mexico border.

* Peru: A group of Japanese and Peruvian archeologists uncovered an estimated 2900-year-old tomb in northern Peru.

* Honduras: The European Union could sign off on additional sanctions against Honduras’ de facto regime days after the U.S. cut at least $11 million in aid to the Central American state.

* Cuba: In order to alleviate Cuba’s transportation problems the government will grant new licenses for private taxis for the first time in about a decade.

* Argentina: Tennis star Juan Martin del Potro will make his second trip to a Grand Slam semifinal after beating Marin Cilic in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Image- Time (“Bolivian President Evo Morales vies for the ball with former soccer pro Oscar Arce” in a 2007 friendly game.)
Online Sources- Al Jazeera English, The Latin Americanist, LAHT, MSNBC, USA TODAY, San Francisco Gate