Daily Headlines: June 25, 2015

* Argentina: Numerous commemorative events were held in Buenos Aires yesterday on the eightieth anniversary of the death of tango legend Carlos Gardel.

* Paraguay: Doctors in Paraguay allegedly plan to induce into labor a pregnant eleven-year-old girl raped by her stepfather and whose appeal for an abortion was denied by health officials.

* Chile: A late strike from Mauricio Isla was enough for host country Chile to eliminate defending titleholders Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the Copa America.

* Panama: Reactions among Panamanians were reportedly mixed following former strongman Manuel Noriega publicly asking forgiveness to those “offended, affected, injured or humiliated” during his rule.

YouTube Source – user fandegardel
 
Online Sources – The Guardian, Fox News Latino, BBC Sport, The Telegraph, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: July 17, 2014

* Latin America: According to the U.N., the Caribbean has seen the biggest decline in new HIV infections while every hour ten people in Latin America are infected with the disease.

* Costa Rica: Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, whose superb play helped guide Los Ticos to the World Cup quarterfinals, could be headed to one of soccer’s most prestigious clubs.

* Panama: imprisoned former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega is none too pleased over his depiction in the “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” video game.

* Mexico: The government of Mexico City enacted legislation approved last month banning the use of animals in circuses.

Video Source – YouTube user David Mercer (“Originally Published by Al Jazeera English on May 16, 2014.”)

Online Sources – euronews; MARCA.com; The Latin Americanist; The Guardian; LAHT

Daily Headlines: December 12, 2011

* Panama: Former dictator Manuel Noriega was extradited to Panama and is expected to start serving a twenty-year prison sentence for crimes committed during his rule.

* El Salvador: The government issued a formal apology for the over 1000 people killed at the El Mozote massacre of 1981.

* Mexico: At least two people were killed after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck in the state of Guerrero.

* Cuba: Dissidents claimed that “some 200 detentions for political motives” were made by police in the days leading up to Human Rights Day this past Saturday.

Video Source – YouTube via BBC News

Online Sources – Voice of America, Reuters, The Guardian, BBC News

Daily Headlines: December 8, 2011

* Peru: The head of Peru’s Shining Path rebels, known by the nickname of “Comrade Artemio”, admitted defeat and said he was willing to negotiate with the government.

* U.S.: Three-time Most Valuable Player and free agent Albert Pujols will reportedly sign a 10-year, $250 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

* Panama: Ex-strongman Manuel Noriega could arrive in the Central American country on Sunday after being extradited from France.

* Argentina: British plans to create a nature preserve on one of the Falkland Islands could lead to increased diplomatic tensions with Argentina.

Video Source – The Guardian (Peru’s Shining Path is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and E.U.)

Online Sources – CNN, Voice of America, SI.com, The Telegraph

Daily Headlines: November 24, 2011

* Colombia: According to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Colombia has the world’s second-highest number of casualties due to landmines with over 500 victims in 2010.

* Brazil: The country's National Petroleum Agency barred Chevron from oil drilling activities days after the company accepted responsibility for an oil leak off the Brazilian coast.

* Panama: French officials gave permission for the extradition of ex-Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega back to his homeland.

* Mexico: Police in Guadalajara found at least twenty bodies located in three abandoned cars reportedly along with “a message from an alleged gang.”

Image Source – Via Flickr user Luis Perez (Possible landmine found in the Colombian state of Antioquia). (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources- Colombia Reports, Voice of America, The Guardian, BBC News

Daily Headlines: November 17, 2011

* Brazil: Ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shaved his hair and trademark beard ahead of his next round of treatments to combat throat cancer.

* U.S.: Police in California seized an estimated fourteen tons of marijuana in a cross-border tunnel allegedly used by Mexican drug smugglers.

* Panama: Former strongman Manuel Noriega is one step closer to being extradited to his homeland where he awaits trial.

* Mexico: A statement from the Committee to Protect Journalists expressed “deep concern” over the whereabouts of two Mexican journalists who have gone missing since Monday.

Video Source – YouTube user band

Online Sources- BBC News, MSNBC, Monsters and Critics, Committee to Protect Journalists

Daily Headlines: August 4, 2011

* Latin America: Rest in peace Baruj Benacerraf; the Venezuela-born immunologist who was a co-recipient of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine died this week.

* Mexico: Authorities captured two members of the Zetas drug gang including the group’s “alleged number two financial operator.”

* Panama: Ex-strongman Manuel Noriega will reportedly be extradited from France to Panama where he’s expected to serve a twenty-year prison sentence.

* Costa Rica: The country’s ban on in-vitro fertilization could be lifted after a legal challenge was filed with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

* Argentina: Nearly seven million pensioners are expected to benefit by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s proposal to raise the minimum pension by 16.8% this year.

* Caribbean: Several hundred homes in Haiti were damaged as Tropical Storm Emily continues advancing through the Caribbean.

Image – AP via ABC News (“This undated photo released by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute shows Dr. Baruj Benacerraf, a Venezuela-born immunologist who shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and served as president of the Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, MSNBC, AFP, Hispanically Speaking News, The Scientist, BBC News

Daily Headlines: June 21, 2011

* Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic has become the latest Latin American country to back the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

* Chile: A court suspended the controversial Hydroaysen project, which was backed by the government yet strongly opposed to by environmentalists and some residents of the Patagonia region.

* U.S.: Representatives of several Latino groups criticized Senator John McCain for claiming that undocumented immigrants caused major wildfires in Arizona.

* Panama: Former leader Manuel Noriega could soon be extradited from France to his homeland where he will serve numerous prisons sentences.

Image – Reuters (“Palestinian protesters gesture in front of Israeli soldiers during clashes near the West Bank village of Deir al Hatab June 5, 2011.”)
Online Sources- Bernama, LAHT, BBC News, The Latin Americanist, CNN

Daily Headlines: January 13, 2011

* Brazil: Approximately 400 people are believed to have died as a result of heavy rain, flooding, and mudslides in southeastern Brazil.

* Panama: The government has requested that France extradite former strongman Manuel Noriega.

* Chile: A government spokesperson said that officials would be “open” to modifying gas price hikes after two people died in violent protests.

* Peru: At a judicial hearing on Monday, activist Lori Berenson requested to remain on parole and not return to prison.

Image – Bruno Domingos / Reuters via MSNBC (“An aerial view shows damage caused to a street after heavy rains in Nova Friburgo, Brazil, on Wednesday. Floods and landslides devastated towns in a mountainous area near Rio de Janeiro, killing hundreds of people.”)
Online Sources- Monsters and Critics, Democracy Now, LAHT, CNN

Daily Headlines: July 9, 2010

* Haiti: Roughly six months since a gigantic earthquake destroyed parts of Haiti aid groups warned that they’re being stretched to their limits and “simply containing a critical situation, rather than solving it.”

* Colombia: Why did the State Department deny a visa to a muckraking Colombian journalist critical of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe?

* Bolivia: A major wildfire has threatened the flora and fauna of Bolivia’s massive Pantanal wetlands.

* Panama: Former strongman Manuel Noriega was sentenced to seven years in prison for money laundering by a French court.

Image – CBC
Online Sources- AFP, BBC News, MSNBC, CNN

Daily Headlines: June 29, 2010

* Guatemala: Two brothers were arrested in the unusual murder case of Rodrigo Rosenberg- a Guatemalan lawyer who staged his own death that he tried to falsely implicate on president Alvaro Colom.

* Panama: Former leader Manuel Noriega appeared in a French court yesterday where he stands trial for money laundering.

* Venezuela: At least six people died in a riot on Sunday at the Los Toques prison near the capital city of Caracas.

* Colombia: Did Colombia’s beleaguered intelligence agency illegally wiretap the phones of Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa?

Image – Sydney Morning Herald (Image of Guatemalan lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg from a video publicized after his 2009 murder where he claimed that Alvaro Colom tried to kill him.)
Online Sources- MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, UPI, BBC News

Weekend Headlines: June 5-6, 2010

* Costa Rica: The government has forced the shutdown of the country’s largest stem cell treatment clinic after claiming that such therapy doesn’t work.

* U.S.: According to a Pew Research Center report mixed marriages in the U.S. have reached an all-time high partly due to immigration from Latin America.

* Brazil: After being separated for nearly three years a gay Brazilian man reunited with his husband in Massachusetts.

* Panama: Judicial authorities have requested that France extradite ex-ruler Manuel Noriega to Panama where he awaits trial.

Image – The Guardian
Online Sources – AFP, AP, New York Times, MSNBC

Daily Headlines: April 29, 2010

* Haiti: According to the Coast Guard there has not been a “noticeable change” in immigration from Haiti since a major earthquake on January 12.

* Panama: President Ricardo Martinelli said that he would request the extradition of Manuel Noriega from France and face trial on human rights violations.

* Mexico: A pair of human rights workers was killed in what has been reported as a “paramilitary attack on an aid convoy.”

* Chile: The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Chile in February has taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy.

Image – PRESS TV
Online Sources- Reuters, Al Jazeera English, AFP, Miami Herald

Daily Headlines: April 27, 2010 (Updated)

* Panama: Bon voyage Manuel Noriega; the former Panamanian strongman was extradited to France where he faces trial for alleged money laundering. (Update: Noriega arrived in France Tuesday morning and he was promptly taken to a Paris courthouse for closed-door proceedings).

* Honduras: A human rights commission linked to the Organization of American States will head to Honduras next month and investigate the recent rash of journalist murders.

* Nicaragua: Tensions between the government and opposition are reaching a boiling point as supporters of President Daniel Ortega took to the streets in protest last week.

* Chile: Ex-Nazi and disgraced former cult leader Paul Schaefer died on Saturday and reportedly only one person attended his funeral.

Image – Washington Post
Online Sources- Washington Post, Reuters, The Latin Americanist, AS/COA Online, CNN

Au revoir, Manuel Noriega

Former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega is one step closer to being extradited to France:

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not reconsider former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega's request to stop his extradition to France on money laundering charges.

The high court turned down Noriega's petition for rehearing without comment…

"There are no options left in the U.S. It's over," (Noriega's lawyer Frank) Rubino said.

In 1989 Noriega was arrested in a U.S. military invasion of Panama and three years later he was convicted for drug trafficking and money laundering. His sentence finished in September 2007 yet he has remained in jail while his status becomes finalized.

Noriega has also been sought by Panamanian authorities that want to retry him for a murder charge that he was already convicted in absentia for.

Image- BBC Mundo
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Washington Post, CNN

Daily Headlines: February 22, 2010

* Nicaragua: The country’s very strict ban on all forms of abortion is facing a critical legal challenge from a cancer-stricken woman.

* U.S.: A third suspect has pled guilty in the murder of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in 2008.

* Panama: Lawyers for former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega played what may be their last chance to try to prevent his extradition to France.

* Argentina: Argentina’s government is seeking regional support in its dispute with Britain over the sovereignty of the Falklands Islands.

Image – CNN (“Nicaraguan women hold up signs shaped like the female form during a 2008 protest against the anti-abortion law.”)
Online Sources- Washington Post, New York Times, LAHT, CNN, The Latin Americanist

Supreme Court to Noriega: Bon voyage

Former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega might as well as book his ticket to France after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his request to stay on American soil.

The high court ignored Noriega’s appeal to avoid being sent to France where he was convicted in absentia for money laundering. French officials have said that they will grant them a new trial though Noriega wants to return to his homeland where he awaits a 20-year murder sentence.

The high court refused to explain why they rejected Noriega’s appeal though that didn’t stop two of the tribunal’s most conservative justices from voicing their displeasure:

Two justices – Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia – issued a dissent, saying the high court should have agreed to hear Mr. Noriega’s appeal.

Although Noriega is the only official prisoner of war currently in US custody, his appeal sought an examination of the constitutionality of legal provisions passed by Congress to undercut appeals on behalf of terrorism suspects at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp…

“It is incumbent upon us to provide what guidance we can on these issues now,” Thomas wrote in a 15-page dissent. “Whatever conclusion we reach, our opinion will help the political branches and the courts discharge their responsibilities over detainee cases, and will spare detainees and the government years of unnecessary litigation.”

Noriega was arrested in 1989 after a controversial U.S. military invasion of Panama and convicted three years later on drug racketeering charges. Though his sentence ended in 2007 he remains in the same Miami prison while lawyers carry out his numerous appeals.

Image- Miami Herald
Online Sources- BBC News, UPI, The Latin Americanist, MSNBC, Christian Science Monitor

Wyoming, Honduras

Regional governments continue to be divided over whether to recognize (or in the Spanish case "neither recognize nor ignore") yesterday's win for Pepe Lobo in the Honduran elections.

The crisis has shown a leveling of the playing field when it comes to which outside powers hold the most sway in Honduras. But the basic fact that outsiders will have a say in Honduras' internal affairs remains unquestioned.

On this note, an entertaining Google News alert landed in my inbox today with the Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune's profile of a Wyoming man who years ago was imprisoned for attempting to assassinate former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega.

Tom Bleming, who spent nearly two years in jail in Panama after the ill-fated Noriega plot, now finds himself among the international cadre of ardent Zelaya supporters and even gained access to underground opposition groups during his recent trip to Honduras.

With Zelaya's chances of getting back to power now nearly zero, it will be interesting to see if how long he remains a cause celebre for his international supporters.

Image Source: Wyoming Star-Tribune (Courtesy Tom Bleming)
Online Sources: Wall Street Journal, 1st Lead, Wyoming Star-Tribune

Daily Headlines: September 29, 2009

* Puerto Rico: Call it a Boricua bailout - days after announcing the layoffs of over 16,000 public workers Gov. Luis Fortuño will reportedly ask the White House for millions of dollars in federal aid.

* Panama: Rest in peace Guillermo Endara; the presidential successor to Manuel Noriega after Noriega was ousted by a U.S. military invasion died at 73.

* Cuba: The U.S. government has cleared 75 Guantanamo prisoners for release ether to be put on trial or for repatriation.

* Ecuador: Hundreds of indigenous Ecuadorians blocked part of the Pan American highway to protest new water, mining and oil laws.

Image- ABC News (“Steel workers work at a construction site in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. (In March) Gov. Luis Fortuno says thousands of layoffs, along with new taxes, will be needed to shore up Puerto Rico's ailing economy, which is in its third year of recession.”)
Online Sources- FT.com, MSNB, Guardian UK, Reuters, Orlando Sentinel

Daily Headlines: September 24, 2009

* Panama: In his marathon speech at the U.N. yesterday Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi called for the prompt liberation of former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega.

* Argentina: A Dutch-Argentine national has been arrested and accused of involvement in a “Dirty War” operation where political prisoners were dumped at sea.

* Cuba: The White House has decided not to change the detention system for prisoners at the Guantanamo camp.

* Mexico: According to the Pew Research Center, about three out of every four Mexicans are unhappy with the direction of the country though 68% back President Felipe Calderon.

Image- MSNBC
Online Sources- MSNBC, CNN, BBC News, Reuters