Daily Headlines: May 2, 2016 (Updated)

 
* Vatican: During his Sunday Angelus prayer from the Vatican yesterday, Pope Francis condemned pedophilia by Catholic priests, called on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria, and suggested a “model of development that takes into account human dignity.”

* Puerto Rico: Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla affirmed that Puerto Rico will fall into default today by being unable to make a $422 million payment on its approximately $70 billion public debt.

Update: Padilla and White House officials have urged the U.S. Congress to promptly approve a debt restructuring plan, especially prior to a July 1st deadline for payment of some $2 billion.
 
* Peru: Suspected Peruvian drug cartel leader Gerson “Caracol” Galvez was deported back to his home country following his arrest in Medellin, Colombia on Saturday.

* Nicaragua: The first twenty of fifty military tanks sold by Russia to Nicaragua were sent to the Central American country last week.
YouTube Source – teleSUR English (May Day rallies to honor workers were held worldwide last Sunday and Latin America was no exception). 

Online Sources including Update – Buenos Aires Herald, The Tico Times, Business Insider, Deutsche Welle, ABC News

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

Venezuela: Government, Opposition Trade Blame Over Legislative Brawl (Updated)

A group of Venezuelan legislators brawled on Tuesday night as political tensions remain high over April’s presidential election.

Amateur video of the incident taken by an opposition legislators showed lawmakers punching, kicking and shoving each other during a session of the National Assembly.

The video, which can be viewed above, occurred after the unicameral chamber passed a resolution stripping opposition congressmen of most legislative powers unless they recognize the April 14 election victory of current President Nicolás Maduro.

 “Without a word, like cowards, they came at us from behind," said opposition lawmaker Ismael García who accused members of the ruling coalition of starting the fight.

One of García’s colleagues, Julio Borges, appeared on local TV after the brawl with bruises and blood covering part of his face.

"They can beat us, jail us, kill us, but we will not sell out our principles," said a defiant Borges. "These blows give us more strength."

Opposition congresswoman María Corina Machado alleged that National Assembly chief Diosdado Cabello “smiled” while witnessing a legislator being “savagely beaten.”

Henrique Capriles, the opposition figure who lost last month’s election to Maduro by less than two percent, blasted the government for promoting violence in Venezuela.

“The disaster of this government and those who run it try to cover it up with violence,” tweeted Capriles.  “Maduro wants to convert his country into a circus and (I don’t mean) Du soleil!” mentioned Capriles in reference to Maduro recently attending a performance by Cirque du Soleil.

Pro-government politicos rejected the opposition’s accusations and blamed them for starting the clash.

“Today again I had to defend (the late president Hugo Chávez') legacy," said lawmaker Odalis Monzon.  Meanwhile, Cabello accused Borges and García of “staging” the brawl and added, “just because (Borges) was assaulted does not mean that he was not an aggressor.”

At an event this morning, Maduro condemned the fistfight and claimed that he “disagrees with violence.”  He also instructed Cabello to “take whatever measures of authority and discipline necessary” in order to prevent future brawls.

Today’s Video: May Day in Cartagena

From Ascunción to Tegucigalpa, May Day rallies were held on Tuesday throughout the Americas.

The below video shows the march held in the Colombian port of city Cartagena where an estimated ten thousand people called for “greater social assistance, the right to work” and attention to other economic problems affecting residents:

Last month U.S. President Barack Obama and his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, said that a bilateral trade pact would go into effect on May 15th.

The agreement has received support from business interests in Colombia and the U.S. but has faced strong opposition by labor unions in both countries.

Video Source – YouTube via eluniversalmedia

Online Sources – Portafolio.com BusinessWeek, ABC Color, LaTribuna.hn

Today’s Video: May Day marches

Numerous rallies were held throughout the Americas on May Day, which was on Sunday. Unemployment was the unofficial theme of one march held in Mexico City while several labor unions in the Dominican Republic urged the government for an increase in employees’ salaries.

Though Labor Day in the U.S. is officially observed in early September, several thousand protesters in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles called for fair immigration reform.

Returning to Latin America, the following video from teleSUR shows footage of El Salvador’s May Day rally for better workplace conditions as well as improving social conditions:

Video Source – teleSUR via YouTube
Online Sources- El Universal, El Nacional, Chicago Tribune, AFP

Today’s Video: Was Glenn Beck in Argentina?

The answer was "no" though that didn't prevent teleSUR from erroneously claiming that the rightist U.S. commentator was speaking at a Buenos Aires rally ahead of May Day. (The correct speaker was Argentine labor union leader Hugo Moyano who urged President Cristina Fernandez to run for reelection).

Online Source - Buenos Aires Herald
Video Source - teleSUR via YouTube

Nationwide May Day marches urge immigration reform

From coast-to-coast tens of thousands of protesters rallied on Saturday in favor of immigrants’ rights. Marchers urged for federal immigration reform and against measures like the recently signed SB 1070 in Arizona.

At least 50,000 attended the Los Angeles rally while 34 people including Rep. Luis Gutierrez were arrested after sitting in front of the White House in protest. In the Arizonan city of Tucson an estimated 7000 people attended a protest where speakers extolled that the controversial law was discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Several counter protests where also held though their numbers paled in comparison to the multitude of rallies that also condemned federal authorities for being lax on immigration reform.

The backlash against the Arizona immigration law continues to grow and has even affected the world of sports. The World Boxing Council has excluded scheduling Mexican pugilists from fighting in Arizona while there have been protests outside of Arizona Diamondbacks games. Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres said that he would boycott going to the 2011 All-Star Game in Phoenix should he be selected.

Arizona universities have already felt the effects of the new law according to The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Some out-of-state students have already told the University of Arizona they are not coming because of the law, which asks local and state law-enforcement officers, including the campus police, to ask people whom they suspect are illegal immigrants to provide evidence of legal immigration status.

And although some scholars say the law might not survive constitutional challenges, college officials report that students and faculty and staff members are worried that the state policy will create an atmosphere of fear on campuses, particularly for Hispanic and international students, and may discourage some people from attending college at all.

Image- macon.com (“Marcia Molina, of Marietta, holds up a sign making a comparison of some laws cracking down on illegal immigrants to the old Jim Crow segregation laws of the South, during a pro-immigration rally Saturday in Atlanta.”)
Online Sources- Washington Post, Democracy Now, Tucson Weekly, Miami Herald, USA TODAY, New York Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education

May Day is D-Day for immigrant rallies

Immigrants’ rights marches have been planned for Saturday, May Day, in numerous cities around the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of protestors are expected to show up galvanized in support of a comprehensive federal immigration reform that those in power inexplicably continue to push by the wayside.

Recent events such as Arizona’s new immigration law are expected to boost turnout at Saturday’s rallies though there are other vital factors according to New American Media:

Another factor that could boost turnout is word that Latino/Americans won’t be the only ethnic group with a substantial representation in the march. The Asian Journal, which covers the Filipino/American community in Los Angeles and several other cities, recently reported that members of an organization called Bayan USA are planning to participate. Bayan USA is coalition of 14 Filipino/American advocacy groups located throughout the U.S.

The Arizona law has faced an increasingly powerful economic and political backlash across the U.S. The edict has even been criticized by some conservatives such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry who said that it “would not be the right direction for Texas."

Image- Reuters
Online Sources- FOX News, UPI, Examiner.com, New American Media

May Day today

Today, May 1^st, is observed in most of the world as a day to commemorate the “social and economic achievements of the international labor movement.” Some May Day events were marred by violence and disruptions though in the case of the Koreas today was a day for unity.

Regarding the Americas, the Cuban press has praised the “millions of Cubans” who have participated in today’s May Day parade in Havana. Yet so far Fidel Castro has been a no-show, despite the many rumors surrounding a possible public appearance and the publication of his latest article.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez followed up yesterday’s announcement that his country would withdraw from the World Bank and IMF by taking over “operational control” of oil projects in the Orinoco region. Additionally, the Venezuelan government will raise the minimum wage effective today.

Lastly, pro-immigrant rallies will take place around the U.S. today though it is anticipated that they will not be as large or widespread as demonstrations on May Day 2006. Yet local officials in Los Angeles are expecting approximately 500,000 people to march today, while organizers of a Chicago rally are anticipating that more people will show up in reaction to immigration raids last week.

Links- Wikipedia, ABC Online, IOL, International Herald Tribune, Granma, Canada.com, The Latin Americanist, Monsters & Critics, CNN, Reuters, Boston Herald, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times

Image- KansasCity.com (Flyer handed out in Los Angeles promoting today’s immigrant rights march)

Will May Day be Fidel’s day out in public? (Take two)

Last week Cuban officials publicly gave conflicting accounts as to whether or not former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro will appear in public during tomorrow’s May Day celebrations. The latest voices to chime in to the debate are the presidents of Bolivia and Venezuela who are close allies of Fidel:

• Evo Morales remarked on Sunday that he was “certain that, on May 1, comrade Fidel will resume his role leading Cuba and Latin America.”
• Meanwhile, Hugo Chavez declared that “Fidel is in charge” of Cuba after receiving a “philosophical letter” from him on Saturday.

(Hat tip on second link: VivirLatino).

All speculation aside, the protagonist himself has yet to comment over whether or not he will appear in public for the first time since ceding power in July 2006. Fidel has written several recent articles in the Cuban press, though otherwise he has kept a relatively low profile.

Links- The Latin Americanist, BBC News, USA TODAY, VivirLatino

Image- CNN