Chileans Mourn Death of Daniel Zamudio (Updated)

There has been widespread outrage in Chile and growing criticism worldwide over the death of a teenager who was brutally beaten possibly due to his sexual orientation.

Friends and family of Daniel Zamudio gathered at his home in a Santiago neighborhood this morning to honor the memory of the teen that died on Tuesday night. As you can see in the following video via CNN Chile, Zamudio’s family has received support from neighbors and strangers and is also seeking funds in order to pay for his funeral on Saturday:

LatAm speaks out against Arizona immigration law

Last week we mentioned that the Mexican government expressed their disappointment with Arizona’s new law that requires immigrants to carry documents verifying their status. Mexican president Felipe Calderon described the measure as a gateway to “intolerance, hate, and discrimination” while a travel advisory was issued for Mexicans in Arizona.

Other governments and figures throughout Latin America have also criticized the Arizona decree. The Colombian government warned that "the mutual trust between citizens and authorities should not be damaged by exclusionary measures." The Brazilian Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming that the law violates the “rights of millions of foreigners who peacefully live and work in the United States.” In a declaration issued today by the UNASUR at their summit in Argentina, the bloc emphatically rejected the “criminalizing of immigrants” under the Arizonan law. Organization of American States chief Jose Miguel Insulza said that the law has caused a “terrifying affect among the Hispanic population and the rest of the U.S.”

Meanwhile, several Latino celebs have joined the backlash against the controversial measure. Comedian Carlos Mencia blasted the law as a potential “violation of civil rights” while Shakira called the law “unjust” and “inhuman”. Ricky Martin criticized the edict at last week’s Billboard Latin Music Awards and Gloria Estefan was one of the estimated 50,000 marchers at a Los Angeles May Day rally.

The debate over the law even led to a minor Twitter “spat” last week among Canadian rockers:

Montreal indie group Stars turned to Twitter to voice their alarm and threatened to boycott the state. Damian Abraham, the formidable lead singer for the Toronto punk outfit F---ed Up, responded by saying, "Don't get me wrong, I think the AZ immigration bill is horrible and must be repealed but I also think that indie bands boycotting the state is inane."

Image- CBS News (“Marchers for immigrants' and workers' rights pause in front of the Minneapolis Convention Center where the State Republican Party had their convention over the weekend, in Minneapolis Saturday, May 1, 2010.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Colombia Reports, Straits Times, Telam, ABC.es, examiner.com, Digital Spy, AP, LAHT, CBC

Ricky Martin publicly comes out of the closet

Yep, he said it:

Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin has opened up on his blog about his sexuality. "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," wrote Martin on (his website) Monday. "I am very blessed to be who I am."…

"If someone asked me today, 'Ricky, what are you afraid of?' I would answer "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war...child slavery, terrorism...the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith," wrote Martin. "But fear of my truth? Not at all!”

Rumors of Martin’s homosexuality have lingered over the years such as Barbara Walters’ “inappropriate” questions at Martin in a 2000 TV interview.

According to the New York Daily News, Martin’s “career in the United States has fizzled out for now, (yet) he is still a superstar in Latin America.”

Image- New York Daily News
Online Sources- New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald

Ricky Martin Proving Again That He is Close to the Perfect Rican Male

He's got the look. He's got the talent and he certainly has the corazon. Ricky Martin is going to participate next week in the United Nation's Global Initiative Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking. This is an issue that Ricky has been working on through his namesake foundation. He will be in good company. Also expected at the forum are Suzanne Mubarak, the First Lady of Egypt and Emma Thompson, the Oscar-winning actress.

Source : Press Release

Juan Luis Guerra leads Latin Grammy nominees

Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra led the nominations for this year's Latin Grammy Awards. In a ceremony this morning in Miami, Guerra was chosen five times including for album of the year and record of the year.

Not far behind him were Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin and hip-hop/reggaeton duo Calle 13 with four nods each. Other notables that were nominated include Miguel Bose, Zoë, Daddy Yankee, and Kinky.

Last week Guerra was announced as the winner of the Latin Grammy's Person of the Year award based on his music and charitable work.

The Awards ceremony will take place on November 8^th from Las Vegas.

Sources (English)- International Herald Tribune, The Latin Americanist, grammy.com

Sources (Spanish)- Primera Hora

Image- VivirLatino