Daily Headlines: October 7, 2010

* U.S.: Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women includes Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor (19th), Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen (72nd), and the presidents of Argentina and Costa Rica (68th and 83rd respectively).

* Puerto Rico: FBI agents arrested nearly 130 people including about 90 cops as part of an investigation into alleged corruption within the Puerto Rican police.

* Latin America: The International Monetary Fund claimed that Latin America and the Caribbean are recuperating from the global economic slowdown faster than originally prognosticated.

* Cuba: President Raul Castro claimed that the U.S. has ignored at least three offers since 2001 for "bilateral cooperation to fight against terrorism."

Image – CBS News
Online Sources- Bloomberg, AP, Forbes, Miami Herald

Sotomayor: Executing mentally ill inmate “not unreasonable”

Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court (USSC) decision to greatly ease campaign spending restrictions has been the main focus of the mainstream press. Mostly ignored was another verdict by the high court that could have strong implications on the sensitive death penalty debate.

In a 7-2 vote, the USSC upheld a lower court ruling against a mentally ill inmate on death row. Attorneys for Holly Wood- an Alabaman with the IQ of a seven-year-old child- argued that the lawyers at his sentencing erred by not presenting evidence to the jury of his diminished mental state. They argued that this supposed mistake led to Wood being sentenced to death, not life imprisonment, for the 1993 murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Sonia Sotomayor wrote the top tribunal’s majority opinion; her viewpoint may calm some of the conservative backlash against her that came to the forefront during her nomination process:

The 7 to 2 ruling was notable because it was written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, her first full opinion on capital punishment since she joined the court. She said that while the wisdom of the lawyer's decision might be "debatable," it was not unreasonable to think he had made a strategic decision that kept out more damaging evidence about his client…

"Even if it is debatable, it is not unreasonable to conclude that . . . counsel made a strategic decision not to inquire further into the information contained in the report about Wood's mental deficiencies and not to present to the jury such information," Sotomayor wrote…

Sotomayor's extensive record as a judge is scant on capital punishment. The pro-death-penalty Criminal Justice Legal Foundation said it was encouraged by Sotomayor's decision to uphold the appeals court ruling.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- AFP, Washington Post, CNN

Texan textbook proposals downplay Latino history

There’s a cliché that goes that “children are our future.” Yet if the Texas State Board of Education (TSBE) has their way another cliché would be more appropriate – tapando el sol con un dedo” (“blocking the sun by holding up one finger”).

The TSBE debated last week the content of history textbooks that will soon be used in Texan public schools. After days of sometimes heated discussion and public hearings the TSBE tentatively adopted to incorporate conservative elements such as the National Rifle Association, Moral Majority and the Heritage Foundation into the required curriculum.

The above recommendations are fine since it’s useful for children to learn about different perspectives. The problem, however, is the TSBE’s planned whitewashing of certain aspects of history including those with Latinos. Textbooks would no longer be obligated to discuss Latino civil rights groups such as LULAC and MALDEF. Despite becoming the first Latina to the Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor could be a persona non grata in textbooks.

The politically divided TSBE passed other controversial amendments that one board member claimed were needed to balance out the history standards allegedly “rife with leftist political periods and events.” The TSBE’s decision could’ve been worse; the panel rejected suggestions to remove labor leader Cesar Chavez from textbooks as well as replacing hip-hop music with country music in the required curriculum.

The final vote on changing the curriculum has been delayed until March and will have large implications across the country. (Other states could adopt similar curriculums since Texas is one of the largest buyers of textbooks). It’s a detail that has alarmed one critic of the TSBE’s recommendations:

(Texas Freedom Network spokesman Dan) Quinn said the network is concerned that the education board will attempt to downplay the role of minorities — particularly Latinos — in Texas history, emphasize the role of faith and religion in American history and government and add or remove certain historical figures to or from Texas history.

“We call on the state board to listen to teachers and other educators who have crafted these standards instead of pushing their own political agendas,” Quinn said.

Image- College Candy
Online Sources- USA TODAY, Daily Texan, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle

Sonia Sotomayor's scholarly semantics

The U.S. Supreme Court this week presented a unanimous verdict in a suit regarding attorney-client privileges. Justice Sonia Sotomayor read the court’s opinion on Mohawk Industries Inc. v. Carpenter, a decision Bloomberg described as a “setback to businesses”. The ruling also implicated “an expansive view of executive power on the ‘state secrets privilege’" that was championed by the Bush administration and upheld by the Obama White House.

Aside from granting her first high court opinion, Sotomayor reportedly had a hand in a change in semantics that could become de rigueur in future verdicts:

In an otherwise dry opinion, Justice Sotomayor did introduce one new and politically charged term into the Supreme Court lexicon.

Justice Sotomayor’s opinion in the case, Mohawk Industries v. Carpenter, No. 08-678, marked the first use of the term “undocumented immigrant,” according to a legal database. The term “illegal immigrant” has appeared in a dozen decisions.

The Supreme Court’s use of a more neutral phrase is a welcome move though ultimately what matters most is the content of their verdicts and how they will affect Americans.

(Hat tip: ImmigrationProf Blog via Think Progress).

Image- Forbes.com
Online Sources- ImmigrationProf Blog, New York Times, Think Progress, Bloomberg, CNN

Daily Headlines: September 10, 2009

* Guatemala: President Alvaro Colom declared Guatemala in a “state of calamity” as the country faces a serious food shortage that has killed 25 children this year.

* Mexico: Several mothers in Ciudad Juarez protested attorney general-designee Arturo Chavez and claimed that he did little to investigate the unsolved murders of dozens of women.

* Cuba: Western Union reached a deal with the Treasury Department that will reflect the changes in remittance rules to Cuba.

* U.S.: Sonia Sotomayor listened to a case involving campaign finance during her first day on the Supreme Court bench yesterday.

Image- BBC News (“Almost half of Guatemala's children suffer chronic malnutrition.”)
Online Sources- AHN, The Latin Americanist, bizjournals.com, New York Daily News, New York Times

Hispanic trio makes Forbes most powerful women list

Three women of Hispanic background were among those selected for Forbes magazine's annual "100 Most Powerful Women" ranking.

• Argentine president Cristina Kirchner was eleventh on the list. Despite being ranked higher than the chief executives of major firms like Xerox and Avon, the magazine mentioned Argentina’s recent economic troubles. The magazine cited dismal midterm election results that may lead Kirchner to pull a Palin and resign before the end of her term in office.
• Chilean president Michelle Bachelet has been on the list before and this year was no exception. She was placed at 22nd on the list with Forbes praising Chile’s numerous trade pacts as well as Bachelet’s role as head of the UNASUR bloc.
• She has yet to listen to her first Supreme Court case but Sonia Sotomayor earned the #55 spot on the list just ahead of Securities & Exchange Commission chair Mary Schapiro and Health & Human Services chief Kathleen Sibelius. Forbes highlighted her extensive judicial experience and Ivy League background while also acknowledging the stiff opposition during her nomination process.
  

German Chancellor Andrea Merkel topped this year’s "100 Most Powerful Women", followed by FDIC chair Sheila Blair and PepsiCo chief exec Indra Nooryi.

Image- La Nacion (2007 photo of the current presidents of Chile and Argentina).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AHN, Forbes.com

Sonia Sotomayor sworn-in (Updated)

Update (7:00pm):

In a brief ceremony held this morning, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn-in as the newest U.S. Supreme Court justice. Sotomayor pledged to the Constitutional Oath and the Judicial Oath; the latter of which was televised live for the first time:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sotomayor thus becomes the third woman and first person of Latino background to be a judge on the U.S.' top tribunal. Though she has spent over seventeen years as a federal judge, she will be the second-youngest current Supreme Court justice at the age of 55.

Sotomayor replaces David Souter and is not expected to disrupt the balance of five conservative and four liberal judges. She will have plenty of cases to analyze when the new term starts on October 5th and she will be present at a unique set of hearings next month:

Her first test will come Sept. 9, when the justices hear an unusual second round of arguments in a campaign finance case to consider overturning the century-old ban on corporate political giving. The case concerns a documentary film critical of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then a candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Later in its 2009-10 term, which formally starts in October, the court will consider the ability of private citizens to sue over religious monuments on public property, determine the constitutionality of a government agency that oversees the accounting industry and consider whether youths can be sentenced to life in prison for crimes other than murder.

Sotomayor has been assailed by her critics since being nominated to the Supreme Court in May including labeling her as a "racist" and focusing on her infamous "wise Latina" remarks. One conservative commentator implied that she could spell doom for the Obama administration should she show "a clear liberal philosophy" on the high court.

Original Post:

Sonia Sotomayor will be sworn-in soon as the first Latina, third woman, and 111th U.S. Supreme Court justice. We'll have more details later, but in the meantime you can check out the historical swearing-in ceremony via MSNBC. (Update: Streaming video feed removed).

Online Sources - MSNBC, CNN

Senate confirms Sonia Sotomayor

In a historic move, Sonia Sotomayor is set to become the first Latina judge on the U.S. Supreme Court after winning Senate confirmation this afternoon.

The 68-31 vote was marred by legislators voting along party lines with all Democrats backing her along with only nine of forty Republicans. It was expected that she would be approved by the Senate, though such a partisan divide is a rarity in Supreme Court confirmation votes. This week’s debate on the Senate floor set the stage for today’s divisive vote with most GOP legislators portraying her as "a liberal judicial activist" and even as a racist. Democrats insisted that she was "a mainstream and qualified judge" worthy of being on the Supreme Court.

Much was also made in recent days over the perceived slight that Republican votes against her symbolized opposition to the Latino community though the counterargument was made that Latinos care more about other issues. In the end, it’s up to Sotomayor to prove her judicial mettle on the high court which could come very soon. (According to MSNBC she will be sworn in as early as Saturday).

Online Sources- CBC, Politico, New York Times, Reuters, MSNBC

Weekend Headlines: August 1-2, 2009

* Puerto Rico: Rest in peace Olga Mendez; the pioneering Puerto Rican legislator passed away at the age of 84 due to cancer.

* Cuba: An important Cuban Communist Party conference was cancelled by the government in order to urgently tackle the country’s weakened economy.

* U.S.: Lamar Alexander- the third-highest ranking Senate Republican- said that he would approve the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

* Brazil: Felipe Massa’s personal doctor said that the Brazilian Formula 1 driver would return to his native country in order to continue his recovery from a terrible crash last week.

Image- New York Daily News
Online Sources- Guardian UK, CNN, LAHT, Washington Post, The Latin Americanist

Senate committee backs Sotomayor

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in a partisan vote this afternoon.

Sotomayor was backed by 13 of the panel’s 20 Senators yet only one of those legislators was a Republican. Alluding to the “wise Latina” remark Sotomayor made in a speech, Sen. Orrin Hatch claimed that she seemed “to conflict with the impartiality that I believe is essential” for the Supreme Court. Sen. Charles Grassley said he was “not convinced that Judge Sotomayor will be able to set aside her personal preferences and prejudices."

The committee’s Democrats all voted in Sotomayor’s favor and some defended her record as a “moderate” justice. Sen. Al Franken disagreed with Republican criticism and suggested that the GOP has labeled her as an “activist judge” merely because they disagreed with her decisions.

Sotomayor’s nomination will be sent to the Democrat-controlled Senate where she’s expected to be confirmed next week. She already has the support of several GOP legislators though some special interest groups are lobbying hard against her:

The powerful National Rifle Association has come out against Ms Sotomayor over her record on gun rights, although some commentators suggest she has made few definitive statements on the issue.

Observers suggest other Republicans may give her nomination cautious support, aware of the growing power of the Hispanic vote.

Image- Guardian UK
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, BBC News, Voice of America, Hurricane Valley Journal

Ex-Attorney General Gonzales backs Sotomayor

Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has received both support and opposition from Republican figures. One of her latest (and perhaps most eye-raising) GOP backers comes from a chief legal eagle during the Bush White House.

In an interview with NPR, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales backed Sotomayor’s confirmation to the top tribunal. “Based on the answers to the (confirmation) questions, I think that yes, she should be confirmed,” said Gonzales who also opined that questions made about her supposed “empathy” while judging were fair game.

Gonzales-who quit his post two years ago amid several scandals- will soon start teaching a political science course at Texas Tech University. His hiring to head the “contemporary issues in the executive branch” course has upset some members of the Texas Tech faculty:

As of (July 24th) 45 Texas Tech faculty members have signed a petition objecting to Gonzalez. In the petition it states his hiring is objectionable because the Chancellor should not be involved in the hiring of faculty. It also states the hiring is against the University's statement of ethical principles.

Image- CBS News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, NPR, Think Progress, AP, KCBD

Why is Florida’s governor against Sonia Sotomayor?

Yesterday we mentioned how numerous moderate Republican senators have given their support to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. (To that list we can add the leading GOP member of the Judiciary Committee: Sen. Lindsay Graham). The issue of Sotomayor and her record has become a hot topic in the election to replace Sen. Mel Martinez.

After weeks of silence, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced that he opposes Sotomayor’s bid for the high court. "I have strong concerns that Judge Sotomayor would not strictly and objectively construe the Constitution and lacks respect for the fundamental right to keep and bear arms," said the candidate who is well ahead in polls and funding for the GOP primary.

Crist’s decision has upset some local Latino leaders such as a “very disappointed" Luis De Rose of the South Florida Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce. Yet why would Crist risk such a move in a state with such a prominent Latino electorate and with his main rival being a Latino (former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio)? The answer is simple politics: Crist is trying to show primary voters that he’s more on the right than Rubio.

Gov. Charlie Crist, whose embrace of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan cost him support among some conservative Republicans, echoed their objections to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in a statement Tuesday…

Crist is far ahead in polls and fundraising, but Republican rival Marco Rubio has found scattered support among party activists who lean conservative.

``I'm happy Crist took that position on Sotomayor, and I think the campaign could be influencing him in that direction,'' said Republican consultant Dennis Baxley, the former head of the Christian Coalition of Florida.

Despite the in risk alienating the Latino vote Rubio has alluded that he would be against Sotomayor.

Ironically, Martinez has backed Sotomayor’s bid and deemed her as “well qualified” to serve on the Supreme Court.

Image- CNN
Online Sources- Miami Herald, Weekly Standard, Miami New Times, Wonkette, Reuters, CBS4.com, The Latin Americanist

Sonia Sotomayor gains GOP support

The Senate Judiciary Committee decided to delay their vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor by one week. Yet while some of the more conservative GOP senators appear to have reservations over her record, some moderate members have made up their minds.

Olympia Snowe (Maine) became the fourth Republican Senator to announce that she will back Sotomayor if (and most likely when) her bid for the top court is up for a full Senate vote. Collins praised Sotomayor’s judicial acumen and her legal experience in a statement released on Tuesday:

Collins said she knows that she will not agree with every decision Sotomayor will make as a member of the nation's highest court, but adds that she has "concluded that Judge Sotomayor understands the proper rule of a judge and is committed to applying the law impartially without bias or favoritism."

In a nod to the controversy surrounding Sotomayor's "wise Latina" comment, Collins said Tuesday that her "expectation is that Justice Sotomayor will adhere to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's admonition that "a wise old woman and a wise old man would eventually reach the same conclusion in a case.'"

Collins joins fellow Olympia Snowe, Richard Lugar, and Cuban-American Sen. Mel Martinez in backing Sotomayor’s bid to be the first Latina justice on the Supreme Court.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) and Sen. Roger Wicker (Mississippi) have already said that they would vote against Sotomayor. Nonetheless, she is expected to be confirmed easily by the Judiciary Committee and the whole Senate.

Image- CBS News
Online Sources- MSNBC, Boston.com, CNN

Daily Headlines: July 17, 2009

* Mexico: Authorities sent over 1000 federal police to the state of Michoacan after a spike in drug gang-related violence including twelve killed policemen whose bodies were placed along a highway.

* U.S.: In a positive sign for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, several Senate Republicans said that they would not filibuster her bid for the top tribunal.

* Brazil: Locals are peeved at finding over 1400 tons of toxic waste from Britain that was illegally dumped in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

* Europe: Spanish golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez leads after the first round of the British Open while Colombia’s Camilo Villegas is in a five-way tie for fourth.

Image- AP (“Packages containing marijuana are displayed to the media in Tijuana, Mexico, Wednesday, July 15, 2009. About 2920 kilograms of marijuana were sized during an operation at the Tijuana-Mexicali highway. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)”.)
Online Sources- CNN, Reuters, BBC News, Bloomberg

Daily Show skewers Sotomayor hearings

Let’s face it; the past two days and change of Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor have been pretty damn boring with the only fireworks being the few unruly disruptions on the first day. That dullness (as well as Sotomayor’s odd serenity and the unnecessary rehashing of Miguel Estrada) was not lost in this “The Daily Show” clip that aired last night:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
White Men Can't Judge
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Click here if you are brave enough to watch live today’s proceedings including witness testimony for and against Sotomayor.

Online Sources- Comedy Central, Christian Science Monitor, The Latin Americanist

Colbert’s advice on how to "Bork" Sotomayor

Questions and answers have been the order of the day in this second day of hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. She admitted that he infamous "wise Latina woman" remarks where “a rhetorical flourish that fell flat" and backtracked by noting that no “ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judging." She has been grilled on various subjects by the Judiciary Committee on issues such as gun control and abortion.

Sotomayor has also faced scrutiny today over her judgment in a case involving New Haven, Connecticut's decision to reject results of a firefighter promotion test since few minorities qualified for promotions. Despite the legitimate concerns over her ruling in Ricci v. DeStefano, some conservative commentators have misinterpreted the case and deemed Sotomayor as a “reverse racist.”

Thus far, it appears as if the Senators (particularly on the Republican side) have yet to go as far as some of the smear tactics used against Sotomayor. There’s still plenty of time for that to happen, however, as they could employ Stephen Colbert’s advice on how to “kill” Sotomayor’s nomination:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen's Sound Advice - How to Bork a Nominee
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

Online Sources- Voice of America, Comedy Central, CNN, Washington Post

Live feed: Sotomayor confirmation hearings (Updated)

Update (5:30pm):

Day one of the confirmation hearings were largely dull and plain (aside from the disruptions by anti-abortion protesters and Sens. Gillibrand and Leahy getting testy at each other).

Sotomayor gave her opening statement this afternoon; she described her upbringing by her Puerto Rican mom and pledged to "apply the law" if she's confirmed.

Proceedings resume tomorrow at 10am; expect Republican senators to be more critical of her after today's introductory remarks.

One final note: criticize Sotomayor if you wish, but don't believe this stupid, false tale being e-mailed around.

Update (2:00pm):

With the hearings scheduled to restart at any moment after a roughly 90-minute recess, several sites are liveblogging today's proceedings:

• Huffington Post
• SCOTUSblog
• The Caucus Blog (New York Times)
  

Update (12:45pm):

So far the hearing has been largely calm as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee give their partisan pros and cons of Sotomayor. Nevertheless, Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham admitted that barring a "complete meltdown" Sotomayor would be confirmed as the next Supreme Court judge.

The only fireworks so far was a disruption by a member of the audience who yelled anti-abortion slogans. He was immediately thrown out of the chamber.

In the upcoming days it's expected that Sotomayor will be grilled on several issues such as racial discrimination, birth control, and gun control.

Original Post:

The first day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor begins this morning. If you are interested in paying attention to today's proceedings check out the live feed below courtesy of MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Online Sources - CNN, MSNBC

Poll: Plurality back Sotomayor court bid

With the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor set to begin on Monday, a recent poll shows general support for her bid for the top court.

According to CNN and the Opinion Research Corp., 47% of respondents support Sotomayor compared to 40% against her and 13% unsure. The most revealing part of the survey, however, is the vast partisan divide over the federal appeals court judge vying to be the first Latina on the Supreme Court. Though such a disparity between Republicans and Democrats is typical for Supreme Court nominees, it implies that several ugly accusations against her may be working:

The poll suggests a partisan divide, with nearly seven in 10 Democrats supporting Sotomayor's confirmation, Independents split, and nearly two out of three Republicans opposing Senate confirmation…

"Republican opposition to Sotomayor's confirmation is a higher level of opposition from the party out of power than any Supreme Court nominee has faced in the past two decades," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The survey also found that most people expect plenty of fireworks to occur at next week’s hearings; several notable names appear on the list of witnesses planning to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Among those witness opposed to Sotomayor are conservative commentator and failed Department of Labor nominee Linda Chavez as well as Frank Ricci- the former Connecticut firefighter whose discrimination case was thrown out in a ruling by a panel of judges that included Sotomayor.

Prominent Latino Rep. Jose Serrano and Nydia Velázquez will testify for Sotomayor as well as New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and ex-FBI head Louis Freeh.

Image-JURIST
Online Sources- boston.com, CNN, New York Times, Politico.com, AP

Bar Association praises Sotomayor

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor received a welcomed boost today after the American Bar Association (ABA) gave her its highest rating.

The ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary unanimously backed Sotomayor as a “well qualified” candidate for the top tribunal of the land. The ABA based its judgment on a review of her “professional integrity, competence and judicial temperament.” The law group refrains from considering judicial ideology.

The ABA had rated Sotomayor twice before; she was deemed as "qualified" by most of the committee when named as a trial judge and "well qualified" by a majority when she was nominated as an appellate judge.

Conservatives have previously blasted the ABA ratings for allegedly being biased towards liberals. Yet thorough reviews were conducted of current Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Associate Justice Samuel A Alito when they were nominated for the Supreme Court and the ABA had gave them "well qualified" ratings.

Despite some allegations that she is some sort of “racist,” ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell defended Sotmayor's judicial acumen:

Critics have attacked Sotomayor as a "reverse racist" for her ruling as an appeals court judge against white firefighters in a civil service promotion case.

They say "she ought to withdraw her nomination because we're mad at her," said Powell on CNN's "State of the Union."

Sotomayor has "an open and liberal bent of mind," Powell said. "But that's not disqualifying."

Image- CNNMoney.com
Online Sources- Wall Street Journal FOX News, New York Daily News, AP, Washington Post

Weekend Headlines: June 20-21, 2009

* Peru: The UN's Special Rapporteur for Indigenous People has called for an independent investigation into suspected abuses during recent clashes between police and indigenous protesters.

* Brazil: The government issued an amnesty against dozens of peasants who were jailed and tortured during a Dirty War-era uprising.

* Venezuela: General Motors suspend its Venezuelan operations until September after blaming the government for not helping pay its $1.2 billion debt.

* U.S.: After being criticized for belonging in the Belizean Grove, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor quit from the all-female club.

* Latin America: Several countries throughout the region reported at least 87 new cases of the swine flu on Friday.

* Colombia: This editorial in the Los Angeles Times supports the Colombian Supreme Court’s recent decision not to extradite FARC rebel Martin Sombra.

Image- New York Times (“Ashaninkas and Machiguengas, indigenous peoples of Peru, protested against the government's plans to open large parts of the Amazon for drilling, logging and dam building.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, UPI, BBC News, Los Angeles Times, LAHT, Reuters, Xinhua