Daily Headlines: September 28, 2009

* Colombia: The country’s FARC rebels pledged to unilaterally free two hostages, while former captive Ingrid Betancourt called for all the hostages to be released.

* Venezuela: First it was "The Simpsons”, but now it’s “Family Guy” that’s undergone scrutiny from the Venezuelan government.

* Mexico: Cris Arreola fought well but ultimately quit in the tenth round of his bout against heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko.

* Cuba: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates implied that the January 2010 deadline to close the Guantanamo military jail will be tough to reach.

Image- BBC News (“Police and soldiers' relatives have been calling for (the hostages) release”. Note that the banner says “Deal yes! War no!”)
Online Sources- Canada.com, BBC News, Guardian UK, Reuters, CNN

Ecuador puts “Simpsons” under scrutiny

Some stories speak for themselves:

Hit US cartoon series "The Simpsons" will no longer be shown during prime-time in Ecuador while the government ponders its impact on children, a broadcaster said on Thursday…

A government-backed regulator will assess the program's impact on "boys, girls and teenagers," and wants to restrict its broadcast "to assure the protection" of younger audiences.

"It is not going to go off the air, but we had to change its slot to 5:30 am," Pablo Ortiz, Teleamazonas' lawyer told AFP.

This is not the first time “The Simpsons” has come under fire in the Americas. In June 2008, the program was briefly yanked from the air in Venezuela after it was deemed as “unfit” for children. Executive producer James L. Brooks apologized seven years ago after Brazilian tourist officials threatened to sue. As we mentioned last year, some Argentines were peeved at a gag that poked fun at former president Juan Peron and the “Dirty War.”

Online Sources- AFP, Global Voices Online, Wikipedia, The Latin Americanist, YouTube

Daily Headlines: April 18, 2008

* Caribbean: Rest in piece Aimé Césaire; the Martinique poet who promoted black cultural identity died yesterday at the age of 94.

* Brazil: Could the recent discovery of a “major oil field” be a boon for the country’s economy?

* Venezuela: One less controversy for “The Simpsons” as Venezuela’s Televen placed the program in a nighttime slot after having removed from the 11am space.

* Chile: The former chief of the country’s secret police force was sentenced to 15 years in jail over a “Dirty War” disappearance.

Sources- BBC News, Associated Press, The Latin Americanist, International Herald Tribune,

MSNBC

Image- RMC.fr

Today’s Video: Argie anger over “Simpsons”

An episode of “The Simpsons” has caused controversy in Argentina over a sniping remark about former president Juan Peron. "E Pluribus Wiggum” has not aired in South America; yet according to a Chilean TV report one Argentine legislator wants the episode banned:

This hasn’t been the first time that “The Simpsons” has previously upset others in the region:

• “Complaints from viewers” led Venezuela’s Televen network to replace “The Simpsons” from the 11am slot with “Baywatch.”
• In 2002, the Rio de Janeiro tourist board threatened to sue producers over an episode where the Simpsons visit Brazil.
• A group of fans boycotted last year’s Simpsons movie over the decision to abruptly change the Spanish-language voice actors.

Sources- Variety, YouTube, Reuters, Guardian UK, Latina Viva