Ecuador Embassy damaged by U.S. quake

On Tuesday a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck the U.S. state of Virginia and was felt by residents on the East Coast (including yours truly). No deaths or major damages resulted from the tremor though one of the worst hit buildings in Washington, D.C. was the Embassy of Ecuador.

According to the EFE news agency (via Ecuadorian daily El Universo):

The business major of the Ecuadorian Embassy, Efrain Baus, confirmed that the dipomatic site suffered damages though "fortunately there were no victims"...

According to Baus, three chimneys collapsed causing damages to the roof and and the interior offices of the embassy and consulate...

"(The firefighters) asked that we remain patient in light of the emergency affecting the city," said Baus who also noted that workers will not return to the building until it's confirmed that there hasn't been serious structural damage.

The earthquake rattled the nerves of some Brazilian expats residing in the traditional Portuguese community of Ironbound in Newark, New Jersey. "It was crazy. The firetrucks and ambulances sped down the streets without stopping," said Marli Cagley in the article from the Brazilian Voice. "The duration (of the quake) was much shorter than in California but my office chair was still shaking as if it were balanced on a tightrope," admitted Francisco Salles who was a survivor of the 1989 Loma Prieta tremor.

Image Source - AP ("Christopher Hartman works on the roof installing a tarp after an earthquake tore down parts of the chimney on his dad's office in Mineral, Va., Tuesday Aug. 23, 2011. ")
Online Sources - NY1, El Universo, Brazilian Voice,

Weekend Headlines: May 22-23, 2010

* Colombia: With one week to go until Election Day polls show that the Colombian president race will likely head to a runoff between former defense minister Juan Manuel Santos and ex-Bogota mayor Antanas Mockus.

* Puerto Rico: Tensions between protesters and police flared up as students and labor unions continue to spearhead demonstrations against Gov. Luis Fortuno.

* Ecuador: A U.S. judge temporarily blocked Chevron from receiving raw footage of a documentary on the oil giant’s alleged pollution in the Ecuadorian rainforest.

* U.S.: Bernardo and Chaska where the names chosen for a pair of Andean bear cubs residing in Washington’s National Zoo.

Image – Reuters (“Presidential candidate for the ''U'' Party Juan Manuel Santos (L) speaks during a TV debate in Bogota May 18, 2010.” Fellow frontrunner Antanas Mockus is located at the fair right in the background.)
Online Sources- Reuters, Global Voices Online, WTOP, AP

Video contradicts police assault by Latino

Charges were dropped against a Latino accused of assaulting two police officers in Prince George's County, Maryland.

The pair of cops claimed in a sworn statement that 30-year-old motorist Rafael Rodriguez “became enraged” and beat up the policemen after being pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. Yet a video taken from one of the police cruisers showed that the cops- not Rodriguez- were the ones doing the assaulting. (As well as acting rather boorishly):

At one point, one of the officers -- it is not clear which one -- appears to mock Rodriguez by using an exaggerated accent as he repeats the suspect's assertion that another officer had told him that the blue-tinted lights on his car were permitted…

The two officers eventually walk back to the Geo Prizm. Wynkoop goes to the driver's side door and tells Rodriguez that he is issuing him a citation.

In accented English, Rodriguez, a permanent legal resident originally from El Salvador, responds, "I don't like your attitude."

The video shows Wynkoop ordering Rodriguez to turn off the car engine and get out of the vehicle. Rodriguez does not immediately do so, and Wynkoop opens the door and pulls him out. Rodriguez does not appear to strike either officer.

Wynkoop slams Rodriguez against the car and handcuffs one hand. Suddenly, Wilson pepper-sprays Rodriguez -- but also Wynkoop, who cries out, "I can't see, dude!"

The three men go out of camera range, then Rodriguez comes back and sits down near his car. Seconds later, Wynkoop returns, grabs Rodriguez by the shoulders and slams him against the Prizm. At this point, Wilson strikes Rodriguez several times in the head with his retractable police baton.

The three men again go out of camera range, and Rodriguez is heard repeatedly crying, "Don't kill me!"

Who knows how many years Rodriguez would’ve spent unfairly in jail had he been convicted. Were it not for the video Rodriguez would’ve gone down a creek without a paddle. Instead, it’s the lying, deceitful policemen who face possible punishment for their callous arrogance.

Image- examiner.com
Online Sources- washingtonpost.com, WTOP