Daily Headlines: April 25, 2016

* Puerto Rico: A bipartisan bill to help restructure Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt continues to be stuck in the U.S. Congress even though a lack of legislative action prior to a May 1st payment deadline would compound the commonwealth’s already dire economic crisis.

* Argentina: On a related note, the Argentine government last Friday paid $9.3 billion to bondholders who were owed over the country’s $100 billion debt default in 2002.

* U.S.: Puerto Rican pugilist McWilliams Arroyo was able to last the distance with Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez but the Nicaraguan boxer easily retained his flyweight title and a perfect 44-0 record.

* Honduras: The daughter of murdered environmentalist Berta Cáceres called on European financial interests to halt funding several Honduran hydroelectric projects.

YouTube Source – Last Week Tonight

Online Sources – Bloomberg, Financial Express, ESPN, The Guardian

Daily Headlines: November 23, 2015 (Updated)

* Argentina: At a press conference this morning, Argentine President-elect Mauricio Macri pledged that his government would overhaul the economic policies of outgoing President Cristina Fernandez.

* Update: More from Macri who said that he would push for Venezuela to get suspended from the Mercosur trade bloc.

* Guatemala: Legislators in Guatemala approved an "anti-coyote" law aimed at punishing smugglers who exploit migrants attempting to journey to the U.S.

* Colombia: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos issued a pardon for thirty FARC rebels who were reportedly imprisoned for non-violent crimes.

* U.S.: Undefeated Gennady Golovkin will likely be the next opponent for Mexican boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez after he beat Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in an exciting bout on Saturday.

YouTube Source – AFP (“Argentina’s conservative new president Mauricio Macri may come from a privileged background but he has managed to rally voices from different parts of the political spectrum to advocate for change.”)

Online Sources including Update – SI.com, Voice of America, Reuters, The Guardian

Daily Headlines: May 11, 2015

* El Salvador: At least ten suspected MS-13 members were killed on Saturday amid a surge of gang-related violence that has led to 481 murders in March 2015 alone.

* Cuba: Cuban President Raul Castro met with Pope Francis yesterday, thanked the pontiff for brokering the diplomatic thaw between his country and the U.S., and “promised” to attend all the Pope’s masses during his September visit to the Caribbean island.

* Peru: The Peruvian military has been deployed to the southern Arequipa region where police have clashed with residents opposed to the $1.4 billion Tia Maria copper project.

* Mexico: Mexican boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez beat James Kirkland in an electrifying bout that was the polar opposite of the dull and overhyped Mayweather-Pacquaio match one week prior.

YouTube Source – teleSUR English

Online Sources – Reuters, Christian Science Monitor, The Latin Americanist, ESPN, UPI

Daily Headlines: May 5, 2014

* Dominican Republic: Dominican health officials have documented some 3500 suspected cases of the chikungunya virus, which is a mosquito-borne virus that causes intense joint and muscle pain and has spread throughout the Caribbean over the past five months.

* Venezuela: A Human Rights Watch report published today blasted “Venezuelan security forces” for being behind “an alarming pattern of abuse” against opposition protesters and civilians since early February.   

* U.S.: Did the judges rob Argentine boxer Marcos Maidana from what would have been the first defeat in welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s career?

* Uruguay: Uruguayan officials set guidelines for the legal selling and production of marijuana including limiting individuals to purchases of 40 grams of the drug per week and set the price at less than $1 per gram.

Video Source – YouTube user ExcélsiorTV (The chikungunya virus, which is commonly found in Asia and Africa, has spread throughout several Caribbean countries and, as seen in this video, reached the Mexican state of Jalisco). 

Online Sources – The Huffington Post; Human Rights Watch; The Latin Americanist; USA TODAY; The Independent

Daily Headlines: October 24, 2013

* Argentina: A spokesman for Monsanto denied allegations made in an Associated Press published Monday claiming that the firm’s Roundup line of pesticides is harming the health of Argentinians.

* Latin America: The Inter-American Press Association denounced numerous dangers against media freedoms in Latin America including the killing of journalists, a new censorship law in Ecuador and restrictions on advertising in Argentina.

* Haiti: Protests took place in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince in order to support recently arrested lawyer and government critic André Michel.

* Mexico: 26-year-old Mexican boxer Francisco "Frankie" Leal died of brain trauma three days after he was knocked out by countryman Raul Hirales in a televised bout.

Video Source – YouTube via user Latinoamerica Teamo (In September 2012, protesters gathered in the Argentine city of Cordoba to march against Monsanto).

Online Sources- ESPN; Huffington Post; Miami Herald; MercoPress

Daily Headlines: December 10, 2012

* Mexico: Acclaimed Mexican-American singer and songwriter Jenni Rivera is presumed dead after authorities located the remains of the crashed plane she was traveling in.

* Puerto Rico: Outgoing Governor Luis Fortuno will hold an extraordinary session to push for approval of a resolution urging the U.S. government to honor the results of a recent referendum on statehood for the island.

* Argentina: The U.S. and E.U. increased the pressure against supposedly unfair trade practices by Argentina. 

* U.S.: It took four tries but Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Márquez finally beat Philippine pugilist Manny Pacquiao.

London Calling: EEUU! EEUU! EEUU!

Over the past week and a half our posts on the London Games have focused primarily on athletes from Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, however, we will look at three Mexican-American competitors who have performed admirably for the U.S. (This is why the title to this post uses the popular "USA! USA! USA!" chant with the Spanish language abbreviation).

There is a cliché that says, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Such was the case on Tuesday night for Leo Manzano in the men’s 1500 meters final. As he entered the last turn he was in a distant sixth and it certainly appeared that he wouldn’t reach the podium. But in the final ninety meters the University of Texas graduate surged ahead of four other runners and finished in second place.

Manzano’s silver-medal winning finishing kick at the Olympic Stadium was reminiscent of the following come-from-behind victory at a track meet roughly one year ago in London:

Manzano thus became the first U.S. runner in forty-four years to obtain a medal in the men’s 1500 meters.

He reportedly celebrated after the race by carrying both the flags of Mexico and the U.S.

Boxer Marlen Esparza lost in her semifinal match-up against Chinese pugilist Cancan Ren though she still ended with a bronze medal. Both boxers fought defensively though it appeared that the six-time national champion from Houston landed more punches in the first two rounds. But the judges viewed the fight different and gave Ren a 7-4 advantage. Esparza was more aggressive in the final two rounds against the three-time world champion but in the end she ended up losing by a score of 10-8.

After the bout U.S. head boxing coach Abdullah Basheer criticized the judges scoring while Telemundo commentator Rene Giraldo claimed that the fight was “gifted” to Ren.

Meanwhile a frustrated reportedly “broke down in tears several times after the fight” and told reporters that she “can't be angry about getting any medal at all but (bronze) wasn't my goal.”

Women’s water polo player Brenda Villa has obtained the three Olympics medals but she has never obtained the gold medal. She will be looking to change that tomorrow when the U.S. faces Spain in what will likely be her last time participating in the Olympics.

The thirty-four-year-old veteran who has been with the team since 1996 played a key role in the quarterfinals when she scored twice in a 9-6 win over Italy. She missed a penalty throw in regular time of the semifinal against Australia but she and Maggie Steffens combined for a defensive stop in the final minute of overtime that helped preserve an 11-9 victory.

In a recent Orange County Register article, U.S. coach Adam Krikorian referred to Villa as “the Magic Johnson of water polo.” Such a moniker may refer to her strength in the pool though she also strives out of the water to help improve her community:

Today’s Video: Stevenson’s Rocket

The opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Games will be held on July 27th. This week we will examine several athletes from Latin America and the Caribbean who made their mark on previous competitions.

It was over a month ago that Teófilo Stevenson, surely of the greatest amateur boxers to ever grace the ring, passed away in his native Cuba.

From 1972 to 1980 Stevenson won three gold medals while fighting in the heavyweight division. Only two other boxers (including his countryman Félix Savón) have won three gold medals in three Olympics.

Stevenson dominated amateur boxing and won over three hundred amateur bouts in a career that lasted over two decades. He could have reached greater heights in the Summer Games yet he was prevented from winning further medals due to Cuba’s boycott of the 1984 and 1988 games. More famously was how The Las Tunas-born pugilist preferred to stick to his own political convictions rater than pursue a career as a professional boxer.

"What is a million dollars against eight million Cubans who love me?" Stevenson reportedly said in 1974 when offered a $5 million dollar purse to fight then world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. It was this loyalty, which included earned him the admiration of Cubans on the island including long-time dictator Fidel Castro and the hundreds of Havana residents who followed the funeral procession of Stevenson’s coffin.

After retiring Stevenson became a coach in Cuba's amateur boxing program and guided a generation of fighters including Savón. In an interview with BBC News, Savón explained why he emulated Stevenson and refused to turn professional:

Daily Headlines: March 21, 2011

* Peru: Ex-President Alejandro Toledo’s lead in the presidential polls narrowed against populist candidate Ollanta Humala.

* Chile: A Florida court sentenced Dannie Roy Baker to five life sentences for the shooting deaths of two Chilean exchange students in February 2009.

* Cuba: Pugilist Odlanier Solis was jeered by the crowd after losing to Vitali Klitschko in the first round of their heavyweight boxing title fight on Saturday.

* Colombia: Nine people were sentenced to forty years in prison for the murder of former paramilitary leader Carlos Castano.

Image – Reuters via Peru21
Online Sources- La Tercera, The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, The Guardian, BBC News

Weekend Headlines: December 11-12, 2010

* Peru: In recognition of Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa, Culture Minister Juan Ossio announced that the writer’s childhood home will be transformed into “an historic site” and tourist attraction.

* Puerto Rico: University student activists are planning a strike scheduled for next Tuesday in protest against government plans to institute new fees.

* Mexico: Retired pugilist Julio Cesar Chavez was announced as one of seven people who will be inducted next year into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

* Latin America: U.S. legislator Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the incoming House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, echoed the Israeli government’s criticism of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Image – Fernando Llano/Associated Press via CBC (“Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa made a name for himself in the 1960s with several novels, which he now admits were altered to appease censors in Spain.”)
Online Sources- AHN, The Latin Americanist, AFP, Global Voices,

Daily Headlines: November 15, 2010

* U.S.: Mexican-American boxer Antonio Margarito lost his WBC light-middleweight title after being outpunched and overwhelmed by Philippine pugilist Manny Pacquiao.

* Guatemala: It can be a very challenging task to combat widespread political corruption; just ask the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala.

* Cuba: Officials agreed to free a political prisoner who rejected being exiled and will be permitted to live on the island.

* Peru: Japan and Peru reached a free trade deal that is expected to remove tariffs on 99% of trade between the two countries within the next ten years.

Image – CNN (“Manny Pacquiao (right) unleashes yet another flurry of punches against Antonio Margarito in Dallas.”)
Online Sources- New York Daily News, CBS News, AFP, Reuters

Daily Headlines: June 7, 2010

* U.S.: Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto is now a champion in a third weight class after thoroughly beating Yuri Foreman to win the WBA light-middleweight crown.

* Cuba: Authorities raided the offices of two major dissident groups and briefly arrested 37 activists.

* Brazil: An estimated three million people marched in Sao Paulo’s gay pride parade and some called for equal rights for homosexuals.

* Chile: According to the Chilean Supreme Court the late dictator Augusto Pinochet’s personal fortune was $21 million and only one-tenth of his salary could’ve accounted for it.

Image – New York Daily News
Online Sources – The Independent, Kansas City Star, Miami Herald, BBC Sport

Daily Headlines: April 12, 2010

* Chile: Conservative legislators banded together and defeated a measure that would’ve renamed Chile’s main international airport in honor of the late poet Pablo Neruda.

* Nicaragua: A study done on Lake Apanas- a UNESCO-listed nature reserve- found that the lake is polluted and endangering local wildlife.

* Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican pugilist Miguel Cotto will fight WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman in a June bout at Yankee Stadium.

* Argentina: Spanish authorities approved the extradition of an Argentine pilot accused of participating in “death flights” during the infamous Dirty War period.

Image – Guardian UK (“Lover boy ... Pablo Neruda with his wife Delia.”)
Online Sources- Expatica Spain, Bloomberg, Xinhua, AP

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

Daily Headlines: July 13, 2009

* U.S.: Did you know that “reggaeton” is one of the approximately 100 new words added to the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary?

* Brazil: Police in Recife have arrested the wife ex-boxing champion Arturo Gatti and could charge her in the murder of her husband.

* Peru: At least 246 children have died in the southern part of the country as a result of the harsh winter cold.

* El Salvador: Despite remittances being an important part of El Salvador’s economy, money transfers to that country plummeted by 10.3% in the first half of the year.

Image- AP
Online Sources- MSNBC, LAHT, CNN, Reuters

Nicaraguan boxing great Arguello dead

One of the greatest Latin American boxers of all time died on Wednesday of an apparent suicide.

Legendary Nicaraguan pugilist Alexis Arguello died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The 57-year-old had problems with depression, alcohol and drug use including almost killing himself in front of his young son in 1984.

During the 1980s, Arguello allied himself with the anti-Sandinista Contras after the revolutionary government seized his assets and homes in Nicaragua. In recent years, however, he had a change in heart and was elected as Managua mayor last November while running on the Sandinista party ticket. (The current Sandinista government declared three days of national mourning in Arguello’s honor).

Nicknamed “El Flaco Explosivo” ("The Explosive Thin Man"), Arguello was one of the few pugilists to be a champion in three weight divisions (featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.). His career spanned over 25 years where he amassed an extraordinary 82-8 record with 65 knockouts. Yet Arguello’s most famous bout was one he lost: his unforgettable fight against Aaron Pryor in 1982.

Nearly three decades ago, a ferocious puncher and a brilliant ring tactician waged one of boxing's epic brawls under the twinkling lights of the Orange Bowl in Miami, a fight so big that few remember Roberto Duran was on the undercard.

After 14 back-and-forth rounds, Aaron Pryor brutally knocked out Alexis Arguello to retain his junior welterweight title. The fight on Nov. 12, 1982, left an indelible impression on the 23,000-plus who crowded near the ring in the aging football stadium in Little Havana.

"That was something I will never, ever forget as long as I live," said 77-year-old Bob Arum, who promoted the bout. "That was one of the most memorable fights I ever did”…

"It was a great fight we had," Pryor told The Associated Press, not long after learning of Arguello's death. "This was a great champion."

Image- Guardian UK
Online Sources- AP, BBC Sport, AFP, Deadspin, Guardian UK

News Briefs: Cuba

* U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During his visit, Holder will be briefed on several detainees and will talk to officials over how best to close the controversial jail.

* Speaking of Gitmo detainees, former prisoner Binyam Mohamed was freed and arrived in Britain earlier today. Mohamed had been arrested in 2002 for conspiring to detonate a dirty bomb though charges were dropped last month.

* One of the top Congressional Republicans urged a “revaluation” of U.S.-Cuba affairs. “We must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way that enhances U.S. interests", wrote Sen. Richard Lugar in a letter attached to a report urging an end to travel restrictions to Cuba and a renewal of bilateral counternarcotics efforts.

* Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux defected and is in Miami according to his U.S.-based promoter. The boxer fell into disfavor with the Cuban government after he disappeared for eleven days in 2007 during the Pan American Games in Brazil.

Image- AFP (“A man rests on a street corner in Havana.”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, AFP, AP, IHT, earthtimes, The Latin Americanist, BBC News, USA TODAY

Today’s Video: R.I.P. Jose Torres

Sad news out of the world of boxing as Puerto Rican pugilist Jose Torres passed away on Monday at the age of 72.

The Hall of Famer won a silver medal in the light middleweight class at the 1956 Olympics and became the first Latin American light heavyweight champion nine years later. After retiring in 1969, Torres served as New York State Athletic Commission chair and as a boxing analyst for ESPN Deportes.

Torres was fiercely proud of his Boricua heritage, as New York Daily News columnist Jose Gonzalez recalled:

On March 30, 1965, Torres electrified the Latin American world when he defeated Willie Pastrano by a technical knockout at Madison Square Garden to become the first Hispanic light heavyweight champion.

Before the match, Torres exhibited his fierce pride in his Puerto Rican heritage when insisted he would not get in the ring unless Madison Square Garden officials agreed to play the island's national anthem as well as the Star Spangled Banner. Garden officials agreed…

"He used his celebrity status to do good for the Puerto Rican community and for all youth," said U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a close friend of Torres for decades.

Below is a brief clip of Torres’ aforementioned victory over Pastrano:

Online Sources- YouTube, AHN, IHT, New York Daily News

Daily Headlines: December 8, 2008

* U.S.: Coming to a television near you – a reality series for Homeland Security. (Migrants not included).

* Paraguay: The hunger for meat in the developed world has led to the widespread clearing of land in Paraguay according to this Guardian UK article.

* Colombia: Could Colombia’s failed pyramid schemes put the kibosh on President Alvaro Uribe’s possible plans for a third term?

* U.S.: A quick piece of advice for pugilist Oscar De La Hoya – please retire now.

Image- wired.com
Sources- CNET News, washingtonpost.com, New York Daily News, Guardian UK

Daily Headlines: September 19, 2008

* China: Apparently viewers think that the titular character in the Chinese version of “Ugly Betty” is too unattractive.

* Peru: Officials received the first shipment of One Laptop Per Child computers with Windows XO installed.

* U.S.: Boxer Oscar Diaz woke up and is slowly recovering from a two-month coma he fell into after collapsing during a bout.

* Brazil: Is the return of the Fourth Fleet a sign that Brazilian offshore oil fields are in danger of being taken over by the U.S.? Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thinks so.

Image- clarin.com (Ana Maria Orozco as the main character from the original Colombian version of “Ugly Betty".)

Sources- Guardian UK, engadget, ESPN, AFP, Reuters, The Latin Americanist