Daily Headlines: February 22, 2016

* Bolivia: President Evo Morales said that he would respect the results of a constitutional referendum where most voters reportedly rejected allowing him to run for an unprecedented fourth presidential term.

* Brazil: In the latest chapter of the “Lava Jato” bribery affair Brazilian police ordered the arrest of Joao Santana, a “political marketing expert” who helped the last three presidents win their respective elections.

* Panama: Panamanian immigration officials will allegedly grant travel permits to 145 Cuban migrants seeking to travel northbound to the U.S.

* Latin America: The Copa America Centenario group draw was held amid the “FIFA-gate” corruption scandal involving former regional and national soccer confederation figures from the Americas.

YouTube Source – euronews

Online Sources – ESPN FC, Fox News Latino, The New York Times, Yahoo News

Venezuelan Top Court OKs Chavez Inaguration Delay (UPDATED)

The inauguration of President Hugo Chavez scheduled for tomorrow can legally be delayed according to a unanimous decision issued on Wednesday by the Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ, in Spanish initials).

In the ruling read by TSJ president Luisa Estella Morales, the tribunal concluded that the end of a presidential term does not indicate an end of power. She also said that other members of the Chavez administration can continue in their offices.

Morales noted that Chavez can be inaugurated at a later date in front of the TSJ though she did not provide a specific date.

She said the court's decision came from its interpretation of Article 231 of the Venezuelan constitution that according to BBC News states,"the president-elect shall take office on 10 January... by taking an oath before the National Assembly. If for any reason, (they) cannot be sworn in before the National Assembly, they shall take the oath of office before the Supreme Court".

Chavez, who was supposed to be inaugurated for a third consecutive term on Thursday, has not been seen publicly since traveling to Cuba approximately one month ago for cancer surgery.

The TSJ's decision supports actions by the Venezuelan government seeking to delay the inauguration. Opposition politicians and exiled activists have decried the government's move as an unconstitutional power grab.

We will have more details later today on the ruling including reactions in Venezuela and abroad.

(Updates after the page break)

Daily Headlines: October 8, 2010

* Mexico: In an interview with the AP, President Felipe Calderon blasted a California ballot initiative to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and also tried to deflect blame from the failures of the government’s antidrug offensive.

* Chile: Saturday could be the day when 33 Chilean miners trapped underground for over two months may be safely rescued.

* Honduras: Could Honduras become the next Latin American country to change the national constitution?

* Peru: A woman will for the first time be the next mayor of Lima though it remains to be seen if it will be Susana Villaran or Lourdes Flores.

Image – AFP
Online Sources- MSNBC, BBC News, Huffington Post, Al Jazeera English

Marriage amendment in DR flies under the radar

With little international fanfare the Dominican Republic became the first country in the world last week to amend its constitution to explicitly bar same-sex marriages.

As reported here earler in April, recent legislation in the Dominican legislature includes the prevention of abortion in all cases (rape and incest included).

Sources: Listin Diario, DR1, IPS

Next up: Nicaragua

Could Nicaragua be the next country in Central America to undergo political crisis in 2009? Coverage from the 30th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution reveals that President Daniel Ortega has announced plans to push forward with his own referendum which would remove constitutional term limits on the presidency.

Despite approval ratings hovering around a measly 30%, if the Sandinista government handling of the November municipal elections (closed to international monitors and widely cited as fraudulent) are any indication at how they might carry out such a referendum, it is unlikely to fail. Thus, if Nicaragua is anything like its neighbor to the north, Honduras, it stands to reason that the massive Ortega opposition will be mobilizing for action soon, and a coup would not be out of the realm possibility.

So is Nicaragua a different case than Honduras? Probably. The CSM's Tim Rogers seems to think that Ortega is not only a shrewder tactician, but has much broader control over the government, the legislature, and the courts -- as well as the military.

Dozens of groups have been sounding the alarm in Nicaragua since 2006, and despite steady deterioration of democracy, nothing so close to a coup has yet emerged -- and November was a real test for the country's democratic breaking point.

Moreover, because Ortega is not likely to encounter the type of en masse rejection of his plans that Zelaya did, it will be difficult for his opposition to muster a constitutional rationale for his removal, much less the backing of the necessary powers to carry it out.

At the same time, one can't help question Ortega's timing for his renewed calls for reelection (a mantra he's been pushing for years). Is it a shrewd move capitalizing on the world's fixed gaze on Honduras, or was he just caught up in the ego-centric emotion of his -- I mean Nicaragua's -- 30th anniverary of the Sandinista revolution?

Either way, as the Honduran crisis roils on, it will be important to pay just as much attention to what is happening in Nicaragua in the coming months.

Sources: CSM, La Prensa, AP, BBC

Honduran prez proposes constitutional vote

Several Latin American countries from Ecuador to Bolivia have held nationwide votes in order to modify their country’s constitutions. Even in nations whose leaders are not populist, constitutional reform has become a hot topic.

Honduran president Manuel Zelaya suggested that his country have a national referendum by June to decide on a constitutional assembly. He did not give specific details as how Honduras’ Magna Carta would be modified though he emphasized yesterday that "substantial and significant changes" were needed to the constitution.

The Honduran government cited that the current constitution formulated in 1982 near the end of military rule does not accurately reflect the “national reality”. Zelaya’s sentiments were not shared by the political opposition who deemed a referendum as illegal:

“The president is mistaken since such a vote...lacks any judicial legality. He can put as many ballot boxes he wants to calculate his popularity but they are null and void. Anyone who dares speaks against the topic risks being in danger by the authorities,” claimed National Congress president Roberto Micheletti. [ ed. – personal translation]

Image- La Tribuna (Image of Honduran president Manuel “Mel” Zelaya).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, La Prensa, El Heraldo, etaiwannews.com, AP

Dominicans ponder constitutional reform

Dominican lawmakers are now embroiled in a political battle about the process of constitutional reform, which President Leonel Fernandez has for years called "essential" to remove the country from gridlock.

The proposed reforms would modernize the courts, clarify domestic and economic policy items, and perhaps most controversially, affect the term limits of the presidency.

Some opponents consider the reform unnecessary, citing numerous previous efforts and the young age (6 years) of the current constitution. They also believe that any reforms must take place in a constitutional assembly, to which the Fernandez administration has not agreed.

Opponents from the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) claim that the proposed reforms, now being debated in congress, threaten the democratic process in the Dominican Republic and constitute a power grab by the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). In 2002, when the PLD was in power, the constitution was amended by a process of executive constitutional review (not through the legislature) to allow for consecutive re-election (which permitted Leonel Fernandez to win his current term through 2012). PRD opponents who believe a constitutional assembly is now called for, however, believe that the reforms on the table, contrary to those in 2002, represent a new constitution altogether.

The jury is still out on which side has the law on their side, but given that the supreme court justices are said to be more closely aligned with the PLD, it likely that President Fernandez will ultimately get his way.

Sources: Listin Diario, El Caribe, Nuevo Diario, Dominican Today, DR1

Daily Headlines: September 30, 2008

* Ecuador: As was anticipated, a large number of Ecuadorian voters (roughly 70%) passed the country’s massive new constitution.

* Brazil: The country’s National Institute for Space Research reported an alarming 228% spike in Amazon deforestation between August 2007 and last month.

* Argentina: According to a study published in The Lancet, nearly half of injecting drug users in Argentina are HIV-positive.

* Colombia: Are military commanders pressuring troops to kill people in combat including accidently murdering innocenct civilians?

Image- Christian Science Monitor (“My vote: A supporter of President Rafael Correa showed a new Ecuadorean Constitution autographed by Mr. Correa on Sunday after the country voted in the new charter.”)

Sources- MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, Press Association, Reuters Alertnet

Ecuador’s Correa anticipating referendum win

Ecuador’s constitutional referendum will be held on Sunday yet according to recent reports the result is a foregone conclusion.

According to one poll released earlier this week 57% of Ecuadorians would vote for the new constitution with less than a quarter of respondents against it. Other polls indicate at least 60% support for the new charter when only a simple majority (i.e. 50% + 1) is required for it to be passed.

President Rafael Correa (image) would be the big winner if the constitution is accepted by the electorate. The new charter would grant Correa broader political and economic powers yet the 444-page constitution would encompass much more such as the following:

* Bans genetically modified seeds, with the exception of some crops approved by the president and Congress…

* Grants free health care for all its older citizens. Some economists say universal health care could cost the government billions of dollars and boost the country's financing needs…

* Allows for civil unions of gay partners, affording them similar rights to married couples.

* Softens penalties for individual drug use.

Despite what appears to be a loss on Sunday, some opponents of Correa are still campaigning against him. Guayaquil mayor Jaime Nebot has been “actively campaigning”, for example, and there has been the growth of groups against the new constitution like “church leaders and private college student groups.”

Image- BBC News

Sources- Angus Reid Consultants, FT.com, Reuters

Ecuador: Assembly OKs draft constitution

Ecuador’s constituent assembly approved by a 2-to-1 margin a new constitution which may serve as the country’s new charter by early 2009. The 444-article constitution awaits possible approval in a national referendum on September 28th, though that looks iffy as roughly 1 in 3 Ecuadorians would back the new charter according to a recent poll.

Supporters of the charter- such as President Rafael Correa (image)- argue that it provides a fairer social system for Ecuadorians and will bring about more politician freedom. Opponents allege that the draft provides too much power to the president and could cause political instability.

There are numerous stipulations in the draft constitution as gay.com noted:

Its 444 articles include a provision that same-sex unions be afforded the same rights as heterosexual marriages…

The president can dissolve Congress once and Congress will have one opportunity to unseat the president, the Associated Press reported. In either case, general elections would be called…

The president can run for one four-year term of reelection…

Foreign military bases or installations will be prohibited on Ecuadorean soil. The United States has operated anti-drug surveillance flights out of Ecuador's Manta air base since 1999. [ed. Click here for more details.] The 10-year lease expires next year, and will not be renewed.

Undocumented immigrants will not be considered "illegal."

In a national referendum last year, voters overwhelmingly approved the establishing of the constituent assembly. The assembly- with a majority of seats controlled by parties allied to the president- subsequently suspended the country’s Senate until a new constitution is approved.

Image- BBC News

Sources- BBC News, gay.com, The Latin Americanist, Reuters UK, FT.com, Angus Reid Global Consultants, Voice of America

Bolivia: Court halts referendum

Bolivia's National Electoral Court postponed the country’s constitutional referendum which was scheduled to take place on May 4^th. According to the tribunal there are not enough "legal guarantees, sufficient time and adequate electoral environment” for the voting to take place in slightly less than two months.

Last month, Bolivia’s constitutional assembly approved the original date for the referendum. The issue of whether or not to pass a new constitution has split Bolivian politicians:

If approved, [president Evo] Morales' constitution would outline a detailed bill of rights and considerable autonomy for the country's 36 indigenous groups, long shut out of power by the country's elite.

Opponents say the charter places Indians over the rest of the population and fails to address the autonomy demands of the eastern states, which are fighting Morales' land redistribution plan and want to keep more of the region's natural gas revenues.

Sources- Reuters UK, JURIST, People’s Daily Online, Associated Press

Image- BBC News 

Landslide victory for Correa in Ecuadorian constitutional referendum

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa (image) will not have to quit after approximately 4 out of every 5 voters chose to back a government-led initiative to rewrite the country’s constitution. Correa boasted that the overwhelming approval of a constitutional assembly that would curb the power of traditional political parties was a “historical…triumph for the homeland” He also took advantage of the victory to announce that Ecuador will pay back its debt with the International Monetary Fund and sever ties with the organization.

Why did the referendum result in such a clear victory for a constitutional assembly? In an interview with the local media, historian Juan Paz y Miño gave three primary reasons:

“The first is that in the past 25 years Ecuador has used an economic model benefiting…an elite, thus creating one of the world’s most economically imbalanced countries.

Institutions, such as Congress, have been questioned and had its legitimacy diminished through much of their activities.

The final reason is that…political democracy over the past 25 years has excluded the general populace and did not crate a social democracy.”

According to Prensa Latina a constitutional assembly should be elected by this October and a new constitution for Ecuador may be approved via another national referendum in about a year from now.

Update: Hugh Collins writes in Foreign Policy magazine's blog over the possibility that Rafael Correa could become "another Hugo Chavez." Collins doesn't believe that will be the case:

"A lot of people are worried about Correa's victory, fearing that the leftist firebrand is a Chavista dictator in the making. These people don't know Ecuador".

Links- The Latin Americanist, Tribunal Supremo Electoral, El Telegrafo, Newsday, La Hora, Prensa Latina

Image- CBC