Rio Games Crowd Shouts ”Fora Temer” (Updated)

“For better or worse, politics and the Olympics are intertwined,” was an argument we made back in 2008 during a discussion on the Tlateloco massacre prior to the 1968 Mexico City Games. That certainly has not changed at the Summer Olympics that is will be officially inaugurated tonight in Rio de Janeiro.

Acting Brazilian President Michel Temer became the first leader, acting or otherwise to skip the opening ceremonies of an Olympics since U.S. President jimmy Carter at the 1980 Winter Games. His name was not announced as tradition for the host country’s leader during the public introduction of the International Olympic Committee chief. Yet his absence did not go unnoticed by some of the thousands of spectators at the Maracana Stadium.



Update: Temer did appear at the ceremonies to officially open the Rio Games, whereupon he was soundly booed by the spectators.

“Shouts of ‘Fora Temer’ (‘Temer Out’) were heard coming from the crowd from the left of the grandstand,” reported O Globo on its website.

“Then part of the audience booed,” as if to drown out the chanters yet that led to stronger calls of “Fora Temer,” according to O Globo. The jeering would die down as the ceremonies continued with numerous performances and the parade of athletes participating at the Olympics.

Had he appeared and spoken at the opening ceremonies, organizers would have allegedly “raise the volume of the music or play sound effects” in order to cover up any booing or jeering against him.

Temer last month claimed the Rio Games would serve as “a time of international unity and national reconciliation” though that hasn’t been the case in the early goings of the event.

Several thousand protesters marched in Rio hours prior to the opening ceremonies with anti-Temer banners and chants. This rally, as seen in the video at the top of this post, caused a detour in the planned route of the Olympic torch parade.

Daily Headlines: May 7, 2012

* Mexico: The top four candidates for president “traded barbs” and accusations during Sunday night’s televised debate.

* Latin America: Has greater political participation of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples led to policy changes improving these communities?

* Brazil: The future of the Brazilian economy “looks less bright than before,” warned European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht in a speech earlier today.

* Peru: At least fourteen people in a rehab center died after a fire swept through the clinic on Saturday.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources- BBC News, Americas Quarterly, BusinessWeek, Voice of America

Nicaraguan president to be sworn in for a third time

This afternoon Daniel Ortega will be sworn in for a third term as president of Nicaragua.

Several thousand people are expected to attend the ceremony including leaders from the Americas and, most controversially, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Yet it's worth noting that members of Nicaragua's second-biggest political party and representatives of the U.S. government will skip the event.

Ortega easily won reelection to the presidency last year amidst controversial circumstances. Detractors to the former Sandinista leader claimed that his bid to remain in the presidency was unconstitutional and a sham. In the following video via teleSUR, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Managua last month to reject Ortega and call for new elections to take place:

Ortega reportedly pledged that he will be a "profile of moderation" and will not push for constitutional reforms that would consolidate his power. It remains to be seen if he goes through with his promises during his third term in the presidency.

Online Sources - CBS News, Mercopress, BBC News

Video Source - YouTube via teleSUR

World Watch: Split decision

* Israel: A poll taken of nearly 500 Israelis found an almost even split over whether Israel should attack Iran or not.

* Greece: Prime Minister George Papandreou scrapped plans for a referendum over a European bailout plan though pressure is mounting for him to resign.

* Antarctica: NASA researchers believe that a massive iceberg measuring roughly 340 square miles will break away from Antarctica later this year or in early 2012.

* Egypt: Popular discontent is growing against Egypt’s ruling generals who have submitted a proposal that would grant them greater political power.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English (“On Thursday the Israeli army practiced evacuations near Tel Aviv. On Wednesday, it test-fired a long-range ballistic missile, its first in three years. And earlier in the week, the military was involved in joint exercises with the Italian air force near Sardinia.”)

Online Sources – The Guardian, NPR, ABC News, BBC News

Daily Headlines: August 30, 2011

* Venezuela: Human Rights Watch urged the Venezuelan government to protect Umberto Prado, an activist who has been highly critical of the country’s prison system.

* Haiti: Political infighting and gridlock have hindered Haiti's reconstruction in the three months since President Michel Martelly was inagurated.

* Honduras: According to the country’s Human Rights Commissioner roughly 2400 women “died violently” since 2002 including twelve femicide victims whose bodies were found over the past week.

* Bolivia: Seven members of a Bolivian Mennonite community where sentenced to twenty-five years in prison after being convicted of raping over one hundred girls and women.

Image – AP via BBC News (“An inmate's relative argues with national guardsmen outside the El Rodeo I prison.” Venezuelan prison authorities were heavily criticized after twenty-two people died in a riot at that facility last June.)
Online Sources- Honduras Weekly, AlertNet, Voice of America, BBC News

Weekend World Watch: Change for India

* India: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare said that he will end his thirteen-day hunger strike after the Indian parliament agreed to his main demands.

* World: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde urged governments to "act now" in order to avoid "seeing the fragile recovery derailed."

* Pakistan: According to an unnamed "senior Obama administration official" Al Qaeda's second-in-command was killed in a raid in Pakistan.

* Japan: Prime Minister Naoto Kan resinged from his post amidst dismal approval ratings and anger over the government's handling of March's earthquake and tsunami.

Online Sources - BBC News, CBS News, Reuters
Image Source - AP via New York Times ("A girl waved an Indian flag and another sang a patriotic song beside Anna Hazare, who was on a hunger strike in New Delhi against corruption.")

Daily Headlines: August 8, 2011

* Venezuela: Leaders of Venezuela’s main political opposition group are reportedly against a U.S. Congressional bill backed by several legislators critical of President Hugo Chavez to cut off funding to the Organization of American States.

* Haiti: Rest in peace Jean-Claude Bajeux; the Haitian human rights activist and scholar passed away Friday at the age of 79.

* U.S.: Los Angeles businessman Alex Meruelo will reportedly become the new owner of the Atlanta Hawks and, thus, the first Latino to own a major stake of an NBA team.

* Mexico: An accused “top Mexican drug trafficker” from the Sinaloa gang claimed that he has legal immunity based on his supposed work as an informant.

Image – Getty Images via The Telegraph (According to The Washington Post, a letter was sent by Venezuela’s United Democratic Coalition to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen voicing their concern over a proposal to eliminate U.S. funding of the OAS).
Online Sources- Washington Post, CBS News, AHN, Reuters

Martelly inaugurated as Haitian president

With all due respect to The Go! Team, the power was both on and off today as Michel Martelly was inaugurated as Haitian president.

During his inauguration speech, he vowed to fulfill his campaign promises including lowering poverty in the poorest country in the Americas as well as speed up rebuilding of areas decimated by a January 2010 earthquake. The fifty-year-old musician also promised that he would modernize the army in order to be "ready to intervene in times of chaos and catastrophe."

While Martelly’s speech stayed “on” message, the ceremony was “off” according to CNN:

In a sign of the nation's troubles, the electricity went out moments before the inauguration, prompting formally dressed dignitaries and guests -- including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe -- to fan themselves to stave off rising May heat.

Immediately, Twitter lit up with posts calling the blackout a "bad sign." Despite the outage, the ceremony proceeded before parliament and Martelly took his oath of office amid the lights of media cameras.

Martelly’s challenges are numerous; aside from those he mentioned in his speech, he will have to contend with political tensions that were worsened due to irregularities in the first round of presidential elections. He may have a tough time going through with his campaign vows since the political party of his predecessor, Rene Preval, controls the Haitian legislature.

One area that could be promising for the new president could be with Haitians living abroad. Last weekend, Haiti’s congress approved a constitutional amendment allowing for dual nationality. Martelly also suggested that Haitian expats “donate” $1 per every $100 remittance in order to help carry out his campaign promise of providing free primary education.

Image- AP via CBC News (“Michel Martelly is sworn in as Haiti's new president inside a Haitian parliamentary meeting room in Port-au-Prince.”)
Online Sources- Monsters & Critics, BBC News, CNN, CBC News, The Latin Americanist
Video Source- YouTube

Today’s Video: Aristide's arrival

We'll be back over the weekend to publish several posts in order to make up for the lack of articles during the past few days. On Saturday the focus will be on U.S. President Barack Obama's diplomatic trip to Latin America while we'll analyze other stories of interest on Sunday.

In the meantime, the following video from TeleSUR showed the arrival of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Port-au-Prince on Friday morning:

"Today the Haitian people mark the end of exile and coup d'etats while peacefully we must move from social exclusion to social inclusion," Aristide said to reporters who gathered at the Toussaint L'Overture Airport. He did not address Sunday's upcoming presidential runoff though he did critique the exclusion of his Fanmi Lavalas party from participating in the elections.

Hundreds of jubilant supporters cheered and held signs of support while he traveled from the airport to his former home in the neighborhood of Tabarre. Aristide backers living in the Miami enclave of Little Haiti also celebrated the return of "Titid" to his homeland.

Aristide returned to the Caribbean country on a flight from South Africa and after having spent nearly eight years in exile. Traveling with him where several family members as well as actor Danny Glover who deemed Aristide's return as "a historic moment for the Haitian people."

The U.S. officials were none too pleased over the past week with rumors over Aristide's return. On Tuesday Obama called his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, and urged him to delay Aristide from leaving until after Sunday's runoff. National Security Council spokesperson Tommy Vietor expressed the government's "deep concerns that President Aristide’s return to Haiti in the closing days of the election could be destabilizing."

Video Source - TeleSUR via YouTube
Online Sources - Reuters, CNN, NPR, MiamiHerald.com, CBC News, IOL

Libya green lights Venezuelan meditation

The armed conflict in Libya keeps escalating as hospitals run low on supplies and several towns surrounding the capital city of Tripoli are under a ‘state of siege”. The window for dialogue between the repressive government and opposition forces seemed to have passed a long time ago. Yet that hasn’t stopped one of Muammar Gaddafi’s few allies from taking a stab at meditation.

Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said this afternoon that his country’s government would accept Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ plans for an international mediation commission. According to Reuters, Kaim said the committee could "help the international dialogue and…help the restoration of peace and stability."

Kaim’s remarks were supported by foreign minister Mousa Kousa based on a letter read by his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro. “We authorize (the Venezuelan government) to take all the measures necessary to select the members (of the commission) and coordinate participation in this dialogue” read the note from Kousa that was mentioned during a meeting of the ALBA bloc today.

Some ALBA members supported the Chavez plan as one that could help prevent foreign intervention through actions such as an outside military invasion. It remains to be seen how non-ALBA Latin American nations will react to the plan though several governments have been very critical of Gadhafi’s crackdown against protesters.

Chavez first brought up the notion of a “committee of peace” earlier this week after he reportedly communicated with the embattled Libyan leader. Though the Arab League was considering the plan several western countries like the U.S. and France rejected it. “It’s unclear what a commission could accomplish if (Gadhafi) has ignored numerous calls by the international community to resign” asserted State Department spokesman Philip Crowley yesterday.

Some analysts have expressed doubts over Chavez’ call for dialogue; blogger and professor Greg Weeks briefly noted how his attitude towards Libya differed from his reaction at the recent uprising in Egypt. Furthermore, according to this article from Al Jazeera English:

Some see a contradiction between human rights abuses in those regimes and Chavez’s "21st century socialism" ideology.

"While it's understandable that you’d want to build this multipolar world against western imperialism, if that multipolarism consists of Russia, China, and a bunch of authoritarian regimes then what use is a multipolar world?" (author Nicolas) Kozloff said.

Image- AP/Ben Curtis via CBS News (“Armed residents stand on top of a captured tank flying a flag of Libya's monarchy prior to Muammar Qaddafi's reign, in Zawiya, Feb. 27, 2011.”)
Online Sources- Al Jazeera English, EPA, Semana.com, Two Weeks Notice, The Latin Americanist, Agencia Venezolana de Noticias, Reuters

Gadhafi gets support from Nicaragua’s Ortega (Updated)

Heads of state from around the world have condemned Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for ordering a heavy-handed crackdown against protesters. Though Gadhafi vowed to remain in power the domestic and international criticism against his authoritarian rule has grown to a fever pitch. Thus, it’s unusual to see that he has the backing of at least one president thousands of miles away from Libya.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said on Monday that he communicated several times with Gadhafi to express his support. According to Ortega Gadhafi "is again waging a great battle" to keep his country intact and added that "it's at difficult times that loyalty and resolve are put to the test."

His Costa Rican counterpart, Laura Chinchilla, blasted Ortega’s remarks when she said that his gesture represented the “way in which decisions are made in Nicaragua”. She also claimed that his backing of the Libyan leader helped explain his actions regarding the controversial border dispute between Nicaragua and Costa Rica over Calero Island.

Aside from worsening relations with Costa Rica Ortega’s support of Gadhafi could cause other problems:

A source within hacker activist group Anonymous told Antiwar.com that media and government targets within Nicaragua and Venezuela may be hit within days, due to rhetorical support for Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi…

The Anonymous source said this could leave both Latin American states’ governments open to DDoS attacks, which would shut them down for a period of time. They may even be hacked.

Other governments throughout Latin America do not share the same views as Ortega and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. (Castro wrote in his column yesterday that it’s too premature to criticize Gadhafi). For instance:

• The Peruvian government cut off all diplomatic ties with the North African state “until all violence ceases against the people (of Libya)”.
• In a statement similar to those sent to Egypt and Tunisia, the Brazilian foreign ministry called for Libyan authorities to “protect the right of free expression of the protestors.”
• Argentina’s foreign ministry urged a “peaceful solution within a constructive democratic dialogue” and the respecting human rights of all Libyans.
• Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said via Twitter “what is happening in Libya is unacceptable.”
  

(Update: Cuba's foreign minister stopped short of backing Gadhafi yet issued a statement alleging that "some North American politicians and media groups are inciting violence, military aggression and foreign intervention" in Libya.)

Image- CBC (“Anti-government protesters rally in Benghazi, Libya, in recent days as Canada on Monday condemned the violent crackdown by security forces.”)
Online Sources- El Nuevo Diario, Al Jazeera English, BBC News, Washington Post, The Latin Americanist, Canadian Press, Antiwar.com, Clarin.com, La Republica, Al Jazeera English

World Watch: Gone baby gone

Hosni Mubarak stepped down from the Egyptian presidency and ceded power to the military according to a brief statement read on state TV by Vice President Omar Suleiman. "In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency,'' said Suleiman at about 6:00 pm local time.

Egyptians protesting the Mubarak regime met Suleiman’s announcement with great joy and relief. As seen in the video below from Al Jazeera English, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square waved Egyptian flags and chanted “we are free!” at the news of Mubarak stepping down immediately:

The celebrations in Egypt also extended to nearby countries such as Tunisia where a popular uprising last month toppled the lengthy rule of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In addition, it remains to be seen if the actions in Egypt will help pro-democracy movements in the Middle East/North Africa region such as Algeria.

Leaders from around the world reacted favorably and with guarded optimism to today’s developments in Egypt. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged that a “transparent, peaceful and orderly” transition take place; hence, reflecting worries that the strengthened role of the military could hinder a transition to civilian, democratic rule.

Some protesters fear that despite Mubarak stepping down the authoritarian regime he led for thirty years will continue. "No to Mubarak, no to Suleiman" cried out demonstrators in Alexandria according to CNN. Nonetheless, a military communiqué issued earlier today tried to quell such worries by promising to carry out constitutional reforms. As mentioned in the following video by Britain’s ITN News, the statement also pledged that the military would not prosecute “honest men” who have urged an end to widespread corruption:

Egyptians living abroad viewed positively the news Mubarak’s resignation. Today’s joy contrasted sharply with yesterday’s disappointment by many Egyptian expats when Mubarak vowed to continue in power until September elections.

The events in Egypt have affected global finance such as a decrease in the prices of crude oil. Stocks indices that were initially falling on Friday morning rebounded quickly after news emerged that Mubarak resigned.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English and ITN News
Online Sources- BBC News, MSNBC, The Guardian, Reuters, monstersandcritics.com, CNN, CBS New York, CBC, The Telegraph, ABC News

Daily Headlines: January 26, 2011

* U.S.: A federal judge handed down a sentence of life in prison in the case of the first former Guantanamo detainee to be tried in a civilian court.

* Venezuela: One month after he passed away legal wrangling continues amongst family members of ex-Venezuelan president Carlos Andres Perez over where he should be buried.

* South America: After meeting on Tuesday the presidents of Uruguay and Peru both called for greater unity and cooperation throughout Latin America.

* Peru: Lori Berenson might not return to prison after a Peruvian court upheld her parole.

Image – Shirley Shepard /AFP-Getty Images via MSNBC (Ahmed Ghailani was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted for his role in a pair of deadly U.S. embassy bombings in Africa in 1998).
Online Sources- Bloomberg, People’s Daily Online, NPR, BBC News

Daily Headlines: June 23, 2010

* Haiti: According to Foreign Policy’s Failed States Index Haiti is the weakest country in the Western Hemisphere, 35 spots ahead of the region’s second-weakest state (Colombia).

* Jamaica: Wanted drug gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke was reportedly arrested last night and may soon be extradited to the U.S.

* Chile: Researchers claimed that Chile’s important salmon industry is causing major damage to the flora and fauna on the southern part of the country.

* Ecuador: The population of giant tortoises and albatrosses on the Galapagos Islands has rebounded as a result of a major recovery effort.

Image – Canadian Press (“A woman walks past earthquake damaged buildings in downtown Port-au-Prince, Monday, June 21, 2010. Haiti has made little progress in rebuilding in the five months since its Jan. 12 earthquake, because of an absence of leadership, disagreements among donors and general disorganization, a U.S. Senate report says.”)
Online Sources- Foreign Policy, Physorg.com, LAHT, ABC News

Daily Headlines: June 17, 2010

* U.S.: A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that 30% of Latinos lacked health insurance, double the national average.

* Honduras: It’s been a banner year for Honduran journalists but for all the wrong reasons; Luís Arturo Mondragón became the ninth media worker killed this year in that country.

* Latin America: UNASUR wants to expand politically but without coming into conflict with other regional entities according to the bloc’s chief, ex-Argentine president Nestor Kirchner.

* Guatemala: Wild weather could again threaten Guatemala weeks after heavy storms killed 150 people.

Image – Orlando Sentinel
Online Sources- UPI, CNN, Reuters, Knight Center for Journalism

World Watch: Targeted in the Congo

* Congo: The U.N. has urged the Democratic Republic of Congo to look into the mysterious death of prominent local human rights activist Floribert Chebeya.

* Middle East: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains defiant as international pressure increases over a military raid against activists at sea.

* Japan: Finance Minister Naoto Kan is the odds-on favorite to be selected as Japan’s next Prime Minister.

* Bangladesh: At least 100 people died when a fire engulfed a neighborhood in the capital city of Dhaka.

Image – BBC News (Deceased African human rights activist “Floribert Chebeya last sent a text to his wife from the police headquarters.”)
Online Sources- CNN, Reuters, Washington Post, BBC News

Daily Headlines: May 27, 2010

* Peru: Seven-year-old Daisy Cuevas’ question on immigration to first lady Michelle Obama last week has caught the attention of her family and supporters in her mother’s native Peru.

* Brazil: Move over Telesur? President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva lunched an international TV channel that will broadcast in 49 African countries and soon throughout the Western Hemisphere.

* Venezuela: A group of ten U.S. senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supporting the designation of Venezuela as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

* Latin America: Mexico, Costa Rica, and Paraguay all lost to European teams in warm-up matches ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Image –The Telegraph (“First lady Michelle Obama, right, talks with students, including the second-grader, far left, who told Obama during the first lady's visit to her gym class that her mother said President Obama was 'taking everybody away that doesn't have papers'”).
Online Sources - ESPN, AFP, Reuters, LAHT, BBC News, CNN,

Weekend World Watch: Tragedy in India

* India: Investigators found the black box from the debris of Saturday’s Air India plane crash that killed 158 people.

* Thailand: “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” was the surprise winner of the Palme d'Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

* South Korea: President Lee Myung-bak is expected to announce on Monday what actions South Korea will take on its northern neighbor over March’s sinking of the navy ship Cheonan.

* Malawi: Crowds jeered a gay couple that was sentenced to fourteen years in jail due to their homosexual relationship.

Image – ABC Online
Online Sources- The Telegraph, BBC News, Voice of America, MSNBC

Mexican president bashes Arizona immigration law (Updated)

On the same day that Arizona controversial immigration law was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer Mexico’s legislature condemned the measure. The Mexican government has not remained quiet and has also joined the growing backlash against the edict.

"Criminalizing immigration, which is a social and economic phenomena, this way opens the door to intolerance, hate, and discrimination," Mexican president Felipe Calderon said yesterday. Calderon added that the law- which permits police to check the immigration status of Arizonans suspected of not having proper papers- “doesn’t adequately guarantee respect for people’s fundamental rights.” Calderon said that he would bring up the law when he meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington next month.

Aside from Calderon other Mexican officials have played hardball against the new law. Earlier today the Mexican exterior ministry issued a travel warning to “all Mexicans visiting, living, or studying in the state of Arizona.” In addition, the annual Sonora-Arizona Commission meeting scheduled for June was cancelled yesterday by the Mexican border state’s governor as a protest against the new measure.

Meanwhile, some conservative commentators and Republicans have voiced concern over individual liberties in their opposition to the law. Through Sen. John McCain called the law “a good tool” his daughter Meghan blasted it for giving “the state police a license to discriminate, and also, in many ways, violates the civil rights of Arizona residents." Aside from Latino grassroots Republicans, one key Cuban-American GOP legislator spoke out against the measure:

The measure also drew reaction from U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami.

``I strongly disagree with the Arizona immigration law,'' said Diaz-Balart. ``It alters American tradition and long-standing policy making immigration law enforcement a federal matter.

``And it strikes fear in the hearts of many American citizens and legal residents,'' said the congressman, who has long championed comprehensive immigration reform.

Update: Cuban-American politico and GOP Senate candidate for Florida Marco Rubio also blasted the Arizona immigration law.

Image- Al Jazeera English (“Illegal immigrants regularly cross the border between Arizona and Mexico to seek jobs in the US.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Reuters, BusinessWeek, Voice of America, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, New York Times, CBS News, Miami Herald

Cuban media blast “cynical” Clinton

On Saturday we mentioned that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rebuked the Cuban government for not wanting to normalize relations with the U.S. Improving ties to the U.S. would lead the Castro regime to “lose all their excuses for what hasn't happened in Cuba in the last 50 years” according to Clinton.

On Monday the Cuban media issued its harsh response to Clinton’s remarks:

Clinton's comment last week "mixed ignorance and falsehoods at an infinite level," state-run Radio Reloj said.

"If cynicism needed an expression that would immortalize it, the American secretary of state gave it," the station said in a report read over the air and posted on its Web site.

Clinton's remarks also appeared without further commentary on Cubadebate, the government Internet site where Fidel Castro publishes frequent opinion pieces. The elder Castro dropped out of public view after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006, and his brother Raul has since taken over the presidency.

Relations lately between the U.S. and Cuba have worsened after having somewhat thawed in 2009. The Cuban government has come under increased pressure to improve the island’s poor human rights situation. Nonetheless repression has continued as evidenced on Sunday when police broke up a march by dissident group the Ladies in White.

Image- CBS News (Cuban president Raul Castro recently accused the U.S. of enacting a “media campaign” against the island’s government).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, BBC News, Washington Post, Voice of America, AP