Today's Video: Caetano's call

With our thoughts and prayers focused on the victims of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti, we wish to feature Caetano Veloso's song of social awareness on that Caribbean country:

Don't forget that there are many ways to help Haiti whether it be via text messaging, major aid groups, or local organizations. Every little bit of help counts so please give what you can.

Online Sources - YouTube, The Latin Americanist

Dominican Republic key in Haiti relief

The Dominican Republic was spared much of the death and destruction of its earthquake-damaged neighbor Haiti and, thus, has served as a key conduit for relief efforts. Indeed, the country on the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola was amongst the first to send aid including “10 mobile cafeterias capable of serving 100,000 meals a day, heavy debris-removing equipment, and medicine.” Furthermore, some reporters from around the world that have converged in Haiti have resorted to traveling via unsafe and iffy means from the Dominican Republic.

Though the aid to Haiti from its neighbor has reportedly eased tensions between both countries, a source of friction may arise with the hundreds of displaced Haitians seeking to cross the border. Before the tremors Dominican authorities said that they would strengthen their efforts to prevent Haitians from illegally crossing. Clashes in the border area occur occasionally and there’s the worry that it could escalate in the aftermath of the earthquake:

Media sources in the Dominican Republic are reporting that thousands of Haitians are trying to cross into the Dominican Republic, the Spanish-speaking nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with its sister republic. Haitians are trying to cross the frontier into the Dominican Republic to purchase food, fuel, water, and candles. The electric system in Haiti has collapsed and Haitians are contending with pitch black darkness, along with the lack of adequate medical care.

Dominican military stationed along the border are allowing only those Haitians in possession of passports and valid Dominican visas to cross into Dominican territory. The Dominican military has reinforced its presence all along the border, reportedly so as to prevent a deluge of immigrants – according to Dominican media.

Image- AFP ("People walk past dead bodies in the center of Port-au-Prince.")
Online Sources- TVNZ, Christian Science Monitor, CNN, LAHT, Spero News

Please help Haiti! - Charities

The Caribbean nation of Haiti has been devastated after a series of major earthquakes yesterday. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimated that at least 100,000 people have died, thousands of victims are missing, and the Red Cross estimated that as many as three million people “have been affected.” Haiti's most powerful earthquake in 240 years has hit the most impoverished nation in the Americas at a time when the country had been gradually improving economically.

Numerous countries including throughout the world have mobilized their efforts to help victims of yesterday’s tremors. You too can help with the Haitian relief efforts; here are some charities and other groups that are accepting online donations:

• American Red Cross
• CARE
• Direct Relief International
• Doctors Without Borders
• Food for the Hungry
• Mercy Corps
• Oxfam America
• Partners in Health
• UNICEF
• World Food Program
  

We'll have more info throughout the day on other ways you can help Haiti. If you have any tips please let us know via e-mail at ourlatinamerica@yahoo.com

Image- New Zealand Herald
Online Sources- Too many to list

Major earthquake shakes Haiti (Updated)

Update (10:45pm):

Footage of the aftermath of today's earthquake has just emerged and shows the death and destruction caused by the tremor in Port-au-Prince. (The following video contains graphic scenes and is Not Safe For Work):

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In the meantime we ask that you please open your hearts and wallets in order to help the victims of Tuesday's tremors. Please click here to find links to AmeriCares, Yele Haiti and other organizations establishing relief efforts for the Caribbean country.

As we mentioned previously, governments throughout the Americas have mobilized to send relief efforts to Haiti. Furthermore, the U.S. State Department has set up a hotline for those interested in info on family or friends in Haiti:

The toll-free number to call for information about family members in Haiti is 1-888-407-4747. The State Department advises that some callers may receive a recording because of heavy volume of calls.

Officials say the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Port-au-Prince is still in the early stages of contacting American citizens and notes that communications are difficult within Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Update (9:00pm):

Additional information has been slow to emerge since the tremor hit off the Haitian coast several hours ago. Nonetheless, here is some of what's being reported:

• It is feared that thousands may be dead in Haiti and possibly neighboring Dominican Republic. The original quake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale was followed by a pair of aftershocks measuring 5.9 and 5.5, respectively.
• The tsunami watch that was initially issued for parts of the Caribbean was subsequently lifted. Nonetheless, the tremor was felt as far away as the eastern part of Cuba though without major damage reported.
• According to Haitian television many buildings have been seriously damaged including the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince. CNN en Espanol claimed that eyewitness accounts said that the Haitian headquarters of Citibank may have fallen and that the housing for United Nations peacekeepers is in ruins.
• Several governments in the Americas are scrambling to provide urgent relief assistance for what appears to be a major catastrophe. The American Red Cross is also asking for donations as well as musician Wyclef Jean via his Twitter page.
• Some reports of the casualties and damage have gradually filtered via users on Twitter. Via SFGate.com is this Twitter feed from a man in Port-au-Prince named Richard Morse.
• Haitian expats in the U.S. have desperately tried to reach loved ones back in their homeland. One of them living in Florida told the Miami Herald that "land lines, cell phones and Internet connections are all down."
  

We'll try to report more on this story tonight. If you have any information please mention it in the comments to this post.

Original Post:

In a developing news story, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale shook off the coast of Haiti this afternoon. The epicenter was fourteen miles west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince and a tsunami alert has been issued for Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Barbados.

According to the AP, a hospital collapsed in Petionville as people screamed for help. But Reuters reported that so far there has been "no immediate report of damage or casualties."

We'll have more on this breaking (and likely tragic) news story as more details become known.

Online Sources - Reuters, MSNBC, AFP
Image Source - Lonely Planet

Please help El Salvador!

The wild weather of the past few weeks has wrecked havoc in parts of Latin America from flooding in Mexico to the rationing of electricity in Ecuador. Yet as we mentioned today, no country has been hit as hard as El Salvador where at least 130 people have died and a state of emergency has been declared:

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Several countries as well as the U.N. have mobilized to send relief to the Central American country but so can you. Event the tiniest bit of aid can go a long way in getting much needed funds and supplies to El Salvador. There are several ways you can help:

• ReliefWeb provides updates and links to different organizations helping El Salvador such as the Red Cross.
• The Comité Cívico Salvadoreño de New York is mainly seeking donations; they can be reached via e-mail at desastredeida@yahoo.com or you can click here to obtain their phone number.
• Salvadoran expats in Los Angeles helped create a bank account solely for the use of sending donations to their countrymen.
• Lastly, Chicago’s Mexican community has helped via the historic Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. (Click here for more details).
  

If you know of any other charitable efforts please don’t hesitate to let us know; leave a comment to this post or write to us at ourlatinamerica@yahoo.com. Let’s do our share to help those in need!

Online Sources- ReliefWeb, MSNBC, El Diario/La Prensa, El Financiero, La Opinion, The Latin Americanist, AP, LAHT

Today’s Video: Charity for the Caribbean

The recent rash of tropical storms through the Caribbean has left a trail of death in Haiti. Haitian officials have estimated at least 500 people dead and roughly a quarter million homeless; a figure likely to increase with the upcoming Hurricane Ike.

The images speak for themselves as is shown in the following slideshow from the American Red Cross of flood-ravaged Gonaives, Haiti:



Relief efforts are underway in Haiti despite security difficulties and a weak infrastructure. Nevertheless, we strongly urge you to donate and help those who could sorely use the aid. Here’s a brief list of organizations that you can donate to:

• AmeriCares
• American Red Cross
• Direct Relief International
• Oxfam America
  

If you know of any other charitable groups or relief efforts to help those in the Caribbean please mention them in the comments to this post.

Sources- AmeriCares, American Red Cross, Direct Relief International, Oxfam America, NPR, YouTube, AFP, Reuters, BBC News

Daily Headlines: November 10, 2007

* Baseball stars like Pedro Martinez (image), Moises Alou, and Julio Lugo have contributed to relief efforts in storm-ravaged Dominican Republic.

* Latin American countries have become “quite resilient” to a slowdown in the U.S. economy, according to the International Monetary Fund.

* Unlike some leaders in the region, Ecuador's Rafael Correa has rejected the notion of indefinite reelection for presidents.

* Peruvian labor leaders stopped a five-day national mining strike after Congress increased rights for miners.

* Follow-up: Argentina’s rugby team should joining the elite Six Nations group said the coach of the squad that led los pumas’ Cinderella run in last month’s World Cup.

Sources- Newsday.com, Boston Globe, Bloomberg, El Universal, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, Guardian UK

Image- New York Daily News