Bono in Brazil to spread anti-poverty message

Irish rock band U2 traveled to Brazil Monday night for a high-profile concert meant to support Lula's Zero Hunger campaign. The gathering of 70,000 people was treated to classic U2 hits, as well as an electric billboard with the Universal Human Rights displayed. (WAPO)

U.S. Congressmen push for probe against FBI actions in Puerto Rico

House Representatives Jose Serrano, Lydia Velazquez, and Luis Gutierrez are urging for federal hearings and an investigation of an FBI counterterrorist operation against a Puerto Rican pro-independence group. The FBI raided several houses and businesses on February 10^th and accused the People’s Boricua Army (a.k.a. Los Macheteros) of planning bombings and attacks in Puerto Rico. FBI agents shot and killed a leader of Los Macheteros in September 2005.

bush administration FBI Jose Serrano Luis Gutierrez Lydia Velazquez puerto rico Los macheteros terrorism

Mexican court nullifies verdicts related to murder of Cardinal Ocampo

The Supreme Court of the state of Jalisco overturned the sentences of 13 people involved in the 1993 killing of Cardinal Jesus Posadas Ocampo. Ocampo, the former Archbishop of Guadalajara, was killed in that city’s airport under very confusing circumstances.

catholic church Jesus Posadas Ocampo mexico

Toronto-based company given green light to build gold mine in Chile

Chile’s government has permitted Barrick Gold Corporation to build a multi-billion dollar gold mine, although environmentalists protested against possible damage construction could do to the ecosystem of the fertile Huasco Valley.

chile gold mining

Australia wants Brazilian bobsled team out of the Olympics

The Australian Olympic Committee has demanded that Brazil’s Olympic bobsled team be banned from Torino due to a positive steroid test found in one of the bobsledders. Brazil won a tournament last year where the top two finishers automatically qualified for this year’s Olympics; Australia finished third.

australia bobsled brazil drugs olympics

Guatemalan police accused of trying to kill transvestite prostitutes

Guatemala’s human rights ombudsman accused four police officers of shooting at two transvestite sex workers, one of whom was killed, in December 2005. “I'm afraid to go out now because of what happened,” said the lone survivor of the shooting.

guatemala human rights

Criminal complaints filed against Peruvian presidential candidate

Criminal charges have been filed against Ollanta Humala, a former army colonel and leading presidential aspirant. Humala, who is running second behind Lourdes Flores, has been accused of human rights abuses while in command of a military base in 1992.

elections human rights lourdes flores ollanta humala peru human rights

Chavez administration to U.S.: stay out of our business!

In the latest round of the diplomatic war between Venezuela and the U.S., Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister Mari Pili Hernandez demanded that the U.S. stay out of Venezuelan affairs. Hernandez’s words came in the aftermath of Condoleezza Rice’s recent remarks that Venezuela is “attempting to influence neighbors away from democratic processes” and is a “sidekick” of Iran. In another verbal battle between the two states, Venezuela’s Vice President accused the U.S. of running a “smear campaign” to block Venezuela from having a seat on the U.N. Security Council.

bush administration condoleezza rice hugo chavez iran mari pili hernandez united nations venezuela

Florida man accused of selling Mexican women into sexual slavery

Eliseo Escalante was arrested yesterday of bringing women into the U.S. in order to force them into prostitution. The women, including an underage girl, were forced to service between 20 and 30 men a night in order to pay off their near $3000 debt to immigrate into the U.S.

immigration mexico prostitution

A mountain of challenges await Haiti’s new elected president

A struggling economy, obtaining foreign aid, and the possibility of Jean-Bertrand Aristede’s return are several of the obstacles that await the presidency of newly-elected Haitian president Rene Preval. Preval, who had been president between 1996 and 2001, has yet to speak at length with the press since he was declared on Thursday as winner of last week's presidential election.


election haiti jean-bertrand aristede rene preval

Brazilian court overturns verdict against policeman involved in 1992 prison massacre

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have reacted with shock and indignation towards a Brazilian court’s decision in favor of a police colonel implicated in the 1992 Carandiru prison riots. Ubiratan Guimares was convicted in 2001 of commanding police to kill over 100 unarmed prisoners during riots in Sao Paolo’s Carandiru Prison.

brazil carandiru human rights amnesty international

Guyana to cancel multimillion dollar debt owed to China

China will forgive Guyana’s $15 million debt with that Asian country in a move designed to build better relations between the two states.

china guyana foreign debt

Mexico creates special prosecutors to investigate crimes against journalists and women

The Mexican government formed two new special prosecutor posts this week; one will look into crimes committed against Mexican and foreign journalists, while the other will investigate cases of death and abuse against women including the unsolved murders of almost 400 women in Juarez.

mexico journalists juarez

Bush and Uribe discuss free trade in D.C. meeting

Presidents George W. Bush and Alvaro Uribe met in the White House on Thursday in order to continue negotiations on creating a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Colombia. Negotiations have gone on for over two years and have received the support of the Washington Post via an editorial published today.

bush administration alvaro uribe colombia free trade Washington Post

Bolivia: Bush administration to reconsider drug policy; Evo refuses to expel U.S. officials

In what is viewed as a “major concession,” State Department officials hinted that coca farming may be allowed as part of a revaluation of U.S. counternarcotics policy in Bolivia. Meanwhile, Evo Morales refused to give in to demands by domestic coca growers to expel U.S. representatives from Chapere, a main coca growing area of Bolivia.

bolivia bush administration evo morales






Argentine GDP growth fastest in 13 years

Argentina’s GDP increased by 9.1% in 2005 and the argentine economy has grown by over 8.0% since the worst recession in its history from 1998 to 2002. However, inflation has also grown by 4.9% in 2005.

argentina , economy