Venezuela: Students Want President to “Show His Face” (UPDATED)

A group of Venezuelan student protesters have urged President Hugo Chávez to make a public appearance after he reportedly returned to his homeland this week.

“Just like we urged him to return to Venezuela, today we ask him to show his face,” declared student activist Gabriela Arellano this afternoon.

Arellano threatened that if this demand isn’t met then the students will march to the Caracas military hospital where Chávez is said to be staying in “to see if he’s doing well and is capable to govern.”

Arellano, who is a member of the “Operation Sovereignty” protest group, also called on college students to demonstrate at their respective campuses on Monday and call for a new presidential election in case Chávez is to sick to lead the country.

At the same press conference, student protest leader José Vicente Garcia accused Vice President Nicolás Maduro and congressional chief Diosdado Cabello with "wanting to keep" the government.

The Venezuelan government has not shown any images or video of Chávez since he purportedly returned from Cuba early Monday morning.  The president had been in Cuba for seventy days to undergo cancer surgery and treatment.

Daily Headlines: February 21, 2013

* Bolivia: President Evo Morales helped kick off the U.N.’s Year of Quinoa and praised the grain’s nutritional properties though the popularity of the food may be hurting Bolivian farmers.

* U.S.: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected applying retroactively a 2010 ruling that obligates lawyers to tell immigrant clients that they can be deported if they plead guilty to certain crimes.

* Cuba: A group of U.S. legislators returned to the U.S. from Cuba but not before having separate meetings with President Raul Castro and imprisoned contractor Alan Gross.

* Puerto Rico: In a 5-4 decision, Puerto Rico’s top court upheld a law banning gay couples from adopting as well as barring “second-parent adoptions.”

Video Source – YouTube via user telesurenglish (Video uploaded in December 2012).

Online Sources- VOXXI, ABC News, Voice of America, New York Times

Report Highlights “Disappearances” in Mexico

Around 250 people are believed to have disappeared in Mexico during the administration of former President Felipe Calderón according to a new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The HRW report, which was released on Wednesday, found that 149 people between December 2006 and December 2012 were victims of “enforced disappearances” committed by “all branches of the security forces”.  Furthermore, the report noted how in more than sixty cases evidence was uncovered linking “state agents” with criminal groups such as drug gangs to organize disappearances and extort money from the families of victims.

HRW explained that they uncovered evidence in an apparent disappearance case showing how police in a Nuevo León town “arbitrarily detained” nineteen construction workers in 2011 and gave them to an organized crime group. 

The human rights group believes that there is “little doubt” that there are unofficially  “thousands” more cases of disappearances in Mexico.  An Interior Ministry official confirmed this hours after the HRW report was published when she admitted that there are over 27,000 disappearance cases in Mexico.

None of the 249 cases investigated by HRW have led to a conviction in a court of law.  “All too often, (prosecutors and law enforcement officials) blame the victims and tell families it is their responsibility to investigate,” according to the report.

Days after coming to office last December 1st, current President Enrique Peña Nieto announced the creation of a new national police force which he said would be better trained and equipped to fight crime.  Nevertheless, one senior HRW official also observed how current President Enrique Peña Nieto must take more decisive action:

Ecuadorian Expats in Spain Backed Correa Reelection (UPDATED)

Several days ago Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa easily won reelection in the first round partly thanks to the number of expats who overwhelmingly voted for him.

Much like he did among the Ecuadorian electorate, Correa had little trouble beating his rivals in several Spanish cities.  According to figures from the Ecuadorian embassy in Spain, Correa won between 75 and 80% of the vote in Madrid while at least four out of every five voters in Valencia voted for him.

In Barcelona Correa received the backing of 9300 of the 13,200 expats who participated in Sunday’s election.  The second-most popular option was not another candidate but votes counted as null (966) followed by opposition candidate Guillermo Lasso and business magnate Álvaro Noboa (639).

Approximately half of eligible Ecuadorian voters in Spain went to the ballots even. Ambassador Aminta Buenaño praised the “great enthusiasm” among the electorate in Spain that led to a 50% voter turnout.  (Voting is obligatory in Ecuador though it’s voluntary outside of the South American country.)

Expats in Madrid waited on lines nearly two kilometers long to go vote while hundreds of others were turned away.  Buenaño claimed that officials were overwhelmed by large numbers of voters who decided to head to the polls at the last minute.

Since taking office in 2007, Correa has sought to improve relations with his countrymen living abroad.  In March 2012, for instance, Correa held one of his weekly televised town hall meetings with Ecuadorians in the Spanish city of Murcia.  In addition, Ecuador extended health benefits to expats who are uninsured; thus, aiding those living in Spain whose insurance was under danger due to deep spending cuts enacted by Mariano Rajoy’s government.

Daily Headlines: February 20, 2013

* Cuba: Dissident Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez praised freedom of expression in Brazil even though she was jeered by a small group of protesters in Recife.

* U.S.: President Obama talked with three Republican senators including Marco Rubio in order to discuss “bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform.”

* Latin America: Has Latin America become increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks?

* Peru: Officials returned to their families the bodies of twenty-six people killed two decades ago during combat between the Peruvian army and Shining Path rebels.

Video Source – YouTube via user libertadigitaltv

Online Sources- ABC News, CBS News, Huffington Post, infosurhoy.com

Daily Headlines: February 19, 2013

* Cuba: A group of seven U.S. congressmen arrived in Cuba yesterday in order to lobby on behalf of imprisoned contractor Alan Gross who has been behind bars for about three years.

* Caribbean: Representatives of the Caribbean Community trading bloc urged U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to push for greater arms control.
 
* U.S.: The Tea Party Express is reportedly planning a Latino outreach campaign aimed at improving the political group’s image within the Hispanic community.

* Bolivia: Spain’s foreign minister warned that diplomatic relations with Bolivia could be hurt after President Evo Morales announced the nationalization of the Andean country’s airports operator.

Video Source – YouTube via user JewishNewsOne

Online Sources- Reuters, The Guardian, Miami Herald, Fox News Latino

President Hugo Chávez Returns to Venezuela (UPDATED)

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez returned to his homeland seventy days after he traveled to Cuba for cancer surgery and treatment.

His return was announced via a series of messages on his Twitter account early on Monday morning.  “We've arrived once again in our Venezuelan homeland. Thank you, my God!! Thank you, beloved nation!! We will continue our treatment here,” read one tweet.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro subsequently said on television that Chávez arrived at 2:30 AM and was taken to a Caracas military hospital in Caracas where he would continue his recovery.

Thousands of “euphoric” Chavistas took to the streets to celebrate the return of the president who left Venezuela on December 10th and underwent his fourth cancer-related surgery the next day.

“I've been here since 5 this morning to support the president. He is the hope of our people,” said one Chávez supporter who gathered along with hundreds of others outside the Dr. Carlos Arvelo military hospital.

A communique from the Mesa de la Unidad Democrática opposition bloc called on the government to be more transparent and “tell the truth to the Venezulan people”.  In addition, opposition leader and defeated presidential candidate Henrique Capriles welcomed Chávez’ return to Venezuela and hoped that it “should not serve to justify the unjustifiable, to cover up things that are happening.”

Why did Chávez return to Veneuela?  Oen potential answer could be that he plans to undergo his inauguartion that was delayed by Venezuela top court last month.  The AFP cited a “Supreme Court source” who claimed that that the judges are waiting for permission from Chávez and his medical team to swear him in.

Daily Headlines: February 18, 2013

* Puerto Rico: The New Progressive Party will organize marches to be held on March 2nd in favor of granting statehood status to Puerto Rico.

* Mexico: Officials declared a health emergency after about 582,000 domestic fowl were affected by avian flu. 

* Chile: Over forty tons of tomatoes were used in a massive food fight held in the Chilean city of Quillon.
 
* Brazil: Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez arrived in Brazil as part of a three-month tour of twelve Latin America and European nations.

Video Source – YouTube via user NewsyPolitics

Online Sources- Vancouver Sun, Zee News, Fresh Plaza, Miami Herald

Senate Backs Immigrant Clauses in Violence Against Women Act

In a 78-22 vote the Senate approved a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that includes some safeguards for immigrants.

Among the provisions approved by the Senate on Tuesday is one that would provide help to immigrants who are abused and married to U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.  These victims would be allowed to petition for independent legal status.  Another clause has a visa option that would permit abused undocumented immigrants to remain in the country. 

One of the pro-immigrant clauses dropped from the Senate bill would’ve permitted granting U visas to undocumented immigrant abuse victims.  This clause would’ve helped law enforcement officials examine abuse cases was done reportedly in order to improve the odds of the proposal’s approval in the House of Representatives.

The original VAWA was passed in 1994 and had been reauthorized twice but it expired in 2011.
The Republican-controlled House last year passed its own bill, which left out the visa provision as well as services for gay victims. In response to the Senate’s actions, seventeen House Republicans wrote a letter to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Speaker John Boehner seeking support for the VAWA reauthorization.

As mentioned in an ABC News article, reauthorizing and expanding VAWA benefits could benefit Latina immigrants:

Daily Headlines: February 14, 2013

* Argentina: Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said that a prosecutor from his country will question Iranians suspected of involvement in the deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish cultural center.

* Brazil: Odilo Scherer, a Brazilian Cardinal who could become the next Pope, noted that geographic origin or age should not matter much in determining the next pontiff.

* Mexico: The family of Jaime Zapata, a U.S. federal agent who was killed in Mexico in 2011, filed a $75 billion lawsuit against more than twenty defendants.

* Venezuela: Vice President Nicolas Maduro claimed that President Hugo Chavez is in a “complex and difficult treatment” over two months after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English
 
Online Sources- GlobalPost, Voice of America, The Latin Americanist, ABC News, CNN

Tea Party Politico Pushes for “Embracing” of Immigrants

Republican Senator Rand Paul called for the GOP to “embrace” immigrants during a speech given on Tuesday after the State of the Union (SOTU).

“We must be the party who sees immigrants as assets, not liabilities,” said Paul, giving a response for the Tea Party Express political group.  “We must be the party that says, ‘If you want to work, if you want to be an American, we welcome you.’”

Paul also claimed, “We are the party that embraces hard work and ingenuity, therefore we must be the party that embraces the immigrant who wants to come to America for a better future”.

The freshman senator from Kentucky blasted President Barack Obama on several issues including federal spending and foreign policy.  Yet Rand, who is reportedly contemplating a run for the presidency, did not touch on the push for bipartisan immigration reform that has been backed by Obama and some moderate GOP lawmakers.  Nor did Paul discuss border enforcement, a factor regarding immigration that was touched by Obama in the SOTU and Sen. Marco Rubio in the official Republican response.
 
Paul’s position on immigration puts at him at loggerheads with some Tea Party activists who have emphatically rejected any compromise favoring undocumented immigrants.  Judson Phillips, of Tea Party Nation, proclaimed last month that a bipartisan plan created by a group of eight senators including Rubio is “political suicide” for the GOP.  Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas expressed “deep concerns with the proposed path to citizenship” with the proposal from the “Gang of Eight.”

Daily Headlines: February 13, 2013

* Colombia: Peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC are allegedly going well despite a guerilla military offensive.

* Peru: Archeologists located a 5000-year-old temple in a Peruvian valley that could be among the oldest sites in the world.

* Venezuela: The U.S. State Department issued sanctions against a Venezuelan state-owned weapons firm for it’s dealings with Iran, North Korea or Syria.

* Paraguay: The head of the Paraguayan national electricity agency warned that the country’s energy system is on the verge of collapse.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English (The FARC ended a weeks-long unilateral ceasefire on January 20th).

Online Sources- GlobalPost, Reuters, Businessweek, inforsurhoy.com

Haitian Musicians Allege Government Censorship

Today is the last day of carnival celebrations throughout the Americas.  Much like their better-known counterparts in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans, carnival festivities in Haiti are fled with color, revelry, and upbeat music.  Yet for some musicians in that Caribbean country this year’s celebrations have been marred by unnecessary criticism.

Members of three musical groups alleged that they were barred from performing at Carnival since their tunes poke fun at singer-turned-president Michel Martelly.

"These songs reflect the Haitian reality, but (Martelly) takes it the wrong way… Where's the freedom of speech? Where's the democracy? It shows that he has no tolerance (for criticism)," said Thomas Asabath, the manager of the Brothers Posse band, according to the Associated Press. 

One of the songs from the Brothers Posse entitled “Aloral” shows the lead singer critiquing a Martelly lookalike for failing to fulfill his goals in the presidency.   (This can be seen between the first and second minutes of the music video for the song).

The singer for RAM, whose group along with Kanpech and Brothers Posse was excluded from the Carnival lineup, said that he was informed that Martelly didn’t like the song they had selected.  The music video for that tune, “Men Bwa W”, supposedly depicts “a woman who physically resembles first lady Sophia Martelly stuffing herself with food – a Haitian symbol for avarice and corruption”.

Daily Headlines: February 12, 2013

* Mexico: A report from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation faulted U.S. firms for sending lead batteries to Mexican recycling plants that fail to meet U.S. standards.

* Cuba: Approximately 500 U.S. troops were sent to the Guantanamo military base as part of a drill for a "mass migration event."

* Dominican Republic: The British Foreign Office updated its warning to visitors traveling to the Dominican Republic after tourists were targeted by criminals in Santo Domingo.

* Brazil: The price of sugar rose due to rumors alleging that Brazilian sugar growers will likely increase ethanol production.

Online Sources - Bloomberg, The New York Times, UPI, The Telegraph

Will a Latin American Become the Next Pope?

On Monday Pope Benedict XVI declared that he would resign from his post effective February 28th.  “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” said Benedict in a statement read on Vatican radio.

His surprise announcement has led to speculation over who could soon replace the 85-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church.  Is it possible that the new pontiff will come from Latin America rather than Europe?  Here are six possible candidates from the Americas who could become the church’s 266th pope:

Odilo Scherer (Brazil): Scherer is the Archbishop of São Paulo, which is the largest diocese in the world’s largest Catholic country.  He is young compared to other papal candidates (63-years-old) and his relatively moderate views could attract those dissatisfied with the scandals under Benedict.  The growth of evangelicals in Brazil could be a disadvantage for Scherer’s candidacy even though the next World Youth Day will be held this year in Rio de Janeiro.
 
Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga (Honduras): Betting house Paddy Power gave 10-to-1 odds in favor of the papal candidacy of the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa and ex-President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference.  As President of Caritas Internationalis, he has urged “the world’s richest nations to keep their promises to increase and improve development aid to the world’s poorest countries”.  His views on social inequality aside, he has also shared the Vatican’s hard line on areas such as homosexuality and birth control.

Leonardo Sandri (Argentina): Sandri is the head of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and he was also chief of staff, the third most important Vatican post, under Pope John Paul II between 2000 and 2007.  His experience and his Italian heritage are factors that led one religious commentator to label Sandri as a "safe hands" candidate.

Daily Headlines: February 11, 2013

* U.S.: Juanes, Lila Downs and Quetzal were some of the winners in the Grammys' Latin categories that were awarded yesterday.

* South America: Parts of Peru, Chile and Bolivia have been hit hard by flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains.

* Mexico: According to a new federal government report over 1100 people were killed in violent incidents last month.

* Ecuador: Recent poll results indicated that President Rafael Correa appears poised to win reelection in next Sunday’s elections.

Video Source – YouTube via user Marlow Rosado (Marlow Rosado y La Riqueña upset Romeo Santos to win the 2013 Grammy for "Best Tropical Latin Album.")

Online Sources- Billboard.com, BBC News, LAHT, Reuters