Daily Headlines: March 15, 2013

* Mexico: Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission called for an investigation of twenty-one current and former law enforcement officials over possible abuses in the Florence Cassez case.

* Latin America: Helen Clark, the head of the U. N. Development Program, praised the “very useful” debate in Latin America regarding changes to the “war on drugs.”

* Puerto Rico: U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer hinted that they would consider the possibility that a “natural-born” Puerto Rican could legally run for president.

* Peru: Susana Villaran, the mayor of the Peruvian capital city of mayor, risks being ousted in a recall vote set to take place on Sunday.

Video Source – YouTube via user JewishNewsOne

Online Sources- Huffington Post, Reuters, NBC News, LAHT

New Pope Preaches “Courage” to Catholic Cardinals

On Thursday, newly elected Pope Francis issued a message to his fellow cardinals over their role to the Roman Catholic Church.

“When the Church does not walk it falls apart like a sand castle,” said Jorge Mario Bergoglio at a mass held roughly twenty-four hours after he was elected as the next Pope.

“I would like all of us...to have the courage to walk in the presence of God,” added the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in his homily to 114 other cardinals gathered at the Sistine Chapel.

Prior to today’s mass, the Pope issued a letter to Rome’s Rabbi Yona Metzger expressing his desire to help improve “relations between Catholics and Jews.”

“I hope to contribute in the improvement of ties between Jews and Catholics…in a spirit of renewed collaboration,” read part of the missive issued by the Pope.

The international director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee praised Bergoglio’s ties to the Jewish community in Argentina including his remarks over the deadly bombing of a Buenos Aires AMIA Jewish center in 1994.

"(Bergoglio) was forthright not only in his condemnation of the act but in his solidarity with the Jewish community," said Rabbi David Rosen to the Religion News Service.

Among the many messages of congratulations sent to the new Pope were statements from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, (OIC) and Al-Aznar.

OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu wished that “the relationship between Islam and Christianity will regain its cordiality and sincere friendship” under Bergoglio while Al-Azhar called for the resumption of “dialogue with the Vatican which was suspended in early 2011”.

Argentines including several thousands of Buenos Aires residents celebrated the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as the next Pope. Among those overjoyed at the news was Bergoglio’s sister, María Elena, who alleged that her brother “didn’t want to become Pope.”

The new Pope will have plenty of problems to tackle including financial problems, corruption and a litany of sexual abuse scandals.  (On the first day of the Papal conclave the Los Angeles Archdiocese reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with abuse victims).  But he will also have to face the challenge from evangelical churches in a traditionally Catholic Latin America:

Daily Headlines: March 14, 2013

* Guatemala: A Guatemalan court upholds a Supreme Court ruling allowing ex- dictator Efrain Rios Montt to stand trial on charges of genocide.

* South America: Brazil and Bolivia agreed to play a charity soccer match in April with proceeds heading to the family of a fourteen-year-old fan killed at a Copa Libertadores game last month.

* Ecuador: Indigenous rights groups and environmentalists are worried over reprisals against an “uncontacted group” in Ecuador after the recent murders of two natives.

* Venezuela: Interim leader Nicolás Maduro accused “far right” figures in the U.S. for plotting against opposition leader and presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

Video Source – YouTube via user Emisoras Unidas (Guatemalans last month commemorated the thousands of victims of the Central American country’s thirty-six-year long civil war).

Online Sources- Huffington Post, SI.com, National Geographic, GlobalPost

Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio Named as Next Pope (UPDATED)

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina will become the next supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Archbishop of Buenos Aires will take on the name of Pope Francis I after he was elected elected by at least 77 of the cardinals attending the Papal conclave this week at the Vatican.  

The 76-year-old Bergolio will become the first Latin American, non-European and Jesuit to become Pope.

According to CNN:

Bergoglio is considered a straight-shooter who calls things as he sees them, and a follower of the church's most conservative wing. He has clashed with the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.

Bergoglio has not shied from defending Argentina's poor and youth and once said that the South American country's "social debt is immoral, unjust and illegitimate".  

The son of Italian immigrants, Bergoglio speaks Italian and German aside from his native Spanish and was named as cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

Bergoglio allegedly received the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election.

The new pontiff, who takes over for Benedict XVI, was chosen on either the fourth or fifth ballot taken on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of Catholics gathered in St. Peter's Square and welcomed the new Pope with a great cheer and celebration.

One of the new Pope's first major trips will be when he travels this July to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day.

Update (4:10 PM): The newly elected Pope Francis I called on "all men and women of good will" to help him guide the Catholic Church.

"As you know the duty of the conclave is to give Rome a bishop. It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world," joked the former Cardinal Bergoglio in front of a massive crowd at St. Peter's Square.

Update (4:40 PM): Moments ago Argentine President Cristina Kirchner issued a public comment over the bestowed upon Bergoglio.

Kirchner, who did not meet eye-to-eye with Bergoglio over issues like birth control and gay marriage, issued a congratulatory message via her Twitter account.

"It is our wish that you have, upon assuming the leadership of the Church, a fruitful task carrying out great responsibilities related to justice, equality, peace and friendship of humanity," read part of the message. 

Prior to Kirchner's letter, the new pontiff has received messages of congratulations from the European Union, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, interim Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina and Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

Update (5:50 PM): Bergoglio may have finished as runner up in the 2005 conclave that chose Joseph Ratzinger as pontiff.  Yet the selection of the Argentine as the next Pope was a surprise for bookmakers such as William Hill, which gave Bergoglio odds of 25-1.

Though Bergoglio has yet to go through his first twenty-four hours as Pope, Irish-based firm Paddy Power placed odds on who his replacement could be.  Italian Archbishop Angelo Scola is the frontrunner at 5-1, followed by Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana at 6-1 and an 8-1 tie between Cardinals Sean O'Malley of the U.S. and Marc Ouellet of Canada.

The top Latin American picks to succeed Francis I according to Paddy Power are Cardinals Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras and Brazil's Odilo Scherer and Joao Braz de Aviz.

(More updates after the page break)

Daily Headlines: March 13, 2013

* Chile: The world’s biggest radio telescope, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, will be officially inaugurated on Wednesday though it has been in use for the past two years.

* Bolivia: Should the next Pope accept Bolivian President Evo Morales’ suggestion and try wine made from the coca leaf?

* Venezuela: According to the International Energy Agency, Venezuelan oil spending will likely decline if interim leader Nicolás Maduro wins next month’s presidential election.

* Argentina: Former military strongman Reynaldo Bignone was sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity committed under his rule during the 1980s. 

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources- Huffington Post, Sky News Australia, Bloomberg, TVNZ

Abuse Allegations Hang Over Latin American Cardinals

One hundred fifteen cardinals started meeting on Tuesday at the Vatican in order to decide who will become the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.  At least sixteen of these cardinals come from Latin America and several of them have been dogged by allegations of abuse.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) last week named twelve cardinals who should neither vote for a pope or be elected as the next pontiff.  Among those named on the “Dirty Dozen” blacklist are Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras, Mexico’s Norberto Rivera and Leandro Sandri of Argentina.  

According to SNAP, Maradiaga has turned a blind eye to possible abuse done by Honduran priests.  He supposedly said that he would “prefer to go to jail before hurting any priests” even if they’ve been accused of abuse or other wrongdoing.

Maradiaga, who has not shied from providing to diplomatic support to ousted Honduran president Manuel Zapata and the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, reportedly blamed “Jewish interests” in the press for focusing so much on sex scandals in the church.

In addition the SNAP accused Rivera of covering up the abuses committed by several priests including Marcial Maciel, the late founder of the Legionnaires of Christ (LOC) who sexually abused minors and fathered three children with two women.

“(Rivera) not only ignored Mexican victims who were abused by Marcial Maciel and other priests, but he also slandered, defamed and accused them of being part of a plot against the Pope and the Church,” read part of a letter sent by SNAP to the Mexican catholic archdiocese.

Rivera replied to the SNAP’s accusations by denouncing the organization’s “propaganda” and pointing out that he has been cleared of accusations in U.S. courtrooms.  Yet a SNAP member who was abused by a priest protected by Rivera vehemently disagreed: 

Daily Headlines: March 12, 2013

* Mexico: Mexico’s three main political parties have reportedly backed a proposal from President Enrique Peña Nieto to enact major reforms to the telecom industry.

* Venezuela: The State Department ordered two Venezuelan diplomats to leave the U.S. in a retaliatory action done several days after a pair of U.S. officials was expelled from Venezuela.

* U.S.: A poll found that most Latinos support gun control measures including 84% of respondents who endorse requiring criminal background checks before gun purchases.

* Cuba: Timothy Roche, consul general at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, said that the U.S. immigration policy toward Cuba would not change despite recent travel reforms by the Castro administration.

Video Source – YouTube via Bloomberg (The excommunication reform proposed by the Mexican government would likely affect businesses run by the world’s wealthiest man, Carlos Slim).

Online Sources- Reuters, Los Angeles Times, Xinhua, Newser, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: March 11, 2013 (UPDATED)

* Venezuela: “Nicolas, I won't leave you an open path,” said a defiant Henrique Capriles who announced his bid as the main opposition candidate for Venezuela’s April 14th special presidential election.

Update: Miranda state Gov. Henrique Capriles, interim president Nicolás Maduro, and at least four others on Monday registered their candidacies to run for next month's presidential election.
   
* U.S.: A recent Gallup poll found that respondents in the U.S. view Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela more unfavorably than favorably.
 
* Caribbean: Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic qualified to the second round of the World Baseball Classic while Cuba was shockingly eliminated early. 

* Brazil: Apple and IGB Eletronica may be close to settling a legal dispute over the iPhone trademark in Brazil.

Video Source – Al Jazeera English

Online Sources including Update- SI.com, Gallup, Washington Post, CNET News, Miami Herald

Venezuela: Maduro Sworn in as Interim President

Vice President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in on Friday night as the interim leader replacing recently deceased President Hugo Chávez.

“I accept this (presidential sash) though it truly belongs to Chávez,” said Maduro shortly after receiving the oath of office in the ceremony held in the federal legislative chambers.  He vowed to continue the Bolivarian Revolution policies espoused by the leader who died on Tuesday after battling cancer for approximately two years.

"I swear by the most absolute loyalty to comrade Hugo Chavez that we will fulfill and see that it's fulfilled the constitution ... with the iron fist of a people ready to be free," Maduro said.

Although Maduro claimed that he respected the U.S. he warned that the “imperialist elites who govern the United States will have to learn to live with absolute respect with the insurrectional people of the ... Latin and Caribbean America.”

Maduro also blasted the Venezuelan opposition, most of who opted to skip the ceremony in protest.  He urged Chavistas to avoid being “provoked by those who have come out today to act crazily despite your pain.” 

Hours before the ceremony, former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles accused the Venezuelan Supreme Court of endorsing “constitutional fraud” by permitting Maduro to be sworn in.

"I tell you clearly, Nicolas, I am not going to speak of the times you lied to the country, shamelessly…The people have not voted for you, boy," the Miranda state governor said.

In his first action as interim president, Maduro named Science and Technology Minister Jorge Arreaza, Chavez' son-in-law, as the next vice president.  Maduro also requested Venezuelan electoral officials to “immediately” organize new, constitutionally mandated presidential elections. 

Daily Headlines: March 8, 2013

Argentina: An Argentine court convicted former president Carlos Menem for illegally selling weapons to Croatia and Ecuador during the 1990s.

* Brazil: The price of sugar hit a four-month high due to the possibility that Brazilian sugar growers will increase ethanol production.

* Panama: Mariano Rivera, who has a record 608 saves, is expected to soon announce his retirement from professional baseball.

* Puerto Rico: Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla endorsed a proposal that would grant drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants.

Online Sources - Bloomberg, BBC News, USA TODAY, Huffington Post

Hugo Chávez to be Embalmed, Displayed at Venezuelan Museum (UPDATED)

The body of recently deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will be embalmed and placed on display at a planned museum according to interim leader Nicolás Maduro.

Chávez’ body will be preserved “so that it may be forever exhibited to the public at the Museum of the Revolution”, declared Maduro to the press at the Fuerte Tiuna military base where Chávez has lied in state on Thursday. The former Vice President compared what will happen to Chávez’ remains with the preserved corpses of famed revolutionary figures Vladimir Lenin and Ho Chinh Minh.

Maduro also said that Chávez would lie in state for an additional seven days before being moved to its final resting place, which is currently under construction.  

“We want the whole world to see him without any limitations”, Maduro mentioned after hundreds of thousands of Chavistas put up with hot weather and waits of up to ten hours in order to pay their respects to the former president.

“Comandante — rest in peace. We'll carry on your fight,” said one mourner who also praised Chávez’ “powerful connection” to Venezuela’s impoverished classes.

Daily Headlines: March 7, 2013

* Colombia: Nobel literature laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez claimed that he was “very happy” to be celebrating his 86th birthday on Wednesday.

* Haiti: Ex-President Rene Preval is being questioned behind closed doors by a judge investigating the 2000 murder of journalist Jean Dominique. 

* Mexico: Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim topped Forbes magazine’s list of more than 1400 billionaires that excluded drug capo Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

* Brazil: A news study concluded that “disarmament campaigns launched in 2004” have helped stabilize the number of gun deaths over the past decade.

Video Source – YouTube via user Evandro Motta (Excerpt from a documentary on famous Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.)
 
Online Sources- GlobalPost, Miami Herald, Reuters, The Guardian

Multitude Mourns Deceased Venezuelan President

Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in the streets of Caracas on Wednesday to witness the funeral procession of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

As seen in the above video, some Chavistas along the funeral route are carrying Venezuelan flags and clad in red clothes, a color popularized by Chávez during the fourteen years of his presidency.

"Chavez gave us everything," reportedly said one mourner interviewed on state-run television.

Several senior government figures including Interim President Nicolás Maduro and congressional chief Diosdado Cabello are heading the procession of Chávez’ casket from a military hospital to the Fuerte Tiuna Military Academy. Bolivian president Evo Morales, a staunch Chávez ally, has also taken part in the procession.

Prior to the procession, a twenty-one-gun salute was held in honor the president who died on Tuesday while a visibly distraught Elena Frías de Chávez wept over the casket of her son.

“Chávez al Panteón, junto con Simón,” shouted some of his followers in reference to the Panteón Nacional mausoleum where Chávez might be buried near the remains of Latin American independence icon Simón Bolívar.

The presidents of Uruguay and Argentina are among those leaders from around Latin America that have arrived in Venezuela for a state funeral that is planned for this Friday.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Dies (UPDATED)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez died on Tuesday at the age of 58 according to the Venezuelan government.

An "emotional" Vice President Nicolás Maduro announced that the cancer-stricken leader passed away at 4:25 PM local time.  The declaration was made at a news conference where he was flanked by several senior government officials.

Earlier in the day Maduro said that the president was facing his "most difficult hours."

Chávez had been diagnosed with cancer nearly two years ago and he went through four surgeries to treat the disease including the most recent one last December 11th. He had not been seen publicly since that surgery except for a group of photos where he was convalescing with his daughters.

"One of the most visible, vocal and controversial leaders in Latin America, the former army paratrooper won the presidency in 1998 and had most recently won another six-year presidential term in October 2012," according to a BBC News article.

More updates to come...

Update (6:00 PM): In his speech reporting Chávez' death, Maduro called on the Venezuelan people "of all ages to be watchdogs of peace."  Yet he also announced the "special deployment" of police and troops in order to "guarantee the peace" throughout the country.

According to the New York Times, "Mr. Chávez’s supporters wept and flowed into the streets in paroxysms of mourning. "

As a result of Chávez death legislative chief Diosdado Cabello is constitutionally obligated to organize a new presidential election to be held within thirty days.  That election could pit Maduro, who Chavez selected as his successor, against defeated presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.  (A poll taken last month showed Venezuelans back Maduro over Capriles 50% to 39%).

Update (6:30 PM):  Among the reactions by leaders throughout the Americas to Chávez' death was that by Bolivian president Evo Morales, one of Chávez' closest allies in the Americas  He will supposedly travel tonight to Caracas and pay his respects to the recently deceased Venezuelan leader.

Other messages of condolence have emerged from leftist and conservative presidents throughout the region.  Peruvian president Ollanta Humala and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto each issued brief message of condolence to Chávez' family and solidarity with the Venezuelan people while Argentine president Cristina Kirchner suspended all of her public activities.

Colombian Foreign Minister María Ángela Holguín highlighted how Chávez was a "strong supporter for the peace process" between the Colombian government and the FARC guerillas.

Regarding reactions in social media outlets,  Chávez' death was reportedly mentioned on Twitter over a million times within an hour of the announcement of his passing away.

Update (9:00 PM): U.S. President Barack Obama expressed his country's "support for the Venezuelan people" and the White House's "interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

"As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights," read the letter that was published on Tuesday evening.

The White House statement comes hours after the State Department replied to the Venezuelan government, which expelled two diplomats accused of plotting against the Chávez administration.  

"We reject the allegations by the Venezuelan government against Air Force attaché David DelMonaco and...Devlin Kostal",  read a State Department communiqué.

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Venezuela during Chavez' time in the presidency have been uneasy at best and acrimonious at worst.  But as mentioned in The Guardian, "Washington quietly engineered a diplomatic opening with Caracas last November after a lengthy standoff during which ambassadors were withdrawn".

Speaking of Washington, there were reactions among several of Chavez' more ardent critics in Congress.  Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen expressed her hope that Venezuela will have the "opportunity to emerge from this oppressive regime and regain their democracy and human rights."  Striking a less diplomatic tone was Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who  gave a "good riddance" to the late Venezuelan leader.

Note: More updates can be read below the page break.

Venezuela Expels U.S. Diplomats for Conspiring Against Gov't

The Vice President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, accused two U.S. diplomats of trying to drum up support for a plot against the government of the South American country.

Maduro claimed in a live speech on Tuesday that a U.S. Air Force attaché sought members of the Venezuelan military for proposed ”destabilization projects” against the government. Maduro alleged that official, who the U.S. embassy identified as David Delmonaco, of conspiring to create an “anti-Venezuela climate”.

Delmonico is reportedly en route to Washington while the second diplomat has been ordered to leave Venezuela within the next 24 hours.

Maduro warned that the Venezuelan government is “collecting evidence” of others “flying the malevolent flag” against the Chávez regime.

Shortly after Maduro’s remarks, U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell urged the Venezuelan government to follow the country’s constitution and “hold new elections” if President Hugo Chávez is too ill to lead.

“Those elections are to be free and fair but we have not reached that situation,” Ventrell said.

Maduro also accused Venezuela’s “historic enemies” of causing the cancer that first infected President Hugo Chávez in 2011.  (In December of that year Chávez raised the possibility that a cancer “conspiracy” hit him and other Latin American presidents.)

Daily Headlines: March 5, 2013

* Venezuela: Cancer-stricken President Hugo Chávez is in a "very delicate" condition and battling a “new and severe” respiratory infection according to a Venezuelan government statement.

* Cuba: Are prisoners at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay going on a “widespread hunger strike”?
 
* Uruguay: Legendary soccer coach Luis Cubilla, who led Paraguayan club Olimpia to a pair of Copa Libertadores titles, died at the age of 72.

* Argentina: Alicia Castro, Argentina's ambassador to Britain, declared next week's referendum in the disputed Falklands Islands as “illegal” and is a publicity stunt.

Video Source – YouTube via euronews

Online Sources- Reuters, Vancouver Sun, NTDTV, PRESS TV