Daily Headlines: October 26, 2015

* Latin America: Elections were held in four countries of the Americas yesterday including Guatemala where Jimmy Morales became president-elect while a runoff will be needed to see who will replace Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

* Brazil: A recent Human Rights Watch report blasted Brazilian prison authorities for allowing inmates to takeover severely overcrowded Pernambuco prisons.

* Mexico: Six people died in Mexico as a result of accidents related to Hurricane Patricia though damage was minimal and the death toll was lower than anticipated.

* Colombia: Forensics investigators last week positively identified the remains of three women who may have been tortured and killed by security forces during the 1985 Palace of Justice siege.

YouTube Source – euronews (Official results of Haiti’s presidential elections, which involved a whopping fifty-four candidates, are expected to be revealed around November 4th).

Online Sources – Human Rights Watch, Fox News Latino, Colombia Reports, Reuters, CNN

Daily Headlines: October 23, 2015 (Updated)

* Mexico: A state of emergency has been declared in three Mexican states in anticipation of the expected landfall today of the category five Hurricane Patricia.

Update (October 24th, 12:30 AM): The storm was downgraded to a category four hurricane hours after it reached Mexico's Pacific coast on Friday night. As of this update, some material damage was reported but no fatalities.  Civil defense chief Luis Felipe Puente nevertheless warned that Patricia could still cause flash floods, landslides and infrastructural damage to states like Colima and Jalisco. (Link in Spanish).


Update (October 24th, 5:15 PM): 

So far, there are no reports of major damage from #Patricia. Our gratitude to all for your thoughts, prayers and actions #PrayForMexico.

— Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) October 24, 2015

Nevertheless, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto traveled to Colima to oversee the aftermath of Patricia, which was downgraded to a tropical storm and is now drenching the northern border state of Nuevo Leon. (Link in Spanish).

* Paraguay: Former Paraguayan President Federico Franco could become the latest Latin American leader to be investigated for alleged corruption during his rule.

* Cuba: Will the U.S. reverse its historic vote in the U.N. General Assembly next week and opt to condemn the decades-long trade embargo against Cuba?

* Ecuador: Scientists have discovered a new species of giant tortoise on the Galapagos Islands and named them after the longtime caretaker of the late emblematic tortoise George.

YouTube Source – Reuters
 
Online Sources including Updates – BBC News, Xinhua, The Guardian, InSight Crime, Milenio.com, Twitter, El Economista

Daily Headlines: October 22, 2015

* Latin America: Polls indicate that frontrunner Daniel Scioli has a borderline chance to become Argentina’s next president-elect, while surveys suggest that Guatemalan political outsider Jimmy Morales will win in this Sunday’s runoff election.

* Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela said that the global price of oil must nearly double to $88 per barrel in order to guarantee international investments.

* Cuba: Cuban officials announced a project devised with the help of a U.S. environmental group to protect the nearly 100 species of shark living off the island’s shores.

* Mexico: Authorities arrested six people suspected of “planning, organizing and carrying out” the July prison escape of Sinaloa drug cartel head Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

YouTube Source – AFP (“Argentine President Cristina Kirchner will step down from power after a nearly eight year reign, leaving a deeply divided country behind.”)
 
Online Sources – Reuters, BBC News, Nature.com, ABC News

Daily Headlines: October 21, 2015

* Cuba: Cuban graffiti artist Danilo “El Sexto” Maldonado was freed from jail following a ten-month detention over an “attempted piece of protest performance art.”

* Uruguay: The repatriation of six former Guantanamo Bay prisoners to Uruguay has allegedly served as an obstacle to the White House’s push to close the military facility in eastern Cuba.

* Brazil: Attorneys have filed a new petition to bring up impeachment charges against President Dilma Rousseff over accusations of doctoring government data.

* Vatican: Vatican officials rejected unconfirmed Italian news reports claiming that Argentine-born Pope Francis was sick and diagnosed with a curable brain tumor.

YouTube Source – Oslo Freedom Forum (“Lia Villares accepts the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent on behalf of imprisoned Cuban artist El Sexto at the 2015 Oslo Freedom Forum.”)

Online Sources – The Guardian, Bloomberg, Reuters, CBS News

Daily Headlines: October 20, 2015

* Canada: The incoming Liberal government under Justin Trudeau could affect Canadian mining interests in Latin America as well as the North American state’s growing Latino immigrant population.

* Mexico: Parents of some of 43 Ayotzinapa students missing for over a year have called on a boycott against a documentary that they claim relies on a “false” version of events.

* Cuba: Cuba’s Foreign Ministry rejected unconfirmed claims that troops from the island were sent to Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

* Venezuela: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro railed against Lorenzo Mendoza, the head of the Empresas Polar food conglomerate, for suggesting that the country needs an international economic bailout.

YouTube Source – Associated Press
 
Online Sources – Newsweek, Voice of America, Reuters, teleSUR English, Latin American Herald Tribune

Daily Headlines: October 19, 2015

* Colombia: In the latest pact between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels, both sides agreed to work together and provide information on the tens of thousands of people missing due to the armed conflict.

* Bolivia: Bolivian officials claimed that spy planes have crossed into national territory and, thus, the government will buy some $229 million in radar equipment from France.

* Argentina: For the first time Argentina made it through to the final four of the Rugby World Cup after Los Pumas blitzed Ireland by a score of 43-20 in the quarterfinals.

* Brazil: President Dilma Rousseff backed beleaguered Finance Minister Joaquim Levy despite mounting pressure against her proposed austerity measures designed to boost the weakened Brazilian economy.

YouTube Source – AFP (“Thirteen years after Medellin was rocked by violence when the government decided to recapture a sector of the city disputed by right-wing paramilitaries and militias, family members and others take part in commemoration events.”)
 
Online Sources – BBC Sport, Voice of America, Fox News Latino, Reuters

Daily Headlines: October 16, 2015

* Chile: Thousands of students took to the streets of Santiago in a protest against President Michelle Bachelet’s planned educational reforms.

* Venezuela: Opposition politician Manuel Rosales was arrested after returning from exile, while a bipartisan group of U.S. Congressmen from Florida have proposed granting immigration relief to Venezuelan expats.

* Latin America: An investigation in the GlobalPost news website followed three U.S. priests accused of sexual abuse who fled to Latin America and continued practicing their faith.

* Mexico: Mexican TV network Televisa revealed unauthorized footage of the escape of fugitive drug capo Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman that casts doubts on the official government version of events.

YouTube Source – Reuters

Online Sources – teleSUR English, Deutsche Welle, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fox News Latino, InSight Crime

Daily Headlines: October 15, 2015

* Argentina: President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner called for a full investigation into the death of local LGBT activist Diana Sacayan who became the third transgendered woman killed in Argentina during the past month.

* Brazil: “I will rise up against coup plotters and their conspiratorial actions, I’m not scared of them,” proclaimed President Dilma Rousseff as she has her back against the wall from a faltering economy and a push to impeach her.

* Ecuador: British officials warned that police would arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if he leaves the Ecuadoran embassy on London to undergo medical tests.

* South America: Uruguay, Ecuador and Chile are a perfect two wins in two matches in the early stages of qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.

YouTube Source – teleSUR English (“Trans rights activist Diana Sacayan was found dead in her home on Tuesday under suspicious circumstances.”)

Online Sources – Mashable, The Guardian, ESPN FC, France 24

Daily Headlines: October 14, 2015

* Mexico: A recently released report from the Mexican Attorney General ‘s office on the 43 missing Ayotzinapa students has shown numerous contradictions with the results of the official probe.

* Latin America: Three people died and fourteen inmates escaped from a Brazilian prison during a riot, while four suspected gang members died during an uprising in a Salvadoran correctional facility.

* Colombia: U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker said that his country will not push for the extradition of FARC rebel commanders though Washington will seek alleged criminals.

* U.S: A new Nielsen study found that Latinos over the age of fifty are growing in numbers, represent a burgeoning consumer base and are healthier than initially believed.

YouTube Source – teleSUR English (Thousands of marchers took to the streets of Mexico city last month on the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa students.)
 
Online Sources – Tico Times, oneindia, Fox News Latino, BBC News, Latina Lista

Daily Headlines: October 13, 2015

* Chile: Five years after the rescue of thirty-three Chilean miners, most of them have reportedly suffered from health problems and difficulties finding employment.

* Honduras: Clients of Banco Continental worry that their savings could be wiped out after the U.S. Treasury Department accused the bank’s owners of laundering drug money.

* Cuba: Cuban dissident groups claimed that authorities over the weekend detained about 300 activists calling for the liberation of political prisoners on the island.

* South America: Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz said that his country would be willing to negotiate with landlocked Bolivia’s access to the sea but refused to “discuss sovereignty” claims.

YouTube Source – Journeyman Pictures (“In 2010 the story of the 33 Chilean miners trapped in a collapsed mine caught the imagination of people around the world. Despite the excitement and emotion, the impoverished mine workers who were not trapped are being easily forgotten by the international media.”)
 
Online Sources – Fox News Latino, BBC News, Reuters, teleSUR English

The Lighthouse in the Dark

It was meant to be a beacon in the Dominican Republic, a shining monument to commemorate the voyage of explorer Christopher Columbus to the Caribbean in 1492. Ultimately, the Columbus Lighthouse (“Faro a Colón”) is a financial boondoggle that has been largely overlooked.

Dominican historian Don Antonio del Monte y Tejada in 1852 first suggested building a monument akin to the mythical Colossus of Rhodes though designs weren’t finalized until Scottish architect J.L. Gleave submitted a winning design in 1931. Construction of what would become the 680 foot long concrete crucifix would be delayed due to decades of domestic political instability and a lack of expected donations from other countries. Then-President Joaquín Balaguer in 1986 decided to go ahead with the state footing the bill plans even though the World Bank estimated that 37.3% of Dominicans lived in poverty. The Lighthouse would be completed in 1992 for the five hundredth anniversary of Columbus’ voyage and prior to a visit by the Pope yet with a price tag of $70 million (or roughly 5% of the country’s GDP). 

The monument was meant to be a major tourist attraction that included the regular lighting of 251 strong beams of light into the night sky. In the almost twenty-four years of its existence, however, the beacons have been rarely lit due to high energy costs and constant blackouts. The neighborhood near the structure is riddled with crime and residents derisively refer to the area as an “Apache zone”. Weeds, garbage and tall grass grow on the vast grounds of around the Lighthouse. The mausoleum is said to house the remains of Columbus though it has yet to be definitely proven if the remains belong to the famed explorer. An average of 100 tourists visit the structure daily despite some efforts by the government to improve the site.

Special events were held on Monday at the Lighthouse to commemorate what one local daily called “the 523rd anniversary of the discovery and evangelizing of América.” For critics of Columbus’ impact on the continent, it may seem fitting that such a massive monument in his honor is slowly becoming akin to the sculpture buried beneath the sands of time in the famous Shelley poem Ozymandias.

YouTube Source – Ciudad Digital (Efforts to clean up overgrown vegetation near the Columbus Lighthouse in 2014).

Online Sources (English) – Atlas Obscura, World Bank, Academy of American Poets

Online Sources (Spanish) – KeDificil.com, Listin Diario, Hoy Digital, Diario Digital

Daily Headlines: October 12, 2015

* Brazil: Finance Minister Joaquim Levy declared his intent to stay in his post despite a political and popular backlash against President Dilma Rousseff’s austerity plans for the economy.

* Haiti: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reportedly requested a one-year extension to what could be the final peacekeeping mission for the organization in Haiti.

* Argentina: The Argentine government once again railed against “illegal” offshore oil and gas exploration by foreign firms near the disputed Falkland Islands.

* Mexico: The Mexican men’s national soccer team will head to the 2017 Confederations Cup following a thrilling 3-2 win over bitter rivals, the U.S.

YouTube Source – AFP (“Unions and social movements, traditional allies of Brazil's ruling Workers' Party, march (last September) to protest planned budget cuts by President Dilma Rousseff's government.”)

Online Sources – NBC News, CTV News, Latin American Herald Tribune, NPR

Daily Headlines: October 9, 2015

* South America: World Cup qualifiers in South America began yesterday with noteworthy matches including Ecuador shocking Argentina in Buenos Aires and Copa America titleholders Chile beating Brazil.

* Brazil: Nine police officers allegedly avenging the shooting of an off-duty cop were arrested and charged with killing nineteen people on August 13th near Sao Paulo.

* Mexico: Mayor Enrique Serrano of Ciudad Júarez has called on a boycott of the hit film Sicario since it “speaks badly of the city.”

* Venezuela: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez accused the Guyanese government of “misleading the international community” over a heated territorial dispute between the neighboring countries.

YouTube Source – Futbolpasionmundial3 (Patricio Javier Diaz of La Red Ecuador radio provided emotional play-by-play of Ecuador’s two goals in their upset over Argentina on Thursday).
 
Online Sources – ESPN FC, The Guardian, BBC News, Xinhua

Daily Headlines: October 7, 2015

* Latin America: A record 693 people in Brazil have died in 2015 due to dengue, while fatalities related to the disease have increased by 78% so far this year in the Dominican Republic.

* Cuba: U.S. commerce secretary Penny Pritzker traveled to Cuba as part of the effort to normalize economic relations between the two countries.

* Brazil: Organizers of next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro plan to cut about 10% in operating costs for the competition though spending for “building venues, subway lines and highways to help stage the games” will be untouched.

* Colombia: Attorney General Eduardo Montealegre has called for a preliminary investigation into former president turned senator Alvaro Uribe’s possible role in a 1997 massacre.

YouTube Source – AFP (Video uploaded on August 2014).

Online Sources – Yahoo News, Fox News Latino, Times of India, ABC News, The Guardian

Daily Headlines: October 6, 2015

* Latin America: Representatives of the Peruvian, Chilean and Mexican governments expressed their satisfaction over the signing yesterday of the twelve-nation Trans Pacific Partnership free trade pact.

* El Salvador: The number of massacres in El Salvador has spiked so far this year though its unknown if it’s related to rampant gang violence.

* Bolivia: Bolivian authorities reached an agreement with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to ease the granting of special visas to Syrian refugees.

* Chile: Officials in Chile announced the creation of the largest marine reserve in the Americas that covers 115,000 square miles around the Desventuradas Islands.

YouTube Source – CNN

Online Sources – InSight Crime, The Financial Times, National Geographic, Xinhua

Daily Headlines: October 5, 2015

* Brazil: The Supreme Court gave police permission to question ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as a witness regarding a major bribery scandal at Petrobras that has implicated members of the Brazil’s political and business elite.

* Colombia: In a span of less than a week, Colombian law enforcement killed two of the country's most dangerous drug capos known by the aliases of Pijarvey and Megateo.

* Nicaragua: Could delays arise in the construction of a new interoceanic canal after one of the project's main investors, Chinese telecom magnate Wang Jing, lost 85% of his assets so far this year?

* Argentina: Several candidates assailed poll frontrunner and ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli for skipping out on Argentina’s first-ever televised presidential debate.

YouTube Source – AFP (Video uploaded on August 2015).

Online Sources – Fox News Latino, Colombia Reports, The Globe and Mail, Bloomberg, Reuters