Weekend World Watch: Mourning in Poland

* Poland: A national week of mourning has been declared in the wake of a Saturday plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and 95 others.

* Thailand: At least fifteen protestors died in Bangkok during clashes between police and anti-government protestors.

* U.S.: The death toll rose to 29 due to a West Virginia mine explosion described as the worst coal mining accident in forty years.

* South Africa: The funeral was held for infamous white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche who was killed in a pay dispute with two of his workers.

Image – Los Angeles Times (“Mourners stand amid a flood of candles and flowers outside the presidential palace in Warsaw.”)
Online Sources- MSNBC, BBC News, CNN, Voice of America

Weekend Headlines: April 10-11, 2010

* Mexico: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez became the first Mexican player to sign with prestigious English soccer side Manchester United.

* U.S.: While the Marcelo Lucero trial nears its end on Long Island four suspects were arrested in an alleged bias attack in nearby Staten Island.

* Cuba: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that the Cuban government doesn’t want to normalize relations with the U.S. since the Castro regime “would then lose all their excuses for what hasn't happened in Cuba in the last 50 years.”

* Costa Rica: China and Costa Rica signed a free trade pact on Thursday that should provide the Central American economy with greater access to the Asian market.

Image – Sky Sports
Online Sources- AFP, LAHT, New York Times, NY1, The Telegraph

Bolivia, Venezuela shut out of U.S. climate aid

The global climate conference designed to repair the rifts cause by last year’s Copenhagen summit began today with a continuation of divisions.

At the heart of the arguments at the Bonn conference is whether the goals set by last year’s Copenhagen pact are realistic and if the agreement itself is legally binding. “Few delegates believed a final agreement is possible this year,” according to the AP. Yet the U.S. has flexed its political muscle in favor of the Copenhagen guidelines by denying climate change funds to countries that rejected the pact. Thus, several Latin American countries including Bolivia and Ecuador are slated to lose millions of dollars in aid under the Obama administration's Global Climate Change initiative.

Aside from the global climate rift, Latin America itself has been divided over what to do regarding climate change. Brazil, for instance, helped co-draft the Copenhagen Accord while states such as Nicaragua and Argentina refused to endorse the pact. The agreement symbolizes “the economic interests of the few which are standing in the way of a broad, democratic agreement,” Venezuelan delegate Claudia Salerno said earlier today. Despite the lack of regional consensus Latin American countries could be key in moving discussions forward:

Mexico has convened informal talks among a smaller group of about 40 key nations -- many agree the U.N. process is too unwieldy with 194. The United States will host talks next week among 17 major emitters, accounting for more than 80 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions.

"We need to make progress in building compromise formulas that can be the result of an intensive and flexible process," said Fernando Tudela, Mexico's chief negotiator.

Image- Guardian UK (“Delegates of the UN climate change talks pass a symbolic pile of broken glass in Bonn, Germany.”)
Online Sources- Guardian UK, AP, Washington Post, BusinessWeek, New York Times, The Latin Americanist

Wet weather washes through Americas (Updated)

Stormy weather has barreled though several Latin American countries this week. The most tragic example so far has been in Brazil where 200 people are missing and feared dead after a massive mudslide buried several homes in Rio de Janeiro. Though twenty people have been rescued a civil defense spokesman Pedro Machado told Brazil’s Globo “in our experience, it's an instant death (for those caught in their homes).” Officials warned that more landslides could occur, thus raising the death toll since the storms began on Monday to beyond 175.

North of Rio a state of emergency was declared for the Ecuadorian province of Napo where rivers overflowed and led to a pair of deaths. Basements and storefronts in several neighborhoods of the Colombian capital of Bogota were full of water as a result of heavy rains Thursday evening.

While trying to bounce back from January’s deadly earthquake Haiti is preparing for the upcoming rainy season. Wet weather last month forced several thousand families to be evacuated from the southern part of the country. According to Oxfam America international relief groups have asked the Haitian government to do a better job in relocating earthquake survivors who have sought refuge in makeshift tent camps:

The government has recently identified a site in Corail Cesselesse (15 km north of Port-au-Prince) for the resettlement of 7,500 people from the Golf Club in Petionville, and relocation has begun with little advanced notice…

“We realize this is an emergency relocation due to impending rains and we are moving with utmost urgency to prepare this site. But future moves cannot be done in this last minute fashion. The government and the international community must ensure that any moves are well-planned and adhere to humanitarian principles that ensure people’s safety and respect their rights,” said Marcel Stoessel, head of Oxfam in Haiti.

Update: Ironically several Caribbean nations "including Guyana, Grenada, St. Lucia and Barbados" have endured "record" droughts since last year.

Image- Al Jazeera English (“The slum hit by Wednesday's mudslide had been built on a former rubbish dump.”)
Online Sources- Oxfam America, UPI, BBC News, Xinhua, People’s Daily Online, Caracol Radio, The Lain Americanist

Arte Para la Gente: Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

A few days ago we criticized several Latino celebs who were a little too eager to associate with upcoming CGI/live-action films that will likely be critical flops. Mercifully not all is lost in the world of Latinos and animation. In the video below, the creators of El Tigre- Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua- talked about how they developed their careers in animation. The married couple discussed how they had to overcome cultural differences in order to make their dreams come true:

(Hat tip: Cartoon Brew).

Online Sources- Cartoon Brew, YouTube, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: April 9, 2010

* Cuba: Rest in peace Graciela Perez-Gutierrez; the legendary Afro-Cuban jazz singer passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94.

* Latin America: A diplomatic row may be developing after Venezuelan authorities arrested eight Colombians and accused them of acting as spies.

* Guatemala: Coca-Cola is being sued in a U.S. court over allegedly “engaging in a campaign of violence” against Guatemalan labor activists.

* Argentina: The government is expected to appeal a U.S. court ruling that could permit creditors to the Argentine central bank to seize assets.

Image – New York Daily News ("Graciela Perez-Grillo became the first female singer to front a major tropical band when she moved to New York in 1942.")
Online Sources- Wall Street Journal, NACLA, MSNBC, CBC

Another Green Jacket for 'El Pato'?

The Masters kicks off this week at Augusta National Golf Club with one story dominating all others: Tiger Woods.

At the end of day 1, a series of great subplots have developed: 50-year-old Fred Couples leading the field, 60-year-old Tom Watson one shot back and 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero shooting a round of one under par.

Lost in the shuffle is the story of the fantastic Latin American golfers who also hope to contend. Last year, Cordoba, Argentina native Angel "El Pato" Cabrera showed he's one of the greatest pressure players in the world when he knocked off Kenny Perry in a playoff. Also ready to contend on golf's greatest stage is Colombian Camilo "El Hombre Araña" Villegas (so know for his Spiderman-esque flexibility and style in reading greens).

The Latin American golfers are a ways back after day one, but with three more days of Tiger-dominated golf ahead, there's still plenty of time for El Pato or Camilo to steal the headlines.

Online Sources: ESPN, Guardian, Daily Telegraph

Image Source: Guardian

Give Ladies In White Nobel Prize says Juanes

Colombian musician Juanes received plenty of undue criticism in the run-up to last September’s “Peace Without Borders” concert in Havana. It could be interesting to see if those same people who blasted him last year will also criticize him for his public support of Cuba’s Ladies in White.

In an e-mailed message publicized by a Cuban dissident, Juanes advocated that the next Nobel Peace Prize should go to the Ladies. Juanes justified giving the prestigious honor to the Ladies so “that those who suffer injustice follow their example of perseverance.” Juanes further thanked them for supporting last year’s historic concert “despite the drastic opposition of other sectors.”

In response one of the Ladies thanked Juanes while also acknowledging the group’s effort against repression:

“The Ladies in White are committed to our peaceful activities not for a prize but for the liberation of our husbands,” said Berta Soler, husband of activist Angel Moya who is serving a twenty-year jail term. – [ed. Translated text]

The Ladies have gained international fame for their marches against the Castro regime and have received increased support after being targeted in a police crackdown last month. Celebs like Gloria Estefan and Andy Garcia led solidarity marches in Miami and Washington, respectively.

Image- Al Jazeera English
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, EPA, El Universal, BBC News, Voice of America

Daily Headlines: April 8, 2010

* Costa Rica: President Oscar Arias reportedly commented that the Catholic Church should drop forcing priests to vows of celibacy and also advocated marriages for same-sex couples.

* Latin America: Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Brazil, Chile and Venezuela later this month in order to strengthen political and economic ties to Latin America.

* Peru: U.S. authorities returned 25 “irreplaceable” pre-Columbian items to Peru including Inca-era ceramics and decorative skulls.

* Dominican Republic: At least fourteen people have died due to dengue fever according to health officials who also warned that there may be more dengue cases this year than 2009’s 8,800.

Image – BBC News
Online Sources- UPI, AP, LAHT, Xinhua

De Musica Ligera: Buen provecho!

A quick congrats to personal favorite Los Amigos Invisibles who will be one of the bands scheduled to be this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. Hence, the video below of Los Amigos noshing on some delicious Venezuelan food:

Hungry anyone?

OAS to Chile: Court “biased” against lesbian couple

A tribunal linked to the Organization of American States ruled that Chile’s top court violated the rights of a lesbian couple.

According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Chilean Supreme Court overstepped their bounds by taking away custody of judge Karen Atala’s three children since she was in a same-sex relationship. The IACHR opposed the high court’s original 2004 opinion that the kids could be “psychologically damaged” by living with a lesbian couple and called on the Chilean government to take more active steps in combating discrimination based on sexual orientation.

One of Chile’s main gay rights groups- the Movement for the Integration and Liberation of Homosexuals- applauded the decision by the IACHR:

“Chile should end the practice of having first and second class citizens as soon as possible, so that homosexual mothers and fathers are never ever again separated from their children, just based on prejudice and ignorance.”

A spokeswoman for conservative president Sebastian Pinera said that the government would abide by the IACHR’s findings.

Image- BBC Mundo (Karen Atala’s relationship with Emma de Ramón led to a 2004 decision removing custody of her three children)
Online Sources- Santiago Times, BBC News, La Nacion

Study: Latino birth rate drops

One of the most terrible stereotypes against Latinos is that we fornicate like rabbits and families tend to have far too many children. (See the controversy around so-called “anchor babies”, for instance). Yet a U.S. government report has shown that the Latino birthrate fell in 2008.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) the overall birthrate in 2008 fell by almost 2% after previously reaching its highest point in two decades. Birth rates declined in nearly all categories; for example, the birth rate for teens fell slightly including a 4% drop among those ages 18 and 19. The “most dramatic change”, however, was among Latinos:

The most dramatic change, according to Stephanie Ventura, chief of the reproductive statistics branch at the NCHS, was among Hispanics. The overall birth rate for that group declined for the first time in years, with births to Hispanic teens declining by 5 percent to hit a historic low.

Ventura doesn't want to speculate about the decline in Hispanic births, but for the overall population, she says it's the economy. "As early as 2007," she says, "some job sectors were declining."

The NCHS data may be incorporated into the immigration debate since the national fertility rate fell to the point that “Americans were no longer giving birth to enough children to keep the population from declining.”

Image- Latina
Online Sources- Washington Post, NPR, Reuters, CNN, Orange County Weekly

Daily Headlines: April 7, 2010

* Brazil: At least 95 people are dead in Rio de Janeiro after floods and mudslides were caused by nearly twelve inches of rain falling during a 24-hour period.

* Peru: Human Rights Watch has called on the government to investigate the deaths of six people who were slain during clashes between striking miners and police.

* Cuba: Images of a now 16-year-old Elian Gonzalez emerged showing him attending the Cuban Young Communist Union conference.

* Argentina: Lionel Messi continues to prove that he’s the world’s best soccer player; yesterday he scored all four of Barcelona’s goals and led the Spanish side into the Champions League semis.

Online Sources- YouTube, Bloomberg, BBC News, MSNBC

Nuestro Cine: Mexico’s “narcocinema”

Normally in these weekly film posts I'll give a long-winded intro. In this case the following video by Vice Magazine on the Mexican "narco cinema" genre really does speak for itself:

Online Source - VBS.tv

U.S., Brazil reach deal in trade dispute (Updated)

Update:

Via the New York Times:

The United States and Brazil have reached an agreement aimed at settling a long-standing trade dispute over American subsidies to cotton growers, officials in both countries said Tuesday...

Under the preliminary deal, Brazil would hold off on retaliation in exchange for American concessions that include the modification of an export loan program and the establishment of a temporary assistance fund for the Brazilian cotton industry. The broader issues in contention would be deferred until Congress takes up the next farm bill, most likely in 2012.

Original Post:

A possible trade war between allies in the U.S. and Brazil may’ve been permanently aborted.

Last month Brazilian officials announced that they would subject import tariffs on over 100 U.S. goods as well as restrictions on a list of U.S. patents. The trade sanctions would’ve cost at least $830 million and were to be retaliatory after a 2009 World Trade Organization ruling against U.S. cotton subsidies. But Brazil decided to grant a temporary reprieve, thus opening the door for talks and hopefully a negotiated settlement:

Brazil postponed the higher tariffs until at least April 22 after the U.S. signaled it may revise cotton subsidies, ease requirements for meat imports and establish a $147 million fund to promote Brazilian cotton producers, Carlos Cosendey, head of the Foreign Ministry’s economic department, told reporters yesterday in Brasilia.

“Now we have a serious negotiating process,” Cosendey said, adding that implementation of the sanctions could be delayed another 60 days. “Given these signs, Brazil agreed to postpone the retaliation.”

The move seemed to have affected Brazilian investors with the benchmark Bovespa index rising in trading yesterday.

Image- Huffington Post
Online Sources- Washington Post, BusinessWeek, Reuters

Ecuador: Plaintiffs “faked” reports says Chevron

Was the evidence collected against Chevron in a multibillion dollar Ecuadorian environmental damages case fraudulent? The oil giant believes so and this week its lawyers launched its latest salvo against the South American country’s investigators.

According to Chevron one of the “technical experts” whose testimony was used against the firm suddenly retracted his claims. In 2004 U.S. biologist Charles W. Calmbacher made inspections of oil sites and reports were written in his name backing the plaintiff’s claims that Texaco illegally dumped contaminated oil in the Amazon. Yet in a deposition submitted last week he claimed that those “studies” were falsely submitted under his name. "The trial in Ecuador has been tainted from the outset," partly due to the "faked" reports said one Chevron lawyer in a press release by the company.

A statement by the Amazon Defense Coalition, which represents the plaintiffs, expressed “bewilderment” at Calmbacher’s this development:

"Dr. Calmbacher clearly agreed to have his signature placed on materials, including reports, that were to be submitted to the court, and he acknowledged he was actively reviewing the reports with our local, technical team," the statement said. "We are bewildered, frankly, at his testimony."

In the meantime, the Ecuadorian government said that it would appeal against a recent arbitration decision in favor of Chevron. "We are going to look to nullify this monstrosity," President Rafael Correa said days after a tribunal ruled that Ecuador violated international law.

Image- Huffington Post
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, San Francisco Gate, MarketWatch, Reuters, NASDAQ