Daily Headlines: October 3, 2014

* Latin America: 63 doctors and 102 nurses from Cuba reportedly left for Sierra Leone to help combat the African country’s Ebola outbreak while Salvadoran authorities placed under quarantine two nuns suspected of being infected with Ebola.

* Brazil: The head of the International Olympic Committee’s inspection team claimed that plans for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are “on track” though “the schedule was tight.”

* Venezuela: Was ruling party legislator Robert Serra and his partner killed days ago as part of a planned assassination?

* Argentina: A Spanish judge ruled that Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi must stand trial for allegedly evading more than four million euros in taxes.

Video Source – Voice of America via YouTube

Online Sources – Fox News Latino; Tico Times; BBC News; The Independent; Businessweek

Daily Headlines: October 2, 2014

* Haiti: Police in Port-au-Prince fired tear gas and water cannons at some of the thousands of demonstrators commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the military coup against then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

* Venezuela: Authorities vowed to thoroughly investigate the murder of Robert Serra, a ruling party legislator who was one of Venezuela’s youngest congressmen, and his partner on Wednesday night.

* Peru: A Spanish researcher was hospitalized after he was rescued from a cave in Peru where he was trapped more than 1200 feet underground for twelve days.
  
* Latin America: Organization of American States Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza urged Latin American countries to take in detainees from the U.S.-run Guantanamo military prison.

Video Source – YouTube user No Comment TV

Online Sources – Al Jazeera; Reuters; Mercopress; euronews

Breaking: Mexican Drug Capo Caught? (Updated: Yes)

Mexican officials claimed one of the country's most wanted drug lords, Hector Beltran Leyva, was apprehended on Wednesday.

The chief of Mexico's criminal investigations bureau, Tomás Zerón de Lucio, said at a news conference that the suspected head of the Beltran Levya drug gang was nabbed while eating at a seafood restaurant in Guanajuato state.  Hector was allegedly nabbed in a rapid operation where not even a single shot was fired and at the end of an eleven-month law enforcement investigation.
 

Zerón noted that the man nicknamed "El H" maintained a low profile by pretending to be a local businessmen involved in real estate and the buying and selling of art.
Hector was believed to have lead the Beltran Levya drug cartel since the death of his brother Arturo in a 2009 shootout with Mexican troops. (Two other Beltran Levya brothers are currently in prison over their respective roles with the drug gang). 

Two U.S. federal courts have indicted Hector while U.S. officials placed a $5 million bounty on top of the $3.7 million reward offered by Mexican authorities for his capture.

The Beltran Leyva cartel, which was originally part of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's Sinaloa drug gang, has been blamed for trafficking cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine.
  
According to the Associated Press, Hector presided over a cartel that had been weakened but supposedly trying to regain strength:

Daily Headlines: September 30, 2014

Guatemala: Former Guatemalan Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz claimed that a "smear campaign" forced her to leave her post after she prosecuted ex-dictator Efrain Rios Montt for genocide and crimes against humanity.


* Puerto Rico: Economic activity in Puerto Rico reportedly slumped to its lowest point in twenty years while the average household income on the commonwealth declined at a greater rate than any of the fifty U.S. states.

* Brazil: Brazil's main Ibovespa stock index tumbled by 4.5% on Monday and the national currency hit a thirteen-month low as investors were apparently jittery over increased support in election polls for President Dilma Rousseff.

* Dominican Republic: The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization honored the government of the Dominican Republic for significantly reducing the number of people suffering from inadequate nutrition this year.

Online Sources - Fox News Latino; Bloomberg; Reuters; Latin Post

Daily Headlines: September 29, 2014

* Mexico: Some 25 students protesting poor school conditions in Mexico's Guerrero state are missing after local police reportedly fired at the demonstrators.

* Brazil: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has tried to downplay allegations of corruption in Petrobras that have emerged in the weeks leading to the October 5th presidential election.

* Colombia: In what Colombian one activist called a "black September," more than 150 human rights defenders, journalists and politicians have been the targets of threats in this month alone.

* Peru: At least eight people died after an earthquake shook the southern Peruvian region of Cuzco on Saturday night.
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Daily Headlines: September 26, 2014

* Latin America: The outbreak of the mosquito-borrne chikungunya disease continues to spread through the Americas and the Caribbean.

* Venezuela: Approximately one-third of Venezuelan states were affected by a blackout yesterday allegedly caused by "problems at generating plants."

* Argentina: Is Argentina's recession truly over or is the government's data inaccurate?

* Mexico: Seven Mexican soldiers and their commander were charged with military disobedience and breach of duty over reportedly killing twenty-two suspected gang members "in cold blood."

Online Sources - Businessweek; Reuters; Buenos Aires Herald; Business Insider; Latin Post 

Video Source - Newsy Science via YouTube
* Latin America: The outbreak of the mosquito-carried chikungunya disease continues to spread through the Americas and the Caribbean.

* Venezuela: Approximately one-third of Venezuelan states were affected by a blackout yesterday allegedly caused by "problems at generating plants."

* Argentina: Is Argentina's recession truly over or is the government's data inaccurate?

* Mexico: Seven Mexican soldiers and their commander were charged with military disobedience and breach of duty over reportedly killing twenty-two suspected gang members "in cold blood."

Online Sources - BBC News; Fox News Latino; Voice of America; Reuters

Daily Headlines: September 25, 2014

* Brazil: Researchers in Brazil released yesterday mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria in order to curb the spread of the deadly dengue disease.

* Chile: One man was killed reportedly while handling an explosive artifact in an incident that occurred over two weeks after a bomb detonated at a Santiago subway station.

* Guatemala: Five people were arrested over their suspected role in the killings of eleven people including six from a single family in the Guatemalan indigenous village of San Juan Sacatepequez.

* El Salvador: Human rights group Amnesty International criticized El Salvador’s ban on all abortion as causing “discrimination against and criminalization of women.”

Video Source – Reuters via YouTube

Online Sources – Fox News Latino; Zee News; The Latin Americanist; SBS; NBC News

Obama to Venezuelan Gov’t: Free Leopoldo López

U.S. President Barack Obama urged Venezuelan authorities to liberate imprisoned opposition leader Leopoldo López as soon as possible.

“From Russia to China to Venezuela, you are seeing relentless crackdowns vilifying legitimate dissent as subversive…we stand in solidarity with those detained at this very moment.  In Venezuela, Leopoldo López,” said Obama during a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative on Tuesday night. 

Aside from López, Obama mentioned other jailed activists from countries like Vietnam, Burundi and Russia who “deserve to be freed.  They should be freed.”

López has been detained for the past seven months, and charged with inciting vandalism and violence during anti-government demonstrations in February. Shortly after López turned himself in to authorities, Obama denounced the “unacceptable violence” in Venezuela and criticized officials for not “focusing on the legitimate demands of the Venezuelan people.”

Detractors of the Popular Will Party leader claimed that he must be punished for instigating politically charged violence that eventually cost the lives of more than forty people.  Last month, President Nicolás Maduro referred to López as a “pawn of the gringos” who “has to pay and he will pay,” for his alleged crimes.

Yet supporters of López believe the charges against the ex-mayor of the Chacao district of Caracas were politically motivated by a government seeking to quash dissent.

“Leopoldo is a prisoner of conscience and is in jail because Maduro is scared,” said López’ wife, Lillian Tintori, last week during a visit to the U.N.

Daily Headlines: September 24, 2014

* U.S.: Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 led the list of Latin Grammy nominations with ten while artists Carlos Vives, Jorge Drexler and Enrique Iglesias also received multiple nominations.

* Brazil: Three polls released this week showed that Brazil’s presidential race is still up for grabs though support has increased for incumbent Dilma Rousseff.

* Dominican Republic: Vatican officials placed under house arrest the former papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic over allegations of sexually abusing children.

* Mexico: How has Mexico’s crackdown on drug cartels damaged the country’s iron industry?

Video Source – YouTube user elvecindariocalle13 (Short film created by Calle 13 and released last week).

Online Sources – Billboard; Bloomberg; The Huffington Post; CNBC

Daily Headlines: September 23, 2014

* Brazil: The Brazilian government will reportedly not endorse an international deforestation plan to be presented at the U.N. climate summit today.

* Venezuela: Judges once again postponed the trial of Leopoldo Lopez, the imprisoned opposition leader facing numerous charges related to politically charged violence last February.

* Bolivia: “I want you to know that my greatest wish is that October 12 will be a winning day,” declared President Evo Morales who will likely win reelection next month.

* Panama: Activision Blizzard, the company behind the popular "Call of Duty" video game series, filed a motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit from ex-Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega.

Video Source – NTDTV via YouTube (Video uploaded in November 2013).
 
Online Sources – Xinhua; ABC News; LAHT; The Latin Americanist; CNN

Daily Headlines: September 22, 2014

* Cuba: Officials in Cuba announced that approximately 9000 state-run restaurants have permission to be privatized though the government will still own the land under these establishments.

* Mexico: At least 42 children were freed from a pair of Mexican drug treatment facilities where abuses may have taken place in a scandal that occurred over two months after some 600 people were rescued from suffering mistreatment in another shelter. 

* Venezuela: Ivan Simonovis, an ex-Venezuelan police commander the opposition claims is a political prisoner, was granted a “humanitarian” house arrest “so he can be cured of his illnesses and can receive medical treatment.”

* Argentina: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez alleged that she receive threats from the Islamic State extremist militants due to her friendship with compatriot Pope Francis.

Video Source – NTN24 News via YouTube (Video uploaded in 2011).

Online Sources – CNN; The Latin Americanist; LAHT; Fox News Latino; Reuters

Daily Headlines: September 19, 2014

* Brazil: A new poll published this morning found that President Dilma Rousseff and main opposition rival Marina Silva are statistical tied in a likely runoff to decide Brazil’s next president in October.

* Argentina: An attorney for Citibank called for the suspension of a U.S. court decision that pushed Argentina into default and claimed that the Argentine government has placed a metaphorical “gun to our head.”

* Ecuador: Environmentalists, indigenous activists and others joined Ecuador’s largest labor union in anti-government protests in Quito yesterday.

* Latin America: Argentina (2nd) and Colombia (3rd) are the top South American countries in the latest FIFA soccer rankings while Costa Rica (15th) was the highest-placed entry from CONCACAF.

Video Source – CCTV America via YouTube
 
Online Sources – Blooomberg; LAHT; Businessweek; The Latin Americanist; Goal.com

”Great Scot!” Revisited

With Scotland’s independence referendum taking place today, which may not have taken place where it not for a failed colonization in Panama centuries ago.  The following is text from a post we first published in 2007:
The annals of history serve as a rich tapestry of events that may seem far-fetched but are actually true. Take the case with the push for Scottish independence that was hindered by a disastrous attempt to colonize in Panama.

By the late 1600s, the Scottish economy was doing poorly from constant warfare, lack of a sustainable market outside its borders, and widespread famine. As a solution, the Bank of Scotland established a colonization company, which then decided to create an outpost in Panama. It was a huge gamble in that half of Scotland's liquidity was invested in the project despite the raising of private funds.

What did the colonists find in Panama? Certainly not the welcome wagon:

“The conditions were horrible. It was unsuited for agriculture and the Indians they met were uninterested in the trinkets they brought them. This is probably because they only brought useless things like wigs, combs, and mirrors. During the spring of 1699, torrential rain brought disease to the colony and many died from malaria and yellow fever. About 10 colonists were dying each day and the rest had to live on a pound of nasty, moldy flour per week”.

With the economy in absolute ruin the Scottish government would soon sign the 1707 Acts of Union, which politically incorporated Scotland into the United Kingdom.

Daily Headlines: September 18, 2014

* Argentina: Three medical staff and two former commanders of a secret military hospital have gone on trial over their alleged roles in the illegal adoption of babies from political dissidents during the Dirty War era.

* U.S.: New Census Bureau data found that the poverty rate for Latinos dropped by 2.1% in 2013 while median income grew last year for the first time since 2000.

* Panama: Is the Central American nation of Panama really the world’s happiest country?

* Brazil: The U.N. removed Brazil from the World Hunger Map after concluding that the number of undernourished residents decreased by more than 80% in ten years.

Video Source – CCTV America via YouTube (Estela de Carlotto, leader of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, reconnected last month with her long-lost grandson).

Online Sources – BBC News; Los Angeles Times; The Guardian; ABC News

Brazil: Ex-Petrobras Exec “Remains Silent” at Corruption Hearing

Mum was the word for a former leading executive of Brazilian state-owned energy firm Petrobras at a legislative hearing related to the latest major scandal to rock the South American country.

“I think it should be an open session but because it isn’t I have nothing to declare,” said Paulo Roberto Costa during testimony he provided to congressional investigators on Wednesday afternoon.

The ex-head of Petrobras' refining and supply unit also reportedly uttered the phrase “I reserve the right to remain silent” (or similar wording) dozens of times from questions by parliamentarians related to his allegations against numerous senior politicians who received bribes in exchange for votes favoring Petrobras.  Costa, who has been imprisoned since March and accused of money laundering, was allowed by the Supreme Court to provide evasive responses to the questions during the three hours of testimony.

In an interview given earlier this month to Brazilian newsmagazine Veja, Costa accused Energy Minister Edison Lobão, both heads of Congress, and some thirty legislators mostly from the ruling Workers Party (PT) for supposedly participating in the kickback scheme.  

Costa’s silence on Thursday did not sit well several legislators during the closed-door session, especially those opposed to President Dilma Rousseff and her attempt to win reelection next month.

"We have not had any progress here, absolutely nothing," said Vanessa Grazziotin while Mendonça Filho decried that “the state is being robbed.”  Yet PT Sen. Humberto Costa accused his opposition colleagues of engaging in “radical speeches for political use".

Daily Headlines: September 17, 2014

* Venezuela: Standard & Poor's lowered Venezuela’s credit rating “based on continued economic deterioration, including rising inflation and falling external liquidity.”

* Puerto Rico: Reggaeton star Don Omar was arrested this morning in Puerto Rico and charged with domestic violence against his partner.

* Mexico: Thousands in Mexico’s Baja California Sur are without electricity, water or phone service due to Hurricane Odile though no fatalities have been reported.

* Colombia: President Juan Manuel Santos blamed an alliance of the FARC rebels and neo-paramilitary fighters for being behind the killing of seven policemen on Tuesday.

Video Source – CCTV America via YouTube

Online Sources – Bloomberg; CBS News; La Prensa; The Guardian