The songs of Choc Quib Town mix Afro Colombian traditional genres like Bunde, Currulao, Bambazú and Aguabajo with the music of Afro descendants of the U.S., Jamaica, Cuba and others like Hip Hop, Reggae, Electronic, Rumba, Flow, Salsa, Songo and Guajira.See (and listen) for yourself:
Developments involving an influential Mexican cleric and a priest originally from Cuba may put increased pressure against Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican.After arriving in Miami in 1968, Garcia-Rubio served as a church advocate for recent immigrants from Latin America, (attorney Jessica) Arbour said, giving him access to child refugees from Cuba, El Salvador and Nicaragua.With millions of Catholics like myself celebrating Holy Week these scandals are difficult to stomach. It’s nothing short of tragic that the likes of Rev. Maciel made a mockery of their spiritual beliefs by exploiting vulnerable victims.
The priest would take the children in, and then require them to have sexual contact with him, she said. If the child refused, Arbour said, Garcia-Rubio would threaten to deport them. Arbour says her client was 15 when he came to the U.S. by himself from Nicaragua.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that lawyers are obligated to tell clients of the risk of deportation should they enter a guilty plea.We granted certiorari to decide whether, as a matter of federal law, Padilla's counsel had an obligation to advise him that the offense to which he was pleading guilty would result in his removal from this country. We agree with Padilla that constitutionally competent counsel would have advised him that his conviction for drug distribution made him subject to automatic deportation. Whether he is entitled to relief depends on whether he has been prejudiced, a matter that we do not address.In his dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia claimed that the “Constitution…is not an all-purpose tool for judicial construction of a perfect world.”
The ongoing battle between oil giant Chevron and the Ecuadorian government just got a whole lot messier.The commercial arbitration is separate from - and secondary to - the arbitration Chevron has sought to resolve a $27bn claim by indigenous people who charge that Texaco (which Chevron bought in 2001) left an environmental disaster in its wake when it withdrew from the country. But it appears to support Chevron’s underlying claim, which is that the company is being unfairly treated by the court system generally…Chevron and Ecuador have pulled all the stops in the ugly environmental case between them; last September the oil firm accused the then-presiding judge of bribery while Chevron was accused of using dirty tricks as part of their public relations offensive.
Indeed, the $700m is unlikely to ever be paid. But for Chevron, the win is being able to feed off the symbolism.
Today is the first full day that Pablo Moncayo enjoys his newfound freedom after spending over 4000 days in captivity."Our hopes remain and we have to keep fighting," said Fanny Martinez, a cousin of the 33-year-old soldier.Image- Times Online
The rebels sent a statement with the humanitarian team that picked up Moncayo in which FARC commander Alfonso Cano said: "With this unilateral gesture, the FARC considers the path cleared for the immediate exchange of prisoners of war."
But President Alvaro Uribe has opposed a swap of imprisoned rebels for hostages unless any guerrillas who are freed agree to abandon the FARC. Uribe has always insisted any rebels freed from Colombia's prisons as part of a prisoner swap be taken in by another country, such as France.
Ahead of a conference of donors on Wednesday Oxfam released a report examining the views by Haitians two months after a major earthquake shook the country.Economic Recovery: Haitians have lost both housing and jobs, and their economy lies in ruins. Between 70 and 80% of Haitians are out of work. Reconstruction projects must ensure local labor opportunities. Jobs and cash-for-work programs are urgently needed in Port au Prince and outside the capital, too, where families hosting displaced relatives and friends are already facing major scarcity and stress. Women and young people -- sometimes an afterthought in economic development programs -- also need urgent help to support themselves and should be included in plans to get the Haitian people back to work.The International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti is expected to create financial commitments needed for post-earthquake reconstruction.
Tensions between Britain and Argentina over the sovereignty of the Falklands Islands/Islas Malvinas climaxed recently over an oil exploration deal. Faced with a possible “oil rush” near the disputed islands, the Argentine government tried to drum up regional support to impede drilling in the area. Eventually British company Desire Petroleum was able to tow a drill rig from Scotland southbound to the Falklands area.If subsequent drilling yields the same disappointing results as Desire's first well, then this will be the second time in 13 years that a Falklands oil boom has ended in tears. In May 1998, Desire's shares crashed by 30% after a drilling operation in the North Falklands basin found that hydrocarbons were present, but not in commercial quantities.Image- BBC News (“Desire's oil platform was moved from Scotland to the Falklands in February.”)
Many, if not most, Hispanics in the U.S. think of their ethnicity (also known as Latino) not just in cultural terms but in a racial context as well. It's why more than 40% of Hispanics, when asked on the Census form in 2000 to register white or black as their race, wrote in "Other" — and they represented 95% of all the 15.3 million people in the U.S. who did so.
* U.S.: With Cesar Chavez Day being celebrated in a handful of states this week, it’s worth noting that there are preliminary plans for a Hollywood film on the late civil rights and labor activist.
Yep, he said it:Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin has opened up on his blog about his sexuality. "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," wrote Martin on (his website) Monday. "I am very blessed to be who I am."…Rumors of Martin’s homosexuality have lingered over the years such as Barbara Walters’ “inappropriate” questions at Martin in a 2000 TV interview.
"If someone asked me today, 'Ricky, what are you afraid of?' I would answer "the blood that runs through the streets of countries at war...child slavery, terrorism...the cynicism of some people in positions of power, the misinterpretation of faith," wrote Martin. "But fear of my truth? Not at all!”
Last week we briefly looked at how health officials throughout Latin America are preparing for a possible dengue fever outbreak. (Bolivia’s government has reportedly distributed over 4000 candles coated with mosquito repellant, for example).The scientists identified a protein that appears to be involved in promoting urination as the insects feed on blood. When mosquitoes consume and process blood meals, they must urinate to prevent fluid and salt overloads that can kill them, as well as shed weight to be able to fly away, the scientists said.There is currently no vaccine or similar treatment to avoid dengue apart from preventative measures. Nonetheless, it’s possible that the work by researchers could lead to a vaccine against an illness that the Centers for Disease Control cites as infecting 100 million people yearly.
"Thus, blocking the function of this protein in natural populations of mosquitoes may limit their ability to survive the physiological stresses of a blood meal and to further transmit viruses," researcher Peter Piermarini said.
The senator referred to a new call by the citizen movement Colombianos y Colombianas por la Paz (Colombians for Peace) for a humanitarian exchange between the government and the guerrillas, to secure the release of 21 hostages still held by the FARC.Tomorrow the FARC are expected to free Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who has spent 12 years in the jungle. Moncayo’s father, Gustavo, has campaigned relentlessly for his son’s liberation including going on nationwide treks with chains surrounding his body. Unfortunately, Moncayo will likely be the last hostage freed at least until current Colombian president Alvaro Uribe leaves office later this year.
"We are in the process of writing letters to President Uribe, all of the presidential candidates and the FARC," Córdoba said…
The rebel group also announced that it would deliver the remains of Julián Ernesto Guevara, a police officer who died in captivity in 2006, nearly eight years after he was captured by the FARC.
The insurgents "told us they have his remains, but that they have not been able to bring them out of the jungle because of the continuous attacks by the army. They asked us to be on the alert," Córdoba added.
* Mexico: President Felipe Calderon claimed that “powerful lobbies in the (U.S.) Congress” are impeding efforts to decrease the stream of illegal arms into Mexico.
* World: Locales around the world including Big Ben (image), the Sydney Opera House, and New York’s Times Square briefly shut off their lights Saturday night as part of Earth Hour 2010.
* Spain: Judge Baltazar Garzon- best known for indicting ex-Chilean strongman Augusto Pinochet- could be charged with “abuse of power” in investigating Spanish civil war crimes.