Daily Headlines: October 13, 2014

* Bolivia: According to exit polls and a quick count Bolivian president Evo Morales won reelection to a third straight term in office with roughly 60% of voters backing him.

* Mexico: The governor of Guerrero claimed that the remains found in recently unearthed graves do not belong to forty-three students missing since September 26th.

* Venezuela: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reportedly called for an emergency meeting of O.P.E.C. as the prices of crude oil have hit a four-year low.

* Puerto Rico: Tropical Storm Gonzalo could reach hurricane strength by the time it is expected to hit Puerto Rico tomorrow morning and dump as much as a foot of rain on the island.

Video Source – euronews via YouTube
 
Online Sources – Voice of America; LAHT; The Weather Channel; Bloomberg; The Latin Amercanist

Daily Headlines: September 15, 2014

* Mexico: Hurricane Odile swept through parts of the Baja California peninsula early this morning with 125 mile per hour winds and dumping a “mind-boggling” eleven inches of rain in the span of an hour.

* Cuba: Some 165 Cuban medical professionals will be sent to parts of Africa ravaged by a deadly Ebola outbreak.

* Brazil: FIFA admitted that senior officials with the world soccer governing body illegally received Swiss watches worth $25,000 after arriving in Brazil for this year’s World Cup.

* Colombia: The extradition process between Colombia and the U.S. has been called into question when a recently released “humble carpenter” was mistaken for a drug smuggler and held in prison for six months.

Video Source – euronews via YouTube 

Online Sources – NBC News; Associated Press; GlobalPost; InSight Crime

Daily Headlines: October 27, 2011

* Brazil: The country’s Supreme Appeals Court overturned a pair of lower court rulings banning same-sex couples from marrying.

* Mexico: Hurricane Rina may've weakened but that hasn’t prevented residents along Mexico’s Gulf coast to be on high alert.

* Latin America: According to a U.N. panel foreign direct investment in Latin America and the Caribbean rose by 54% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2010.

* Cuba: A newly released government has reportedly raised concerns over a rapidly aging Cuban population that could impact the island’s economy.

Image Source – Via Flickr user Beraldo Leal (Photo taken during this year’s Sao Paulo gay pride parade). (CC BY 2.0.)

Online Sources – ABC News, Bloomberg, Fox News Latino, LAHT

World Watch: Another natural disaster

* Asia: Disaster teams from several Asian countries are heading towards Fiji after an untold number of deaths due to Cyclone Tomas.

* Sri Lanka: Is Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war finally over?

* Iraq: Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi holds a slim lead in parliamentary elections over current PM Nouri al-Maliki.

* Russia: The U.N. has blasted environmental problems in construction projects for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

Image – ABC Online (“There is significant damage to schools and hospitals and dozens of homes have been destroyed” as a result of Cyclone Thomas hitting Fiji.)
Online Sources- Guardian UK, BBC News, Times Online, ABC Online

Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc in Central America

After hitting much of Central America with heavy flooding and high-speed winds, Hurricane Ida has now turned into Tropical Storm Ida. Ida is presently hitting areas of the Gulf Coast as residents of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida brace themselves for the declared emergencies. Fortunately the storm has died down since it plowed through areas of Central America. Before the effects of Ida hit the U.S. it wreaked havoc in much of Central America, and was especially damaging in El Salvador.

Ida affected thousands in Nicaragua and Honduras by causing heavy rains and damage. Although many were fleeing to shelters, there were no reported casualties in these countries. Mexico was also fortunate, as Ida didn't quite reach land in the Yucatan Peninsula, as was originally expected. Unfortunately, in El Salvador the situation was much worse. With winds reaching 70mph, Ida caused flooding and landslides, leaving residents with buried cars and homes. The capital San Salvador and the province San Vincente were hit hardest. In Verapaz, located in the province of San Vincente, residents dug out survivors with their bare hands. Over 130 people have died so far in El Salvador, many are missing, and about 7,000 are living in shelters. Because of flooding and collapsed bridges many towns have been cut off from the outside and are in desperate need of government aid, including clean drinking water and other supplies. Neighboring countries like Guatemala have sent troops and aid workers to help.

Online Sources: BBC News, Associated Press, AFP, ReliefWeb
Image: Washington Post

Daily Headlines: September 3, 2009

* Latin America: Mexico's Baja California peninsula was hit yesterday by the heavy rains and 90 mile-per-hour winds of Hurricane Jimena (image) while meteorologists believe that Tropical Storm Erika will weaken as it travels through the Caribbean.

* Cuba: China strengthened its ties to Cuba by giving the island $600 million in loans and grants for items like improving Cuban telecommunications and investing in agriculture.

* Mexico: Remittances to Mexico dropped by over 19% in July compared to the same month in 2008 according to government figures.

* Brazil: Felipe Massa will miss the rest of this year’s Formula 1 season but should return in 2010 according to his Ferrari racing team.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- Al Jazeera English, Reuters, Guardian UK, Miami Herald, LAHT

Daily Headlines: September 1, 2009

* Mexico: Residents of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula are gathering supplies and officials are preparing evacuations ahead of the Hurricane Jimena to hit land tonight.

* Venezuela: Venezuela’s economy may be sagging but the country’s stock market has been pretty bullish this year.

* Argentina: According to a local Jewish group the number of anti-Semitic attacks in Argentina has gone up this year.

* Cuba: The Castro administration is none too pleased that a group of European Union diplomats visited the home of an imprisoned dissident last week.

Image- ABC News (“In this satellite image released by NOAA Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, Hurricane Jimena is seen off the coast of Mexico. Jimena, a dangerous Category 4 storm, could rake southern Baja California by Tuesday evening, forecasters said.”)
Online Sources- Reuters, BBC News, LAHT, JTA

U.S., Cuba bicker like schoolchildren over hurricane aid

The petulance of both the Castro administration and the White House has prevented Cubans to receive much needed hurricane assistance.

On the one hand, Cuba’s government has twice refused direct aid from the U.S. “The dignity of a people has no price,” wrote former leader Fidel Castro in a column published on Wednesday as the island’s government turned down a $5 million aid package.

Instead of accepting the aid, the Castro administration proposed a six-month suspension of the U.S. trade embargo on the island. (Due to the embargo aid organizations must get licensed to send money or goods and that process is often difficult). The U.S. government responded by nixing the idea:

Cuba's talk of the embargo "obviously seems to have the ring of politics overriding the needs of the people" and "has nothing to do with humanitarian aid," (U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos) Gutierrez told Reuters in a telephone interview from Washington.

"We believe we could be of great help to the Cuban people, but the offer was rejected, and it's very frustrating because we want to help," he said.

No Secretary Gutierrez, what is truly “frustrating” is observing how Havana and Washington are entrenched in their Cold War mindsets and treating hurricane assistance as a diplomatic hot potato. Petty political differences are nothing compared to those Cubans whose lives have been affected by the recent hurricanes. Too bad leaders in the U.S. and Cuba don’t see it that way.

Image- BBC News

Sources- Los Angeles Times, miamiherald.com, Guardian UK, Reuters, Al Jazeera English

Daily Headlines: September 13, 2008

* Venezuela: The White House has added more fire to the growing diplomatic crisis with Venezuela and Bolivia; yesterday, the Treasury Department has accused the Chavez administration of trafficking drugs and funding Colombian guerillas.

* U.S.: Fear of raids and deportations have led illegal immigrants to stay behind in areas under danger from an incoming hurricane. Sound familiar?

* Spain: Actor Javier Bardem is trying to backtrack from supposedly disparaging comments he made over his countrymen which he claims were mistranslated.

* Mexico: Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas’ 1999 duet “Smooth” is the second-most popular song ever according to Billboard? Really?!

Image- Al Jazeera English
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, Christian Science Monitor, Guardian UK, prefixmag.com

Today’s Video: Ike ravages Caribbean

After Hurricane Gustav caused massive material damage on Cuba, Fidel Castro compared the destruction to that of the nuclear bomb that hit Hiroshima in 1945. That comparison may be more appropriate to describe Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike which cut a path of destruction through the Caribbean:

Nearly 1 million Cubans were evacuated from coastal areas as high winds and tidal waves destroyed residences. In Haiti alone Ike and previous storms have officially killed over 600 people as aid officials estimate that at least 600,000 people in the country sorely need humanitarian relief.
As we mentioned on Saturday, there are numerous charitable groups which you can donate to; if you know of any others please mention them in the comments below.
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Reuters, MSNBC, AFP, Bloomberg

ICE: No detentions during Gustav evacuations

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials claimed that they will not conduct any arrests of illegal immigrants trying to evacuate due to Hurricane Gustav. “There are no immigration enforcement operations,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Kelly Nantel to ABC News as Latinos in the New Orleans area are worried of ICE authorities:

A dearth of Latinos through the day at a train and bus depot dubbed "The Gate" because it is the New Orleans staging spot for evacuees worried volunteer Lucas Diaz.

"Latinos are fearful that by being taken to shelters they will be turned over to immigration officials," said Diaz, a member of a nonprofit group that works with the Latino community in New Orleans.

"They don't trust," Diaz told AFP. "Often people along the way, like shelter workers, take to being ICE agents and turn people in."

New Orleans has received an influx of Latino laborers and businesses that have assisted in the post-Katrina reconstruction. Their presence has not always been welcomed, however, and recent mass raids in Iowa and Mississippi have provoked fears in the community.

The category 3 hurricane with possible 130 mile-per-hour winds is expected to hit the Gulf coast around midday on Monday. Analysts believe that Gustav will cause as much or more damage than Katrina did three years ago.

Gustav ravaged through the Caribbean over the past week and killed at least sixty people on Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Image- Newsweek.com (“Residents of New Orleans carry their belongings while evacuating at the city's Greyhound Bus and Amtrak station.”)

Sources- AFP, sunherald.com, Associated Press, The Latin Americanist, ABC News, Reuters, China Daily, IHT

Storm kills at least 19 in Hispaniola

Gustav may’ve been downgraded to a tropical storm yet that didn’t stop it from battering the island of Hispaniola. The storm reached land with winds nearing 100 miles per hour as Gustav claimed the lives of at least ten Haitians and an entire family of seven on the Dominican Republic.

Unfortunately the worse of Gustav may yet to be seen:

“Though Gustav has temporarily weakened overnight due to its interaction with Haiti, this storm remains likely to explode into a major hurricane over the northwestern Caribbean'' on Aug. 29, said Jim Roullier, a senior energy meteorologist with Planalytics Inc., a forecaster based in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

The storm weakened from a hurricane overnight as it crossed southwestern Haiti. As much as 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain may fall in parts of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, eastern Cuba, Jamaica and the Caymans, the center said.

In anticipation of Gustav, Cuban authorities issued hurricane alerts for eastern parts of the island and “emergency preparations” are also being done at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay.

The price of crude oil is expected to increase for a third straight day as energy producers worry over the safety of offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Image- miamiherald.com (“A man makes his way through heavy rains caused by the approaching of Gustav Hurricane in Havana, Cuba on Tuesday.”)

Sources- AFP, Bloomberg, UPI, IHT, MarketWatch, Reuters, newsday.com,

Daily Headlines: August 26, 2008

* Latin America: A Food and Agriculture Organization report concluded that food supply exceeds demand in the region and that the global food crisis actually began five years ago.

* Caribbean: Bad news for the Caribbean as Hurricane Gustav is expected to gain strength while en route to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.

* Cuba: The country needs “a new socialist program” since “Cubans are frustrated, alienated and hopeless” according to a statement issued by some former communist leaders on the island.

* Brazil: The government plans to spend over $28 million on a new guns-for-cash campaign.

Image- MSNBC (“A peasant holds ears of corn during a (2007) demonstration in Mexico City against the price rise of corn, the staple food of low income Mexicans.”)

Sources- BBC News, Xinhua, MSNBC, Monsters & Critics

Hurricane Elida builds steam

Tropical Storm Elida has been declared a hurricane, and the second of the season on the western coast of Mexico, AP reports:

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According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Hurricane Elida's center was located about 335 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, early Monday. Elida is moving toward the west-northwest at about 16 mph. That motion is expected to continue with a decrease in forward speed over the next couple days. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts. The hurricane center is expecting little change in strength over the next 24 hours.
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This hurricane comes in the wake of Hurricane Bertha, which was downgraded to a tropical storm and petered out last week near Bermuda.

Sources: AP, Reuters, KXMC

Daily Headlines: September 11, 2007

* On the one hand, dozens of U.S. truckers protested against a pilot program allowing their Mexican counterparts to drive along U.S. interstate highways. On the other hand, U.S. farmers are increasingly expanding their operations into Mexico.

* Have “death squads” returned to El Salvador?

* The leaders of Bolivia and Venezuela reached several economic agreements yesterday.

* Follow-up #1: The official number of deaths in Nicaragua caused by Hurricane Felix has increased to 65.

* Follow-up #2: Legal appeals continue to obstruct the extradition of ex-Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega to France.

Sources (English)- Guardian UK, International Herald Tribune, El Universal, Prensa Latina, The Latin Americanist, Monsters & Critics

Source (Spanish)- El Diario/La Prensa

Image- SignOnSanDiego.com (Truckers protest last week against an experimental initiative regarding Mexican trucks traveling on U.S. highways)

Follow-up: Dual storms pound Mexico and Central America

The death toll has risen to 38 64 as Hurricane Felix rolled through several Central American countries. Concerns about mudslides and flash floods remained in Honduras though worse hit by the storm was the Miskito Coast region of eastern Nicaragua where over 30,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Despite being grateful that the storm did not reach the magnitude of 1998’s Hurricane Mitch, Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega still emphasized the damage caused by Felix:

"There are more than 200 people missing. We are talking about really serious damage."

Meanwhile, Hurricane Henriette has been downgraded to a tropical storm but not before causing serious damage while traveling over mainland Mexico. The storm’s death toll is nine after two fishermen died in Baja California. The National Weather Service warned that it could bring as much as a foot of rain in isolated areas and cause flash flooding in northern Mexico.

Earlier this week, both storms reached landfall after strengthening over warm ocean waters.

Image- BBC News

Sources- AFP, Baltimore Sun, Wikipedia, Guardian UK, International Herald Tribune, Reuters, UK, The Latin Americanist

Dual hurricanes bear down on Mexico and Central America

Several Central American countries are reeling after being hit by nearly 200 mile per hour winds from Hurricane Felix this morning. So far two people have been killed in northern Nicaragua and the National Hurricane Center warned of potentially fatal mudslides and flash floods ravaging Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. The storm has diminished to a Category 3 hurricane though “torrential rains” are expected to fall over Central America for days.

Meanwhile, Baja California is readying for Henriette which strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane. The typhoon is expected to reach landfall later today after having previously caused several deaths over the weekend.

Sources- The Telegraph, Reuters, MarketWatch, Bloomberg, Forbes, AFP

Image- Guardian UK

Daily Headlines: September 3, 2007 – Afternoon Edition

* Hundreds of tourists in Honduras were evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Felix reaching land tomorrow morning.

* Coming this season to “Ugly Betty” – Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham.

* Seven people died during a shootout between police and gangs at a Rio de Janeiro slum.

* Work is beginning on an expansion of the Panama Canal.

* A senior Colombian guerilla commander was killed in combat according to the country’s defense minister.

Sources- BBC News, Monsters & Critics, Canadian Press, Xinhua, International Herald Tribune

Image- The Telegraph

Hurricane Dean hits Mexico for second straght day

After battering southeastern Mexico yesterday, Hurricane Dean regained strength and hit the Mexican coast again this afternoon. Despite being a weaker Category 2 hurricane with 100 mile per hour winds, Dean is expected to cut westward through mainland Mexico and may emerge past the Pacific coast as Typhoon Gil.

The then-Category 5 hurricane walloped the Yucatan peninsula yesterday with winds nearing 170 miles per hour. Resort areas were mostly spared and there were no fatalities reported, though low-lying residential parts suffered notable damage (image) and heavy flooding.

As we mentioned on Monday, Hurricane Dean moved through the Caribbean over the weekend causing 13 deaths and major damage to Jamaica.

Image- BBC News

Sources- Christian Science Monitor, Forbes, Reuters Canada, Bloomberg, Guardian UK, Sydney Morning Herald, The Latin Americanist,

Hurricane en route to Mexico; aid needed for quake survivors in Peru

Hurricane Dean is heading towards Mexico after ravaging through the Caribbean. So far, six deaths have been attributed to the Category 4 hurricane and damage from it caused Jamaica to declare a state of emergency.

Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated from the state of Quintana Roo while hundreds packed Cancun’s airport in an effort to leave before the hurricane is expected to land early Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, rescue efforts were called off earlier today in Peru as there is little chance in finding any survivors of last week's deadly earthquakes. Now the main focus has been to deliver assistance to survivors though that as been a challenge for inland areas whose infrastructure was decimated by the tremors as well as some who have criticized the Peruvian government for lack of organization.

Nevertheless, we continue our appeal for you to please provide donations for Peruvian earthquake relief. There are several ways in which you can do so, and they are listed in this post we published yesterday.

Sources- Guardian UK, Bloomberg, CNN, Christian Science Monitor, BBC News, Voice of America, Reuters UK, The Latin Americanist

Image- BBC News (Hurricane Dean’s 150 mile-per-hour winds gushed through Kingston, Jamaica over the weekend)