Daily Headlines: March 21, 2016

* Cuba: Cuban authorities reportedly began releasing this morning some of the approximately sixty dissidents arrested on Sunday hours prior to U.S. President Barack Obama’s arrival to the island.

* Peru: Peru’s electoral body, which has already barred two presidential candidates, opened an investigation against poll frontrunner Keiko Fujimori over allegations of distributing cash to supporters.

* Haiti: In the latest chapter of Haiti’s political crisis, legislators rejected Interim President Jocelerme Priver’s choice for prime minister.

* U.S.: “It’s like wearing a condom to protect against head lice,” said comedian John Oliver on the latest edition of “Last Week Tonight” as he assailed the notion of erecting a barrier along the entire U.S.-Mexico border.

YouTube Source – Associated Press

Online Sources – Fox News Latino, The Independent, Bloomberg, ABC News

Daily Headlines: January 12, 2016

* Venezuela: Venezuela’s new opposition-led congress has been thrown into disarray after the Supreme Court voided new legislative actions over the swearing in of three barred lawmakers.

* Mexico: Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, alleged co-leader of the Sinaloa drug gang along with Joaquin Guzmán, is reportedly Mexico’s most wanted criminal days after the recapture of “El Chapo”.

* Guatemala: A Guatemalan tribunal once again suspended the trial of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

* Europe: Lionel Messi of Argentina captured the Ballon d’or as the world’s top male soccer player for a fifth time while Brazil’s Wendell Lira won the goal of the year award.

YouTube Source – euronews

Online Sources – Reuters, The Tico Times, The Latin Americanist, BBC Sport

Daily Headlines: January 6, 2016

* Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro will likely reshuffle his cabinet and announce new economic measures following the tense takeover of congress by the opposition.

* Latin America: The Zika virus, a deadly mosquito-borne disease that particularly affects newborn children, has spread throughout Latin America and reached Puerto Rico this week.

* Mexico: Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias “La Barbie,” is expected to plead guilty in a U.S. court today on charges related to drug trafficking for Mexican cartels.

* Brazil: The number of HPV and pneumonia vaccines administered by the Brazilian public health care system will be cut reportedly due to the government’s austerity plans.

YouTube Source – Reuters

Online Sources – ABC News, Reuters, Quartz, CNN

Daily Headlines: December 31, 2015

* Chile: Education reform activists including those participating in protests since 2011 won a key victory when Congress approved a law last week dropping tuition for most state universities.

* Venezuela: Venezuelan opposition leaders blasted a high court ruling blocking the election of four legislators to the National Assembly and, thus, preventing a critical two-thirds supermajority for anti-government forces.

* Puerto Rico: 2016 will not start of well for Puerto Rico’s finances after Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla admitted that the commonwealth will default on $37 million of its $72 billion in public debt.

* Mexico: According to the Los Angeles Times, the relaxing of marijuana laws in several U.S. states has led to reduced earnings for Mexican drug gangs.

YouTube Source – AFP (Video uploaded in June 2015).
 
Online Sources – ABC News, Latin American Herald Tribune, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times

Daily Headlines: June 22, 2015

* Venezuela: Approximately 400 people protested in Caracas on Saturday and called for the liberation of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition activists such as Leopoldo Lopez.

* Argentina: Outgoing president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ruled out running for a seat in the Argentine legislature but “she has set up supporters in key candidacies for the primaries in which 13 presidential hopefuls are participating.”

* Brazil: Corruption scandals and a floundering economy could explain why poll results published on Sunday showed Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s approval rating has reached a record low of 10%.

* Cuba: Venezuelan National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello revealed photos purportedly of him and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro at a meeting in Havana over the weekend.

YouTube Source – euronews

Online Sources – Yahoo News, Fox News Latino, NASDAQ, teleSUR English

Daily Headlines: May 18, 2015

* Venezuela: Venezuela’s main opposition coalition held legislative primaries with the hope that they can take advantage of growing discontent against the government and capture the National Assembly later this year.

* Cuba: Several Caribbean countries are being hit with very dry weather conditions including Cuba where more than 1 million people are reportedly affected by “an intense drought.”

* Latin America: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is expected to announce a series of major investment projects in Latin America during his official visit to Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Chile this week.

* Vatican: Argentine-born Pope Francis canonized two Arab nuns from Palestine days after the Vatican formally recognized the state of Palestine.
 
YouTube Source – Al Jazeera English

Online Sources – Miami Herald, Fox News Latino, USA TODAY, teleSUR English

Daily Headlines: January 15, 2015

* Guatemala: The genocide retrial of ex-Guatemalan strongman Efrain Rios Montt was once again suspended after he skipped attending a court hearing this week.

* Venezuela: Former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles called on the Venezuelan opposition to unite and protest against the government amid a worsening economic crisis.

* Mexico: At least twenty Mexican state officials including prosecutors, forensic investigators and state police are being investigated for allegedly helping cover up the extrajudicial killings of suspected gang members in June 2014.

* Colombia: Colombia will become the first Latin American country to use a new cell phone app aimed at providing free internet nationwide and championed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Video Source – YouTube user WochitGeneralNews (The genocide retrial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt was initially suspended last week following the intervention of his lawyers).

Online Sources – BBC News; Bloomberg; ABC News; Voice of America

Cuban Bishops Back Reconciliation, Greater Political Freedoms

Days after Chilean Catholic bishops urged for a national reconciliation on the fortieth anniversary of the military coup d’état that ousted President Salvador Allende, their Cuban counterparts issued their own call for unity.

A letter issued by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (CCBC) to reporters earlier today advocated for dialogue between Cubans of differing opinions.

“The geographic proximity and family ties between the two peoples are unavoidable realities that should be taken into account in order to encourage an inclusive policy, through respect for differences”, read part of the CCBC’s communiqué that was entitled “Hope Does Not Disappoint.”

The letter included quoted remarks made by Pope John Paul II during a 1998 visit to support the CCBC’s view against the decades-old U.S. embargo against Cuba.  

“The forced isolation impacts the population indiscriminately … the measures imposed from outside on the country are unjust and ethically unacceptable,” the letter quoted the late pontiff as stating.

The document praised economic reforms enacted under President Raul Castro but noted that more needs to be done to remedy problems such as the low salaries of professional and government workers in health and education.

The group also criticized the lack of political liberalization that would allow for greater freedom of expression on the island.

“Cuba is called upon to be a plural society … there must be a right to diversity in terms of thought, creativity and the search for truth,” the letter mentioned.

CCBC secretary Jose Felix Perez said that copies of the letter to government authorities though an official response was not immediately provided.

Today’s Video: From Sprinter to Senator

Last Monday we looked at the life of famed Cuban boxer Teófilo Stevenson who was only one of three pugilists to win three gold medals at the Olympics. Over the next few days we’ll look at other athletes from Latin America and the Caribbean who excelled in previous editions of the Summer Games.

It is not unusual for some athletes to enter the world of politics after retiring from the sports scene. Before his tragic death in 2009 Nicaraguan pugilist Alexis Arguello served as mayor of Managua while former Brazilian soccer superstar turned congressman Romario has been very vocal in criticizing the organization of the 2016 Rio Games.

Months before the Beijing Games in 2008, sprinter Ana Guevara retired from the track alleging that she was tired of the corruption and “dirty politics” in Mexican athletics. Since then the outspoken Guevara has not shied away from throwing her hat into the political ring.

In 2009 she attempted to run for local office in Mexico City as a candidate of a leftist alliance but lost by a slim margin. Despite the electoral reversal and having to pay a fine for tax evasion this May, Guevara aimed this year for a seat on the Mexican Congress. She received the backing of several politicos including presidential candidate Andres Manuel López Obrador. Earlier this month, Guevara won and she will be a senator as part of the opposition expected to serve as a counterweight to alleged president-elect Enrique Peña Nieto.

World Watch: Helping Ai Wewei

* China: Dissident artist Ai Weiwei has received thousands of donations that have covered at least one-third of a $2.4 million tax bill placed against him by the Chinese government.

* Iran: An upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency report will allegedly say that the Iranian government is very close to developing a nuclear arms program.

* Greece: A new interim government is expected to be announced on Tuesday as the country continues to struggle with a major debt crisis.

* U.S.: A federal judge temporarily blocked a rule that would've forced graphic images to be displayed on cigarette packs.

Image – Via Flickr user Daniel Lobo (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources- The Independent, CNN, Reuters

U.S.-Mex. governors meet; worry over border corruption

Governors from border states in the U.S. and Mexico are meeting today with the aim of addressing several issues with Mexico's president. One of the main topics for discussion will be drug-related violence that is affecting the border states though the governors will also talk about trade and border security.

Speaking of border security, today’s New York Times mentioned of the growing number of corruption investigations among U.S. Border Patrol officers. Homeland Security officials worry that the increased number of officers could lead to dangerous security breaches:

James Tomsheck, the assistant commissioner for internal affairs at Customs and Border Protection, said the agency was “deeply concerned” that smugglers were sending operatives to take jobs with the Border Patrol and at ports…

Although bad apples turn up in almost every law enforcement agency, the corruption cases expose a worrisome vulnerability for national and border security. The concern, several officials said, is that corrupt agents let people into the country whose intentions may be less innocent than finding work.

Sources- BBC News, CNN, UPI, New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The Latin Americanist

Image- New York Times (“The Mexican side of the fence in Naco, a village that straddles the border with Arizona.”)

Spanish is “ghetto” language, says Gingrich

First it was a Long island legislator saying that he would “load a gun” and shoot at day laborers that dared stand in front of his home.

Then it was presidential candidate Mitt Romney misinterpreting a popular quote by Fidel Castro during a speech to Cuban exile leaders.

Now it’s former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s turn to be afflicted by verbal diarrhea after he called Spanish "the language of living in a ghetto" during a speech on Saturday (image). Gingrich’s comment came during a discourse against bilingual education and multi-lingual voting ballots. (Hat tip: Hispanic Tips).

It absolutely amazes me when someone’s level of political discourse lowers itself to the level of juvenile and irresponsible remarks. You would think people ought to know better, but perhaps their hubris gets in the way of clear, rational judgment.

Maybe Puck was right all along:

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

Links- The Latin Americanist, Wonkette, WSB-TV, Hispanic Tips, eNotes,

Image- Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Where in the world is Eduardo Lapi?

Venezuelan authorities are investigating if prison officials were involved in the escape of ex-governor Eduardo Lapi (image). Lapi- who was accused of embezzlement and corruption- fled jail over the weekend while awaiting trial and becomes the second high-profile jail break since dissident labor leader Carlos Ortega escaped a military facility last August.

Links- Bloomberg, International Herald Tribune, VCrisis

Image- Union Radio

Bolivia’s Morales supports Rigoberta Menchu’s bid for prez

Politicians linked to Bolivian president Evo Morales expressed his support for Nobel Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu (image) in her bid for Guatemala’s presidency. A key senator to Morales’ Movement Towards Socialism party said that they would send an advisory group to “accompany and support comrade Menchu.”

Morales was elected as Bolivia’s first indigenous president and indigenous leader Menchu certainly hopes to emulate in his footsteps and be elected to the presidency.

Links- Javno, Washington Post

Image- BBC News

Titulares de las Americas

A quick look at some of the Spanish-language headlines making the rounds in Latin America:

• El Tiempo & RCN (Colombia): Colombia’s newly named foreign minister had to issue a quick retraction after claming that Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez is the “ideological leader” to Colombian guerrillas. “I admit that I made a mistake” said Fernando Araujo in a radio interview this morning where he also added his “respect for the government and president of Venezuela.”
• La Tercera (Chile): Problems with Santiago’s public transit system have led anti-government legislators to call for the resignation of Chile’s Minister of Transportation. “Its time for new faces to solve the problems of current administrators” said one key opposition politician.
• El Comercio (Peru): U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson praised Peru’s economy during a visit to Lima. “I smiled while looking at Peru’s economic indicators” said Paulson after meeting with President Alan Garcia.
• Diario El Mundo (El Salvador): Guatemalan authorities arrested four suspects in the murders of three Salvadoran politicians last month. Guatemalan police considers the suspects as the minds behind the assassinations though Salvadoran police consider them only as material suspects.
• La Jornada (Mexico) & El Comercio (Ecuador): Mexican director Guillermo del Toro won nine Ariel awards during last night’s ceremony in Mexico City. In addition, best actor went to Damián Alcázar for “Cronicas”- a film co-produced by Mexico and Ecuador.
• La Prensa (Nicaragua): Opposition politicians blasted President Daniel Ortega in a report issued yesterday. Though Ortega has only been in office for a little over two months, Movimiento por Nicaragua deemed Ortega’s regime as “totally disrespectful of the constitution.”
• Primera Hora (Puerto Rico): Leaders of the Popular Democratic Party called for the island’s residents to support having a one-chamber legislature. Though a referendum approved changing Puerto Rico’s legislature to a unicameral chamber, legal battles have prevented it from being carried out.

Links- El Tiempo, RCN, El Comercio, Diario El Mundo, La Jornada, El Comercio, La Prensa, Primera Hora, La Tercera

Ecuador: Tensions rise over referendum and fired lawmakers

Ecuador’s political crisis has deepened with opposition politicians behind the creation of an anti-government legislative assembly, while alternate legislators were sworn in to replace approximately fifty dismissed Congressmen. Additional security precautions were taken at Ecuador’s Congress building to avoid last week’s disruptions.

The political controversy in Ecuador stems from President Rafael Correa’s push to have a constitutional referendum. So far the referendum’s date has been set for April 15^th, and the BBC notes that:

“(President Correa) wants the people to have a greater say and is organizing a referendum next month as the first step in setting up a series of assemblies that would by-pass the power of the Congress.

The established politicians, not surprisingly, do not want to relinquish power and are fighting back”.

Links- Financial Times, Prensa Latina, The Latin Americanist, Reuters AlertNet, BBC News

Image- Washington Post (Ecuadorian parliamentarians knocking heads with police last week)

Rudy Giuliani defends ties with Venezuela’s Citgo

Rudy Giuliani- the former mayor of New York City and front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination- defended his law firm’s ties to Venezuelan-owned petroleum firm Citgo. “What (Citgo is) doing is lawful and honorable and helping to protect jobs for more than 100,000 Americans,” said Giuliani yesterday which refuted a campaign statement made last week regarding how Giuliani’s law firm will earn as much as $250,000 lobbying for Citgo.

On a related note, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney committed several embarrassing faux pas during a speech in Miami.

Links- Guardian UK, Wonkette, Reuters

Image- CNN (Rudy Giuliani and Hugo Chavez side-by-side)

Washington Post: U.S. immigration system needs to be fixed ASAP

An editorial published in last Sunday’s Washington Post highlighted the need for immigration reform to be taken seriously and not as political hot potato. As an example of this need, the editorial looked at the March 6^th raid by immigration officers on a Massachusetts factory (image) which led to the arrest of five people but also the detention of hundreds of mothers who worked at the factory.

It is the splitting of families by the raid that drew the Post’s ire as they noted how children were callously separated from their parents:

“In one case, doctors treated an 8-month-old baby, Keylyn Zusana Lopez Ayala, for pneumonia and possible dehydration after her mother was detained and unable to breast-feed her. Keylyn is an American citizen”.

In addition, the editorial pointed out that the hiring of illegal immigrants at the New Bedford plant occurred right under the noses of supposed government watchdogs:

“Because the factory held military contracts worth more than $90 million, the Pentagon maintained a quality control office there, staffed by an inspector who must have known or suspected the plant employed hundreds of undocumented immigrants. Apparently the inspector was operating under a ‘don't ask, don't tell’ policy.”

The editorial concluded by decrying harsh measures taken by immigration authorities and emphasized changes in U.S. immigraion policy:

“Cruel, self-defeating and illogical, the New Bedford raid is an inelegant example of how badly this country needs a clear-eyed immigration policy, one that provides not only for tough enforcement but also humane protections and a path to citizenship for immigrants who have put down roots and contributed to the national economy. The current regimen is a blight -- on immigrants who need the work, on employers who need the labor, and on a nation whose ideals of fair play and image as a welcoming and caring place are seriously at risk”.

Links- Washington Post, Boston Herald, Boston Globe, Latina Lista, Christian Science Monitor

Image- Boston Globe

Weekly Debate: Bill Richardson and the path to the White House- yellow brick road or dead end?

Last January, the Hispanic governor of New Mexico- Bill Richardson- launched an exploratory committee to back a possible bid for the U.S. presidency in 2008. Several political analysts and bloggers have recently backed Richardson’s run for the White House and believe that he is not only the ideal candidate for the Democratic Party but should also be the next president. For instance, here’s what Matthew Yglesias had to say last month:

“Richardson is clearly more qualified for the White House than anyone else in the race, since everyone knows that doesn't matter. Just consider the bare fact that he's the popular, second-term governor of a swing state -- you know, the sort of person who back in the day used to win presidential elections. And it's not as if Richardson isn't getting attention because the field is crowded with popular second-term governors of swing states”.

Let’s take a quick look at some points for and against him:

Pros

• + Plenty of government experience not only as Governor of New Mexico, but also as a Congressman, Secretary of Energy, and Ambassador to the U.N.
• + Progressive views on areas like gay rights, the war in Iraq, and drugs could help him during the primaries.
• + Also has support from some right-wingers such as the Cato Institute and Instapundit readers.
• + In terms of Latin America, he highlighted the need for comprehensive immigration reform, democracy in Cuba and better relations with Latin America and the Caribbean in a recent speech.

Cons

• - Bill Who? The American public knows very little about him, especially with the media focus on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
• - Lack of exposure and subsequent difficulties in raising funds could lead Richardson to drop out of the race much like Tom Vilsack.
• - The latest Harris Poll has Richardson behind four other Democrats including John Edwards. Meanwhile, other polls show Richardson getting easily beaten by Republican favorites Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.
• -Three Words: Wen Ho Lee

Does Bill Richardson really have a solid chance to be elected president next year? Will he have enough funds and energy to support a viable presidential bid or will it be all for naught? Should he quit or perhaps aim for a Vice Presidential nomination?

What do you think?

Links- Bill Richardson for President, MSNBC, American Prospect Online, Washington Post, VivirLatino, Daily Kos, Andrew Sullivan, Instapundit, Reason Magazine – Hit & Run, CSIS.org, TPMCafe.com, Harris Interactive, Rasmussen Reports, Wikipedia, Free New Mexican, Voice of America, BusinessWeek

Image- TIME