Daily Headlines: August 18, 2015

* Peru: Peru may have registered a 30% drop in coca cultivation over the past two years yet hundreds of coca growers accuse authorities of providing them insufficient compensation to grow other crops.

* Caribbean: Cuba’s civil defense system was placed on alert due to the effects of a year-long drought, while Puerto Rico sought U.S. Defense Department aid to combat one of the worst droughts in the island’s history.

* Ecuador: Senior disaster official Maria del Pilar Cornejo claimed that about 325,000 people living near the active Cotopaxi volcano are at risk of being hit by possible mudslides and rock flows.

* Mexico: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights accused the Mexican government of preventing them from fully investigating the disappearances of 43 missing (and possibly murdered) students from Ayotzinapa.

YouTube Source – VICE News (“Despite the United Nations confirming in 2013 that Peru has overtaken Colombia as the world's top coca and cocaine producer, the country’s place atop the drug supply chain has — at least so far — not included the levels of violence seen in Colombia, Mexico, and other international narcotics hubs.”)
 
Online Sources – Reuters, ABC News, Business Insider, Fox News Latino, BBC News

Daily Headlines: April 23, 2015

* Chile: Authorities evacuated more than 5000 people living near the Calbuco volcano that erupted twice after having been dormant since 1972.

* Puerto Rico: “The island's financial state is extremely uncertain,” was the grim warning issued by Puerto Rico’s Government Development Bank over a potential local government shutdown.

* U.S.: A defunct movie theater in Texas has sued the AMC megachain over alleged “conduct (that) was anticompetitive, unlawful, and harmful to Houston’s substantial Hispanic and Spanish-speaking community.”

* Argentina: Spanish coach Josep “Pep” Guardiola could be fined for wearing a shirt supporting a campaign for Jorge “El Topo” López, an Argentine journalist killed at last year’s World Cup in Brazil.

YouTube Source – Associated Press

Online Sources – ABC News, The A.V. Club, Al Jazeera, The Guardian

Daily Headlines: March 3, 2014

* Brazil: In the latest black eye to preparations for the upcoming soccer World Cup, pieces of metal fell from the roof of the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte.

* Bolivia: At least four people died and sixty were injured when a footbridge collapsed during a Carnival parade in the Bolivian city of Oruro.

* Guatemala: Residents near Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano could soon be evacuated after the volcano shot plumes of hot ash and vapor over two miles high.

* Puerto Rico: Several dozen teachers protested at Puerto Rico's largest mall against pension changes that they claim would “impoverish educators.”

Video Source – YouTube user tvbrasil

Online Sources- The Guardian; CBC News; Washington Post; Fox News Latino

Daily Headlines: May 14, 2013

* Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro launched the “Safe Homeland” program where over 3000 soldiers will be deployed in major cities in order to combat rampant street crime.

* Guatemala: One of the judges who convicted ex-dictator Efrain Rios Montt in a historic genocide trial ordered the Guatemalan government to publicly apologize for human rights abuses committed under his rule.

* Cuba: Guillermo Fariñas, a frequent Cuban hunger striker and dissident, travelled to Miami as part of a tour of the U.S. and Europe.

* Mexico: Authorities raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano as residents in nearby towns might soon have to evacuate.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources- Businessweek; Miami Herald; NBC News; BBC News; The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: March 27, 2013

* Brazil: The BRICS economic alliance, which includes Brazil, approved a $100 billion fund to combat currency crises but is divided on the possible creation of a new development bank.

* Nicaragua: Authorities are keeping a close eye on the San Cristobal volcano after several moderate earthquakes shook nearby areas.

* Peru: Opposition is mounting against government plans to reinstate an obligatory military service that has been criticized as discriminatory to the poor.

* Argentina: Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega claimed that Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio urged the Vatican to emerge from its “theological narcissism” hours before he was elected as Pope.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources- Bloomberg, LAHT, Time, CBS News

Daily Headlines: December 24, 2012

* South America: The risk of eruption from the Copahue volcano led Chile to issue a maximum red alert and Argentina to warn residents of local villages to closely monitor the situation.

* Mexico: Several thousand supporters of the Zapatista National Liberation Army marched in southern Mexico in order to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the Acteal massacre.

* Spain: Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi scored in Barcelona's 3-1 victory and, thus, finished 2012 with ninety-one goals in all competitions.

* Brazil: According to new government data the number of murders in Sao Paulo last month increased by 71% compared to November 2011.

Video Source – YouTube via user abccolor
 
Online Sources- AFP, Sacramento Bee, ESPN Soccernet, LAHT

Daily Headlines: December 18, 2012

* Mexico: New president Enrique Peña Nieto unveiled a six-point anti-crime plan that includes the creation of a paramilitary police force and combating corruption in law enforcement.

* U.S.: Hate crimes against Latinos dropped by 31% in 2011 according to a new report from the FBI.

* Ecuador: Several thousand villagers were evacuated as a result of increased risk of erupiton of the Tungurahua volcano.

* Argentina: On Monday the Argentine government began the process of breaking up the Clarin media conglomerate.

Video Source – YouTube via Milenio 

Online Sources- UPI, KPBS, ABC Online, Mercopress

Daily Headlines: September 14, 2012

* Mexico: The Mexican Navy paraded Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, the alleged head of the Gulf Cartel drug gang who was one of the country’s most wanted criminals.

* Cuba: The Cuban representative was the only member of the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to vote against condemning Iran for its nuclear program.

* Honduras: Police arrested a suspect in the murder of journalist and gay rights activist Erick Martinez last May in eastern Honduras.

* Guatemala: Over 33,000 people were evacuated from the area around the Volcan del Fuego that has been spewing smoke and ash into the sky.

Video Source – YouTube via grupo reforma

Online Sources- Fox News Latino, Sky News, The Guardian, BBC News

Daily Headlines: September 10, 2012

* Mexico: Twice defeated presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that he will form his own political party to oppose incoming president Enrique Peña Nieto.

* Nicaragua: Approximately 3000 people were evacuated from several towns around the ash-spewing San Cristobal volcano.

* Venezuela: The U.S. State Department confirmed that Venezuelan officials would drop arms trafficking charges against the crew of a detained U.S.-flagged cargo ship.

* Chile: Police used tear gas and a water cannon to disperse some one hundred protesters who acted violently at the end of a peaceful rally commemorating the victims of the 1973-1990 military regime.

Video Source – YouTube via Milenio

Online Sources- AFP, Miami Herald, CNN, BBC News

Daily Headlines: May 22, 2012

* Honduras: Residents of the Miskito Coast have called on U.S. drug agents to leave the area after four people were killed earlier this month in a counternarcotics raid.

* Haiti: Two U.S. citizens were arrested after allegedly taking part in protests by Haitian former soldiers seeking the return of the country's disbanded army.

* Chile: Several hundred anti-government demonstrators took to the streets of Valparaiso during President Sebastian Piñera’s state of the union address.

* Guatemala: Officials are on high alert due to increased activity from the Volcan de Fuego in central Guatemala.

Video Source – YouTube via Democracy Now (A recent segment on Democracy Now took a critical look at the “war on drugs” including this month’s deadly DEA raid in Honduras).

Online Sources- Fox News Latino, Huffington Post, LAHT, IOL News

Daily Headlines: April 17, 2012

* Puerto Rico: Norberto Gonzalez Claudio, a Puerto Rican nationalist accused of participating in a 1983 armed vehicle robbery in the Connecticut, has sought to be released on bond while he awaits trial.

* Chile: A 6.7- magnitude earthquake shook central Chile and startled residents as well as visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

* U.S.: A new Nielsen report concluded that the per capita income among Latinos in the U.S. is higher than in emerging economic countries such as Brazil, India and China.

* Mexico: Authorities raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano located roughly fifty miles away from Mexico City.

Video Source – YouTube via newsntn24 (Norberto Gonzalez Claudio was arrested by the FBI last May over his alleged role in a 1983 armed vehicle heist).

Online Sources- Boston.com, BusinessWeek, Canada.com, Reuters

Daily Headlines: April 10, 2012

* Mexico: Leading presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto suggested that more private investment could help Pemex though he stopped short of urging for a full privatization of the state-run oil giant.

* South America: Increased seismic activity has been detected in Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano, while Colombian authorities lowered the eruption threat level for the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.

* Venezuela: Government officials claimed that Costa Rican diplomat Guillermo Cholele was in “good physical state” after he was possibly targeted in an “express” kidnapping.

* U.S.: A “Latino-themed offshoot” of Paranormal Activity that will reportedly “tackle Catholic-based paranormal mythology” could be coming to a theater near you.

Image Source – Flickr via rutlo (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources- The Globe and Mail, Colombia Reports, Prensa Latina, Reuters, The A.V. Club

Weekend Headlines: April 7-8, 2012

* Colombia: Authorities are on high alert over the possibility that renewed activity in the Nevado de Ruiz volcano could soon lead to an eruption.

* Mexico: Three men pleaded guilty to charges related to the botched gun-smuggling operation from the U.S. to Mexico known as “Operation Fast and Furious.”

* Latin America: Monsanto reported a boost in its latest quarterly profits in part due to increased sales of genetically modified seeds in Latin America.

Daily Headlines: November 29, 2011

* Ecuador: Residents of four villages were ordered to evacuate as a result of increased ash and super-hot gas coming from the Tungurahua volcano.

* Mexico: A “vocal member” of the anti-violence Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity was shot and killed on Monday.

* South America: Venezuelan police arrested Maximiliano Bonilla, one of Colombia’s most wanted drug traffickers, and are getting ready to extradite him to the U.S.

* Chile: Workers at one of the world’s top copper mines, Collahuasi in Chile, are entering the second day of a strike on Tuesday.

Image Source – Via Flickr user marriedwithluggage (Photo of the Tungurahua volcano erupting in November 2010). (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources – Sydney Morning Herald, Christian Science Monitor, Huffington Post, Reuters

Daily Headlines: November 21, 2011

* Mexico: Authorities are on alert after the Popocatepetl volcano spewed ash and steam from its crater.

* U.S.: A Dominican-born, U.S. citizen was accused of planning to detonate several bombs in the New York City area.

* Brazil: Chevron was forced to accept “full responsibility” for an oil spill several miles off the Brazilian coast.

* Colombia: A lawsuit was filed in a U.S. federal court accusing an extradited paramilitary commander of “committing violent acts” in Colombia.

Image – Via Flickr user platibolo (CC BY 2.0)

Online Sources- Herald Sun, Reuters, Miami Herald, CNN

Today’s Video: Ghost town

The massive plumes of ash from the erupting Puyehue volcano in Chile has caused widespread problems including delays in air travel across the Southern Cone region along with Australia and New Zealand. The gradual diminishing of volcanic activity has permitted thousands of previously evacuated Chileans to return to their homes. For some people it will take some time to return to their daily lives while their ash-laden towns are cleaned up. Other areas, such as the deserted village in Argentina featured in the following video, may be abandoned forever:

As you can see in the above clip several layers of ash are on the ground, which would hinder cleanup efforts. Animals in the area face starvation since they cannot reach the grass they usually feed while sources of potable water are few and far between. Hence, the Argentine town of Villa la Angustura could become a permanent ghost town.

Online Sources - CSMonitor.com, CNN
Video Source - YouTube via La Republica

Daily Headlines: June 15, 2011

* Chile: The strong eruptions from the Puyehue volcano has not only forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the Southern Cone countries but it could delay the start of the Copa America soccer tournament.

* Argentina: President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sought more support from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for Argentina’s push for talks with Britain over the Falklands.

* Venezuela: The government implemented five energy saving measures including rationing electronic billboard usage and rewards for households that significantly reduce their power usage.

* Mexico: Mexican central bank chief Augustin Carstens and French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde are on the official shortlist for the next International Monetary Fund chief.

Image – AP via CBC News (“Lightning strikes over the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile, seen from the international cross border way Cardenal Samore, in southern Chile on Sunday June 12. The volcano erupted June 4 after remaining dormant for decades.”)
Online Sources- Forbes.com, Mercopress, El Universal, BBC News

Daily Headlines: June 10, 2011

* Guatemala: Authorities arrested former police chief Hector Bol de la Cruz who is accused of masterminding the kidnapping and disappearance of a “student union leader” during the Guatemalan civil war.

* Chile: Four imprisoned Mapuche activists protesting Chile’s controversial dictatorship-era, “anti-terrorism” ended their 86-day hunger strike on Thursday.

* Colombia: President Juan Manuel Santos is expected to sign a landmark victims' law days after rights leader Ana Fabricia Cordoba was murdered.

* South America: Over 100 flights throughout Latin America were cancelled as a result of a massive ash cloud from the eruption of Chile’s Puyehue volcano.

Image – AP via BBC News (“More than 200,000 people were killed or disappeared during the Guatemala's 1960-1996 civil war, most at the hands of the security forces.”)
Online Sources- MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, Globe and Mail

Daily Headlines: June 6, 2011

* Chile: Thousands of Chileans have been evacuated due to the erupting Puyehue volcano that has also spread ash into parts of neighboring Argentina.

* Brazil: President Dilma Rousseff launched the Brazil Without Poverty program that includes more funds to the country's poorest regions, and expanding public health and education plans.

* U.S.: The Obama administration might add provisions for unemployment aid to legislation for free trade pacts with three countries including Panama and Colombia.

* Mexico: El Tri's defense of its Gold Cup title began last night with a convincing 5-0 group stage win over El Salvador.

Image - Martin Iniguez/AP via The Guardian ("A column of smoke and ash rises from Chile's Puyehue volcano after it started erupting for the first time in decades.")
Online Sources - BBC News, Sky News, USA TODAY, Bloomberg

Daily Headlines: April 27, 2011

* Ecuador: Several towns in central Ecuador were ordered to be evacuated due to the increased risk of eruption of the Tungurahua volcano.

* Mexico: Police rescued 51 migrants held hostage in Tamaulipas though unfortunately authorities confirmed that over 270 bodies were uncovered in recent days from a series of mass graves.

* Cuba: According to a poll conducted by a “travel agency network” 75% of respondents would travel or consider traveling to Cuba if U.S. restrictions on tourism were dropped.

* Brazil: President Dilma Rousseff expressed her “immense worry” that inflation could hurt Brazil’s economy.

Image – Reuters via BBC News
Online Sources- Monsters and Critics, BBC News, CNN, Sun-Sentinel, Bloomberg