Ecuador Considering Asylum for Whistleblower Edward Snowden

Will Edward Snowden, the former U.S. intelligence analyst who revealed information over programs to collect telephone and Internet data, make his way to Ecuador and receive asylum?  That could be the case according to senior Ecuadorian officials.

Yesterday Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño mentioned in his Twitter account that Snowden did solicit a request for asylum in Ecuador. Patiño subsequently read Snowden’s appeal for asylum “due to the risk of persecution by the government of the United States and its agents.”

“There are some governments that act more upon their own interests, but we do not," Patiño
said at a Monday morning press conference. "We act upon our principles… We take care of the human rights of the people,” he added in remarks made to reporters in Vietnam.

Patiño’s remarks were followed up by President Rafael Correa who tweeted, “Be assured that we will responsibly look into the Snowden case and we will take with absolute sovereignty the most adequate decision.”

The sheltering of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past twelve months and the possible asylum to Snowden has divided residents of Quito.

“I'm opposed to asylum because the government is always politicizing human rights," said architect Bolivar Lupera, to Reuters while graphic designer Rodolfo Guaman observed, "I'm in agreement because the United States has spied on underdeveloped nations, and this gentleman should not be condemned."

Meanwhile, Wikileaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson defended press freedoms in Ecuador during a “heated exchange” with an Australian journalist:

Daily Headlines: June 24, 2013

* Honduras: The State Department issued a new travel warning advising, “U.S. citizens that the crime and violence levels in Honduras remain critically high,” while a group of twenty-one senators urged a review of aid to the Honduran police and military.

* Uruguay: Voters defeated a proposal to hold a national referendum aimed at overturning a 2012 law legalizing abortion.

* Canada: Quebec officials have called on the Canadian government to permit thousands of Haitian earthquake refugees to stay in the country by not lifting a moratorium on deportations.

* Brazil: Hosts Brazil will take on Copa America winners Uruguay in a Confederations Cup semifinal to be held later this week.

Video Source – YouTube via AFP (Video uploaded on April 2012).

Online Sources- U.S. State Department; ABC News; news24.com; CBC; CNN

One Million Take to the Streets in Brazil Protests

An estimated one million people have reportedly taken to the streets in numerous Brazilian cities on Thursday evening.

Some 300,000 protesters gathered in Rio de Janeiro to air their grievances while a group of demonstrators in Brasilia attempted to break into several government buildings.

"What am I protesting for?" asked Savina Santos, a 29-year-old civil servant in Sao Paulo. "You should ask what I'm not protesting for! We need political reform, tax reform, an end to corruption, better schools, better transportation. We are not in a position to be hosting the World Cup."

The pressure from the protests led several officials to rescind a proposed public transit fare hike in Rio and São Paulo. Nevertheless, the rallies have intensified in recent days as more people in more locations are participating.

Much like they have done in previous protests throughout the past week, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators and others caught in the crossfire.

‘‘I was leaving a peaceful protest and it’s not the thugs that attack me but the police themselves,’’ said protester Michele Menezes who was supposedly bleeding and with her hair singed after the explosion of a tear gas canister shot by Rio police.

The police crackdown has been criticized as heavy-handed yet the only known fatality from the protests occurred when a driver ran over several protesters in São Paulo.

President Dilma Roussef cancelled a planned state trip to Japan next week and called for an emergency meeting of her cabinet on Friday morning. Her approval rating dipped by eight points before the protests, which might explain why she's allegedly "offering careful words of conciliation" instead of taking a more adversarial tone.

The rallies throughout Brazil come against the backdrop of the Confederations Cup, a soccer tournament that serves as preparation for the World Cup. The demonstrations are raising questions over security weeks before a planned visit from Argentine-born Pope Francis, and over a year ahead of the World Cup ad presidential elections. Nevertheless, an International Olympic Committee statement issued on Thursday claimed, "The Olympic Games in 2016 will bring significant benefits to the whole population of Rio, improving the city in terms of transport, infrastructure and social housing, as well as bringing a considerable sporting legacy for Brazil."

According to a Datafolha poll taken this week, 84% of São Paulo demonstrators don't back any political party, 77% have a higher education and 71% are first-time demonstrators. Most of them were opposed to the now-withdrawn toll fare hike while two out of five protesters wanted to call attention to government corruption.< r />

Daily Headlines: June 20, 2013

* Puerto Rico: The San José Church in Old San Juan was included on a National Trust for Historic Preservation of the most endangered historic places in the U.S.

* Ecuador: Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino claimed that the Ecuadorian government would consider granting asylum to U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden.

* Argentina: Soccer superstar Lio Messi and his father have been reportedly charged with roughly $5.4 million in tax fraud by a Spanish judge today.

* Cuba: According to the State Department the U.S. and Cuba agreed to restart migration talks that have been stalled since 2011.

Video Source – YouTube via user preservationnation
 
Online Sources- Bernama; Reuters; USA Today

Video Critical of Brazilian World Cup Becomes Viral

Street protests continued in several major Brazilian cities on Wednesday including police firing tear gas at some 30,000 demonstrators before the Mexico-Italy Confederations Cup match in Fortaleza.

Numerous images of the protests have become widely circulated such as a photo taken of a Rio de Janiero policeman firing pepper spray at close range in the face of a shocked and possibly terrified woman.

Hundreds of videos depicting the rallies as well as people's reactions to them have been uploaded on YouTube and other websites.  One video recorded before the protests, however, has gained viral status and received approximately 1.8 million hits in only three days:

The video was made by Brazilian filmmaker Carla Dauden and describes her ire over Brazil hosting the World Cup next year.

"Suddenly there is all this money available to build new stadiums and the population is led to believe the World Cup is the change they need for their lives to get better. But the truth is that most of the money from the games and the stadiums goes straight to Fifa and we don't see it so we don't get it and the money from tourists and investors goes to those who already have money," said Dauden who was born in Florianópolis and lives in the U.S.

Daily Headlines: June 19, 2013

* Cuba: U.S. President Barack Obama claimed today that he would increase efforts to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba while over 150 doctors requested in an open letter permission to treat hunger-striking inmates.

* U.S.: A report by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that comprehensive immigration reform would benefit the U.S. economy and reduce the federal deficit by nearly $200 million in ten years.

* Latin America: Costa Rica and the U.S. edged closer to qualifying for the World Cup after victories on Tuesday night against Panama and Honduras respectively.

* Mexico: Government officials announced the launching next year of a new satellite that will provide expanded broadband service covering several Latin American countries.

Video Source – YouTube via Deutsche Welle 

Online Sources- CNN; Reuters; The Guardian; Fox News Latino; France24

Daily Headlines: June 18, 2013

* Brazil: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brazil’s main cities on Monday in the latest round of protests over several gripes including public transit price hikes and the use of state funds in the building of World Cup venues.
 
* Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro reportedly discussed crime and hunger at a Vatican meeting with Pope Francis, while opposition figure Henrique Capriles sent a letter to the Pope that highlighted human rights abuses in Venezuela.

* U.S.: In a 7-2 vote the U.S. Supreme court struck down an Arizona voting registration law that opponents claimed discouraged Latinos from voting.

* Peru: “What we are trying to do is defend and keep the lake, so that is why we will be camping at the site indefinitely,” said one of the organizers of a march opposed to a planned $4.8 billion gold and copper mine in northern Peru.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English

Online Sources- ABC News; The Latin Americanist; Fox News Latino; Gulf Times; Reuters; France24

Brazil: Thousands Protest Near Confederations Cup Venues

The Confederations Cup of soccer began in Brazil over the weekend with a convincing win by the host country and one-goal losses by Mexico and Uruguay.  Yet the real action occurred off the field as thousands of Brazilians protested outside some of the tournament’s venues.

Approximately 600 people gathered outside of the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to air numerous grievances including a proposed fare hike to the public transit system.  Police responded by launched tear gas and rubber bullets at the multitude.

“I’m with my nervous and sick children and a pregnant women. People can protest but they and the police need to remember that this is a park with children”, said Frederico Junior who was near the stadium when the police acted against the crowd.

The incident outside of the Maracana occurred one day after several of the 500 protesters outside the recently built National Stadium in Brasilia clashed with local police.

"We don't need the World Cup" and "We need money for hospitals and education" read some of the banners used by demonstrators upset at the use of billions of dollars in public funds to build venues for the Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup.

“Brazilian society was explicitly told in 2007 that all of the money spent on stadiums would be private money. It hasn't worked out that way at all. More than 90% of the money being spent on football stadiums is public money,” said BBC soccer correspondent Tim Vickery.  

The protests also extended beyond Brazil to intentional cities such as New York, Sydney and Madrid. 

“Sorry for the inconvenience.  We’re building a new Brazil,” read one sign held by some of the estimated 2000 demonstrators in the Irish capital of Dublin.

Daily Headlines: June 17, 2013

* Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro signed into law a gun control bill aimed at lowering high crime rates including some 3400 murders in the first three months of this year.

* Honduras: The political party headed by ousted former President Manuel Zelaya nominated his wife, Xiomara Castro, as a presidential candidate in elections scheduled for next November.

* Ecuador: The federal legislature passed a controversial bill supporters believe will break up private media “monopolies” but that opponents feel is a danger against press freedoms.

* Guatemala: Authorities blamed drug traffickers for the massacre of eight police officers in the western province of Quetzaltenango.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English (This video was uploaded on March 2, 2012).

Online Sources- Al Jazeera English; The Guardian; Raw Story; GlobalPost

Daily Headlines: June 14, 2013

* Brazil: Mass protests have taken place in major Brazilian cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on the eve of the Confederations Cup soccer tournament.

* U.S.: While Congress continues to wrangle over immigration reform several recent polls have shown widespread public support for a bipartisan plan by the Senate’s “Gang of Eight.”

* Argentina: Former President Carlos Menem was convicted yesterday for arms smuggling though he will not serve prison time for now due to his immunity as a senator.

* England: Manuel Pellegrini of Chile signed a three-year contract on Friday to serve as head coach of Manchester City, one of England’s top soccer clubs.

Video Source – YouTube via user brasilfatos fatos (In this amateur video, Sao Paulo police fired tear gas into a group of demonstrators on the evening of June 13, 2013).

Online Sources- Reuters; Politico; ABC News; SI.com

Daily Headlines: June 13, 2013

* Argentina: At least three people died in a train accident this morning near Buenos Aires that occurred over a year after fifty-two people were killed in a train crash in the Argentine capital.

* Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro claims to have received Wednesday a tweet from the late leader Hugo Chávez in the form of a bird, while opposition rival Henrique Capriles started a weekly webcast.

* Brazil: Newspaper editor Jose Roberto Ornelas de Lemos was killed in what investigators believe was a “murder-for-hire” related to his work.

* Colombia: The Colombian Senate approved an animal rights bill that would ban the exhibition of wild animals like bears and lions at circuses.

Video Source – YouTube via user TVPublicaArgentina

Online Sources- Latin Times; Fox News Latino; CNN; LAHT; The Latin Americanist

"Golden Voiced" Boy Mariachi Belts Out National Anthem

We'll be back on Thursday with (hopefully) several posts on recent news stories from around the Americas.

In the meantime, we ask that all those who can please rise for the singing of the U.S. National Anthem:

The above rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was by ten-year-old Mexican-American singer Sebastien De La Cruz before the third game of the NBA Finals.  The San Antonio native has been hailed as “The Boy With the Golden Voice” after his recent appearance on a nationally televised singing competition.

In the aftermath of De La Cruz' performance, several twits on Twitter aired their disapproval of him using racist and vulgar language.  De La Cruz replied by noting, "My father was a U.S. Marine for a long time and they think I'm Mexican.  I'm not from Mexico.  I was born and raised in San Antonio and I'm a Spurs fan".

Video Source - YouTube via use Xsounders

Online Sources - El Diario/La Prensa; Salon.com

Daily Headlines: June 12, 2013

* Venezuela: Electoral authorities confirmed the victory of President Nicolás Maduro in April’s presidential elections though runner-up Henrique Capriles pledged to keep contesting the results.

* Mexico: Officials in the western state of Jalisco said that they rescued some 275 workers who were being held in slave-like conditions at tomato processing facility.

* Vatican: In remarks to the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious, Argentine-born Pope Francis claimed that a “gay lobby” exists within the Vatican.

* Cuba: Cuba is expected to join the annual Caribbean Series of baseball next year for the first time since 1960.

Video Source – YouTube via user telesurenglish

Online Sources- MLB.com; Herald Sun; NPR; Bernama; The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: June 11, 2013 (Updated)

* Costa Rica: Police have yet to identify any suspects in the murder of Costa Rican conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval who was killed two weeks ago while protecting turtle nests.

* Latin America: Tourists from Latin America are among those who most visited the U.S. in 2012, while Mexico is using the recent visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to promote tourism from China.

* Venezuela: Authorities arrested nine alleged Colombian paramilitaries accused them of purportedly plotting to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

(Update: Leading opposition figure Henrique Capriles responded to the news of the alleged thwarted plot by accusing the government of "putting up a smokescreen" to hide Venezuela's economic and political problems. [Link is in Spanish].)   

* U.S.: The family of Oswaldo Payá, a Cuban dissident who died in a 2012 auto accident, have gone into exile in Miami but will reportedly not seek political asylum.

Video Source – YouTube via user El Periódico cr (Vigils were held throughout Costa Rica last week calling for justice in the death of conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval).
 
Online Sources including update- Tico Times; Los Angeles Times; Miami Herald; Fox News Latino; RTT News; Terra USA

Tangos Dedicated to Argentine-Born Pope

In what could be viewed as the height of "Papamanía" in Argentina, a group of musicians from that country created songs dedicated to Pope Francis.

Entitled Tango para Francisco the song is dedicated to "Jorge the man who walked with the poor," which refers to the Jorge Maria Bergoglio's concerns for the poor of Buenos Aires where he was a priest and archbishop before he was chosen as Pope:

The composer of this song, Enrique Bugatti, died last week only days before the tune was recorded.

Another tango created shortly after the Pope was elected in March includes the lyric "Although today you are called Francisco you are really Jorge from Flores." (Flores is the Buenos Aires neighborhood where he was born).

Francis may have jokingly said last Friday that he "did not want to be pope" but since taking office he has continued his call for Catholics to do more to help the downtrodden and marginalized.   

"Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value...Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry," declared Francis last Wednesday at a mass he dedicated to the U.N.’s World Environment Day.

Video Source: YouTube via user Cortina Musical

Online Sources: El Observador; USA TODAY; The Telegraph

Daily Headlines: June 10, 2013

* Peru: What do former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and Shining Path guerilla leader “Comrade Artemio” have in common?  Both men will likely spend their rest of their lives in prison.

* Argentina: China approved the importation of four new strains of genetically modified soybeans and corn from Argentina days after worldwide protests were held over the use of genetically modified food.

* Mexico: Authorities believe the Knights Templar drug gang is behind the attack on a Guerrero prison where nine inmates escaped and two prison guards were killed.

* Brazil: According to a new poll, President Dilma Rousseff popularity has fallen though a majority of Brazilians would vote for her if she chooses to run for reelection next year.

Video Source – YouTube via euronews (Shining Path guerilla leader “Comrade Artemio”, who was captured in a february 2012 military raid, was sentenced to life in prison and fined $183 million). 

Online Sources- Al Jazeera English; Xinhua; Reuters; Los Angeles Times; Businessweek