Thoughts on Honduras

Well, I think it's fair to say that the recent actions taken by the current de facto government of Honduras under the leadership of Roberto Micheletti have exposed the authoritarian and autocratic inclinations of this usurper government. Many U.S. conservatives have supported the Micheletti government following its installation in the wake of the military coup against the controversial, but duly-elected left-leaning President Manuel Zelaya. They have argued that the ouster of Zelaya was constitutionally defensible in the wake of Zelaya's misbehavior (some would argue Zelaya's treason), and that the subsequent Micheletti government were each necessary to preserve freedom and democracy in Honduras. But now that the Micheletti government has unilaterally suspended civil rights and constitutional guarantees by shutting down opposition media outlets and by preventing rights to free assembly, all in the name of "order," its former supporters in the U.S. have now responded with a deafening silence. Since the Micheletti government showed its autocratic nature, there is simply no way that anyone can continue to argue that this government is acting out of a commitment to democracy and freedom. And lest anyone seek to argue that the Micheletti government is the better of two bad alternatives, I would simply point out that as manipulative as Zelaya might have been, he never responded to his opposition by suspending constitutional rights. His opponents were always free to speak out against him, to organize and protest his behavior, and to flood the airwaves and their print media outlets with their criticism. It is the Micheletti government that, when faced with the public expression of opposition in an organized and peaceful, but determined, fashion, resorted to the behavior of dictatorships.

Given recent events in Honduras, I'd like to revisit the whole context of this crisis and offer some of my own opinions which have been germinating for a while.

First, let me starty by suggesting that the situation in Honduras was and is not as clear-cut and black & white as folks either on the left or the right have made it. Here is some food for thought. First, regarding the original claim by the coup supporters that Zelaya was seeking to establish the mechanism for instituting a Hugo Chavez style dictatorship in his own country, I think it is important to note that Zelaya was not specifically attempting to extend his term of office. In fact, what gets obfuscated in the polemics, is that what Zelaya had actually proposed was to insert in the upcoming election a ballot measure that would have been a binding referendum on the Honduran people's opinion regarding support for calling a constitutional convention with the purpose of reviewing the constitution and perhaps proposing amendments to the constitution, one of which would have included the Constitutional provision that limited a President to one term in office. The Supreme Court ruling against Zelaya was that it was illegal for him even to propose a "binding" referendum. So Zelaya then changed the measure to be a "non-binding" resolution. Whether or not one thinks Zelaya was simply playing fast and loose with the intent of the Supreme Court's ruling is another question. (And I happen think Zelaya WAS playing fast and loose. But, hey, that's politics!) However, that said, in a country governed by the Rule of Law, the next step would have been for the Supreme Court to decide on the legality of this "non-binding" referendum. But they never got that far before the coup took place. Secondly, contrary to what is currently circulating among much of the uninformed punditocracy and blogosphere, the Honduran Supreme Court did not order Zelaya arrested and deported. That's simply an untruth. The Supreme Court declared Zelaya in violation of their original ruling and thus subject to arrest and a subsequent trial for this violation of the ruling. In other words, the Supreme Court basically declared Zelaya to be in contempt of court. What the Supreme Court did not do was to authorize any particular authority to arrest Zelaya. It did not call for the military to detain Zelaya. And it certainly did not order, nor did it condone, his unwilling exile from the country under force of arms. That was done unilaterally by the Honduran military with some vocal support by members of the Honduran Congress.

Second, the Honduran Constitution is unclear on who actually IS the proper authority to arrest a President accused of illegal activity and what is the proper way of bringing to trial a President so-accused. There is nothing in the Honduran Constitution that affords the Congress or the military any authority to act in the way that they did. In this regard, the Honduran Constitution really is a badly-flawed document. Neverthelss, the proper way to deal with this lack of clarity in such situations in a liberal democracy is not for the Congress to make a power grab, as it did, in its struggle with the Executive; but rather for Congress to legislate a process whereby a rogue President is brought to trial and formally impeached.

With regard to the formal U.S. government position on the coup, I would say that the this position is not one of being pro-Zelaya and anti-Supreme Court, as some critics of the U.S. response have argued, but rather one of being pro-democracy versus anti-democracy. Here's the thing: how "democratic" can a country be considered if there are articles of its constitution that are simply un-amendable? Heck, even the most hallowed articles of the U.S. Constitution are not presumed to be un-amendable. Popular sovereignty (i.e. government of the people, by the people, and for the people), not to mention freedom, requires that no constitutional provision be sacrosanct such that it is exempt always and everywhere, forever, from popular sanction and approval. Imagine if the framers of the U.S. Constitution had written a provision into the document that basically stated that only property-owning white males had the right to vote in elections and that this provision could never be amended or repealed, and that any effort to do so would amount to treason. That is, in essence, what the Honduran Constitution says about Presidential term limits. There is something to be said (and perhaps not all good) about the quality of Honduras's democracy and the nature of freedom under a constitution that cannot be amended in some parts and which parts are thus completely and utterly beyond the scrutiny of the people whom the Constitution serves.

Finally, I would always urge folks to think about what is proper conflict resolution between the co-equal branches of government in a liberal democracy. If we would not tolerate the manner of dealing with our own President in the way that Honduras has dealt with its own President, then there is an inconsistency within our own notions of what constitutes proper democratic governance. And when it is coupled with the idea that Honduras can't be expected to live up to the same standards of democratic governance that we in the U.S. would expect because Honduras is, after all, a third world banana republic, then this inconsistency is also very relativist, not to mention patronizing. We should always expect that our democratic allies would not simply have the military round up the country's President in his pajamas, force him into exile, and install a new government over the course of 24 hours. The question I keep asking folks who supported this coup: Would we tolerate this if it happened in our own country? Or in Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia, etc.? I doubt it. And why is that? The answer to this question is simple: we fashion ourselves as people more accustomed to dealing with such crises through a strict adherence to the Rule of Law and never through a reliance on the force of arms, much less through the use of the national military.

In short, if anyone supports a military ouster of a President, a President who was never given a fair trial under due process of the law with the right to mount a legal defense in a legitimate trial in front of a duly constituted jury, however that process might take shape, just because Honduras is a third-world basket case that doesn't know a better way to deal with such problems, then shame on you. We should expect more from our Democratic allies, and not settle for the REAL third world basket case solution (i.e. a military coup) that actually took place.

All this is not to say that I support Zelaya or even that I like the man. Frankly, I'm not much of a fan of his, nor do I think he's operating with any measure of sincerity himself. He certainly has demagogic and anti-democratic tendencies like Hugo Chavez. But, even still, I can't claim to be an advocate of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law if I accept the manner in which Zelaya, who, for better or for worse, was the duly-elected President of Honduras, was removed from office and thrown out of the country.

For a good summation of the case against the ouster of Zelaya on constitutional, and legal procedural grounds, go here.

Fujimori Sentencing

In light of our country profile on Peru this past week, I have provided a link to this article. It seems that Alberto Fujimori, Peru's former president, has been sentenced to his fourth prison term. After pleading guilty to illegal wiretaps and bribery, Fujimori will now serve six years in prison, as well as paying a hefty fine.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/30/peru.fujimori.trials/index.html

Possible Return to Office for Zelaya?

The Associated Press is reporting that there is an increased effort in Honduras to end the coup crisis which might end with Zelaya being reinstated as President with limited powers until his original term is over. More suprisingly, this proposition is coming from some of the very people who helped orquestrate his ouster. Considering that this crisis has paralyzed Honduras, the poorest nation in Central America, for the past 3 months, a return to normalcy at any cost would be the best thing for the Honduran people.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33100284/ns/world_news-americas/

Olympic Games in Brazil

I love the Olympics and was immediately drawn to this NY Times article. Rio de Janeiro is one of four cities left that is still in consideration for the 2016 Summer Olympics. 1968 was the last time the Summer Olympics was held in a Latin American country (Mexico City, Mexico) and 1992 was the last time the Summer Olympics was held in a Spanish speaking country (Barcelona, Spain). Brazilian president Lula da Silva is in full support of the Olympic bid for his country as is 85% of Rio's residents. Rio is hoping to use its status as a future Olympic site to improve and upgrade its infrastructure, attracting more tourists, much like Barcelona did in 1992.

(Photo from nytimes.com)

Mario Vargas Llosa

Since our LAST class is discussing a novel next week written by the famous peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, I began to read his biography and provided an excerpt below:

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Vargas_Llosa)

Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaɾjo ˈβarɣas ˈʎosa]) (born March 28, 1936) is a Peruvian writer, politician, journalist, and essayist. Vargas Llosa is one of Latin America's most significant novelists and essayists, and one of the leading authors of his generation. Some critics consider him to have had a larger international impact and worldwide audience than any other writer of the Latin American Boom.^[1]

Vargas Llosa rose to fame in the 1960s with novels such as The Time of the Hero (La ciudad y los perros, 1963/1966^[2]), The Green House (La casa verde, 1965/1968), and the monumental Conversation in the Cathedral (Conversación en la catedral, 1969/1975). He continues to write prolifically across an array of literary genres, including literary criticism and journalism. His novels include comedies, murder mysteries, historical novels, and political thrillers. Several, such as Captain Pantoja and the Special Service (1973/1978) and Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter (1977/1982), have been adapted as feature films.

Many of Vargas Llosa's works are influenced by the writer's perception of Peruvian society and his own experiences as a native Peruvian. Increasingly, however, he has expanded his range, and tackled themes that arise from other parts of the world. Another change over the course of his career has been a shift from a style and approach associated with literary modernism, to a sometimes playful postmodernism.

Like many Latin American authors, Vargas Llosa has been politically active throughout his career; over the course of his life, he has gradually moved from the political left towards the right. While he initially supported the Cuban revolutionary government of Fidel Castro, Vargas Llosa later became disenchanted. He ran for the Peruvian presidency in 1990 with the center-right Frente Democrático (FREDEMO) coalition, advocating neoliberal reforms. He has subsequently supported moderate conservative candidates.

New Leaders of Modern Flamenco Music

I don' t know if anyone else has heard of this band but Rodrigo y Gabriela, an acoustic guitar duo from Mexico City, is in my opinion one of the most talented flamenco groups out there right now. Rodrigo Sanchez (lead guitar) and Gabriela Quintero (rythem guitar) started out playing heavy metal music in Mexico City but then relocated to Dublin, Ireland and switched to acoustic/flamenco music. They have recently released their second album, 11:11, and are beginning another tour.

I ranke these guys skill-wise with artists like Esteban and Eric Clapton when it comes to acoustic guitar. And their earlier heavy metal style playing is evident in their fast-paced playing and covers of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Metallica's "Orion." My personal favorite is "Satori." I would definately recommend Rodrigo y Gabriela to anyone who has ever been a fan of acoustic guitar. Here's a link to their website:

http://www.rodgab.com/home.html

Mass Grave found in Colombia

I recently found this article about a mass grave found in Colombia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090925/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_colombia_exhumations

Colombian officials had found 17 bodies in a ranch of a now deceased militia leader. The bodies had shown signs of torture and were dismembered. The article also mentions that they were likely killed due to drug-related conflicts of interests between some guerrilla groups. Over 2,500 bodies have been found in Colombia in such graves since 2005.

I thought that this would be a nice tie-in with one of the articles for next class about the drug situation in Latin America and just how far and deep this problem goes.

Why Poor Countries are Poor

I am taking a class called Comparative Politics and we just today
talked about "Why Poor Countries are Poor." I found it interesting
that one of the theories we discussed is the idea that countries,
especially those in Latin America, that only produce agricultural
products, will suffer due produce's inelastic demand. Thus no matter
the wealth of the United States, there won't be a higher demand for
bananas if wages go up. I just thought it was an interesting theory of
why Latin America seems to be stuck in a perpetual state of economic
instability.

Honduran Coup - what will happen to President Zelaya?

http://i3.democracynow.org/blog/2009/9/23/president_zelaya_and_the_audacity_of_action

Democracy Now! has done an awesome job at following the coup in Honduras. As most probably know, Zelaya returned to the country a few days ago, finding safety in the Brazilian embassy. While it is unlikely that the Honduran military would enter the Brazilain embassy for fear of making a real enemy out of Brazil (a much bigger country one might note), the military has been finding other ways of retaliating - mainly by arresting many and killing a few of Zelaya's supporters.

Food to Economic Stablity in Peru

Peru is now trying to make its cuisine the new sushi. I think this idea is a great way to expand Latin America's influence in the global arena and to bring development to Latin America. As the article says, if more and more Peruvian restuarants open in the world and their foods get popular, people will want genuine Latin American crops and what not. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8274932.stm

Two Honduran Presidents

The developments in Honduras over the presidential race are extremely bizarre. The deposed president, Manual Zelaya, snuck back into Honduras and has been sheltering himself in the Brazilian embassy. Neither Zelaya nor the current president, Robert Micheletti, will begin talking in an effort to resolve the very pressing issue.

Castro and Obama on Climate

I found an article from the BBC that cites quotes from Fidel Castro on Obama's stance on climate change. Castro actually praises Obama for saying the United States has been too slow take action on climate change. I thought this was very interesting considering the past relationship between Castro and presidents of the United States.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8272013.stm

"Curfew lifted, Hondurans seek normalcy"

AP article
It's good to see that Honduran life is normal again after Zelaya's return. I wonder how long before they need another curfew....

A Country of World Records!

I was looking at the New York Times today and I found an entertaining slideshow about all of the ridiculous world records Mexico holds. Here is the link. There are some funny ones like the 13,000 people that danced Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" in Mexico City. Could you imagine? Others are just disturbing; for example, a tattoo artist is suspended for 3 hours by hooks in his back! Check it out.

This article talks about the first year of Raul Castro's presidency. The article characterizes his time in office as effective, especially when considering the natural disasters and economic crisis that Cuba has dealt with. It also discusses the president's success on opening Cuba to the international community. It says that Raul has also renewed it's Cold War treaty with Russia. Many where unsure if communism would hold up in the country but it seems to be surviving.  

-Here's a link to Raul Castro's biography http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5234790.stm 

Shift in Mexican Politics?

I came across this New York Times Article titled "Economic Decline Lifts the Prospect of A Vocal Populist". The populist they are referring to is Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the mexican politician who was narrowly defeated by Felipe Calderón in the 2006 presidential election. The article suggests that due to the recent economic decline in Mexico, the people are beginning to lean more towards the left on political issues and support for Andrés Manuel López Obrador is gradually increasing. Mexico is, for the most part, a conservative nation, and I think that it is interesting that a political shift to the left is slowly occurring. I also think it is interesting that the economic decline is the catalyst for this change. I am very curious to see how Mexican politics will be in the next few years, and this article provides a good indication of what may be to come. You should all check it out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/world/americas/04mexico.html?pagewanted=1

Healthcare in Mexico and how our changes might affect Latino immigrants

I thought it might be interesting to look at the healthcare systems in some countries we will be studying. I know the thought getting sick in a foreign country has always terrified me, just because I never thought a poorer country could have the same healthcare quality as the US. I was surprised to see positive descriptions of Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua's healthcare systems. I think they are probably more directed to tourists being able to get care there, but I was still impressed with how the doctors are trained and reviewed. I also thought about the Mexican teenager, who died after a transplant at Duke due to a blood type mismatch. I then remembered all of the arguments over her family's right to sue since they were not citizens of the US and what not. I also believe she had gotten here illegally, so that increased the controvesy. I am wondering how that situation will be handled once our healthcare system is reformed, especially since many Americans have concerns over their tax dollars going to treat illiegal immigrants' health issues. The whole healthcare debate has definitely brought illegal immigrant issues back on the table. I agree with this concern, but I also do not want the Latino immigrants to suffer even more than they already do when it comes to healthcare. I am interested to find out what will happen in regards to all of these healthcare issues.

Articles about healthcare in Latin America:
Mexico
El Salvador
Caribbean

Finally, a New York Times article on healthcare reform and the illegal immigrant debate.

Cuba Back to Basics

I was looking at videos on cnn.com, and I found this particular one very interesting, especially with the readings we did this week about neocolonialism. The neocolonial period was all about economic growth in Latin American countries, and now, in this time of financial crisis, Cuba is having to return to a time before industry existed, in order to save them money. Luckily, President Obama has lifted the United States' restrictions on the amount of money that Cuban Americans are allowed to send home.

"Black-Brown" Conflict post Katrina

A week or two back when we were discussing Passing Unseen, I came upon this article. It's from the LA Times and although a few years old, it directly talks about the "Black-Brown" conflict we talked so much about in a past class. I hope you enjoy reading it!

American Business Strategy

I recently stumbled upon a joke concerning the views of American business and Mexico and I thought it was very fitting considering our Latin American Studies class were currently discussing the outside intervention into Latin American affairs during the neocolonial period. Here it is:

American businessman was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his time. The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor." The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. "You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise." The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15-20 years." "But what then, senor?" asked the Mexican. The American laughed, and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You'll become very rich, you would make millions!" "Millions, senor?" replied the Mexican. "Then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Haha

Chance of Improved ties between the United States and Cuba

I stumbled across this article while reading the news on MSN.com. Despite the extension of the decades old trade embargo by the Obama administration, the Cuban government is holding direct talks with State Department officials about the possibility of opening up direct mail with Cuba again.

Hopefully it won't be too long for the whole trade embargo is lifted so I can get my hands on some authentic Cohiba and Montecristo cigars!

Guatemalan Food Crisis

President Colom of Guatemala has declared a national food crisis and is seeking international aid to buy food for many Guatemalans. Here is a short video from Al Jazeera English Publications that expands on the depth of the crisis.



As we have discussed in class, there are high levels of inequality in Guatemala and the Mayan population (40 percent) is especially marginalized.

Tomorrow, Mexico celebrates its independence day!

The entire country is going to celebrate and participate in the Grito de Independencia.

Here is an article about the celebrations: Independence Festivals Gain Momentum.

Here's a link to a blog that I visited a lot before and during my exchange. It gives a nice glimpse into Brazilian language, culture, and sometimes a little politics. It updates pretty regularly, and it is just filled with a lot of random information.

New presence on Texas-Mexico border

This AP article that I read in the Seattle Times reports Texas governor Rick Perry's announcement that he will send teams of Texas Rangers to the Mexican border. The article didn't mention the scale of it, and his election opponent called it an "empty promise", so it will be interesting to see if this move has any effect on the Mexican gangs that are allegedly causing border violence.

Gang Issues in El Salvador

I thought this article from the NY Times was interesting and pertains to our class's discussion of gang violence and formation in El Salvador. I know it's from a few days ago, but the article shows how far the "epidemic" of gang violence has reached within El Salvadorian society. A French filmmaker, making a documentary on gang violence, was murdered. The website for his film, La Vida Loca gives the viewer a better look at gang life in El Salvador.

Gearing Up Again

The Cuaderno Latinoamericano will be gearing up again in conjunction with a group of new student bloggers. Although it has been dormant for some time, I expect it to become lively in short order.

To kick off the Cuaderno Latinoamericano again, I'd like to point you to a recent CNN piece on the thriving Latino community in New Orleans four years after Hurricane Katrina.

It's a very brief article, but a nice little update. And one of the two principle voices in this piece will be helping some of the student who will be posting here at the Cuaderno Latinoamericano keep their fingers on the pulse of the local Latino community.

Day Laborers in New Orleans

Two posts in a row!!
I was cleaning out my e-mail during Mardi Gras, and came upon this article in the NY Times about day laborers in NOLA that are getting mugged on a regular basis. I think it would be hard to resolve the issue. While reading it I thought that it might help them if they could create some sort of informal banking system so that a person with a car could take the money home for all the workers, although there are obvious trust issues. Or what if they were armed? I personally am against guns, but it would thwart potential muggers I'm sure. Either way it seems like a bleak situation with the economic downturn.

Castro watches Obama inauguration

Castro watched Obama's inauguration and supposedly thinks that he is "a sincere person with good ideas." Obama also released an executive order to close down the base at Guantanamo. So it seems like there will be a much milder policy towards Cuba, at least for the next four years.

CNN link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/01/21/fidel.castro.inauguration/index.html

Obama and NAFTA: From Free Trade to Fair Trade

One of the issues I've paid some attention to since the Presidential campaign has been the position of the candidates on Free Trade Agreements. In spite of his rhetoric to reassess Free Trade Agreements and renegotiate them, Obama has always been somewhat vague and non-committal when it came down to policy specifics on what such reassessments and renegotiations might look like. And so I've wondered where he would fall out in the end.

Well, I'm still not completely sure of what an Obama trade policy might look like, but it seems like when it comes to NAFTA, Obama seems to be tilting more towards converting this particular Free Trade Agreement into a welcome Fair Trade Agreement.

Laura Carlsen, of the Americas Program of the Center for International Policy, has a great rundown of what Obama's recent meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon means regarding the future of NAFTA. And her take is uplifting to Fair Trade Obama supporters like me, who don't oppose "Free" Trade in principle, as long as there is fairness and equity built into the process and as long as the trade really is "Free" in its larger dimensions, particularly as it relates to trade in labor.

Carlsen concludes her excellent analysis with the following:

The Obama statement from Jan. 12 indicates the president-elect will stand firm on renegotiating NAFTA. It may no longer be a question of "will he or won't he." To confront the crisis and establish mutual well-being in the region, the debate must move quickly now to "how and when."

And that's an encouraging thought.

[Crossposted at The Huck Upchuck]

Cuban film festival

The Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, or the Festival of New Latin American Cinema of Havana, has taken place every December since 1979.

Since it is very difficult for most Cubans to travel outside their country, the festival provides a means for them to experience an outside perspective and other cultures without leaving La Habana. Part of the mission of the Festival is to enrich and reaffirm Latin American and Caribbean cultural identity.

Wall Street Journal article: "For Most Cubans, Film Is the Only Way to Travel"

The official website

Sabathia to Yankees

Carsten Charels Sabathia of Venezuela signed a a six-year, $140 million contract offer from the New York Yankees, the New York Post reported on its web site Wednesday. This new contract makes Sabathia the highest paid pitcher in the major leagues. he barely passes the $137 million contract acquired by Johan Santana last year with the Mets. Last year sabathia put together an impressive season with a 17-10 record with a 2.70 ERA and 251 strikeouts.

Mexican Woman Shot

Soldiers shot to death a pregnant 35-year-old woman after she reportedly failed to stop at a highway checkpoint in the northern state of Chihuahua, authorities said Friday.
Silvia Arzate died after soldiers opened fire on the sport utility vehicle she was driving near the capital of Chihuahua, which is experiencing a surge of violence as drug gangs battle each other and authorities, said the state prosecutors' spokesman, Eduardo Esparza.
The circumstances surrounding Thursday's shooting remain unclear.
Esparza said Arzate, who died of several gunshot wounds, had been carrying a cousin in her vehicle who had been wounded in an earlier gunbattle. Her mother was also aboard, but was not injured.
It was unclear if the cousin had been a participant in the earlier gunfight. Initial reports suggested Arzate may have been speeding in a bid to escape from another vehicle that was following her.
The Defense Department had no immediate comment on the shooting.
Army checkpoints in Mexico are sometimes poorly marked.
Many have criticized President Felipe Calderon for deploying more than 20,000 soldiers across Mexico to combat the country's violent drug cartels.
The National Human Rights Commission has documented cases of torture, rape and killings of civilians by solders, and called on the government to stop assigning soldiers to police duties.
The government has promised to do that eventually, but has set no timetable for doing so.

Castro Visits Venezuela

Cuban President Raul Castro launched his first international trip on Saturday, visiting with longtime ally Venezuela before heading to a regional integration summit in Brazil. He and president Chavez of Venezuela met and discussed politics between their two countries. Chavez is a long time ally of Raul's brother Fidel and wishes to continue this alliance with Raul.

director fears security in mexico

Guillermo del Toro, directer of "Hellboy" admits his reluctance to filming in Mexico again after his father was kidnapped there ten years ago. Although Del Toro's father was eventually released, the criminals were not all found and Del Toro's family still receives death threats. When he is directing a film, Del Toro's daily life becomes a public matter. He fears for his safety in Mexico, describing his fear as an unfortunate "forced exile" from Mexico. 

The justice is lacking in Mexico, a nation with one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world. It is nearly impossible to find reliable information because people are reluctant to report crimes for fear of police involvement. Therefore while the Mexican government claims that abductions have fallen (18 percent) to about 72 kidnappings a month since August, real kidnapping rates are significantly higher. Citizens' Institute for Crime Studies estimates that the real abduction rate may be 500 kidnappings per month.

-yahoo news.

Sao Paulo: Brazilian police officer may have taken part in the murders of 13 gay men in a lower-class suburb of Sao Paulo. These murders occurred between February 2007 and August 2008 at Paturis Park, which is a relatively well-known meeting point for gay men in the area. 

No one has been arrested in this case, and the department refuses to share too much information for fear of jeapordizing the accuracy of the investigation. If the policeman turns out to be involved in these murders, this would speaks worlds of not only the civil rights in Sao Paulo but also of the political development. 

Yahoo News -> Policemen suspected in Killing of Gays

Gitmo commander predicts prison won't close soon

Despite the debate over the possibility of Guantanamo Bay's closing, Guantanamo's commander believes that this won't actually be a possibility anytime soon. Even with Obama replacing Bush in office, it will be unlikely that the military's offshore prison will close so soon after Obama is sworn into office. 

It will be too difficult to close Guantanamo Bay because it is difficult to come to a quick decision where prisoners will be held. The legal process is also complicated if the military intends to continue any sort of persecution or to reach any resolution in the case of each prisoner.

Some terrorists allegedly confessed their crimes on election day in order to seal their execution by the United States in order to achieve martyrdom. "Many observers at the hearing say the defendants may be rushing toward a death sentence before Obama takes office and shuts down the war-crimes trials". However, this speculation has not been confirmed as it is impossible to be sure of the intentions of the terrorists.

yahoo news -> Gitmo commander predicts....

Rain forest protection in Brazil

Brazil announced on December 1st that they plan to take measures to decrease deforestation. The claim they will halve the rate of destruction by 2018. The rain forest is vital in preventing greenhouse gases and damage to the atmosphere. Check out the story.

Biblioburro

In Colombia, a man named Luis Soriano began a travelling library of a different type. In the US there are often mobile libraries in vans or buses, but in rural Colombia that would not work so well. Instead Soriano uses donkeys to take books to rural villages where people borrow textbooks, encyclopedias, novels, books of all kinds until he returns with more choices for them to exchange from. He originally decided to do this after witnessing the empowering effect reading had on his students when he was a teacher. Check out pictures of his travelling biblioburro.

Picadillo

This Latin American dish was mentioned in my Spanish textbook, but I wanted to investigate it further. Picadillo is a dish which mainly consists of ground beef, but can be mixed with various vegetables, or used as filling for tacos. The dish is most common in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico. The word picadillo comes from the Spanish word picar, meaning to mince or chop. The Cuban version usually is served with beans and rice, while in the Philippines, potatoes accompany the picadillo.

Chavez welcomes Russian Warship

On Tuesday, Russian warchips sailed into Venezualan port, la Guairia, and were welcomed with a 21 cannon solute by Venezuelan troops waiting for them on the dock. A destroyer, a nuclear powered cruiser and two support ships were the ships that completed the voyage, Russia's first visit to the Caribbean since the Cold war. This meeting is thought to be a further arms deal between the two countries as well as an oppurtunity for Russia to invest in the natural gas and oil resources abundantly found in Venezuela. However, due to falling oil prices, the pockets of both countries are hurting and little might be done in the way of seeing out Chavez's plans for a Russian funded gas pipeline throughout his country.
The United States is skeptical of the meeting between the two countries, but is not afraid that their meeting will have any real affect. Some think that it the Russians don't want to engage in anything too deep with Venezuela when they are beginning to renew their relationship with the United States with the new Administration. To read more, click here

Flooding In Brazil

After severe flooding, a state of emergency has been declared in the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. As of Sunday night, at least twenty people have been found dead, and many more have been forced from their homes. At least one million people have been affected by the floods. Many of these deaths are the result of landslides that destroy roads and homes. The federal government and nearby states have been helping, including sending supplies and rescue workers.

Chile Strike Ends with 10 Percent Raise

A strike by nearly a half million Chilean government workers ended Friday in anticipation of government approval of a 10 percent wage increase. Chile's Senate unanimously approved the measure Thursday and the Chamber of Deputies, Chile's lower house, was scheduled to vote on it Friday afternoon. Passage was widely expected.

Chile's minister of labor said he approves of the 10 percent increase. The increase would go into effect December 10 and affect 450,000 government workers, from the president on down. The workers, who had been on strike since Monday, had been asking for a 14.5 percent increase. The government had initially offered a 6.5 percent increase, then upped the offer to 9.5 percent on Wednesday. Officials then increased the offer to 10 percent after the lower house rejected the 9.5 percent adjustment on Thursday. Striking workers had taken to the streets this week, staging large protests in most of the nation's major cities. Because of the strike, garbage piled up on streets, 18 hospitals were paralyzed and 3,000 surgeries were postponed. Even weddings and autopsies were not performed.


cnn.com

Volcanic eruption kills 4 in Colombia

A volcanic eruption in southwestern Colombia has caused the death of at least four people from landslides triggered by the eruption. Governor Guillermo Alberto Gonzalez of Cauca state says the dead were found Saturday by rescuers about 177 miles away from Bogota. The Nevado del Huila volcano erupted late Thursday and loosed avalanches of mud and ash that injured nine and killed four. Alberto tells Caracol Radio that rescuers evacuated residents by helicopter on Saturday.

Drugs in Mexico

In Mexico drug trafficking is a huge problem.  Over 90 percent of Colombian cocaine passes through Mexico on its way to the US.  It has taken a toll on Mexican children that I had never considered.  In some Mexican cities decapitated bodies, severed heads and corpses can be found in streets.  This brutal violence is becoming a part of daily life and the children are being desensitized to the violence.  Rival drug cartels post videos of murders they commit on YouTube.  Popular songs called narcocorridos list the names of famous drug cartel leaders and sometimes make them out to be heroes. 

Meriendas Deliciosas

As our trip to La Unión quickly approaches, I've been thinking about the Latin American foods I had during my time in Costa Rica. The first thing that came to mind was a cookie very popular in the area called a Chiky. The Chiky is a plain square biscut whose one side is dipped in chocolate. It also comes dipped in vanilla and strawberry.
Though initially marketed towards children, Chikys have become so successful and popular that the manufacturing company has expanded its product line to include other treats such as the Yipy (also highly recommended), the Chocolina, and Chiky Blak, similar to the original Chiky, but with a chocolate biscut dipped in chocolate.
Hopefully we'll be able to get our hands on some this weekend!

Source: http://www.pozuelo.com/galletas_con_cobertura.htm

Hugo Chavez edging further and further away from Democracy

In the state elesctions this coming week in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez threatens to cut of supplies and funds to states that vote against his chosen leaders. Manuel Rosales, a frontrunner for the governor position of the state of Zulia in which Venezuala's second largest city, Maracaibo, is located, is one of the anti-Chavez candidates that has a very good chance of getting elected. Says Rosales of Chavez, "he wants to wipe out and criminalize Venezuela's opposition, or those who don't think like he does, to attempt a constitutional reform allowing him to remain in power." Chavez has also threatened to send tanks into the streets that elect oponents of Chavez as governor.

Chavez also threatened TV stations that show early results of the elections adding futher shadiness to this not-so-democratic process...As it stands now, Chavez's popularity rating is droppping because of currency inflation, almost regular blackouts, coffee shortage, and wide spread crime. Meanwhile death threats to opponents of Chavez have become normal, hopefully it won't scare his opponents, but, we'll see.

To read more, click here.

Defender of the Drug Lords

This New York Times article talks about Silvia Raquenel Villanueva a Mexican lawyer.  Her clients consist mainly of powerful drug lords.  Her work is very unpopular and people have attempted to kill her four times.  It is interesting to see her try to justify her clients.  Her motives are not simply that everyone deserves a fair trial.  She has received some sizable monetary rewards for her work.  To read the article click here.

Three years ago, President Hugo Chavez discharged missionaries from the Venezuelan Amazon region where the Yanomami tribe dwells. Resentment is growing in the tribe due to what they consider the neglect that led to the deaths of 50 indigenous people in the Yanomami community. These deaths have been caused mostly by a lack of food, medicine, and access to medical facilities. Chavez responds to this resentment by claiming to have raised overall spending on social welfare programs for the indigenous community. Yanomami leader, 49 year old Ramón González, is quoted saying that this claim is merely rhetoric and not at all reality.

Indigenous healthcare has been an issue lately in Venezuela after a mysterious disease killed 38 Warao Indians in August. González says that indigenous lives are gravely underrated in the politics of Venezuela. "The boats, the planes, the money, it's all for the criollos", or the nonnative Venezuelans.

There are 26,000 Yanomamis in the Amazon rain forest, between Venezuela and Brazil, and they are semi-nomadic, subsisting on crops such as maniocs and bananas. These communities are not at all like the indigenous tribes from anthropology books. They can be seen in Puerto Ayacucho wearing modern-day attire and using cellphones. They are, however, extremely susceptible to many diseases for which they still have weak defenses, such as some respiratory diseases and drug-resistant strains of malaria.

Yanomamis say that while the Venezuelan governments put pictures of the tribes all over tourist brochures and in airport lobbies, the tribes are allowed no political positions. This shows the Yanomami community their governments complete lack of respect for the rights and individualism of the indigenous society.

a little girl with a lot to say

Mafalda has long been hailed in Argentina not only as a good comic but as excellent political commentary. She and her friends have plenty to say on the political situation of the latter half of the 20th century; why not check it out?

El Mundo de Mafalda

Hundreds Could Be Unknowingly Spreading HIV in Chile

In Chile, at least hundreds have not been told of their positive HIV tests. Health Minister Alvaro Erazo told lawmakers Thursday that public health services did not tell 512 people that they tested positive for HIV. Private sector services did not tell an estimated 1,700 people. Chile is beginning a campaign to inform the patients who Chile's public health service said provided incorrect addresses.

Read more here.

512 Chileans tested HIV+ but likely never found out

Insufficient efforts were made to notify 512 Chilean hospital patients that they tested positive for HIV. Approximately half the patients may have been notified, but receipt of the notification was never verified. The previous health minister Maria Soledad Barria resigned after it was discovered that some patients were never told that they had tested HIV+. The atrocious error may lend partial blame to false biographic information provided by the patients, which would inhibit contact being made between the hospital and the patient.

Novalima

The Peruvian band Novalima performed on Monday to kick off Newsnight's "Inside Latin America week." 

The group also published their own article to explain the origins of their music, and to eliminate some of the misconceptions surrounding the Afro-Peruvian musical tradition.

Mexico City plans to give Viagra to older men

Men 70 and older are being given free Viagra and other impotence drugs from Mexico City. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says the city decided to put this plan into action because sexuality "has a lot to do with quality of life and happiness." Starting December 1 the government will start handing out doses of one or two Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis from three centers that specialize in sexual health for the elderly. The City Health Secretary Armando Ahued says there is an estimated 112,000 men over 70 years old living the Federal District who will be able to receive these free drugs.

Abortion law vetoed by Uruguayan president

Uruguay has been prevented from having South America's most liberal abortion law by a presidential veto. Women's rights groups are outraged and are planning protests, saying that President Tabare Vasquez is "authoritarian," while religious groups are supporting him. First-trimester abortions were legalized by Uruguay's Congress despite threats from national bishops to automatically excommunicate any lawmaker approving the measure. However this law was stopped short by Vasquez's veto on Friday, calling the law unconstitutional. He also says he doesn't agree with abortion "philosophically or biologically." Now the measure will be sent back to Congress because of the veto, but most likely will die as lawmakers lack enough votes to override the veto.

Landmines in Columbia

Everyday about three people are killed by landmines in Columbia. Columbia has the most landmines of any country in the southern hemisphere, an estimated 150,000. These mines terrorize farmers, who sometimes move their families into cities to get away from the threat these mines pose. Despite the signing of the Ottawa treaty, prohibiting the use of these fatal weapons, landmines remain a popular form of land protection for guerrillas and drug traffickers alike. However, natural forces, such as hurricanes, can relocate these dangerous devices, putting innocent citizens in grave danger. One of the most horrifying aspects of this issue is the statistic that over 40% of the victims are civilians, and over 20% of these victims are children, under the age of 14.

This picture shows a group of young Columbian children at an informational session on how to protect themselves from landmines.

Former El Salvador Leader in War Crimes Case

Human rights groups from the United States and Spain filed a lawsuit in a Spanish court Thursday, charging El Salvador's former president, Alfredo Cristiani, with covering up crimes against humanity. The case involves the killing of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her teenaged daughter nearly two decades ago during El Salvador's civil war. Fourteen former Salvadoran military officers are accused of war crimes, murders and state terrorism in connection with the massacre dating back to November 1989. It has become one of the most notorious episodes of El Salvador's 12-year civil war that pitted leftist guerrillas against the U.S.-backed conservative government. Some 75,000 people died. The case filed by two human rights groups in Madrid argues that justice was never done in El Salvador. Two military officers were convicted of murder in 1991 in the deaths of the Jesuits, but were pardoned in 1993 under an amnesty law approved by the national assembly.

www.cnn.com

Ecuadoran Chocolate

Cacao bean farmers in Ecuador have always sold their beans to a middle man who then sells them to companies that make chocolate, which means the farmers are paid a tiny amount for something that is so expensive in the end. A large group of indigenous farmers decided to band together with the help of a woman from Kansas to cut out the middle man. Step by step they became more in charge of their own production and now make their own organic chocolate which is sold for as much as $5.99 in Whole Foods. It's pretty interesting.. check it out.

Tiger in Mexico City

Earlier this week, a tiger's cage at Mexico City's zoo was left unlocked and the animal escaped. Once out, it fatally attacked its caregiver. Officials searched the 740-acre property for the animal before capturing and killing it.
Shockingly, events like this is not unheard of in Mexico.
Last week, several circus tigers escaped and made their way into a private home in western Mexico.
In September, an elephant in a Mexico City circus escaped and made its way onto the public highway system, leading to its death of a collision with a bus.
In August, a lion escaped from a zoo and attacked numerous dogs, a pig, and a woman and child riding a donkey in southern Mexico.
Hopefully this situation will be taken under control before another tragedy has the opportunity to occur.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081111/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_tiger_killing;_ylt=AsPMwcYh44aG3S3kOYLSTzS3IxIF

ATLAS Fiesta at Tulane

This past Sunday, Tulane's ATLAS (Association of Tulane Latin American Students) put on a fiesta in the LBC. There was Brazilian and Mexican food from the Brazilian Market, Felipe's Taqueria, and the kitchen of some of the club's members. One of my personal favorites was the tres leches cake. Tres leches cake is popular throughout all of Latin America and may have originated in Nicaragua. The cake itself is first baked and then soaked in condensed milk, evaporated milk, and either whole milk or heavy cream. It is absolutely delicious! Just looking at the picture makes me hungry!

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/TresLechesCake.htm

Mexican Physicists

Physicists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico recently discovered how to synthetically create diamonds out of tequila. These diamonds are not meant for show or jewelry. They are a microscopic film that can only be viewed through a microscope. The diamonds can be made from even the cheapest of tequilas, and the outcome is still useful. To create the synthetic diamonds, the tequila is heated through a special process which results in carbon atoms in the shape of a thin diamond film.

Recent Celebrity Hotspot in Uruguay

On the southern coast of Uruguay rests a small village called Jose Ignacio. This town is an up and coming location for wealthy travelers. Once a quiet fishing outpost, Jose Ignacio was a place where only the occasional celebrity would visit. Now, this charming area has become a chic place to be. The atmosphere is almost quaint, with dirt roads, small boutiques, and bed and breakfasts. It has become increasingly popular for celebrities and other travelers who appreciate the European influenced mood of the town, and the miles of gorgeous beaches.

Kidnapping in Mexico on November 11

Today, in Culiacan Mexico, 27 farm workers were kidnapped by many armed men in military looking uniforms. The police searched today for the men but the victims have not been found. The motives of the assailants are yet to be determined. Police corruption, however, is widespread in this area of Mexico.

Brazil and the fertile crescent of soccer

Why are there 0ver 1000 stars from Brazil playing in European Leagues (which is a bigger contribution of soccer players from a country not in Europe)? Because from a young age, everyone plays soccer. The phrase they use in brazil, joga bonito, this is what the coaches tell the children... This is why Brazilian soccer players have such a grace and elegance to to their play and this is why Brazil is a powerhouse for soccer. The one thing that Brazilian soccer players lack, that players from other countries have is structure. Brazilians play soccer sometimes to make enough money to feed themselves, hoping that one day they will become pro and play in Europe where they will never have to worry about money again. Soccer is a way of life donw there, not just a sport, and because of it, Brazilian socccer players are one of a kind. To read more, click here

Tensions Grow Between Dominicans and Haitians

There has virtually always been tension between Dominicans and Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. The Dominicans have horrible racism towards the Haitians wh0 have left their country to seek better lives in the DR. Recently a Haitian village near the border was attacked by Dominicans seeking revenge for a crime that was supposedly committed by a Haitian. Haitians have a typically darker skin tone than Dominicans and the older generations of Haitians speak French and Creole. However for the majority of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic, they are third or fourth generation, meaning they look less Haitian and generally speak Spanish and some Creole to their elders. It is harder to live in the DR if you are Haitian because of the racism that is so deeply rooted in the society. For this reason Haitians in the DR generally live in extreme poverty.

Cubans Embrace for Paloma's Aftermath

Thousands of Cubans returned to homes demolished by Hurricane Paloma even as the once-powerful storm dissipated off the coast Monday. The hurricane washed out fishing villages, ripped the roofs off factories, and ravaged roads. However, no one was reported dead. Coastal Santa Cruz del Sur took a direct hit when Paloma struck as a Category 4 hurricane Saturday night. Ten-foot-high waves carried away wooden houses, leaving a tangled mess of smashed furniture and strewn belongings bobbing in the surf. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said that the remains of Paloma were hanging off the north coast of central Cuba on Monday and that the storm was not expected to regain force thankfully. Reports state that in Camaguey province, nearly 200,000 people had been evacuated to shelters or waited out the storm with neighbors or relatives. All but 59,000 had headed home by Monday morning. For some, however, there wasn't much to which to return. Cuba already is struggling to recover from major Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. They caused about $9.4 billion in damage, smashing nearly half a million homes and destroying almost a third of the island's crops. Outside Santa Cruz del Sur, some homes were submerged up to their flimsy metal roofs. Banana crops and other farmland was washed out, though there were no official estimates on the loss to the island's dwindling food stocks.Cuba balked at U.S. offers of aid after Gustav and Ike, and Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura said the country would take the same position if Washington pledged more help after Paloma. "Our problem is the blockade," said Machado Ventura, referring to the U.S. trade embargo, which has been in place since 1962.

cnn.com

Ecuador and Peru Relations Improving

After a long history of conflict, the border issues between Ecuador and Peru are finally improving. At the close of the Cenepa War in 1995, the two countries signed a peace agreement that has largely been ignored and not acted upon. Now, finally, the two countries are taking actions to improve their shared border territory.

Changes are being made. Roads and infrastructure are being developed to improve the life of the populations living there. Trade has increased from $300 million/year to $1.9 billion between the two nations. And further, taking a cue from the European Union, citizens of either country now do not need a passport or a visa to cross the borders. To read the full story, click here.

Barack Obama's presidency will assuredly change, maybe even resolve, longstanding hostile relations between American and Cuban. Obama's presidency could reform the way that the Castro brothers maintain control over the nation of Cuba by loosening restrictions on the island, as communist leaders have long used the embargo to justify the repression of differing opinions.

"They'd have to throw out the whole script about American imperialism", with Obama's campaign promise to ease restrictions on Cuba. A new Democrat-dominated Congress could further exacerbate the Castro brothers' power.

The government's policy towards Cuba, which has been unchanged since 1962 when the embargo was first imposed, is likely to decrease, allowing the Castros to perhaps open up. This in turn would allow Cuban-Americans to visit Cuba more frequently and send money to family and friends residing still in Cuba.

In addition, journalist Miriam Leiva believes that allowing more Americans to visit Cuba on occasion will help to spread and promote democratic ideals, in a time when "urgent change is required". 

 

For more information, refer to this article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_obama;_ylt=AmKZf2A1m3HRcTUl6LCcJlK3IxIF

Cuba and the US Presidential Election

A video segment from The New York Times discusses how Cubans feel about the 2008 election in the United States. Cubans are taught from birth that it does not matter which political party is in charge in the US because both parties are capitalists. They also learn that the US is a very racist country. Some of the Cubans interviewed were astonished that an African-American might be elected president. They wanted Senator Barack Obama to win because they think he will be more likely to address their needs and improve foreign relations. To see the video scroll down.

US Anti-drug Operation Suspended In Bolivia

Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, suspended US sponsored anti-drug operations last Saturday, a report in the New York Times says. Morales says his decision to do so was based on suspicion of the DEA being involved in "criminal groups" that are trying to undermine the Bolivian government. The US has now added Bolivia to its anti-narcotics blacklist as a result of this move. Though Morales claims to have eradicated more than the necessary amount of illegal coca crops being grown in Bolivia, he rejected a request made by the US earlier this year asking to fly an anti-drug plane over the country. It will be interesting to see the effects that President-elect Obama has on our relations with Morales. Read more here

The First of His Kind

A Spanish-language commercial for Gatorade pays tribute to Rolando Cantu, the first player from  a Mexican university to play in the National Football League. Cantu entered the NFL in 2005 after making the roster of the Arizona Cardinals. The Ad appears on the Telemundo and Telefutura America networks.

In the Commercial, Cantu tells his story as he lines up for action on the Cadinals' practice field. As he prepares for the snap, the offensive guard recounts how people told him he wasn't big enough or good enough to play in the NFL and how the game was too complicated for him to succeed. As the ball is snapped, those assumptions, along with a linebacker, are squashed as Cantu dominates the play.

Fidel Castro Praises Obama

While Fidel Castro did not endorse Senator Barack Obama as President, or Senator John McCain for that matter, he did praise Obama as "smarter and less warlike" than McCain on Tuesday. Castro said he waited until election day to give his opinion on the candidates so that "no one had time to say I wrote something that could be utilized by the candidates in their campaigns." He continued to say "Without a doubt, Obama is more intelligent, cultured and levelheaded than his Republican adversary" and called McCain "old, bellicose, uncultured, of little intelligence and not healthy." Even so, the former Cuban president has still expressed skepticism about both candidates.

Kidnappers Murder Mexican Child

Kidnappers snatched a 5-year-old boy from a street market, and murdered him in Mexico City. The method was an injection of acid into his heart.

Javier Morena, the boy, was the eldest son of a poor family who sold fruit at a market in the neighborhood of Iztapalapa. This is seen as a confirmation that kidnappings for ransom beset the working class as well as the upper, rich class.

Read more here...

Obama and Latin America

The United States’ influence in Latin America seems to be waning, but relations south of the border under the new administration of President-elect Barack Obama, may continue to stagnate. Obama supports lifting travel restrictions to Cuba for family members and permitting remittances to be sent to the embargoed country, ‘right away,’ but that will be all of the immediate attention purposefully paid to Latin America under the new presidency. While campaigning during the primary, Obama spoke his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain legal status; we’ll see if he remembers what he said. Oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico, much larger than previously imagined, may force the president to deal with Cuba sooner rather than later. Of paramount importance: two wars, one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq, being wagged behind an economic crisis, will employ the majority of President-elect Barack Obama’s first years in the White House.
Read the BBC article outlining the issue: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7710855.stm

Chavez favors Obama as US president

Venezuelan "president" Hugo Chavez said that he would likely resume talks with the United States if Obama was elected president. Chavez, who ordered the US ambassador to Venezuela out of the country in February, refuses to resume talks until President Bush leaves the White House. I suppose Chavez thinks that Obama, being a democrat, will sympathize with the way that he runs his country, but I don't think that's the case. Spokesman for Obama said that "Hugo Chavez does not govern democratically and relations between our countries will not improve unless Venezuela respects democracy and the rule of law. That is the clear message that Barack Obama will deliver to Venezuela as president." Hopefully Obama sticks with that message... To read more, click here.

Latin American Leaders Urge U.S. to End Cuba Embargo

Latin American leaders are urging the United States to repeal its 47-year-old trade embargo against Cuba. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega embraces Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at a summit this week in El Salvador. The leaders say that the unilateral embargo is unacceptable and harms the Cuban people. The move came after the UN General Assembly asked the U.S. for the 17th year in a row to lift the embargo. The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with Cuba and lists the country as a state sponsor of terror. The embargo, imposed in 1962, has been tightened the past eight years.

cnn.com

Dia de los Muertos

Day of the Dead in downtown New Orleans. Right outside the famed Cabildo, next to St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans, a brave Tulane student dances with the Mariachi as part of the day's Dia de los Muertos festivities. In addition to Mariachi music, there is a fabulous Day of the Dead altar on display on the 2nd floor of the Cabildo. You can see the display tomorrow from 2-4pm -- and then get some Cafe du Monde beignets and cafe-au-lait afterwards. Here's a shot of the altar at the Cabildo:



The weather is absolutely glorious in the Big Easy these days. Get out to the "Quarters" and check it out!

baila!

Folklore is a little-known traditional dance of Argentina that can be smooth (sambas) or quick and passionate. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uLy-WDBSsw

Poll Shows Latin Americans Don't Care about US Election Outcome

According to a survey in 18 countries, two in three Latin Americans either are indifferent about who wins Tuesday's presidential election in the United States or do not think the outcome will matter. According to the poll, 29 percent of Latin Americans think a victory for Democrat Barack Obama would be more beneficial to the region. But 8 percent would rather Republican John McCain be elected.

For more on this, read here.