Juanson World

Mexican president Felipe Calderon demoted 284 top police officers to be retrained. New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Christian Science Monitor

Venezuela’s state-owned oil company announced the takeover of projects owned by ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. Financial Times

Former PDVSA workers have fled Venezuela for political reasons and have ended up as expats in locations such as Alberta, Canada. Wall Street Journal

The Gulf and Sinaloa cartels are holding undisclosed negotiations in Mexico. AP

Carlos Alberto Montaner says that Raul Castro’s deceased wife Vilma Espin is “one less crutch” for the Cuban president. Miami Herald

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Middle-class Brazilians are benefiting from the country’s relatively new economic stability. McLatchy

Fidel Castro writes a letter to the Communist Youth Union urging the youth of Cuba to sustain the values of the Revolution, which they are too young to remember. Miami Herald

The Chinese presence in Cuba is growing. McLatchy

US congressman Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) announced that he plans to hold hearings on TV and Radio Martí after he returned from a trip to Miami. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer says that the reduction in US aid to $1.5 billion towards Latin America in 2008 goes against public statements made by the Bush administration earlier this year and is unwise considering $1 billion approved for a border fence. Miami Herald

The Copa America begins in Venezuela this week amidst internal criticism towards President Hugo Chavez. Financial Times

Chavez missed the latest Mercosur meeting. Financial Times

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Vilma Espin, wife of Raul Castro, died after battling a long illness. Miami Herald, Financial Times

TVes, the replacement for RCTV in Venezuela, has been broadcasting mainly reruns and stock programming. Commercials on the channel are pro-Chavez. Financial Times

Political scandals continue to be common in Brazil. LA Times

Brazil’s federal police have been involved in many of the arrests. Christian Science Monitor

CARICOM foreign ministers are in Washington and met with Condolleeza Rice. They will meet with President Bush on Wednesday. Miami Herald

The video of Colombian president Alvaro Uribe shaking hands with paramilitary leader “Comandante Esteban” in 2001 could have repercussions domestically and in the US. Financial Times

Fidel Castro published a “manifesto” on the front page of Granma indicating that change in Cuba is not imminent. Financial Times

Susan Kaufman Purcell argues for extending credit to small and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America. Miami Herald

Tim Cavanaugh, web editor of the LA Times editorial page, mocks the visits of world leaders to the bedside of Fidel Castro. LA Times

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Robert Zoellick, US nominee for the presidency of the World Bank, criticized Hugo Chavez’s government. Financial Times

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) comments on progress that has been made in Colombia. Miami Herald

The Doe Run lead smelter in La Oroya, Peru has severe health and environmental side effects. LA Times

A video timestamped in the year 2001 shows Colombian president Alvaro Uribe meeting with a paramilitary leader during his first presidential campaign. AP

Andres Oppenheimer says that despite the high probability of a Kirchner victory in October’s Argentine presidential election, the “glory days” are over. Miami Herald

Mary O’Grady writes about narrowing ties between Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Iran. Wall Street Journal

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Rodrigo Granda, a FARC spokesman recently released from prison, declared that prisoner swaps could represent progress in negotiations with the Colombian government. Miami Herald

A lawyer for the United Steelworkers sent a letter to Condoleezza Rice referring to a video of Colombian president Alvaro Uribe on a campaign stop where he was allegedly speaking with a top paramilitary commander. Miami Herald

The EU refused to comply with Spain’s request to soften the official stance against Cuba. Miami Herald

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The UN office on drugs and crime released its annual report on coca cultivation in the Andes, which has declined by a small margin, but overall cocaine production has increased. Miami Herald

412 stolen artifacts – many priceless – were returned to Peru from South Florida. Miami Herald, Washington Post

Andres Oppenheimer says that the Mercosur trade bloc’s weakness is that it has evolved as a political union before having acheived economic integration. Miami Herald

Argentina’s energy policies have resulted in blackouts and shortages this winter. The Economist

Mexican president Felipe Calderon faces increasing drug violence despite aggressive policies involving deployment of federal troops throughout the country. The Economist

Hugo Chavez says that Fidel Castro “has his fastball back” and could be back wearing his trademark green fatigues soon. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Jorge Castañeda writes that it was notable that the immigration debate was not influenced by Latin American governments. Moreover, the passage of comprehensive reform would have positively influenced US-Latin American relations. LA Times

Mario Cesar Rios, a Mexican deputy from the PRI, was murdered in downtown Monterrey. BBC

Fidel Castro wrote an editorial in Granma mocking Bush’s visit to Albania. Washington Post

Race in the Dominican Republic reflects centuries of rejection towards the characterization of Afro-descendants as “black.” Miami Herald

The Miami Herald editorial page calls the silence by regional governments and the OAS on the closure of RCTV “defeaning.” Miami Herald

Hugo Chavez paid a visit to Fidel Castro. AP

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Violence against journalists in Mexico is considered among the worst in the world, as those who cover the drug trade have resorted to self-censorship. Christian Science Monitor

Tensions continue between Colombia and Venezuela. Miami Herald

Hugo Chavez takes a road trip across the southern plains of Venezuela. AP

Martin Castro, half-brother of Fidel, still lives modestly outside of Havana and says that Fidel is still very much in charge of Cuba. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Nerva Cot Aguilera is the first female bishop in Cuba and the developing world. AP

Mexico’s Catholic Church aims to defeat the law stating that priests may not interfere in political matters. The Church was accused of meddling with the recent legalization of abortion in Mexico City. AP

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A proposed $11 billion hydroelectric project in the Brazilian state of Rondônia brings opposition from environmental groups. New York Times

Venezuelan filmmakers are up in arms regarding the Venezuelan government’s $18 million investment in a Danny Glover film project about Haitian independence hero Toussaint L'Ouverture. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer argues for further Central American integration. Miami Herald

Migration from one Latin American country to another is common and countries face similar issues that face the US. Miami Herald

According to a recent survey, Venezuelans are not in favor of Hugo Chavez’s closure of RCTV. Financial Times

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The Mexican supreme court voted parts of the new media law unconstitutional. New York Times

Marcela Sanchez offers a historical context to the non-renewal of RCTV’s license in Venezuela. Washington Post

Ecuador’s business sector has concerns about President Rafael Correa’s policies towards investment in the country. Miami Herald

A war of words between Brazil and Venezuela regarding RCTV has Brazil trying to block Venezuela’s entry into Mercosur. McClatchy

A Chilean attorney recommended that former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori be extradited to Peru to stand trial. LA Times, McClatchy

Paramilitary warlord Vicente Castaño remains at large in Colombia. El Nuevo Herald

Bolivian president Evo Morales met with Fidel Castro in Cuba. AP

Writing from the G-8 summit, Brazilian president Lula argues for the continued development of biofuels. Miami Herald

CSIS´s Peter DeShazo lays out the reasons why the US should continue to support Colombia. Miami Herald

Evo Morales is no Hugo Chavez. The Economist

President Alan Garcia attempts to use public investment to spur economic development in Peru. The Economist

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Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez refused to have an OAS team investigate the closure of RCTV, and a Venezuelan candidate was elected to head the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Miami Herald

Despite over seventy percent approval ratings at home, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe faces a tough audience in Washington. LA Times

Uribe will appear with Bill Clinton at a gala in New York featuring other luminaries during his US trip. Financial Times

High ranking government officials have been implicated in money laundering through the Brazilian street betting game known as jogo de bicho. New York Times

The US State Department confirmed that third parties have approached the US on behalf of Havana, and that the OAS should play a role in advancing democracy in Cuba. Miami Herald

Chavez proposed expanding the purview of ALBA (Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and Nicaragua) towards defense matters. AP

Costa Rica broke relations with Taiwan. AP

Andres Oppenheimer bemoans the silence of most OAS countries in regards to the closure of RCTV. Miami Herald

Marifeli Perez-Stable comments on Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Miami Herald

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Argentinean president Nestor Kirschner has suffered a recent scandal, protests and a second place finish in the Buenos Aires mayoral election for his hand-picked candidate, but either he or his wife will likely win the presidential election later this year. LA Times

Colombian president Alvaro Uribe began releasing jailed FARC members in order to force the guerilla group to release kidnapped hostages. Washington Post

Uribe arrives in Washington again this week to lobby for the US-Colombian FTA and further Plan Colombia aid. Financial Times

Brazil surpassed the US as the world’s top soybean exporter and hopes to grow its sugarcane ethanol industry. Christian Science Monitor

Fidel Castro appeared on television for the first time since illness forced him to step down as Cuba’s president. Miami Herald, Reuters

The Mexican supreme court struck down important sections of the Televisa law passed last year that benefits the television duopoly. New York Times

Sugar production in Cuba has fallen forcing the country to import from abroad. Miami Herald

RCTV has sent six journalists to the OAS meeting in Panama, where the closing of the Venezuelan station has been at the center of attention. Miami Herald

The Today show was filmed on location from Havana, Cuba. Miami Herald

US officials feared that a terror suspect arrested in Trinidad would disappear in Venezuela. Miami Herald

Adolf Eichmann’s fake passport was unearthed in Argentina. LA Times

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