Juanson World

Hoping to resurrect this blog

2009-04-08T18:24:00.000-04:00

Have a bit more free time now. Stay tuned.

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T13:04:00.001-04:00

Windsor Mann waxes poetic about styrophobia. Great SBTB reference.

2008-03-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

Monday, March 24, 2008

Spain and US: Latin Partners?

The United States should explore broader cooperation with Spain in Latin America, where their companies face similar challenges.

LATIN TIES: Spain maintains close ties with countries like Mexico. Here Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. (Photo: Government of Mexico)

TENSE MEETING: Spain's King Juan Carlos (center) and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (right) at the Ibero-American Summit in Chile in November. At left, the host, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. (Photo: Iberchile)

BY ERIC FARNSWORTH
AND CHRISTIAN GOMEZ

The re-election of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on March 9 was noted without enthusiasm in Washington. After all, soon after his first election in 2004, Zapatero fulfilled a campaign promise when he hastily withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq, and he remains the only EU leader who has not met with President Bush. Yet despite these differences, Zapatero’s re-election may in fact provide an opportunity for renewed collaboration, so long as both Madrid and Washington put pragmatism before ideology and focus on areas where progress can actually be made.

The results of the Spanish election were close, though not unexpected. American voters might recognize the hot button issues: a slowing economy, immigration, and terrorism. The March 9 contest was a rematch of 2004, when Zapatero came from behind in the polls to defeat Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy three days after the March 11 train bombings, which were mishandled by the ruling conservatives. This time around, the socialists were able to hold on despite a burst in the housing bubble that has led to increased unemployment and a ten-year high in inflation, and Zapatero has already announced a program to juice the economy going forward.

The question for the United States is, where do we go from here? Yes, there is residual bad blood over the fact that Zapatero failed to stand as the American flag passed by during Columbus Day commemorations in 2003, and the uncoordinated manner in which Spanish troops were withdrawn from Iraq. In addition, Spain has recently taken steps to increase engagement with Cuba, a policy at odds with the United States embargo as the baton has been passed from Fidel to Raul Castro. These are important and emotionally-charged issues.

Yet despite this diplomatic overhang, there are many areas where the United States and Spain are partners, including the war on terror given the fact that the United States actively maintains two military bases in Spain, including one which serves as the main transit point between the United States and Iraq and Afghanistan. On trade and investment, Spanish investment in the U.S. renewable energy sector is soaring: Spanish companies own the largest solar and wind power plants in the world, both located in the United States. Spanish financial, tourism, and telecommunications service providers are also aggressively moving into the U.S. market, focusing in particular on the growing Hispanic market here.

Moreover, both countries have invested heavily in Latin America. Spanish and American firms face similar challenges in the region in terms of the rule of law, corruption, tax policies, and education levels, to name but a few. Together, our nations should work to improve Latin America’s competitiveness and standing in the global economy. One specific way could be by establishing an expectation for corporate social responsibility which would encourage participation in such activities by Latin American corporate entities themselves. Energy and climate change is another area ripe for exploration, and cooperation between the United States and Spain would provide an anchor for Latin America in both North America and Europe in addressing these critical issues together.

We should also explore broader cooperation in Latin America. After all, it was an exasperated King Juan Carlos who, speaking for most if not all of the leaders present, harshly rebuked Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez during the 2007 Ibero-American Summit. His “Por que no te callas” (Why don’t you shut up?) instantly became a leading candidate for inclusion in the Spanish language equivalent of Bartlett’s quotations. And with the recent revelations of Chavez’ funding for the vicious FARC guerrillas in Colombia, Spain and the United States should consider standing together to support democracy in the Andes by establishing, with other willing regional partners, a contact group for Venezuela that would begin to forge a path toward mitigating the worst tendencies of the Venezuelan regime.

If the United States and Spain focus on those areas that potentially unite us rather than divide us, we will be best able to address the issues that are most in our self-interest. The one certainty about the Spanish elections is that Prime Minister Zapatero will now have the opportunity to work with a new U.S. president next year. But there’s no compelling reason why we should choose to wait that long.

Eric Farnsworth is vice president of the Council of the Americas. Christian Gomez, Jr. is program assistant for democratic governance at the Inter-American Dialogue. Both are in Washington. They wrote this column for Latin Business Chronicle.

© Copyright Latin Business Chronicle

Venezuela, Mexico Need to Reform State Oil Companies

2008-01-19T06:28:00.000-05:00

By Marifeli Pérez-Stable and Christian Gómez

WASHINGTON , DC—On January 3, crude oil futures broke $100 a barrel for the first time ever. While prices have cooled since then, falling below $90 a barrel on January 16, worldwide demand for oil shows no signs of abating. Although high oil prices have led to soaring government revenues for the main oil-producing countries in Latin America, continued high prices will affect each country differently. The main factor is the behavior of national oil companies.

Mexico will not stand to take advantage of the boom in oil prices. Increased oil revenues, which represent 35 percent of public spending, helped Mexico grow 3.5 percent in 2007, the highest rate since 1989. Nevertheless, Pemex, the state oil monopoly, is in dire financial and technological straits. Production is declining and may have already peaked, due to a lack of investment and exploration. Some analysts predict that Mexico might become a net oil importer in 10 years. Opening up the oil sector to foreign companies requires a change in the Constitution—a daunting political fight on the immediate horizon for President Felipe Calderon.

Despite claims to the contrary, Venezuela's PDVSA has also seen a fall in output. On January 7, El Universal reported that in 2007 oil production was 680,000 barrels per day (bpd) lower than the goal set by PDVSA's 2012 strategic plan, and 430,000 bpd lower than the 2007 national budget estimate. High oil prices have fueled President Hugo Chavez's domestic and international spending sprees, but increased spending will become unsustainable should prices fall, as no significant new oil reserves have been discovered. The likelihood of such discoveries has declined as Chavez has nationalized projects owned by foreign oil companies. While increased oil revenues led to 8.4 percent growth last year, inflation was 22.5 percent, the highest in the region.

Pemex and PDVSA might serve to learn from Brazil's Petrobras, which recently set a daily production record of just over 2 million barrels. Two reasons explain Petrobras' higher oil output. In 1997, Petrobras opened exploration and production to competition from outside companies. Since 2000, it has sold shares in the New York and Sao Paulo stock markets. Today, about 60 percent of total equity belongs to outside shareholders. The company has developed technological expertise in deepwater drilling. The Tupi deepwater field, discovered in November, is estimated to hold between five and eight billion barrels, representing the world's biggest oil find in the last eight years.

On January 14, Calderon, Chavez, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met in Guatemala City at the inauguration of Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom. "One day, oil is going to run out," said Chavez. "We were talking ... looking for a way to become partners, to form an alliance ... to create new ways of cooperating to increase reserves." Chavez's moment of prescience aside, cooperation will not be enough to weather a potential fiscal crisis—with implications for the regional economy—should prices fall without needed reforms in Mexico and Venezuela.

Marifeli Pérez-Stable is Vice President for Democratic Governance at the Inter-American Dialogue. Christian Gómez is a Program Assistant at the Dialogue.

Monday's News

2007-08-13T10:19:00.001-04:00

Aiming for a New Pittsburgh, and Falling Short – New York Times
Noriega To Ask Judge to Block Extradition – Miami Herald
Fireworks Mark Castro’s 81^st Birthday – Miami Herald
Medical Tourism Will Be the Next Big Latin American Boom (Oppenheimer) – Miami Herald
Mexico City’s Princess and the Paupers – LA Times
Latin America Agenda – Financial Times
Chavez Deepens Petrocaribe Oil Pledges – AP
‘Stolen’ Guatemalan Children Found – BBC
The Free-Trade Divide (Broder) – Washington Post

Friday's News

2007-07-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

Government prosecutors are seeking to close the Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo. New York Times

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced her presidential bid. McLatchy

Fernandez announced that she would continue the economic policies of her husband’s government were she to be elected president. Financial Times

Bolivia signed a deal for the largest foreign investment ever in the country, a $2.1 billion deal with Indian company Jindal Steel and Power. Financial Times

Fidel Castro is visible, but Raul Castro is still firmly in control of Cuba. Financial Times

El Nuevo Herald speculates whether Venevisión owner Gustavo Cisneros and Venzeulan president Hugo Chavez cut a deal back in 2004. El Nuevo Herald

Monday's News

2007-07-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

Sergio Fajardo has revitalized Medellin as mayor through various construction projects and increase in funding for education. New York Times

Corruption cases have been prosecuted in Brazil, whereas in the past they may have been swept under the rug. Washington Post

Forty percent of the economy of Opopeo, Mexico is supported by remittances. Miami Herald

Community councils in Venezuela are part of president Hugo Chavez’s 21^st century socialism. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer argues that a higher ranking Spanish official should have met with Cuba’s dissidents during a Spanish delegation visit in April. Miami Herald

Santo Domingo’s poorest residents are fighting to save the city’s trees. LA Times

Bolivian president Evo Morales aims to increase legal industrial production of coca products while eliminating illegal cocaine production. LA Times

Panama’s vice president Samuel Lewis called for the US to ratify the FTA with Panama. Financial Times

Brazil has requested the extradition of Russian Boris Berezovsky for money laundering; Argentina continues to face energy shortages; RCTV is back in Venezuela on satellite; and further tapes have been revealed in Ecuador’s “secret videos” scandal. FT Latin American Agenda

Jose Maria Aznar argues for the ratification of the US-Colombia FTA. Wall Street Journal

Fidel Castro writes in an essay that the US allows terrorist attacks to happen on its own soil. AP

Thursday's News

2007-07-12T12:24:00.001-04:00

Mexican factories remain closed following explosions linked to the Popular Revolutionary Army rebel group. New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times

The Chilean supreme court refused to honor extradition requests to send former president Alberto Fujimori to Peru to stand trial. Washington Post, Miami Herald, Financial Times

The Venezuelan stock market has suffered a large blow through the nationalization of the privately owned telecommunications and gas companies by Hugo Chavez. Miami Herald

Copper prices have spiked in Chile after a strike at the Collahuasi mine. Financial Times

Rio hopes that hosting the Pan American Games will revitalize the city as well as help its bid for the 2016 Olympics. Wall Street Journal

Fidel Castro decried the use of foreign currency by Cubans in another essay published by Granma. AP

Wednesday's News

2007-07-11T11:28:00.000-04:00

Three bodies found in Mexico City in 1981 under a renovated hospital may have been those of student protestors killed during a 1968 massacre. New York Times

The Popular Revolutionary Army took responsibility for a series of explosions on gas pipelines in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. New York Times, LA Times

Jhon Frank Pinchao, a FARC hostage for over eight years, tells of his interactions with three American hostages who were captured in 2003. Miami Herald

Ecuador threatened to expel Petrobras for allegedly violating terms of a contract. Financial Times

The Banco del Sur is conceived as a development bank for Latin America run by Latin Americans. Christian Science Monitor

Brazil will budget $540 million over eight years to complete its nuclear program. AP

The Latin American Bishops Conference met for the first time in Cuba. AP

Friday's News

2007-07-06T11:22:00.000-04:00

The Guatemalan investigation into the murders of three Salvadoran deputies and their driver has stalled, as FBI agents stated that they were “appalled” at the handling of the evidence. LA Times

Tourism to Cuba has dropped by almost 5 percent in the last year, and Raul Castro’s government plans investments to draw more visits. The Economist, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mercosur continues to face problems, but there is optimism for renewed talks for a free trade agreement with the EU. The Economist

US Ambassador to Venezuela William Brownfield is departing his post to become ambassador to Colombia, after a turbulent tenure in Caracas. New York Times, AP

Cuba currently holds 37 political prisoners, the highest per capita in the world. Miami Herald

More than one million Colombians marched for peace and for the release of hostages held by guerillas. Houston Chronicle

Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa warned again that a default on sovereign debt is not out of the question. Financial Times

Felisa Miceli, Argentina’s ministry of the economy, faces a judicial probe after more than $60,000 was found in cash in her office. Financial Times

The EU trade commissioner stated that he was opposed to tariffs on imported ethanol, which aids the prospects for Brazil’s production. Financial Times

Tuesday's News

2007-07-03T11:30:00.001-04:00

Cristina Kirchner will run for president in Argentina in place of her husband. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times

The Zetas drug cartel have been weakened by a crackdown by Mexican authorities. LA Times

Brazil’s sugar and ethanol mills are drawing increasing attention and investment by multinational corporations. Financial Times

Chavez threatens to leave Mercosur; Argentina’s secretary for interior trade attacks the energy crisis; the IDB completes a reorganization; Uruguay wants to join the Banco del Sur; and the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange seeks a better watchdog. FT Latin American Agenda

Zhenli Ye Gon, a Chinese-Mexican businessman who was caught with at least $150 million of drug related money in his Mexico City mansion, accused labor secretary Javier Lozano of forcing him to store the funds. AP

An AP journalist attempts to live off of the Cuban food ration and drops 9 pounds in a month. AP

A new Amnesty International report says that Colombia is still one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. BBC

Mary O’Grady argues that the tax reform package proposed by Mexican treasury minister Agustin Carstens disappoints by following the IMF playbook on raising taxes on corporations. Wall Street Journal

Tuesday's News

2007-06-26T17:44:00.001-04:00

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

Monday's News

2007-06-25T17:40:00.001-04:00

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

Tuesday's News

2007-06-19T11:11:00.001-04:00

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

Monday's News

2007-06-18T17:14:00.001-04:00

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

Friday's News

2007-06-15T17:23:00.001-04:00

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

Thursday's News

2007-06-14T15:54:00.000-04:00

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

Wednesday's News

2007-06-13T15:58:00.001-04:00

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

Tuesday's News

2007-06-12T10:59:00.001-04:00

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

Monday's News

2007-06-11T15:34:00.001-04:00

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

Friday's News

2007-06-08T17:30:00.001-04:00

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

Thursday's News

2007-06-07T10:15:00.001-04:00

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

Wednesday's News

2007-06-06T09:52:00.000-04:00

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

Thursday's News

2007-05-31T16:22:00.001-04:00

The Venezuelan television network Venevisión has thus far failed to strike up the ire of Hugo Chavez. Miami Herald

Chavez’s shut-down of television station RCTV have ignited the youth of Venezuela. Miami Herald

The Miami Herald editorial page commends Colombian president Alvaro Uribe for authorizing the release of FARC prisoners held by the government next week. Miami Herald

The Buenos Aires mayoral election approaches on June 3, and will be in part a referendum on Argentine president Nestor Kirchner’s popularity. The Economist

Spain and the US disagree over the approach that Spain took in meetings with Cuban officials last month. AP

Wednesday's News

2007-05-23T11:49:00.001-04:00

Mexico opened a consulate in Little Rock, the 47^th Mexican consulate in the US. New York Times

Senator Carlos Garcia of Colombia declared that the failure to ratify an FTA with the US could mean withdrawal from Plan Colombia. LA Times

Silvas Rondeau, Brazil’s minister of energy and mines, has resigned after being accused of taking a bribe in the awarding of an electricity contract. Financial Times, AP

Pope Benedict’s comments in Brazil that colonizers did not trample over native civilizations in Latin America raised the ire of indigenous groups throughout the region. LA Times

Despite President Felipe Calderón’s popular deployment of federal troops in anti-drug operations, violence has actually worsened in Mexico. Christian Science Monitor

Brazil’s new Growth Acceleration Project aims to increase sluggish growth through $252 billion in public and private investment over the next four years. Christian Science Monitor

Bolivian president Evo Morales called capitalism the “worst enemy of humanity” at a conference in Cochabamba. AP

Guatemala ratified the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions. AP

Cuba plans to modernize 11 of its 17 ethanol-producing refineries. AP

Tuesday's News

2007-05-22T10:21:00.001-04:00

Brazil struggles to prepare Rio to host the Pan American Games, to be held beginning July 13. New York Times

The city of Buenaventura on Colombia’s Pacific coast is the country’s deadliest. New York Times

Continued revelations from former Colombia paramilitary commanders claim that paramilitarism was “state policy.” Washington Post

Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte calls for continued cooperation with Colombia. Miami Herald

The murder of the transit chief of a Monterrey suburb is the 25^th murder this year in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Dallas Morning News

Brazilian president Lula and Paraguayan president Duarte recently met to discuss the triple border at Ciudad del Este, and Lula announced that Brazil had scrapped plans to build a wall on the Brazilian side of Friendship Bridge. AP

Venezuelans protested in Caracas the failure to renew the license of private television station RCTV. AP, BBC

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet apologized again for the difficulties on the 100 day anniversary of the Transantiago, and promised to invest more in education and transit. AP, BBC

Brazil’s minister of energy is implicated in a scheme that alleges he took bribes to award electricity contracts. BBC

Monday's News

2007-05-07T14:26:00.001-04:00

Mary O’Grady comments on the closing of the magazine Vitral in Cuba, urging the Catholic Church to stand up to the Cuban government. Wall Street Journal

Brazilian President Lula signed a controversial decree for a compulsory license, bypassing a Merck patent on an AIDS drug. Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, AP

Before he became Pope, Benedict XVI worked against liberation theology in Latin America. He will be visiting Brazil on Wednesday. New York Times

The Pope hopes to counter the trend of Catholics converting to Pentecostalism. Miami Herald

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez threatens to nationalize banks controlled by American and Spanish financial institutions, as well as the steelmaker Sidor. New York Times

ConocoPhillips is holding out against Chavez’s terms for expropriation. Financial Times

Friday's News

2007-05-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Wall Street Journal editorial page laments the consequences of Democrats blocking FTAs with Panama, Peru, and Colombia. Wall Street Journal

As Pope Benedict prepares to arrive for a four-day Brazil visit, the Catholic Church faces challenges from declining membership and Penecostal Protestantism in the region. The Economist

Two army deserters attempted to hijack a Cuban charter flight, killing an army officer in the process. Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, AP

Former Bolivian president Tuto Quiroga joined five former Latin American finance ministers in expressed his concern that the Paul Wolfowitz scandal at the World Bank is aiding Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. The ministers called on Wolfowitz to resign in a letter to the Financial Times. Financial Times

Marcela Sanchez comments on Colombian president Alvaro Uribe’s little known “dark side.” Washington Post

A Mexican government report states that more than half a million Mexicans migrate to the US every year, which tops the number of annual deaths in the country. AP

Mexico City plans on making the teaching of the Aztec language Nahuatl compulsory in public schools starting in 2008. BBC

There have been nine attempted hijackings in Cuba since 1987. AP

Three Republican members of Congress from Florida blasted the Justice Department for sending FBI agents to Cuba in order to collect intelligence on Luis Posada Carriles. Miami Herald

Brazil is close to breaking a patent on an AIDS drug after negotiations with Merck broke down. AP

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez threatened to nationalize private banks as well as the country’s largest steel producer. AP, Reuters

Friday's News

2007-04-20T12:15:00.001-04:00

Luis Posada Carriles was released from jail and ordered under house arrest in Miami where he will await trial on immigration charges. US authorities chose not to extradite him to Venezuela or Cuba, where he faces numerous charges of terrorism. New York Times, Miami Herald

Marcela Sanchez comments on the phenomenon of foreign human rights abusers that flee to the US. Washington Post

Colombian attorney general Mario Iguaran has faced a tremendous challenge in prosecuting the parapolitical scandal. Miami Herald

Al Gore withdrew from appearing at an environmental conference in Miami because he did not want to appear with Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, who is ensnared in the parapolitical scandal. AP

Mexican president Felipe Calderon’s plan for improving dilapidated toll highways is privatization. LA Times

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, froze $54 million in military aid to Colombia due to revelations in the parapolitical scandal. Financial Times, Reuters

Violence is escalating as two provinces in the southern Bolivian department of Tarija clash over jurisdiction of the Margarita oil field. Financial Times

Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa’s administration has implemented populist measures such as cash transfers, housing subsidies, and microgrants, in addition to convening a constituent assembly. Economist

The parapolitical scandal in Colombia is edging closer to President Uribe. Economist

Friday's News

2007-04-13T14:18:00.001-04:00

Mexican president Felipe Calderon hosted a recent meeting of the Plan Puebla Panama countries, in an attempt to revive the integration initiative. Plans call for the construction of an oil refinery and better cooperation on the drug trade and security matters, among others. Economist

As Ecuador prepares to vote in a referendum for a constituent assembly on Sunday, President Rafael Correa faces an institutional crisis. Financial Times

Officials in the Pernambuco state of Brazil have broken up a contract killing company believed to have carried out over 1000 murders in the past five years. BBC, AP

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced that federal troops will accompany government officials when they take over private projects in the Orinoco oil fields. AP

On the fifth anniversary of a short-lived coup, Chavez declared that any soldier that does not agree with his socialist project should leave the military. AP

A crowd of thousands marched through Cali, Colombia to protest in solidarity against violence in the wake of Monday’s bombing outside a police barracks in the city. AP

Competing drug cartels in Mexico have launched extended PR campaigns using new media such as YouTube to display evidence of their grisly killings. AP

Mercosur

2007-04-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

To bridge ideological, economic schisms, reform Mercosur

BY MARIFELI PEREZ-STABLE

and CHRISTIAN GOMEZ

When established in 1991, Mercosur heralded free trade and regional integration in South America. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay had already embraced democracy after years of dictatorship. A new day was, indeed, dawning.

Today the Mercosur trade pact, which added Venezuela last year, includes a market of more than 250 million and three-fourths of South America's GDP. Trade within the customs union has increased by $25 billion in the last decade. Mercosur's vast potential has, nonetheless, gone unrealized.

While the trade asymmetries between Paraguay and Uruguay -- in effect, junior partners -- and Brazil and Argentina are not news, the addition of Venezuela has not tempered them. In 2006, despite an export boom, Uruguay tallied large trade deficits with Argentina ($777 million), Brazil ($495 million) and Venezuela ($521 million).

Is it any wonder that Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez's government signed a trade and investment agreement with the United States despite opposition within his ruling coalition?

Efforts to give Paraguay and Uruguay greater access to Brazilian and Argentine markets have stalled. At Mercosur's January summit, members squabbled over how to modify the rules to provide preferences for the smaller partners. Néstor Kirchner's government resisted the changes, and Brazil publicly censured Argentina.

Afterward, Finance Minister Danilo Astori said that Uruguay felt ''trapped, a prisoner of the collective wishes of the group.'' Should Uruguay's pursuit of an FTA with the United States materialize, Mercosur would be in a bind. Its rules prohibit bilateral agreements with third parties.

Ideally, Mercosur would grant Uruguay a waiver but, if not, Vázquez has threatened to downgrade his country's membership to associate status. Chile is a Mercosur associate, for example, and has negotiated several bilateral FTAs, including one with the United States. Perhaps Uruguay is upping the ante, knowing full well that trade promotion authority -- which allows the U.S. president a fast track for trade agreements that Congress can approve or reject, but neither change nor filibuster -- expires in July, leaving little time to craft an accord that the Democratic Congress would pass.

Mercosur has also failed the test of conflict-resolution among its members. For the past two years, Argentina and Uruguay have clashed over the largest foreign investment ever in Uruguay: the construction of a pulp mill by the Finnish company, Botnia, on the Uruguay River, which marks the border between the two countries. Argentina claims the mill will cause considerable environmental damage to the river.

By blockading three bridges linking the two countries, Argentine protesters have cost the Uruguayan economy nearly $1 billion. The case, which has been mediated by Spain, was presented at the International Court of Justice in January, which rejected a forced end to the roadblocks. The unwillingness of Brazil to take a leadership role in resolving the dispute underscores Mercosur's irrelevance. Unlike the European Parliament, Mercosur's -- launched last December -- cannot supersede national legislatures, making its function symbolic at best.

Complicating matters is Venezuela's entry, which has so far served to further divide Mercosur. In February, President Hugo Chávez announced the second issue of the Bono del Sur, representing a total purchase of $3.2 billion of Argentine bonds. Kirchner -- miffed at being left off the Bush itinerary -- allowed Chávez to hold a parallel anti-U.S. rally while the U.S. president was being welcomed in Uruguay.

Venezuela has also been courting Bolivia to apply for full membership. President Evo Morales seems, however, reticent to relinquish membership in the Andean Community, which Mercosur mandates. With much fanfare, Chávez bid farewell to the community last year. Were Morales to relent, Bolivia's full membership will only serve the Venezuelan agenda of ''ridding Mercosur of neoliberalism.'' Though moot, it's puzzling why Brazil in particular acquiesced to Venezuela's rushed promotion.

Unless reformed, Mercosur will become further politicized, and the hopes of bridging ideological and economic schisms among its members will fade. The Mercosur Parliament has until 2010 to harmonize national legislation, which is what its European counterpart once did. Brazil should also exercise the leadership befitting its position as the bloc's largest country. Only by putting its house in order will Mercosur live up to the vast potential its founding heralded. A happy ending may be long in coming.

--
Marifeli Pérez-Stable is vice president for democratic governance at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C., and a professor at Florida International University. Christian Gomez is program assistant at the Dialogue.

Friday's News

2007-04-06T12:05:00.001-04:00

Marcela Sanchez evaluates the Democrats’ “New Trade Policy for America” in terms of its impact on Latin America. Washington Post

Telmo Ricardo Hurtado, a former Peruvian military officer, lived under the rader in Miami Beach until his arrest by US immigration authorities. Miami Herald

Andres Mejia-Vargnaud, director of the Bogota-based Instituto Libertad y Progreso, argues in favor of the US-Colombia free trade agreement. Miami Herald

President Lula of Brazil has finally put together his second-term cabinet, which should provide him with the ability to put through some modest reforms through the congress. Economist

As Bolivian president Evo Morales announces plans to nationalize the private telecom company, analysts question to what extent Hugo Chavez is guiding his policy decisions. AP

Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa softened his stance on the proposed constituent assembly, declaring that he will not try to dissolve Congress, but rather limit its powers. AP

Protests organized by university and high school students continued in Santiago against the new transportation system. BBC

Thursday's News

2007-04-05T12:03:00.001-04:00

The Cantarell oil field – the world’s second biggest by output – has seen declining production in recent months, representing a crisis for Mexico’s state-run oil company Pemex. Wall Street Journal

Agencies specialize in returning children – some of which were adopted internationally – abducted during the Salvadoran civil war. New York Times

Human rights groups are hailing the arrests on American soil of three former Latin American military officers wanted for war crimes. New York Times

The 2008 congressional budget request has $1.6 billion of aid to Latin America. This package has some winners – such as Colombia – and losers, such as Mexico and Peru. Miami Herald

Cuban vice president Carlos Lage spoke to the Communist Youth Union on the 45^th anniversary of its founding. AP

Thus far Felipe Calderon’s first term has resulted in a reform to the Mexican pension system and better relations with the congress. Economist

Cuban dissidents did not meet with Spain’s foreign minister during his three-day trip to the island. AP

Brazil’s aviation industry is in shambles. Financial Times

Wednesday's News

2007-04-04T11:48:00.001-04:00

Hugo Chavez has issued a controversial decree limiting alcohol sales during Holy Week. New York Times

A former Argentine and two former Peruvian military officers were arrested in the US where they will eventually be deported and tried for war crimes. Washington Post

While he originally came out in favor of sugarcane ethanol, Chavez has done a u-turn on ethanol production, echoing Fidel Castro in declaring that it is unethical. Miami Herald

Castro published another article in Granma attacking President Bush’s desire to use foodstuffs to produce ethanol. BBC

Top level Spanish officials are in Havana this week for meetings with their Cuban counterparts, hoping to improve Cuba-EU relations.

Mexico City correspondent Hector Tober laments the state of traffic in the Mexican capital. LA Times

Nancy Pelosi hopes to unite at least half of the Democratic House in order to push forward on pending trade agreements. Wall Street Journal

The popularity of indigenous languages such as Aymara and Quechua is increasing in Peru and Bolivia. Christian Science Monitor

Organized crime and the drug trade has infiltrated Peru. Christian Science Monitor

Monday's News

2007-03-12T18:18:00.001-04:00

President Bush has made poverty a key theme during his Latin America tour. Wall Street Journal

Bush’s visit to Colombia included 20,000 troops protecting him during his seven-hour visit. New York Times

Child labor is a significant problem in Guatemala, and opponents of CAFTA in the US Congress would like to see free trade agreements mandate stricter labor conditions. New York Times

Friday's News

2007-03-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

President Bush’s visit to Latin America has ignited large protests in Sao Paulo, Brazil. New York Times, Miami Herald, LA Times, Washington Post

The Bush administration claims that aid to Latin America has doubled, yet this talking point has been achieved through use of a misleading base year. Washington Post

Coinciding with the arrival of Bush in Brazil, former Sao Paulo mayor Paulo Maluf was indicted by the Manhattan district attorney’s office in a construction kickback scheme involving a New York bank. New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal

Uruguay has threatened to downgrade its status in Mercosur to a partial member if it is unable to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the United States. Financial Times

Production at Mexico’s state-run oil company, Pemex, has declined due to government interference and lack of investment. New York Times

Afghani soldiers are receiving training in counternarcotics in Colombia sponsored by the US Department of State. Miami Herald

According to Forbes magazine, Carlos Slim increased his net worth by $19 billion since 2006, a staggering increase that analysts contend reflect the monopoly power his holdings represent. LA Times

Washington Post reporter Peter Baker blogs from President’s Bush’s airplane during his seven-day trip through Latin America. Washington Post

Thursday's News

2007-03-08T11:11:00.001-05:00

Three Guatemalan security officials – the minister of security, the national police chief, and the head of the prison system – submitted their resignations in connection to the murders of four policemen held in custody. New York Times

Paulo Sotero and Edward Alden describe the merits of a potential US-Brazil biofuels alliance. Washington Post

President Bush arrives in Sao Paulo today for a meeting with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the first leg of his weeklong tour of the region. Miami Herald

President Bush is not likely to receive a warm reception from a region he has largely ignored throughout his presidency. Financial Times

Cuban doctors are stranded in Colombia, awaiting visas to live in the US, after they deserted the ranks of a mission sent by Havana to Venezuela. LA Times

President Lula’s reputation has evolved from a radical to a pragmatic leftist. LA Times

The LA Times editorial page states that unless the US eliminates the 54 cents per gallon tariff on sugarcane ethanol imported from Brazil, today’s meeting between Lula and Bush will not be a success. LA Times

Ecuador’s highest electoral court voted to dismiss 57 congressmen for interfering with a referendum to create a constituent assembly. AP

Wednesday's News

2007-03-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

Jorge Castañeda writes that President Bush is the “least appropriate person on Earth” to offer an alternative to Hugo Chavez’s 21^st century socialism, and offers Mexican president Felipe Calderon as a candidate for this job. Washington Post

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida has asked Peruvian president Alan Garcia to reopen the investigation into the 1989 murder of Tampa reporter Todd Smith. Miami Herald

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez plans on embarking upon a tour of Latin American countries to parallel President Bush. Financial Times

The New York Times editorial page writes that even if President Bush’s attention to Latin America is only due to Hugo Chavez, it is still a good thing to expand on a broader aid agenda to the region. New York Times

As President Bush prepares to discuss an ethanol pact with Brazil, investors are already pouring money into the country’s sugar infrastructure. Wall Street Journal

Tuesday's News

2007-03-06T10:29:00.001-05:00

President Bush prepares to visit five Latin American countries after setting out a few new, relatively small aid programs for the region in a Monday speech. New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald, LA Times

Guatemala will ask the US for aid in the fight against drug trafficking. AP

Fernando Araujo is now Colombia’s foreign minister after six years in captivity as a FARC hostage. Washington Post

The migration of Bolivian indigenous women from the countryside to El Alto represents a difficult and drastic transition. Washington Post

Miami congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen urges the arrest of five former Iranian officials suspected in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Miami Herald

The LA Times editorial page states that Mexico’s treatment of migrants from Central America is unjustified and hypocritical. LA Times

Monday's News

2007-03-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

The killings of four Guatemalan policemen, who had murdered three Salvadoran deputies, have evoked memories of the dirty war. New York Times, Miami Herald

Wal-Mart in Mexico has driven out the businesses of smaller businesses and has not met the same type of organized resistance than in the United States. Wall Street Journal

Armando Valladares tells of his time as a Cuban political prisoner and offers a harsh assessment of Fidel Castro’s time in power. Wall Street Journal

Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) is a freshman congressman who is part of a coalition of lawmakers opposed to any loosening of US policy towards Cuba. Miami Herald

Hugo Chavez’s oil diplomacy has arrived in London. Christian Science Monitor

Eduardo Montealegre is protesting the gift of two Ruben Dario manuscripts by Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega to Hugo Chavez. AP

Friday's News

2007-03-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

The Canadian firm Sherritt International plans to export a portion of its Cuban oil production, which could potentially conflict with the US embargo. Miami Herald

Expectations are low for President Bush’s upcoming trip to Latin America. The Economist

The development of sugarcane ethanol is an important point of convergence for US and Latin American interests. The Economist

The State Department’s recently released annual international narcotics report states that Venezuela has become a haven for drug trafficking. Miami Herald

Peruvian president Alan Garcia has launched a national campaign against lateness. AP

President Lula of Brazil has again failed to reach a self-imposed deadline to name his cabinet for his second-term. Financial Times

Thursday's News

2007-03-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

President Bush and congressional Democrats have been in talks to come to compromises on free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, and Panama as well as on the Doha round. Wall Street Journal

A recently released World Bank report states that Brazil must reduce its regulatory barriers to private sector investment in infrastructure. Financial Times

Five Cuban dissidents arrested two years ago received two-year prison sentences. Miami Herald

Colombian president Alvaro Uribe declared that the government would not offer amnesty to guerilla rebels for demobilizing. AP

Andres Oppenheimer comments on the positive impact of free trade agreements between Latin America and the US: Miami Herald

Colombia is investigating 69 soldiers accused in the 2005 San Jose de Apartado massacre. AP

The fifth of six policeman accused of the murders of three Salvadoran deputies to the Central American Parliament turned himself into authorities. AP

Mexican president Felipe Calderon will announce his own immigration reform package shortly before President Bush’s visit to the country. AP

Wednesday's News

2007-02-28T11:40:00.000-05:00

Fidel Castro appeared on Hugo Chavez’s nightly radio show. New York Times, BBC

Three French nationals who ran a non-profit organization in Rio were murdered on the orders of another employee who was embezzling money from the organization. AP

Cuba Transition Coordinator Caleb McCarry said that independent Cuban journalists on the island have reported an increase in civil society activity as well as more repression from the Cuban government against the opposition. Financial Times

Norman Bailey, recently appointed as mission manager on Cuba and Venezuela, is to be relieved from his new post by new Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. Miami Herald

Roberto Ortega, formerly head of Cuba’s military medical services and now an exile in South Florida, claims that Cuba is covertly developing biological warfare agents. Miami Herald

Tuesday's News

2007-02-27T10:36:00.001-05:00

Msgr. Fernando Lugo has emerged as a viable alternative to the Colorado Party in Paraguay. New York Times

Guatemalan president Oscar Berger asserted that the killing of four arrested police officers were motivated by corruption. Miami Herald, LA Times

The head of the prison as well as 21 employees were arrested in connection with the murders. BBC

Speaking from jail, former DAS employee Rafael García asserts that he was under orders from former head Jorge Noguera to cooperate with paramilitaries. El Nuevo Herald

Costa Rica is the only Latin American signatory to not yet ratify CAFTA, and opposition groups held a large protest in San Jose. AP

Hugo Chavez ordered by decree the takeover of foreign oil companies operating in Venezuela’s Orinoco River belt. AP

Monday's News

2007-02-26T12:12:00.000-05:00

Mary O’Grady argues that the first year of CAFTA has been a success. Wall Street Journal

Four Guatemalan policemen who were arrested for the murders of three Salvadoran deputies were killed in a prison riot outside of Guatemala City. AP

Venezuelan arms spending has grown to more than $4 billion over the last two years, outpacing countries such as Iran and Pakistan. New York Times

The Venezuelan government is launching the “Bond of the South” which is designed to ease inflationary pressure in the country. Financial Times

External aid has arrived to Bolivia, which is suffering its worst floods in 25 years. BBC

Friday's News

2007-02-23T17:15:00.001-05:00

Venezuela’s external aid towards Latin American allies aims to reduce the influence of the US in the region. Washington Post

Venezulean aid towards Bolivia has paralleled the close relationship between Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. New York Times

Marcela Sanchez asks, is Latin America the ‘Persian Gulf’ of biofuels? Washington Post

Jorge Noguera, head of Colombia’s security agency from 2002 to 2005, was arrested for conspiring with paramilitaries. Miami Herald, LA Times

Reporters from the Chicago Tribune, El Universal, and the BBC were ordered to leave Cuba. Miami Herald

Rigoberta Menchu’s run for president in Guatemala is an uphill battle. LA Times

Thursday's News

2007-02-22T17:55:00.001-05:00

Three Salvadoran members of the Central American Parliament, along with their driver, were killed outside of Guatemala City. New York Times, Washington Post

The ongoing investigations into ties between military officers and paramilitaries in Colombia has ensnared some very high-profile officers, such as Hernán Mejía. Washington Post

The Costa Rican government asserts that Venezuela’s removal of an aluminum plant that had been performing profitably is politically motivated. Financial Times

Tuesday's News

2007-02-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

Ecuador announced that it will postpone a bond payment due this week but will make the payment in full by mid-March. LA Times, Financial Times

Rigoberta Menchu has announced the formation of an indigenous political movement to seek the presidency of Guatemala. AP

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said that the OAS would be open to initiating a dialogue with Cuba. AP

On the fourth anniversary of the crash and kidnapping of three US defense contractors still held by FARC rebels, the dilemma of whether to send a rescue mission persists. Miami Herald

A scaled-down version of a 2006 drug bill will be presented for legislative approval in Mexico. AP

The Venezuelan government has moved forward and purchased 28.5 percent of the telecommunications company CANTV. BBC

The UNDP-financed Libres de Armas program has reduced violence in the Salvadoran city of San Martin, providing a model for other cities in the country. Miami Herald

Monday's News

2007-02-12T15:22:00.000-05:00

Washington’s Bolivian immigrant community sees Bolivian president Evo Morales as a divisive figure. Washington Post

The Bush administration’s efforts to engage Latin America are being seen as a response to Hugo Chavez’s influence in the region. LA Times

Andres Oppenheimer asks whether President Bush’s upcoming visit to Latin America is too little, too late. Miami Herald

Mexico looks to develop its trading relationship with China as a means to overcome dependence on the US market. Wall Street Journal

Colombia supplies 62 percent of the cut flowers sold in the US, and the industry has been tarnished by use of pesticides and other chemicals, affecting both the environment and Colombian workers. AP

As cooperation on interdiction matters with the US has been effectively terminated, Venezuela has increasingly emerged as a transit point for illegal drugs. Miami Herald

Mary O’Grady comments on alleged bribes paid to former Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide by US telecom company Fusion to establish rates below international FCC standards. Wall Street Journal

Friday's News

2007-02-09T16:46:00.001-05:00

Argentina’s independent statistics bureau chief was fired and replaced with a former economy ministry official five days before inflation statistics were released for January. This move has sparked claims that president Nestor Kirschner is manipulating the data for political gain. The Economist

The Colombian constitutional court has ruled that same-sex couples should be accorded the same inheritance rights as heterosexual couples. Boston Globe

The trial of former FARC rebel alias Sonia awaits a jury’s decision in Washington. Miami Herald

Rising inflation in Mexico has raised concerns as prices have increased for tortillas and other staples. LA Times

Raul Castro says that Fidel’s health is improving. AP

Former bishop Fernando Lugo has emerged as a compelling presidential candidate in Paraguay. The Economist

Granma published an advertisement warning Cubans of fines for illegal satellite dishes, after US-funded TV Marti began to be broadcasted from Florida television stations. AP

The Venezuelan government has fired its drug czar amidst allegations of links to the drug trade and an increase in drug trafficking through the country. Miami Herald

Venezuela has been plagued by food shortages as vendors refuse to adhere to price controls. AP

Despite progress by president Raul Preval and the UN, Haiti has not yet become a functioning nation-state. The Economist

Brazil’s parliament lacks public confidence and remains disorganized despite President Lula’s efforts to reform the body. The Economist

Marcela Sanchez comments on the evolution of the US-Mexico relationship since the beginning of Mexican president Felipe Calderon’s term. Washington Post

Thursday's News

2007-02-08T11:43:00.001-05:00

The US and Brazil pursue cooperation on the production of sugarcane ethanol. Washington Post

Yolanda Izquierdo, an activist who had recently testified in the trial of Salvatore Mancuso, was killed despite her seeking protection from Colombia’s police. LA Times

Two soldiers of the Cuban army were allegedly killed December 20 by two conscripts who were aiding in the escape of dissident prisoners. Miami Herald

An AP-Ipsos poll of 1,000 Americans indicates that a majority of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Fidel Castro, yet a majority also is in favor of reestablishing a diplomatic relationship with Cuba. AP

Venezuela has offered to finance the production of goods made from coca in Bolivia. LA Times

The proposed re-opening of a uranium mine in the Argentine province of Mendoza is fraught with controversy over the potential environmental and labor effects on local industries. Financial Times

The presence of militias in Rio’s favelas underscores their violence and lawlessness. Christian Science Monitor

Abe Lowenthal affirms that US negligence of Latin America is a chronic, not temporary condition. With that as a basis, he offers seven suggestions for improvement in US-Latin American relations. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer asks the authors of the UN report on climate change what specific effect global warming will have on the Americas. Miami Herald

Wednesday's News

2007-02-07T12:25:00.001-05:00

Seven Mexicans were killed in two simultaneous attacks in police stations near Acapulco. Assailants were disguised as army officers. LA Times

The foreign minister of Ecuador criticized the proposed cut in US counter-narcotics aid in the 2008 budget request. Financial Times

Thousands of miners descended upon La Paz protesting Bolivian president Evo Morales’ increasing of mining taxes. AP

A class-action antitrust lawsuit has been filed against Citgo, a subsidiary of PDVSA, which accuses the company of price-fixing through Venezuela’s membership in OPEC. Washington Times

President Lula of Brazil criticized the world’s rich countries for not doing more on the issue of global warming. BBC

Argentina’s presidential election approaches in ten months, and it is unclear whether president Nestor Kirschner or his wife, a senator, will run. AP

The Miami Herald laments Hugo Chavez’s turn towards becoming a “democratically elected dictator” and surmises that the result could end being symbolic of the failure of the OAS’s Inter-American Democratic Charter. Miami Herald

Tuesday's News

2007-02-06T11:51:00.001-05:00

The dispute over the construction of a pulp mill on the Uruguay River thus far has cost the Uruguayan government over $800 million. The dispute further questions the legitimacy and effectiveness of Mercosur. Financial Times

The Bush administration’s 2008 budget proposal was unveiled with a slight overall increase in aid towards Latin America. Miami Herald

Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa rejects the presence of a US military base in Manta, as the 2008 proposed US budget reducing funds for anti-drug interdiction programs in Ecuador and cutting all funds to Venezuela. AP

Two Cuban political prisoners were released from jail. Miami Herald

Despite being ideological bookends, US congressmen Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Bill Delahunt (D-Massachusetts) are leaders for changing US policy towards Cuba. Miami Herald

Monday's News

2007-02-05T11:36:00.001-05:00

The United States is planning a strategic partnership with Brazil over the production of ethanol. Miami Herald

A speechwriter for Bolivian president Evo Morales is wanted under terrorism charges in Peru. Washington Times

Mary O’Grady laments the transformation of Venezuela under the presidency of Hugo Chavez, especially Chavez’s recent move to nationalize privately owned electricity company EDC. Wall Street Journal

Andres Oppenheimer says that there are more “elected dictators” on the way in the mold of Chavez. Miami Herald

Venezuelans celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of Hugo Chavez’s failed coup attempt against former president Carlos Andres Perez. AP

Two weekend fires in the Chilean cities of Valparaiso and Punta Arenas are being investigated. BBC

Wednesday's News

2007-02-01T14:14:00.001-05:00

Venezuela is prepared to offer president Hugo Chavez the power to rule by decree. Washington Post

Certain members of Raul Castro’s inner circle, such as vice president Carlos Lage and minister of communications Ramiro Valdes, have acquired more influence since the transfer of power from Fidel to Raul. Miami Herald

Fidel Castro is seen in new videos meeting with Hugo Chavez. Miami Herald

Tuesday's News

2007-01-31T13:43:00.001-05:00

Unfilled tunnels are a weak link at the US-Mexico border. LA Times

Chilean president Michele Bachelet has signed a decree so that the morning-after pill may be given to girls as young as 14 without parental consent. BBC

Bolivian president Evo Morales’s push for indigenous language instruction in the country’s curriculum has met resistance. Washington Post

Morales plans to advance on plans to nationalize state telecommunications company Entel. Financial Times

South American governments are increasingly naming women as defense ministers. AP

Protestors in Bolivia have blocked the only road leading to Argentina and Paraguay. They believe that nationalization efforts over oil and gas companies have not gone far enough. BBC

The Miami Herald editorial page praises Mexican president Felipe Calderon’s heightened efforts against drug trafficking. Miami Herald

According to Andres Oppenheimer, one should never forget the “human factor” behind important world events, including the downfall of Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega. Miami Herald

David Rieff comments on the unipolar world and Hugo Chavez’s role within it. New York Times Magazine

Monday's News

2007-01-29T17:21:00.001-05:00

The border between Mexico and Guatemala continues to witness significant migration from the south. New York Times

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez denied that he will seize individuals’ luxury assets, despite claims that nothing will stop 21^st century socialism. AP

Since a coup attempt in 2002, Chavez has bolstered state-run television station VTV while attempting to shrink private media. Miami Herald

El Salvador commemorates the 15^th anniversary of the end of its civil war this month, as former guerillas and soldiers reflect on why they fought the war. Washington Post

Friday's News

2007-01-26T12:17:00.000-05:00

Cuba sent a high-level delegation to Venezuela to sign deals totaling $1 billion in cooperation between the two countries. Miami Herald

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez threatened to expel US Ambassador William Brownfield from the country for statements Brownfield made concerning compensation to American companies who have invested in industries that Chavez plans to nationalize. AP

Salvadorans question the 380 soldiers their country has deployed in Iraq. New York Times

Former Argentine naval captain Alfredo Astiz denied that he was culpable for the disappearance of two nuns and a dozen others in 1977. AP

Initial evidence points to pilot error as being responsible for the crash that led to the death of Ecuador’s defense minister. LA Times

The drop in the price of petrol on the world market may force Chavez to raise the price of gasoline in Venezuela from its current rate of $0.09 cents a gallon. Financial Times

Mexican president Felipe Calderon, in addition to mobilizing troops to fight narcotraffickers, has initiated efforts to reform the country’s security forces. The Economist

The Economist deems Brazil’s plan to boost growth as being largely “too timid.” The Economist

Despite record high copper prices, Chile’s economy grew at a respectable but not stellar 4.6 percent last year. Critics consider a fiscal rule on counter-cyclical budgeting to blame. The Economist

Cuban doctors continue to be exported abroad. The Economist

Marcela Sanchez urges Washington to influence and aid the resolution of Colombia’s parapolitics scandal. Washington Post

Thursday's News

2007-01-25T10:45:00.001-05:00

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez claims that Fidel Castro is recovering and “almost jogging.” BBC

Ecuadorian defense minister Guadalupe Larriva, sworn in 9 days ago, was killed in a helicopter accident near the military base in Manta. AP

The number of Venezuelans seeking asylum in the US has increased dramatically in the last two years. Miami Herald

Drug use within Mexico has increased, resulting in cartels fighting over markets and territory rather than shipping routes. AP

International Crisis Group senior VP Mark Schneider advocates for compromise between Bolivian president Evo Morales and his opposition. Miami Herald

The World Court rejected Uruguay’s request that Argentina remove roadblocks on bridges linking the two countries in protest of Uruguay’s construction of a $1.2 billion pulp mill. Financial Times

Brazil hopes to become the “India of the Americas” by enticing US companies to outsource to the country. Wall Street Journal

The Christian Science Monitor argues for the establishment of a Plan Mexico similar to Plan Colombia to fight drug trafficking. Christian Science Monitor

Wednesday's News

2007-01-24T11:22:00.000-05:00

Mexican president Felipe Calderon has attacked drug cartels, monopolies, and poverty throughout the beginning of his term. Christian Science Monitor - Part I, Part II, Part III

Congressmen in Washington urge the easing of travel restrictions and the loosening of the embargo on Cuba. Financial Times

US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Thomas Shannon said that the US is willing to work with Chavez, and urged Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa to also work with the US. Miami Herald

President Bush mentioned Cuba in his State of the Union address, saying that his administration would continue to speak out for freedom in the country. Miami Herald

Chavismo has become increasingly difficult to define, as Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s influences are as wide ranging as are his ambitions. New York Times

While former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega will be released from a South Florida prison this year, he still faces pending charges in Panama and France. Miami Herald

Twenty-five years after the Falkland Islands war, Argentina still maintains its claim to the Malvinas islands. Washington Post

There is uncertainty as to who would fill the leadership void in Cuba after Fidel and Raul Castro. Financial Times

Marcel Granier, chairman of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), laments Chavez’s aggressive moves towards Venezuela’s private media. Wall Street Journal

Andres Oppenheimer tells of the five lessons Latin America could learn from India. Miami Herald

Tuesday's News

2007-01-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

Former Chilean president and current senator Eduardo Frei said that his father, also a president of the country, was actually murdered in 1982 after a Belgian investigation found traces of mustard gas in his body. BBC

The Financial Times interviews Mexican president Felipe Calderon as he reflects on his first 50 days in office. Financial Times

Calderon has cozied up to members of the Mexican elite rather than taking on entrenched interests head on. Wall Street Journal

Bolivian president Evo Morales retains high approval ratings after his first year in office, despite unrest throughout the country. Miami Herald, BBC

A fledging organization of anti-Chavez Venezuelan ex-pats in South Florida is seeking greater political influence. Miami Herald

Reporting from Bangalore, Andres Oppenheimer writes that the Indian city can be a model for Latin America’s schools. Miami Herald

Monday's News

2007-01-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

Mexico extradited four major drug traffickers to the US, breaking a longstanding practice. There are more extraditions to come. New York Times, LA Times, Reuters

Colombia’s parapolitics scandal has ensnared a wide ranging swatch of the country’s political elite. New York Times

Public unrest in Bolivia is forcing delays in the constituent assembly process. Washington Post

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva unveiled a package of tax cuts and public spending that is hoped to stimulate economic growth. Financial Times

Brazil’s development of energy reserves in the Amazon is complicated by environmental, labor and activist opposition. New York Times

Most European countries have declined to join the United States in condemning Cuba. Miami Herald

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s nationalization of the telecommunications company CANTV as well as his decision to raise gasoline prices domestically comes with tremendous risks. Wall Street Journal

Mary O’Grady compares Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa’s economic policies to Lenin’s. Wall Street Journal

Anthony DePalma tells of his recent visit to Cuba. Few Cuban exiles believe they will reclaim their old houses. New York Times

Thursday's News

2007-01-18T11:50:00.001-05:00

At least 20 former Latin American presidents face human rights charges or are currently in prison. Miami Herald

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s nationalization announcement last week have sent Venezuelan markets into a tailspin. Financial Times

Former AES chief executive Dennis Bakke recalls his meeting with Chavez in 2000 as being positive, although he admits that buying such a large stake of Venezuela’s energy utility was a huge mistake. Washington Post

Radio Caracas Television, a fiercely anti-Chavez channel in Venezuela, is not having its license renewed much to the criticism of those who consider the move censorship. Washington Post

Presidents of the Mercosur trading bloc meet today for its annual summit in Rio. Bolivia and Ecuador are lobbying for entry into the group. Some analysts contend that Mercosur may have shifted from an trade bloc to a political integration force. AP

Mexican authorities captured drug cartel chief Pedro Diaz Parada, representing the first major drug arrest for president Felipe Calderon’s administration. AP

Hernando Gomez, an alleged Colombian drug trafficker held in Cuba since 2004, has not been extradited despite no evidence that he smuggled drugs on the island. El Nuevo Herald

According to sources in a Madrid hospital, Fidel Castro turned down a colostomy, opting for a riskier procedure that exacerbated health complications. AP

Cubans have remained silent regarding Castro’s health. Miami Herald

Ecuador plans on making its initial external debt payment if there is enough left over after domestic social spending. AP

Colombian authorities have seized $54 million in cash in Cali belonging to Norte del Valle cartel. BBC

Marifeli Perez-Stable argues that representative democracy, not direct democracy as practiced by Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, and Daniel Ortega, is the better path for Latin America. Miami Herald

Wednesday's News

2007-01-17T14:30:00.002-05:00

Doctors in South Florida contend that if reports from El País are credible, than there is little chance that Fidel Castro will survive from this illness. New York Times, Miami Herald

A second warrant was issued for the arrest of Isabel Peron by Argentine federal judge Norberto Oyarbide. AP

Nicaragua’s new finance minister Alberto Guevara is focusing much of the new Ortega administration on poverty reduction. Financial Times

Salvatore Mancuso is the first Colombian paramilitary leader to confess to his crimes in the demobilization process. Christian Science Monitor

The Mexican government sent a diplomatic note to the United States condemning the killing of a migrant in Arizona. AP

Jake Dizard of Freedom House offers an overview of the organization’s annual index of freedom, noting that elections region-wide have strengthened countries’ ratings but security and laws restricting NGOs restrict the region’s freedom. Miami Herald

Denise Dresser of ITAM writes that Mexican president Felipe Calderon must work to overhaul the country’s judicial and law enforcement system in order to systemically dismantle the country’s crime and drug trafficking rings. LA Times

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, through regulations and funding, aims to boost Venezuelan movies, music, and art. Christian Science Monitor

The Wall Street Journal editorial page comments on Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Latin America. Wall Street Journal

Tuesday's News

2007-01-17T14:30:00.001-05:00

Venezuela will not negotiate with foreign companies during the nationalization process, said the country’s oil minister. AP

El Pais is reporting that Fidel Castro has had at least three failed operations and is suffering from diverticular disease, an intestinal infection. Cuban authorities denied the report. AP, BBC, Miami Herald

Eugenio Montoya, alias Don Hugo, was arrested in the Colombian town of El Dovio. Montoya is believed to be a leader of the Norte del Valle drug cartel. BBC, AP

Rafael Correa was sworn in as Ecuador’s president, announcing the launch of a “citizen’s revolution” through debt restructuring and the call for a constituent assembly. LA Times, BBC, AP

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged close ties with Nicaragua on a visit to Managua as he continued his tour of Latin America. BBC

Ahmadinejad also met with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in Caracas, much to the chagrin of Venezuelan Jews. New York Times

Rolando Alfonso Borges, head of the Ideology Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, reportedly called for a broader range of stories by the state-run media that reflect the realities facing the Cuban population. Miami Herald

Friday's News

2007-01-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

As the governor of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, seeks to call a referendum on local autonomy, violence between supporters of Evo Morales’s government and supporters of autonomy in the city of Cochabamba has resulted in two deaths. BBC, AP

Amidst the violence, some members of Morales’s Movement Against Socialism (MAS) party have expressed their desire to scrap the constituent assembly process. Financial Times

An Argentine judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Isabel Peron, now living in Spain, for the disappearance of a government opponent in 1976 when she was president. BBC, AP

Cuban exile militant Luis Posada Cariles was indicted in Texas on charges that he defrauded the US government on his mode of entry into the country. Miami Herald

Former Argentine finance minister Roberto Lavanga declared his candidacy for president, yet he faces an uphill battle against sitting president Nestor Kirschner or the possible candidacy of his wife. The Economist

In a US Senate hearing on security, top intelligence officals declared that Raul Castro has firm control over Cuba in the short term, and that Venezuela and Bolivia are two countries where elected leaders are seeking to consolidate executive power. Miami Herald

Former Colombian minister of development Fernando Araujo tells the story of his escape and captivity by FARC rebels for six years. AP

Guatemala must improve its procedures for adoptions by American parents or else the US will not approve visas for the babies. The country is the second highest source of adopted babies after China. AP

Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega must walk the tightrope between his leftist brethren Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and his declared willingness to have positive relations with the United States. The Economist

Marcela Sanchez highlights some of the urban planning innovations coming from Latin American cities. Washington Post

The Financial Times editorial page says that market reaction to Chavez’s Monday speech was overblown. Financial Times

Thursday's News

2007-01-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was inaugurated yesterday and his speech contained characteristic bombast and socialist rhetoric. New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Economist, Christian Science Monitor

Daniel Ortega was also inaugurated yesterday as Nicaragua’s president and was joined by fellow leftist presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Financial Times, LA Times, AP

Ecuador and Colombia came to an agreement over Colombia’s aerial spraying of coca plants near the Ecuadorian border. Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa met during Ortega’s inauguration and Uribe pledged that Colombia would let Ecuador know in advance of any spraying. BBC

Venezuelans are shocked by Chavez’s unveiling of plans to nationalize the electricity and telecommunications companies. Miami Herald

Ricardo Sanguino, head of Venezuela’s congressional finance commission, assured that Chavez’s government would compensate any private firms it nationalizes. Shares of CANTV and the national stock market recovered yesterday. AP

Manuel Vazquez says that Fidel Castro is figuratively already deceased. Miami Herald

Over 1,000 Mexican troops were dispatched to Acapulco and two other cities in the state of Guerrero but unlike the operation in Tijuana the troops will not relieve local police of their weapons. AP

Bolivian president Evo Morales repeated his pledge to nationalize the country’s mining industry. AP

The Miami Herald editorial page urges compromise between Morales and opposition leaders. Pro-Morales protestors sparked violence in Cochabamba as they demanded that the state prefect resign. Miami Herald

In what was deemed a prank gone awry, two members of the Colombian army died from burns in a fire accident. AP

Wednesday's News

2007-01-10T17:40:00.001-05:00

Hugo Chavez’s remarks on Monday announcing plans to deepen “21^st century socialism” could mean significant losses for foreign companies like Verizon and AES that invest in Venezuela. Chavez was sworn in today. New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald,

American newspapers were universally critical of Chavez. New York Times, Washington Post

As the transition in Cuba continues, a debate over a potential gradual opening of the economy is taking place. Wall Street Journal

Tuesday's News

2007-01-09T18:30:00.001-05:00

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez unveiled plans to nationalize large sectors of the national economy, as well as restrict the autonomy of the central bank. BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times

Venezuela’s financial markets took a plunge due to president Hugo Chavez’s proposed nationalization plans. BBC, Financial Times

Nicaraguan president-elect Daniel Ortega stands to get inaugurated on Wednesday, returning to power after a sixteen-year absence. Financial Times

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is launching a new television show paid for by his supporters. BBC

Increased cooperation between Bolivia and the Venezuelan military has been criticized by opponents of President Evo Morales. New York Times

Mexican president Felipe Calderon has initiated a sweeping effort to combat drug trafficking in Baja California and Michoacan, yet some question the effectiveness of his strategy. New York Times

Friday's News

2007-01-05T13:14:00.001-05:00

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez shook up his incoming cabinet by firing vice-president Jose Vicente Rangel (replacing him with the former head of the Electoral Council) and interior minister Jesse Chacon. Chavez cited recent prison violence in his announcement. New York Times, Financial Times, AP

Federal authorities sent to Tijuana by Mexican president Felipe Calderon ordered local police to turn over their weapons as part of an investigation into ties with drug traffickers. Without weapons, the police force abandoned their patrols. LA Times

El Salvador plans on sending its eighth contingent of soldiers to Iraq. AP

Former Colombian minister of development Fernando Araujo escaped from FARC capture, where he had been held after having been kidnapped six years ago. BBC

Colombia extradited a former police officer and airport employee to the United States on accusations of smuggling large shipments of cocaine on commercial airlines. AP

Mexican president Felipe Calderon might face congressional opposition every time he decides to embark on a trip abroad due to a law that requires legislative approval to take international trips. Washington Post

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva faces challenges reaching his goal of 5 percent GDP growth for Brazil’s sluggish economy. The Economist

The uncertainty surrounding Fidel Castro’s health and the smooth transfer of power to brother Raul makes Cuba’s future increasingly unknown. The Economist

The Miami Herald editorial page condemns Chavez’s declaration that he would not renew the license of opposition television station RCTV, deeming it a move towards authoritarianism. Miami Herald

Thursday's News

2007-01-04T11:30:00.001-05:00

As Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez aims to consolidate his supporters into one political party, tensions among his coalition are becoming evident. New York Times

The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro requested the deployment of the national security forces to the state as a response to recent acts of violence against civilians. BBC

Operation Tijuana was launched yesterday as Mexican federal authorities began investigating police stations, which are believed to be worked in concert with drug gangs. AP

Ten days before being sworn in as Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa has reaffirmed several of his contentious election promises, which has made investors wary as well as casting uncertainty over the payment of the country’s $11 billion debt. Financial Times

In the Peruvian Amazon, a local program funded by USAID is promoting a fish-farming venture to export the paiche as an alternative to coca cultivation. Christian Science Monitor

Argentina’s rapid recovery from its 2001-2002 sovereign debt collapse has resulted in a windfall for certain investors in the country’s debt restructuring. Financial Times

Guatemalans who have lived in the United States for over a decade may run the risk of being deported as their asylum claims are finally being processed and denied. AP

Cubans resort to unorthodox measures in order to supplement their meager incomes. BBC

Pat Holt argues that Cuba was never a threat to the United States. Christian Science Monitor

Marifeli Perez-Stable advocates for an economic opening under the successor government in Cuba. Miami Herald

Wednesday's News

2007-01-03T11:09:00.001-05:00

US Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon said that although a transition has taken place in Cuba, the regime has yet to distance itself from Fidel Castro and engagement will not take place until there is evidence of change. Dallas Morning News

Mexican president Felipe Calderon sent more than 3,300 troops and police officers to Tijuana in his continued hard-line crackdown on narcotrafficking and gangs. LA Times, AP, BBC

The murder rate in Colombia reached the lowest point in the past twenty years in 2006. BBC

Despite verbal sparring and political differences, trade between the US and Venezuela has more than doubled in the past four years, now standing at about $47 billion a year. BBC

Soaring summer temperatures in Argentina have caused a strain on the country’s power grid, as president Nestor Kirschner maintains price controls on energy that some analysts say are unsustainable. Financial Times

The arrival of luxury goods companies to Argentina reflects the growth in consumer spending as the country’s growth continues since its 2001-2002 sovereign debt collapse. Wall Street Journal

Tuesday's News

2007-01-02T16:57:00.001-05:00

The Wall Street Journal provides a recap of Latin America’s strong stock market performance for 2006. Wall Street Journal

A new generation of young leaders, such as Fidel Castro’s niece Mariela, will chart Cuba’s path. Christian Science Monitor

Three explosions at a police warehouse in Sao Paulo has left one officer dead and three injured. BBC

Brazilian president Inacio Luiz Lula da Silva was sworn in to his second term of office, vowing to spur economic growth and attack violence that he called “terrorism.” AP

Bolivian president Evo Morales passed a decree requiring a visa for US travelers to Bolivia, calling it a “matter of reciprocity.” AP

Members of FARC killed four civilians on New Year’s Day in the Colombia province of Antioquia. AP

The disappearance of Jorge Julio Lopez, a witness in the trial of Luis Patti, accused of human rights abuses while serving as a police officer in Argentina’s Dirty War, has cast a shadow over the proceedings after a first witness was kidnapped and then released. Financial Times

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced that he would not renew the license of private television station RCTV, the second-largest in the country, when it is up for renewal in March. New York Times

Friday's News

2006-12-22T15:34:00.001-05:00

According to remarks published by Granma, Raul Castro told university students to “debate fearlessly” while emphasizing that his brother Fidel is irreplaceable. Washington Post, Miami Herald

As Bolivia and Peru support the legal cultivation of coca, Ecuador and Colombia’s spat over fumigation has brought Hugo Chavez into the rhetorical battle over the US-financed “war on drugs.” Christian Science Monitor

In a joint news conference in Caracas with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, Ecuadorian president-elect Rafael Correa announced the cancellation of a trip to Bogota in light of tensions due to Colombia’s aerial spraying of coca crops along the Ecuadorian border. AP

Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, currently in the United States, was charged by a Peruvian judge for allegedly having forged signatures to register his political party before the 2001 presidential elections. BBC, AP

Cuba’s National Assembly prepares to conduct its annual year-end meeting without Fidel Castro. AP

A Cuban delegation will visit Venezuela to advise the government on the creation of an anti-corruption commission. Miami Herald

Mary O’Grady writes of her successful effort to get CD holders with the image of Che Guevara removed from the shelves of Target, as well as the “myth” of Che and his legacy in Cuba, especially in regards to practicing Christians on the island. Wall Street Journal

Jose Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch advocates for the end of the US embargo on Cuba and the use of a multilateral approach with US allies in the region in order to aid Cuba in a transition to democracy. Financial Times

Latin America appears poised for another year of positive growth, according to ECLAC, but this growth may not be sustainable due to high commodity prices and remittances as well as the strong growth numbers of Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela pulling up the regional average. Economist

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeks to end an “aviation crisis” which stems from strikes, delays, and cancellations at Brazilian airports. BBC

Thursday's News

2006-12-21T12:18:00.000-05:00

Raul Castro said that he will not imitate his brother Fidel’s governing style because he is “irreplaceable.” BBC, AP

German-speaking Mennonite farmers in eastern Bolivia worry that president Evo Morales’s land reforms will endanger their livelihoods. New York Times

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez condemned comments by US ambassador William Brownfield that Venezuela’s lack of cooperation with the DEA had resulting in an increase in shipments of illegal drugs through the country. BBC, Reuters

Argentina has rebounded since its 2002 sovereign debt default, yet are president Nestor Kirschner’s “heterodox” economic policies sustainable? Economist

Despite official pronouncements that Fidel Castro is still alive, Cubans on the island are resigned to the fact that a succession is taking place. Miami Herald

Region-wide, crime and public security have become crucial issues for the public and policy makers. Miami Herald

Wednesday's News

2006-12-20T14:59:00.000-05:00

During a press conference with foreign journalist, Peruvian president Alan Garcia declared that legal production of coca would aid in fighting cocaine production, and citing its many uses in cooking and medicine. BBC, AP

Radio and TV Marti will both be the focus of a government probe next year, led by Democratic congressman William Delahunt. The US-government funded stations, which are broadcast to Cuba, have come under fire for mismanagement and lack of effectiveness. Miami Herald

USAID-funded development projects in Bolivia, such as a farming management program implemented by Food for the Hungry International, are in doubt due to deteriorating US-Bolivia relations. Wall Street Journal

The United States and Panama have signed a bilateral free trade agreement, which faces an uphill battle for ratification in next year’s US Congress. Bloomberg

Mexican troops deployed by president Felipe Calderon in Michoacan have discovered a “hybrid marijuana plant” which can be cultivated year-round and resists herbicides. AP

US Ambassador to Venezuela William Brownfield said that Washington is optimistic in pursuing a pragmatic relationship with Caracas despite ideological differences, seeking cooperation on issues such as trade, energy and drug trafficking. AP

Hippos once owned by Pablo Escobar on his Napoles ranch have grown and produced offspring, providing a dilemma for residents as the enormous mammals represent a safety hazard. LA Times

A street in the upper class Santiago neighborhood of Las Condes will be named after deceased dictator Augusto Pinochet, while other right-wing politicians have proposals for monuments to be erected in his honor throughout the country. BBC, Reuters

Tuesday's News

2006-12-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Frustrated with the "sluggish pace" of his revolution, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced that he would be consolidating his ruling coalition into a single political party. BBC

Peruvian president Alan Garcia seeks the death penalty for those responsible for the attack on police in Ayacucho. BBC

The Mexican government announced that Operation Michoacan United had resulted in the destruction of 600 acres of marijuana plants and 55 arrests of suspected drug traffickers among other initial outcomes for president Felipe Calderon's hard-line approach to drug trafficking. LA Times, AP

Ariel Dorfman comments on the "story of Chile" told through the grandsons of General Carlos Prats and General Augusto Pinochet. LA Times

Through a loophole in US law, TV and Radio Marti, taxpayer funding stations aimed to Cuban audiences, will be shown by two stations in South Florida. Miami Herald

Pedro Roig, the director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, is under fire for alleged cronyism. Miami Herald

Salvatore Mancuso is set to appear in court today as Colombia's parapolitics scandal deepens. Washington Post

Monday's News

2006-12-18T09:16:00.000-05:00

Rebels ambushed a police convoy in the Ayacucho region of Peru, killing seven. BBC

The delegation of US congressmen traveling to Cuba were told that Fidel Castro does not have cancer nor is he suffering from a terminal disease, and will return to public life. AP, New York Times

Andres Oppenheimer cautions that despite predictions for solid growth in 2007, Latin America should not be so optimistic because much of this growth is due to a favorable external climate. Miami Herald

Elias Valencia, a suspected head of the Valencia cartel, was arrested in Mexico's Michoacan state, representing the first significant arrest since over 6,000 troops were sent to the region by president Felipe Calderon. AP

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet's decision to allow the morning-after contraception pill to be available for free in state-run hospitals has been the source of controversy in the socially conservative country. New York Times

John Londregan writes about the fallacy of Pinochet's apologists. The Weekly Standard

Saturday's News

2006-12-16T13:18:00.000-05:00

Fidel Castro spoke to Hugo Chavez and Cuban government leaders via phone, it was the first news about him in 11 days. Chavez denied that he had cancer. BBC, Reuters

Mexican president Felipe Calderon's "Operation Michoacan United" thus far has only resulted in one arrest. LA Times

Brazil's congress has approved a 90 percent increase in salaries for themselves, a move that requires no further vote in congress and undermines President Lula's desire to reduce public spending to jumpstart Brazil's poor national growth rate. Financial Times

"Cambas" came out in the streets, organizing ralies in Santa Cruz demanding autonomy for the eastern Bolivian region. AP, Reuters

Friday's News

2006-12-15T08:52:00.000-05:00

Gallup released its first independent poll of Cubans since 1994. The poll was conducted in Havana and Santiago and demonstrates that urban Cubans are not content with their levels of personal freedom to pursue their talents and choices in life. Miami Herald

Ten US congressmen are visiting Cuba for three days, and it is unclear that they will meet with Raul Castro. Critics of the US embargo view this transition period as a potential time for an opening to push through chances in sanctions. BBC, Miami Herald

After a meeting between the Venezuelan foreign minister and the US Ambassador, US-Venezuelan relations appear to be improving slightly, with both sides expressing a willingness to work together. BBC

The Ecuadoran government is considering pulling its ambassador in Colombia after asserting that aerial fumigation of coca near the border was affecting Ecuadoran territory. BBC

Under president Evo Morales, Bolivia is as divided as it has ever been. Over 2,000 hunger strikers are protesting Morales' desire to employ a simple majority to approve the new constitution being written by a constituent assembly. Morales also threatens to deploy troops against upcoming protestors. Economist, AP, Financial Times

While Augusto Pinochet was never tried for human rights abuses, his arrest in London in 1998 and subsequent extradition to Spain set an important precedent in international law for the prosecution of former heads of state for crimes against humanity. Economist

Mary O'Grady predicts that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez will become even more menacing to the United States during his next six-year term. Wall Street Journal

After its sovereign default in 2001, Argentina is ready to pay back its $6.3 billion debt to the Paris Club, but there is disagreement on the terms of the repayment. Financial Times

According to US intelligence director John Negroponte, Fidel Castro is very near death. Washington Post

Marcela Sanchez comments on the state of US-Latin American trade pacts and the impact of a Democratic takeover of Congress. Washington Post

Oscar Espinosa, an independent Cuban journalist in Havana, talks about the two paths that a transitioning Cuba may take. Miami Herald

Jonah Goldberg says that Iraq needs a Pinochet, not a Castro. LA Times

Andres Oppenheimer asks if Latin Americans are too optimistic, according to the latest Latinobarometro poll. Miami Herald

Wednesday's News

2006-12-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Approximately 5,000 supporters attended Augusto Pinochet's funeral, and another 60,000 visited his casket in a military chapel. Washington Post, LA Times

The grandson of Augusto Pinochet faces disciplinary action for an unauthorized speech given at his grandfather's funeral. BBC

Mexican president Felipe Calderon authorized the deployment of 4,000 federal troops to the state of Michoacan where skirmishes among gangs related to drug trafficking has claimed over 500 lives this year. BBC, AP">AP

The possibility of a US-Ecuador free trade agreement divides public opinion in Ecuador after the extension of trade benefits through ATPDEA. Christian Science Monitor

A recently released UNICEF report on child soldiers in Colombia reveals disturbing facts, including the average age that children are being recruited having fallen to 12 years of age. BBC

The UN has signed an accord with the Guatemalan government that would set up a commission aiding prosecutors investigating human rights abuses. New York Times

400 emergency officials met in South Florida to prepare for the possibility of the consequences of Fidel Castro's death. Miami Herald

Despite recent political turnover, Latin American markets have continued their solid upward growth. Financial Times

Jamie Darenblum advocates "finesse" in American dealings with the newly elected leftist governments in Latin America. Washington Post

Tuesday's News

2006-12-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has died, bringing to surface many of the divisions regarding his regime. New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times

Pamela Constable writes of her memories of being a correspondent in Chile before and during the Pinochet dictatorship. Washington Post

The Miami Herald editorial page writes that history will judge Pinochet harshly. Miami Herald

The Wall Street Journal editorial page says that Pinochet's legacy is more complex, and that the majority of deaths under Pinochet took place at the beginning of his regime in fighting between the Chilean army and Allende-backed militias. The Journal also says that there is no evidence the US supported the coup. Wall Street Journal

Alvaro Vargas Llosa comments on the Pinochet legacy. Wall Street Journal

Andres Oppenheimer writes that the "leftist trend" in Latin America is actually a shift towards the right. Miami Herald

FTAA a Pipe Dream

2006-12-08T17:50:00.000-05:00

The US congress today is set to approve an extension of APTDEA, which would extend the tariff preferences for Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia for six months. The extension is a compromise between different versions of a larger trade bill – the more generous (and sensible) Senate version would have extended the preferences for a full year (which would allow more time for a probable renegotiation of bilateral FTAs with Peru and Colombia) and the House version would have extended preferences only to Peru and Colombia for six months.

This is certainly good news, but Lima and Bogotá are not exactly popping champagne corks. The most likely scenario for next year’s Congress is a return to the drawing board on labor standards and other disputed aspects of the agreements. I blame timing for this one, as the shift in political power mandates that the Democrats flex their muscle on prominent legislative battles, and Peru and Colombia end up being the unintended losers. Throughout the hemisphere, opinion polls show that Latin Americans want trade. It is ironic that the US has leaned decidedly towards protectionism with two strong allies in the region while “leftist populists” win elections nearby.

Friday's News

2006-12-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

The Millennium Challenge Corporation approved a grant to El Salvador, and Marcela Sanchez opines that the $461 million should be tied to projects for Salvadorans living in the US. Washington Post

Cuba's Latin American School of Medical Sciences includes many international students, including Americans who are attracted to the medical training which also includes courses in Cuban history. New York Times

By cutting his own salary and allocating funds towards social programs, Mexican president Felipe Calderon began his term adopting the type of measures promised by his defeated opponent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. New York Times

The two American pilots who flew the private jet in Brazil that crashed into another plane have been charged with endangering air safety. BBC

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson was appointed special envoy to the OAS to work on hemispheric relations. AP

After speculation that Gen. Augusto Pinochet faked his heart attack as a way to avoid a trial for human rights abuses, most Chileans simply want Pinochet out of public life. Economist

The end of formal talks between paramilitaries and the Colombian government will have little effect on the actual demobilization process. Houston Chronicle

The Washington Post editorial page calls Chavez's Bolivarian revolution a "populist fraud." Washington Post

Six More Years

2006-12-07T17:19:00.000-05:00

I listened to Oscar Arias speak on Monday during his visit to Washington. Arias, president of Costa Rica once again, spoke of the sadness he felt for Mexico as an invited guest to Felipe Calderon’s inauguration.

The Economist has termed the beginning of Calderon’s presidency “a solid but unspectacular start.” I’m not sure that the term “solid” is what I would use to describe the chaos of the events leading up to the inauguration, as well as what it signified for the consolidation of democracy in Mexico.

Six years ago, Vicente Fox, representing the PAN, won a decisive victory (42.5% vs. 36.1%) that represented the first opening after decades of one-party rule by the PRI. The picture was rosier then as both Fox and George Bush met early in their respective presidencies with optimism for a productive US-Mexico relationship. Well, things look a little bit darker six years later on both sides of the Rio Grande. Calderon won by a fraction of a percentage point, needed bodyguards to take his oath of office, and I’ve been seeing way too many 1/20/09 bumper stickers around DC as the mainstream media begins the never-ending hum of Obama/Hillary/candidate X buzz.

Calderon’s many challenges range from migration to violence to drugs, not to mention his defeated opponent’s threat to operate a “parallel government.” One can only hope that his six years will follow a reverse trajectory than his neighbor to the north.

Thursday's News

2006-12-07T09:01:00.000-05:00

As Cuban families are opting to have fewer children, birthrates are plummeting and the country's population is aging. The consequences could be a flight of youth after a regime change. Miami Herald

The Cuban government has released dissident Hector Palacios from jail for health reasons. Miami Herald

Andres Oppenheimer discusses the rise of religious populism in Latin America, and admits that it makes him nervous. Miami Herald

Leaders of the AUC paramilitary group in Colombia in jail, in response to a prison transfer, have claimed to have called off the demobilization process with the Colombian government. LA Times, AP

With gasoline costing 17 cents a gallon in Venezuela compared to over 5 dollars a gallon in Brazil, gas smuggling has become a problem on the Brazilian-Venezuelan border. New York Times

Hugo Chavez's victory caps off a year of twelve elections in the region, but there were two types of leftist candidates that won. Christian Science Monitor

Wednesday's News

2006-12-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

Robert Pastor outlines suggestions to improve the sagging US-Mexico relationship, which should not have been focused on migration. Miami Herald

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has recently taken to invoking God in his Bolivarian Revolution. Miami Herald

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said that Cuba and the US should initiate a dialogue before Fidel Castro's death. El Nuevo Herald

Amidst rumors that his illness was exaggerated, Gen. Augusto Pinochet was said to be recovering from a heart attack. BBC

Among Chavez's plans detailed in the "Simon Bolivar National Plan" are the renaming of Venezuela to Socialist and Bolivarian Republic. BBC

Guayaquil's candidate, Alvaro Noboa, may have lost, but the city remains optimistic in terms of further investment and economic growth. The new government also promises to implement protectionist economic policies. Latin Business Chronicle

Ecuador has surpassed Iraq in terms of market risk when measuring the cost increase for credit default swaps, or protection against sovereign default. President-elect Rafael Correa's threats to not pay off Ecuador's foreign debt has had a large impact on Ecuador's bonds. Financial Times

Nicaragua's tiny $1.6 billion annual budget only allows for $200 per citizen to spend on social programs. AP

Tuesday's News

2006-12-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

Flavio Sosa, one of the symbolic leaders of the APPO protests in Oaxaca, was arrested by Mexican authorities. AP

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's decisive victory in Sunday's election gives him the mandate to consolidate power in the country. New York Times

The Financial Times provides an analysis of Chavez's win, declaring that despite his decisive win not all Venezuelan's share the Chavez vision for Venezuela. Financial Times

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza says that the root of environmental degradation in the Americas is market failure and poverty. Miami Herald

Bret Stephens writes that Chavez's resounding victory could reflect a similar reality in Mexico in six years time. Wall Street Journal

The left has captured nine of the 12 presidential races in Latin America, but the results have reflected two distinct versions of leftist agendas for the region. Miami Herald

Monday's News

2006-12-04T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hugo Chavez has won a decisive reelection, winning over 60 percent of the vote. BBC, New York Times, Washington Post

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is in stable condition after suffering a heart attack. New York Times

Due to illness, Fidel Castro was not present at his 80th birthday celebration. Financial Times

Despite setbacks in Peru and Mexico, Richard Lapper argues that Chavismo remains a prominent force in Latin America. Financial Times

Haitians voted in local and municipal elections that had been delayed for over a year, with low turnout and some reports of violence. AP

Friday's News

2006-12-01T17:03:00.000-05:00

Amid continued chaos in Congress, Felipe Calderon was sworn in as the next president of Mexico. Both supporters of Calderon and opposition leaders of the PRD were camped out in the building for days preceding the ceremony. New York Times, Financial Times

Marcela Sanchez gives her suggestions on ways to improve the OAS electoral missions. Washington Post

Hugo Chavez seems poised to win Sunday's presidential election in Venezuela. Economist

Shipping tycoon Wilmer Ruperti represents a class of "bolibugueses": the rich and powerful supporters of president Chavez. Wall Street Journal

Problems such as strikes, low productions and worker accidents have plagued the Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA. Miami Herald

Thursday's News

2006-11-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

The statute of limitations to try former Mexican interior minister and president Luis Echeverría was extended, allowing special prosecutors to move forward on genocide charges in the massacre of students in 1968. New York Times, BBC

The polling wars in Venezuela continue, as opposition candidate Manuel Rosales claims that he is in the lead despite most polls giving president Hugo Chavez roughly a 20 point advantage. Financial Times

Gustavo Coronel of the Cato Institute pens an op-ed where he attacks Chavez for a poor record on corruption and allevation of poverty in his eight years as president. Miami Herald

The former director of DAS in Colombia ordered leaks of DEA data to drug traffickers, according to a former DAS official now in prison. El Nuevo Herald

Ecuadorian president-elect Rafael Correa represents the consummate political outsider and a rejection of the establishment in the country. Christian Science Monitor

Correa vows that he will not renew an agreement with the United States which expires in 2009 to operate an airstrip out of the port city of Manta. Washington Times

Wednesday's News

2006-11-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

Cuban president Fidel Castro will not appear at his 80th birthday celebration due to poor health. Reuters, Miami Herald

A brawl broke out in Mexico's congress when PRD lawmakers threatened to block the inauguration of president-elect Felipe Calderon. AP

Human rights groups criticized Calderon for naming as his interior minister hard-liner Francisco Ramirez Acuña. Financial Times

"Mobile consultates" are providing services to Latin America immigrants who are working in remote places such as Alaska. Wall Street Journal

The varying results of pre-electoral polls reflect the bias and polarization of the upcoming Venezuelan elections. However, it is unlikely that opposition candidate Manuel Rosales will close a 20 point gap between him and Hugo Chavez. Miami Herald

In Bolivia, where 50,000 families own 90 percent of usable land, the senate has approved president Evo Morales's land reform bill when three opposition senators broke rank with their parties. BBC, AP

Tuesday's News

2006-11-28T10:17:00.000-05:00

Rafael Correa was a landslide winner in Ecuador's presidential election by toning down his populist rhetoric with pragmatic economic policy proposals. Many analysts believe that he will govern from the center despite early bombast against the Bush administration and a close friendship with Hugo Chavez. New York Times

Correa faces a legislature without a single member of his own party: a stiff challenge to his proposed constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution. Wall Street reacted to his proposed restructuring of Ecuador's debt by dumping national bonds. Financial Times, Wall Street Journal

Polarization in Venezuela is at an all-time high as presidential elections approach. BBC

Nicaragua's ban on abortion, approved by the legislature at the beginning of this month, mirrors policies around the region. Washington Post

Norman Bailey, a conservative expert on national security, was named mission manager for intelligence on Cuba and Venezuela. Miami Herald

Cuban rock climbers, who often receive their equipment and training from foreigners, have entered into an unexpected political row with the Castro regime. Wall Street Journal

Monday's News

2006-11-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

Leftist Rafael Correa has come from behind to apparently win Ecuador's presidential election by a large margin. BBC, Washington Post, New York Times

Andres Oppenheimer debunks the conspiracy theories that are floating around the Latin American blogosphere vis-a-vis US aims to control the water supply in the region. Miami Herald

Violence flared in Oaxaca yesterday as members of APPO set fire to several buildings, resulting in 43 injuries. AP

For Latin America, a new Congress implies the distinct possibility that trade deals that have been signed with Peru and Colombia will be difficult to ratify. Economist

Wednesday's News

2006-11-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

The Wall Street Journal runs a front page article on the decline of populism in the region as demonstrated by recent electoral results. The article highlights the changing electoral tactics of leftist Rafael Correa in Ecuador's presidential election as being reflective of an overall trend. Wall Street Journal

The Mexican government, amid little fanfare, has issued the final draft of the details of the dirty war waged by the government from the late 60s to early 80s. The report details thousands of cases of torture and hundreds of state-sponsored disappearances. Washington Post

With president Hugo Chavez spending $100 million to upgrade and build health clinics in Venezuela, traditional hospitals that have not played the political game have suffered. Miami Herald

The trial of extradited FARC rebel Ricardo Palmera in the US has resulted in a mistrial. BBC

Mexican president-elect Felipe Calderon has named a number of prominent academics and economists to key cabinet posts. BBC

The executive branches of the US and Colombian governments are to sign a free trade agreement today, but ratification of the accord remains a difficult task for the US congress. Financial Times

Despite Argentine opposition to the construction of a Finnish pulp mill on the Uruguay River, the IFC has approved a $170 million loan to initiate construction on the project. Financial Times

Tuesday's News

2006-11-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

On the anniversary of the Mexican revolution, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held a "swearing-in" ceremony for the "legitimate president of Mexico." New York Times, Financial Times

The Wall Street Journal op-ed page accuses Mexican president Vicente Fox of "appeasing" AMLO, urging him to "draw a line in the sand." Wall Street Journal

In Bolivia, six of nine regional governors have cut off ties with president Evo Morales, accusing him of consolidating executive power. Washington Post

As Congress prepares to debate whether to continue the aid package of Plan Colombia, US resources are being pulled out of the province of Caqueta, one of the most concentrated areas of previous development programs and a hot-bed for coca growing. The pullout was mainly due to security concerns in the province, which has a strong FARC guerilla presence. Miami Herald

Violence continues to plague the slums of Rio de Janeiro, where police have killed 608 people in confrontations thus far this year. Residents believe that many casualties are innocent bystanders. Miami Herald

In a speech to the Council of Americas, US State Department Secretary of Political Affairs Nicolas Burns said that the US will aim to soon meet with many governments in the Latin American region, saying that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is now "on the defensive." Chief among these priorities is Brazil. Miami Herald

In Peru's regional elections, president Alan Garcia's APRA party suffered defeats in losing 10 of 12 regional governorships it holds and maintains a slim lead in Lima province. Peruvian voters by and large chose independent candidates as they expressed their dissatisfaction with traditional political parties. AP

The drug trade of the Taliban in Afghanistan strongly parallels the FARC in Colombia. Christian Science Monitor

Monday's News

2006-11-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

President Enrique Bolaños of Nicaragua signed an anti-abortion law into effect, making abortion illegal under any circumstances, including when a woman's life is in danger. BBC

Although facing an uphill battle, Manuel Rosales has emerged as a worthy contender against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in December's elections. Miami Herald, Washington Post

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador faces declining popularity for both himself and the PRD as he attempts to make life difficut for Mexican president-elect Felipe Calderon. Financial Times, Wall Street Journal

Days after the Financial Times proclaimed that Bolivian president Evo Morales was governing from the pragmatic center, the same newspaper reports that Morales has moved to consolidate power by mobilizing protestors on land reform and approving changes in the constituent assembly. Financial Times

Friday's News

2006-11-17T09:26:00.000-05:00

The Colombian government probe into ties between certain Sucre congressmen and paramilitaries has not been good for president Alvaro Uribe, as the implicated are members of parties loyal to Uribe. Economist

Since the end of Guatemala's civil war ten years ago, violence continues to plague the country. President Oscar Berger has been unsuccessful in his efforts to reform the tax system, improve security forces, and provide land holdings to peasants. Economist

President Nestor Kirschner of Argentina fired his housing secretary, Luis D'Elia, for making comments accusing Argentina of supporting an American-Israeli alliance by issuing a warrant for Iran's former president. Economist

Under president Evo Morales, Bolivia appears to be leaning towards a more moderate, pragmatic left. Venezuela's influence is waning in areas such as regional integration and natural resource ownership, and foreign companies are doing better now after the "nationalization" than they were in previous goverments, due to soaring gas prices. Financial Times

Mary O'Grady urges the US Congress to ratify bilateral FTAs with Peru and Colombia. She argues that preferencial access to US markets has already existed for both countries, and that doing the same for the US would benefit both countries. In addition she points out that the murder of labor leaders in Colombia is due to generalized violence rather than a reflection of poor labor standards in that country. Wall Street Journal

The most recent poll in Ecuador's presidential election has leftist Rafael Correa surging to within three points of Alvaro Noboa. AP

US Ambassasador Paul Trivelli has confirmed that he will meet with Nicaraguan president-elect Daniel Ortega. AP

Thursday's News

2006-11-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

The Government Accountability Office has found abuses, including expenditures on Gameboys and Sony Playstations, over the last decade in $74 million of USAID funds to Miami-based groups promoting democracy in Cuba. Washington Post, Chicago Tribune

Some of these USAID monies have been directly to universities such as FIU, UMiami, Georgetown, and Loyola of Chicago, and results have been mixed. Miami Herald

Mario Alonso, who previously was in the running for the presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank, has dreamed of building a canal in Nicaragua for over forty years and is determined to make his pipe dream a reality, at a cost of 12 years and more than three times the country's annual GDP. Christian Science Monitor

Despite polls strongly against him, opposition candidate Manuel Rosales believes that he has a legitimate chance to unseat Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who seeks another six years after eight years in power. Financial Times

The Wall Street Journal op-ed page blasts the newly created UN Human Rights Council, saying that it has focused too much on Israel. Wall Street Journal

The Miami Herald op-ed page argues for the passage of ATPDEA and bilateral FTAs with Peru and Colombia for the lame duck session of Congress. Miami Herald

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's refusal to accept defeat in Mexico's presidential election continues as he is actively seeking donations for a parallel administration. He has named a cabinet and plans on being sweared in as well. AP

Stifling NGOs in Peru

2006-11-15T18:43:00.000-05:00

Conspiracy theories abound in Peru, as the Financial Times reports that the Peruvian congress is set to approve a law that would force NGOs to register with a state watchdog and be subject to sanctions if they have "stepped beyond the national interest:"

Many in Peru suspect the proposal was revived in response to the administration’s perception that NGOs are helping organise protests against foreign investors.

Officials were irritated at the role they said Racimos de Ungurahui, a Lima campaigning group, had in encouraging indigenous Achuar protesters to occupy an oilfield operated by Pluspetrol, the Argentine energy group, in the northern Amazon last month.

There are other theories, including one that suggests that members of the Apra party are conspiring with pro-Fujimori supporters in the congress to delay his extradition to Peru for alleged human right abuses during his ten year presidency. In effect, this law is a stark demonstration of the polarization between civil society and government that exists in certain parts of Latin America. This is the money quote:

“Many of these NGOs are run by communists, pinkos and failed politicians who have set themselves up in opposition to the political class,” [Jorge del Castillo, Peru's prime minister] says.