Mexico: Revisiting the 2006 Oaxaca uprising
Tall palms cast shadows over the broad central square of Oaxaca, the capital city of the Mexican state of the same name. Their shade is welcomed both by those of…
September 2015
Pope Francis in America: Does Not Mention US Sanctions Against Cuba To Congress
During his recent visit, the pope expressed his hope that the United States lifts trade sanctions against the island country as soon as possible. He surprised people, however when he did…
Politics and Paint in Colombia’s Universities
A killer whale held up by balloons. Dictators hanging out. A poem by Baudelaire, one by Vallejo, and a couple that must have been written by students, because there…
Venezuela: Opposition leader Leopoldo López sentenced to almost 14 years in jail
López handed maximum sentence for inciting violence in anti-government protests last year; Conviction widely condemned for violations of due process and lack of transparency On 10 September, opposition leader Leopoldo…
Guatemala: Protest vote gives comedian Jimmy Morales a first-round victory
Comedian Jimmy Morales wins first round of Guatemalan presidential election; Second place still too close to call. On 6 September, Guatemalans took to the polls in the midst of a…
Mexico: In the heart of Oaxaca’s Mezcal Region
Abel Ortiz steps out from his palenque - the name given locally to small-scale workshops in which the alcoholic spirit mezcal is produced - shadowed by smoke from the fires that…
The Darien Scheme and Irn Bru
There’s a very different Latin America bubbling somewhere, where the Spanish is replaced by an Edinburgh brogue, where the vineyards are forgotten and a pub built in their place,…
URUGUAY: Foreigners Arrested For Trafficking U$S1.2 Million In Narcotics
Montevideo police have uncovered a crime atypical to the peaceful city: eight kilograms of ecstasy tablets valued at US $ 1.2 million. The drugs were sent from Spain to South America,…
GUATEMALA: OTTO PÉREZ MOLINA’S SWIFT FALL FROM GRACE
Guatemalan president resigns and is arrested within hours; Victory for anti-corruption movement; National elections set for 6 September In less than 24 hours, General Otto Pérez Molina went from being…
Cuban doctors continue to defect from Venezuela
Cuban doctors flee from Venezuela to Colombia in hope of obtaining U.S. visas; Protest staged in Bogotá to accelerate processing of visas; No plans by State Department to abolish program…
Argentina Versus US Court Judge Thomas Griesa and Vulture Funds
US 2nd District Court rules in favour of Argentina in ongoing ‘Vulture Fund’ case; Dates back to Argentina’s $100 billion debt default; 7 percent of country’s creditors stopping repayments to 93 percent;…
Hola Hezbollah: Islamic Terrorists in the Americas
The events of September 11, 2001 stimulated foreign policy changes that affected the entire planet. The United States’ post-World War II global influence has not only held strong into the…