Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean.
This week’s big story is that all 33 Chilean miners trapped by a cave-in 18 days ago are alive.
Chile secures lifeline to trapped miners
Rescuing 33 miners trapped in Chile ‘to take months’
I’ll be talking about this in this morning’s podcast at 11AM Eastern.
You can watch another video report at the end of this post – below the fold since it starts automotically.
Another big story:
Police Held in Mexico Mayor’s Death
Authorities Say Officers Confessed; Vow Reforms of Law Enforcement
Seven police officers were arrested Friday for allegedly helping assassinate a Mexican mayor.
The arrests came a day after Edelmiro Cavazos, 38, the mayor of Santiago, was buried. His body—gagged, blindfolded, and showing signs of torture—had been found on the side of the road after he was kidnapped.
“They have confessed,” Alejandro Garza y Garza, the attorney general of Nuevo Leon state, said at a news conference.
Six of the arrested police officers, including Mr. Cavazos’s bodyguard, were displayed to reporters. A seventh police officer was detained later Friday.
Mr. Garza y Garza said other arrests were imminent as well.
An eyewitness said a group of at least 15 gunmen, dressed in the uniforms of a defunct Mexican police force, drove up to Mr. Cavazos’ Santiago home in a convoy of SUVs.
Adrian de la Garza, head of the Nuevo Leon State Investigations Agency, said four of the arrested officers had guarded the highway while a group of kidnappers including one of the arrested officers grabbed Mr. Cavazos.
The mayor’s bodyguard, Jose Alberto Rodriguez, who was also arrested, was allegedly grabbed with Mr. Cavazos by the kidnappers, but released unharmed shortly afterward.
During the news conference, Mr. Rodriguez said he was innocent.
The alleged involvement of so many local police in the kidnapping and killing of Mr. Cavazos goes to the heart of Mexico’s security problem, analysts say.
Corruption is deeply entrenched among Mexico’s more than 2,000 municipal and state police forces, as well as in its relatively small federal police force.
Perhaps Felipe Calderon ought to work on that, instead of coming to the USA to criticize us.
About the only good news on this is that at least the policemen were arrested.
Argentina orders shutdown of ISP owned by Clarín
BRAZIL
Rio Luxury Hotel Invaded By Gunmen, Hostages Taken
Brazil’s Rocket Envy Aside, Iran Ally Nets $50,000,000 Worth of Sensitive U.S. Technology
CHILE
Carta destacada de la semana: “Túnel bajo Andrés Bello”
COLOMBIA
Trading Growth for Instability?
Colombia Drifts Backwards as Democrats Dawdle
CUBA
“Smart Policy” Change in Cuba Policy Will Not Advance U.S. Interests
Mexico, the Victim of Castro’s New Role
Dissidents assail Church over mediation; Church defends its efforts to free prisoners
***BREAKING NEWS***
Reina Luisa Tamayo is allowed to attend church today
ECUADOR
Residents Mourn the Death of Chelito the Giraffe
GUATEMALA
El incólume Ideario de la Universidad Francisco Marroquín
HAITI
Wyclef Jean Blocked From Haitian Presidential Bid
Give Back Stolen Cash? Not So Easy
HONDURAS
La Gringa’s Mocha Gelato
MEXICO
When is the Obama administration going to get serious about Mexico?
Mexico: If it walks like an insurgency and quacks like an insurgency, is it an insurgency?
PANAMA
$13 billion budget, utopia or reality?
PERU
American Ordered to Return to Prison in Peru
Peru police seizes US $58,300 in almost perfect counterfeits
High in the Andes, Keeping an Incan Mystery Alive
URUGUAY
Luis Polakof trafico de influencias
VENEZUELA
Via Bill, Venezuela, More Deadly Than Iraq, Wonders Why
Via Dick, And all that without the suicide bombings…
Venezuela Court Revokes Ban On Violent Photos In Newspapers
Iran’s secret pipeline into the U.S.
Hugo Chavez and his despotic friends
Drink good coffee, support your FARC guerrillas
Another of Chávez’s Prisoners, Alejandro Peña Esclusa
Crime in Venezuela
Shooting gallery
The government blames the media for crime
Graphic photos NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK at this post (in Spanish) LA INSEGURIDAD NO TERMINA CON LA MUERTE EN LOS BARRIOS DE LA VENEZUELA MILLONARIA
Chavez plan to lower crime rate
Rotten Town from El Flying Monkey on Vimeo.
Interesting post from 2008: From FARC to Venezuela to…
IMMIGRATION
Via Jim,
Justice Dept. threatens to sue Ariz. sheriff Arpaio in civil rights inquiry
The week’s posts and podcasts:
Colombia captures Venezuelan drug lord VIDEO
And now for a post in Spanish: No hay “chévere”
In today’s podcast: Venezuela and Mexico
Venezuela: Censorship comes out of the closet
Easing travel restrictions to Cuba?
More on the Chilean miners:
(more…)
