While the U.S. media distracted itself with news about Bruce Jenner and tried to ignore Hillary Clinton’s corruption, the big news story of the week came via Emili Blasco: Nicolas Maduro negotiated with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for Hezbollah training camps in Venezuela. See also Venezuela, el principal nexo de Hezbollah en América
A lo largo de los años, Tarek El Aissami ha desarrollado una red financiera sofisticada y de múltiples niveles (more posts on El Aissami here).
BRAZIL
The ghost in the Planalto
Dilma Rousseff is in office but no longer in power
Thankfully, it is hard to imagine suicide or a coup. It is also hard to see Ms Rousseff, a tough former urban guerrilla who survived torture, resigning. And Brazilian law holds that a president can be impeached only for political or common crimes committed during her current term of office—though whether that rule would necessarily exempt any malfeasance during her first term is not clear. So far nothing ties Ms Rousseff to corruption; some would like fiscal irresponsibility to be impeachable, but probably it is not. It is for Mr Cunha to decide whether to start impeachment, and he is one of 52 politicians being investigated over alleged illegal donations from Petrobras.
CHILE
Chile volcano ash cloud reaches Brazil; some flights canceled
Cobweb explosives, #FARC’s latest method discovered by Fudra [armed forces]
Artefactos explosivos tipo telaraña, la nueva modalidad de las #Farc descubierta por la Fudra. http://t.co/29F2wWXgOE pic.twitter.com/ckNmgbJLuC
— Gr. Jaime Lasprilla (@COMANDANTE_EJC) April 23, 2015
CUBA
Giving Obama Cover on Cuban Weapons Shipment
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo visits Cuba
MEXICO
MEXICAN AUTHORITIES RECOVER STOLEN RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
NICARAGUA
In Paradisiacal Nicaragua, Contemplating a Canal. Paradisiacal?
PANAMA
Panama, reputed to be region’s top money laundering hub, toughens up legislation
PARAGUAY
Paraguay preps bond tap in buoyant market
PERU
Protester killed in Peru during rally against Southern Copper project
Peru library to preserve Vargas Llosa’s vast literary treasure
PUERTO RICO
S&P downgrades Puerto Rico debt to ‘CCC+’ from ‘B’
URUGUAY
Ex-Gitmo detainees protest at US embassy in Uruguay, demand financial support
VENEZUELA
Should Venezuela be on the List of Terrorist States?
WATCH: ROGUE MANGO ATTACKS VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLÁS MADURO
The week’s posts and podcast:
Colombia: How are the FARC negotiations going?
En español: Unidad de quemados #217
Oh look, the guy behind the Clinton uranium deal was also the guy behind the Clinton FTA deal
Argentina: Hitting new lows on the #Nisman murder
Venezuela: Maduro negotiated for Hezbollah training camps in Venezuela
Venezuela: Censorship all around
Cuba: Strawberries can get you jailed
Argentina: Prosecutor drops #Nisman’s case
Podcast:
Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela & other US-Latin America stories
The Nicaraguan Canal–kind of puts the Snail Darter in perspctive, doesn’t it?
Give it time, jlh!