Today’s Carnival is dedicated to Desi Arnaz, who raked in the bucks by creating a TV character that interviewers can’t seem to forget.
No. Is Argentina’s economy pulling a tango turnaround?
BELIZE
Belize offshore oil proposal has environmentalists worried about reefs, fisheries, tourism
BOLIVIA
Militar boliviano diz que Podemos seria braço do tráfico venezuelano
Relatório afirma que partido de esquerda foi financiado por Hugo Chávez e seus aliados bolivarianos para transformar a Espanha em porta de entrada de cocaína na Europa [Bolivian serviceman claims Podemos will be an arm of Venezuelan drug traffic
He says the Leftist party was bankrolled by Hugo Chávez and his Bolivarian associates to transform Spain into a port of entrance for Europe’s cocaine]
Both countries are parties to the Pact of Bogotá, which obliges signatories to submit disputes to international tribunals. But the pact excludes conflicts that were settled before 1948.
BRAZIL
Brazil football fan club deaths lead to police arrests
CHILE
Crisis socialista: Bachelet despide a todo su gabinete
COLOMBIA
Colombia ELN rebels ‘displayed solider’s leg as trophy’
Samuel Angel: “Santos y Petro han sido los peores administradores que hemos tenido”
CUBA
Ca$tro r€gim€ $€nd$ m€dica£ a$$i$tanc€ to N€pa£
EconomyGeeks Radio: Entrevista a Yusnaby Perez
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Dominican Republic stunned by two weeks of forest fires
ECUADOR
Ecuadorian State Workers Forced to March for Correa
Sign the Roll or Suffer the Consequences
Ecuador’s president demands respect from his constituentsRafael Correa attacks the press for reporting a presidential run-in with a young protestor who gave him the finger. He could start by staying off Twitter.
Mexico rescues more than 100 kidnapped migrants
Police in Mexico have rescued more than 100 migrants kidnapped by a human trafficking gang near the capital.
Reports said some of the migrants had been held hostage for five weeks in a house in Mexico State.
Most of the victims were Central Americans, but they also included people from India and Sri Lanka.
NICARAGUA
Nicaragua Canal: A Giant Project With Huge Environmental Costs, if it happens.
PANAMA
Panama Finds Collecting Venezuelan Debt Harder than Pulling TeethNew President Still Hopes to Bring $1 Billion Owed into Port – good luck with that.
PARAGUAY
Ten-year-old’s pregnancy sparks Paraguay abortion debate
PERU
Drug trade’s lowest rung: Peru’s expendable cocaine couriers
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico may run out of cash by Sept: Gov. bank
VENEZUELA
Mass grave found on the Venezuela-Colombia border
The week’s posts and podcast:
Identity politics: Halperin interviews Ted Cruz, expects Ricky Ricardo
Haiti: Clinton’s crony gets the contract
Today’s “WTH Moment” brought to you by Jorge Ramos
Book review: Carly Fiorina’s Rising to the Challenge
John Oliver riffs Latin America
Chile: Bachelet ditches entire Cabinet
“Terrorism is most definitely not a weapon of the weak”
Just what we need: Ferries to Cuba! UPDATED
This is what free speech is all about
Mexico: Jalisco’s new generation of crime
Puerto Rico: The great debt scam
Podcast:
Live podcast US-Latin America issues with Silvio Canto Jr Starting in 6 minutes http://t.co/rWnY03uNGp
— Fausta (@Fausta) May 6, 2015
Of importance is the reported attempt by Mexico to receive U.S. Crude. This is a SWAP of crude, heavy from Mexico for light sweet from the U.S. Mexico did this with the SPR in the late 90’s but this time it is not for U.S. government but with private companies.
This could set a precedent for swaps with places like Venezuela, Columbia and Ecuador. These countries have very heavy crude and Eagle Ford has condensate (classed as crude oil by 1970’s legislation but not really crude oil) as diluent to move their oil from wellhead to refineries and ports via pipeline. Otherwise, their crude oil is to thick to pump at any decent rate.
I should have mentioned that the reports of Venezuela having to import oil are somewhat inaccurate. What they have imported is diluent to enable their oil to be pipelined, either condensate, diesel or some other very light and “thin” hydrocarbon.