They are the only four countries outside the US in the region that fully comply with US standards outlined in the US State Department’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, according to InSight Crime.
The Memorial Day Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
Big news in Colombia: the ELN released Salud Hernández, Diego D’Pablos and Carlos Melo after holding them for a week. Details below.
ARGENTINA
Argentina’s Last Dictator Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Cross-Border Conspiracy
An Argentine court has sentenced Reynaldo Bignone, the country’s last dictator, to 20 years in prison for his part in Operation Condor.
It’s the “first time a court has ruled that Operation Condor was a criminal conspiracy to kidnap and forcibly disappear people across international borders,” The Associated Press reports.
Under this plan, the military dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and Brazil agreed to share information with each other to help track down political opponents and leftists starting in 1975. 376 people were killed as a result of Operation Condor, the BBC reports. As The Guardian describes, “after their arrest, the victims were made to ‘disappear’, usually by being cremated, or thrown drugged but still alive from military planes into the Atlantic Ocean.”
Argentina Plans Amnesty Over Funds Stashed Abroad. President Mauricio Macri tries to encourage Argentines to repatriate billions of dollars hidden in overseas vaults and accounts. If he succeeds, it’ll be very good news.
BAHAMAS
STRIKING NEW SNAKE SPECIES FOUND IN THE BAHAMAS
BOLIVIA
The Worst Boyfriend in Bolivia
Brazil police launch manhunt after sickening gang rape
CHILE
Chile President Bachelet testifies in tax probe into daughter-in-law
COLOMBIA
Colombian rebels free Spanish journalist, 2 others
CUBA
Reports That Castro is Legalizing ‘Private Business’ Are False
JAMAICA
Jamaica, Venezuela, OAS and Caricom
MEXICO
Attorneys for Mexico’s Chapo Seek to Block Extradition to U.S.
Sinaloa Cartel’s Takeover of US Heroin Market Questionable
Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel has taken control of the US heroin market by elbowing out traffickers of the Asian product, according to a DEA official, but the dynamics of the drug trade on both sides of the border are somewhat more complex.
Mexico Has a New US Ambassador after 10-Month Blockade – Roberta Jacobson.
NICARAGUA
ICYMI: There is Nothing New Under the Nicaraguan Sun
PANAMA
Panama Papers May Inspire More Big Leaks, if Not Reform
PARAGUAY
Refuge in Paraguay gives street kids their lives back
PERU
Poll gives Peru’s Fujimori 5.8 point lead a week before election
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico’s born-again farmers dig for victory in island’s debt battle. They have a long way to go: agriculture accounts for less than 1% of the island’s GDP.
VENEZUELA
Oposición se reúne en secreto con régimen de Maduro para bloquear a la OEA
The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
ARGENTINA
Newton’s Third Law at work:
For every action Argentina reiterates claim to Falklands, there is an equal and opposite reaction Falklands MPs reject Argentina’s claim to islands
Argentina Said to Revise Nuclear Pact With China to Favor U.S.
BOLIVIA
China’s Sinosteel Signs Contract for Mill at Bolivia Iron-Ore Mine
In January 2002, Mr. Daniel, the former mayor of Santo André, a suburb of São Paulo, was found shot to death a few days after being kidnapped. Six men were convicted and sentenced to prison, but the case has been reopened and closed several times since.
Mr. Moro on Friday alleged funds siphoned from the state-owned oil company at the center of the complex web of bribery and coverups, Petróleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, could have been used to pay hush money related to Mr. Daniel’s murder.
CHILE
Bolivia Suing Chile at The Hague over Water Dispute
COLOMBIA
Thousands protest government handling of peace process in Colombia
La protesta pacífica habla más duro que la violenta. pic.twitter.com/9qW5ePWA5T
— Claudia Gurisatti (@CGurisattiNTN24) April 3, 2016
Apoyo a Colombianos q marchan hoy contra negociaciones mediadas x #Castro q ignoran crimenes d #FARC #Abril2alacalle pic.twitter.com/pfjHt8RHmU
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) April 2, 2016
Colombia unsure about hostage numbers before talks with ELN rebels
This Is Not the Path to Cuban Freedom
In Cuba, image is king – whatever horrors lurk beneath it
Hypocrisy update of the day: Castro regime seeks reparations for slave trade
ECUADOR
Kiwi drug accused Scott Elliott speaks of ‘dreadful situation’ in Ecuadorian jail
MEXICO
Argentine Experts Question Report on Missing Mexico Students
NICARAGUA
Miami Fugitive on Run for 20 Years Found in Nicaragua
PUERTO RICO
Why Puerto Rico’s super restructuring is bad policy
The Vatican wall Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
Pope Francis concluded his visit with an in-flight press conference that got him and Donald Trump more mileage than the flight itself.
ARGENTINA
Macri se muestra sensible ante la situación de los derechos humanos en Venezuela
BAHAMAS
Medical Team From Cuba Arrives In The Bahamas
BOLIVIA
Scandal Emerges as Bolivia President Seeks Fourth Term
Delcídio do Amaral had been arrested in November on charges of obstructing a federal investigation
COLOMBIA
Colombia Farc: President Santos says talks will not be extended
CHILE
Exploring the heavens at San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
COLOMBIA
Colombia’s National Police chief Steps Down over Male Prostitution Scandal
CUBA
Obama: ‘Nos vemos en La Habana’
ECUADOR
Ecuadorian President Ousts Military Chiefs
ICYMI: Should the UK Sever Diplomatic Relations With Ecuador?
JAMAICA
Jamaican Police Reinforce Security Ahead of Elections
Jamaica’s election: Let them eat goat. A populist opposition challenges government austerity
MEXICO
You must read this: A Mexican Impasse for the Pope
Pope’s Trump Attack Distracts from Real Problem of Mexican Church’s Narco Donations
PANAMA
Panama Withdrawn from Money Laundering ‘Gray List’
PARAGUAY
Head of Russian Orthodox Church arrives in Paraguay
PERU
Rigging Peru’s election. A court puts Julio Guzmán’s presidential campaign on ice. Bad idea
PUERTO RICO
Amid Crisis, Puerto Rico Cracks Down on Theft, Tax Cheats
URUGUAY
Human Rights in Uruguay: Democracy, Decency and Impunity
VENEZUELA
The shape of things to come: As Socialist Economy Implodes, Venezuela Creates Army-Run Oil Firm. President Maduro Hands Over New State Company to the Military amid Criticism from Own Supporters
Meanwhile, back in Caracastan: Hyperinflation makes Bolivar worthless
Venezuela’s Bogus Inflation Statistics
All over the world, people are supporting democracy and freedom for #Venezuela. Free @LeopoldoLopez and all political prisoners now!
— JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) February 19, 2016
Broke in the Bahamas: Baha Mar, the Swiss guy and the Chinese
Baha Mar: The hotel that threatens to bankrupt the Bahamas. The Baha Mar resort was supposed to add 12 per cent to the Caribbean island’s GDP. But it has turned into the world’s biggest white elephant and the investors have gone to war. The case will soon hit the London courts. Michael Bow reports
Read the sad tale of too big a project, not enough funds, but this jumps out (emphasis added)
Mr Izmirlian, the son of commodity tycoon Dikran Izmirlian, who made his money cornering the global peanut market, was asked to try and revitalise the rundown area of Cable Beach, a dilapidated area of the island long overlooked in favour of other boltholes.
He bought land around Cable Beach and signed a deal with a US construction group in 2007 to develop the site. He securedfinancing for the project but the onset of the global financial crisis scuppered the plans.
But in March 2009 Mr Izmirlian got a break, thanks to the Chinese.
CSCEC, through its US arm CCA, agreed to come on board and construct the resort with the proviso that debt financing came from Cexim, which stumped up $2.45bn of secured credit.
CCA, led by president and chief executive Ning Yuan, is the largest division of CSCEC and has been operating in the US for 30 years. CSCEC added another $150m and Mr Izmirlian $850m.
The Chinese company was given the green light to start building in February 2011, with a completion scheduled in November 2014.
Despite the company’s size, the Baha Mar president Tom Dunlap said it had concerns about whether the Chinese could deliver such an ambitious construction project. CSCEC drafted around 5,000 migrant Chinese labourers on to the holiday island to build the resort, winning work permits for them from the Bahamian government.
“Although [CSCEC] is one of the world’s largest contractors, it had little experience in constructing single-phase resorts projects of [the] size and complexity of the [Baha Mar] project,” Mr Dunlap said in a statement filed as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
Keep that in mind every time you read about the proposed Nicaragua Canal.
The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
ARGENTINA
AMIA prosecutors file request letter to US on Stiuso’s whereabouts
The persistence of Peronism: Argentina’s dominant political brand is defined by power, not ideology.
To the extent that it has an ideology it is a vague blend of nationalism and labourism, expressed in the PJ’s founding “three banners” of political sovereignty, economic independence and social justice.
Power as an end in itself,
Rather than ideas, Peronism embodies a consistent set of political emotions and practices. Perón declared in 1951: “The masses don’t think, the masses feel and they have more or less intuitive and organised reactions. Who produces those reactions? Their leader.” His second wife, Eva Duarte, touched the hearts of the masses. Ms Fernández has proved to be an accomplished disciple: she has ruthlessly pursued popularity by postponing inevitable economic belt-tightening, by exploiting her widowhood and by associating herself with Pope Francis, an Argentine who has Peronist roots.
Argentinian artists risk religious wrath with ‘Barbie, The Plastic Religion’
BAHAMAS
Bahamas Reports More Than $60 Million in Damage from Hurricane Joaquin
BOLIVIA
Commodity Price Decline to Cost Bolivia $3 Billion, Government Says
BRAZIL
Brazil Police Launch Preliminary Probe into Rousseff’s Re-Election Campaign
COLOMBIA
Ex-president Pastrana resigns from ‘Super Commission’ for peace
However, on Thursday he resigned from the commission citing his disappointment in the transitional justice deal which he claims was “the biggest concession achieved by the FARC after the acceptance of drug-trafficking as a crime connected to their ideals.”
COSTA RICA
Drug Raids Reveal Italian Mafia Presence in Costa Rica
CUBA
Within the Past Year: Assad, Putin and Castro Ties
ECUADOR
Ecuador’s Rafael Correa pushes for foreign investment
But with an unfriendly business environment, Correa may find it hard to entice the private sector to pick up the slack.
EL SALVADOR
A murder every hour: How gang warfare has turned El Salvador into the world’s most violent nation
In August alone there were 911 murders – an average of nearly 30 a day.
In one incident, 14 members of one of the country’s most powerful street gangs were killed in a prison.
The dead were said to have belonged to ‘Barrio 18’ gang ‘Faccion Revolucionarios’, or Revolutionaries’ Faction.
Normally at war with rival gang ‘Mara Salvatrucha’, an internal power struggle between Revolucionarios and Surenos (Southerners) has seen the violence – and death toll – soar.
HAITI
Life miserable for Haitians expelled from Dominican Republic
MEXICO
ebook: The Wounded Eagle: Three years in the Mexican drug war, 2010-2012.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
EXCLUSIVE: ARREST OF GULF CARTEL BOSS TRIGGERS CHAOS NEAR TEXAS BORDER
PANAMA
Over 10 tonnes of drugs go up in smoke in Panama
The storm clouds Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
Storm clouds are coming to a hemisphere near you.
ARGENTINA
Argentina’s Scioli Urged by Ally to Pursue Accord With Creditors
The narrative changes: Nisman documentary tied to US conservatives. Expect a lot more of that.
Funny how so many bring up the Swedish model but few understand it: 7 fatos que contradizem tudo que você acreditava sobre a Suécia
CHILE
Chilean Industrial Production Falls 5.2%
COLOMBIA
Colombia Drug Kingpin “Megateo” Slain in Military Operation
Worth watching:
Narcos on Netflix, loosely based on Killing Pablo, a miniseries made more interesting when keeping in mind the upcoming FARC deal.
CUBA
Apparently this is how Cubans get Netflix (h/t Spotniks) without Internet. I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny Paquete is a front:
[In Puerto Rico, un paquete can mean either package or a bundle of lies]
The one-sided relationship with Cuba
“The Profit of One Man Is the Damage of Another” is the 21st essay in this edition.
GUATEMALA
Guatemala mudslide leaves hundreds missing
MEXICO
13 narcos extradited from Mexico include a former Texas high school football star, “La Barbie”.
PANAMA
Chinese giant Huawei opens its sixth distribution center in Panama. Good luck collecting,
According to official figures, Venezuelan buyers owe the free zone vendors a total of 1.2 billion dollars.
PARAGUAY
Behind Drugs’ Glare, Paraguay’s Illegal Cigarette Trade Flourishes
PERU
Peru Declares State of Emergency Where Protest Left 3 Dead
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Development Bank Goes to Court for $400 Million in Taxes
URUGUAY
High times: Uruguay Awards Two Marijuana Permits to Investors
VENEZUELA
The World Is Watching Caracas. Why Venezuela’s approaching parliamentary elections matter — and not only for Venezuelans. Dude, the election is scheduled for December 6.
Judges in the southern district of Florida unsealed indictments against Pedro Luís Martín, a former head of financial intelligence for Venezuela’s secret police, and Jesús Alfredo Itriago, a former antinarcotics official with Venezuela’s investigative police.
Crime Wave Downs 100 Venezuelan Police Officers. Failure to Contain Lawlessness Comes at a Price
The Communist crucifix Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
During his visit in Bolivia, pope Francis stepped out of the popemobile to pray at the site where the late Jesuit Luis Espinal’s body had been dumped, after which Evo Morales (who wore a jacket embroidered with Che Guevara’s face to the Pope’s speech) presented Francis with the Communist crucifix designed by Espinal, and a matching medal, which Francis accepted:
Following the ensuing outrage, Francis left the medals and crucifix in Bolivia while the Vatican launched into spin mode.
Evo certainly milked the photo ops. It’ll be interesting to see what Raul Castro does when Francis goes to Cuba.
ARGENTINA
From her official website: Cristina Kirchner interview with The New Yorker – Up Close and Uncut (march 11, 2015) President Cristina Kirchner interviewed by Dexter Filkins from the US magazine The New Yorker, on March 11, 2015
The Peronist pope
Francis’s balancing act in Latin America
From March 2013: Sobre el mensaje del arzobispo de Buenos Aires
Cristina travels to Paraguay to meet Francis
BAHAMAS
Bahamas Independence Day 2015: 10 Key, Quick Facts To Know About The Caribbean Paradise
BOLIVIA
Contrast Francis’s visit with Pope John II’s 1983 visit to Nicaragua and his attitude towards liberation theology.
BRAZIL
Brazil: Man’s Lynching Compared to Slave Flogging
The lawsuit claims that Petrobras executives accepted bribes for inflating the value of construction contracts and “used the money to bribe politicians through intermediaries to guarantee they would vote in line with the ruling party while enriching themselves”.
Colombian President Welcomes FARC Cease-Fire
CUBA
Marco Rubio: Obama’s Faustian Bargain With Cuba
Here’s “What Change Looks Like” Through a Business-First Policy
ECUADOR
Ana’s Story: The Face of Colombia’s Refugee Crisis in Ecuador
EL SALVADOR
This is how bad El Salvador’s murder rate is
El Salvador is on pace to pass its neighbor, Honduras, as the deadliest country on the planet.
Mexican Ex-Governor Arrested on Tax-Fraud Charges
Some Ford lines may be heading to Mexico
Mexican helicopter trades fire with gunmen on ground near border, kills 6
MEXICO
A matter of when, not if? Mexican Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Escapes From PrisonMexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has escaped from a maximum-security prison in central Mexico, almost a year and a half after being captured, prompting a major search operation.
NICARAGUA
Panama and Nicaragua – Two Canals, One Shared Dream, but with the Chinese financial market in flux, what will happen to the Nicaraguan project?
PANAMA
Venezuelans heading to Panama
PERU
Better keep Greenpeace away: New Nazca geoglyphs in Peru could be older than famous Unesco siteJapanese team believes new images are older than the famous monkey, spider and hummingbird at the Unesco World Heritage site
Ubinas Erupts in Peru Dispersing Ash Up to Radius of 9.3 Miles
PUERTO RICO
America’s Greece: Fixing Puerto Rico Could Provide Answers for Europe
VENEZUELA
Now it’s serious! Venezuela is almost out of beer
The week’s posts and podcast:
The new perfect Latin American idiot
“Economy class cabin hexagon”? No. Just no.
What current Mexican immigration law is like
Cuba: Policy paper shows correlation between US engagement and rising repression in Cuba
Two books that don’t exist for the NYT
Argentina: Cristina drops the mask on anti-semitism
Bolivia: Evo gives Francis hammer and sickle crucifix UPDATED
Business at the BBC: Firing Clarkson will cost them BIG
Ecuador: Pope calls for “new economic and ecological world order”
Argentina: Cristina cheers for Greece
Monday night “It takes 1 to tango”
Ecuador: Pope’s visiting, crowd clamors “Out, Correa, out”
LIVE now – US-Latin America stories with Jerry Brewer, by Silvio Canto Jr http://t.co/KyOFowVwbq
— Fausta (@Fausta) July 8, 2015
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