Today’s Carnival is dedicated to cartoonist Luciano Cunha, creator of The Indoctrinator.
PRO’s Macri says government seeking to ‘demonize’ him
BOLIVIA
Bolivia Frees 47 of 51 Arrested after Violent Protests
BRAZIL
Brazilian politics
The power behind the throne
A junior partner in government is running the country
It is the person, not the party, that is abandoning the coalition, the PMDB was quick to declare. Still, Mr [Eduardo] Cunha’s exit is a worry for the president. Last week came news that police are investigating her predecessor and political mentor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for possible influence-peddling on behalf of construction firms. He denies the allegation. That is a further blow to the battered PT. Ms Rousseff needs the PMDB more than ever if she is to survive until the end of her term in 2018. Increasingly, it is running the show.
An oil scandal is shaking Brazil’s democracy to its core
New plant species ‘discovered on Facebook’
Experts identified a plant pictured on Facebook as a new species, since named as “drosera magnifica“, or magnificent sundew, according journal research paper. Someone tell Pope Francis.
COLOMBIA
Colombians Outraged by Gang Rape of Bus Driver
COSTA RICA
Costa Rica: Examples of How to be Like Greece (h/t JC)
CUBA
Evidence Mounts That Oswaldo Payá Was Assassinated by the Castros
Human Rights Foundation Documents Cuban Agents at Work on Tragic Day; Victims of Communism organization follows up on Ted Cruz’s address change proposal
Inside the offices of Granma, Cuba’s government newspaper
There’s a sucker born every minute: Cuba Hoping To Kickstart Offshore Oil & Gas Industry
HAITI
A Glimpse Of An Everyday Struggle Among Haiti’s Health Care Workers
JAMAICA
Pennies on the dollar: Jamaica to retire $3B in oil debt to Venezuela
Jamaica has forged a deal to retire $3 billion in oil debts to Venezuela thanks to bond sales.
In a Friday statement, Jamaica said it has issued roughly $2 billion in bonds on the international capital market that will pay down the debt it accumulated through Petrocaribe, a Venezuelan program that provides fuel to countries at market prices but under generous credit terms.
Officials say a negotiated settlement with Caracas will dismiss about $3 billion in long-term debt in exchange for $1.5 billion. It was not immediately clear Friday if Jamaica’s deal will retire all of its Petrocaribe debt.
. . .
Jamaica’s Petrocaribe settlement is similar to one the Dominican Republic negotiated with Venezuela earlier this year. That Caribbean country dismissed $4 billion in Petrocaribe debt in exchange for $2 billion.
MEXICO
Mexican judge jails three Joaquin Guzman prison guards
PANAMA
Panama, Costa Rica join forces, demand corruption investigation of CONCACAF Gold Cup
PARAGUAY
US asks Paraguay to extradite Fifa official Nicolas Leoz
First pictures of last-uncontacted Amazon tribe
Mashco Piro tribe have lived in the jungle in Peru for at least 600 years, but have never before been approached
URUGUAY
Uruguay says more Syrian refugees welcome
VENEZUELA
Mega-Gangs the New Plague in Venezuela
Organized Crime Takes Root in Neglected Slums
Venezuela Bars Foreign Lawmakers’ Visit to Jailed Opposition Leader
Memo To Venezuela: The Soviets Nationalized Food Distribution And Guess What? It Didn’t Work
Mother of all battles in scarcity-hit Venezuela: having a baby
The last available health ministry figures for infant mortality under 1 show an increase of 2.35 percent from January to October last year compared with the same period of 2013.
The week’s posts and podcast:
Madrid’s City Hall and the man on the Moon: Tales from a socialist mindset
Argentina: #Nisman’s killer washed his hands in the sink
Venezuela: A lesson we can’t forget
Brazil: Meet The Indoctrinator
Mexico: El Chapo’s buddies tunneled out, too UPDATED
Planned Parenthood and the evil of our times
Argentina: Judge in Cristina’s hotel case, “If I turn up suicided, look for the killer”
In Sivio Canto's podcast at 8PM Eastern, http://t.co/SgpPdARfdW
— Fausta (@Fausta) July 22, 2015
