From: Democracy Now
Thousands Block Roads in Honduras
In Honduras, thousands of people blocked main roads Thursday in the ongoing protests for the return of the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya. The blockades came amidst rumors Zelaya is making his second attempt to return to Honduras since his ouster. Earlier this month, the coup government blocked Zelaya’s plane when he tried to land at Honduras’s main airport. Speaking in Bolivia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Zelaya had told him of his plans to return.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: “President Zelaya is returning to Honduras. They haven’t been able to frighten him. He told me, ‘Honduras has many borders, on land, on sea. I am not going to go running around the world. I am not going to finish my time feeling bad for myself. I prefer to die in Honduran territory.’ Let’s accompany Zelaya on his path to dignity.”
Bolivia Marks 200th Anniversary of Independence
Chavez was in Bolivia to mark the 200th anniversary of Bolivian independence. On Thursday, Bolivian President Evo Morales honored the struggle of indigenous people in Bolivia’s history.
Bolivian President Evo Morales: “Today we are honoring these native leaders, mestizos and creoles, as well. But we must remember that the native people not only fought for the independence of this country, but mainly for their rights.”
US, Colombia Near Military Base Deal
The US is nearing an agreement to use three military bases inside Colombia. The Colombian government says the bases would be used for joint anti-drug operations. The ten-year deal would also extend the current arrangement allowing up to 1,400 US troops and military contractors on Colombian soil. Opposition Colombian senator Gustavo Petro called the plan a violation of sovereignty.
Gustavo Petro: “This treaty aims to allow United States troops to be in Colombia. As a sovereign country, we must respect the fact that only Colombian troops have the right to be in Colombia.”
Colombia is the largest recipient of US military aid in the Americas.
Link
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Nicaragua's revolutionary legacy
From: BBC News
Author: Stephen Gibbs
Thirty years on, Esperanza Cisneros is as much a believer as ever.
Her small Managua home seems like a shrine to the Sandinista Revolution. Its walls are adorned with political slogans.
Article
Author: Stephen Gibbs
Thirty years on, Esperanza Cisneros is as much a believer as ever.
Her small Managua home seems like a shrine to the Sandinista Revolution. Its walls are adorned with political slogans.
Article
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Lowered Expectations
"The greatest threat to democracy in Latin America is Latin Americans themselves."
From: Foreign Policy
Author: Sebastian Chakel
The military coup d'état in Honduras in late June that ousted President Manuel Zelaya sent shivers down Latin America's collective spine. Remembering a dark past, when armed forces routinely ousted unpopular presidents, all the region's leaders, from Cuba's left-wing Raúl Castro to Colombia's right-wing Álvaro Uribe, swiftly condemned the move. Everyone sided with the deposed Zelaya. Everyone, that is, except a large swath of Honduras's population that, despite the military's undemocratic move, were generally happy to see him go.
Article
From: Foreign Policy
Author: Sebastian Chakel
The military coup d'état in Honduras in late June that ousted President Manuel Zelaya sent shivers down Latin America's collective spine. Remembering a dark past, when armed forces routinely ousted unpopular presidents, all the region's leaders, from Cuba's left-wing Raúl Castro to Colombia's right-wing Álvaro Uribe, swiftly condemned the move. Everyone sided with the deposed Zelaya. Everyone, that is, except a large swath of Honduras's population that, despite the military's undemocratic move, were generally happy to see him go.
Article
Monday, July 13, 2009
Rafael Correa in New York
From: The New Yorker
Author: Lauren Collins
People who like the Ecuadoran President, Rafael Correa, describe him this way: environmentalist, speaker of five languages, Ph.D. (in economics) from the University of Illinois, solidifier of a once unstable country, writer of a new constitution, corruption fighter, canceller of debt, a “young, handsome, and shrewd” reformer who—as Fenton Communications, the Washington, D.C., P.R. firm that the government of Ecuador has hired to help Correa polish his profile in America, pointed out recently—has been called “the Obama of Latin America.”
Article
Author: Lauren Collins
People who like the Ecuadoran President, Rafael Correa, describe him this way: environmentalist, speaker of five languages, Ph.D. (in economics) from the University of Illinois, solidifier of a once unstable country, writer of a new constitution, corruption fighter, canceller of debt, a “young, handsome, and shrewd” reformer who—as Fenton Communications, the Washington, D.C., P.R. firm that the government of Ecuador has hired to help Correa polish his profile in America, pointed out recently—has been called “the Obama of Latin America.”
Article
Sunday, July 12, 2009
US Interventionism in Latin America
Plan Colombia: Exporting the Model
From: North American Congress on Latin America
Author: Bill Weinberg
The Merida Initiative, Washington’s new security program for Mexico and Central America, was immediately dubbed “Plan Mexico” by its critics—implying it is a new version of Plan Colombia. Mexico is now poised to supersede Colombia as the hemisphere’s top recipient of U.S. security aid.
From its origins 10 years ago, the multibillion-dollar aid package and militarized anti-narcotics program known as Plan Colombia was understood by its proponents as a model to be applied elsewhere in the hemisphere, and it was—first in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, through the Andean Regional Initiative. More recently, Pentagon planners have been explicitly evoking Plan Colombia as a model for the war in Afghanistan, where counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics efforts have likewise become inexorably entwined.
Click here to read a great article on US policy in Latin America in the past, present, and future
From: North American Congress on Latin America
Author: Bill Weinberg
The Merida Initiative, Washington’s new security program for Mexico and Central America, was immediately dubbed “Plan Mexico” by its critics—implying it is a new version of Plan Colombia. Mexico is now poised to supersede Colombia as the hemisphere’s top recipient of U.S. security aid.
From its origins 10 years ago, the multibillion-dollar aid package and militarized anti-narcotics program known as Plan Colombia was understood by its proponents as a model to be applied elsewhere in the hemisphere, and it was—first in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, through the Andean Regional Initiative. More recently, Pentagon planners have been explicitly evoking Plan Colombia as a model for the war in Afghanistan, where counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics efforts have likewise become inexorably entwined.
Click here to read a great article on US policy in Latin America in the past, present, and future
Members of Cabinet Are Replaced in Argentina
From: The New York Times
Author: ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
RIO DE JANEIRO — One week after her party suffered a sweeping defeat in national congressional elections, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina has shaken up her government, replacing her cabinet chief and economy minister but leaving in place two powerful ministers from her inner circle, a sign that her administration may preserve much of its direction in policy.
Article
Author: ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
RIO DE JANEIRO — One week after her party suffered a sweeping defeat in national congressional elections, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina has shaken up her government, replacing her cabinet chief and economy minister but leaving in place two powerful ministers from her inner circle, a sign that her administration may preserve much of its direction in policy.
Article
Honduras Coverage
Costa Rica Hosts Talk Over Honduras Coup
From: Democracy Now
Talks between the ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the leaders of last week’s military coup began on Thursday in Costa Rica. Zelaya and the military-backed president of Honduras Roberto Micheletti met separately with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias but there were no face-to-face meetings between the two sides. Zelaya maintained his demand to be reinstated as head of state of Honduras. Micheletti argued Zelaya was lawfully ousted last month because he violated Honduras’ constitution by trying to lift presidential term limits. Dozens of Costa Ricans protested outside the Honduran embassy in San Jose in support of ousted president Manuel Zelaya.
Jorge Hernandez: “We came here to protest in a peaceful and democratic way to support President Zelaya, and also to support President Arias, asking that he not fall into the trap of the militarists and coup-plotters by recognizing Micheletti and treating him as a head of state.”Article
Honduras Conflict Talks Yield Little Movement
From: The New York Times
Author: Ginger Thompson
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — The two sides of the political conflict in Honduras agreed to little more on Friday than that they would meet again “sometime soon,” after two days of talks in which there was little sign of movement toward bridging the divide between them. As the talks failed to gain traction in Costa Rica, much of Honduras was paralyzed by strikes and protests, and tiny cracks were beginning to emerge in the solidarity of the coalition of countries demanding the return of the ousted president, Manuel Zelaya. Article
Click here for the NYT's slideshow of Zelaya supporters protest in Honduras
Honduras and Constitutional Democracy
From: The New Republic
Author: David Fontana
Here in the United States, the removal of President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras has prompted disparate reactions from the political right and political left. Conservatives (fearing the influence of Hugo Chavez and his authoritarian brand of politics, with which Zelaya had aligned himself) have tended to side with the coup leaders. Liberals (fearing a return to the era of Latin American military coups) have tended to side with Zelaya.
But both sides are missing a layer of complexity, one that suggests the Honduras crisis isn't an easy case of heroes and villains. Article
Honduras lifts curfew 2 weeks after coup d'etat
From: The Associated Press
Author: Juan Zamorano
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Honduran authorities on Sunday lifted a curfew imposed since the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya two weeks ago — a sign the interim government is trying to restore normality to life in the crisis-gripped country.
In a nationally broadcast announcement, the interim government said the curfew had reached its objective to "restore calm" and curb crime. Article
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Benicio del Toro pays visit to Puerto Rico prison
From: The Associated Press
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (AP) — Actor Benicio del Toro met with convicts inside a Puerto Rican prison Monday, offering encouragement to a jailhouse theater group and a few tips from his own Oscar-winning career.
Click here to read the article
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico (AP) — Actor Benicio del Toro met with convicts inside a Puerto Rican prison Monday, offering encouragement to a jailhouse theater group and a few tips from his own Oscar-winning career.
Click here to read the article
Calderón's hatful of troubles
From: The Economist
“WE WON just about everything,” said Beatriz Paredes, the president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), in an accurate summing-up of the mid-term election on July 5th. Not only did the PRI, which ruled Mexico for seven decades until 2000, more than double its seats in the lower house of Congress. It also won five of the six state governorships in play and many important mayoralties. Although it won only 37% of the vote (on a turnout of 45%), the PRI will now take most of the decisions that matter over the next three years.
Click here to read the article
“WE WON just about everything,” said Beatriz Paredes, the president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), in an accurate summing-up of the mid-term election on July 5th. Not only did the PRI, which ruled Mexico for seven decades until 2000, more than double its seats in the lower house of Congress. It also won five of the six state governorships in play and many important mayoralties. Although it won only 37% of the vote (on a turnout of 45%), the PRI will now take most of the decisions that matter over the next three years.
Click here to read the article
The Perils of Latin America's Oversized Militaries
From: The Washington Post
Author: Oscar Arias
Latin America is enveloped in a climate of uncertainty and turmoil that I had hoped our region would never experience again. The recent coup d'état in Honduras, which has embroiled that country in a constitutional crisis, has provided a sad reminder that despite the progress our region has made, the errors of our past are still all too close. I have been asked by the leaders of our region to serve as the mediator in this crisis. Once again, we must trust that dialogue -- so often scorned as too slow or too simple -- is the only path to peace and the light that can guide us through these dark hours.
Click here to read the article
Author: Oscar Arias
Latin America is enveloped in a climate of uncertainty and turmoil that I had hoped our region would never experience again. The recent coup d'état in Honduras, which has embroiled that country in a constitutional crisis, has provided a sad reminder that despite the progress our region has made, the errors of our past are still all too close. I have been asked by the leaders of our region to serve as the mediator in this crisis. Once again, we must trust that dialogue -- so often scorned as too slow or too simple -- is the only path to peace and the light that can guide us through these dark hours.
Click here to read the article
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Stalemate ahead of Honduras talks
From: BBC News
Author: Stephen Gibbs
Honduras's ousted president says he will demand the removal of the interim government within 24 hours during talks aimed at solving his country's crisis.
Click here to read the article
Author: Stephen Gibbs
Honduras's ousted president says he will demand the removal of the interim government within 24 hours during talks aimed at solving his country's crisis.
Click here to read the article
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Top Cuban prospect defects
From: ESPN
Author: Jorge Arangure
"Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban considered by many scouts to be the best left-handed pitching prospect in the world, has defected from the national team, several sources have confirmed to ESPN The Magazine."
Click here to read the article
Author: Jorge Arangure
"Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban considered by many scouts to be the best left-handed pitching prospect in the world, has defected from the national team, several sources have confirmed to ESPN The Magazine."
Click here to read the article
Honduras' Coup Congress Erases Five Basic Liberties
From: The Huffington Post
Author: Al Giordano
"Despite the best efforts of what I call "the Oligarch Diaspora" to flood the Internet with near identical messages that the Honduran coup "is not a coup" and that was a "constitutional succession" (cough, cough) dressed in the blue-and-white flag of Honduran democracy, the coup regime bared its fangs today. And like any vampire, it's coming out at nightfall."
Click here to read the article
Author: Al Giordano
"Despite the best efforts of what I call "the Oligarch Diaspora" to flood the Internet with near identical messages that the Honduran coup "is not a coup" and that was a "constitutional succession" (cough, cough) dressed in the blue-and-white flag of Honduran democracy, the coup regime bared its fangs today. And like any vampire, it's coming out at nightfall."
Click here to read the article
Two Men Who Stood Under the Plunderers’ Knives
From: Truthdig
Author: Amy Goodman
"Ken Saro-Wiwa and Alberto Pizango never met, but they are united by a passion for the preservation of their people and their land, and by the fervor with which they were targeted by their respective governments. Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Nigerian government Nov. 10, 1995. Pizango this week was charged by the Peruvian government with sedition and rebellion, and narrowly eluded capture, taking refuge in the Nicaraguan Embassy in Lima. Nicaragua has just granted him political asylum. Two indigenous leaders—one living, one dead—Pizango and Saro-Wiwa demonstrate that effective grass-roots opposition to corporate power can take a personal toll. Saro-Wiwa’s family and others just won a landmark settlement in U.S. federal court, ending a 13-year battle with Shell Oil. Pizango’s ordeal is just beginning."
Click here to read the article
Author: Amy Goodman
"Ken Saro-Wiwa and Alberto Pizango never met, but they are united by a passion for the preservation of their people and their land, and by the fervor with which they were targeted by their respective governments. Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Nigerian government Nov. 10, 1995. Pizango this week was charged by the Peruvian government with sedition and rebellion, and narrowly eluded capture, taking refuge in the Nicaraguan Embassy in Lima. Nicaragua has just granted him political asylum. Two indigenous leaders—one living, one dead—Pizango and Saro-Wiwa demonstrate that effective grass-roots opposition to corporate power can take a personal toll. Saro-Wiwa’s family and others just won a landmark settlement in U.S. federal court, ending a 13-year battle with Shell Oil. Pizango’s ordeal is just beginning."
Click here to read the article
Evo Morales: Bolivia Trade Suspension Shows Obama “Lied to Latin America”
From: Democracy Now
"President Obama has announced he will continue a Bush administration policy of suspending trade benefits to Bolivia. The Bush administration revoked the benefits last year, accusing Bolivian President Evo Morales of failing to cooperate in the so-called war on drugs. On Wednesday, Morales said Obama has been deceptive in promising a new era of regional cooperation. Referring to Obama’s overtures at a recent hemispheric summit, Morales said, “President Obama lied to Latin America when he told us in Trinidad and Tobago that there are not senior and junior partners.” The US has been accused of hypocrisy for targeting Bolivia. The most recent UN figures show cocaine production in Bolivia rose just five percent in 2007. Colombia, which has received billions in US aid, saw an increase of 27 percent."
"President Obama has announced he will continue a Bush administration policy of suspending trade benefits to Bolivia. The Bush administration revoked the benefits last year, accusing Bolivian President Evo Morales of failing to cooperate in the so-called war on drugs. On Wednesday, Morales said Obama has been deceptive in promising a new era of regional cooperation. Referring to Obama’s overtures at a recent hemispheric summit, Morales said, “President Obama lied to Latin America when he told us in Trinidad and Tobago that there are not senior and junior partners.” The US has been accused of hypocrisy for targeting Bolivia. The most recent UN figures show cocaine production in Bolivia rose just five percent in 2007. Colombia, which has received billions in US aid, saw an increase of 27 percent."
Latin America and the Economic Crisis
From: Brookings
On June 23, the Brookings Institution hosted Her Excellency Michelle Bachelet, president of the Republic of Chile, for a discussion of Latin America and the global financial crisis. Prior to President Bachelet’s remarks, a panel of experts including Mauricio Cárdenas, senior fellow and director of the Latin America Initiative at Brookings, and Andrés Velasco, minister of finance of Chile, provided an assessment of the current economic landscape of Latin America and an evaluation of the economic policy responses adopted by countries in the region.
Click here for video of the event
On June 23, the Brookings Institution hosted Her Excellency Michelle Bachelet, president of the Republic of Chile, for a discussion of Latin America and the global financial crisis. Prior to President Bachelet’s remarks, a panel of experts including Mauricio Cárdenas, senior fellow and director of the Latin America Initiative at Brookings, and Andrés Velasco, minister of finance of Chile, provided an assessment of the current economic landscape of Latin America and an evaluation of the economic policy responses adopted by countries in the region.
Click here for video of the event
Crisis in Honduras
From: Brookings
Author: Kevin Casas-Zamora
The ousting of Honduras’s President, Manuel Zelaya, by the military is as unfortunate as it is revealing. The coup caps weeks of tension brought about by the president’s ill-conceived attempt to amend the constitution to enable his own reelection. More importantly, it shows that the old demons that have given Latin America a tragic political history are dormant but hardly dead. These demons include, above all, the inability to heed John Adams’s call to have a government of laws and not of men.
Click here to read the article
Author: Kevin Casas-Zamora
The ousting of Honduras’s President, Manuel Zelaya, by the military is as unfortunate as it is revealing. The coup caps weeks of tension brought about by the president’s ill-conceived attempt to amend the constitution to enable his own reelection. More importantly, it shows that the old demons that have given Latin America a tragic political history are dormant but hardly dead. These demons include, above all, the inability to heed John Adams’s call to have a government of laws and not of men.
Click here to read the article
Colombia's chance for U.S. friendship
From: The China Post
Author: Peter Brookes
"Few world leaders congratulated the “winner” of the recent fraudulent Iranian elections, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — and rightfully so. But there was a notable exception right here in our neighborhood: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez."
Click here to read the article
Author: Peter Brookes
"Few world leaders congratulated the “winner” of the recent fraudulent Iranian elections, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — and rightfully so. But there was a notable exception right here in our neighborhood: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez."
Click here to read the article
Canada, U.S. join strange bedfellows in opposition to Honduran coup
From: The National Post
Author: Steven Edwards
"What an embarrassment for the United States over the "coup" in Honduras - and even more so for Canada's Conservative government."
Click here to read the article
Author: Steven Edwards
"What an embarrassment for the United States over the "coup" in Honduras - and even more so for Canada's Conservative government."
Click here to read the article
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Managua Mayor Arguello, Ex-Boxing Champ, Dies
From: The Associated Press
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) -- Managua Mayor Alexis Arguello, a three-time world boxing champion, was found dead at his home Wednesday, his Sandinista Party's Radio Ya said.
Click here to read the article
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) -- Managua Mayor Alexis Arguello, a three-time world boxing champion, was found dead at his home Wednesday, his Sandinista Party's Radio Ya said.
Click here to read the article
What Argentina's Midterms Mean for Latin America
From: Time
Author: Tim Padgett
It's rare to see Argentina's First Family convey political humility. But as President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her husband (and presidential predecessor) Néstor Kirchner absorbed their startling defeat in Sunday's midterm elections, they both offered unusual hints of contrition. "In a democracy, you win and you lose..."
Click here to read the article
Author: Tim Padgett
It's rare to see Argentina's First Family convey political humility. But as President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her husband (and presidential predecessor) Néstor Kirchner absorbed their startling defeat in Sunday's midterm elections, they both offered unusual hints of contrition. "In a democracy, you win and you lose..."
Click here to read the article
UK MPs attack Colombia military aid
From: BBC News
MPs from all parties are calling for an end to all UK military aid to Colombia, citing murders and human rights abuses by the country's security forces.
Click here to read the article
MPs from all parties are calling for an end to all UK military aid to Colombia, citing murders and human rights abuses by the country's security forces.
Click here to read the article
Buenos Aires Declares a Swine Flu Emergency
From: The Wall Street Journal
Author: Matt Moffett
BUENOS AIRES -- The Argentine capital city, hit hard by the H1N1 flu strain, commonly known as swine flu, declared a health emergency and said it will add two weeks to school holidays in July.
Click here to read the article
Author: Matt Moffett
BUENOS AIRES -- The Argentine capital city, hit hard by the H1N1 flu strain, commonly known as swine flu, declared a health emergency and said it will add two weeks to school holidays in July.
Click here to read the article
"Right" Perspective: The Wages of Chavismo
From: The Wall Street Journal
The Honduran coup is a reaction to Chávez's rule by the mob.
As military "coups" go, the one this weekend in Honduras was strangely, well, democratic. The military didn't oust President Manuel Zelaya on its own but instead followed an order of the Supreme Court. It also quickly turned power over to the president of the Honduran Congress, a man from the same party as Mr. Zelaya. The legislature and legal authorities all remain intact.
Click here to read the article
The Honduran coup is a reaction to Chávez's rule by the mob.
As military "coups" go, the one this weekend in Honduras was strangely, well, democratic. The military didn't oust President Manuel Zelaya on its own but instead followed an order of the Supreme Court. It also quickly turned power over to the president of the Honduran Congress, a man from the same party as Mr. Zelaya. The legislature and legal authorities all remain intact.
Click here to read the article
Honduras Gets Ultimatum From American Nations
From: The New York Times
Author: Sharon Otterman & Marc Lacey
The Organization of American States on Wednesday gave Honduras three days to restore the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya, or face suspension, as the interim leader of the country defied international condemnation of the coup that led to his appointment and said only force could unseat him.
Click here to read the article
Author: Sharon Otterman & Marc Lacey
The Organization of American States on Wednesday gave Honduras three days to restore the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya, or face suspension, as the interim leader of the country defied international condemnation of the coup that led to his appointment and said only force could unseat him.
Click here to read the article
Puerto Rico Status Hearing in U.S. Congress
The hearing has hardly been covered by mainstream media. Here is direct video of the hearing.
Click here to watch the video
The actual bill:
H.R.2499 "Puerto Rico Democracy Act 2009"
Click here for the Congress listing of the current progress of the bill and the actual text
Click here to watch the video
The actual bill:
H.R.2499 "Puerto Rico Democracy Act 2009"
Click here for the Congress listing of the current progress of the bill and the actual text
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Manuel Zelaya Vows To Return To Honduras To Regain Control
From: The Huffington Post
Author: Will Weissert and Freddy Cuevas
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras' ousted president, bolstered by international support, said he will return home this week to regain control. The man who replaced him said Tuesday that Manuel Zelaya could be met with an arrest warrant.
Click here to read the article
Author: Will Weissert and Freddy Cuevas
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras' ousted president, bolstered by international support, said he will return home this week to regain control. The man who replaced him said Tuesday that Manuel Zelaya could be met with an arrest warrant.
Click here to read the article
Did Someone Say Coup?
From: RealClearPolitics
Author: Mona Charen
"The news that Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was removed from his post and spirited out of the country by the Honduran military has elicited official condemnations from the governments of France, Ecuador, Chile, Spain, and Argentina; as well as protests from the Organization of American States and the United Nations. The U.S. State Department called the events an "attempted coup," and demanded that Mr. Zelaya be returned to power in order to facilitate the "restoration of democratic order."
Hold on. There was an attempted coup in Honduras, but it was Zelaya who initiated it, not his opponents."
Click here to read the article
Author: Mona Charen
"The news that Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was removed from his post and spirited out of the country by the Honduran military has elicited official condemnations from the governments of France, Ecuador, Chile, Spain, and Argentina; as well as protests from the Organization of American States and the United Nations. The U.S. State Department called the events an "attempted coup," and demanded that Mr. Zelaya be returned to power in order to facilitate the "restoration of democratic order."
Hold on. There was an attempted coup in Honduras, but it was Zelaya who initiated it, not his opponents."
Click here to read the article
Monday, June 29, 2009
Puerto Rico's Justice
From: The Washington Post
Author: Anthony Stevens-Árroyo
"While much of the world's attention is focused on protests in Iran, Puerto Rico quietly advances its case against U.S. imperialism at the United Nations. This year, as in others, more and more nations call for an international solution to Puerto Rican status and an end to colonialism throughout the world. If the issue ends up [in] the U.S. Supreme Court, I know how Justice Sonia Sotomayor will vote..."
Click here to read the article
+ UN Committee Urges U.S. to Expedite Self-Determination Vote in Puerto Rico
Click here for another article concerning Puerto Rico
Author: Anthony Stevens-Árroyo
"While much of the world's attention is focused on protests in Iran, Puerto Rico quietly advances its case against U.S. imperialism at the United Nations. This year, as in others, more and more nations call for an international solution to Puerto Rican status and an end to colonialism throughout the world. If the issue ends up [in] the U.S. Supreme Court, I know how Justice Sonia Sotomayor will vote..."
Click here to read the article
+ UN Committee Urges U.S. to Expedite Self-Determination Vote in Puerto Rico
Click here for another article concerning Puerto Rico
Sarkozy allows Martinique to hold autonomy vote
From: The Associated Press
Author: Rodolphe Lamy
FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique – French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that Martinique is free to hold a referendum on greater political autonomy but made clear the island would always belong to France.
Click here to read the article
Author: Rodolphe Lamy
FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique – French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that Martinique is free to hold a referendum on greater political autonomy but made clear the island would always belong to France.
Click here to read the article
Beautiful Iranian Women Pivotal in Iran Election Coverage
An interesting article from The Huffington Post.
Author: Latoya Peterson
With reporting opportunities strictly limited in Iran, images of Iran women carry the narrative. Much of the media focus is on young attractive women. The author wonders about complexities hidden behind the emerging icons.
Click here to read the article
Author: Latoya Peterson
With reporting opportunities strictly limited in Iran, images of Iran women carry the narrative. Much of the media focus is on young attractive women. The author wonders about complexities hidden behind the emerging icons.
Click here to read the article
Peru Overturns Decrees That Incited Protests
From: The New York Times
Author: Simon Romero
CARACAS, Venezuela — Peru’s Congress on Thursday overturned two decrees by President Alan García that were aimed at opening large areas of the Peruvian Amazon to logging, dams and oil drilling but set off protests by indigenous groups this month in which dozens died.
Click here to read the article
Author: Simon Romero
CARACAS, Venezuela — Peru’s Congress on Thursday overturned two decrees by President Alan García that were aimed at opening large areas of the Peruvian Amazon to logging, dams and oil drilling but set off protests by indigenous groups this month in which dozens died.
Click here to read the article
In a Coup in Honduras, Ghosts of Past U.S. Policies
From: The New York Times
Author: Helene Cooper and Marc Lacey
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Monday strongly condemned the ouster of Honduras’s president as an illegal coup that set a “terrible precedent” for the region, as the country’s new government defied international calls to return the toppled president to power and clashed with thousands of protesters.
Click here to read the article
Author: Helene Cooper and Marc Lacey
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Monday strongly condemned the ouster of Honduras’s president as an illegal coup that set a “terrible precedent” for the region, as the country’s new government defied international calls to return the toppled president to power and clashed with thousands of protesters.
Click here to read the article
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