Fausta's blog

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts included, please email me: faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

While we were watching the election and its outcome, there were several big stories in the hemisphere:
The most dramatic, by far, was the airplane crash in downtown Mexico City last Tuesday at 7PM during rush hour. The airplane, which was carrying Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, burst into flames. Amazingly, only fourteen people died. While Mexican authorities insist there was no foul play involved, many Mexicans are suspicious, since among the passengers was the country's former top anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos. Additionally,

The burst of conspiracy-theorizing came from more than the crash alone: Many Mexicans feel their leaders have lied so many times about so many things over the years that it's hard to believe them, even when they might be telling the truth.

Some of the most significant events in Mexico's modern history -- from the 1968 massacre of demonstrators in Mexico City to the 1994 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio -- are synonymous with cover-up or farfetched official conclusions.

The long reach of drug gangs has heightened the public's sense of dark and powerful forces at work beneath the surface, usually in league with crooked police or government officials.

As readers of this blog know, Mexico has been fighting a drug war which has reached a crisis stage at this point.

Two other big stories in the Caribbean: A 3-story school building collapsed in Haiti last Friday, killing 92 people. The BBC has a Slideshow.
Hurricane Paloma, the fifth one this year, hit Cuba. Photos at Noticias24

Another big story that went underreported here in the US: the G-20 meeting in Sao Paolo, which will convene in Washington on Friday

In lighter news, narcissist-Lenninist Hugo Chavez claims that Obama's victory was gestated in South America. Meanwhile, Hugo took from the Canadians and gave to Russia (see below).

LATIN AMERICA
Iran’s Growing Penetration of the Americas, Courtesy of Latin American Leftist Leaders and Interests

Religion in Latin America
Hola Luther: A holiday that is a cultural milestone

New resource on Latin America: Centroamerica21

Don't miss also HACER's excellent roundup of Latin American news, in Spanish.

CARIBBEAN
Caribbean hotel bookings plunge as economy sags

ARGENTINA
A must-read, by Mary O'Grady:

Hugo Chávez Spreads the Loot

The exposure of this thuggish behavior of the Venezuelan government is embarrassing enough. What is worse for Mr. Chávez is Mr. Antonini's testimony that he was told by a PdVSA executive that there was another $4.2 million on the same plane and that there had been other operations to smuggle cash into Argentina for political purposes. Kauffman further testified that the Venezuelan ambassador to Bolivia had told him he had "$100 million to spend on Bolivia." Kauffman said he had been negotiating the sale of $12 million of antiriot equipment to Bolivia, to be paid for by Venezuela.

CK viaja a EE.UU para participar en la cumbre del G20 Cristina Kirchner travels to the US for the G-20, but will also make stops in Argelia, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

BOLIVIA
Non grata: A tit-for-tat tiff

Evo Morales demands a model against capitalism in Latin America

BRAZIL
Brazil's Lula calls for shake-up of global finance, which the WaPo phrased a little more delicately: Brazil's Lula Urges 'Global Solutions'
G-20 Session Stresses Developing Nations' Role in Solving Crisis

The credit crunch reaches Brazil, Inc. A big bank merger points to a tougher outlook for the private sector, but at least this time the public finances are not the problem

CHILE
Amnesty Int’l leader criticizes Chile

COLOMBIA
The Paradox of Colombia

CUBA
Via Drudge, HURRICANE PALOMA BECOMES 'EXTREMELY DANGEROUS' CATEGORY 4 STORM

Osvaldo Ricardo Díaz Sánchez, Cuban Political Prisoner of the Week, 11/9/08

ECUADOR
Correa's Ecuador Bars Accountability, Transparency and Demands Dishonest Cartels

FALKLANDS ISLANDS
New Falklands constitution agreed
A new constitution for the Falklands has been agreed which the UK government says will "enhance local democracy" for the south Atlantic islands' residents.

GUATEMALA
PNC liga a narcos con muerte de 15

HAITI
Death toll climbs to 82 in Haitian school collapse

MEXICO
Video of the airplane crash site here Data found from Mexico crash jet

The ministry plane - a Learjet - came down during rush-hour in the financial district at about 1900 local time (0000 GMT), and burst into flames.

Zeta arsenal in Reynosa seized by Mexico

NICARAGUA
"Elecciones y perspectiva de la democracia"

From Centroamerica21, Elecciones en Nicaragua, on the municipal elections.

Nicaraguan pilots, soldiers to train in Russia

PUERTO RICO
My post on the election results: Fortuño’s fortune: A Republican’s resounding victory in Puerto Rico

EL SALVADOR
Keeping priests out of politics

THOMSON: A November surprise in El Salvador?

URUGUAY
Uruguayan microbrew

Uruguay’s Zonamerica, massive corporate park, growing despite economic crisis

VENEZUELA
Venezuela’s Houston consulate ordered closed

Venezuela to offer Russians Crystallex gold project

Venezuela said it will offer a joint venture to Russian-owned miner Rusoro (RML.V: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to operate the Las Cristinas and Brisas gold projects, currently under contract to two Canadian companies, Mining minister Rodolfo Sanz on Thursday.

He told a Russian delegation that a memorandum of understanding would soon be signed with Rusoro.

It appeared that Sanz intends to replace the Canadian companies who operate the projects that contain some of Latin America's largest gold deposits, with Rusoro, but he did not mention their names.