The first Monday in April Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Cross-posted
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.

There are lots of interesting stories today, but do not miss Mary O'Grady's excellent article in today's Wall Street Journal, Aid Keeps Latin America Poor: For real progress, they need the means to accumulate wealth. This should be required reading for everybody.

LATIN AMERICA
A meeting with Vladimir Bukovsky

Iran Setting Up Shop South of the Border

The Southern Front- Islamic Terrorism and Failed States, South and Central America

3 trends in Central American real estate as developers and buyers respond to market conditions

Why Biofuels Are the Rainforest's Worst Enemy

Obama administration 'comfortable' with Hezbullah?

Latin Governments are Resorting to Protectionism to Cushion Their Economies From Effects of Global Crisis, According to Analysis Piece by Reuters

Americas summit's draft declaration is hard to take seriously

ARGENTINA
Raúl Alfonsín, An Argentine democrat: A flawed politician of rare integrity

La coparticipacion de la violencia

BOLIVIA
Biggest cocaine lab found in Bolivia

Sin resistencia no habra democracia

BRAZIL
Brazil Constructs Walls Around its Slums and Sends a Message: “You’re doing it Wrong.”

Rudd stunned

Brazil’s ‘Teflon’ Leader Nicked by Slump

CHILE
The progressives' Chile summit: Home truths. A global alliance of the centre-left is (scratchily) back in business

COLOMBIA
From Medellin, Hopeful Signs For A Free-Trade Pact

COSTA RICA
La advertencia de Biden
La lucha de México contra la droga tendrá el efecto secundario de empujar a los traficantes hacia Centroamérica
Para desgracia de México, los esfuerzos por cerrar el corredor del narcotráfico en el Caribe tuvieron éxito

U.S. Promotes “Good Friends” Policy in Central America

CUBA
No to Penguins and Albatrosses, Yes to Supporting a State Sponsor of Terrorism

Brunswick, ME…Castro’s useful propogandists…

Power Line, How not to promote democracy in Cuba and at home

U.S to Lift Some Cuba Travel Curbs

'Hey! Let's ease restrictions on Cuba' – Lugar

Lugar favors a special envoy to Castro

House reps head to Cuba

Embargo myth #1

NYT Ignores Free Speech Activist Yoani Sanchez; Focuses on Lefties

ECUADOR
Correa Calls for Arrest of Journalist

EL SALVADOR
Subverting Latin Democracy
Hugo Chávez scores a victory in El Salvador. Is Panama next?

Obama curtails successful drug interdiction program in El Salvador

GUATEMALA
Zeta camp found in Guatemala

MEXICO
Mexican asylum seekers on rise in Vancouver
Large number of those hoping to stay in Canada are affluent professionals claiming to be on the run from warring drug cartels

Washington continues to play ostrich about Mexico (UPDATED 2X)

Mexican and U.S. Attorneys General Confer to Strengthen Cooperation on Drug Violence

Stepping up the fight in Mexico

Two from The Economist:
Taking on the narcos, and their American guns. Senior American officials are trooping to Mexico with assurances of support in its drug war. Will warm words be backed up by action?
The Mexico-US border: Fear of violence, But still pretty safe—on the northern side

PARAGUAY
Fundacion Libertad presenta a Franco un plan de impuesto unico

PUERTO RICO
FBI: Thousands of Puerto Ricans victims of ID theft

As many as 12,000 Puerto Rican schoolchildren, teachers and school administrators are believed to be victims of an identity-theft ring that sold stolen personal documents to illegal immigrants in the mainland United States, according to the FBI.

VENEZUELA
Prisoners from Guantánamo would be welcome in Venezuela

Miss Universe Displays Better Judgment than President Obama

Cuba’s style justice in Venezuela

Chavez completes repressive sweep, as April 2002 policemen are condemned to 30 years in prison

Chavez: Capitalism is 'the Road to Hell'

How squeaky clean is Teodoro Petkoff?

Meanwhile, in that other haven for narcos.......

Hoy se celebra audiencia de Baduel

Venezuela's Chavez: Capitalism Must End

IMMIGRATION
McCain loses temper with Hispanic immigration activists

Census Head to Use "Community Organizing" Groups to Count (or... "Count") Illegal Aliens

Special thanks to the Baron, Eneas, Larwyn and Maggie.

This week’s posts and podcasts:
Baduel’s arrest
How Chavez is subverting Latin Democracy
The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S
Ecuador: Who is Rómulo López and why does Correa want him arrested?
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart on the budget, easing restrictions with Cuba, and the US joining the UNHRC
At Real Clear World:
U.S to Lift Some Cuba Travel Curbs
Doha Brief: Chávez Invites Bashir to Venezuela

The “Who painted it?” Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Cross-posted
Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your post included in next week's Carnival please email me, faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.


I chose the "Who painted it?" theme for today's Carnival since it's yet another sign of the current administration's ignorance of the history and traditions of the region. "You have a marvelous virgin!" indeed.

LATIN AMERICA
Central America: An Emerging Role in the Drug Trade

The 'Axis of Lula' vs. the 'Axis of Hugo'

Nuclear Watchdog Inks South America Deals, U.S. Congress Should Scrutinize Closely

“New Eve” encounters her snakes?

Changes in Earnings in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico: Disentangling the Forces Behind Pro-Poor Change in Labor Markets

Biden travels South

Commentary: Can fading Caribbean island-states thrive in the world of alternative energy?

Latin political calendar puts recovery at risk

Americas summit's draft declaration is hard to take seriously

Has the G-20 Learned the Lesson?

ARGENTINA
Argentina's election: The Kirchners make a dash for it, Hoping it’s not the exit

BOLIVIA
Bolivia Military Makes Biggest Drug Bust in a Decade

BRAZIL
Lula knows he screwed up on Venezuela and Chavez

Via The Anchoress "Excommunication" in Brazil

Rogues Gallery – the PMDB Comes "Clean" at Last

Governors under fire: A rash of impeachment cases against state governors is probably a good sign

COLOMBIA
FARC plot to kill Colombia defense minister foiled

A un año de la muerte del "faraon" de las FARC

Colombia's FARC Drops Condition For Hostage Negotiations

The siege of “Mono Jojoy”

CUBA
Youth unemployment

No AARP in Cuba

Embargo stays but 'review' of bans is on

Ahhh..That Fiendish “Blockade!”

Rodolfo Barthelemy Cobas and Alejandro Jiménez Blanco, Cuban Political Prisoners of the Week, 3/29/09

ECUADOR
Correa Threatens Jail for Spreading Rumors on Ecuador Currency

Ecuador's Correa Rejects De-Dollarization; Warns On Rumors

Ecuador's Correa: Dolarization Stays

Correa Leads Ecuador Electoral Vote

EL SALVADOR
Obama curtails successful drug interdiction program in El Salvador

MEXICO
Another Blooper... Hillary Lays Flowers at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Asks "Who Painted It?"

Washington continues to play ostrich about Mexico

A Mexican standoff with reality

The Southern Neighbor

LOWRY: The big truck turnaround
Teamsters prove borders can be policed, despite treaties

Mexico Goes Medieval

Mexico's Juarez surge is working so far

Via Instapundit Obama targets flow of guns, profits from U.S. to Mexico

Via Instapundit, Drug cartels' new weaponry means war

Army desertions hurting Mexico's war on drugs

US to Boost Forces on Mexico Border

Mexico's Dinosaurs Exploit the Crisis
A cautionary tale for those who see an opportunity to take over key elements of the economy.

Hezbollah uses Mexican drug routes into the US.

Hillary's Mexican Reality Check

John Kerry:
Mexico's war must be our war
Helping Mexico take on the drug cartels helps us, but the effort will require unprecedented cooperation between our two countries.

NICARAGUA
The Many Stories of Carlos Fernando Chamorro

PUERTO RICO
Jury clears Puerto Rico police in Marine's beating

Puerto Rico Gets a Little Richer With New Quarter from U.S. Mint

VENEZUELA
Tirofijo honored in Caracas

Yes, Hugo cheated

Venezuela's budget cuts
Hard landing: President Chávez’s spending cuts will bite deeper than he admits

As expected swap market ground to a halt, here is why…

Venezuela to take over 30 fishing boats

Panic in the swap market

Alí, meet Bernie. Bernie, Alí.

Special thanks to Ada, Dymphna and the Baron, Eneas, Maggie and SamK.

The week's posts and podcasts:
If you can call it "vindication"
Hezbollah using Mexican drug routes into the US
"We won't pay for their crisis"
Hiding the story with the headlines
More on Lula's "people with blue eyes"
Lula: “White people with blue eyes” created the financial crisis
Venezuelan Military Takes Control of Transportation Hubs
Clinton: US shares blame for Mexican drug war
Today’s podcast at 11AM Eastern: Argentina Downgraded to Kazakhstan on Foreign Fund Restrictions
At Real Clear World
Lula's 'White People with Blue Eyes' Spices Up G20
Venezuelan Military Takes Control of Transportation Hubs

The Sarko in Mexico Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Cross-posted

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

The big stories last week were Hugo Chavez's nationalizing American food producer Cargill in Venezuela, and the change in the Cuban Communist regime. Developing this week: Nicolas Sarkozy's first state visit to Mexico, and Lula's visit to the White House on Saturday.

The Sarko visit, in today's podcast:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni spent the weekend at the beach and touring Aztec ruins with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Sarkozi's first state visit to Mexico starts today. He's expected to discuss the upcoming G-20 meeting, economic crisis and the Florence Cassez case.



Other links from the international media on the Sarko visit:
Le Figaro: Mexique : Sarkozy et Calderon évoquent «l'affaire Cassez»
Libération: Affaire Florence Cassez : transfèrement «probable»
France24: Cassez case casts long shadow over Sarkozy's state visit
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Mexico on a mission to boost trade with the Central American country. He will also plead the case of Frenchwoman Florence Cassez, who is languishing in a Mexican jail on kidnap charges.
El Universal: Calderón-Sarkozy: una cita en tierra de dioses
Sin actos protocolarios, los presidentes de México, Felipe Calderón, y de Francia, Nicolas Sarkozy, recorrieron ayer las pirámides de Teotihucán
UK's Mail: Sarkozys' stay in £3,000-a-night Mexican villa sparks outrage in recession-hit France

LATIN AMERICA
Border lawmakers fear narco-nuke terrorism link

Bad news for Latin America

ARGENTINA
El kirchnerismo analiza nacionalizar el comercio de granos

BAHAMAS
Double digit unemployment recorded in Bahamas

BOLIVIA
Bolivia Exports Decline 32.9% in January From a Year Earlier

BRAZIL
Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church

Reaping the rewards of indolence:
Some of the unreformed aspects of Brazil’s economy are now helping to limit the damage from the world downturn—but its prudence in recent years is helping too

Brazil Said to Be Considering Reducing Primary Surplus. Reaction? Negative

COLOMBIA
We Recommend Shunning Shares of Ingrid Betancourt. The Revelations of the Three Americans Finally Break an Absurd Code of Silence

Via IBD Blog, Colombia says troops kill guerrilla commander

An article by Marc Gonsalvez: I Was Held Hostage in Colombia, and My Captors Should Face US Justice

An unmended fence: Colombia gained much and suffered little from its raid into Ecuador

CUBA
The Queen

Fidel not a hands-off political leader

CT Blog: Is Removal of Cuba From “State Sponsors” List Inevitable?

Richard Brown Pérez, Cuban Political Prisoner of the Week, 3/8/09

Como vacas al matadero

Ex-ministers admit “errors”

The other Castro stamps his heel: Two senior figures are dismissed after tasting “the honey of power”

Obama will use spring summit to bring Cuba in from the cold
US companies are queuing up as the president moves to ease restrictions on travel and trade, raising hopes of warmer relations and an end to the embargo

Cuba regime purge may be defensive act

ECUADOR
Narcotrafico de las Farc se beneficio en frontera con Ecuador tras ruptura de relaciones

El Salvador
El Salvador's Presidential Election, March 15th 2009

MEXICO
Via the Baron, EXCLUSIVE: 100,000 foot soldiers in cartels
Numbers rival Mexican army

Make Mexico's War A Higher Priority

Mexican criminal insurgency comes to Houston

Mexico Finally Rises Near the Top of the Agenda

US Federal agent cautions travelers headed to Mexico

Lech Walesa receives the Legion of Liberty Award - IPEA

Hasta la vista, baby

The Financial Storm Hits Mexico : Their politicians aren't doing much to staunch the bleeding.

PERU
A rare victory in the judicial war in Peru

Las casas ALBA en el Perú

PUERTO RICO
Coast guard rescues 1 man, searches for another, while 11 others rescued in Puerto Rico

VENEZUELA
No more arepas for you

Government to “intervene” areperas?

Hugo Chavez Calls On Obama To Follow Path of Socialism

Zombie capitalism

Chavez tightens state control of food amid rocketing inflation and food shortages

Venezuela seizes Irish company's tree farm

Chavez Sets Up Showdown With Mendoza After Seizures

Venezuela May Take Over More Rigs to Allow Drilling to Proceed

Chavez sours Latin American investment climate

Inmates at Venezuelan jail play football with inmate's severed head

Special thanks
to Ada, the Baron, Eneas, Larwyn and Maggie.

The week’s posts and podcasts
In the face of the Cuban cosmetic change, Obama will use spring summit to bring Cuba in from the cold
Viva Maria Conchita
Chavez calls on Obama to follow the path of socialism. UPDATE: “Go wash your *ss, Mr. Obama”
Chavez’s full digestive cycle: First the rice, now the toilet paper - all in today’s podcast!
Today at 11AM Eastern: Unannounced Fidel Sightings
Chavez and the food supply
The real Ingrid Betancourt in captivity, and today’s podcast at 11AM Eastern
¿Por qué no te callas?, part 2

At RCW
The Cuban cosmetic change
Brazil’s Lula to visit Obama
Raúl Castro's House Cleaning

You can also find all the week's tango posts here

The Lugar Report Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Cross-posted

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your link included in next Monday's Carnival, please email me, faustaw2 "at" gmail "dot" com.

Two big stories last week:
Allen Stanford, resident of St. Croix and holder of dual US-Antigua citizenship, managed to bilk thousands of investors across Latin America, and went missing for a few days. He eventually was located in Virginia. I did a background post for Real Clear World and will continue to follow the story in months to come.

The second big story is the (pdf file) "CHANGING CUBA POLICY -- IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL INTEREST" report by the committee headed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Richard Lugar (Rep. - Indiana). The report - as the title says - recommends a change in US foreign policy with Cuba. Don't miss today's podcast on the Lugar report.

LATIN AMERICA
Reality intrudes on drug war

Is Obama Planning a North American Common Market?

CARIBBEAN
The restless Caribbean: Unhappy islanders
Troubles strike far-flung satellites of France and Britain

ANTIGUA-BARBUDA
$8bn 'missing' from Allen Stanford's offshore bank

ARGENTINA
Embarrados

Por qué tenemos el futuro hipotecado?

Argentine farmers start protest

BOLIVIA
Bolivia pays a high price for nationalization

Gobierno nacionalizará tres empresas eléctricas

BRAZIL
Lime Slime's Brazil: Skinheads and Celsos

Carnival queen sambas with Obama's face on thigh

CHILE
Fidel, Raúl at odds, Chilean editor says

Bachelet vexed by Fidel's article

Chile's economy: Stimulating
Cashing in the fruits of rigour

COLOMBIA
Colombia's Uribe Seeks Brazilian Oil, Milk, Beef Investments. Colombia Seems a Better Client than Ecuador, Venezuela or Bolivia for These Sectors

Hugo Chavez seguirá protegiendo a las FARC

Colombia police in wiretap probe
Colombia's secret police is under investigation over claims rogue agents may have intercepted phone calls and passed on information to criminals.

CUBA
Lugar, GOP Senate Report Urge Fresh Look at Relations With Cuba

PDF file Changing Cuba Policy – in the United States National Interest. Staff trip report to the Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate

Still waiting

José Manuel de la Rosa Pérez, Cuban Political Prisoner of the Week, 2/22/08

ECUADOR
Ecuador says expelled diplomat was 'CIA chief'

Hedge Funds for the Few & Socialism-Communism- Labor Union Populism for the Many

Ecuador Police Raid Stanford Office

EL SALVADOR
El Salvador and the Chávez Model
With the presidential election approaching, chavismo weighs heavily on voters' minds.

GUADALOUPE
Race, class fuel social conflict on French Caribbean islands

Economic Riots In Guadalupe Turn Racial

GUATEMALA
Presidente de Guatemala conoce proyectos con Chavez y aumenta nexos con Cuba

HONDURAS
Hallan avioneta venezolana abandonada en Honduras Authorities found Venezuelan airplane abandoned in Honduras. The plane was believed to have carried nearly a ton of cocaine.

MEXICO
Earth to President Obama: Our neighbor Mexico is in dire straits

Bret Baier Reports on Problems with Mexico, Drug Cartels, and Kidnappings (VIDEO)



Must-read report on the Mexican drug wars at the Wall Street Journal: The Perilous State of Mexico
With drug-fueled violence and corruption escalating sharply, many fear drug cartels have grown too powerful for Mexico to control. Why things are getting worse, and what it means for the United States.

The New York Times and Terror Tourism

Mexico's ceramics industry: A clean plate
A battle for lead-free pottery

NICARAGUA
Political tension in Nicaragua: The new Somoza
Daniel Ortega’s slide to autocracy

PANAMA
Chavez holds Venezuela

RV Caravan From Texas To Panama

PUERTO RICO
In Bronx, Little Houses That Evoke Puerto Rico

VENEZUELA
Abrogation of the soul

Chavez on despots' term-cutting edge

The consequences of the 2009 vote

Some parting shots on Chavez, Venezuela and Stanford

Antisemitism in Venezuela: troubling findings

Is a Venezuelan diplomat promoting antisemitism?

Venezuela: Expectations & Challenges 2009 - The Opposition's Perspective . Part 1 here, continues at YouTube



ENTERTAINMENT
Che's image and its perception

IMMIGRATION
EDITORIAL: Illegal-alien outrage

audio feature: How migrant workers from El Salvador risk their lives to get to the US

TRAVEL
Vacation Rental Homes in Costa Rica

Special thanks to Ada, the Baron, Eneas, Larwyn and Maggie


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The Brazilian diplomacy Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

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

This week's big story: Brazil continues its ascendance as a diplomatic powerhouse for the hemisphere. Last week thirty-three countries met in Brazil for the first Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development. Today president Lula hosts French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who's visting the country to bring about bilateral cooperation in several areas, including the production of defense submarines. I'll be discussing Sarko's visit in today's podcast at 11AM Eastern, which you can listen to here.

LATIN AMERICA
Via Pat, Latin America’s Deafening Silence by Jorge Castañeda.

Interesting post (in Spanish) on the UnoAmérica pro-democracy NGO meeting in Bogota; their website here.

Only in Argentina

ARGENTINA
Nestor Kirchner is unwell

Argentina and the drug trade

Confuso triple juego hispano-ruso-argentino

ATFA Condemns Ecuador's Debt Default Decision Defaulting on Foreign Debt

Austroraptor cabazai: They Just Don't Make Big Scary Dinosaurs Like They Once Did

Argentina Seizes Assets of Iranian Terrorist-Diplomat

BELIZE
Commentary: One Belizean's perspective on agreement between Belize and Guatemala

BRAZIL
Slide show: Brazilians in Ireland

Comments on Bloomberg News' Brazil Defence Story

Brazil Fails to Earmark Budget Money for Sovereign Wealth Fund

CHILE
FruityRumPunch update

COLOMBIA
Pass FTA and amend Plan Colombia

Combined with a revamped Plan Colombia, the FTA can then promote both human rights and the overall quality of life in Colombia. One of the loudest proponents for the FTA is Asocolflores, Colombia's flower exporters association. Dependent on the U.S. market, its companies employ 200,000 Colombians. This and other export industries create jobs and opportunities that provide poor Colombians alternatives to growing coca, the plant used to make cocaine.

Real change will not come from bulletproof armor, helicopters, and tanks, but will depend on Colombia's institutional capabilities and the economic opportunities it can offer its citizens. The United States should focus Plan Colombia on improving justice and human rights, and pass the FTA to improve economic opportunities for both countries' citizens. President-elect Obama's campaign promised change; our regional partners could use some, too.

COSTA RICA
New World Post-pandemic Reforestation Helped Start Little Ice Age, Say Scientists

CUBA
Russian warships bound for Cuba in new show of strength

Blogger and Castro kin clash on the Web

EL SALVADOR
Will El Salvador Veer Left?

MEXICO
Iraq is safer than Mexico

Mexico - US – Italy cocaine connection

NICARAGUA
Now Nicaragua can't just blame the Empire

PANAMA
The Dry Season Has Arrived

PARAGUAY
¿Quiere Lugo imitar a Salvador Allende? - ABC Color

PUERTO RICO
Pharma-Bio acquires assets and operations in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico governor elect heads to New York to meet with credit agencies

TOBAGO
Now that the price of fuel is down, airline carriers are returning to the region: Non-stop Delta service returns to Tobago

VENEZUELA
OPEC cuts production, Venezuela lies, oil drops yet again

The Chavez permanent show: 170 hours of cadena

HRW v Hugo Chavez et sycophants

Yet another Russia-Venezuela joint venture: Government to install gold refinery at Las Cristinas – Venezuela

Chavez After the Oil Boom

Chavez Latin America Allies Escalate Rhetoric on Debt

Venezuela's foreign policy loses its gas

AMERICAN POLITICS
Fixing Border Security

ENTERTAINMENT
Che Guevara was a murderer and your t-shirt is not cool

Special thanks to Ada, the Baron, Eneas, Larwyn, Maria, Maggie and SamK.

This week’s posts and podcasts
Iran using Venezuela ties to duck UN sanctions
Latin America: Summits and Crisis, at Real Clear World blog
Report: Drug cartels move beyond borders
From the Mexican war zone: Kidnapping Negotiator Is Now a Victim in Mexico
Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development excludes Bush, as China, Russia loom







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The Monday-after-election-day Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

Crossposted

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.

Obama owes to Chavez?

Russian the Ruffian tops himself in sucking up to Hugo Chavez

AMERICAN POLITICS
Via IBD Blog, How Obama should handle Colombia

Via Instapundit, A Chavista at the EPA? Follow the links.

Obama se convierte en el 4to presidente negro de los Estados Unidos, translated by Miguel here

More on Cuban-American Voting Patterns

Venezuela News and Views writes to president elect Barack Obama

To Mr. Obama: Great opportunities await in Latin America

This week’s posts and podcasts
Mark Groubert saw Che so you won’t have to
Pray for Cuba
Iran’s Latin America push
World newspapers’ reaction to the Obama victory

TODAY AT 10AM EASTERN:
Today's podcast at 10AM Eastern will be on last week's top stories in Latin America. Chat's open at 9:45AM and the call in number is 646 652-2639. Join me!

You can listen to the podcast here





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The third Monday in July Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean

I'm still on the road but the Carnival goes on! Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. If you would like your posts included in next week’s carnival please email me: faustaw2 “at” gmail “dot” com.

LATIN AMERICA
The New Battlefield in Latin America

La Raza to the bottom

ARGENTINA
Argentina blocks farm export tax

BRAZIL
Mending an icon: How Rio’s first good governor in decades is starting to renew Brazil’s most famous city

COLOMBIA
SWISS HELP FARC COVER UP ITS OWN BLUNDER

FARC, Chavez y Correa: el trio del terror

Love fest: Presidents Chávez and Uribe agree to bury the hatchet—for now

Hard Reality Of 'Soft Power' In Colombia

CUBA
Cuba to Allow Private Farming: Land Will Remain in Government Hands, However

The elephant in the room

ECUADOR
Ecuador assembly approves Constitution

New Ecuadorian Constitution has 494 Articles

Freedom of Speech Killed by Euthanasia in Ecuador

EL SALVADOR
Documentary on Hugo Chavez aired on Salvadoran TV (in Spanish). You can watch it in full at Fuerza Solidaria
Here’s the first part on YouTube


MEXICO
Sicarios mexicanos reciben formacion de extremistas en Iran - Terra Top-ranking Mexican criminals with military background travel to Iran via Venezuela for terrorist training.

VENEZUELA
Chavez pleads for investment as falling output fuels inflation

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wore a suit for the occasion, and, grinning at about 300 business leaders he usually calls "oligarchs,'' asked for help relieving a drought in investment.

Chavez minister anti inflation plan: Haggle!

Deadly massage : How not to tackle a soaring murder rate

Venezuela: Looking ahead

Galp to Receive 1 Million Barrels of Oil From Venezuela Hugo Chavez keeps giving away Venezuela's wealth at our expense

AMERICAN POLITICS
In South Florida Congressional Race, Incumbent and Challenger Have the Ethnic Bases Covered

Special thanks to Maria, Eneas, Siggy, Larwyn, Pat Patterson and Judith

Crossposted.


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The Exxon/PDVSA edition of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean, with podcast, too

Welcome to the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean. Today's main story is the injunction granted to Exxon Mobil in US, UK and Dutch courts to freeze billions of dollars of Venezuelan oil assets to guarantee compensation if the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes decides in favor of Exxon after Venezuela nationalized Exxon's Orinoco Belt oil field and the Cerro Negro heavy oil project.

For background information, please read Venezuela News and Views start here and scroll down for prior posts) and The Devil's Excrement.

I'm podcasting on the subject this afternoon at 2PM Eastern: Monica Showalter of Investor's Business Daily, and venezuelan blogger Alek Boyd of VCrisis will discuss the injuction and what it means for Venezuela.

I'll open chat by 1:45, and the call-in number is (646) 652-2639. Join us!


If you would like your links on Latin America to be included in the Monday carnivals, please email me by Sunday evening: faustaw "at" yahoo "dot" com.

LATIN AMERICA
Simón Bolívar: Time to liberate the Liberator

PDF file: Latin America: Challenges and Achievements

HACER's weekly roundup.

ARGENTINA
Investigacion Kirchner: Una fortuna inexplicable

BOLIVIA
Scholar says U.S. asked him to ‘spy’ in Bolivia

BRAZIL
Happy families: An anti-poverty scheme invented in Latin America is winning converts worldwide I

CHILE
Chile fights to stay top of class

The slow lane: Fallout from a botched transport reform

Chile—Birth Pangs of Citizenship

COLOMBIA
Slaying a monster in Colombia

HACER joins march for peace in Colombia

Facing down the FARC: Public sentiment turns against the hostage-takers

CUBA
"Ojalá pudiéramos viajar y ver el mundo real" Cuban youths pose tough questions in surprising video (h/t Irish Spy). Camilo Lopez Darias ve Inocencia extrema, Extreme innocence. Here is the video, via Kate:

The young man in the video is now under arrest.

La patria llora.

Only world can save Antúnez

Lundy, remembrance and oblivion

ECUADOR
Economic Freedoms Die under Correa and Chavez

NICARAGUA
An Iranian "base" in Central America

PUERTO RICO
Renewable energy from the deep ocean

Ségo at the Kennedy School

EL SALVADOR
El Salvador Should Not Spurn God’s Gift of Gold

VENEZUELA
Chavez in trouble in Venezuela

Desperado (also at HACER). See also Hugo Chavez en pie de guerra, along with the graphics

Venezuela's charades

The truth about European Union election observers in Venezuela

Chavez Accuses U.S. of Drug, Arms Sales in Venezuela

TODAY'S (funny) VIDEO
In Spanish, via Babalu, whereby Fidel says a few bad words...


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Nicaraguan illegal aliens and other Latin American items

Nicaragua exports its poor... to Costa Rica:

Historically, Nicaraguans have always used their southern neighbour as a refuge during periods of violence, such as the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza or the war of the 1980s. But since the 1990s migration has been driven by the struggle for economic survival. After the fighting ended, demobilisation left thousands of soldiers and counter-revolutionaries on the loose, with no resources or future, in a country whose economy was unable to integrate them. At the time, the Nicaraguan government’s priority was to privatise and reduce public spending. Costa Rica, which has impressive economic growth and a remarkably well-developed welfare state for Central America, seemed an accessible El Dorado.

As I have said before, there is no such thing as "Hispanics". The article explains,

"Costa Ricans see Nicaraguans as a negative value," said Carlos Sandoval, a sociologist at San José university. He argued that Costa Ricans construct their identity around powerful ideas: the paleness of their skin, which is unusual in Central America (and is the result of the fact that there were only a few indigenous inhabitants when the conquistadores arrived); the stability of a democracy that has experienced little violence; and the success of an economy and a welfare state unique in the region. Costa Rica and its neighbours describe it as "the Switzerland of Central America". Its ecotourist-friendly beaches and jungles, its relaxed way of life attract prosperous foreign tourists in numbers its neighbours can only dream about.

From this perspective, Nicaragua, with its wars and chronic instability, seems an immature country condemned to poverty. In Costa Rica, the dark-skinned immigrants are often described as violent, ignorant and untrustworthy, as thieves and alcoholics. "No seas Nica" ("don't be an idiot") is a common insult. This latent xenophobia, and correspondingly strong anti-Costa Rican feelings in Nicaragua, rises to the surface each time the perennial conflict over navigation rights on the San Juan river turns nasty.

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The Economist has an article on Salvadoran gangs: El Salvador's crime wave. The government is trying to tame criminal gangs

President Saca did his share of finger-pointing, lambasting the US, in particular, for worsening the problem of gangs (knows as "maras") by deporting back to El Salvador thousands of Salvadoran nationals who had served time in US jails for crimes committed while in the US. According to the US Department of Homeland Security, there was a 26% rise in the number of Salvadorans deported from the US between January and September 2006. Among the deportees, almost one-quarter have criminal records. Since most have not committed any crimes in El Salvador, the authorities are unable to arrest them upon arrival at the international airport.

In Mexico, The new president has sent the army after the drug mobs. More importantly, he has started to reform the police

HE TOOK office as Mexico's president only on December 1st, but Felipe Calderon has lost no time in putting pressure on the country's powerful drug gangs. Last month he dispatched 7,000 troops and police to the central state of Michoacan. Forces of similar size have since been sent to Tijuana on the northern border, and to the Pacific resort of Acapulco. On January 19th, the government extradited four drug kingpins and a dozen lesser figures to the United States for trial. Notably, they included Osiel Cárdenas, the head of the so-called "Gulf Cartel", by far the most powerful drug gangster to be extradited so far.

This flurry of action responded to a "real anxiety in some parts of the country" that organised crime was "out of control", Mr Calderon told El Pais, a Spanish newspaper, this week. There were 2,100 drug-related murders last year, up from 1,300 in 2005. Some 600 killings took place in Michoacán alone in 2006. Many of the murders involved brutal cruelty: in a notorious case, five severed heads were dumped in a dance hall in Michoacán. Much of the violence stems from a turf war between the Gulf Cartel and its main rival, based in Sinaloa. Paradoxically, this was triggered by arrests made by the previous government of Vicente Fox.

Two things compound the problem. The first is the continuing demand for drugs across the border in the United States. The second is that during the seven decades of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, defeated by Mr Fox in 2000, the main objective of policing was political control rather than crime fighting.

What do all these items have in common? They all pertain to immigration.