Mexico notched a ho-hum 1-0 victory over Senegal on Monday night. Afterward, a Mexican TV commentator said the game, played at Chicago’s Soldier Field, “was embarrassing.” The good news is the squad playing in South Africa in a month’s time is likely to start only a few of players from Monday night’s starting line-up. Luckily, […]
By Sean Goforth (Latin America blog) During his tenure President da Silva has been a welcome, universally adored, conciliator in Latin America. In this week’s TIME, the annual “World’s Most Influential People” list starts with Lula. I am still not sure what to make of Michael Moore’s essay on him. Now Lula is moving center […]
By Richard Basas (Latin America blog) Last month I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate and ask questions of Brazil’s Minister of Planning, Budget and Management, Mr. Paulo Bernardo. The discussion was an overview for foreign investors, economic experts and journalists on the second phase of Brazil’s national Growth Acceleration Program (PAC 2), […]
America is not the only country in the world with a broken immigration system. As the Mrs. Gillian Duffy snafu suggests, Brits too are wrestling with immigration. In today’s New York Times there is a comparative assessment of some party’s immigration proposals. The far-right British National Party has an interesting stance: pay people from “alien […]
Shakira headed to Phoenix yesterday to express her dismay to the mayor and police chief. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles today said he supports a travel ban on Arizona, also calling the new law “unpatriotic and unconstitutional.” And the Obama administration clearly isn’t thrilled, no doubt because it places a greater burden on Washington […]
This blog does not purport to cover all relevant news that takes place in Venezuela, but instead provides some insight into major issues. Now, however, if you wish to get the latest update straight from President Hugo Chávez you can do so by following his Twitter feed @chavezcandanga. The move appears to be an effort […]
Teeming with bright veggies, fruits and clothes, the Martinez de la Torre market is a hallowed institution in Mexico City. But many vendors are suffering from drooping sales. Why? Across the street is a new Bodega Aurrera, a mini-supermarket owned by Wal-Mart. Unlike stands at the market, Bodega Aurrera accepts credit cards, and the quality […]
In Venezuela, the date April 19th is known as the “Signing of the Act of Independence”, a major move towards separation from Spain. The full declaration of independence came the next year, on July 5, 1811. This was followed by a decade of bloody battles in which Simón Bolívar rose to fame, finally defeating the […]
Micro-finance has become the darling of developmental economics—and many charities—over the past few years. But greater awareness doesn’t always translate into greater effectiveness. As reported in today’s New York Times, for nations with a dearth of traditional lenders new operators have begun to step into the fray, offering micro loans with what turns out to […]
A small bomb thrown over the wall of the United States Consulate in Nuevo Laredo on Friday night is recurring fears that Mexico’s drug gangs have their eyes on the US. No one was injured in the attack, but several windows were shattered. US consular offices in Nuevo Laredo and nearby Piedras Negras will be […]
In another sign of strengthened ties between Venezuela and Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Hugo Chávez on Friday. Together they toured the Kruzenshtern, a Russian ship docked at the Venezuelan port city of La Guiara, and spent time in Miraflores, the equivalent of Venezuela’s White House. While in Caracas the leaders signed agreements to […]
This coming Monday Venezuelans will enjoy an entire week off to celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week) instead of the normal Thursday-Friday break. One might think that in a country where more than 90% of the population is Catholic this would be cause for greater attendance at church. In reality, it will likely mean longer vacations […]
The recent US delegation visit to Mexico has once more stirred debate on Mexico’s war on drugs. Commentators, notably Jorge Castañeda, have used the occasion to repeat claims that the drug war is President Calderón’s fault, and headway in defeating the cartels should include “some sort of tacit deal with some cartels” while extending “the […]
Secretary of State Clinton leads an American delegation of cabinet officers, along with a few generals, to talks with their Mexican counterparts today. The meeting, slated for months, comes in the wake of the murder of three people in Juarez with employment ties to the American consulate there. US Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela, […]
President Hugo Chávez wants to place restrictions on the Internet in Venezuela after he criticized negative coverage from Noticiero Digital, a website generally opposing the government. The site had incorrectly reported the assassination of a top government official. Frustration with a false report is understandable. Any broader move to limit news sources, however, appears to […]