DAILY LINKS
The Nation has a long, wonky, wonderful article on Mexican maize cultivation, the effects of NAFTA, and the dangers of genetically-modified seeds. Author Peter Canby backs up his excellent writing with piles and piles of meticulous research. Not to be missed. [link, via SM] (Image from Joel Penner.)
Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas ended his hunger strike yesterday after 134 days. Farinas decided to end his strike after the Cuban government said it would release political prisoners rounded up in the "Black Spring" crackdown of 2003. Get well soon. [link]
The Uruguayan selection, which has made it to the quarter finals of the World Cup, just received a shipment of half a ton of fine cuts of beef for the mother of all asados in preparation for a contest against Ghana on Friday: "450 kilos of lomo, 200 of entrecot, 75 of vacío, 75 of colita de cuadril, 150 of ojo de bife and 50 kg of picaña." [link]
Hitmen have assassinated the PRI candidate for governor of Tamaulipas State, Rodolfo Torre Cantú. Torre was gunned down along with six others at about 10:30 this morning on a highway on the way to a campaign event. Drug mafias are assumed to be responsible. [link]
From the days when coups were something of a regional sport, new documents detail a famous British ballerina's role in a plot to topple the government of Panama. The plan was to use her yacht to gather men and arms, then "land somewhere and collect in the hills." It didn't work. [link]
Mexico's Attorney General's Office has posted on its web site irrefutable evidence that gold-plated AR-15s and diamond-studded pistol grips are not nearly as cool-looking as they sound. The deadly knick-knack collection is said to belong to Valencia Cartel leader El Lobo. [link]
Two Brazilian ranchers were sentenced to 30 years in prison apiece for ordering the killing of an environmentalist nun: "Prosecutors said the pair offered to pay a gunman $25,000 to kill the 73-year-old [Dorothy] Stang because she had prevented them from stealing a piece of land that the government had granted to a group of poor farmers." [link]
This video of a kidnapping and car chase in Mexico is notable mainly for the bad-assitude of the TV journalists who were on this like white on rice. Well done, gentlemen.
The Economist takes a peak at the Mockus phenomenon in Colombia: "His moustacheless beard gives him the air of a Baltic pastor... He is financing his campaign with a bank overdraft. His supporters rely on Facebook and make their own posters; street vendors sell unofficial campaign T-shirts." [link]
Some cruise lines will cease traveling to Antarctica after this cruise season, as a ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil goes into effect next year. The ban came after a 2007 incident when a Gap Adventures ship got punctured by ice and sank, causing a mess. [link]
Category Archives: Politics
Blowout
Everyone knows that opinion polls in Costa Rica are notoriously inaccurate. But it’s never clear exactly how inaccurate they’ll be, or in which direction. Four years ago, Oscar Arias was supposed to win a comfortable victory, but barely squeaked it out by about 18,000 votes. The opposition was putting their faith in the inaccuracy of [...]
Also posted in Costa Rica Tagged Chinchilla, Costa Rica, election, polls, president, Unimar Leave a comment
“Expropriate it”
An clip from Chávez’ weekend talk show “Alo Presidente” show’s Chávez ordering the expropriation of businesses around Plaza Bolívar in Caracas: Apparently he would like to turn the area into a “historic center.” This afternoon, shortly after the clip was broadcast, the mayor of Caracas declared that the buildings were of “public use,” which is [...]
Also posted in Economy, Venezuela Tagged Alo Presidente, capital flight, Caracas, Chávez, expropriation, Plaza Bolivar, Venezuela Leave a comment
BREAKING: Kirchner rushed to surgery
Former Argentine President (and husband of the current president) Néstor Kirchner was rushed to the hospital this morning for surgery after he… fainted? (Descompensación… and here I was thinking I would never need to translate medical documents.) It sounds like he’s having circulatory problems and doctors will be operating on his right carotid artery. Clarín [...]
Piñera clearing the air
Piñera took action on Friday and committed to selling off his 26% stake in one of Chile's major airlines.
Estado de what, now?
This video is a couple days old, but still worth posting. It shows excerpts from a heated debate between Uribe and several academic luminaries that took place on Wednesday at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University.
Payback
Remember that Mexican lawmaker who made horribly racist comments about Haitians because he was forced to "donate" part of his government salary to the relief effort? Turns out, he offended some people, and now his party has kicked him out.
Checkmate?
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's aspirations to trash constitutional term limits and win a third consecutive term in office suffered a setback in the Supreme Court yesterday. The judge in charge of preliminary analysis recommended that the court rule against holding a national referendum to eliminate term limits.
Here to fix the leak
Cuba would not top anyone's list of go-to countries in matters of successful and efficient industrialization. So why is Venezuela enlisting the help of Cuba's technology minister, Ramiro Valdés, as an energy consultant?
Also posted in Cuba, Human Rights, Venezuela Tagged Cuba, fake stuff, spies, Venezuela Leave a comment
Loose money
Argentina has a new Central Bank president, and by all accounts her appointment puts an end to not only autonomy, but also orthodox monetary policy in the management of the nation's currency.
Also posted in Argentina, Economy Tagged Argentina, Central Bank, Kirchner, mercedes marcó del pont Leave a comment
Update on N. Kirchner’s surgery