Blog entries

El día llegó. Y no precisamente porque se vaya a cumplir el estribillo de la canción que se convirtió en el tema de campaña del candidato del Partido Verde Antanas Mockus “Antanas llegó”. Lo que llegó fue el epílogo de una campaña emocionante que a pocos días de la primera vuelta se volvió predecible y … Read more

Delegations from the United States and Cuba will meet today to continue discussions on the Migration Accords initiated in 1994.  The immigration discussions are in keeping with the “Obama administration’s commitment to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration between Cuba and the United States,” noted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  This marks the third … Read more

At last week’s 40th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, member states agreed to form a commission to evaluate Honduras’s return to the OAS following the June 2009 coup and the election of President Porfirio Lobo. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, who had expressed support for allowing Honduras to rejoin the organization … Read more

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Colombians to Pick Next Prez in June 20 Vote Former Defense Minister … Read more

As of June 15, Costa Rica can export 13,880 metric tons of sugar to the U.S. tariff-free, as stipulated under CAFTA-DR. But Washington had suspended Costa Rica’s preferential sugar treatment in January of this year. A move that the country’s sugar cane chamber said cost the sector an estimated $1 million in potential sales. Costa … Read more

El fin de semana fue de júbilo para las familias de cuatro miembros de las Fuerzas Militares secuestrados desde hace doce años por las FARC. El Coronel Luis Enrique Murillo y el General Luis Mendieta de la Policía, quien ascendió al máximo grado de esa institución estando en cautiverio y era hasta ayer el plagiado … Read more

News director for Channel 19 in El Paraíso, Honduras, Luis Arturo Mondragon, was assassinated last night as he sat with his son outside his home. This brings the number of media professionals killed this year to nine.  Mr. Mondragon had been the target of threats in the weeks leading up to his death for his … Read more

Some good news for Colombia on the trade front: Canada’s House of Commons passed the pending free trade agreement with Colombia on June 14, by a better than 2-1 margin.  The Senate will now vote on the accord for final approval.  Nonetheless, this is an important step for both countries, and a signal of support—both … Read more

The two richest men in the world joined forces on Monday for the cause of delivering basic preventative health care to marginalized populations of the Americas. Carlos Slim, Mexican telecom tycoon and founder of Instituto Carlos Slim de la Salud, and Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft and co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, … Read more

Shortly after his inauguration, President Barack Obama outlined a plan to develop America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Using the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Obama Administration made $8 billion available for developing or laying the groundwork for 13 corridors across the U.S. including the Northeast (where one out … Read more

Dilma Rousseff, the former cabinet chief for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, accepted the formal nomination on Sunday of Lula’s Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) for the October presidential election. Among her opponents will be José Serra of the Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (PSDB) who also received his party’s nomination this past weekend.   In … Read more

Cuban state-owned telecom company ETECSA has again cut the activation fee for cell phones. Yesterday’s reduction means that the overall fee has now dropped 80 percent since cell phones were first allowed on the island in April 2008.  The initial activation fee for pre-paid phone service has fallen to $43 from $120.  The price reductions … Read more

Security forces in Mexico yesterday captured and took into custody Héctor Raúl Luna Luna, an alleged leader of the violent drug cartel known as Los Zetas. Luna Luna, also known as El Tori, was captured during a military operation in Ciudad Solidaridad, a neighborhood in Monterrey, in northern Mexico. In the wake of the arrest, … Read more

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Secretary Clinton Delivers Major Policy Speech in Quito Before an audience at … Read more

The United States today dismissed a proposed agreement between Brazil, Turkey and Iran that would allow Iran to swap enriched uranium for reactor fuel.  The deal was brokered by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his trip in May to Tehran.  The U.S., however, appears to think that the Brazilian agreement would leave … Read more