Blog entries

Costa Ricans’ confidence in the administration of President Óscar Arias has reached its lowest level in four years according to a poll released by Unimer Research International. An approval rating index maintained by the firm showed a significant drop in the first month of 2010 to 1,697 from 2,260 in November 2009. A drop in … Read more

By suspending Parliament on December 30, 2009, the second December in a row, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was hoping to get some breathing space away from the glare of the House of Commons where his minority government’s every move has been scrutinized. But it hasn’t exactly been a restful time. Harper’s decision to suspend … Read more

Heading into Sunday’s presidential elections in Chile, the latest survey reports a statistical tie between Alianza candidate Sebastián Piñera (50.9 percent support) and Concertación candidate Eduardo Frei. (49.1 percent). But the key to victory is likely to rest with the 7 perent of voters that are reported to be undecided. Voting in Chile is mandatory … Read more

“Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed.” Those were the words of Haitian President René Préval as he described the level of damage caused by the 7.0 earthquake and multiple, comparable aftershocks that hit Haiti on Tuesday evening. With pictures and videos flooding in from news sources, relief … Read more

On Tuesday, Honduras’ Congress approved a decree handed down in December by interim President Roberto Micheletti to end Honduras’ membership in the Bolivarian Alternative to the Americas (ALBA), a regional organization started by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Presidential spokesman Rafael Pineda, in an apparent reference to Venezuela, explained that the decision to leave was taken … Read more

The presidential palace was, at least at the time of my visit a little over a year ago, one of the most solid-looking buildings in Port-au-Prince. Located at the center of the Champ de Mars plaza, the white structure was said to have been modeled after the White House and meant to inspire reverence. But … 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. Haiti Rocked by Destructive Earthquake A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on … Read more

Immediate international assistance is critical for Haiti after yesterday’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit near the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Today’s Daily Focus is dedicated to how AQ Online visitors can help. All reports coming out of Haiti point to a catastrophic loss of life, the widespread destruction of already frail infrastructure and a looming humanitarian … Read more

The Coca-Cola Company must not be happy about this: a new soft drink is hoping to someday make its way into the American market, and what’s worse, it basically has the same name, except for an extra “l.” Bolivian President Evo Morales has been talking about the drink for years, and this month, his vision … Read more

Today, the Venezuelan government announced its electricity rationing plan will now include power outages across the country. The directors of the National Electric Corporation were scheduled to explain how the power outages will be distributed in each region of the country at a press conference this morning, according to Electricity Minister Ángel Rodríguez. “We hope … Read more

El 10 de diciembre pasado asumieron los nuevos miembros del Congreso que comenzarán a sesionar este año. Hay muchos temas candentes y muchas expectativas, pero para que se cumplan, la oposición debería actuar de manera coordinada. Con la nueva composición, el oficialismo (Frente para la Victoria y aliados) se ha debilitado en la Cámara de … Read more

Chile will become the first South American country to enter the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), under an agreement signed this morning in Santiago between Finance Minister Andrés Velasco and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. Chile is the thirty first country and second Latin American nation (Mexico entered in 1994) to join the group, … Read more

Last week marked an important victory for gay rights in our hemisphere. Seven years after Buenos Aires became the first Latin American city to permit same-sex civil unions, two men legally married in the country’s southern province of Tierra del Fuego. The couple had originally planned to marry in Buenos Aires, but the wedding was … Read more

The leader of the Honduran Army, General Romeo Vásquez, and five of his top officers were charged this week with “abuse of power” in connection with the June ouster of deposed President Manuel Zelaya. The country’s chief prosecutor, Luis Alberto Rubí, did not appear to question the military’s initial detention of Mr. Zelaya, which had … Read more

Colombian authorities announced yesterday the capture of Henry López Sarmiento, the accused mastermind behind the December 21, 2009, kidnapping and murder of Caquetá Governor Luis Francisco Cuéllar. Sarmiento, a member of the Teófilo Forero front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was arrested while visiting family in Medellín.Sarmiento is facing terrorism, extortion and … Read more