Blog entries

The President of Uruguay Tabaré Vázquez signed a decree last week lifting a ban on homosexuals in the armed forces. That ban—imposed by the military dictatorship in power from 1973 to 1985—barred individuals with “open sexual deviations” from entering military academies. On the heels of the decree, Vázquez told reporters the “state does not discriminate … Read more

You wouldn’t know it the way the media and most human rights groups have covered Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s recent seizure of land on May 11, but the right to private property is protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Most have treated President Chávez’s most recent policy move as a rich person’s … Read more

On Tuesday, former Mexican President Vicente Fox added his name to a growing list of prominent political figures urging the decriminalization of marijuana. He painted the current militarized approach as misguided and ineffectual, saying “it can’t be that the only way is for the state to use force.” It’s not the first time Fox has … Read more

Last Saturday, former President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner formally launched his campaign for a congressional seat, a move seen by many as a bid to rejuvenate the sagging popularity of the current president — his wife, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Kirchner, who was widely popular as president from 2003 to 2007, hopes to parlay the … Read more

On Wednesday the Organization of American States (OAS) gave its support to the Guatemalan government as approximately 1,000 protested outside the National Palace in response to the murder of a prominent lawyer. Rodrigo Rosenberg was killed on Sunday by gunmen, leaving behind a videotape stating that the President of Guatemala, Álvaro Colom, was to blame … Read more

Venezuelan authorities seized 4,370 pounds of cocaine and arrested three suspects in central Miranda state on Saturday. In a separate case, 1,830 pounds of marijuana were seized in the western state of Trujillo. Anti-drug officials in Venezuela hailed the seizures as a symbol of “the Venezuelan state’s commitment in the head-on fight against drug trafficking.” … Read more

A crowd of Tamils estimated at 500 to 1,000 occupied a Toronto highway to protest events in the ongoing civil war in Sri Lanka. There, recent fighting between government forces and the insurgent group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has resulted in massive civilian casualties. A UN spokesman called the affair “a bloodbath.” Sri … Read more

The Peruvian government provoked Bolivian President Evo Morales’ ire over the weekend, granting asylum to a former minister charged with aiding the killing of 65 civilians. The deaths occurred in 2003, during the military repression of protests that eventually ousted the government of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada. “If the Peruvian government grants asylum or refuge, … Read more

The U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Appropriations, approved a supplemental appropriation of $470 million toward the Mérida Initiative yesterday. These funds will pay for three surveillance airplanes and four Blackhawk helicopters that will reinforce anti-narcotics operations. President Obama submitted a request for $66 million for the two Blackhawk helicopters that Secretary of State Hillary … Read more

Earlier this year, a state-of-the art school founded by the Colombian singer and Grammy winner, Shakira, opened amid much fanfare in her hometown of Barranquilla. Both Colombia’s President Álavro Uribe and Bill Clinton visited the model $6 million school. The children, many from poor and displaced families, attending the Barefoot Foundation School are the privileged … Read more

The death toll from floods in Brazil continued to rise on Wednesday, reaching 32 people and leaving nearly 200,000 displaced or homeless. Ten regions have been affected by several months of heavy rain, with the Atlantic coastal state of Maranhão the hardest hit. The rains have severely damaged northern Brazil’s transportation infrastructure, closing six highways, … Read more

While the U.S. is bolstering its presence in Afghanistan, Canada is having second thoughts about its very presence. The issue is on everyone’s mind. The Canadian government had called in Afghanistan’s ambassador to deliver a stern rebuke to a controversial law that some say legalizes the rape of Shia Muslim women. It included a provision … 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. H1N1 Scare Shows Signs of Ebbing More than a week after a … Read more

Farm state senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), along with at least 13 other senators, are expected to announce legislation this week that would lift restrictions imposed by the Bush administration requiring all shipments of U.S. agricultural goods to Cuba to be paid for before they were left port. If lifted, the change … Read more

The Canadian dollar reached its highest level in six months yesterday, climbing from a low of CAD$1.30 per U.S. dollar to $1.18 today. This comes as investors speculated that the worst of the financial crisis may be over. The Canadian dollar appreciation mirrors gains in both the U.S. and Canadian stock markets and a possible … Read more