Reflexiones durante mi visita a La Habana
El Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana comenzó en 1979 y se repite cada diciembre. Es una oportunidad única para conocer a cineastas reconocidos y prometedores en América Latina. Es el lugar donde recién conocí al actor René Esquivel. René Esquivel está “en la cresta del anonimato,” leo por ahí, intentando saber … Read more
Cuba and Cholera: Good Hygiene and Good Government Can Save Lives
Almost five months ago, the Cuban government announced the end of a cholera outbreak in eastern Cuba. At the time, Cuba’s Public Health Ministry blamed the three deaths and 417 cases on overflowing toilets, heavy rains and contaminated wells. According to the government, thanks to its prompt reaction and the quality of the country’s public … Read more
Brazil’s Cuban Connection
Brazil is once again seeking to enhance its international profile. But this time, rather than engaging in close partnerships with its fellow BRICS club members—Russia, India, China, and South Africa—Brazil is collaborating with a smaller nation: Cuba. Since assuming office in 2011, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has worked closely with Cuban President Raúl Castro to … Read more
Truces show that gangs are more sophisticated, not that they have renounced the criminal lifestyle.
El Salvador, a country that has struggled with crime control issues, insecurity and weak public institutions for decades—and ranks as the second most violent nation in the world—has recently witnessed a shaky truce between the country’s main rival pandillas (gangs), Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. The truce is praised by government officials and supporters as a … Read more
The truce provides some breathing space for the government to create legal opportunities for Salvadoran youth.
After decades of gang-related violence, resulting in unfathomable bloodshed and a worsening security crisis, change has come to El Salvador. One reason is the truce signed by the notorious street gangs Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18—now nearing its one-year anniversary. In the process, El Salvador has transformed itself from a country with one of the … Read more
Politics Innovator: Edwin Escobar, Guatemala
Edwin Escobar dreams of turning Villa Nueva—Guatemala’s second most populous city—into the “next Bogotá.” The vision of the new mayor of this colonial-era city, just 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the capital, might seem like conventional political rhetoric. But Escobar, who took office just last year, is not a conventional politician. A self-described “serial … Read more
10 Things to Do: Havana, Cuba
Havana, a city of 2.2 million on Cuba’s northwest coast, is the island’s political, cultural and industrial capital. The weathered buildings in Habana Vieja and classic U.S. cars seem like a time warp. The U.S. embargo makes Cuba off-limits to most U.S. citizens, but the island attracts millions of visitors each year. 1. Stroll along … Read more
Repression, Resistance, and Indigenous Rights in Guatemala
The imposing statue of Anastasio Tzul, the nineteenth-century Guatemalan Indigenous intellectual and resistance leader, has presided over the tree-lined square in the town of Totonicapán in western Guatemala for as long as anyone can remember. But on a recent visit, it stood in mourning. Tzul, gripping the wooden cane carried by traditional Mayan authorities, was … Read more
Cuba Ends Exit Visa Requirement
A new law went into effect on Monday ending the requirement for Cuban citizens to have a government permit and an invitation letter from abroad when applying for a passport. With anticipation growing since the measure was first announced last October, thousands of Cubans formed lines at consulates throughout Havana, including the U.S. Interest Section, … Read more
Monday Memo: Cuba Loosens Travels Restrictions – Chávez’ Visitors in Havana – CFK in Asia – Obama’s Inauguration
Top stories this week are likely to include: Cubans apply for foreign visas; Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello and Latin American leaders visit Chávez in Havana; Cristina Fernández de Kirchner travels to Asia; and Barack Obama begins his second presidential term. Cuba Loosens Travel Restrictions: The directive announced last October to relax regulations on Cuban travel … Read more
Haiti Three Years After the Earthquake
Haitians in Haiti and throughout its Diaspora will gather on January 12 for a day of remembrance to honor the quarter-million people who lost their lives as a result of the earthquake three years ago. The tremendous international response to the earthquake brought a degree of hope amid the devastation. But on the three-year anniversary, … Read more
Guatemala Prepares for the Mayan December 21 Celebrations
This week, Guatemala is proudly calling itself the heart of the Mayan world. On December 21, the thirteenth b’ak’tun will end, concluding a 90-year academic struggle about the destined outcome of this cosmological event. While new discoveries such as the finding of a new calendar in the Xultún ruins this past May continue to shine … Read more
Monday Memo: Impact of Venezuela Regional Elections – Mayans Prepare for End of the Thirteenth [i]B’ak’tun[/i] – Peru, Chile Demine Shared Border – and more
Top stories this week are likely to include: Strong chavista performance in Venezuelan regional elections; Mayan peoples celebrate the thirteenth b’ak’tun; Argentina faces international fiscal isolation; and Peru and Chile sign a pact to remove mines from their shared border. Impact of Venezuela Regional Elections: Although Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’ health remains uncertain after a … Read more
El Salvador’s Prison System Needs Reform
Latin America’s prison system is in crisis. Human Rights Watch has called the Latin American penitentiary system “underfunded, overcrowded and often controlled by criminals inside their walls.” In March 2012, a prison fire killed over 350 inmates in Honduras. The same week, a series of prison riots in three Mexican penitentiaries resulted in 48 fatalities. … Read more
Dispute between Honduran Congress and Judiciary Escalates
The Honduran Congress voted Wednesday to dismiss four Supreme Court Justices accused of blocking police reforms sought by Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, escalating a standoff between the country’s judicial, legislative and executive branches. On Tuesday, Congress voted to approve the president’s reforms, which would require police applicants to submit to polygraph tests and toxicology exams and provide … Read more
