Alleged wiretapping hearings lead by a politician, the shutdown of an Internet provider and the investigation of a newsprint factory have all occurred in Argentina over the last few days. They all connect in one clear way: they signify the climax of Cristina Kirchner’s presidency; they represent [...]
Archive for the Category: "Front Page"
U.S.-Venezuela Links Teeter on the Brink, Dragging a Prudent Foreign Policy With It
•Washington should take advantage of the temporary détente between Colombia and Venezuela and relate to Caracas constructively. •Would-be U.S. Ambassador designate Palmer fails at behaving diplomatically. •You do not insult your prospective host and then expect to be warmly greeted in the hou[...]
Temporary-Protected Status: Does Guatemala Deserve It?
On May 27th, Guatemala’s volcano, Pacaya, located just 19 miles from the capital, erupted. Lava flowed and rocks spewed from the volcano’s mouth, killing at least two people and injuring approximately 50 more. Just two days later, Hurricane Agatha hit Guatemala, causing both extreme flooding an[...]
The Dominican Republic and Haiti After the Earthquake: Nervous Ties and Fractious Tensions Persist
July 12 marked the six-month anniversary of the earthquake that took the lives of more than 200,000 Haitians and left about 1.5 million homeless. The natural disaster helped revive international attention to the disappointingly slow recovery process in Haiti. It also brought to the fore the histori[...]
Inhumane, Ineffective, Intolerable: Brazil’s Prison System
Since its transition from dictatorship to democracy in the mid 1980s, Brazil has undergone an extraordinary transformation, becoming the political and economic leader of Latin America.But despite Brazil’s rise as a world power, willing on occasion to challenge the hegemony of the United States, a[...]
Brazil – The Environment, Lula and Marina Silva. “There is nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come”: Marina Silva’s Unwinnable But Noble Bid for the Brazilian Presidency, and Why it Matters
When Marina Silva was still Brazil’s environment minister, she took a trip to the Xingu River in the Amazon. On the day she began her travels, José Dirceu, President Lula’s incorrigible former chief of staff, invited Germano Rigotto, the governor of Rio Grande do Sul, to fly to Brasilia. The g[...]
To COHA’s subscribers regarding “Pacific Rim v. El Salvador and the Perils of Free Trade in the Americas”:
Originally posted on July 30th, COHA is republishing the article below concerning the Pacific Rim Mining Company’s corporate lawsuit against the government of El Salvador, using the procedures especially created under the DR-CAFTA agreement to bring its complaint. COHA is taking this step because [...]
New Attacks on Birthright Citizenship: “Anchor Babies” and the 14th Amendment
Recently, the somewhat repugnant term “anchor babies” has entered the immigration debate, as certain conservatives call for a reassessment of the 14th Amendment, claiming it wrongly protects the children of undocumented immigrants. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), in a surprisingly radical move o[...]
Obama’s Hard Stance on Guatemalan Labor: A Monumental Step for Labor Rights or Mere Political Maneuvering?
On July 30th, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced that the U.S. would file a formal complaint against the Guatemalan government for violating labor standards under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Rep[...]
Free Trade with Martinelli’s Panama: A Bad Deal for All
Washington is currently considering three free trade agreements (FTAs) that await congressional ratification. While U.S. lawmakers hesitate to approve deals with Colombia and South Korea, the proposed U.S.-Panama FTA does not seem to generate much controversy. Although the ongoing transgressions in[...]
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