Mexico’s Finance Minister Announces Presidential Bid

After much speculation surrounding who would take over as the Institutional Revolutionary Party’s candidate, José Antonio Meade announced his intention to run for President. In order to do so, Meade stepped down from his role as Mexico’s finance minister. With the PRI looking to clean house, he is an “attractive” candidate for the job due to his history of working in other administrations. Meade is also a safe bet due to his lack of reputation for corruption. For a country that has been anything but uncorrupt, this would be a welcome change. And while many within the country see this bid as a positive step, some argue that it highlights the issues within the PRI. “It is yet another piece of evidence of the PRI’s profound credibility crisis, so much that they had to turn to someone who is not even affiliated,”  said a professor at Iberoamerican University.

Meade is not without his crtics. First and foremost, his lack of energy is seen as a pitfall, and could hurt his chances against more charismatic opposition. And despite a lack of evidence, there are allegations of corruption, with some alleging that Meade participated in a cover up of the diversion of funds within the Nieto administration. The only real certainty about the race so far is that there will be a new face in office, as Mexican Presidents are limited to one, six year term.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on 10 More Venezuelan Officials

Last week, the Trump administration built on previous sanctions handed down by accusing 10 more Venezuelan government officials of undermining democracy by means of corruption. Notable people who are affected by these sanctions include the minister of urban agriculture, Freddy Alirio Bernal, and Eduardo Hidrobo Amoroso, the second vice president of the Constituent Assembly.

Half of these people are accused of playing a major role in the corruption of the recent regional elections, and several more are said to have attempted to aggressively control the media. These sanctions resulted in the freezing of all the assets under US jurisdiction, and Americans are no longer allowed to engage in business with the 10.

The sanctions do not come as a surprise, as the Trump administration has said on multiple occasions that America will not support what is considered to be a dictatorship in Venezuela under Maduro. Madera came to power under controversy when many accused him and his regime of committing mass voter fraud after his landslide victory.Trump had previously leveled sanctions against other members of the government, including members of the Supreme Court, the Vice President Tareck El Aissami, and Maduro himself. As of today, these sanctions do not seem to have caused Maduro to take any action to distance himself from accusations of authoritarianism.

In Peru, a Beauty Pageant Shifts Spotlight to Killings of Women

Beauty pageant contestants in the Miss Peru pageant “turned one the the region’s most macho traditions on its head,” by stating facts about violence against women rather than their measurements. For instance, Camila Canicoba stated that “My measurements are 2202 cases of feminized reported in the last nine years in my country.” In Argentina, 225 women were killed in 2014 alone.

The women were drawing attention to “feminized” a  term coined by the media to refer to the massive number of women who have been killed in Latin America in recent years. Other women made reference to the fact that 70 percent of women in Peru have been victims of assault or other attacks, and another drew attention to children who have been victims of sexual abuse. Beauty pageants in the country are hugely popular, drawing similar attention to soccer games in some areas. However, the rise in violence towards women has created a feminist movement in some countries, such as Peru, with women attempting to raise awareness and spur people to act.

This display was drew the support of many in the community, but others argued that an inherently hyper masculine environment like a beauty pageant may not have been the best place for this kind of statement. Feminist psychologist Alexandra Hernandez stated that she thought their actions did not line up with their words in that competing in a beauty pageant negated the feminist statements. However, the crowd and many others overwhelming supported the women and their bold statement.

Cancer Didn’t Kill Pablo Neruda, Panel Finds. Was it Murder?

Though the headline brings about thoughts of tabloids, a group of international forensic experts recently concluded that renowned Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda did not die of cancer as was widely reported after his death on September 23rd 1973. This report has only added fuel to the firestorm of rumors that Neruda was murdered that came to a head after his driver claimed that he was poisoned by doctors in Santiago. There is further controversy over the cause of death being put down to “cancer cachexia” as this disease involves significant weight loss before death. According to Dr.Niels Morling at the University of Copenhagen, the simple fact that Neruda was obese at the time of death refutes this claim.

Neruda’s remains were exhumed in 2013 by court order, and laboratories in Canada and Denmark found “potentially deadly bacteria in one of the samples, a molar.” However, the origin of this bacteria is not known, with experts admitting that it could have seeped into the skeleton after burial. The panel will continue to investigate in order to come to a conclusion on the actual cause of death.

Neruda was not just a renowned poet in Chile, but also a diplomat and member of the Communist Party. Knowing what we do about corruption and the controversy surrounding Communism and the Left in Latin America during his time, if he was in fact murdered (just two weeks after the fall of the Leftist regime in Chile), it begs the question of why? And did politics play a role in his death?

Trump Blames Cuba for Attacks That Sickened US Diplomats

Monday, President Trump blamed Cuba for the mysterious attacks that affected US diplomats several weeks ago. This accusation contradicts statements given by the State Department, which failed to point fingers at anyone. While many senior officials within the government doubt Cuba is responsible, all non essential personnel were brought back to the United States from the Cuban Embassy two weeks ago. Those affected by the attack experienced hearing loss, dizziness, and myriad other symptoms.

Trumps comments were echoed in a manner by his Chief of Staff John Kelly. Kelly did not outright blame the Cubans, but he did claim that he believes the Cubans could stop the attacks from happening. He also claims that this is what the President meant when he stated that “I do believe Cuba is responsible.” This situation is just another chapter in the tense relationship between the US and Cuba. Since Trump came to office, he has promised to halt the Obama administrations attempts to improve US – Cuba relations calling the deals “terrible” and “misguided.”

White House Makes Hard-Line Demands for Any ‘Dreamers’ Deal

In response to the attempts by congress to pass the Dream Act, President Trump has released a series of demands which may “imperil a fledgling bipartisan push to reach a legislative solution.” First, Trump is demanding that companies use and E-Verify program that would prevent illegal immigrants from getting jobs. This would also discourage parents (primarily those in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala) from sending their children in the the United States to get jobs and assimilate into the community. Second, there would be cuts to the funding of sanctuary cities in the form of denying federal grants, and finally, Trump is insistent on the construction of the infamous border wall. These reforms would greatly affect children who attempt to cross the border unaccompanied. These children would no longer be considered “unaccompanied” if the are accompanied by a parent, making it easier to deport them as it would remove many of the legal hurdles. As of now, many children who cross illegally are sent to live with relatives in the United States.

It is not readily apparent whether these are absolute demands, but Democratic leaders and immigration activists have called them “draconian.” Chuck Schumer referred to this push as “the anathema to the dreamers.” These demands may cause a full on breakdown of what little negotiation had come to fruition after the repeal of DACA earlier this year.

Brazil’s worst month ever for forest fires blamed on human activity

In the continuing saga of “2017 is the year of the apocalypse,” Brazil saw more forest fires in the month of September than any single month on record, and officials are warning that if precautions are not taken, things could only get worse. These fires are being caused by human activity, specifically reduction of oversight/surveillance combined with an expansion of agriculture. Despite being illegal, burning is often used to clear land for crops, hunting or pastures. Since the first of the year, there have been 196,000 forest fires, with the record being 270,000 in 2004. The total from 2017 is a 29% increase from 2016, and deforestation in Brazil has been rising steadily since 2012.

The government of Brazil has contributed to the lack of oversight by making serious cuts to the countries environmental budget. This slash in funding means there is simply not enough money to fund adequate surveillance in an area that is only becoming more commercialized. The most affected areas lie in the Amazon which has been targeted by miners and ranchers in the past year. A decree that allowed for mining in an Amazon reserve was recently revoked due to harsh backlash.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/28/brazil-forest-fires-deforestation-september-record-amazon

Thousands protest ruling to overturn ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for gays and lesbians in Brazil

In response to the recent repeal of an 18 year old ban on conversion  therapy, thousands of people protested in Sao Paulo this past Friday.  The ban, which has stood since 1999, was challenged by evangelical Christian psychologist Rosangela Justino earlier this year and overturned earlier this month.

Justino considers homosexuality to be a ‘disease’ and while to courts did not use the same rhetoric, Judge Waldemar de Carvalho did state that those “who want help in relation to their sexuality should not be prevented from voluntarily pursuing the treatment.” Though Carvalho has come out with a public statement to clarify that he does not agree with Justino, the backlash towards himself and the government has been widespread throughout the country and the world.

Celebrities throughout the country, such as Anitta and Ivete Sangalo, have taken to social media to sound off, with the hashtag #curagay and the slogan “love is not a disease, its the cure.” On a more official level, the Federal Council of Psychology stated that this ruling “opens the dangerous possibility of the use of sexual reversion therapies,” and the World Psychiatric Association echoed these sentiments. Brazil, typically seen as a more progressive country in terms of these matters, has seen a rise in LGBTQ+ hate crimes in recent years, and many fear that this ruling will on exacerbate the rising tensions.

http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-brazil-gay-conversion-therapy-20170922-story.html

 

Mexico expels North Korean ambassador over nuclear tests

Kim Hyong Gil, the North Korean Ambassador to Mexico, was declared “persona non grata” by President Enrique Peña Nieto. This expulsion comes as a response to the most recent nuclear test by North Korea and serves as a show of solidarity with allies who have also condemned North Korea. Pyongyang has previously launched 4 missiles (the latest has been described as a hydrogen bomb), some of which have passed over Japan and are a direct threat to Mexican allies such as South Korea,

This action also complies with the recent sanctions handed down by the United Nations security council to attempt to force them to comply with anti-nuclear policies. Anyone (both people and government entities) associated with North Korean nuclear development efforts will now face the brunt of this resolution. This action also keeps Mexico in the good graces of the United States and the UN in light of recent tensions concerning NAFTA and other US – Mexico relations under a new President.

Mexico is far from the only country to expel their North Korean ambassadors, as Spain, Peru and Kuwait have all done the same within the last week in a direct response Pyongyang’s unwillingness to cease nuclear testing.

http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-north-korea-20170907-story.html

 

‘Uncontacted’ Amazon Tribe Members Are Reported Killed in Brazil

Brazilian federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into an alleged massacre of 10 indigenous tribe members by gold miners last month. While prosecutor Pablo Luz de Beltrand could not comment, Leila Burger Sotto-Maior has stated that there is a lot of evidence that goes against the miners. Sotto-Maior is the coordinator for uncontested and recently contacted tribes in Funai.

The miners claim they acted in self-defense, but were allegedly bragging about mutilating the bodies and disposing of them in the river. They also possessed a hand-carved paddle taken from the tribe. Despite this evidence, the investigation has been made difficult by the nature of the case. The Javari Valley, where the alleged killings occurred, is the second largest indigenous reserve in Brazil and is located in the remote western part of the country.

This act of violence comes during a time when Brazilian president Michel Temer is facing backlash for his decision to roll back funding for organizations that work to protect the many uncontacted or recently contacted tribes. Sarah Shenker, a campaigner with an indigenous rights group stated that, if confirmed, “it will be yet another genocidal massacre resulting directly from the Brazilian government’s failure to protect isolated tribes.”

President Temer decided to cut funding most likely as a way to gain the support of mining lobbies looking to gain access to this land. Temer has been accused of corruption and is seeking a way to avoid standing trial, and gaining the support of powerful individuals may aid in this. His recent attempt to allow mining in an large chunk of that Amazon was recently blocked, preserving many indigenous groups for the time being. However, these groups are very vulnerable in the current political climate.