The buzz in Latin America was the February 22 shout-fest in Cancun, Mexico between Colombia’s pro-American leader Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela’s populist, anti-American president Hugo Chavez. The showdown erupted during a private luncheon for Latin American and Caribbean presidents gathered to discuss [without the U.S. or Canada present] a framework …
Cuba’s communist regime lashed out at the Obama Administration over the weekend following bilateral meetings in Havana. A visit by a senior State Department official — Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Craig Kelly – marked the highest-level contact thus far. The chief aim of the visit: a discussion of migration issues. …
Possession of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands in the South Atlantic is again being disputed. The United Kingdom’s 180-year control over the islands and the will of its English-speaking inhabitants as well as the sacrifice of British blood and treasure that reversed the 1982 Argentine aggression give the UK clear possession of …
Efforts by the Obama Administration to work with Russia on Iran, nuclear arms control, and the fight against terrorism do not prevent Moscow from periodically reasserting its presence in the Western Hemisphere. Between February 10 and 16, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov conducted a New World tour seeking deeper …
Haiti marks on February 12, the first month after the horrific January 12 earthquake, with a day of national mourning. According to Haitian officials the death toll stands at between 217,000 and 230,000, a staggering figure equaling that of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It is an occasion to reflect …
The election of Laura Chinchilla of the National Liberation Party on February 7 to the presidency of Costa Rica is an important milestone for Central America. President-elect Chinchilla has become Costa Rica’s first female president and the fifth woman elected president of a Latin America state since 1990. Her election …
In a recent letter to Speaker Pelosi, President Obama stated that North Korea does not fit the criteria for being listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, which would automatically impose sanctions. That leaves four countries on the list: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. But given testimony this week from …
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez took another step aimed at consolidating his authoritarian choke hold on Venezuela by forcing cable providers to dump Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) from their broadcasting lineups. The popular, anti- Chavez channel first ran afoul of the populist leader for its critical programming back in 2007. At the …
