La Opinión

Argentinas Kirchner adopts godson to prevent a werewolf?

Impremedia — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 19:12:00 +0000

Argentina’s president, Cristina Kirchner, has adopted a Jewish godson to prevent him turning into a werewolf ….. Or so many news outlets thought, but the “Guardian” quickly pushed out a story debunking that claim saying that “the chance meeting of a Latin American president with a colourful myth too good to fact-check proved irresistible for many.” Let me explain …. According to an old Argentine legend: The seventh son, born after six boys without any girls in-between to a family, becomes a werewolf whose bite can turn others into a werewolf as well. This legend is said to have been so widely accepted that families allegedly started to abandon, give up for adoption, or even go as far as to kill their own sons. But according to Argentine historian Daniel Balmaceda, who the Guardian quoted in their article, there is no link between the two traditions. The local myth of the lobizón is not in any way connected to the custom that began over 100 years ago by which every seventh son (or seventh daughter) born in Argentina becomes godchild to the president, he was quoted saying. The law only applied to the biological children of Catholic families until the enacting of a presidential decree in 2009, which allows children from other religions to qualify — like Judaism. After the change, the parents of seven boys — they had written to the country’s president back in 1993 but were unfortunately turned down — again petitioned Kirchner, and this time she agreed. Now she is the adopted mother of Iair Tawil, a member of a Chabad-Lubavitch family and the first Jewish godson of a president in Argentinas history. Yo no lo sabía, pero su visita coincidía con la celebración de Hanukkah. El papá, decía que no era una casualidad pic.twitter.com/o3y5E17Gew Cristina Kirchner (@CFKArgentina) December 23, 2014 “Haaretz,” reported that she delivered this statement in the form of seven tweets: “It was magical to receive Iair Tawil, the first presidential godson in national history to profess the Jewish faith. Iair, 21, is completely sweet. His family, marvelous. His mother Reina Ester. His father, Salomón, a rabbi. His brothers: Rafael, Eliel, Eitan. I didnt know, but his visit coincided with the celebration of Hanukkah. His father said it was no coincidence. He was right. They brought me the gift of a menorah. They asked me to light the candles, and for Iair to say the prayer. A very special moment. Later, they told me to blow them out and make a wish. Dont even dream Im going to tell you what it was.” Y a Iair, que hiciera el rezo. Un momento muy especial. Después me dijeron que tenía que apagarlas y pedir un deseo pic.twitter.com/31ThMLjULn Cristina Kirchner (@CFKArgentina) December 23, 2014 So maybe we never had to worry about Tawil transforming to a half-man-half-beast due to some curse, but that legend makes for a better plot than some other legends about the seventh son in the family. Mazel Tov!

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Cuban doctor cured of Ebola will return to Sierra Leone

Impremedia — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 15:12:00 +0000

Cuban doctor Felix Baez Sarria, who contracted Ebola while on an aid mission in Sierra Leona, has vowed on Saturday to return to West Africa and continue treating patients. “I will finish what I started. I am returning to Sierra Leone,” Felix Baez, 43, told reporters at Havana’s Jose Marti airport shortly after landing, the AP reported. SEE ALSO: Cuban doctor in Sierra Leone tests positive for Ebola Baez, a specialist in internal medicine, said that he feels ready to continue with the mission and that he is committed to fighting the Ebola outbreak. “I’ll return in the first days of January. I feel well both physically and emotionally – my recovery went well, I’m rested and am enjoying the company of my family,” he said in a statement published Monday in the official daily Granma. Dr Baez fell ill in Sierra Leone on November and was taken to Geneva a few days later. “The total recovery of the patient, confirmed by thorough laboratory tests, now allows him to leave the country and travel with no risk of contagion,” chief medical officer of Geneva canton (state), Jacques-Andre Romand, said in a statement. The Cuban commitment to treating Ebola patients in West Africa has won international praise for contributing more for the cause than many wealthy countries. Among those recognizing Cuba has been the United States, its political adversary for the past 55 years. SEE ALSO: More Cuban doctors deployed to Africa to fight Ebola The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported over 1,716 new cases. The largest outbreak to date is the ongoing 2014 West African Ebola Outbreak, which is affecting Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, and Liberia. Volverá a Sierra Leona en enero, el médico cubano Félix Báez Sarría, quien contrajo el #ébola y superó la enfermedad pic.twitter.com/znV9Tsh9OM FOROtv (@Foro_TV) December 29, 2014

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Jailed leader Leopoldo Lopez wants foreign intervention in Venezuela

Impremedia — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 18:12:00 +0000

By Leopoldo Lopez The following is an open letter put out this week by jailed-Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, asking for foreign intervention in the crisis his country is facing: My country, Venezuela, is on the verge of social and economic collapse. This slow-motion disaster, nearly 15 years in the making, was not initiated by falling oil prices or by mounting debts. It was set in motion by the authoritarian governments hostility toward human rights and the rule of law and the institutions that protect them. SEE ALSO: Obama signs bill to sanction Venezuelan officials I know this on an all-too personal level. I am writing from a military prison, where I have been held since February as a result of speaking out against the governments actions. I am one of scores of political prisoners in my country who are locked away because of their words and ideas. This unjust incarceration has given me a firsthand view of the pervasive abuseslegal, mental and physicalperpetrated by the ruling elite in my country. It has not been a good experience, but it has been an enlightening one. My isolation also has given me time to think and reflect on the larger crisis facing my country. It has never been clearer to me that Venezuelas road to ruin was paved years ago by a movement to dismantle basic human rights and freedoms in the name of an illusory vision of achieving greater good for the masses through the centralization of power. When the current ruling party, the United Socialist Party, first took power in 1999, its supporters viewed human rights as a luxury, not a necessity. Large segments of the population were living in poverty, and in need of food, housing and security. Protecting free speech and the separation of powers seemed frivolous. In the name of expediency, these values were compromised and then dismantled entirely. The legislature was neutered, allowing the executive to rule by decree without the checks and balances that prevent government from veering off track. The judiciary was made accountable to the ruling party, rendering the constitution and the law meaningless. In an infamous 2009 case, Judge Mary Lourdes Afiuni was imprisoned for ordering the release of a businessman and government critic who had been held for three years in pretrial detention, one year more than allowed under Venezuelan law. Meanwhile, political leadersmyself includedwere persecuted and imprisoned, stifling the competition of ideas that could have led to better decisions and policies. Independent news organizations were dismantled, seized or driven out of business. The sunshine that disinfects, and the scrutiny that motivates good decision-making, no longer benefit our leadership. Venezuelas current president, Nicolás Maduro, has taken this to a terrible new low. Rights are rationed as though they were scarce goods to be traded for other means of subsistence: You may have employment if you give away your free speech. You may have some health benefits if you give away your right to protest. Apologists, many from other countries, including the U.S., say these sacrifices were and are for the collective good of the country. Yet the lives of Venezuelans, especially the poor, are worse by every measure. Inflation, at more than 60%, is rampant. Scarcity of basic goods has led to empty shelves and long lines. Violent crime is skyrocketing and the murder rate is the second highest in the world, behind only Honduras. The health-care system is collapsing. And many financial experts are predicting a default on the countrys debts in a matter of months. The challenges now facing Venezuela are complex and will require years of work on many fronts. That work must begin with restoring the rights, freedoms and checks and balances that are the proper foundation of civil society. The international community has an important role to playespecially our neighbors in Latin America. To remain silent is to be complicit in a disaster that doesnt just impact Venezuela but could have implications across the hemisphere. Organizations such as the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the South American trade bloc Mercosur must come off the sidelines. Countries such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Argentina must get involved. SEE ALSO: Venezuelan govt. uses fingerprint to control what people buy At home, our constitution provides a way forward if we will heed its words. Our proposal is simple but powerful: All rights for all people. Not some rights for some people. No regime should have the power to decide who gets access to which rights. This idea may be taken for granted in other countries, but in my country, Venezuela, it is a dream worth fighting for. Mr. López is the former mayor of the Chacao district of Caracas and the leader of the Popular Will opposition party.

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US helped jailed Cuban spy impregnate his wife

Impremedia — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:12:00 +0000

After 16 years in an American prison, Cuban spy Gerardo Hernandez was released last week as part of a historic prisoner swap meant to reestablish relations between the US and Cuba, but the world’s eyebrows raised when he was greeted by his very pregnant wife who is expecting their baby in two weeks. As the U.S. and Cuba secretly worked on reforming diplomatic relations, the U.S. government helped the couple conceive through artificial insemination while Hernandez was serving a double life sentence. Hernandez was sentenced to life for murder conspiracy in connection with the deaths of four anti-Castro Cuban exiles whose planes were shot down off Havana in 1996. SEE ALSO: US-Cuba relations after President Obama’s speech “We can confirm the United States facilitated Mrs. Hernandez’s request to have a baby with her husband,” the US Justice Department said in a statement. “The request was passed along by Senator (Patrick) Leahy, who was seeking to improve the conditions for Mr Gross while he was imprisoned in Cuba.” “She made a personal appeal to Marcelle. She was afraid that she would never have the chance to have a child,” Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who chairs the Senate subcommittee on foreign appropriations, said in a statement. “As parents and grandparents we both wanted to try to help her.” The Miami Herald reported “Call it diplomacy via paternity,” in an article titled “Diplomaculate conception.” “Around the beginning of this year, a first attempt at artificial insemination was made, but it failed. A couple of months later, a second attempt worked. The procedure itself was carried out in Panama and everything was paid for by the Cuban government, ” Tim Rieser, a foreign policy aide to Leahy, said. “The feeling now, in a word? Delirious,” Hernandez told the official Cuban newspaper Granma. “I’m not even going to say love. Delirious is what defines it better.” “It will be a girl called Gema,” the Cuban official media added. SEE ALSO: A huge moment in the history of US-Cuban relations

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FBI is investigating the case of 43 missing students in Mexico

Impremedia — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 14:12:00 +0000

The FBI is reportedly involved in investigating the case of the 43 missing college students who are suspected to be dead in Mexico. SEE ALSO: The 43 missing students through the eyes of a ‘Normalista’ in the US The announcement came Monday in the midst of more mass graves being discovered in the State of Guerrero, an area of Mexico ravished by police corruption and violence, even though only one dead 21-year-old victim has been positively identified as one of the students. The mystery of where the students may be continues. The Mexican foreign ministry has said that the US ambassador to Mexico, Anthony Wayne, has offered help to the Guerrero government in the framework of the Merida Initiative, Telemundos Julio Vaqueiro reported on MSNBC News, Monday. Vaqueiro is referring to an accord reached between Mexico and the United States in 2009 to combat the war on drugs. The investigative expertise of the FBI might bring a break in the case that has a country up in arms–and some parents still hopeful that the students are still alive. Police forces weren’t the ones who uncovered the latest graves discovered in Guerrero, but instead a civic group named “Union of People & Organizations of Guerrero” has been credited with finding 17 more mass graves in Iguala. Sergio Alcocer, the sub secretary of foreign relations in the northern part of Mexico said Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam confirmed the presence of FBI agents in Mexico who helped organize the initial investigation into the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa. No details have been made public as to the progress the FBI might have made in the case. The Mexican government contends that the 43 missing students were killed, their bodies burned and put in mass graves in the state of Guerrero, even though some parents hold out hope that they might be alive somewhere. Protests, and sometimes violent clashes, against police and the government continue to take place in the State of Guerrero and even Mexico City. The former mayor of Iguala and his wife were arrested last month for their alleged involvement with local police in the disappearance of the students. SEE ALSO: Mexico governor steps down over case of 43 missing students Demonstrations are expected to continue through Christmas, and on December 26th parents have a special protest planned, marking three months since the disappearance of their loved ones.

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Requiem for Cubas romance and revolution

Impremedia — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 19:12:00 +0000

You couldn’t have grown up in the time of Fidel Castros revolution and not have had a special interest in Cuba and the romance of its revolution, especially sharing a surname with the Cuban dictator and being asked by almost everyone you met, Are you related to? No, I wasnt. And I wasnt Cuban. SEE ALSO: Tupac Shakur’s aunt could be extradited from Cuba But I was curious and wanted to visit Cuba — and finally did when I was an undergraduate in college along with my friend Carlos Guerra, a Chicano movement student leader who later founded La Raza Unidas political party. Visiting Fidel Castro in 1967 We had to travel via Mexico City, and on a late summer day of 1967 — four years after the U.S. had imposed regulations in its embargo of Cuba that effectively banned travel by Americans to the island we flew into into a small airstrip outside Havana. Our group of Chicano movement activists and New Left radicals on our 10-day information visit included three dozen or so young men, most of them from the New Left and the Students for a Democratic Society. All but Carlos, myself, and a Chicano activist from Colorado were white. But it was hard to tell about anyones ethnicity. Everyones skin was heavily tanned from the scorching sun, and many of the New Leftists spoke Spanish. This was a watershed period for sympathizers of the Cuban revolution. In those first years after Fidel Castro came to power, more than a million Cubans learned how to read and 50,000 new homes were built. The luster of Fidel Castro’s revolution So many new doctors were being produced by the revolution that the country claimed there was one physician for every two hundred and fifty residents a four hundred percent improvement over the last years before the revolution. By nature Carlos was suspicious, and he was especially leery of everyone in our travel party, believing that at least several of our fellow travelers were FBI undercover agents. It made sense. The FBI had infiltrated most of the activist groups of the 1960s. That was to be expected, Carlos said. The trick was to steer clear of anyone openly advocating violence or the overthrow of the U.S. Im just here because I wanted to interview Che Guevara, I told Carlos. I was a young journalist fixated on profiling the revolutionary who had become such a romantic figure to many young Americans in the Sixties. We stick together, carnal, Carlos said, and dont trust anyone we dont know. We anticipated that we would be the targets of a hard-sell indoctrination, but we were wrong. Instead, we found our visit to be more like a vacation, as we toured farms and nationalized plantations, spoke to peasants, visited schools, interviewed students, and spent evenings eating with local Cubans. SEE ALSO: Cuba si: Is MLB baseball ready for Cuban baseball? This was Cuba only five years removed from the Cuban Missile Crisis and eight years after the revolution of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara that had unseated the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. The U.S. economic boycott was already in place, but Cuba was still some time away from appearing to be a country whose time had stopped in the 1950s.

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Tupac Shakurs aunt could be extradited from Cuba

Impremedia — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 11:12:00 +0000

Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, is a radical who was convicted of killing a trooper in the 1970s in order to escape jail. With the assistance of accomplices from the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground, the left-wing radical group, Shakur escaped prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba and, now, New Jersey police are hoping that the new relationship status with Cuba will help them catch her. SEE ALSO: Key dates in US-Cuba relations According to Rolling Stone, Assata was a step-aunt and godmother to late hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, the stepson of her brother Mutulu Shakur. In 1973 she was convicted for shooting Trooper Werner Foerster where her gun was found near the victim, forcing the FBI to place her on the list of most wanted terrorists, the first woman to be added. “We continue to work closely with the FBI towards the capture of Joanne Chesimard, a convicted felon and fugitive who escaped from jail in 1979 and remains on the FBIs Most Wanted Terrorist List, as well as New Jerseys Most Wanted List. We view any changes in relations with Cuba as an opportunity to bring her back to the United States to finish her sentence for the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973. We stand by the reward money and hope that the total of two million dollars will prompt fresh information in the light of this altered international relationship,” the New Jersey State Police wrote in a post on their Facebook page. With both Cuba and the United States now on speaking terms, authorities in New Jersey are serious about capturing and extraditing Shakur, offering a $2 million reward for her capture. SEE ALSO: A huge moment in the history of US-Cuban relations

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Pope Francis helped make U.S.-Cuba deal a reality

Impremedia — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:12:00 +0000

The deal to re-establish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba might not have become a reality had it not been for the involvement of one leader: Pope Francis. In a conference call with reporters, a senior administration official explained the key role Pope Francis played in helping broker the U.S.-Cuba deal, which also included the release of U.S. citizen Alan Gross who had been jailed in Cuba for five years. SEE ALSO: Obama says its time for a new approach on Cuba Pope Francis personally issued an appeal through a letter he sent to President Obama and to President Raul Castro, calling on them to resolve the case of Alan Gross and the cases of the three Cubans whove been imprisoned here in the United States and also encouraging the United States and Cuba to pursue a closer relationship, the official said. The Vatican then hosted the U.S. and Cuban delegations where we were able to review the commitments that were making today. The senior administration official said the appeal from the Pope was very rare and unprecedented. We havent received communications like this from the Pope that Im aware of, the official added. In a 15-minute speech on Wednesday, Obama thanked Pope Francis for his engagement in talks between American and Cuban officials. In particular, I want to thank His Holiness Pope Francis whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be rather than simply settling for the world as it is, the president said. Castro also thanked Pope Francis for his work to help improve relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The news about the U.S. and Cuba agreeing to restore diplomatic ties came the same day Pope Francis was celebrating his 78th birthday. He began his day watching as thousands of tango dancers gathered at St Peters Square to wish him a happy birthday and ended his day hearing the news on the U.S.-Cuba deal. The Vatican released a statement Wednesday congratulating the U.S. and Cuba for re-establishing diplomatic relations. It also confirmed that Pope Francis wrote letters to Obama and Castro earlier this year and that the Vatican hosted delegations from the U.S. and Cuba in October. In addition, the Vatican stated that Pope Francis will continue to assure its support for initiatives which both nations will undertake to strengthen their bilateral relations and promote the wellbeing of their respective citizens. SEE ALSO: US-Cuba relations after President Obamas speech According to a White House official, the engagement of Pope Francis was particularly important given the esteem with which many Americans and Cubans hold the Catholic Church and also given that Pope Francis was the first-ever pope to be elected from Latin America. The official also said that when Obama met with Pope Francis in March, the U.S. relations with Cuba was among the top issues they discussed. President Obama has enormous respect for Pope Francis and his personal engagement in this was important to us, the official added.

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Alan Gross released from Cuba after five years

Impremedia — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:12:00 +0000

UPDATE (11:25 am): Alan Gross has landed in Andrews Air Force base. — Cuba has released American Alan Gross after five years in prison. “Mr. Gross boarded an American government plane and was en route back to the United States, according to an American government official who declined to be named pending further developments,” The New York Times reported. Gross was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison and accused of being a spy, he was freed as part of a deal that included the release of three Cubans jailed in the U.S. SEE ALSO: Alan Gross marks 5 years in Cuban jail President Obama plans to speak publicly on the case at noon, the official said. In addition, Cuban television announced that President Raul Castro will also speak at noon and make “an important announcement on US-Cuba relations.” AP reported that officials say the U.S. is also looking to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months. The news agency quoted Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as saying the agreement between the two countries includes the normalization of banking and trade ties. “This is going to do absolutely nothing to further human rights and democracy in Cuba,” Rubio said in an interview. “But it potentially goes a long way in providing the economic lift that the Castro regime needs to become permanent fixtures in Cuba for generations to come.” The USAID contractor was arrested during his fifth trip to Cuba, according to Global Post, when he was attempting to establish an online network for Havanas Jews. He was accused of crimes against the state. In December 2013, Peter Wallsten of The Washington Post told NPR Gross was being detained in a 10-foot by 12-foot room, with two other prisoners. Gross’ wife, Judy, said her husband had lost more than 100 pounds during his detention. “He can barely walk due to chronic pain, and he has lost five teeth and much of the sight in his right eye,” she said in a statement. SEE ALSO: Alan Gross goes on hunger strike while Cuban Twitter scandal grows

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Latin Americas hearing has fallen by the wayside

Impremedia — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 17:12:00 +0000

Latin America has proven itself to be concerned over the health of its population, focusing efforts on initiatives to combat disease like dengue, chikungunya and malaria. While some health efforts have made impressive improvements in public wellness, other areas have fallen by the wayside. One seemingly neglected area is that of hearing health. SEE ALSO: Could spending a week in the dark improve your hearing? According to an investigative report from Kamran Zamanian, CEO, and Giulliano Pappi, market research analyst, iData Research, Latin America accounts for approximately 9 percent of the global population with hearing impairment, and rates of hearing loss in Latin American countries are between 4 and 6 percent, compared to nations like the United States where rates are between 2 and 4 percent. “To address this issue, some countries like Brazil have a public health care program that provides free-of-charge hearing health care services, including diagnosis, treatment, hearing aid distribution, and rehabilitation,” wrote the analysts in a report. “However, poor socioeconomic conditions and geographical differences slow down the overall development of hearing healthcare across the region. Current short-term awareness campaigns and the limited number of initiatives by associations and government organizations are insufficient to improve adoption rates.” The average person in Latin America waits 10 years to seek any kind of remedy for their hearing impairment from the time of initial diagnosis, and many never accept treatment for fear of the cosmetic changes that may occur. Hearing aids, for example, which are considered aesthetically unpleasing, are used by only 5 percent of the hearing impaired Latin American population, compared to a rate of 22 percent in the United States and 45 percent in Denmark. “Many patients avoid hearing aids in order to conform to perceived social pressures,” wrote the authors. “Despite the many new hearing aid styles and discreet designs, some still regard hearing aids as a symbol of advanced old age and incapacity. These attitudes and concerns will continue to limit overall hearing aid market growth.” A lack of awareness concerning hearing loss is still one of the primary reasons the issue is under treated in Latin America. There are many different types of hearing impairment, and many different levels within each category. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, individuals may experience conductive hearing loss, where sounds are not passing through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear effectively; sensorineural hearing loss, where damage has permanently limited hearing; or mixed hearing loss, where the inner, middle and outer ear may be effected in combination. SEE ALSO: Link between sleep apnea and hearing loss found in Hispanics Hearing loss may be so gradual or mild that an individual is unaware they have any issue. Though hearing loss may not seem as serious of a public health concern as dengue or malaria, experts indicate that many forms of hearing loss are curable when caught in time. This is why effective awareness campaigns in Latin America are important. Some issues related to hearing loss, such as chronic infections, can also cause other health problems–like balance or coordination difficulty–if left untreated.

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US contractor uses hip-hop to wage war against Cuba

Impremedia — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:12:00 +0000

Music has long been known to influence society, particularly the youth, and a U.S. agency hoped to tap into the power of music to spark anti-government sentiment in Cuba. With tensions flaring between the U.S. and Cuba, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) decided to take another stab at connecting with the youth of Cuba, this time with rap music. SEE ALSO: Havana and La Paz are part of the New7Wonders Cities USAID was the force behind the failed Cuban Twitter,” a communications network geared toward younger generations and designed to stir unrest toward Cubas communist government. The legality of the project fell somewhere in a gray area, but ultimately the operation was pulled after the tech company, ZunZeo, ran out of money. Alan Gross, who was arrested in Cuba on espionage charges five years ago, was also a contractor for USAID. Despite the White Houses requests to Cuba for Gross release, no progress has been made, and Gross incarceration has greatly exacerbated the already-tense relationship between the two countries. So with several failed missions in Cuba under their belts already, it wasnt surprising when USAID was discovered as the mastermind behind another failed project in Cuba. USAID hired Serbian contractor Rajko Bozic to recruit popular Cuban hip-hop artists, such as Aldo Rodriguez, to wage a war on the countrys communist regime via music. According to CBS Miami, Bozic didnt reveal his true intentions to Rodriguez, as anybody caught working with USAID could be thrown in jail. Without knowing their role in a covert war between Cuba and the U.S., Rodriguez and his hip-hip group, Los Aldeanos, started releasing protest songs like El Rap Es Guerra, or Rap Is War. The Associated Press obtained thousands of pages of interviews and documents from Washington regarding this USAID project, and these documents reveal one important thing about the failed project: it was poorly executed. Bozic, who had been hired by Creative Associated International, a company that was well-funded by USAID, recruited several Cuban musicians to create music that challenged the government. This project was risky to begin with, as Bozic operated in plain sight in a country whose government strictly controls the music industry. Raul Castros government started cracking down heavily on hip-hop, forbidding performances by groups like Los Aldeanos and forming Agencia Cubana de Rap, a special agency whose mission was to regulate hip-hop. In a memo, Bozic wrote, We shouldnt underestimate governments potential to recognize danger. After some political coaching by the contractors, Los Aldeanos anti-government lyrics and messages became unmistakably clear: Im tired of following their plan, Socialism or Death is not a slogan. Theyre the only options you get. SEE ALSO: Alan Gross marks 5 years in Cuban jail Eventually, the Cuban government caught onto the operation, and Bozic fled the country once he realized his life was in jeopardy. A few weeks after Bozic left Cuba, Gross was arrested for working on a different USAID project. Los Aldeanos have also left Cuba for safety reasons. Ultimately, the AP report reveals that the hip-hop project may have done more harm than good. While Cuban hip-hop was one of the primary mediums for criticism and dissent against the communist regime, now most of these anti-government groups and artists have fled the country or stopped performing after pressure from the Cuban government, and one of the islands most popular independent music festivals was taken over after officials linked it to USAID.

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Mexico & the Americas pay homage to Chespirito

Impremedia — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 09:12:00 +0000

[ione_media_gallery id=”329812″ overlay=”true”] Flanked by thousands of children dressed up in “Chapulin Colorado” costumes, Roberto Gomez Bolaños’s casket entered Mexico City’s Azteca stadium in a procession for an homage that was attended by thousands and watched by millions on television around Latin America and the United States on Sunday. SEE ALSO: Chespirito dies at 85 The late Mexican comedian immortalized the boy character “El Chavo del Ocho,” which defined a generation for millions of Latin American children, as well as superhero “El Chapulin Colorado.” He died at age 85 on Friday from heart problems. Florinda Mesa, his longtime wife, who also played Doña Florinda and Popis in his “El Chavo del Ocho,” tearfully led the ceremonies at the stadium that also included a mass. He created, wrote for and acted dozens of characters, which propelled him as a comedic genius. Since the 60’s he had been acting on television, but it wasn’t until the 70’s that he entered the golden years of his career. Despite this, he kept producing his sketch show well into the 80’s, keeping legions of kids and kids at heart entertained with his slapstick humor that could soften even the most jaded of souls. The mass appeal of his characters marked a milestone for Mexican television. Working almost a lifetime for broadcast TV giant Televisa, Chespirito was the first to put Mexican television production on the international map–with his show being broadcast abroad in most of Latin America. This paved the way for Mexican telenovelas that have become one of the staple exports of Mexican TV abroad. In the United States the SIN network–what would eventually become Univision–aired his episodes, and nowadays continues airing its reruns on its other networks, making it one of the most watched series of Spanish TV reruns. Univision’s flagship programming on Saturday nights, “Sabado Gigante,” was put on hold in order to air a retrospective of his career, including varied clips of a tribute show put on for him by Televisa when he was 82-years-old. It was a presage to his failing health, as he sat in the front of the theater with an oxygen tank, displaying limited mobility. Sunday Chespirito’s body left from Televisas San Angel TV studios on a float adorned by flowers and life-size statues of some of the characters he played. It was a chance for the residents of Mexico City who couldn’t make it to the stadium to pay their last respects. Thousands of people at the stadium said goodbye to the iconic comedian who took his inspiration from Laurel and Hardy as well fellow Mexican transcendent comedian Cantinflas. “Chespirito! Chespirito!” shouted fans of all ages as his coffin entered the stadium. It was twice as significant because this stadium is considered a shrine to soccer, and Bolaños was a big fan of the sport. The service was televised on Mexican television, as well as on cable in the United States. Giant television screens showed videos about his life and characters. His morning show was a staple for preschoolers, much like “Captain Kangaroo” in the United States. More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than a lettuce, his coat of arms is a heart, were the lines read by “El Chapulin Colrado’s” announcer during the show’s opening in Spanish. The character’s name would translate to The Crimson Grasshopper! in English. President Enrique Peña Nieto posted on Twitter on Friday, Mexico has lost an icon whose work has transcended generations and borders. Maria Laredo, 86, and her 48-year-old daughter Angelica Herrera attended the ceremony. “He touched many generations. My mother liked him, I liked him and even my 3-year-old grandson liked him,” the daughter told The Associated Press. Many of the red t-shirts worn by fans said: “Thank you for making us laugh.” SEE ALSO: ‘El Chapulin Colorado’ cartoon to debut in 2015 A final funeral service closed to the public will be held Monday before he is laid to rest. In addition to his wife, Chespirito is survived by six children from a previous marriage, as well as 12 grandchildren. A funeral mass was also held Saturday night at Televisa’s facility. You can watch clips from the ceremony here: [ione_embed src=//www.youtube.com/embed/np4p632cqB8 service=youtube width=640 height=450 type=iframe]

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Improved treatment for yellow fever coming soon

Impremedia — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 17:11:00 +0000

New treatment options may soon exist for people with yellow fever, a mosquito-borne illness that claims the lives of 30,000 people annually. A research team…

Honduras beauty queen Maria Jose Alvarado found dead

Impremedia — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 13:11:00 +0000

Honduras beauty queen Maria Jose Alvarado, 19, and her sister Sofia Trinidad, 23, have been found dead, officials said Wednesday. The bodies of the victims…

The sinister secret life of the imperial couple of Iguala

Impremedia — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 09:11:00 +0000

The mayor of Iguala, Jose Luis Abarca, and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda are known as “the imperial couple”. They remain imprisoned and…

Four detained in case of missing Miss Honduras pageant queen

Impremedia — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:11:00 +0000

UPDATE (11-19-14): Miss Honduras Mundo 2014, Maria Jose Alvarado Muñoz and her sister were found dead after vanishing last week. Two arrested. Story is developing.…

Tinker, Tailor, an American for three Cuban spies

Impremedia — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 18:11:00 +0000

OPINION The exchange of three Cuban spies jailed for 16 years in the U.S. for an American prisoner in Cuba who was doing some stealth…

Polls: Uruguays Tabare Vazquez, Lacalle Pou head to runoff election

Impremedia — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 18:10:00 +0000

The progressive measures implemented in Uruguay that have made president Jose Mujica the center of international attention could live on after polls show left-leaning candidate…

Protests against Nicaraguas ambitious canal

Impremedia — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 17:10:00 +0000

The Nicaraguan government, with Chinese aid, is about to begin a historic project: the construction of a new inter-oceanic Canal. But sections of the Nicaraguan…

Does Brazil have a hidden gender gap?

Impremedia — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 08:10:00 +0000

Election Day in Brazil has arrived and the daily polls are leaning back toward incumbent President Dilma Rousseff as the possible winner. As of Friday morning…

Happy in La Habana pays homage to Pharrell in Cuba

Impremedia — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:10:00 +0000

OPINION Watching Happy in la Habana for the first time was one of those moments that make me believe life is good and the world…

Why Uruguays elections matter

Impremedia — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:10:00 +0000

On Sunday, October 26, Uruguay will have general elections and the (very) popular President Jose Mujica is constitutionally prohibited from running for a direct re-election.…

Whats next for Brazil after the elections?

Impremedia — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 09:10:00 +0000

When Brazilians go to the polls this Sunday to elect their next president they will determine whether incumbent Labor Party candidate, President Dilma Rousseff, will…

Cubas brain drain takes hold in Guyana

Impremedia — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 17:09:00 +0000

Three Cuban doctors have disappeared from Guyana: They had been deployed to the small, South American state to help improve the countrys health services, but…

Nicaragua uses drug money to build new prisons

Impremedia — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:09:00 +0000

Nicaragua has constructed three new prisons utilizing money that was seized following the arrest of a group of drug traffickers in 2012, a welcome initiative…

Colombian womens rights group wins UN refugee agencys highest honor

Impremedia — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 11:09:00 +0000

Gloria Amparo grew up in extreme poverty in Colombia with an abusive father who regularly beat her mother. Witnessing this violence drove her to dedicate…

Venezuela shows signs of dipping into recession

Impremedia — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 19:09:00 +0000

A decline in imports, a rise in inflation, and an increase in poverty levels in Venezuela all point to one thing: recession. Even though the…

Paco, the sad scourge of Argentina

Impremedia — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 17:09:00 +0000

Since the crisis of 2001, cocaine paste or paco use is alarmingly on the rise in Argentina. Since its the residuum of cocaine made in…

Group of ultra-Orthodox Jews forced out of Guatemalan village

Impremedia — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 11:08:00 +0000

After settling in a remote village in Guatemala in the hopes of finding religious freedom, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews have been threatened and forced…

Venezuelas president pays a sudden visit to Fidel Castro

Impremedia — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:08:00 +0000

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made a belated birthday visit to Fidel Castro, the former Cuban leader revealed in one of his regular columns entitled True…

Costa Rica central to international organ trafficking

Impremedia — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 15:08:00 +0000

In the U.S. alone, 4,000 people die each year while waiting for a kidney transplant, so its not an extraordinary shock that the global market…

100 Years of the Panama Canal

Impremedia — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:08:00 +0000

One hundred years after the opening of the Panama Canal, the waterway is again the subject of a new controversy as Chinese investors seek to…

Elian Gonzalez wishes Fidel Castro happy birthday

Impremedia — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:08:00 +0000

Elian Gonzales attended an exhibition commemorating the history and the 88th birthday of former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba; he once again used the…

Time for a female OAS Secretary General

Impremedia — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 12:08:00 +0000

The Peruvian government has announced that it may nominate a female candidate to become the next secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS).…

Scam targets parents of unaccompanied minors in Latin America

Impremedia — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:08:00 +0000

The US government is warning family members in Latin America of a scam involving the unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border into the United…

El Salvador arrests Spanish Priest accused of aiding Mara gang

Impremedia — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:08:00 +0000

Local authorities arrested a Spanish priest in El Salvador last week after accusing him of aiding the dreaded gangs known as Maras. Father Antonio Rodriguez…

Strong winds uncover ancient Nazca geoglyphs in Peru

Impremedia — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:08:00 +0000

Previously undiscovered Nazca geoglyphs have been exposed after severe winds and sandstorms swept through the Valley of El Ingenio in Peru last week. According to…

USAID is implicated in another Cuba scandal

Impremedia — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 10:08:00 +0000

USAID is making headlines again for operations to topple the Castro regime in Cuba; this time its a new report indicating President Barack Obama approved…

Are the Americas more socially inclusive?

Impremedia — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 08:07:00 +0000

The 2014 Social Inclusion Index is not just another good news story. This portrait of seventeen countries in the Americas depicts a dynamic region that…

Latin American governments react to Israeli operations in Gaza

Impremedia — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 12:07:00 +0000

As the violence in Gaza continues, the Israeli government continues to receive criticism from the international community for targeting civilians as well as Hamas militants.…

Guatemalas president to visit Washington; discuss immigration

Impremedia — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:07:00 +0000

Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina will carry out a two-day trip to Washington this month, in which he is expected to discuss with President Barack…

Chinas President Xi Jinpings ambitious Latin American tour

Impremedia — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 17:07:00 +0000

Chinas President Xi Jinping is about to embark on an ambitious Latin American tour: From July 15 to July 23, the Chinese leader will attend a…

The limits of Brazilian soft power

Impremedia — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:07:00 +0000

The painful rout of Brazil’s soccer team by Germany may be a metaphor the deeper political losses that Brazil has experienced in the past year.…

Latin Americas middle class sees rapid expansion

Impremedia — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:06:00 +0000

New data suggests that Latin Americas middle class is one of the fastest growing among developing areas worldwide. The International Labor Organization released a report…

The political landscape Juan Carlos Varela is set to face in Panama

Impremedia — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 18:06:00 +0000

Three weeks removed from this years presidential election, Juan Carlos Varela has barely begun to adjust to his new position. The newly-elected Panamanian president, and…

Contreras-Sweet leads U.S. delegation at El Salvador inauguration

Impremedia — Sat, 31 May 2014 17:05:00 +0000

Since becoming head of the federal Small Business Administration in April, Maria Contreras-Sweet will be leading the U.S. delegation at the presidential inauguration of Salvador Sanchez…

Uribes influence lingers in the 2014 Colombian presidential elections

Impremedia — Sat, 24 May 2014 17:05:00 +0000

Nearly four years after leaving office with an unfathomable 80 percent approval rating, former Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, still lurks behind the scenes of all…

Venezuela and Brazil: Take note of Colombias revival

Impremedia — Thu, 22 May 2014 17:05:00 +0000

Over the past 15 years, Colombia has undergone a massive political and economic rebirth. Since, it has stood out as one of the lone beacons…

Congress moves toward sanctions for Venezuela

Impremedia — Thu, 08 May 2014 10:05:00 +0000

Congress is moving closer to imposing economic penalties against Venezuela’s government for human rights violations. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding a hearing Thursday…

The Latin American country imprisoning women for miscarriages

Impremedia — Wed, 07 May 2014 12:05:00 +0000

El Salvador has become the center for a feminist rally regarding miscarriages. The country, along with Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and Chile, has strict law…