Guatemala’s Heinous Human Rights Record and Non-compliance with UN Mandates
Incontestably, Guatemala has been one of the worst human rights violators in Latin American history, a fact made evident by the bloody state-sanctioned military rampage that raged from 1962 to 1996, and took at least 200,000 lives.
Update on Mexico’s Disputed Election
The next few days could herald a decisive outcome for left-leaning presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the post-electoral quandary, which has deeply affected Mexico for almost two months.
Oaxaca, Mexico: Free Speech in the 'Dirty War'
Since May 22, Oaxacan teachers have been occupying the main plaza in the city of Oaxaca. In the beginning of the occupation, the teachers' demands from the government were simple: fair wages to adjust for their cost of living and the guarantee of a better educational environment for their students.
The Cuban Five: A 'Perfect Storm' of Prejudice
On August 9th 2006, exactly one year after a three judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, unanimously revoked the sentences of the Miami Five, a majority of the full court of twelve judges has ruled against the decision.
El Salvador Dispatches Additional Contingent to Iraq
Despite the recent deaths of two Salvadoran soldiers in Iraq and the prevailing anti-war sentiment felt throughout the nation, President Antonio Saca of El Salvador wasted no time in deploying another 380 troops to Baghdad.
Update: Mexico, the Electoral Battle Continues
Disgruntled PRD presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador continues to pursue his campaign against the TEPJF’s refusal to order a full recount of the July 2 election, most recently calling for a large scale protest to be staged at the same time as President Vicente Foxís September 1 State of the Nation address. He also plans to hold a “National Democratic Convention” on September 16, Mexico’s Independence Day.
Mexico: The Electoral Crisis Goes On
Mexico’s court-ordered recount of 9.07 percent of the ballots cast in the July 2 presidential election concluded on Sunday. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) has not yet released the results of the recount, but initial reports suggest that a full recount will be merited
Hugo Chávez’s Challenge to U.S. Preeminence in Latin America
As Mexico tensely awaits the official results of a court ordered recount of 9.07 percent of the ballots from the contested July 2 presidential election, COHA's Mexican specialist Michael Lettieri is closely monitoring the situation. As of Monday morning, the electoral court administering the recount ñ the TEPJF ñ had not yet released results from that process, though both parties had suggested that the recount presented favorable trends for their candidate. The PAN anticipated only a slight diminishment of Felipe Calderón's vote total, while the PRD suggested that Calderón's margin of victory would be markedly decreased by the recount and that additionally significant irregularities would justify both a full recount and perhaps the annulment of certain polling stations. When the official results are released by the court, COHA will issue an analysis of recent events in Mexico that will seek to place the recount's results in a context of continuing uncertainty about the election's outcome while discussing the implications for Mexico's ongoing process of
democratization.
Expanding the Panama Canal: A Wider Canal or More Governmental Payola?
Under the Torrijos government, the expanding Panama Canal will not likely serve the needs of the vast majority of Panamanians. Much of the benefits will be tied to the commercial interests of the countryís accountants, bankers and lawyers, as well as their U.S. counterparts, and world trade.
Plan Bush
The dissolution of the Soviet Union associated with the end of Cold War hostility may explain how a small, South Florida clique gained inordinate power in relation to a vast Federal government bureaucracy. Since then, US relations with Cuba have been captive to increased restrictions and unequal terms. While the rest of the world enjoys travel, trade and cultural ties, U.S. policy remains aloof, disdainful and perplexed. Why can’t neighbors only 90 miles away be friends?
