All Americas
- What's Ahmadinejad getting out of his Latin America tour? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad鈥檚 Latin America trip, a whirlwind four-nation tour that began in Venezuela on Jan. 8, is now taking him to the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The trip is his fifth visit to the region since 2007 and has prompted alarm in some corners of the United States that Iran is using the region as a staging ground to attack US interests.However, many who study Iran鈥檚 relationship with Latin America, in particular Venezuela, say fear of an Iranian threat in the Americas is overblown, at least at this point. Here are four reasons why:
- How Mexico's Zapatista guerrillas stayed clear of organized crimeMexico's Zapatistas are distinct from most other rebels groups in Latin America, having remained within a democratic framework without getting involved in organized crime to secure funding.
US expels Venezuelan diplomat as Ahmadinejad makes Latin America tourVenezuela's consul general to Miami was expelled today amid accusations that she assisted with a cyberattack 鈥� coordinated by Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela 鈥� against the US.聽
Iran is not the only 'pariah' looking to Latin AmericaTaiwan courts continued recognition as an independent country from select Latin American nations, while Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries to bolster ties to regional allies.
US foes unite: Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega cozies up to Iran's AhmadinejadPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran will be the guest of honor at the inauguration of Nicaragua's newly-reelected president, Daniel Ortega.- Chile textbook controversy: Pinochet's rule now a military 'regime,' not a 'dictatorship'Chile textbooks will now use the softer term 'regime' to characterize Gen. Pinochet's rule. But revulsion against Pinochet's human rights abuses remains widespread.聽
- Fidel Castro death rumor shows paradoxes in CubaAs 2012 kicks off, blogger Anya Landau French weighs in on the Cuban economic and social developments that she will assess as she visits Havana next week.
Joran van der Sloot murder trial in Peru postponedJoran van der Sloot's trial was postponed today in Lima, Peru. Joran van der Sloot is accused of killing a Peruvian woman in 2010 and is suspected in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba five years earlier.聽
Dim forecast for security in Honduras in 2012Despite Honduran efforts to promote police reform and check organized crime, the country has become a major transit point for cocaine, and the future of its democratic institutions looks bleak.- Brazil's bright economy clouded by low productivityBrazil performs poorly on productivity measures in part because of high tariffs.
