Thursday, June 23, 2011

Americas

As Greece Ponders Default, Lessons From Argentina

The effects of Argentina 2001 debt crisis still linger, and the country’s default at the time is still keeping it away from the global credit market.

Mexican Police Arrest Leader of Crime Gang

Six months after killing the leader of a ruthless gang, officials said that they had arrested his successor.

President of Argentina to Seek Re-election

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, 58, said she would run in October for a second four-year term, and she is favored to win.

Chilean Court Blocks Plan for Patagonia Dam Project

An appeals court in Santiago suspended the government’s approval process for the $3.2 billion plan to build five dams and hydroelectric plants in a pristine region of Patagonia.

Xul Journal

Newcomers’ Arrival Scares Up Tales of the Mayan Apocalypse

In Xul, Mexico, the arrival of Italian settlers has set off whispers that they are awaiting the end of the world; the truth is more mundane.

Recent Features on the Americas

An Airlift, Family by Family, Bolsters Cuba’s Economy

With the relaxation of travel restrictions to Cuba, more Cuban-Americans are going back for visits, with emotional and economic results.

Monster Trucks on the Road, From Gangs in Mexico

The Mexican authorities seized two makeshift armored vehicles on Sunday like those being used more often by drug cartels.

Where Prisoners Can Do Anything, Except Leave

Carrying assault rifles and sipping whiskey poolside, inmates at Venezuela’s San Antonio prison serve amid a surreal mix of hedonism and force.

Mexico City Journal

A Vision of an Oasis Beneath the Sprawl

Young planners in Mexico City are urging a radical concept to refresh their dusty megalopolis with a ring of water and parks around the city center.

The Saturday Profile

A Second Fujimori Contends for Peru’s Presidency

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto K. Fujimori, who is in prison for rights abuses, says she wants her father cleared through the courts.

China’s Interest in Farmland Makes Brazil Uneasy

Even as Brazil, Argentina and other nations move to impose limits on farmland purchases by foreigners, the Chinese are seeking to more directly control production themselves.

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Revolutionary Cuba Now Lays Sand Traps for the Bourgeoisie

Fifty years after Fidel Castro rid Cuba of golf courses, developers say the country’s government has given preliminary approval for four large luxury golf resorts on the island.

Exhumation of Allende of Chile Aims to Settle Mystery

The remains of President Salvador Allende were exhumed and a second autopsy will be conducted to determine if he shot himself during a coup as his family has long believed.

São Paulo Journal

Upwardly Mobile Nannies Move Into the Brazilian Middle Class

A revolution in child care is giving Brazilian nannies better pay and hours, but it is also pricing them out of the reach of many families.

The Saturday Profile

Violence Suffocated a Father’s Poetry, but Not His Voice

The voice of Javier Sicilia, a poet whose son was killed in a drug-trafficking attack, has put an exclamation point to Mexico’s campaign against drug cartel violence.

Colombia’s Resurgent Capital Backslides Amid Crime and Congestion

Bogotá’s hard-won accomplishments are being eclipsed by traffic chaos, attacks on tourists, and a corruption scandal that has resulted in the mayor’s suspension.

Returned to Power, a Leader Celebrates a Checkered Past

Desi Bouterse, a former military ruler who has been convicted of drug trafficking and is still on trial for official killings in the 1980s, is once again Suriname’s leader.

A Candidate in Peru Tacks Toward Brazil’s Course

Ollanta Humala rejects talk of seizing private companies and celebrates Brazil’s market-oriented economic model.

The Saturday Profile

A Prolific Father of Haitian Letters, Busier Than Ever

At 75, Frankétienne, whose output includes novels, poems, plays and artwork, embraces chaos as a style that befits Haiti’s tumultuous history.

Haitians Forced Out of Tents to Homes Just as Precarious

More than half of the Haitians driven into camps by the 2010 earthquake have moved out, but most of them appear to have been forced out or to have left to escape crime and living conditions.

Fishermen in Amazon See a Rival in Dolphins

The Amazon’s pink dolphins are protected by law, but fishermen kill them to use as bait.

Drug Wars Push Deeper Into Central America

Aggressive crackdowns on criminal organizations in Mexico and Colombia have increasingly brought the powerful drug syndicates into Central America.

U.S. Drones Fight Mexican Drug Trade

The Obama administration has begun sending drones deep into Mexico to gather intelligence on trafficking.

In Colombia, New Gold Rush Fuels Old Conflict

Seizing on the surge in gold prices, combatants from multiple sides of the conflict in Colombia are shifting into gold mining.

Rio’s Police Viewed With Uncertainty

After a police and military operation to reclaim the dangerous Complexo do Alemão slum in Rio de Janeiro from drug gangs, residents are viewing the security presence through cautious eyes.

Multimedia
Opportunities at Home Reduce Illegal Immigration From Mexico

The declines, from a country responsible for roughly 6 of every 10 illegal immigrants in the United States, are stark.

Venezuela's Prison Paradise

On the outside, the San Antonio prison on Margarita Island looks like any other Venezuelan penitentiary. But venture inside and you'll see how far the rabbit hole goes.

A Candidate Fights a Contested Legacy in Peru

Keiko Fujimori, daughter of currently incarcerated former President Alberto K. Fujimori, is in a tight race for the Peruvian presidency.

SLIDE SHOW: The Battle for Libya | May 5

Migrants continued to evacuate from Misurata, and a survivor of the shelling by Qaddafi forces on Wednesday returned to the tent camp where his children were killed.

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