In The News

Rerouted Morales Plane Has South American Leaders Irate

July 5, 2013
Leaders of Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay and Suriname had a special meeting to address broad concerns about US and European regard for Latin America in terms of diplomacy and surveillance. The meeting was occasioned by the rerouting of a plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales as he left Russia. European air-traffic controllers reportedly assisted the US in forcing the...

A New Age of Protests

Frida Ghitis July 5, 2013
Turkey and Brazil are pointed to as economic models for developing nations. However, massive protests – and two contrasting responses – may tarnish their image. In Istanbul, a police crackdown contributed to a small protest over plans to destroy a park exploding in size and intensity, prompting questions if the Erdogan goals are security or authoritarian control. In Brazil, the largest protests...

World Cup Benefits Outsiders, Say Brazil Protesters

James Montague July 4, 2013
Brazil has many soccer fans, but protesters are questioning the conventional wisdom that massive sporting events deliver widespread benefits for host nations. Instead, the ongoing Confederations Cup has set the stage for protests on Brazil’s cost of living, the poor quality of education and high transport costs. “The initial spark for the protests was a rise in bus fares in Sao Paulo,” reports...

Biggest Protests in 20 years Sweep Brazil

Todd Benson, Asher Levine July 3, 2013
"The people have awakened" is one slogan of the massive demonstrations underway in Brazil. About 200,000 demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil's biggest cities, organized mostly through social media campaigns. Corruption, poor public services, rising prices and lackluster growth during the past two years are among the widespread complaints. While billions are spent on...

Kimberly-Clark Comes to Venezuela’s (Toilet Paper) Rescue

Benedict Mander July 2, 2013
Contrasting with the anti-imperialist stance of his predecessor Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is ready to accept US investment in the country. The oil-rich nation has a troubled economy, marked by nationwide shortages of basics, including toilet paper. Kimberly-Clark, a US company that controls 15 percent of Venezuela’s market for toilet paper, is planning to invest $37...

Argentina Falls From Throne as King of Beef

Simon Romero July 1, 2013
In a country with more cows than people, beef consumption is in decline: Per capita consumption of beef in Argentina is 129 pounds, down from 222 pounds in 1956. High prices, rising demand for grains and the shift towards a more varied diet – reflected in rising demand for poultry, pasta and pizza – are reasons for the decline, reports Simon Romero for the New York Times. Government policies aim...

Key US-EU Trade Pact Under Threat After More NSA Spying Allegations

Ian Traynor, Louise Osborne, Jamie Doward July 1, 2013
A new release of documents from Edward Snowden, a low level contract employee for the US National Security Agency, suggests that the US bugged EU offices in Washington, New York and Brussels, including one operation directed from NATO headquarters. Europe is stunned by the disclosure of intercepted phone calls and compromised fax machines of key officials, which if true, appear to have no...