Race in the U.S. Presidential Primaries

March 20, 2008 3:49 PM

We start with the United States presidential primaries, where race was the dominant issue. This week, Senator Barack Obama was forced to discuss race in the most critical speech of his campaign. Some critics say he concentrated only on tensions between blacks and whites and ignored Latinos as well as people of other races who live in this country. It remains to be seen what impact his speech will have on the Pennsylvania primary next month.

This week Mexico marked 70 years since its oil industry was nationalized. Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, is the state oil monopoly; an industry locked in debate between those who oppose private investment and those who say it's needed to boost production. President Felipe Calderon is pushing reforms to allow private companies to partner with Pemex. His critics say these reforms could lead to too much foreign control of Mexican oil. Pemex's production has been steadily falling by close to half a million barrels a day in just the last few years.

Also in Mexico, a meeting of first ladies. U.S. First Lady Laura Bush joined her Mexican counterpart Margarita Zavala to inaugurate an alliance to promote breast cancer awareness and research. At the launch of the U.S.-Mexico partnership, the women spoke of improving education and ending stigmas linked to breast cancer. About 4,200 women die of breast cancer each year in Mexico and according to the foundation, the numbers are on the rise.

In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is experiencing what some call a dengue epidemic. Dengue is one of the most critical reemerging infectious diseases in the world. According to the journal of the American Medical Association, it already has reemerged in some parts of the U.S. According to reports, it has killed 47 people, half of them children under 13. Put into perspective, there was a dengue fever outbreak in Río from 2001 to 2002. Over 82,000 cases were diagnosed and 60 reported deaths.

March 20, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Tension In South America

March 06, 2008 2:15 PM

Venezuela /Colombia/ Ecuador: Colombia's decision to attack leftist rebels across the border in Ecuador has become South America's most volatile crises in years. Ecuador and Venezuela sent thousands of troops in response to the Colombian attack, which killed two dozen rebels including Raúl Reyes, a top FARC revolutionary. Ecuador rejected a Colombian apology. At an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States, a resolution was approved that declared the incursion a violation of Ecuador’s sovereignty.  Meanwhile, President Hugo Chavez warned that Venezuela would consider any violation of its border as an act of war. Colombia complains that Venezuela and Ecuador have long provided refuge to leftist Colombian guerrillas who are fighting the government.

United States: A new behavior lab at ABC News, What would you do?  ABC’s John Quiñones takes a look at what people do when faced with ethical dilemmas and moral conflicts. These dilemmas put real people on the spot and test their moral judgment while the camera is rolling. For more check the Exclusiva homepage.

Hollywood/ U.S. Immigration: Actress America Ferrera is on the big screen. She's in the new film Under The Same Moon, the movie that broke records this year at the Sundance Film Festival. No studio has ever paid as much, five million dollars, for a Spanish Language film. The movie examines the cruel choice that millions of mothers in America were forced to make: To live in poverty with their children or leave them to come to the United States so they’ll have a better life. It’s the reality of working illegally in America. Go to the Exclusiva Homepage for more and listen to our interview with Patricia Riggen, the director of Under the Same Moon on the Exclusiva Spanish Podcast. 

March 6, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Noticias del Mundo Hispano

February 28, 2008 3:25 PM

We start this week in Mexico where the parents of slain independent journalist, Bradley Will, announced that they would bring their own experts to examine the evidence of their son's death. Will died during protests in the Mexican city of Oaxaca in 2006. The 36-year-old journalist was killed while filming unrest there. The family alleges that ballistic evidence does not support the government's theory of how Will died.

Also in Mexico, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said that NAFTA has been a boon for the United States, Mexico and Canada, but the three signatory countries should help small Mexican farmers who have suffered from the pact.  Earlier this month, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in Mexico City, asking officials to renegotiate the removal of tariff protections for key crops like corn and beans.

In U.S. politics, a look ahead at Tuesday's Democratic primary, where the Hispanic vote could be decisive in some states. The Obama campaign is gathering new endorsements. As for Hillary Clinton, her struggling campaign it’s drawing much of the attention. But have Latinos demanded too little for their political support? Tell us what you think.

In Brazil, it’s environmental workers versus farmers and loggers. As the Amazon suffers so do its people. Brazil police seized more than 500 truckloads of illegally cut hardwood that were confiscated, but abandoned last week. The livelihood of many of the people in the area depends on logging and the sawmills. Environmentalists say increased demand for soy and beef has prompted farmers to raze rainforest land for fields and pastures. Brazil is the world's top beef exporter, and second to the United States in soy exports.

February 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Hispanic World News

February 14, 2008 12:07 PM

We start this week from the mountains of Panama, where a remarkable story emerged from the wreckage of a single-engine plane. Inside the plane was a lone survivor, a 12-year-old girl, hanging upside down for two days before rescuers reached her. ABC’s Elizabeth Vargas tells us about the 20/20 Exclusive interview from Panama with the girl who lived to talk about it. For the rest of the story tune into 20/20 this Friday.

In Bolivia, a U.S. Diplomat has been recalled to Washington this week. ABC's Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross broke the story for abcnews.com. Bross reported that Vincent Cooper, the U.S. Embassy’s Assistant Regional Security Officer in Bolivia had basically ordered U.S. students and Peace Corps members to spy on Cubans and Venezuelans in Bolivia. To read Brian Ross’ full report, visit the Exclusiva homepage. And for a story on how the fate of three U.S. contractors held hostages in Colombia for five years might be in the hands of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, go to Brian Ross’ webpage abcnews.com/blotter.

In the United States, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon paid a visit this week. He had dinner in Sacramento with Governor Schwarzenegger and addressed California lawmakers. His trip to the U.S. is aimed at improving Americans' perceptions of Mexico amid the national debate over illegal immigration. President Calderon said Mexican and Mexican-American workers are a big reason for California's dynamic economy. He also said that Mexico needs more cooperation from the U.S. and California, which has strong economic ties to the country. 

And a look at a heart-breaking reality. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, in 2005 there were 1181 women killed by their partners. Our Spanish language partner Selecciones reports on domestic violence, exploring what constitutes abuse. Check out Selecciones’ article in English “Enough! Stop Domestic Abuse” on the Exclusiva homepage.

Finally, this week is Valentine's Day so we want to ask you about love and fidelity. Are Hispanics more or less faithful than others? Tell us what you think.

February 14, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Noticias del Mundo Hispano

February 07, 2008 2:14 PM

United States / Mexico: Super Tuesday was a big day for the U.S. presidential primary. The exit polls in California point to Hispanics breaking all turnout records, accounting for about 30 percent of the Democratic vote and 14 percent of the Republican vote. U.S. citizens also voted in Mexico in the U.S. Democratic primary elections on Tuesday. The organization "Democrats Abroad" set up three voting centers in Mexico City and four more throughout the country.

Cuba: Will Fidel Castro officially retire this month? On February 24, the country's National Assembly legislature will ratify the top leadership posts. The world will be watching to see if Fidel Castro steps down officially from his post as head of state. If Castro steps down, he is expected to formally hand over power to his brother Raul Castro.

Health News: Each year nearly 750,000 people die as a result of heart disease in the United States. It's the number one killer of both men and women. February is Heart Health Month and that’s why Selecciones, Reader’s Digest in Spanish, has teamed up with the American Heart Association to get accurate information about heart disease prevention to Hispanics. Check out Selecciones’ article “Are you Heart Smart” on the Exclusiva homepage.

Finally, the magazine People en Español and Yahoo! Telemundo have launched a search for the 51st Most Beautiful Person, el Bello 51. “Los 50 Más Bellos” or “The 50 Most Beautiful” was the most popular annual edition of the magazine. This year, el Bello 51, could have been you. Web users submitted their own photos to be on the list of ‘Los 51 Más Bellos” of People en Español. Now you can vote for your favorite finalist.   

February 7, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

El Mundo Hispano y America Latina

January 31, 2008 4:43 PM

USA: This week we head to California looking towards Super Tuesday, hundreds of delegates are at stake. What candidate will capture the Hispanic vote? Will race be a factor when Hispanics come out to the polls? What do you think? Post your comments.

MEXICO: A convoy of 30 tractors arrived in Mexico City for a protest against NAFTA. The protest, organized by the movement "Without Corn There is No Country," wants to keep tariffs on U.S. and Canadian farm goods. Protest leaders said that since the implementation of NAFTA, more than two million farmers have been displaced from the countryside and forced to move to cities or to the north, as cheap labor in the United States.

THE BORDER: Starting this week, people will need more paperwork to cross into the United States. In an effort to tighten border security, travelers will need to present at least two forms of identification, like a driver's license and a birth certificate, or carry a passport to get into the United States. Border security is an issue that's become one of the most fiercely debated of the primary season in the United States. But how will border security work? ABC’s Bill Weir spent 24 hours on the border, where he witnessed the complicated reality there. Watch our interview with him on the Exclusiva.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC & QUEENS, NY: In sports, the Caribbean World Series kicks off its 12-game tournament in the Dominican Republic. The tournament is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. There will be two Dominican teams because one is filling in for the Puerto Rican team. Also, the big news this week in pro ball is the trade of Venezuelan pitcher Johan Santana to the New York Mets. He had a full no-trade clause, but he chose to come to the Mets for the next 6 years.

SPAIN: Thousands of skiers attempted the largest torch light mountain descent. They took to the slopes with flaming torches at a ski resort north of Barcelona. Watch the video on our media player.

January 31, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mundo Hispano y America Latina

January 24, 2008 11:32 AM

This week we start in the United States looking at the minority vote in the democratic primaries. Does Senator Hillary Clinton have the edge with Hispanics?  We want to know what you think so post your comments right here! 

From Mexico, Special Forces of the army literally disarmed the police in the border state of Tamaulipas. The military confiscated guns from police in an attempt to stop bad cops from supporting organized crime. In the local media, there's been talk about the connections between drug traffickers and police departments in border towns like Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, and Río Bravo.

In Colombia, the legend of Pablo Escobar, one of the country's most notorious drug lords, lives on. Did he leave hidden money, jewels and weapons behind? Escobar’s main hacienda has been ransacked for years. Treasure hunters have stripped the walls and dug holes in search of cash. Now, fourteen years after his death, Colombia's secret police is still searching for Escobar's lost treasures. They've been digging up the area around the estate's swimming pool. But as has happened so many times before, it was a false tip that launched the unsuccessful treasure hunt. Pablo Escobar was killed during a shootout with police in 1993.

And good news for the former conjoined twin girls from Costa Rica. This week the two year olds walked, played and swatted at bubbles during their first public appearance since their separation surgery. The sisters Yurelia and Fiorella were born joined at the chest and abdomen. They even shared a liver. Doctors at Stanford University, where the surgery was performed last November, gave the twins a 50 percent chance of survival. The girls are now expected to return to Costa Rica and lead normal lives. The twins have nine older siblings. Doctors estimated the cost of the surgery and treatment, which directly involved as many as 300 people, at two million dollars.

Finally, Hispanic pro wrestlers have been some of most colorful in the business. Now, one of America's favorite past times has a Latina Diva, Lilian García, who’s making history in World Wrestling Entertainment. She's the first female to become a ring announcer in the world of -the heroic and the villainous- pro wrestling. She’s also a singer and has been singing since she was a child in Madrid.

January 24, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

"Es la Economia"

January 17, 2008 2:13 PM

This week we start in the United States with a look at the economy. Does illegal immigration help or hurt it? It’s a key issue of the political primaries and we want to know what you think. Post your comments right here.

Then in Mexico, a new crime-fighting tool could help authorities trace stolen U.S. guns used by criminals south of the border. Mexican and U.S. crime fighters expect a new Spanish language e-database to help police determine if weapons used by Mexican drug traffickers and organized crime are coming from the United States. Once in operation the database could help both countries diminish the illegal firearm trade.

And while Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez called for Colombian rebels to be taken off international terrorist lists, more evidence reflects the hardships that hundreds of hostages face at the hands of rebels in Colombia. Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez, the two hostages freed last week after negotiations headed by President Chavez, carried pictures and letters from other hostages in Colombia's jungles. The letters contain heart-wrenching details of suffering. The hostages suffer from malaria, tropical parasites, heart ailments and, in some cases, being chained to poles. Colombia's government estimates 750 hostages are still held by the rebels, including three U.S. military contractors.

In Cuba, Fidel Castro said this week that he is not yet healthy enough to speak in public, but he looked pretty good in pictures with Brazil's President Lula Da Silva. Castro wore what's become his new red, white and blue uniform. The two leaders met for more than two hours, joking and snapping pictures of each other. Castro told the Brazilian president that he is feeling very well. The Cuban leader has not been seen in public since July 2006. Cuba's government still treats Castro's illness as a state secret.

From Argentina: Air rage on land. Last weekend, Argentine police had to restore order at Buenos Aires main airport. Stranded passengers attacked airline personnel and ticket counters. Thousands of angry passengers suffered two days of flight delays and cancellations involving Aerolíneas Argentinas. The airline company attributed the delays to a labor conflict, but union officials said the disruptions were caused by overbooked flights. Flights have now resumed.

And many of those Argentinean air travelers may be relieved by a new train initiative. The French company Alstom got a contract to build a high-speed railway line between the cities of Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba. Alstom also makes France's famed TGV or "Train-a-Grande-Vitesse.

Also in Argentina, her latest online name is "florkey" and she appears to be your typical online teenage blogger. But florkey is Florencia Kirchner, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez and her husband, ex-president Nestor Kirchner. The Argentine media reports that dad has begged his daughter to quit posting pictures on the web.

January 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Mundo Hispano en Pocas Palabras

January 14, 2008 3:37 PM

Bogotá (AP) -- Leftist rebel gunmen kidnapped six tourists from a Pacific island, Colombia’s navy said Monday, adding to the more than 700 hostages it still holds for ransom or political leverage. The six Colombians taken -- including two university professors and a biologist -- were among 19 people accosted by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Sunday afternoon, the navy said. "Apparently, 10 uniformed bandits from the FARC, in addition to robbing these people of everything they had, kidnapped six of the 19 people who were on the boat," Adm. Guillermo Barrera, the navy's commander, told The Associated Press. A navy statement said the tourists were seized from the beach of Moromico island, off Colombia's coast. Three days earlier, the FARC freed two female hostages after six years in captivity, increasing international pressure on Colombia's government to accede to a swap of 44 high-profile hostages, including three American military contractors and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, for hundreds of its jailed fighters, including two in U.S. jails.

Madrid (AP) -- Angel Gonzalez, one of Spain's most prominent poets and member of a literary generation known for its opposition to the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, has died. He was 82. Gonzalez died Saturday morning after being hospitalized with pneumonia. His remains were cremated Sunday after a ceremony at Madrid's Almudena Cemetery. Gonzalez -- a member of the Spanish Royal Academy , the prestigious, official watchdog of the Spanish language -- won many awards for his work, including the Asturias Prize for Letters in 1985. His poems addressed issues such as freedom and solidarity, and like many intellectuals under the Franco regime, Gonzalez eventually left Spain. In the 1970s, he accepted a teaching position at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in the southwestern U.S., and stayed there until retiring in 1993, although he frequently traveled back to Spain. Gonzalez is survived by his widow, Susana Rivera.

January 14, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mexico Noticias En Pocas Palabras

January 11, 2008 3:31 PM

U.S.-Mexico Border:  A program aimed at deterring illegal border crossings by prosecuting a select number of apprehended migrants will be expanded Monday to cover the busiest illicit entry corridor on the U.S.-Mexico border. Until now, the vast majority of illegal immigrants apprehended in the Border Patrol's Tucson sector have been voluntarily returned to Mexico. Forty migrants will now be prosecuted each weekday under the sector's zero-tolerance program.

Beefed Up Federal Military & Police Reinforcements:  They continued patrolling the streets of Reynosa on Thursday in response to recent narcotraffic-related violence.  Shootouts with alleged drug gang members in two cities killed five people, including two federal officers.  Two federal agents were killed on Tuesday night during a shootout with suspected traffickers in Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas. The suspects escaped and are still at large.  Authorities did not say to
which cartel they allegedly belong.

PHOENIX (AP) - A woman leaving an eyeglass store is grabbed in the parking lot by four men who force her, kicking and screaming, into a pickup truck. The kidnappers demand a $900,000 ransom.     But police soon realize her family is holding something back and isn't fully cooperating with them. Later, investigators find out that relatives have arranged the woman's release on their own. And they
discover that members of the family are heavy into marijuana trafficking.
    The case illustrates how a terrifyingly common crime in Latin America has moved across the border into the United States: Criminals and their families are being kidnapped by fellow criminals and held for six-figure ransoms.
    The abductions are occurring in the Phoenix area at the rate of practically one per day, and police suspect they have led to killings in which bound and bullet-riddled bodies have been found
dumped in the desert.
    The kidnap victims are typically drug- or immigrant-smugglers, who are seen as inviting targets because they have a lot of money, they can raise large sums of cash on short notice, and they are unlikely to go to the police, for fear their own shady dealings will come to light.

January 11, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)