News and Politics

Magic water scandal shows the deep roots of corruption in Guatemalan politics

By Rachel Rozak
October 24, 2018

Last week it was reported that the former vice president of Guatemala, Roxana Baldetti, had been formally sentenced to 15 years in prison following her involvement in what is being called the “Magic Water” scandal.  Baldetti was found guilty of participating in and directing a criminal network in the multimillion-dollar scheme, which redirected state funds intended to clean the contaminated Lake Amatitlan (Al Jazeera 2018).

Berta Cáceres: Profile as an Environmental Activist and Upcoming Trial in Honduras

By Mallory Perillo
October 8, 2018

This September, the trial began for the murder of former Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations in Hondoras (COPHINH) coordinator and 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize winner, Berta Cáceres. On March 2, 2016, Cáceres and Mexican environmentalist Gustavo Castro were attacked in Cáceres’ home by hitmen hired by the executive president of Desarrollos Energéticos SA (DESA). The company leadership targeted Cáceres due to her involvement with indigenous protests against DESA’s plans to build a hydroelectric dam along the Gualcarque river.

The Stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro and the Brazilian Presidential Election

By Mallory Perillo
September 26, 2018

On September 6th, Brazil Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed during a campaign rally in Juiz de Foro. Following the attack, Bolsonaro lost a significant amount of blood and was placed in the intensive care unit at Santa Casa Hospital where he was prepped for surgery. According to his doctor, all of his life-threatening injuries were stabilized during the procedure. Although a week of lost campaigning time so close to the election could seem detrimental to a candidate, the attack has actually increased Bolsonaro’s polling numbers, marking a turning point in the campaign.

Paraguay's Abdo Benitez moves embassy back from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, provoking tensions in the Middle East

By Kristen Martinez-Gugerli
September 13, 2018

This week, Paraguay’s new president declared that he will be reversing his predecessor’s decision to open a Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem, now moving the embassy back to Tel Aviv. This decision by Mario Abdo Benítez, who just took office less than a month ago, has seen an angry reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who immediately ordered the closing of Israel’s embassy in Asuncion and the recall of its ambassador.

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