Cuba: United States and Cuba reestablishing diplomatic relations
After decades of tense relationship between the United States and Cuba, the Obama and Castro administrations announced an agreement in 2014 to restore diplomatic relations, loosen some economic policies, and reopen embassies in Havana and Washington. The two countries had broken diplomatic relations in the 1960s, and the United States imposed an embargo on Cuba banning all trade with the island. This new agreement progressed when Alan Gross, a U.S. government subcontractor, was released in December 2014 from a Cuban prison after being convicted in 2011 for acts against the integrity of Cuba. As part of the agreement, a prisoner swap also took place in 2014 where the Cuban government released an American spy and the U.S. government released the three remaining Cuban Five. Both presidents attended the April 10-11 summit of the Americas in Panama where they had a historic meeting. It was the first time in 50 years that presidents of the two nations sat down and had substantive talks. On April 14 the Obama administration announced that Cuba will be removed from the state-sponsored terrorism list. The House and Senate will have 45 days to review this action. The United States’ trade embargo against the Cuba still remains, and may only be ended by the U.S. Congress.
Uruguay: writer Eduardo Galeano dead at age 74
Journalist, novelist and leftist intellectual Eduardo Galeano died on Monday April 13 in Montevideo, Uruguay, of lung cancer. He was 74. Galeano mostly wrote about the injustices throughout Latin American history. He authored more than 30 books, but his 1971 book “Open Veins of Latin America” is considered a classic, selling over a million copies worldwide. It also became a bestseller in the United States after the former Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, gave it as a gift to Barack Obama in 2009. This book reflected on the injustices Latin America has experienced due to capitalist and imperialist forces of the North. In 1973, Galeano was imprisoned when the Uruguayan military took power and later forced to leave his country. He went into exile to Spain and returned to Uruguay in 1985 after democracy was restored.
Brazil: unrest intensifies
For the second time in one month, there were protests across Brazil against the administration of President Dilma Rousseff. The protests have to do with a recent corruption scandal involving the state oil company, Petrobras, and with recent economic issues affecting the country. Some of the protesters demanded the end of corruption, others demanded that President Rousseff be impeached. The Petrobras scandal involved 47 politicians accused of corruption, most of whom are part of the Worker’s Party, of which Rousseff is a member. Rousseff was part of Petrobras’ board of directors during the seven years before she took office. During that time, there were irregularities that saw funds diverted within the oil company. However, Rousseff is said not to have been involved and is not being investigated regarding this case. During the protests, participation was estimated at 210,000 people in Sao Paulo. Many people also protested in other cities such as Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte.
Chile: bill recognizes same-sex couple civil unions
On April 13, the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed a bill recognizing civil unions between same-sex couples, after four years of processing. The bill will allow same-sex couples to share health insurance, inherit property, and receive pension benefits. The bill is expected to help an estimated 2 million Chileans to live more stable lives. “Today we’re advancing as a society,” Bachelet said during the signing of the bill. “We’re taking a fundamental step on this road of rights, justice and respect for individual liberties. This is a concrete step in the drive to end the differences between homosexual and heterosexual couples.” Some countries in Latin America recognize civil unions between same-sex couples, but only Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil recognize same-sex marriages.