Argentina, Latin America: Week in Review, Southern Cone
Argentine Ad For London Olympics Angers IOC
May 7, 2012 By Staff
Top Story — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent a letter to the Argentine Olympic committee after an Argentine ad promoting the 2012 London Olympics made a controversial reference the Falkland Islands. The ad, which first aired in Argentina on Wednesday, showed scenes of Argentine field hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg training in the Falkland Islands, followed by the statement, “To compete on British soil, we train on Argentine soil.” Argentina and Britain recently marked the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, and both countries still claim sovereignty over the disputed islands. The IOC denounced the ad and said the Olympics should not be used as a political platform. The ad was produced by the Argentine branch of the British-owned advertising agency Young & Rubicam, which later issued an apology.
Read more from USA Today.
Headlines from the Western Hemisphere
North America
- U.S. Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa is refusing calls that he be extradited to Mexico to face charges for killing 15-year-old Sergio Adrian Guereca in 2010.
- An undocumented immigrant mother of two who was diagnosed with cancer opted to return to Mexico for treatment after the Mexican consulate in Raleigh offered to pay her way.
Caribbean
- Haitian President Michel Martelly signed a decree on Friday naming former Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe the new prime minister of Haiti.
- Jailed U.S. subcontractor Alan Gross said in a phone interview with CNN that he feels like a hostage after being imprisoned in Cuba for two years and five months.
Central America
- The U.S. military is training Honduran soldiers at three new bases in remote areas of the country in an effort to counteract drug trafficking in the country.
- The Inter-American Development Bank approved a $670 million loan to Costa Rica to finance the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric power project.
- Costa Rican Franklin Chang-Diaz, NASA’s first Latino astronaut, was inducted into NASA’s Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Andes
- Colombia’s FARC posted a video Sunday saying that they have captured French journalist Romeo Langlois with them and are attempting to “overcome the impasse” in negotiations over his release.
- The Venezuelan government is attempting to quash rumors that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez may choose another candidate to run for president in his place due to his returning cancer.
- The Peruvian Health Ministry warned beach-goers to stay away from beaches north of Lima due to the deaths of hundreds of dolphins and seabirds in recent days.
Southern Cone
- Brazilian police located a ten year-old Argentine girl who had been kidnapped by her Paraguayan father seven years ago after an anonymous informant reported that the child was kept in a “private jail”.
- Brazilian police seized the ferrari of Thor Batista, son of Brazil’s richest man Eike Batista, because his car reportedly lacked a front license plate.
Image: blmurch @ Flickr.
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