Today in Latin America Top Story — Wyclef Jean formally announced his candidacy in Haiti’s November presidential elections Thursday, both by radio in Creole and on the Larry King Live show in English. The popular entertainer’s fame and financial resources give him an edge over the competition, but there are mounting concerns about his eligibility [...]
Today in Latin America Top Story – It is now certain that pop star Wyclef Jean will run for the Haitian presidency, confirming rumors that have been circulating for weeks. “My decision was a draft. I’m being drafted by the youth,” Jean told Time Magazine in a video posted to its Web site. Ex-Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard [...]
Today in Latin America Top Story — Musician Wyclef Jean said that he is thinking of running for the presidency of earthquake ravaged Haiti, but has yet has yet to decide whether to declare himself as a candidate. Wyclef Jean, who rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the hip-hop group the [...]
Today in Latin America Top Story — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Wednesday the cancellation Haiti’s $268 million outstanding debt. On top of the debt cancellation, the IMF’s executive board approved a three-year request by authorities to support Haiti’s reconstruction and growth program. The $60 million loan is intended to boost Haiti’s international reserves [...]
Today in Latin America Top Story – Haitian police broke up a rally on Monday in front of the National Palace, where protesters demanded that President René Préval step down. Police fired tear gas into a crowd of about 2,000 and fired live rounds into the air, after protesters attempted to pass barricades in front [...]
Today in Latin America Top Story – Heads of state from South America met yesterday outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina for a summit meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). The group elected its first secretary-general and discussed Arizona’s immigration law and the recognition of Porfirio Lobo as President of Honduras, among other [...]
NEW YORK — On Jan. 11, Choice Hotels announced it would open two upscale Comfort Inn franchises at the beachfront city of Jacmel, becoming the first foreign hotel chain to open in Haiti in more than 10 years. The next day, an earthquake devastated Haiti, leaving more than 200,000 people dead and causing more than [...]
The world’s governments pledged to donate more than expected to Haiti’s earthquake reconstruction effort at a conference at the United Nations on Wednesday. More than 100 countries participated in the conference, pledging $5.3 billion in short term assistance, and another $9 billion over the long term, Reuters reports. Observers had not expected pledges to surpass [...]
NEW YORK — Haiti’s Jan. 12 earthquake killed more 200,000 people, destroyed the national economy, and left more than a million homeless. For Haiti’s 10,000, mostly foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), figuring out how best to help in such circumstances is a daunting task. U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti and former President Bill Clinton has a [...]
Today in Latin America Top Story – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) said this weekend that a number of countries in the Western Hemisphere seriously violated press freedoms, including Cuba and Venezuela. IAPA, a Miami-based group which includes 1,380 publications, met in the island nation of Aruba to discuss what it considers to be threats [...]
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