Posts By: Mike Samras
Mike earned degrees in political science and journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating from college in 2006, Mike joined the Peace Corp and spent two and half years living and working in El Salvador. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in political management at George Washington University.
May 2, 2016 > Staff
Puerto Rico Will Default on $422 Million Payment Today
Top Story — Puerto Rican Gov. Alejandro García Padilla announced on Sunday that his administration has enacted a debt moratorium, meaning the U.S. territory will default today on a $422 […] Read More >
April 29, 2016 > Staff
U.S. Sends Diplomat to ‘Assess’ Haiti’s Troubled Election
Top Story — The U.S. State Department’s coordinator for Haiti, Kenneth Merten, arrived in Port-au-Prince Thursday “to assess progress” in the country’s troubled presidential election, a phrasing meant to avoid […] Read More >
April 28, 2016 > Staff
Venezuelans Protest Amid Shortened Workweek, Worsening Food Crisis
Top Story — Venezuelans across the country protested on Tuesday night, lighting fires and looting stores for food in response to new energy-saving measures that will shorten the workweek of […] Read More >
April 27, 2016 > Staff
After Transforming Church’s Role in Cuba, Longtime Havana Cardinal Steps Down
Top Story — Cardinal Jamie Ortega, the longtime leader of the Catholic Church in Cuba and a key player in the clandestine negotiations that resulted in resumed diplomatic relations between […] Read More >
April 26, 2016 > Staff
Brazil’s Opposition Party Split on Decision to Support New Interim Government
Top Story — Looking ahead to a 2018 presidential run, Brazil’s largest opposition party is split on the degree to which they will support a provisional government in the likely […] Read More >
April 25, 2016 > Staff
Report Accuses Mexican Police of Torturing Suspects in Ayotzinapa Case
Top Story — Mexican police tortured key suspects in the case of the 43 students who went missing in September 2014 in Mexico’s Guerrero state, according to the final report […] Read More >
April 22, 2016 > Staff
Ecuador Earthquake Reveals Political Fractures
Top Story — Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office on Thursday announced that the death toll from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Saturday has reached at least 587. Although the government has set […] Read More >
April 21, 2016 > Staff
El Salvador Unveils New Gang Unit for Rural Areas
Top Story — The government of El Salvador has dispatched 1,000 soldiers and police officers to the countryside to combat gangs, reflecting a recent shift in gang activity away from […] Read More >
April 20, 2016 > Staff
At UN Drug Summit, Mexican President Peña Nieto Announces Legalization of Medical Marijuana
Top Story — At the first United Nations special session to bring together world leaders to discuss global drug policy in 20 years, Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto called for more […] Read More >
April 19, 2016 > Staff
Defiant, Rousseff Hopes For a Potential Ally in Senate Leader
Top Story — Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff on Monday spoke out against the decision the night before by the lower house of Congress to proceed with her impeachment, vowing to […] Read More >