Posts By: Roque Planas

Colombia’s Disgraced DAS and President Uribe’s Uncertain Legacy

On Nov. 17, 2004, Colombian journalist Claudia Julieta Duque received a phone call. Speaking with a calm voice, a man threatened to kill and rape Duque’s 10-year-old daughter. “Your daughter […] Read More >

Lesly Kernisant of SImACT on Bringing Investment to Haiti

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 […] Read More >

Foreign Governments Pledge nearly $10 Billion in Aid to Haiti at U.N. Donor Conference

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 […] Read More >

Investment Climate In Cuba Still Unfavorable to U.S., Experts Say

NEW YORK — The climate for U.S. investment in Cuba remains adverse and probably won’t improve much in the near future, a group of Cuba experts representing the private sector […] Read More >

Bill Clinton Urges Civil Society, NGOs to Support Haitian Government

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), […] Read More >

Colombian Court Rejects Re-Election Referendum; Juan Manuel Santos Announces Candidacy

Colombia’s Constitutional Court rejected a referendum on Friday that would have permitted the current government to hold a plebiscite asking voter approval to remove the barrier to immediate re-election of […] Read More >

Uribe Cannot Run For Reelection in 2010, Early Reports Say–Breaking News

UPDATE — The Colombian press reported this afternoon that the re-election referendum officially failed to pass, by a vote of seven to two, consistent with this morning’s rumors. In a […] Read More >

Immigration Reform Road Trip Kicks Off In New York City; Organizers Call For Comprehensive Law In 2010

NEW YORK — With immigration reform losing impetus, reform advocates are not just taking to the streets — they’re taking to the road. A group of twelve immigration reform advocates, […] Read More >

G-7 Members To Cancel Haiti’s Bilateral Debt

The world’s seven wealthiest countries said they will cancel the debt Haiti owes them at a meeting of the G-7 in Canada on Saturday, The BBC reports. The G-7 also […] Read More >

Dominican Republic Innaugurates New Constitution; Children of Haitian Immigrants Will Not Be Considered Dominican Nationals

The Dominican Republic’s new constitution went into effect last week, reports Dominican daily Listín Diario. Article 18 of the document defines Dominican nationals as “the children of Dominican parents,” a […] Read More >