Despite the fact that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has been heavy handed in his dealings with media Since taking office in January, of 2007, Ecuador has ostentatiously demonstrated support for the freedom of the press by using their London embassy to protect Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks. Despite his fugitive status in the UK,…
Hugo Chavez has been president of Venezuela for 13 years, 7 months, and counting. There are concerns that he will not relinquish power, even under increased pressure from political opposition. On September the 29th, two were killed during an attack near the city of Barinas, which is the home town of the most popular opposition…
On Sunday, a powerful earthquake hit Colombia near Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali due to a subducting Nazca plate. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the quake was a 7.3 on the Richter scale. There were no immediate reports of injuries, or damage despite the exceptional intensity of the quake. Recent significant earthquakes in Columbia include…
It has been suggested that Argentina’s economy needs a Psychologist. If so, the policies of President Cristina Fernández have not helped. Even according to questionable official reports by the Argentine government, the economy has shrunk %0.8 from the first quarter of the year. Roughly 100 years ago, Argentina thrived under a relatively free market, and…
Bolivia and Paraguay are both landlocked neighbors in South America. Neither have had the luxury of strong economies. Between 1932 and 1935, the two countries fought the bloodiest conflict on the continent in the 20th century. At dispute, was a region known as “Gran Chaco” which was incorrectly believed to contain substantial oil deposits. Control…
Venezuelan governor Henrique Capriles is the opposition candidate against Hugo Chavez in the country’s presidential elections scheduled to take place on October 7, 2012. Supporters of Hugo Chavez had recently set up roadblocks during a visit by Mr. Capriles to a coastal city. It appears that stones were thrown in addition to arson and numerous…
Next month, Venezuela will hold elections, and despite the dramatic failures of anti-Western leftist president Hugo Chavez, the opposition candidate is campaigning as a more extreme version of Chavez. Venezuelan governor Henrique Capriles will represent an alternative to Chavez. Citing increased violence, poor infrastructure, and a flailing economy, Capriles is making a populist proposition to…
Argentina and Venezuela are in the unenviable position of rounding out the bottom of this year’s Index of Economic Freedom, produced by The Heritage Foundation. Out of 179 nations ranked on a variety of criteria defining economic freedoms, Argentina and Venezuela find themselves in a category labeled “repressed.” Argentina sits at 158 on the list,…
Chile now ranks higher than the United States, and all of Central and South America according to the annual Index of Economic Freedom, produced by The Heritage Foundation, which has tracked economic freedom around the world for over a decade. According to the data compiled for this year’s rankings, Chile moved to number 7 on the…
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