Weekly Roundup: Chávez's Funeral, Brazil's Oil Royalties, Uruguay's Drug Debate

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Following Chávez’s Death, Leaders Head to Caracas

After President Hugo Chávez passed away March 5, heads of state from across Latin America and the Caribbean—including the presidents of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico—headed to Caracas on Friday to attend the leader’s funeral. The United States sent a delegation made up of two congressmen and the U.S. charge d'affaires in Caracas. In a State Department briefing on March 6, a senior official said the United States “would like a productive, more functional relationship with the Venezuelan government.” Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who also flew to Caracas, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that no one “can deny the level of camaraderie, of trust and even of love that Mr. Chávez felt for the poor of Venezuela and for the cause of Latin American integration.” But Lula also noted he “often felt that it would have been more prudent for Mr. Chávez not to have said all that he did.”

Venezuela Extends Firearms Ban

On March 1, the Venezuelan government extended a one-year ban on guns for an additional twelve months, reports InSightCrime. An estimated 1.6 to 4.1 million firearms owned by civilians circulated in Venezuela in 2011 before the government implemented gun control measures. For the next year, civilians will not be able to purchase guns or receive new firearms licenses.

Read an AS/COA Explainer on Latin American gun laws. 

Brazil’s Congress Overturns Oil Royalties Veto, Stirring Contention

On March 7, Brazil’s Congress overturned President Dilma Rousseff’s partial veto on the country’s oil royalties law, which will result in billion-dollar losses for oil producing states. With the new legislation, royalties for producing states will be cut by half while non-producing states would see a rise in royalty share.

The Rio de Janeiro state government—one of the largest recipients of oil royalties—plans to challenge the law in the Supreme Court. Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral also announced that his government would suspend all state payments except for public servant salaries until the Court considers the law.

End of Immunity for Mexican Legislators?

On March 5, the lower house of Mexico’s Congress passed a constitutional reform bill to take away criminal immunity from federal legislators and high-ranking officials, including Supreme Court justices and governors. After the vote, Representative Paulina Alejandra del Moral Vela said: “In Mexico, there are no untouchables; the only untouchable should be the supreme interest of the country.” The Senate will now consider the bill.

Mexico Supreme Court: Homophobic Slurs Not Covered by Free Speech

This week, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled in a 3-2 decision that use of homophobic slurs in the print media is not protected by the freedom of speech and can be prosecuted in court. Such terms are considered discriminatory under the law, the justices said. “Homophobic expressions are a category of hate speech, identified by provoking or promoting the rejection of a social group,” the decision read.

State Department Drug Report: Central America in Focus

Released March 5, the U.S. State Department’s 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report indicates that over 80 percent of cocaine flows to the United States passed through Central America last year. The report also estimates that nearly 90 percent of planes smuggling cocaine from South America pass through Honduras before heading to the United States. Though El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama saw a decrease in cocaine seizures, Costa Rican cocaine seizures rose by over 30 percent.

Uruguay Plans Nationwide Marijuana Legalization Debate

Starting April 4, Uruguay will begin a three-month public debate about the country’s marijuana legalization bill, holding roundtables, conferences, and seminars across the country. The initiative makes the South American country the first in the world to hold this type of citizen dialogue about drug legalization. Julio Calzada, head of the National Committee on Drugs, told Uruguay’s La República that the government “aims to have a larger social consensus” about the legislation. Congress is expected to vote on the law by the end of the year.

Home-based Internet Connections: Chile and Brazil Lead, Mexico Lags

A survey from Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Public Opinion shows that Chile and Brazil have the highest rates of home-based internet connections in Latin America. Around 40 percent of Chileans and 38 percent of Brazilians use the web in their homes. However, only 17 percent of Mexicans access the internet from home, reports The Christian Science Monitor.

Survey: With the Internet, LatAm Women Don’t Stop Working

Mercado Libre and Oh!Panel performed a study of women’s internet habits in eight Latin American countries, looking at how women divide their time when using the web. The survey found that 62 percent of women continue work even after the close of business by using the internet or a cell phone. Nearly 80 percent said they would be interested in working from home, writes blog Curioseando.

Colombia Passes Disability Act

On March 6, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos signed into law a comprehensive disabilities law which seeks to ensure access to healthcare, education, housing, and employment for the physically and mentally handicapped. The government will reserve 5 percent of the annual budget for housing subsidies for the disabled, who will also gain access to low-interest credit, writes Colombia Reports. 

Peru’s Middle Class Shows Huge Growth

From 2002 through 2012, Peru’s middle class expanded by 64 percent, says a new study from Arellano Marketing. Around 55 percent of those living in the Andean country consider themselves middle class. “The combination of economic growth, a larger urban population, women in the workforce, and entrepreneurship allowed for more income in poor families,” said Arellano’s Arnaldo Aguirre, manager of client studies.

Interactive: Women’s Political Rights Mapped

On International Women’s Day, the Guardian takes a look at the evolution of women’s political rights around the world in an interactive map. Scrolling over each country, users can see when women first won the right to vote, the right to stand for election, and when the first woman was elected to public office. Users can also explore statistics about women’s political representation and laws protecting women’s rights. The interactive shows it wasn’t until 1961 that all countries in the Americas gave women the right to vote.