Weekly Roundup: Colombia's Presidential Vote, Kerry's Mexico Visit, Israel's Pacific Alliance Plan

Colombian presidential candidates face off in debate. On May 22, Colombia held a televised presidential debate ahead of Sunday’s vote. The debate focused on the recent corruption scandals and the peace process. Despite the tense exchanges, President Juan Manuel Santos gave a dove pin to rival Oscar Iván Zuluaga at the end. The two candidates are neck-in-neck in the polls, though each candidate has less than 30 percent—meaning a runoff is likely.

Find out key details on Colombia’s presidential election from our election blog.

Venezuela’s mediated talks fall flat. Foreign ministers from the Union of South American Nations returned to Venezuela on May 18 but were unable to get the government and opposition to return to the negotiating table as planned.

Get an in-depth look at Venezuela’s protests in our timeline.

Kerry makes first official trip to Mexico. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Mexican counterpart José Antonio Meade and President Enrique Peña Nieto during his trip to Mexico City this week. Along with trade and security, Kerry spoke about immigration reform, saying that the Obama administration will do “everything in our power” to make it happen.

Mexico’s first-quarter GDP growth: less than expected. Today, Mexico’s National Statistics and Geographic Institute reported first-quarter growth numbers, showing the economy expanded 1.8 percent—lower than the expected 2 percent. Earlier this week, the Central Bank reduced its annual growth forecast to 2.3 to 3.3 percent due to low consumer confidence.

Bachelet forges ahead with Chilean education reform. This week, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet sent what she called “the country's most significant education reform in 50 years” to Congress. The bill would cut government subsidies for private schools and end selective entrance policies.

Israel eyes the Pacific Alliance. On May 18, the Israeli government approved a $14 million, three-year plan to expand economic ties with Latin America through new diplomatic posts and joint technology projects. The strategy focuses on Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru—current Pacific Alliance countries—and Costa Rica, the last of which is on track to become a member.

Learn more about the Pacific Alliance in our explainer.

Lighter loads: Peru looks to United States to lift visa requirements. As the Andean country seeks entry to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, officials from both sides announced this week that negotiations to begin the process are underway.

Brazil’s World Cup budget equals a month of education spending. The Brazilian government is spending $11 billion on the upcoming mega-event, making it the most expensive World Cup to date. But Folha de São Paulo points out that this amount represents only 9 percent of the government’s annual education budget.

Poll gives Brazil’s Rousseff a first-round win. A new Ibope survey shows Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff could win in the first round of the country’s October election with 40 percent of voter support. But other candidates are gaining momentum: since last month, Aécio Neves rose six points while Eduardo Campos increased by five points.

Check out our election guide to learn more about Brazil’s vote.

Ranking: Which LatAm cities have the strongest brands? In the Guardian’s new ranking on international recognition of cities as brands, one Latin American city made it in the top 10—Rio de Janeiro—while Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo made it in the top 20.

Former Guatemalan leader sentenced in money laundering trial. After pleading guilty to money laundering and taking bribes from Taiwanese officials, former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo was sentenced to 70 months in jail by a New York federal court on May 22.

DR Senate unanimously passes immigration bill. On May 21, the Dominican Republic’s Senate unanimously approved President Danilo Medina’s immigration bill, which provides a path to citizenship for Dominican-born children of immigrants.

(H/T Pan-American Post)

Kicking it with the president—on the field, that is. This week Bolivian President Evo Morales confirmed plans that he would play with first-division soccer club Sport Boys in Santa Cruz, saying he wants to encourage youth to play sports.