Weekly Roundup: Medvedev's Tour, Venezuelan Elections, and Latino Entrepreneurs

From Russia with Love

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev began his first Latin American tour in Peru where he participated in the 2008 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. On the sidelines he met with Peruvian President Alan García and the two leaders signed eight agreements, including a pact for Moscow to maintain military equipment purchased from Russia by Peru. Medvedev went on to Rio de Janeiro, where he voiced intentions to double trade and deepen energy ties with Brazil. He also plans to end his trip in Cuba.

Yet it’s Medvedev’s visit to Caracas that’s garnering the most attention. The first visit by a Russian president to Venezuela coincides with the arrival of Russian warships for joint exercises in the Caribbean, marking the first time since the Cold War that Russian ships train in that area. A Los Angeles Times editorial dubs Medvedev’s trip a “badwill tour” and says that Russia’s military moves stem from U.S. involvement in Georgia as well as U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe. Wired magazine’s “Danger Room” blog says military exercises sends a message from Moscow to Washington: “We can get all up in your hemisphere, too.”

Read an AS/COA analysis on Russo-Venezuelan ties.

Who Won in Venezuela’s Municipal Elections?

WorldFocus recaps the Venezuelan municipal elections held on November 23 using the coverage by multiple bloggers situated across the country. Videos, photos, and live reporting give a sense of how the opposition regained crucial posts despite a chavista electoral majority. Both sides claimed victory; Chávez’s Socialist Party won 17 of the 22 governorships up for votes, but the opposition one the mayoralty of Caracas and governorships in the more populous, economically powerful states. Revista Perspectiva’s blog highlights the inroads made by the opposition but also how President Chávez’s political party strengthened legitimacy.

In a new special, PBS Frontline profiles the Venezuelan leader in “The Hugo Chávez Show,” which examines his rise to power as well as his “savvy use of the media.” An online, multimedia version of the program includes interviews with former officials and Chávez foes and allies to dissect his controversial style of governing.

Newsweek’s “Why It Matters” blog covers the release of an album titled “Music for the Battle” by Chávez’s political party in the run-up to the elections. The president himself appears on two of the tracks.

Read AS/COA coverage of Venezuela's local elections.

Holding Off on NAFTA Revision

Bloomberg reports that President-elect Barack Obama may delay plans to revise the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, given the more pressing matter of global financial uncertainty.

Leaders at the APEC summit in leader urged the future president to let NAFTA stand. Mexican President Felipe Calderón warned that new changes on trade would correlate with a rise in illegal immigration to the United States.

Read AS/COA coverage of the APEC summit.

Canada and Colombia Sign Trade Deal

Also on the sidelines of APEC Peru, Canada and Colombia signed a free-trade agreement, easing tariffs on $890 million in annual bilateral trade. "Colombia's accord with Canada is another example of the hemisphere moving ahead without us,'' said COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth in an interview in Lima, referring to the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement that remains stalled in U.S. Congress.

Obama’s Latin American Opportunity

Writing for El País, Daniel Zovatto of International IDEA writes that the United States and Latin America “have much to gain from a more constructive, collaborative, and respectful relationship” during the presidency of Barack Obama. He notes that Obama should take advantage of April’s Summit of the Americas and to forge alliances. Zovatto also notes that Obama will hold office at time of 14 presidential elections in Latin America.

The latest issue of Americas Quarterly offers 31 “Memos to the President Elect,” with advice from current and former presidents, policy-makers, analysts, senior officials, and experts from across the regions. Visit www.americasquarterly.org to access issue content as well as web exclusives and the AQ blog.

Mexico, Argentina Deepen Commercial, Anti-Drug Pacts

President Felipe Calderón paid a visit to his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernández de Kirchner this week in Buenos Aires, where the two pledged to strengthen trade ties based on a 2007 agreement, reports Mercopress. Trade between the two countries rose by 300 percent between 2002 and 2007. Calderón and Fernández de Kirchner also plan to ramp up coordinated efforts to battle drug trafficking networks with footholds in both countries.

The Struggle over Argentina’s Vice Presidency

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, are seeking the resignation of Vice President Julio Cobos, who may run as an opposition candidate in the 2011 presidential election, Infolatam reports. Tensions have grown between the Kirchners and Cobos, with the latest concern for the president arising over the possibility that Cobos would veto a new law nationalizing pensions.

The Embattled PRD

Harvard International Review blogger Jason Lakin writes about the toll taken by a long bout of infighting in Mexico’s Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). After 8 months of political uncertainty, Jesús Ortega was declared the winner in elections held to choose PRD leadership, then immediately declared illegitimate by the losing side of the party headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This continued battle within the party coincides with electoral defeats in former PRD strongholds and the party now polls poorly for next year’s mid-term elections.

Latin America’s High Youth Murder Rate

A new report published by Latin American Technological Information Network, a Brazilian research group, found that the murder rates among youth (15-to-24 year olds) in Latin America ranks as the world’s highest. El Salvador tops the list and Latin American countries took the first five spots. In a comparison of 83 countries and using statistics from 2007, the report found that the probability of a youth being a murder victim in Latin America stands 20 times higher than in Europe. View the complete report (PDF). 

Dispute Heightens over Nicaragua’s Election Results

Nicaragua’s opposition has voiced support for a congressional proposal to overturn the dubious election results of the November 9 municipal elections and hold another round of votes.  Despite accusations that the Sandinista party rigged elections, President Daniel Ortega denied any wrongdoing and threatened to veto the proposal, which he called unconstitutional, reports World Politics Review.

The U.S. government announced intentions to withhold roughly $60 million in grants to Nicaragua, citing the Sandinista Party’s role in the rigged elections as the reason.

Financial Crisis Makes Mark in Brazil

McClatchy’s South American correspondent Tyler Bridges blogs about the signs that the global financial crisis is hitting Brazil, from woes for the country’s soybean industry to to plummeting car and home sales. “All of this is terribly frustrating to Brazilian policy-makers,” writes Bridges, who says that, “On the bright side, analysts expect Brazil at least to grow next year. Many other countries won't grow at all.” http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/southamerica/2008/11/brazil-a-sign-…

AS/COA hosts its Fifth Annual Latin America Predictors Forum on December 5, with a focus on the financial crisis’ impact in 2009.

Brazil Invests in Second-Generation Biofuels

A Tierramerica article examines how Brazil, already the world’s leading producer of sugarcane-based ethanol, is working with multilateral organizations on developing technology to expand production. The goal is to double the yield per hectare within five years by focusing on waste recycling to avoid clearing more land, thereby reducing deforestation.

The First 100 Days for Paraguay’s Lugo

IPS News gives an overview on the first 100 days in office for Paraguay’s President Fernando Lugo, who broke the Colorado Party’s six-decade hold on the presidency. The article says that, while he faces the challenges of global financial insecurity and a rapid uptick in crime, strides have been made in the areas of health and the fight against corruption. One of the first challenges Lugo faced was demand for agrarian reform that resulted in widespread protesting, which he calmed through the creation of an agrarian council made up of government officials and campesino organization members.

Exploring the Culture of Latin American Immigration to the United States

The Americas Society published Review 77: Literature and Arts of the Americas on November 20, featuring a section of research articles by leading scholars on aspects of immigration and related culture. The journal also features a creative section showcasing selections of poetry, fiction, creative essays, and interviews by and about writers including Jorge Aguilar Mora, Gioconda Belli, Enrique Fierro, José Kozer, Eduardo Mitre, Sylvia Molloy, Ricardo Piglia, and Ida Vitale.

The Top Hispanic Entrepreneurs

Poder magazine offers up its list of the 100 leading Latino entrepreneurs in the United States, saying “they represent role models for Hispanic business.”