BY RAYMOND COLITT & RANDALL WOODS

Latin America’s two largest nations are vying for economic and diplomatic clout as their candidates face off as finalists to head the World Trade Organization.

The WTO is scheduled to name by May 8 the first director- general from Latin America in its 18-year history. It will choose between Roberto Azevedo, Brazil (BZGDGDP4)’s representative to the Geneva-based group, and Herminio Blanco, a former Mexico trade minister who led the nation’s negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. and Canada. The winner will replace the outgoing WTO chief, France’s Pascal Lamy, in September.

The race is a contest for diplomatic prowess as Mexico draws on its faster growth and more open economy to fortify its candidate, said Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. Analysts polled by Bloomberg forecast Mexico will outgrow its southern peer for the third straight year in 2013, reversing a trend that allowed Brazil to pull ahead as ... Read More

BY JONATHAN MANTHORPE

Venezuela’s former president Hugo Chavez got away with being a buffoon because he was also a talented showman.

His protégé and successor, Nicolas Maduro, matches his master’s skills … except for the showmanship.

Nearly a month after the unexpectedly tight presidential election race following Chavez’s death from cancer in early March, Maduro’s grip on power is looking decidedly flaccid.

The question is not so much if he will be toppled, but who will do it and how soon.

Maduro needs to watch his back just as much as his front. While there are plenty of factions within the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) who may move to dump Maduro, most eyes are watching the military and its frontman, National Assembly President Diosado Cabello.

Indeed, there is speculation that Cabello, a military veteran with Chavez of the abortive 1992 coup, is already the real power in Venezuela.

For the time being, the PSUV ... Read More

Last year, in the run-up to what would be Hugo Chávez’s final election, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter provided the ultimate cover for the late caudillo when he called the Venezuelan election process “the best in the world.”  Today, as the country roils in the aftermath of a contested election to elect Chávez’s successor, we now know that is not the case.

Who says? Carter’s own election-monitoring organization. Last week, an official at the Carter Center told the Washington Post, ”The concerns are not about the [voting] machines and whether they counted accurately. The questions are much more about who voted. Was there double voting? Was there impersonation of voters? And was there coerced voting?”

All good questions, ones which anyone should expect to be assessed before making pronouncements about any electoral process as the “best in the world.” This is no small matter, since the Carter Center, perhaps more than any other organization outside Venezuela, has repeatedly granted legitimacy to Hugo Chávez’s successive reelections, even as ... Read More

BY TAOS TURNER

BUENOS AIRES–Argentine President Cristina Kirchner vowed not to devalue the country’s currency for the remainder of her term because she said doing so would hurt most Argentines.

In a nationally televised speech, Mrs. Kirchner addressed widespread criticism of her economic policies and said that anyone who wants to see the currency devalued will have to wait until someone else becomes president.

“As long as I’m president, those who want to make money through devaluations, which other people have to pay for, will have to keep waiting for another government,” she said.

The comments came amid intense speculation that the government planned to announce some kind of new policy aimed at restoring confidence in the peso. In recent weeks, many Argentines have become increasingly desperate to ditch the peso and buy U.S. dollars. They are doing so to hedge against inflation, which economists say totals around 25% annually.

... Read More

BY NICK MIROFF & WILLIAM BOOTH

MEXICO CITY — It has been 75 years since President Lázaro Cárdenas seized the country’s foreign-dominated petroleum industry and placed every drop of oil under the everlasting domain of the Mexican people.

But while it once was a source of national pride, the state-run monopoly he created — known as Pemex — has become a dinosaur, sapped by debt, sagging output and dated technology. The Mexican government siphons off the company’s revenue to cover about one-third of the federal budget, leaving insufficient funds for what has become a critical task: finding more oil.

Mexico remains the third-largest source of foreign oil for the United States after Canada and Saudi Arabia. But the country’s easy-pump crude is quickly running dry, and the company lacks the technology and know-how to drill for the vast stores of tougher-to-reach deposits that are thought to exist beneath Mexico’s deserts and seas.

Fixing the company, ... Read More

BY SIMON ROMERO

MARECHAL RONDON BASE, Brazil — Maj. José Maria Ferreira smiled as he listed the threats to human survival in the canopied jungle enveloping this remote military outpost in the Brazilian Amazon.

He started with the piranhas, which lurk in rivers, and the pit vipers like the feared bushmaster, the Western Hemisphere’s longest venomous snake. Then he moved on to the silent creatures, including the formiga-cabo-verde, called the bullet ant in English and found in colonies at the base of trees. Its sting, according to victims, hurts about as much as being shot and lasts for a good 24 hours.

Widening his grin, Major Ferreira then described leishmaniasis, the flesh-eating disease caused by sand-fly bites, the mosquito-borne fevers like malaria and dengue and, finally, rhabdomyolysis, a condition brought on by extremely strenuous exercise. It leads to kidney damage and the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue; victims can identify its onset when their urine ... Read More

CARACAS, Venezuela — U.S. diplomats have been given no access to a California man held in Venezuela for nearly two weeks in what his family on Monday called a “nightmare” that unfolded after he was accused of being a spy fomenting postelection unrest.

The family of Timothy Tracy, 35, told The Associated Press in a statement that “we hope that he is granted consular access very soon.”

The U.S. State Department confirmed that diplomats have not been allowed to see Tracy, who is held by the Venezuelan intelligence service. It is standard practice for countries holding foreign citizens to allow diplomats to see them to confirm that they are being treated humanely, and help them negotiate the local court system.

Tracy’s family says he is a filmmaker who had been making a documentary about Venezuelan politics for six months. Tracy’s friends said he had been briefly detained by Venezuelan authorities twice before but ... Read More

BY HELEN MURPHY

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday refused to be drawn into a war of words between his predecessor – and harshest critic – and Venezuela’s new president, Nicholas Maduro.

Maduro, elected last month to replace the late Hugo Chavez, said on Friday he had evidence that Alvaro Uribe, president of Colombia from 2002 until mid 2010, was conspiring with the Venezuelan opposition to kill him.

Santos was reprimanded on social media and by another former president for not responding to Maduro’s explosive comments, which also included an allegation that Uribe could have been involved in the death of a Venezuelan journalist.

Santos said he would not comment publicly on the dispute – a veiled poke at Uribe, who has used his Twitter account to defend himself against Maduro’s attacks that he is a “Mafioso” and “murderer.”

“The dignity of former presidents is defended better – not with shouts or public insults ... Read More

BY GIRISH GUPTA

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s new president, Nicolás Maduro, echoes his former boss in a continued tough stance toward the “imperialist” United States. But he is not getting the same reception that Hugo Chávez did.

Maduro’s government recently arrested a U.S. filmmaker doing a documentary on the recent elections on charges of “spying” for the United States. On state television, he called President Obama the “chief of devils” for suggesting Venezuela’s elections may not have been fair.

Some Latin American neighbors are not playing along.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo called on the Union of South American Nations, of which his country is acting president, to issue a statement urging Maduro to exercise tolerance.

Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe says he is taking Maduro to the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights over “immature” accusations that Uribe plotted to assassinate Maduro.

“As the facts behind Nicolás Maduro’s fabricated electoral ‘victory’ on April 14 are disclosed, his ... Read More

BY ISABELA FRAGA

Already marked by polarization during the administration of Hugo Chávez, the media environment in Venezuela is now fueling political disputes following the troubled presidential election on April 14, between Chávez’s appointed successor, Nicolás Maduro, and opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.

BBC Mundo reporter Abraham Zamorano said opposing viewpoints of the election are seen in the broadcasts of Venezuelan Television (VTV) and the private networks. On public stations the opposition appears violent, while on channels like Globovisión–which has a notoriously bad relationship with the state–the government is portrayed manipulating votes and inciting violence.

In an April 25 report, for example, VTV announced, “Capriles’ attack on Venezuela’s democracy has become more violent,” referring to the defeated candidate’s comments to the Electoral Council. Four days later, Globovisión published an article from Deputy Nora Brancho, who said ”the illegitimate presidency of Nicolás Maduro calls democracy into question.”

In an attempt to understand the extreme media polarization in Venezuela, sociologist and media analyst Maryclean Stelling told Zamorano, ”It’s ... Read More

BY RAUL LOTITTO

CARACAS – With the death of Hugo Chávez, Chávismo has lost its supremacy in Venezuela. It does not matter that so-called Chávistas still control Venezuela’s parliament, 17 of 23 provincial governments, and all key state institutions, including the judiciary. Nor does it matter that Chávez’s handpicked successor, Nicolás Maduro, has already assumed the presidency. All of the signs point to the decline of Chávismo and to the end of Venezuela’s role as Latin America’s populist core.

Between last October’s presidential election and the one held last month, Chávismo lost almost 700,000 votes to Henrique Capriles’ Democratic Unity Roundtable – a shift that many, including Chávistas, attribute to “Maduro not being Chávez.” This was the first presidential election in Venezuela that resulted in an almost even split among voters (and the outcome itself remains hotly contested). If Venezuela continues along this path, Chávismo could not only lose its majority; it could collapse altogether.

... Read More

BY MICHAEL D. SHEAR & RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — In February 2009, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. declared that international drug trafficking posed “a sustained, serious threat” to Americans. Two months later, President Obama, in his first visit as president to Mexico, made it clear that no issue dominated relations between the two countries more, saying drug cartels there were “sowing chaos in our communities.”

Last week, Mr. Obama returned to capitals in Latin America with a vastly different message. Relationships with countries racked by drug violence and organized crime should focus more on economic development and less on the endless battles against drug traffickers and organized crime capos that have left few clear victors. The countries, Mexico in particular, need to set their own course on security, with the United States playing more of a backing role.

That approach runs the risk of being seen as kowtowing to governments more concerned ... Read More

US President Barack Obama vowed Friday to work with Central America to improve the drug fight as he met with regional leaders, conceding that US addiction was partly fueling violence roiling their nations.

Arriving in Costa Rica after visiting Mexico, Obama sought to turn the spotlight on trade ties but the drug war was at the center of his talks with the seven leaders of Central America, plus the Dominican Republic.

“The important thing that I have tried to emphasize throughout is that this is a common problem, this is one where we will only solve it when we are working together. It has adverse effects in all our countries,” he told a news conference alongside Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.

“But … I think its’ very important to make sure that our bilateral relationship and the United States relationship with the region as a whole is not solely defined by this problem, because when it is we’re missing all the ... Read More

BY COLLEEN MCCAIN NELSON

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—President Barack Obama said Saturday that he considers trade relationships with Central American countries and Mexico enormously important, telling Costa Ricans that the U.S. wants to be their partner.

The U.S. and Costa Rica both would benefit from broadening economic ties and collaborating on challenge as varied as improving education and developing renewable energy, Mr. Obama said at an economic forum. As he wrapped up a three-day trip to Costa Rica and Mexico, the president hit upon many of the same themes he emphasized in Mexico City, where he worked to push the conversation beyond drugs and security concerns.

“The U.S. recognizes our fates are tied up with your success,” Mr. Obama told a crowd of entrepreneurs and other leaders in San Jose. “If you are doing well, we will do better. And if we’re doing well, we think your situation improves.”

In Costa Rica and in Mexico, Mr. ... Read More

BY TIM ROGERS

MANAGUA, NICARAGUA

Latin America’s least popular president finally has something to cheer about. Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, whose approval ratings barely register in double digits, could receive an “Obama bounce” in the polls after the US president traveled to the capital city of San José and heralded her country as an exemplary leader for Central America.

In just his second visit to Central America and his first trip to Costa Rica, President Barack Obama this weekend called for new partnerships and increased integration with the region – especially in the areas of trade, innovation, and energy. Mr. Obama, who arrived in San José Friday afternoon to a rock star’s welcome of people lining the streets to cheer his motorcade, lauded Costa Rica for its historic commitments to democracy, peace, human rights, education and socio-economic development.

Costa Rican government officials and local pundits are proudly interpreting Obama’s visit as first-world recognition of their country’s new standing as an international ... Read More

BY KORI SCHULMAN

President Obama arrived in Costa Rica on Friday — his first visit to the country — and participated in a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with Costa Rican President Chincilla, as well as a working dinner. During the press conference, the President spoke about the friendship and economic ties between our two countries:

Costa Rica shows the benefits of trade that is free and fair. Over the last few years, under the Central America Free Trade Agreement, our trade with Costa Rica has doubled, creating more jobs for people in both of our countries. Our partnerships are creating more opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including young people and women. As I told President Chinchilla, the United States will continue to be your partner as Costa Rica modernizes its economy so that you’re attracting more investment and creating even more trade and more jobs.

President Obama today attended a forum on Inclusive ... Read More

Only the filthy water from broken sewer pipes keeps the dust down in front of Ramon Boet’s shop, which sells statues of saints and other religious objects.

In the distance, massive tankers pull up to a half-century-old refinery that processes much of the oil that earns Venezuela more than $100 billion a year.

“It doesn’t help us at all,” Boet, 58, says as a blackout snuffs the lights in his shop in this Caribbean coastal town. He closes before dusk. Too many robbers.

The oil flowing from the El Palito refinery sells for more than five times what it cost when President Hugo Chavez took office in 1999. Yet when Chavez died in March he left Venezuela’s cash cow, its state-run oil company, in such dire straits that analysts say $100-a-barrel oil may no longer be enough to keep the country afloat barring a complete overhaul of a deteriorating petroleum industry.

The situation is ... Read More

BY GEORGE H. WITTMAN

It was as close an election as one might expect in Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro, his predecessor’s hand-picked candidate, edged out the popular Henrique Capriles, definitely no friend of the late Simon Bolivar wannabe, Hugo Chavez. No one questioned the strong voter turnout that produced 14.9 million ballots cast, but the published mere 267,000 vote margin of victory by Maduro certainly has aroused passion — not that anyone is surprised at passion in Venezuelan politics.

The late Hugo Chavez would have loved the large international presss coverage, which included strong representation from all those countries around the world that have benefited economically and politically from the Chavez years. As one British wag put it, “I never knew so many Persians could speak Spanish.” The Caracas crowds entertained the visiting media with post-election protests by the Capriles stalwarts, who stormed through the main streets banging pots and shouting slogans. The Maduro ... Read More

The United States is watching “crackdowns on the opposition” in Venezuela, President Barack Obama said in a television interview aired on Friday when asked if he considered newly elected Nicolas Maduro to be the country’s legitimate president.

Maduro, elected in April by a narrow margin, earlier this year accused the United States of seeking to kill opposition leader Henrique Capriles to stir chaos and spark a coup. Maduro’s mentor and predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, was one of the world’s most vocal critics of the United States.

“I think that the entire hemisphere has been watching the violence, the protests, the crackdowns on the opposition,” Obama said in the interview with Univision News during a trip to Mexico. “I think our general view has been that it’s up to the people of Venezuela to choose their leaders in legitimate elections.”

Opposition-led protests the day after the April 14 vote turned violent and, according ... Read More

BY VINCENT BEVINS

After 2 1/2 years of renovations, Rio’s legendary Maracana soccer stadium reopened to much fanfare in late April. Brazilian legends including Ronaldo played in a test match before an audience composed mostly of the workers who rebuilt the 78,000-capacity temple to futebol that will be the flagship venue for next year’s World Cup.

The launch was deemed a success — and allowed officials to breathe a sigh of relief before they begin to worry again about Brazil’s preparations for two of the world’s biggest sporting events, the World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016.

In the last month, a worker died during construction of a stadium in Sao Paulo, and two other stadiums, including Maracana, missed a deadline set by the international soccer organization, FIFA, to be ready for June’s Confederations Cup tournament.

The problems have been exacerbated by security issues that came to the fore when an American tourist was ... Read More