6:52 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Cuba|Politics · Comments Off
26 Jun 2007
As if it’s a surprise to anyone, the CIA released records today that detail a Kennedy-era plot to kill Fidel Castro with the help of the mob:
Among the more famous misdeeds included a plot against Castro. In August 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach mobster Johnny Roselli and pass himself off as the representative of international corporations who wanted Castro killed. Roselli introduced Maheu to “Sam Gold” and “Joe,” who were actually 10-most wanted mobsters Momo Giancana, Al Capone‘s successor in Chicago, Illinois, and Santos Trafficant. The CIA gave them six poison pills, and they tried unsuccessfully for several months to have several people put them in the Cuban leader’s food.This particular plot was dropped after the failed CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, but other plots continued against Castro. Details of this plot first appeared in Jack Anderson’s newspaper column in 1971.
According to CNN, the records on the Castro are part of a collection of nearly 700 pages of internal records of CIA secrets which have never before been made public. Some other interesting tidbits include the organization’s spying on journalists and experimenting with LSD and other drugs “unwitting U.S. citizens”.
Via / CNN.com
1:52 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Fashion|Peru|Politics · 1 Comment
26 Jun 2007
Cameron Diaz is saying sorry today for a cultural faux pas related to her choice of purses. Last week she was photographed at Machu Pichu sporting a Maoist-themed bag which stirred up all kinds of emotions:
The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated “Shrek” films visited the Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru’s Andes on Friday carrying an olive green bag emblazoned with a red star and the words “Serve the People” printed in Chinese, perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong’s most famous political slogan.The bags are marketed as fashion accessories in some world capitals, but in Peru the slogan evokes memories of the Maoist Shining Path insurgency that fought the government in the 1980s and early 1990s in a bloody conflict that left nearly 70,000 people dead.
11:55 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Immigration|Washington DC · Comments Off
26 Jun 2007
In case you haven’t heard, today the U.S. Senate is set to vote on whether to revive the immigration reform debate. 60 votes are needed to resurrect the bill that Republican hardliners (or hardheads depending on your pov) are calling amnesty. As I’ve reported before, what’s been holding the bill back is a series of amendments presented from both sides of the aisle. One of the most controversial:
A bipartisan amendment by Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., that would change the bill’s new program for weeding out illegal employees from U.S. workplaces.
The amendment would free employers from a mandate to check the identities of all their employees and require them to verify only new workers and those the government has a reason to believe are illegal immigrants. It would allow employees to present any state-issued drivers license as proof of identity, rather than requiring the nationally standardized “REAL ID,” which some states have not adopted.
Via / Yahoo! News
9:55 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Latin America|Sports|Venezuela · Comments Off
26 Jun 2007
Today marks the beginning of the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for South America. Latinos are buzzing with excitement, making long lunch plans and coming home late to watch the action. The event is organized by CONMEBOL, South America’s football governing body. For the first time in the tournament’s history Venezuela is hosting the games between June 26 and July 15, 2007. The opening game today is Uruguay vs. Peru followed by Venezuela vs. Bolivia in San Cristobal. Because the tournament is being held in Venezuela, the U.S. State Department felt the need to warn travelers.
VivirLatino is a daily publication published by Mamita Mala Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse Latin@ diaspora.
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