Rising Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Sentiment in Latin America | DW News

Nov 3, 2023 | Anger over the Israeli offensive in Gaza has led to a spike in antisemitic attacks around the world. In the wake of the Hamas terror attack, already traumatized Jewish communities have had to grapple with hate speech, and verbal and physical abuse. Jews in many countries say they feel unsafe and like they are being held responsible for decisions and actions of the Israeli government. That's the case too in Argentina, which has the largest Jewish community in South America.

Heat Wave Grips Portions of South America in the Middle of Winter

THE NEW YORK TIMES: An unusual winter heat wave has brought record high temperatures to cities across Argentina, Chile and Paraguay this week, triggering concerns about the impacts of climate change.

Residents of Buenos Aires were wearing shorts and fanning themselves as they struggled to cope with unusual heat on Tuesday. By Thursday, they were back in the jackets and scarves that they would normally wear at this time of the year.

The sudden change in wardrobe was the result of a heat wave gripping portions of South America, including Argentina, Chile and Paraguay, that are supposed to be experiencing winter.

Argentina’s capital city broke an 81-year-old daily temperature record on Tuesday, when the high reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit (or 30 degrees Celsius), according to the national weather service. Normally, highs in Buenos Aires this time of year are in the 60s.

“Climate change is not a distant scenario,” the service said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “It is here, and it is urgent to act.”

This week’s heat wave in South America is part of a recent trend of abnormally high temperatures in the middle of the continent’s winter and also comes as countries in the Northern Hemisphere have faced record heat this summer. » | Jesus Jiménez and Natalie Alcoba (Natalie Alcoba reported from Buenos Aires.) | Thursday, August 3, 2023

Habemus Papam: Pope Francis I
New Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Aged 76. Home: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Career: Academic. Outlook: Moderate. He Will Be Known As Pope Francis I

The archbishop of Buenos Aires is a Jesuit intellectual who travels by bus and has a practical approach to poverty: when he was appointed a cardinal, Bergoglio persuaded hundreds of Argentinians not to fly to Rome to celebrate with him but instead to give the money they would have spent on plane tickets to the poor. He was a fierce opponent of Argentinas decision to legalise gay marriage in 2010, arguing children need to have the right to be raised and educated by a father and a mother. He was created a cardinal by John Paul II on 21 February 2001.

He believes in contraception to prevent the spread of disease, is open to dialogue with other faiths, and is not facing questions over any abuse scandals. Nor is he facing questions over the handling of the Vatileaks scandal. He would make reforming the curia a priority. [Source: The Guardian]

South America Gangs Up on Britain over Falklands

DAILY EXPRESS: DAVID Cameron was accused of “arrogance” over the Falkland Islands yesterday as a group of South American countries sided with Argentina over the dispute.

Foreign ministers from economic powers in the region made a joint declaration criticising Britain – and in particular the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Members of Unasur, the South American equivalent of the EU, called on the UK to negotiate over the islands.

The organisation – whose 12 members include Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay – urged Britain “to restart negotiations as soon as possible with a view to ending the dispute”.

Referring to the islands by their Spanish name, it added: “The British military presence in the Malvinas is contrary to regional policy which supports the search for a peaceful solution in the dispute over sovereignty.

“We reject the development of unilateral activities by Great Britain in the disputed area, which include exploration and exploitation of natural resources as well as military exercises.” » | David Pilditch | Monday, March 19, 2012

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Falkland Islands Newspaper Calls Cristina Fernández de Kirchner a Bitch
THE GUARDIAN: Thousands of complaints after insult that followed Fernández accusing Britain of militarising south Atlantic islands

The Falkland Islands newspaper the Penguin News has triggered uproar on Argentinian social networks by calling President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner a bitch.

The newspaper's website uploaded a photo of Fernández briefly using the insult as a file name on Wednesday, a day after she accused Britain of militarising the south Atlantic islands.

The word triggered an immediate avalanche of complaints and abuse from Argentinians, reflecting heightened sensitivity towards the archipelago in the runup [sic] to the 30th anniversary of the war with Britain.

The Buenos Aires daily La Nacion said the word, "perra" in Spanish, was a strong "anglo-saxon [sic] term ... signifying disrespect". Within hours more than 2,000 readers responded with comments, many vitriolic.

The Penguin News, which is printed weekly and online updated daily, usually has a tiny readership – the islands have a population of 3,000 – but the escalating diplomatic row between London and Buenos Aires has in recent weeks attracted many readers in Argentina, which calls the islands Las Malvinas and asserts ownership. » | Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent, and Uki Goni in Buenos Aires | Wednesday, February 08, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron: we will defend the Falklands properly – Argentina should be in no doubt that Britain will ''defend the Falkland Islands properly'' against any threat to its inhabitants' right to self-determination, Prime Minister David Cameron said today. ¶ Mr Cameron was speaking after Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said she would make a formal complaint to the United Nations over the disputed archipelago. ¶ Buenos Aires has revived its long-standing claim to sovereignty over the islands, which Argentina knows as Las Malvinas, as the 30th anniversary of the 1982 war between the countries approaches. ¶ Speaking during a visit to Sweden, Mr Cameron said he had no doubt that the UN would back the islands' status as a self-governing British overseas territory. » | Thursday, February 09, 2012

Giant Statue of Jesus Christ Opened in Peru

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of the world's tallest statues of Jesus Christ has been inaugurated in Peru despite high level opposition and Facebook campaigns mocking it.

President Alan Garcia formally opened the monument, known as Cristo del Pacifico or Christ of the Pacific, on a hill in the capital Lima.

He personally helped fund the cost of the statue to the tune of around 100,000 Peruvian soles (£22,000) and has said it will "bless and protect Lima".

But he has faced strong criticism from several quarters, with many seeing it as a vanity project he chose to pursue before leaving office at the end of July.

Susana Villaran, the Mayor of Lima, condemned the lack of consultation over the statue and labelled it "a plastic copy of the Christ of Corcovado" in Rio de Janeiro. » | Robin Yapp | Sao Paulo | Thursday, June 30, 2011

Britain Can Do 'Nothing' to Prevent Argentina Retaking Falkland Islands

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The head of the Naval task force in the Falklands War has warned that defence cuts mean Britain can now do "precisely nothing" to prevent Argentina retaking the islands.

Admiral Sir John "Sandy" Woodward also said that America now had little interest in supporting Britain in any conflict as a stable Argentina was more important to the State Department.

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, Adml Woodward said Washington was pushing for negotiations over sovereignty and "significantly the islands are already being called the Malvinas by the US".

With the end of the Cold War and emergence of Asian powers Nato and Britain were not as important to Washington which in 1982 played a significant part in providing satellite intelligence and missiles to British forces.

"We can no longer rely on the Pentagon to support us in helping the islanders in their wish to remain essentially British sovereign territory," he wrote.

If as is likely significant oil reserves are found around the islands then pressure from Argentina will be immense to share in the riches. » | Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent | Sunday, June 12, 2011

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The plague outbreak is close to Chicama beach, a popular draw for tourists to Peru. Photo: The Telegraph
Peru Suffers Deadly Outbreak of Bubonic and Pneumonic Plague
THE TELEGRAPH: An outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plague in Peru has killed a 14-year-old boy and infected at least 31 people in a northern coastal province.

Oscar Ugarte, the health minister, said authorities were screening sugar and fish meal exports from Ascope province, located about 325 miles north-west of Lima.

Chicama beach, a popular draw for tourists to Peru, is not far away.

Mr Ugarte said the boy, who had Down syndrome, died of bubonic plague on July 26.

He said on Monday that most of the infections were bubonic plague, with four cases of pneumonic plague. >>> | Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Coca Colla: The New 'Real Thing' in Bolivia
THE GUARDIAN: Bolivian president approves Coca-based dark soft drink / Coca-Cola company yet to comment on red-labelled beverage

Coca Colla being distributed in La Paz this week. The drink is named after the Bolivian Colla people. Photograph: The Guardian
A certain US soft drinks giant may disagree, but Bolivia has come up with a fizzy beverage it says is the real thing: Coca Colla.

The drink, made from the coca leaf and named after the indigenous Colla people from Bolivia's highlands, went on sale this week across the South American country.

It is black, sweet and comes in a bottle with a red label – but similarities to Coca-Cola end there. One is a symbol of US-led globalisation and corporate might; the other could be considered a socialist-tinged affront to western imperialism.

The first batch of 12,000 bottles, priced about $1.50 (96p) for half a litre, were distributed in the capital, La Paz, as well as Santa Cruz and Cochabamba.

The familiar-sounding name and packaging may rile the Atlanta-based soft drinks manufacturer, but Coca Colla could also cause groans in Washington.

It is made from the coca leaf, a mild stimulant that wards off fatigue and hunger, and has been used in the Andes for thousands of years in cooking, medicine and religious rites.

Coca is also the raw ingredient of cocaine, the powerful narcotic that is the primary target of the US-led "war on drugs".

Bolivia tried to wipe out the leaf at Washington's behest. But that was before Evo Morales, an Aymara Indian and coca grower, was elected president, championing coca as a crop with legitimate uses. >>> Rory Carroll | Wednesday, April 14, 2010

What Lurks Behind Iran's Close Relationship with Venezuela?
[T]he Iranian effort, which has been joined by Venezuela in a joint effort to establish a strong terror base in the region, is especially palpable in countries ruled by anti-American left wing regimes such as Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Bolivia.

Nonetheless, Iran has also increased its presence in Mexico and Colombia, which are considered more U.S. friendly. The rate of the increase of Iranian personnel in Mexican and Colombian embassies were described by the New York sources as "astronomical" and as "not proportional with the embassies' local requirements." Some believe that this increase is in fact in preparation for subversive activity.

In an exclusive report on the Iran-Venezuela cooperation, published by news Website Newsmax, a study conducted by Israel's Foreign Ministry is quoted as saying that 30 Iranian diplomats were dispatched to Nicaragua. A similar number was dispatched to Venezuela and other Latin American countries. >>> Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent | Thursday, January 1, 2009

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