Americas

Josefina Vasquez Mota faces an uphill climb against former Mexico State Gov. Enrique Pena Nieto, the front-runner in the polls who could return Mexico's PRI to power after a 12-year hiatus.

Josefina Mota vows to become Mexico's first female president

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/7/2012

Winning Mexico's National Action Party's (PAN) primary, Josefina Vazquez Mota vowed to unite a party battered by a bloody drug war. "I will be the first woman president of Mexico in history," the 51-year-old Mota told cheering supporters. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The conservative ...

On the issue of human rights in Cuba, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff avoided criticism, as some opposition sectors hoped she would do, and opted instead for a conceptual approach.

Brazil strengthens ties with Cuba with presidential visit

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/4/2012

Brazil's first female president, Dilma Rousseff' touched down in Haiti after visiting Cuba in an effort to strengthen ties with the two beleaguered Caribbean nations. Rousseff is committed to investing her nations with both nations and deepen political ties. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) ...

According to information from the Presidential Commission against Racism, 705 Guatemalan women lost their lives to gender-related violence in 2011, which is substantially higher than the 675 deaths the year before.

Social activists in Guatemala march against 'femicides'

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/1/2012

The Central American nation of Guatemala has been one of the hardest hit by a wave of "femicides" - murders committed against women for the sole reason that they are female. Guatemala is second only to Mexico in terms of murders committed against women. Right-wing retired general Otto P�rez ...

Eighty-year-old Raul Castro has led Cuba since his brother Fidel stepped aside during a 2006 health crisis.

Cuban President pledges to set term limits; even his own

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/30/2012

Cuban President Raul Castro reiterated his pledge to limit political terms in office to 10 years - including his own. Castro made the statement at the country's Communist Party ended its two-day national conference in Havana. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Castro said a constitutional ...

To address the youth, Cuba's leaders are allowing more economic reforms which means more wealth for the historically poor country.

Cuba's leaders make way for the youth

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/30/2012

The average monthly wage in Cuba is $20. The country's communist leadership is comprised almost exclusively of elderly men, many in their 80's. Against this backdrop, the government is trying to find a way to connect with the youthful population and ensure the long-term viability of the communist ...

The continued sexual abuse of minors in Haiti, in addition to other peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d'Ivoire has alarmed the United Nations.

U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti accused of sexual abuse

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/25/2012

U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti, trying to maintain control of an increasingly fractious nation after a devastating earthquake has been accused of sexual abuse there - for the third time in five years. Two cases of "sexual exploitation and abuse involving minors" reported have been traced to U.N. police ...

Many are skeptical about the claims of Guatemala's new president, retired general Otto P�rez Molina. Making campaign promises to deal with crime with a firm hand, or 'mano dura' is giving rise to hopes of a more civil society.

Many skeptical about Guatemala's new president

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/20/2012

Many are skeptical about the claims of Guatemala's new president, retired general Otto P�rez Molina. Making campaign promises to deal with crime with a firm hand, or "mano dura" is giving rise to hopes of a more civil society. Still, many question his appointments to various task forces. ...

Traveling over 700 miles across Canada, the project involves two separate Enbridge pipelines that would cross hundreds of rivers and streams, the Northern Rockie Mountains, the territory of over 50 First Nations communities.

Tar sands pipeline in British Columbia met with opposition

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/19/2012

A controversial pipeline transporting crude oil from the Alberta tar sands to tankers along the coast of British Columbia is being met with staunch opposition. Environmental groups, along with First Nations communities protest the project, which they say puts both the environment and their ...

Unemployment is highest among the most educated Mexican women, who faced with no work opportunities have to choose between migrating to the United States, joining the ranks of the underemployed or swelling the informal job market.

Job prospects just as low for Mexican women with diploma, degree

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/18/2012

Job prospects in Mexico remain bleak for young women, whose chances of finding a job are no better with a high school diploma or university degree. Chinese goods have begun flooding the country as a result of the implementation of a trade agreement that opens the door to imports from that ...

Of El Salvador's six million people, 36.5 percent live below the poverty line, with 11.2 percent living in extreme poverty.

Peace brings no prosperity to El Salvador

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/17/2012

The Central American nation of El Salvador remains mired in poverty. Rates of violence there remain high. It appears that peace did not bring prosperity here, as the country's academic and social leaders are proposing new accords to overcome the crisis. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - ...