Jorge Bergoglio was head of the Jesuit order in the 1970s when the church backed military government and called for patriotismDespite the joyful celebrations outside the Municipal Cathedral in Buenos Aires yesterday, the news of Latin America's first pope was clouded by lingering concerns about the role of the church - and its new head - during ( Read more... )

The people of the Falkland Islands have voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory ( Read more... )

And We were This Close of Starting Operation Condor, Part II: Mooslim Edition Open Society: Freedom Watch.

¡Yanqui, No!: Why Latin America Didn't Join Washington's Counterterrorism Posse
Only one region on earth avoided participating in our post-9/11 torture system all-together.

The map tells the story. To illustrate a damning new report, " ( Read more... )

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Transsexuals lined up Monday to be the first to take advantage of Argentina's groundbreaking gender-identity law, which enables people to change their names and sexes on official documents without first getting approval from a judge or doctor.No other country in the world allows people to change their official identities ( Read more... )

By Hugh Bronstein ( Read more... )

A series of social laws was passed yesterday in the Lower House, achieving preliminary approval before continuing on the Upper House in Congress.

The gender identity bill was partially approved by the majority after five hours of debate. This law allows citizens to change their name and sexual identity without court permission. The president of the ( Read more... )

Former Argentine naval officer Alfredo Astiz has been jailed for life for crimes against humanity during military rule in 1976-83 ( Read more... )

Argentina holds a presidential election on 23 October, with the incumbent, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner bidding for a second four-year term.

Opinion polls suggest she will win, but she will need a strong mandate if her party wants to change the constitution, as the opposition suspects.

How is the current president scoring?When Ms Fernandez was ( Read more... )

Role reversal: Latin America taunts U.S. on debt woes


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One of Latin America’s most admired folk singers, Facundo Cabral, was gunned down in Guatemala on Saturday. As a protest singer, he had become UNESCO’s “international messenger of peace” in 1996.


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