Allies of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - including Brazil’s Dilma Roussef, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa and Cuba’s Raul Castro - were due in Caracas for his funeral on Friday. Chavez will be embalmed for permanent display at a military museum.
The "De Gaulle of Latin America" for some, a dictator for others - drop the name of Hugo Chavez and you’ve got an argument. François Picard’s panel looks at the Venezuelan president’s oil-fueled legacy... and the power vacuum that could follow.
The "De Gaulle of Latin America" for some, a dictator for others - drop the name of Hugo Chavez and you’ve got an argument. François Picard’s panel looks at the Venezuelan president’s oil-fueled legacy... and the power vacuum that could follow.
The Cuban government announced Tuesday that it will no longer require nationals from the island to apply for an exit visa, eliminating a time-consuming bureaucratic procedure that has impeded overseas travel for decades.
Pope Benedict XVI is visiting Cuba this week, after declaring that "communism no longer works in Cuba". And some young entrepreneurs in Havana might agree. The housing market is suddenly booming, while individuals are trying to set themselves up in business. This comes after reforms were implemented by President Raul Castro, which have boosted private enterprise.
Cuban President Raul Castro (pictured, left) on Friday announced plans to pardon over the next few days some 3,000 prisoners, including 86 foreigners from 25 countries, for "humanitarian reasons".
Brazil's police moves in to take back the favelas from the drug lords, two years ahead of the football World Cup. Also, Cuba overturns a 50-year ban on property sales - we look at the latest signs of reform under Raul Castro. Finally, with gaffes, scandals and roller-coaster approval ratings, the US Republican race is keeping us all entertained.
The leader of Cuba’s dissident group Ladies in White, Laura Pollan, died Friday aged 63. The Ladies in White group has been at the centre of efforts to promote change in Cuba after five decades of singe-party communist rule.
FRENCH PAPERS, Wed., 20/4/2011: Sarkozy’s slogan for his 2007 Presidential campaign was “Travailler plus pour gagner plus” or “Work more to earn more”. Increasing purchasing power was another promise. Now, Sarkozy is introducing measures that he hopes will make these electoral rally cries sound less hollow.
As Cuba marked the 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs victory on Friday, it was also opening the Communist Party's 6th Congress. It's the first time in 14 years that the event has been held and comes amid plans for reform by President Raul Castro. The Cuban government is making a major political shift in terms of its economic model and for many, the shake-up is not before time.
