Cuban President Raul Castro congratulated Nicolas Maduro today for his tight victory in the Venezuelan elections on Sunday. The election had great significance for Cuba, as Capriles had promised if elected to end the preferential oil shipments to the island.
Read MoreNicolas Maduro, the self proclaimed “son” of the late President Hugo Chavez, was elected on Sunday to govern Venezuela for the period 2013-2019. The victory, no matter how small, brought a sigh of relief in Cuba which stood to lose its source of fuel and main trade and cooperation partner if Capriles had won the election.
Read MoreThe National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela announced the end of voting at 6:00 p.m. (22:30 GMT) to choose the substitute of late President Hugo Chavez. The vice president of the CNE, Sandra Oblitas said that henceforth only the centers with voters in line will remain open.
Read MoreNearly 19 million eligible Venezuelans began voting Sunday morning in presidential elections to choose a successor to late president Hugo Chavez, who himself was elected in 1999 and held office until his death on March 5, reported dpa news. The elections hold extraordinary importance for Cuba and other Latin American countries.
Read MoreUS Federal Judge Joan Lenard has once again granted permission for paroled Cuban agent René Gonzalez to visit Cuba for two weeks, this time to attend a memorial service for his father who died on April 1st.
Read MoreThe elections have been marked by atypical events, starting with Chavez’s death and followed by the organization of polling in just over 30 days by the National Electoral Council (CNE), and the realization of “blitz campaigning” over a mere 10-day period.
Read MoreForeign ministers of South American countries affected by conflicts with transnational corporations will meet in Quito in late April. The meeting will be a “starting point” for bringing together countries affected by legal actions of tremendously powerful transnational companies.
Read MoreWith each considering themselves the winner, interim Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Henrique Capriles received endorsements in mass rallies today, the last day of campaigning before Sunday’s election, reported dpa news.
Read MoreUruguay’s Chamber of Deputies passed a new law on Wednesday night authorizing same-sex marriages. The initiative was considered a priority by the ruling Frente Amplio Party and was supported by 71 votes out of the 92 deputies present. The bill is now awaiting enactment by the nation’s executive office.
Read MoreFor the first time ever on Cuban television, the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the island’s agriculture was debated on Wednesday night. All the corn imported for human consumption on the island, as well as more than 80 percent of the soybean yield, is now transgenic.
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