Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may seek political asylum in Latin America should he and his family be forced to flee Damascus, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The head of state has come under intense international pressure to step down from power in the wake of the unrest that devolved into civil war and has so far claimed the lives of between 40,000 and 53,000 people according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In a regional tour conducted last week, Syrian Vice-Minister of the Exterior Faisal al-Miqdad delivered requests on behalf of al-Assad to Venezuelan, Cuban, and Ecuadorian authorities. The letters allegedly enquire into the possibility of asylum for al-Assad, his family, and a tightknit circle of advisors and collaborators.

Venezuelan authorities confirmed that President Hugo Chávez had received a letter from al-Assad before travelling to Cuba for continued cancer treatment. It is unknown, however, what the Venezuelan head of state’s response was.

Presidents Rafael Correa of Ecuador and Raúl Castro of Cuba have also failed to make public any response to the request.

General Secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, speaking today from Qatar, expressed his disapproval of the possibility of asylum for al-Assad, stating that it would not be a sufficient way of ending the conflict in Syria.

“Anyone who commits a grave violation of human rights should answer for it and be brought to justice. That is a fundamental principle”, he affirmed.

Violence in Syria has escalated in the last few days, causing the UN to withdraw its “non-essential” personnel and severely limit the movements of remaining personnel. Intermediary groups have so far been unable to put a stop to the conflict which began in March 2011 as an extension of the Arab Spring movement and has since exploded into outright civil war.

Al-Assad, of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, has been president of Syria since his father passed away in office, winning the 2000 and 2007 elections unopposed. He has so far defied international calls to relinquish power, though these latest requests for asylum could signify a growing acceptance of the need to step down.

Cuba has announced a change in their migration policy; citizens will no longer need to obtain exit permits to travel abroad. The only requirements for travel will be a passport and a visa of the destination country.

In the past, Cubans had to ask permission from the government in order to leave the country. Authorities have also extended the time Cubans can stay abroad to 24 months.

“Those exceeding this term must obtain a record of extension granted by a Cuban consulate in the destination country,” the resolution states.

Leaders, university professionals, doctors and high performance athletes that are vital to Cuba’s development will still need to get travel authorised by their superiors. This part of the preexisting law will stay in effect to prevent what Raúl Castro’s government called the “brain drain.”

According to the Cuban government, Cuba must “defend themselves” against this phenomenon by limiting migration.

“The persistence of policies favoring the brain drain are aimed to shed human resources necessary for economic, social and scientific development. Cuba is obligated to maintain measures to fight this front,” stated an editorial official for local newspaper Granma.

The newspaper said that Cuba seeks to “facilitate travel abroad by citizens with private affairs.”

The law will take affect on 14th January 2013.

Former Cuban president Fidel Castro is celebrating his 86th birthday today. The man who led Cuba through the country’s revolution and for nearly half a century afterwards will be celebrating out of the spotlight, although there are festivities planned around the Caribbean island state.

The capital, Havana, will see an exhibition of 13 images of Castro taken by photographers like Alberto Korda, which have been artistically modified by a group of local painters. Other provinces will see festivities such as fairs and book presentations, as the Sunday edition of many of the country’s newspapers ran with ‘Happy Birthday Fidel’ headlines.

After governing Cuba for nearly half a century, Fidel handed power to his brother, Raúl, in 2006, who formally assumed the presidency in 2007. Questions over the health of the ex-president remain, as Fidel has not been seen in public for months, and in June he stopped writing ‘Reflexiones’, a series of articles he started writing on an almost daily basis six years ago.

It’s Friday again!

And I have bad news for you: the Malvinas clusterfuck is back in full force!

Because now that the YPF expropriation bill has been passed, what other nationalist cause are we going to be distracted with? The 2014 World Cup is still more than two years away, so that’s a no.

So I guess there’s no choice but to dust off the Malvinas playbook and start yelling at British people again.

Here’s everything you need to know (but don’t want to know):

• 

  Wenlock and Mandeville, the terrifying mascots of the 2012 London Olympics. I don't condone violence but I must admit it will be funny to see an Argentine athlete kicking them in the crotch in order to make a point about Malvinas. Not because I care about the islands, but because they're just plain ugly. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  Since I’m sure you didn’t go to Velez for the Cristina-palooza last week, here’s the 40-minute speech she gave before thousands of flag-waving, ecstatic youngsters who attended the event to celebrate her existence. Since I’m willing to bet my life that you didn’t click on that link, let me tell you: she basically glorified young people as the future of the nation and told the crowds to remain “united and organized.” Also there was a lot of yelling, even though she was standing two centimeters away from the microphone. All in all, a positive experience for those who survived the yelling.

• Meanwhile this week, Cristina’s arch-nemesis and opposition leader City Mayor Mauricio Macri, was tweeting some photos about his session of calisthenics and something that looks like him awkwardly tango dancing with another guy. I tell ya, this guy is a workaholic.

• In what could be considered the most awkward exchange of passive-aggressive smiles and ice-cold stares since Alien Vs. Predator, newly appointed Argentine ambassador to the UK Alicia Castro put British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the hot seat as he launched the annual world review of human rights at a ceremony in London.  Sitting right in front of him on the first row as he took the podium, Castro once again repeated the local government’s mantra regarding the Malvinas/Falklands and asked him point blank (or “ambushed,” as The Telegraph put it) if he was ready to give peace a chance. Enjoy the video.

• The UK, of course, said it was “disappointed” at her behavior, but Castro is a maverick, she doesn’t give a fuck.

• Since this Wednesday marked the 30th. anniversary of the sinking of the General Belgrano cruiser during the Malvinas War, Cristina found yet another excuse to hold a ceremony related to the Malvinas. In a televised speech she gave from the Pink House she inaugurated the  brand new (*rolls eyes*) “Malvinas Argentinas Courtyard” and then she defended ambassador Castro’s actions, saying that “refusing to engage in dialogue is unsustainable,” a funny thing to say considering she refuses to talk to journalists since like, ever. She also criticized the permanent members of the  UN Security Council (i.e.: the US and the UK) saying that they always force other countries to follow UN resolutions but they themselves refuse to abide by them, which is actually kind of true.

• Sorry, we’re not done talking about Malvinas yet. But here, take a break from that subject and enjoy this awesome/terrifying video.

• Alright, I’m sure you feel refreshed now. And dirty. Let’s go back to Malvinas.

• The 2012 London Olympics are right around the corner, and God knows what kind of fuckery will transpire there between the Argentine and the British teams. But if what happened this week is any indication, we’re in for a fun winter of gold medals and diplomatic shenanigans that will certainly end once the Olympic torch goes out and David Cameron little-boys Buenos Aires.  Everyone in the UK and the Malvinas/Falklands was up in arms yesterday after a controversial TV spot aired in Argentina, depicting the Argentine national hockey team captain Fernando Zylberberg “training” on the islands. As if that weren’t insulting enough (for the British), the ad concludes with the phrase “To compete on British soil, we train on Argentine soil.” Oh, snap!

• Yellow press crusader The Sun, of course, took it one step further and ran this headline. Dramaqueenism at its best.

• And to add insult to injury, the ad was created by Young & Rubicam, an advertising agency that belongs to – you guessed it – a British company.  God, August cannot come fast enough. I’m gonna have so much to write about I may have to start doing a Daily News Roundup.

• In YPF news, I totally spoiled it at the beginning already but the
  

  Many criticized The Sun for printing such a disrespectful headline after the sinking of the General Belgrano. But many more failed to realize that even more disrespectful is that The Sun is all about girls showing their tits. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  expropriation bill has been passed, which means that Argentina now owns 51 percent of the oil company. Yay!

• Also this week, two romantic revolutionaires decided that a good way to make a point about something was to set off a bomb outside the European Union‘s offices in Recoleta. God bless these people, and their fight for peace by blowing stuff up.

• Another tourist allegedly raped in Salta. The suspect has already turned himself in, assuring that he was in a relationship with the victim, a 21-year-old Swiss woman who was doing volunteer work there. I have no idea what the hell is going on there, but stay away.

• Also in Salta this week, since such attacks pose a PR nightmare to the tourism industry there, the media (that’s us!) found a way to distract the population with a most sensationalist story that was covered by every network in the country: the tragic, heartbreaking story of an 8-year-old girl that was seen driving around in a car.

• No, really. That happened. And boy, people were outraged. I mean, look at that video! The low quality! The shaky camera! The epic soundtrack! Rape? What rape?

• Now onto the football part, which always comes last because it is obviously the least important one: Congratulations football megastar Lionel Messi! Not only you’re going to be a father soon, but this week you broke yet another record! After scoring his 68th. goal this season, Messi broke the record for goals scored in a European club season, previously held by some German guy called Gerd Müller. I have no idea what any of this means, all I know is that I get more internet hits thanks to it.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is undergoing surgery for cancer in Havana today. Cuban doctors will operate on a lesion in the pelvic region, the same area that the president was treated for cancer last year.

In typical Chavez fashion, the treatment has been surrounded by rumours, with the details of his cancer notoriously being kept secret. It was confirmed on Wednesday that the president would travel for an operation.

In a nationally televised address, Chavez called the relapse a “terrible ambush”, but was adamant that this would not affect his standing for office in October.

“On the contrary, this setback that we have to face collectively should further strengthen … the revolutionary Bolivarian ideology,” he said.

In June 2011, the self-proclaimed leader of the Bolivarian revolution underwent surgery in Cuba twice for cancer. The two left-wing countries have enjoyed a special relationship ever since Chavez came to power in 1999. Under the Venezuelan government programme, Mission Barrio Adentro, Cuban doctors provide free healthcare in Venezuela, in exchange for cheaper oil.

Despite the illness, Chavez, 57, will stand for re-election in October after governing the country for 11 years. He has continuously faced criticism for his method of rule and authoritarian tendencies. His opposition is Henrique Capriles, a former state governor, who after wining primaries in early February, is backed by a coalition of opposition parties.

Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro, opened a Twitter account for the first time Tuesday and immediately found herself in a debate over the freedom of speech.

Yoani Sánchez, frequent blogger and well-known critic of the Cuban government, questioned Castro’s seemingly liberal position on some issues and compared it to her supposed intolerance of other issues.

Castro, known for her promotion of gay rights, was attacked by Sánchez after her first post on Twitter. Sánchez asked Castro how she could ask that people be tolerant of some things and not others. “Tolerance is everything or not at all”, said Sánchez.

The implication of the accusation was that it is contradictory for a government to censure public opinion and at the same time ask them to support human rights.

According to official statistics, only 3% of Cubans have access to the Internet.

Sánchez, who uses her blog called “Generation Y” to voice her dissident opinions, addressed Castro in a post by saying, “Welcome to Twitter pluralism. Here no one can shut me up or deny me the right to travel.”

Castro responded by saying that Sánchez’s focus on tolerance was reminiscent of old powers in the country. “You need to study more,”she said.

Cuba, a country where political opposition is prohibited and the media is controlled by the government, only allows the public access to the Internet with government permission.

New regulations will allow farmers to rent more land from the government in an attempt to increase food production in Cuba. “Those persons or lease holders that have really shown they can produce, will be able to increase their land,” said top agricultural official, William Hernandez Morales.

Currently, farmers are allowed to lease 13 hectares. With the new legislation, this amount will be increased 67 hectares.

The state owns 70% of the arable land in Cuba, and private farmers own the other 30 %. Private farmers produce 57% of the food in the country.

Since taking over in 2008, president Raul Castro has tried to increase food production by turning over 1.6 million hectares of land to farmers.

The Cuban government has also recently allowed foreign investment in the country. “The assimilation of foreign investment guarantees access to markets for Cuban goods and services,” said Foreign Trade and Investment minister Rodrigo Malmierca.

Leader of the Cuban opposition group Ladies in White, Laura Pollan, died yesterday at age 63, after complications from a respiratory virus and dengue fever.

The group was founded in 2003 in an effort to free political prisoners. Pollan’s crusade began after her own husband, Hector Maseda, was one of 75 men jailed for accusations of receiving money from foreign countries to fund counterrevolutionary activities.

Some prisoners, which included activists, social commentators and opposition leaders, received sentences for as long as 28 years.

The European Union responded by freezing relations with Cuba for over a year. In 2005, European Parliament honored Ladies in White with the Sakharov prize, a prestigious human rights award, although the Cuban government refused to allow Pollan to travel to Europe to accept the award.

The organization called themselves Ladies in White because of the white attire they wore and the gladiolas they carried every Sunday in Havana during marches against the government. The group started with a dozen women and grew to about 30 members.

The Cuban government eventually freed all 75 men. The last two were freed 21 March, 2011, the same day Castro announced his retirement as Head of the Communist Party.

The revolutionary leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, declared that the international community’s first priority should be to avoid nuclear war. He indicated that President Barack Obama can help prevent conflict.

Castro mentioned in an interview with Venezuelan journalists that a nuclear war may be inevitable if the United States attacks Iran for its development of nuclear technology. He called on the international community to promote peace throughout the globe and encouraged that if many nations express this desire, it will keep Obama from “pulling the trigger.”

The Cuban leader considered that Obama is “not an assassin, nor ignorant nor stupid, and he does not need to use a military for power, because the power is in the plam of his hand.” He also said that the President has an “amazing culture and he’s an excellent orator” and has an ample approval rating in his country.  In his opinion, Obama should make a decision that will avoid nuclear war.

He also expressed his discontent with the United States’ prohibition of nuclear development when “they produce all they want and without limits.” The United States and Israel have both chastised Iran for its nuclear development.

Meanwhile, both countries are the largest producers of nuclear weapons in the world.

Story courtesy of Agencia Pulsar, a news agency run by AMARC-ALC network of community radios

Cuba’s revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, questioned the double morale of the United States of America in relation to its nuclear arms policy.  He also warned against the imminent risk of such a war in the Middle East.

Castro spoke before intellectuals and artists who had joined together to mark the celebration of National Rebellion Day in Cuba.  During his speech, he maintained that a war with Iran is the most serious political conflict facing the Obama administration and in such respect, he questioned the double moral of the United States in relation to its nuclear arms policy.

He declared that the United States has banned Iran from conducting nuclear arms research, while protecting countries like Israel who in fact have nuclear arms capabilities. He also questioned the United State’s military occupation of Latin America, saying such occupation demonstrates “irresponsibility on the part of an imperialist who can;t control his actions.”

Castro also attacked the United States for its staunch front against narcotics trafficking, even though he claims they are responsible for creating the market and promoting the movement of drugs. He reaffirmed that the United States is the largest producer of narcotics, second only to Colombia’s production of cocaine.  Finally, he chastised the United States for the recent oil spill that has damaged the Gulf of Mexico: he claimed that in order to find more crude, Obama authorized BP to drill another 8,000 miles of ocean floor.

Story courtesy of Agencia Pulsar, a news agency run by AMARC-ALC network of community radios