Latin America Roundup -- April 25

Guatemala accused in CAFTA labor complaint

Guatemalan and U.S. labor groups filed a complaint Wednesday with the U.S. Department of Labor alleging that Guatemala had failed to uphold its own labor laws as required under the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The complaint alleges that, despite provisions in the pact requiring workers' rights to be protected, Guatemalan trade unionists have been threatened, fired and even assassinated -- including a union official who was shot dead in front of his young children last year, Marla Dickerson writes.

Photo: Farm workers march in Guatemala City last week. Rodrigo Abd / Associated Press

Hopes of finding ballooning Brazilian priest fade

Rescue workers were losing hope Thursday of finding a priest who disappeared off the southern coast of Brazil after drifting out to sea four days ago suspended from hundreds of helium-filled party balloons. Father Adelir Antonio de Carli went missing Sunday night after he called friends from his mobile phone to say his contraption made of some thousand balloons would soon crash into the Atlantic Ocean. Here's the story.

Hundreds riot at L.A. detention center for illegal immigrants

L.A. County sheriff's officials are looking into a gang-related "melee" that broke out Tuesday at the Lancaster Mira Loma Detention Center. Two detainees were badly injured, Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Anna Gorman write. The riot involved hundreds of immigration detainees at a county-run facility that houses more than 900 people in Lancaster. Guards had to use tear gas grenades to restore order, authorities said Thursday.

Illegal immigration issues roil Iowa town

Marshalltown, where a quarter of residents are Latino, is seeing rising anti-immigrant sentiments, especially after a deadly car crash involving a woman in the country illegally, P.J. Huffstutter writes.

"Every day, I struggle not to be angry," says Ramona Kilborn, 59, who suffered a broken rib and other injuries in the accident. "All I can think is that my mother would likely still be alive if the immigration laws would have been enforced."

Photo: Ramona Kilborn and husband Merrell were injured and her mother was killed in the accident. Matthew Putney / For The Times.

Blood Weed

Would softening drug laws alleviate or worsen drug violence in the U.S. and Mexico? Charles "Cully" Stimson and Jacob Sullum debate.

Charles "Cully" Stimson argues that legalizing all drugs would not "alleviate" drug violence. But it may change the nature of the violence -- likely for the worse. Jacob Sullum, on the other hand, argues that violent disputes simply aren’t common in industries that sell legal substances such as alcohol.

Want to have your say? Click here.

Guillermo del Toro to direct 'The Hobbit' and sequel

It's been rumored for ages, but now it's official. Peter Jackson and the production team behind "The Lord of the Rings" legacy have tapped Mexican director Guillermo del Toro to direct "The Hobbit" and its sequel, "The Hobbit 2." Deborah Netburn reports.

Photo: Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro.

Sports

Pachuca nears another CONCACAF Champions Cup

The Mexican team gets a tie in Costa Rica against Saprissa and needs only a win at home next week to advance to the FIFA World Club Cup. Pachuca of Mexico is one victory shy of successfully defending the CONCACAF Champions Cup it won last year and thereby making a return trip to the FIFA World Club Cup in Japan in December, Grahame L. Jones writes.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Comments

[Garry barnes]

Hopefully in the next couple month e-verify will be expanding and become permanate . Maybe in a couple years all employers will be required to use e-verify for verfiication of all employees. Employers need to be held accountable for fraudulent Social security numbers that illegal immigrates continually use to obtain credit and employment. What is sad , is that law abiding citzens credit is being ruin by illegal people continually using their social security numbers .While your Congressman and your Senators look the other way. Please contact your public representive and express your veiw on this subject.

[Buzzm1]

It only takes one citizen from Iowa to compile all of the email addresses of the Iowa Represntatives, and Senators, and continually publish it at every opportunity to bombard jack*sses like Christopher Rants in the Iowa Legislature, and make things happen.

E-mail: Christopher.Rants@legis.state.ia.us

Iowa State Senators
http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/legislators.do?ch=s

Iowa State Repreentatives
http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/legislators.do?ch=h

Illegal Immigration breaks backs of taxpaying U.S. citizens

Are you having a hard time paying your bills, making your mortgage payments or putting your kids through college? You need to know how much of your hard-earned income the government is skimming off and diverting into handouts to immigrants and illegal immigrants.

You can read the depressing details in the new 70-page document called "The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration" by Edwin S. Rubenstein. A Manhattan Institute adjunct fellow with a mile-long scholarly resume, he has been doing financial analysis ever since he directed the studies of government waste for the Grace Commission of 1984.

http://www.esrresearch.com/Rubensteinreport.pdf

The bottom line, which you need to know for your own bottom line, is that U.S. taxpayers are giving more than $9,000 a year in cash or benefits to each immigrant, a third of whom are in the country illegally. That's $36,000 for each immigrant household of four.

Because the U.S. has 37 million immigrants, legal and illegal, the national cost was more than $346 billion last year, which was twice our fiscal deficit. The cost of immigrants is so high because, as Rubenstein writes, "Immigrants are poorer, pay less tax and are more likely to receive public benefits than natives."

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=61861

[Cynthia Grace]

He had to wait 45 minutes, answer some questions and show his ID? Sounds like a trip to the airport.

More importantly, he was on his employer's clock. The 45 minutes belonged to the boss. I don't think anybody should be compensated for a minor inconvenience but nobody lost any time here except the employer.

[Redbird]

This is a very sad story that could have been prevented had the USA enforced immigration laws that are currently on record. And if this immigrant had previous brushes with the law, why was she still on the streets? Two wrongs don't make a right. I'm sorry that innocent Latino Americans get caught up in this. But the sooner the problem of illegial immigration is taken care of the safer Americans will be, whatever their race.

[Richard Warren]

Oh please, this story has been running for months here in Iowa. It's as if no other person other rhan an illegal alien could have caused this accident. How about all the legal citizens that drive intoxicated using a cellphone not paying attention.

Do I feel sorry for these folks and their loss? Yes.

"All I can think is that my mother would likely still be alive if the immigration laws would have been enforced."

Fact is---it could just as well been a Dr. an Attorney, politician, clergy who was white.

Give us all a break.

[tmeculadoglvr]

I was born in Iowa, but in 1958 my family moved to California for "a better life." While needless deaths caused by people who are here illegally are increasing in Iowa, they are a common occurance here in California. How many victims will it take before American citizens put a stop to it? Will it take the death of someone close to you before you wake up? It may be too late if we wait that long. Speak up! Organize! Save our country before it is too late.

[Juan Manos]

L.A. civil rights attorney files claims over federal immigration raid. The article fails to mention what Mr. Mike Whitehead and Ms. Clare Cox would have felt was a more "diplomatic" or "dignified" approach. Since when is a crime scene dignified? True they are innocent - but their anger and frustration should lie with those who were working their illegally along side of them and the employers that hired the undocumented workers.

What lawyer is going to fight for damages owed to the American people for all of the lost tax-dollars that go to support, educate and police these undocumented workers? Perhaps, good and hard-working people, but criminals none the less.

Californians need to wake up and take a stance. Employers need to declare their I-9 Compliance and Consumers must stop supporting those business that hire undocumented workers. Take a stance. I have found a way to – LegalEmployer.com.

I am originally from Mexico City and my wife and I came to the U.S. through legal channels. While I call for immigration reform, I do not think people from any country can come to this country and feel they can break the laws that are in place. It is wrong and we must take a stance.