Latin American

The new president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, says that the election of Pope Francis was arranged in Heaven by Hugo Chavez, who had passed away March 5th, just days before the conclave. Maduro asserted that Chavez, "… must've influenced [Christ] to convene a South American Pope. Some new hand arrived and Christ said, ‘Well, it is the time for South America.'" I don't pretend to know what is going on in heaven – or even if Chavez is there – but I have studied and taught about Latin America for years.

What emerged instantly from Sunday's Bach Sinfonia program of exuberant Latin American baroque music was the powerful urge to move. It was, after all, Cinco de Mayo, a time to kick up your heels and sing. Conductor Daniel Abraham led his chamber-size group of choristers, vocal soloists and instrumentalists through recently discovered and, as yet rarely heard, music from the New World of Central, Caribbean and South America. Until a few scholars discovered piles of forgotten musical manuscripts in old...

Through the remainder of the month, museums, galleries and film festivals are emphasizing Latin America. A photography show depicting Central American immigrants, a gallery talk on 20th-century Latin American art, an Argentine film and a tango gala are among the top events infusing a hint of Latin flavor into April's happenings. ‘Beyond the Labyrinth' Marysol Nieves, curator of the Mexican Cultural Institute's exhibition "Beyond the Labyrinth: Latin American Art and the FEMSA Collection," discusses how Latin American...

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — President Obama on Saturday completed a three-day visit to Mexico and Costa Rica and now returns to Washington with hopes of finishing what could become the biggest accomplishment of his second term: an overhaul of immigration laws. Obama has said repeatedly during his trip to Mexico City and San Jose that he strongly supports a bipartisan Senate bill that rewrites immigration laws, even if it does not precisely match his vision. The Senate Judiciary Committee is accepting...

SANTIAGO, Chile — A 60-nation summit wrapped up in Chile on Sunday with leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean renewing calls for giving investors "legal certainty" and dropping barriers to trade between economies that together represent a billion people and $280 billion in commerce. Chile's president, Sebastian Piñera, declared that much progress was made toward a new strategic alliance between continents. "I'm fully convinced that we've taken a huge step forward.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Can the Middle East learn from Latin America? On his tour of Central and South America, President Obama has repeatedly lauded many of the region's countries for shifting from dictatorships to democracies over the past two decades.  In a speech Monday, he invoked Chile's rise from the Pinochet era to a democracy. A day earlier, in Brazil, Obama said its transition could be a model for countries in the Middle East and North Africa where a historic wave of...

BATAN, Brazil — Priscila da Silva once asked her grandmother why she had 12 children, and the answer was simple: "Because I wanted to. " These days, Silva, like many women in Brazil and the rest of Latin America, has other plans. At 24, she thinks about having one child, if that. "The situation today is different, and raising a child is difficult," said Silva, slicing tomatoes at a restaurant that she founded with four other women, only one of whom has planned a family of any size.

VATICAN CITY — The man who will move into the 10-room papal residence inside the vaulted gates of the Holy See lives in a simple, austere apartment across from the Cathedral of Buenos Aires. In a city with a taste for luxury and status, he frequently prepares his own meals and abandoned the limousine of his high office to hop on "el micro" — Argentine slang for the bus. A staunch conservative and devout Jesuit in Latin America's most socially progressive nation, Cardinal Jorge...

Latin America is going Brazilian. Previously, it was only Brazil, the region's biggest economy, that complained about the competitive devaluations generated by money-printing in the west, the so-called currency wars. Now, however, as Japan joins the rush to print money and devalue, the more orthodox and free-trading Latin economies — investor darlings such as Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru — also fear catching a bullet. The issue may well dominate this week's Group of 20 meeting in Moscow, given that Asian...

The U.S. government is fighting an effort to allow Cuba to return to the Organization of American States after a 47-year suspension. But the resistance is putting it at odds with much of Latin America as the Obama administration is trying to improve relations in the hemisphere. Eliminating the Cold War-era ban would be largely symbolic, because Cuba has shown no sign of wanting to return to the OAS, the main forum for political cooperation in the hemisphere. But the debate shows...

The new president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, says that the election of Pope Francis was arranged in Heaven by Hugo Chavez, who had passed away March 5th, just days before the conclave. Maduro asserted that Chavez, "… must've influenced [Christ] to convene a South American Pope. Some new hand arrived and Christ said, ‘Well, it is the time for South America.'" I don't pretend to know what is going on in heaven – or even if Chavez is there – but I have studied and taught about Latin America for years.

In a country where one in 10 is a former Catholic, the election Wednesday of such an unprecedented pope pumped immediate energy into the American church. Most Catholics hadn't heard Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's name on any short-lists and knew little of him, but they got the symbolism right away. And loved it. First Latin American pope . First Jesuit, an order known for engaging the world , not blockading it. First pope to take the name...

VATICAN CITY — The man who will move into the 10-room papal residence inside the vaulted gates of the Holy See lives in a simple, austere apartment across from the Cathedral of Buenos Aires. In a city with a taste for luxury and status, he frequently prepares his own meals and abandoned the limousine of his high office to hop on "el micro" — Argentine slang for the bus. A staunch conservative and devout Jesuit in Latin America's most socially progressive nation,...

Hugo Chavez was a polarizing, outsized figure, and reaction to his death has been as sprawling and contradictory as his legacy is likely to be. His passing was tearfully mourned by the poor Venezuelans he provided with free housing and health care, and cheered in Miami by those he drove into exile. It was a preview, perhaps, of what Latin America and the world might say when Cuba's Fidel Castro , Chavez's political mentor and the man he once called "a father," eventually departs.

I was entertained by the Feb. 26 news article " U.S. to stop using term ‘Negro' in census surveys . " I think the Census Bureau should go further and drop the term "African American" in favor of "American of African descent. " Here's why: First, it is more accurate. "American of African descent" puts the focus on our American nationality, whereas "African American" implies two nationalities, a dualism and a naturalized citizenship. Those of us who are native-born "African Americans" have only one nationality.

Supernatural events figure occasionally in "La casa de los espiritus/ The House of the Spirits," Caridad Svich's play about four generations of a Latin American family coping with social and political turmoil. So it's apt enough that an elegant spookiness should surface, now and then, in GALA Hispanic Theatre's resonant production of the drama, which is based on the novel by Isabel Allende. Looping white words scroll across vertical surfaces, like lines of phantom handwriting. Anatomical drawings, architectural...

Classika Theatre always finds a lesson for its young audiences, and it's usually found layered in a colorful, entertaining tale. The message in its current production, "The Armadillo's Song," is a bit subtle for the kids it's aimed at, but it is certainly worth considering: You don't have to try to be like everyone else; look within yourself for what is special. "The Armadillo's Song" has been adapted by local writer and educator Elena Velasco, who directs her own work here, from Latin American folk tales.

National Hispanic Heritage Month provides a great opportunity to check out some bilingual events. Learn about Hispanic heritage, practice your Spanish and enjoy the entertainment! ★ What: Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day will include music, dancing, arts and crafts, and food! Kick off the month with this fun-filled festival. Where: National Museum of American History, 1300 Cons titution Avenue NW. When: September 15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. How much?

Latin America is going Brazilian. Previously, it was only Brazil, the region's biggest economy, that complained about the competitive devaluations generated by money-printing in the west, the so-called currency wars. Now, however, as Japan joins the rush to print money and devalue, the more orthodox and free-trading Latin economies — investor darlings such as Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru — also fear catching a bullet. The issue may well dominate this week's Group of 20 meeting in Moscow, given that Asian exporters such as...

A classical group on the edge of crossover, the five-member Imani Winds celebrated African American History Month on Sunday with a performance of singular individual artistry and cohesive ensemble at the National Academy of Sciences. Coming from African American and Latin American backgrounds, the New York-based group consists of flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon. Imani's programs largely veer away from the customary European classical and romantic wind...