Latin American Update

     The world is beginning to focus on Latin America: it's time for the World Cup Soccer extravaganza to begin in Brazil.   Normally, it's a time of friendly rivalry, intense competition, a swelling of national pride, and not a little wagering on the outcome of every contest.
    However, this year, Brazil has faced increased criticism for its games preparations.  Many of the venues are only just now available for teams to use.   Transportation networks and related systems are still in question in many areas.  But the most significant issues revolve around the Brazilian economy.
    Just a few years ago, Brazil was booming. President Lula was the darling of many economists and politicians, a rare combination.  When he stepped down and was replaced by Dilma Rousseff, things have not gone well.  The economy has stalled, inflation has increased(but not like Argentina), and job creation remains stagnant.   All these factors have contributed to unrest, especially in the large urban areas surrounding Rio Di Janeiro and Sao Paolo where poor sections of these cities have been the focus of riots and confrontations with police.
     Complaints against excessive government spending for the World Cup, along with graft and corruption have already tainted the world event.  This could also be a warm up for the Olympic Games of 2016.
     The whole world is now watching as the beginning rounds commence in 1 week.

Minister Returns
    Our Minister of Latin American Affairs has just returned from a last minute trip to Trinidad.  This trip popped up on his radar just after he graduated last week from George Washington.  His boss thought he needed some extra travel time, so off he went, back to Trinidad for a quick conference.
London is his next stop- the EU Security Conference for 2014. 
     The hot topic here will be : (pick one) a) defense spending among NATO member states; b) counter security moves to Russian moves in Ukraine and Crimea, c) requests for military assistance in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia d) Turkish unrest and Pres. Erdogan's future, e) war in Syria, f) Palestinian statehood and Hamas, f) Libya and future of democracy there, g) Germany and the rest of EU countries.
    He will be busy this summer.