News from Latin America this week comes from Paraguay, El Salvador and Mexico. All countries have made top news in topics ranging from the environment to the replaced of a Paraguayan bishop in the Catholic Church. In Paraguay, Bishop Monsignor Rogelio Livieres Plano of Cuidad del Este was replaced by Pope Francis after he was involved in a cover up of a sex abuse scandal. In years past the Vatican has been dogged by allegations of sex abuse and accused of covering up& hampering investigations. However, since his arrival in the Vatican Pope Francis has taken a zero tolerance policy on sex abuse. This was his second disciplinary action against clerical sex abuse this week. El Salvador has made news as the country struggles to cope with social issues arising from their total ban on abortions. Currently, abortion is totally illegal in the country and can be punishable from 2 to 50 years in prison. This week the human rights group Amnesty International deemed the El Salvadoran law as lethal forcing women “into unsafe, clandestine abortions or forcing them to undergo dangerous pregnancies.” In Mexico, the violence stemming from the war on drugs and drug cartel activity has claimed the life of a senior politician. Congressman Gabriel Gómez Michel and an aide were kidnapped on Monday and their charred remains were found the following day. It is believed that the Jalisco New Generation cartel is behind the attack. “The cartel is a relatively new gang that security experts say has made large inroads in territory controlled by more established groups.” Since 2006, nearly 90,000 people have been killed in drug related violence.
BBC
Paraguay bishop Livieres sacked over ‘abuse cover-up’
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29363397
El Salvador’s total abortion ban lethal, says Amnesty
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-29363395
New York Times
Mexican Congressman Was Likely Executed by Drug Cartel, Prosecutor Says
By Reuters
Telemundo
El papa destituye a obispo en Paraguay
Por Nicole Winfield
http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/informacion_y_noticias/Noticias_Telemundo/articles
latinamericanstudiesblog 