The world at a glance . . . Americas

Havana

Rock on: Colombian rock star Juanes drew a crowd of more than 1 million people to an open-air Havana concert this week, in what may be the largest gathering for a cultural event in Cuban history. The concert, which was aired live in Miami, sparked virulent protests from some in that city’s Cuban exile community, who said that by playing in Havana, Juanes was bolstering the Castro regime. Others, though, said the event was the kind of cultural exchange that could give Cubans a taste of freedom. Juanes himself offered something for everyone: At the end of his set, he shouted, “Cuba libre! Cuba libre!” The “free Cuba” chant could be taken as a call to keep Cuba free from U.S. imperialism, or as a call for freedom from communist oppression.

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

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Ousted president returns: Honduras’ political crisis reignited this week when deposed President Manuel Zelaya sneaked back into the country and holed up at the Brazilian Embassy. The government immediately ordered a shutdown of the capital, closing the airports and blocking highways to prevent Zelaya supporters from converging on Tegucigalpa. But thousands of supporters thronged the embassy anyway, and police dispersed them with tear gas. Zelaya was ousted in June, after the legislature—backed by the military—said he had defied the constitution by attempting to hold a referendum to allow him to run for another term. He is now calling for the government to negotiate with him, a demand backed by the U.S.

Caracas, Venezuela

Troops enforce start of school year: Police and National Guard troops patrolled hundreds of Venezuelan schools to prevent

protests as the new school year began last week. Opposition

figures had called for protests against a new education law, which overhauls curricula. Many parents, particularly those with kids in private schools, complained that the new law would indoctrinate children into leftist ideology. But in a recent radio address, President Hugo Chávez countered that the old system “favored bourgeoisie domination,” and that the new one offers “truthful, objective, and real information” about the evils of capitalism.

Lima, Peru

Child porn thrives: Child pornographers have turned to the poverty-ridden Peruvian jungles to find their victims. Poor families rent out their children “in exchange for a few coins or a quarter of a chicken,” Peru.21 newspaper reported this week. The Peruvian Network Against Child Pornography is calling for a government investigation to locate the pornographers. “We have information that they are making the tapes in the Peruvian jungle, in cities like Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Madre de Dios,” said the group’s president, Dimitri Senmache. Children as young as 3 have been raped on camera, and some of them are later smuggled out of the country and forced into prostitution.