Correspondent, Wall Street Journal
Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal
PROFILE
John Lyons
Guest
FROM John Lyons
To the Point
Olympic Flame Shines Light on Brazil's Violent Slums The 2016 Olympics are a long way off, but recurring violence has raised questions about the recent selection of Rio de Janeiro. During a shootout this weekend, 29 people were killed, including three policemen in a helicopter downed by gunfire. Today, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised a crackdown in the hillside shanty towns, called favelas, above the city. John Lyons is there for the Wall Street Journal .
To the Point
Federal Police Seize Oaxaca City The picturesque town center of Oaxaca , Mexico has been occupied by angry demonstrators. The tourist sector has lost more than $400 million and a million school children have lost more than 3 months of classes. Friday--after a 5 month standoff and at least 6 killings--federal police were sent in to restore order. What does it all have to do with national politics?
To the Point
Mexico's Lopez Obrador Is Not Going Quietly All the elements are in place for big trouble in the aftermath of Mexico's disputed presidential election. Manuel López Obrador appears to have lost to conservative Felipe Calderón , but says he'll declare himself the "legitimate" president of a "parallel" government. His claim that the official vote count was fraudulent has been rejected unanimously by the nation's top electoral court . The leftist supporters of the former Mayor of Mexico City already occupy the public venues where the conservative current president, Vicente Fox, plans traditional ceremonies on Friday. Can López Obrador make political life impossible and force another election? If Fox exerts his authority, will there be violence? What's the possible fallout North of the border?
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