Sunday, Aug 28 U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Assassinated (1968). U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala John Gordon Mein was murdered by rebels from the Fuerzas Armadas Rebeldes (FAR) faction when gunmen forced his official car off the road in Guatemala City and raked the vehicle with gunfire. He was the first U.S. ambassador to be murdered while in office.

Monday, Aug 29 Execution of El Salvador President Gerardo Barrios (1865). Barrios served as President of El Salvador from 1859-1860 and was renowned for his economic and social reforms. Political opponents felt he was too liberal and anti-clerical. When Guatemala and El Salvador went to war in 1863 over border issues, the Guatemalans successfully seized San Salvador and permitted a more Guatemalan-friendly president to take office. Barrios was put on trial, sentenced to death, and executed by firing squad on August 29, 1865. In 1910, the Salvadoran government declared him a national hero.

Wednesday, Aug 31 Trinidad & Tobago Independence Day (1962). During the post-World War Two decolonization of former imperial powers, many West Indies nations achieved their independence from the United Kingdom. In 1958, the West Indies Federation of a number of former colonies was formed but only lasted for a few years before dissolving. On 31 Aug 1962, Trinidad and Tobago voted for independence. Of the country's 1.3 million inhabitants, most (96%) reside on the island of Trinidad with the remainder in Tobago. Petroleum and natural gas are the backbone of the economy although tourism provides the lion's share of the revenue in serene Tobago, a favorite destination for many European tourists.

Friday, Sept 02, Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance established in Rio de Janeiro (1947). Also called the Rio Treaty, the agreement created a principle of mutual security in which an attack on one member was considered an attack on all. The U.S., having established its hegemony in the region with the Monroe Doctrine, enjoyed the support of most countries during World War Two. During the Malvinas War of 1982, the U.S. declared Argentina the aggressor and chose to back Britain. The treaty was also invoked after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Saturday, Sept 03 Ambassador to Brazil Kidnapped (1969). U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Charles Burke Elbrick was kidnapped by the Marxist revolutionary group Revolutionary Movement of the 8th of October (MR-8). He was held for nearly four days and threatened with assassination in the event of an attempted rescue. He was released in exchange for 15 political prisoners. The event inspired the 1997 movie, "Four Days in September," in which Alan Arkin played the role of the Ambassador.

Saturday, Sept 03 Cuban exodus of Balseros (rafters) (1994). Following the withdrawal of economic support to Cuba by the Soviet Union and no reaction from Havana to stop initial migration efforts, 35,000 Cubans made attempts to reach the United States by crossing the Florida Straits in improvised rafts and boats. Under ideal conditions, the gulf current could carry an unpropelled craft across the Straits in three days; the average trip took 6-8 days. Almost one in every four rafters who gambled with this crossing would lose their lives, most to dehydration, sharks, or high waves. Many were intercepted or rescued by more than 70 USN and USCG vessels patrolling just outside the 12-nm limit of Cuban territorial waters. President Clinton ordered them transported to Guantanamo Bay where they waited on the immigration policy decisions to be worked out. At the height of the crisis, the U.S. was picking up more than 3200 refugees per day. The exodus – and death toll – only stopped after Washington DC and Havana agreed to increase the annual migration quota from Cuba. The accord also gave asylum to those balseros held in Guantanamo Bay and established the controversial wet foot-dry foot policy that those Cuban refugees that reached shore would be granted asylum but those intercepted at sea would be returned to Cuba. This policy remains in effect today. Since the Balseros Crisis of 1994, over 250,000 Cubans have migrated to the U.S. transforming Southern Florida and rejuvenating Cuban Miami.

Information collated by Professor Pat Paterson, CHDS. Comments are welcome by email to Patrick.paterson@ndu.edu.