US Presidential Candidates and Cuba

This article was published in the Flordia Sun Sentiniel, but it's an interesting insight into to relations between immigrants from Cuba and their attitudes towards the country and how that relates to their life in the US.

Apparently, traditionally Cuban Americans favor Republican candidates so both Obama and Hillary are trying hard to win the Cuban American vote. Hillary so far is the favorite because she supports Bush's 2004 policy to limit travel to Cuba. Of course, this claim of favor is disputed.

Chavez Threatens to Take Over Schools

President Hugo Chavez threatened to take over any Venezuelan private schools that do not submit to the oversight of his socialist government. All public and private schools will now be subject to inspections enforcing a new educational system and curriculum. The new curriculum is intended to help students develop values of "cooperation and solidarity" while learning critical reflection, dialogue and volunteer work. However, what exactly this curriculum will include remains unclear. The Associated Press did obtain a copy of a medical school syllabus that included writings from Karl Marx, speeches by Fidel Castro, and information on Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Columbian rebel chief Manuel Marulanda, alongside the traditional subjects like biology and chemistry. Any schools that do not submit to the new policy will be taken over by Chavez and nationalized. Here is the story.

Fox honors Hispanic heritage month

Today Fox's show This Week in Baseball celebrated the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month with an episode exclusively devoted to Hispanic players, particularly from the Carribean, which has always been a fertile source of talent. It is good to see the contributions of this group of players recognized.

Latin Americans in the MLB Hall of Fame

I watch baseball very regularly...sometimes two or three major league games each day. It is obvious to any baseball fan that Latin Americans play a huge role in the success of the game. They are present in both leagues and on all teams. I thought it was interesting to look at Hall of Fame statistics to see how many have been inducted. According to latinobaseball.com, thirteen Latin Americans have been inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. This includes players, announcers, and managers. Enjoy.

National Assembly leader of panama wanted for murder in the U.S.

VOA News reports that a free trade deal between the U.S. and Panama is now in jeopardy after the national assembly names man with a U.S. warrant for murder as president.

Castro would vote Clinton-Obama

Well, probably not, but Fidel Castro did say that a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama pairing would be "invincible" (though he apparently doesn't support their ideas for Cuba). The CNN article is here.

That's one thing I haven't thought about in past elections--how will such and such candidate impact the lives of people outside the U.S.? Might seem strange to vote for a candidate based on the needs of people outside your country--but hey, the world is smaller than ever, right?

Endangered Languages

This is an institute run by my cousin for the recording, study, and preservation of endangered languages. They've also developed the 'language hotspot' model (name borrowed from the common 'biodiversity hotspot' model). A language hotspot is an area that includes 3 factors:

1. High level of linguistic diversity
2. High rate of langauage extinction
3. Low level of previous study/recording

Interestingly, one of the most grave areas in the world in terms of all these factors is in Bolivia, which can then be split into three sections. One encompasses the high Andean region northwest of La Paz, one the southern altiplano, and planes extending into northern Argentina and Paraguay, and one the tropical lowlands of the amazon basin. Anyways, this and much more on their website here.

Will

Cuba becomes a refuge for tired revolutionaries

In this article, members of Colombia's National Liberation Army are finding peace and quiet in Cuba. The former guerrillas went from hijacking airplanes and blowing up oil pipelines to dinners in Cuba. The group leaders are negotiating cease-fire talks with the Colombian government. I guess that's what aging rebels do when they decide to settle down.

Earthquake

Here is a link to some pictures taken of the devastating earthquake in Peru last month. This earthquake, which measured an 8.0 magnitude killed hundreds of people; however, I feel like it did not receive the media attention that such a disaster should have. These pictures, collected by the New York Times, make it easier to understand how devastating the earthquake was to the province of Ica.

Peruvian Health Scare

Within the last six months, at least four people have gotten infected with HIV from routine blood transfusions at a Peruvian hospital in the port city of Callao. Additionally, 30 people have contracted Hepatitis C from the same procedure. People are already afraid of going to the hospital and using healthcare sevices, and this certainly isn't helping. A health official in D.C. estimates that a quarter of the blood that comes into the hospitals isn't properly screened for diseases before it is given to other patients. The health scare is being called a national emergency, and frankly, if I were Peruvian I would be terrified of hospitals. Click here for the full article.

We Have Castro to Thank

While many people have often expressed ill will towards Cuba and Fidel Castro, I stumbled upon an article that discussed Castro's help in saving President Reagan from an assassination plot. It seems quite ironic that Castro provided information that saved the life of a president of the United States, while the article states that the CIA has made 638 attempts to kill Fidel Castro. The article can be found here. Hope you enjoy it!

Fires in Paraguay

I found it interesting that I hadn't heard about this until I did Latin America specific research.

This week fires continue in the rural areas of Paraguay. The fires are burning through small peasant farms and poor areas, who typically use small fires to renew the land. San Pedro, Concepcion and Amambay declared states of emergency, to receive national aid. While the fires are somewhat under control, a lot of damage has already been done to the land of the impoverished farmers, hurting part of the country's agricultural market. The article can be found here here.

A Latin American View on the U.S.

This article details the opinions that Latin Americans have on the U.S. and our foreign policy, more specifically, responding to Bush's tour through Latin America earlier in the year. According to the article, Latin Americans look negatively upon the U.S., even those whom the U.S. is working to help. On the other side, most Latin Americans do appreciate Democracy.

Cuba, Really?

I worked at an NGO in Washington, DC, over the summer that dealt with racial and ethnic disparities in the American healthcare system. Through working I was able to go to a screening of Salud!, a documentary recently released about Cuba's healthcare system. It was incredible! It turns out that Cuba has comparable health statistics to the US, and has an even lower infant mortality rate and a higher life expectancy. The nature of their healthcare system is drastically different than ours, and the film brought up several interesting issues. It is a great example of how misunderstood Cuba is, and since most of what we hear about Cuba is negative this film provides another way to look at our neighbor. Click on this link to go to the film's website and learn more about Cuba's system and the film.

Nicaragua's Coastal Poor Survey Hurricane's Wreckage

This article was in the NY Times last week, after Hurricane Felix hit Central America.

Horrible natural disasters are always compounding troubles in Latin America. And much of the infrastructure in Central America isn't good enough to hold up against storms, earthquakes, etc.

It makes a never-ending cycle of poverty.

Female President

This article was written immediately after Michelle Bachelet was elected as president. Apparently her election is a sign of the times; Chile is changing. The article discusses some of these changes, including an economic boom and the introduction of divorce. Here's the link.

Hugo Chavez Could Possibly Rule for Decades to Come

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez proposed a referendum that would eliminate term limits. It contains a large package of amendments, however they are voted on as a whole as a simple yes or no. Some of the other amendments, such as extended social security benefits, make voting yes an extremely attractive option despite the questionable extension of executive control. The referendum will be voted on in December, and pollsters are predicting that it will pass. Click here for the story.

“Se necesita materia prima para construir un pais”

My host sister from Ecuador always forwards me junk, but I found this slide she sent me to be interesting, so I translated it. The point of view very harshly criticizes the Ecuadorian people, and largely blames them for their own state of misery. I don't agree with everything the creator has said here, but it is an interesting perspective. :::

We say that Mahuad didn’t serve well [as president]; the same we say of Bucaram and Gutierrez; Now they’re saying that Correa isn’t any good either. And the one that comes next will not be sufficient either.

I suspect that the problem isn’t with the corruption of Bucaram, nor in the ineptitude of Mahuad, nor in the autocratic Correa. The problem is with us as a PEOPLE, as the main component of a country.

I belong to a country where newspapers will never be able to be sold as they are in other countries, that is, putting boxes on the sidewalks where one pays for a newspaper and takes out “A SINGLE NEWSPAPER.”… leaving the rest where they are.

I belong to a country where the people feel triumphant if their neighbors’ cable gets turned off, where people cheat on their taxes in order to pay less… where unpunctuality is a habit… where there is no interest in the environment; people throw trash in the streets and later complain about lack of street maintenance.

[I belong to a country] where a culture of reading does not exist, where there is no conscience, no political, historic, economic memory… Where driver licenses and medical degrees can be “bought” without taking any kind of test… where a senior citizen, a woman with a child in her arms, or a handicapped person get on the bus and those who are seated pretend they are asleep in order to not give up their seats… Solidarity does not exist. We don’t share anything with anyone.

Even if Correa resigned today, his successor would have to keep working with the same defective people. Unless someone first finds a way to eradicate our vices that we have as a people, no one will ever serve as a sufficient leader. Is it that we need a dictator, to make us obey the law by means of force and terror? This idea is also lacking something.

It is wonderful to be Ecuadorian. But when that autochthonous Ecuadorian-ness begins to damage our possibilities of development as a Nation: that is where the line must be drawn. We ourselves have to change; a new president with the same Ecuadorians will not be able to accomplish anything. This is very clear. It is we who have to change. SEND THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. We need to raise awareness. We’re already damned, and if we keep on this way we’re going to go even father in the wrong direction. OR NOT? What do you think?

Can You Catch the Irony?

Barack Obama has called for an easing of restrictions on some elements of the Bush Administration's Cuba policy. A critic of Obama's position had this to say about it:

Mauricio Claver-Carone, a spokesman for the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Pact, which supports full sanctions, said Obama's statement could hurt U.S.-Cuban relations at a crucial time.

"I'm sure he's well intentioned," Claver-Carone said, but he added that with the death of Castro possibly approaching and the potential for change on the island, such a statement could send the wrong message.

"It entrenches the regime at this historic time," Claver-Carone said.

Notice anything ironic about this last comment by Claver-Carone? Let me give you a hint: The Castro regime is coming up on 50 years in power. In fact, the Castro Regime is older than Barack Obama by almost two years! I doubt that anything Obama says is "entrenching" the Castro regime. Any honest person would have to admit that the regime is pretty much entrenched already, and has been long before Obama even knew who Castro was. It's statements like these that defy the imagination and point out ever so much more the anachronism that is the pro-embargo lobby in the United States.

Subcomandante Marcos: Gay???

Browsing through Academic Search Premier (a far superior database for all of those JSTOR/Project Muse acolytes out there), I saw a rather interesting blip on the sexual orientation of the spokesperson of the Zapatistas out there in Chiapas, Mexico.

This came out (ok bad joke) in the Monthly Review: An Independent Socialist Magazine Sept 1994 volume 46, issue 4.

Supposedly a San Francisco paper quoted Marcos as saying that he was fired from some restaurant for being gay, which the Mexican newspapers scrambled all over. The Zapatistas responded like so:

"About whether Marcos is homosexual:

"Marcos is gay in San Francisco, black in South Africa, an Asian in Europe, a Chicano in San Ysidro, an anarchist in Spain, a Palestinian in Israel, a Mayan Indian in the streets of San Cristobal, a gang member in Neza [a huge Mexico City slum], a rocker in the National University [a folk music citadel], a Jew in Germany, an ombudsman in the Defense Ministry, a communist in the post-Cold War era, an artist without gallery or portfolio.

"A pacifist in Bosnia, a housewife alone on Saturday night in any neighborhood in any city in Mexico, a striker in the CTM [the giant pro-government union federation, which virtually never authorizes strikes], a reporter writing filler stories for the back pages, a single woman on the metro at 10 p.m., a peasant without land, an unemployed worker . . . an unhappy student, a dissident amid free-market economics, a writer without books or readers, and, of course, a Zapatista in the mountains of southeast Mexico.

"So Marcos is a human being, any human being, in this world. Marcos is all the exploited, marginalized, and oppressed minorities, resisting and saying, `Enough!'"

Basically Marcos is a gay, black, anarchist, Jewish housewife or something or other. I think he should go into literature because he sounds like he has a ton of identity crises. I wonder if he is also a German Neofacist in Israel. Or perhaps a French Le Pen-ista in Algeria.

(I found that "Asian in Europe" sort strange. To my knowledge they aren't part of the "exploited, marginalized, and oppressed minorities" any more than an Asian in America would be I don't think. They should have said an Asian in China...that is where the oppression is, at least the type of oppression created by the rough, destructive forces of neoliberal globalization and so on and so forth. Stop trying to speak for all people Subcomandante! Your assumption that there is a pan-oppression sort of unity is just tried rhetoric!)

I just thought it was a little funny. I still like the rhetoric, and I guess that is the only real way you could respond to something like that. But they never did say no....

Michael Moore in Trouble for Visiting Cuba

Michael Moore is being investigated by the Treasury for making a trip to Cuba, where Americans are officially not normally allowed to travel. In spite of the fact that many Americans visit each year, some travelers encounter trouble with the government over these visits. Moore has defended his visit on his website. More here.

Bolivia Moves One Step Closer To Nationalized Oil

The Bolivian state oil company has announced the acquisition of two Brazilian-owned refineries in Bolivia. The Brazilian company sold them for 112 million dollars and the transfer is to take place within days. More here.

Is Cuba's Government Relaxing Its Policies?

A journalist imprisoned for anti-Castro views is among about 20 dissidents released since Raul Castro came to power. It seems as though there may be some relaxation of the government's iron grip on some parts of society. Full story here.

Pope Makes Strong Comments on Abortion

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Brazil and began by addressing the issue of abortion in this region. He took a hard line against politicians who tolerate abortion, possibly in response to a new Mexico City law legalizing some procedures. More here.

Survivors of Sinking Claim that They Were Rammed

Survivors of the sinking of a boat full of Haitian refugees claim that they were deliberately rammed by a boat belonging to the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The refugees claim that their boat was rammed by the patrol boat and left to sink. More here.

Street Gangs Still a Major Problem in Port-Au-Prince

Even though the link is just to a picture, it is still a fairly powerful one to me. It shows a typically poorer neighbrhood in Port-Au-Prince that is usually dominated by gangs that the UN is trying to clear out. In my mind it parallels the US offensive to clear out Fallujah in Iraq, both in the type of operation and how pictures of that area strongly remind me of this picture: Click here.

Informal Markets in Venezuela

The Venezuelan government recently had a crackdown on informal markets on a well-known street in Caracas. In spite of the importance of the informal markets to many Latin American economies, this move by the government was applauded as it cleared a once well liked boulevard of vendors and numerous criminals. More here.

UN Envoy Praises Bolivian Social Reforms

UN envoy Jean Ziegler praised Bolivian president Evo Morales' progress in reaching UN millenium goals such as free medical care, eradication malnutrition and higher literacy rates. More here.

World Economy Reacts to Chavez's Threats

Hugo Chavez called for banks in Venezuela to finance industry in Venezuela on easy terms or face the threat of being taken over by the government. This has created an economic backlash, with Venezuela's currency losing more than 3% of its value. More here.

Multinational Latin American Companies Make Big Gains

When one thinks about multinational companies and Latin America, one usually thinks of US investments; however, Latin American owned companies have been making big gains in the US. Investment in the US by countries such as Mexico and Brazil is on the rise. More here.

Chavez Seizes Last Foreign-Owned Oil Facilities

Hugo Chavez, the leader of Venezuela, has taken control of the last foreign-owned oil projects in his country. Though the companies may remain as minor partners in the projects, they have not been compensated for the seizure. More here.

Weird but True

The Brazilian government has ordered an online auction site to take down an ad for a man's wife. The husband apparently tried to sell her for about 50 dollars. More here.

Pope to Visit Brazil

Pope Benedict XVI has decided to visit Brazil where a council of bishops of Latin America will be held. More here.

More migration to the U.S. than deaths in Mexico

There has been more people migrating from Mexico than actually dying in Mexico since 2000. Immigration of people from Mexico to the United States has been increasing since 1970. Also, more people are coming illegally from Mexico.

To read more, please click here

Brazil bypasses patent on AIDS drug

Talks recently between Brazil and pharmaceutical giant, Merck, break down over AIDS drug. Lula de Silval, president of Brazil, issued a "compulsory license" to bypass patent of Merck's drug efavirenz. This license lets Brazil make the drug or buy generics with only paying a small fee to patent holder. The country of Brazil allows for compulsory licenses in a health emergency, and this was done for a case of abusive pricing with AIDS medicine.

To read the whole story, go here.

Textile Factories Cause Problems In Mexico

It seems that Mexico is finally, standing up to the giant factories that have been polluting their lands for years. Even though the factories have produced over 35,000 jobs in the heart of Mexico, the damage they are doing to the environment has become to grand. Residents report that the dyes and chemicals are visible in the water and that blue and green tides are not uncommon. Other residents say that they have been experiencing very dry skin and sore throats. This is a grave problem for the region, especially considering the prominence of cattle and pigs in the same area. This type of problem puts Mexico in a very difficult position. They must either turn away jobs that are helping the economy, or end the pollution that is harming the citizens. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, Mexico does.

Where in the World is Fidel Castro?

There was no sign of Fidel Castro at any of Cuba's May Day celebrations. He has not made a public appearance since undergoing emergence surgery nine months ago.

For more-- Click here.

Carandiru

Carandiru was the largest prison in Latin America and held up to 8,000 prisoners until its demolition in 2002. In 1992, it was the site of the Carandiru massacre which is cited as one of Brazil's greatest human rights violations. The commanding officer of the military police who suppressed the supposed riot was sentenced to 632 years in prison for his role in the massacre. This sentence was rescinded when the officer claimed he was just following orders.

Read the article here.

Argentine Tango Dance Etiquette

Here is a fun link to a site that can teach you how to dance the tango step-by-step. Grab a partner and go for it now!

Peru leader gets emergency powers

"Peruvian congressmen strongly approved the measure which will allow President Garcia to rule on offences related to cocaine production, smuggling and organised crime without seeking their approval."

Read More Here on BBC NEWS

Carandiru

I looked up the movie we watched in class, Carandiru, on the Internet Movie Database and I learned that the movie was actually filmed in the actual prison. It was the last thing that happened there before it was demolished. The movie received many international award nominations and honors.

Carandiru

Hostages beg for help in Colombia

Twelve kidnapped legislators of Colombia begged President Uribe in a new video to start talks with their rebel captors. The video was the first proof that they are still alive since 7 months ago. The government has refused to accept the request.

To read more, please click here

Power Struggles Between Lula and Chavez

This article discusses the new relationships that are being forged in Latin America, highlighting the recent travels of the President of Brazil. Lula recently traveled to Chile and Argentina for peace talks and to strengthen ties between the countries. This may have sparked conflict between Lula and Chavez, both of whom are emerging as leaders in Latin America. For more, click here.

Legalized Abortion in Mexico

A bill was passed yesterday in Mexico that would legalize abortion in a woman's first three months of pregnancy. Read the full article here.

U.S. sees no coca increase under Bolivia's Morales

President Morales of Bolivia has fought past U.S. efforts to get rid of coca production, he is the country's coca promoting president. But surprisingly, a U.S. study finds coca production "statistically unchanged" since 2005. However, the U.S. said the reports were "not readily supportable" because the area where most of the coca is grown in a maze of Andean foothills, making it hard to measure exactly how much coca is being produced. U.S. officials say they still expect cultivation to rise under Morales' policy. President Morales considers the coca leaf to be a sacred Andean symbol and has promoted its traditional uses as a mild stimulant and treatment for altitude sickness.

To read more about this situation, go here.

Lawyers Challenge Abortion In Mexico

It seems that the Catholic Church and a seemingly inexhaustible pool of lawyers intend to challenge a recently passed bill that legalized abortion in Mexico City. The bill, which easily passed through the leftist legislative body, has been seen as a radical shift away from Catholic ideals. This is significant because Mexico is the second largest Catholic nation in the world. The lawyers hope to take the case to Inter-American Court of Human Rights which is the judicial arm of the OAS. This may be highly contreversial at the international legal level. It will be interesting to see how the courts respond and if they even decide to hear the case.

Power Outage Throughout Colombia

Colombia experienced a countrywide blackout today. A technical complication seems to be the cause of the power outage, although the exact cause is undetermined. It started in Bogota before spreading to the rest of the country. Crews have reestablished power for around 20 percent of the country, and it's hopeful that the rest of Colombia will have power within the next few hours. To see this article, click here.

Abortion in Mexico

The Mexico City legislature yesterday approved a bill to make abortion legal in the first 3 months of pregnancy. This makes Mexico City the largest entity other than Cuba and Puerto Rico to permit abortions in all of Latin America. 10 million women will now have access to safe abortions, not including the millions of others that may travel to the city for the procedure. This has sparked controversy in the predominantly Catholic, socially conservative society. The Pope has condemned the bill and the archbishop of Acapulco said that lawmakers who approved the bill will be automatically excommunicated. For more, go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/world/americas/25mexico.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin

Carandiru

After watching the film Carandiru this week in class, I was inspired to research the actual prison massacre. I found out some interesting facts. The most shocking fact is that the commanding officer in charge of the massacre was originally sentenced to 632 years in prison, however because of mistrial claims, his sentence was void. It is hard to believe, but it seems as if the government got away with massacring over 100 of its own citizens. I think this displays the problem with corruption that continues to plague Latin American governments and countries today.
Here is the Wikipedia article for further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Carandiru_Massacre

Ecuador's changing policitcal scene continues as congressmen are reinstated

During the past weeks, especially, Ecuador's political system has undergone many changes and much turmoil exists. On Monday the 51 members in Ecuador's congress whom had been fired about a month ago were reinstated to their positions.
More information: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Ecuador-Constitutional-Crisis.html

Chile evacuating disaster area

On Monday the Chilean government said it would evacuate the southern fjord of Chile, where waves caused by a lagre earthquake on Saturday swept away ten people. Read the following article for more information:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Chile-Quake.html

Mexican Legalizes Abortion

This article reports on how Mexico very recently legalized abortion, and discusses this in light of the large Catholic population in Mexico. Follow the link for more information:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mexico-abortion.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

U.S. Releases Cuban Bombing Suspect.

A 79-year-old anti-Castro Cuban exile and former C.I.A. operative linked to the bombing of a Cuban airliner was released on bail yesterday and immediately returned to Miami to await trial on immigration fraud charges.

More info on the immigration trial, and the accusations about the bombing of a Cuban airplane is here.-- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/world/americas/20posada.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin

Menudo Reforms!!

For all the girls out there left bereft with the break-up of N'SYNC and the Backstreet Boys, MTV has some good news for you. A new show that is airing on MTV's Tr3s channel is designed around the recreation of Menudo, a Puerto-Rican boyband that gave Ricky Martin's his start. It will begin to air next month.

More info is here-- http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/04/16/entertainment/local/ff590cc35f97fa5d862572be007d1b2c.txt

Fidel Castro looks stronger and healthier in new photos

The photos of a stronger and healthier Fidel Castro meeting with a high-level Chinese delegation published in Cuba's principal newspaper Saturday are perhaps the most significant sign so far that the ailing leader is not just getting better, but getting back to business too.

Check out the rest of Fidel's health update here

Bolivia Retakes Gas Pipeline

Following violent protests, the Bolivian military retook control of a gas pipeline to Argentina. Read the full story here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/21/AR2007042100129.html

Gore avoids Uribe

Al Gore has withdrawn from an environmental forum in Miami to avoid being seen with Colombia's president, Alvaro Uribe. Uribe has been accused of contributing to rightist militias. Gore's decision not to attend has come as the new, Democrat-controlled Congress has been scrutinizing Uribe's performance with human rights. This week the U.S. Senate froze $55 million of military aid to Colombia after accusations that their head of armed forces collaborated with death squads. To read more, see: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/20/colombia.gore.ap/index.html.

Creativity to Fight Crime

Speaking of creativity...
Officials from Caracas, Venezuela recently announced that they have three mini remote controlled airships that will be used to monitor criminal activity within the city. Each airship is around 49 feet long, has "We watch over you for your security" in red across the side, and has a camera attached to the front that sends images back to a control room. Caracas is considered one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America, with a large amount of armed crimes. For more information go to:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6576413.stm

Creativity to Fight Crime

Speaking of creativity...
Officials from Caracas, Venezuela recently announced that they have three mini remote controlled airships that will be used to monitor criminal activity within the city. Each airship is around 49 feet long, has "We watch over you for your security" in red across the side, and has a camera attached to the front that sends images back to a control room. Caracas is considered one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America, with a large amount of armed crimes. For more information go to:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6576413.stm

Angry Cuba after the release of Posada

Cuba's government has blamed the White House for the release of Luis Posada, an anti-Castro exile wanted in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner. Venezuela and Cuba both accuse Posada of violent crimes which he denies. Cuba's government has again implied that Washington has a double standard on terrorism. At a protest on Thursday, university communist youth leader Silviano Merced said, "For that reason, Mr. Bush... you are as much of a terrorist as Posada Carriles and his accomplices."

To read more about the protests, please click here

EU official objects to U.S.-Mexico border fence

European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, criticized Bush's plans to build a wall on the U.S Mexico border. Solana says immigrants should not be treated like criminals.

"We don't thinks walls are reasonable instruments to stop people from crossing into a country." Solana says, referring to the European Union.

Mexico has lobbied for immigration reform that would let more migrants enter the U.S. legally. Currently, more than 11 million Mexicans live in the United States, mostly illegally.

To get more details, go here.

Zapatista Website

After reading the article for this Wednesday's class about the Zapatista's use of the Internet to disperse their ideas, I was inspired to go and check out the websites that are dedicated to the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. I had a hard time trying to discover if their was one official website for the Zapatistas. There were many sites supporting the Zapatistas and telling their history. This website that I found shares the beliefs of select members of the movement, along with pictures. I found it very interesting. Apparently the Zapatistas have a discussion Yahoo group in which inquiring minds can join in and talk about Zapata or the Zapatista movement. I think this illustrates the same point we were discussing in class, that the Zapatista movement uses the newest technology at hand to spread their message internationally.
It was a very interesting site.
Here is the link -
http://www.zapatistas.org/

El Norte

The Hillman chapter discussed the movie El Norte, which tells the story of Mayan Indian peasants who attempt to escape from Guatemala to the U.S. through Mexico. They are constantly under suspicion, since they are Indians. This brother and sister depend on the advice of others to get to "El Norte" by train, truck, and bus. One of them becomes sick, most probably from the rats they encountered in the sewage pipes under the border, and they depend on a mix of modern medicine and indigenous folklore. After arriving in Los Angeles, they rent an apartment. This apartment is their utopia, especially since it has a toilet. The toilet is a symbol of their success. If you have not seen the movie, rent it. It's worth it.

Correa wins referendum, changes in store for Ecuadorean Congress

With 78% of the vote, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa won a referendum that will set up an assembly to rewrite the nation's constitution. The opposition fears that Correa will centralize power, weakening a Congress that many consider hopelessly corrupt. The referendum is similar to tactics used by fellow leftist leaders Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales in Venezuela and Bolivia. For more, go to: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/15/ecuador.vote.reut/index.html

US-Brazil Biofuel Plan Castro Denounces New Plan Between America and Brazil- Says Will Condemn 3 Billion People to Death

In his first two articles in the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper, Granma, since becoming ill last year, President Fidel Castro lashed out at the recently signed ethanol deal between Brazil and the US. In an April 3 article he described it as "the internationalization of genocide".

Interesting Article -- http://www.brazzil.com/content/view/9860/80/

Iran's Foreign Minister Visits Latin America

Manuchehr Mottaki is expected to visit Venezuela, Nicaragua and other regional countries which have close ties with Iran.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=6060&sectionid=351020101

Fidel Castro has Resumed Some Duties.

President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela told a news conference that his close friend and ally Fidel Castro had “almost totally recovered” from his illness and had “reassumed a good part of his duties” as Cuba’s leader, although not formally. Mr. Chávez has regularly offered updates on Mr. Castro’s health in the more than eight months since the Cuban leader underwent emergency intestinal surgery and ceded his leadership responsibilities to his brother Raúl. The Cuban foreign minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, traveling in Vietnam, also said that Mr. Castro, who is 80, had resumed some of his leadership responsibilities. “He receives reports about the country’s situation and is directly involved in managing some important issues,” Mr. Roque said.

More here-- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/world/americas/14briefs-castro.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

National Dances

I was interested to read about some of Latin America's national dances after reading the Gurza article and I found a short list of national dances on wikipedia. It's a short list of 19 examples, and it was interesting to note that eight of the nineteen were Latin American dances. The United States has no national dance, but there is a list of state dances linked. There's a little more information on the Chilean Cueca if you care to learn more.

National Dances

Ecuador, Ever Unstable, Prepares for New Leader’s Plans

Crowds in Banos, a town in central Ecuador, demonstrated Friday for a new constitutional assembly during a visit by President Rafael Correa

The past few weeks have been unkind to Ecuador’s Congress. A court fired 57 of the legislators. Mobs beat some of the expelled lawmakers in the street. When Congress finally convened this week, someone lobbed a tear gas canister near its chamber, forcing lawmakers to flee.

The future looks dimmer still for Congress, one of the most reviled institutions in chronically unstable Ecuador. If President Rafael Correa gets his way in a referendum on Sunday, his supporters will soon start rewriting the constitution to weaken congressional power and enhance state control of the economy.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Latin American Boom

The Boom of Latin American literature began with the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro welcomed these writers to Cuba and supported the literature that expressed a Latin American identity. It also incorporated European elements--the main editor of these writers was Seix-Borral of Barcelona. The Boom was most famous for the advent of magical realism, which was most famous in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Cien Anos de Soledad. The "Big 5" of the Boom were the most influential and famous writers---Cortazar, Borges, Llosa, Fuentes, and Marquez. Although Marquez wrote many stories involving magical realism, he wrote other stories that were greatly effected by the oppression inflicted by the government of Colombia. Another story, "Un Dia de Estos", displays the creativity of Latin Americans in fighting the government. The cruel governor of the town comes to the town dentist with a toothache. Instead of giving the governor anesthesia, the dentist performs the root canal without any type medicine. He tries to put him through as much pain as he has inflicted on the village.

Latin American Boom

The Boom of Latin American literature began with the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro welcomed these writers to Cuba and supported the literature that expressed a Latin American identity. It also incorporated European elements--the main editor of these writers was Seix-Borral of Barcelona. The Boom was most famous for the advent of magical realism, which was most famous in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Cien Anos de Soledad. The "Big 5" of the Boom were the most influential and famous writers---Cortazar, Borges, Llosa, Fuentes, and Marquez. Although Marquez wrote many stories involving magical realism, he wrote other stories that were greatly effected by the oppression inflicted by the government of Colombia. Another story, "Un Dia de Estos", displays the creativity of Latin Americans in fighting the government. The cruel governor of the town comes to the town dentist with a toothache. Instead of giving the governor anesthesia, the dentist performs the root canal without any type medicine. He tries to put him through as much pain as he has inflicted on the village.

Changes in Ecuador

In the past few weeks there has been much turbulence in Ecuador's political system, and now is poised for changes under a new leader. View the link for more information:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/world/americas/15ecuador.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin

Bus Crash in Mexico

Over the weekend there was crash in the town of Ciudad Juarez, which is just over the United States and Mexico border. The bus collided with a truck and then burst into flames killing over 20. They are still investigating the incident. I imagine this is a problem in growing urban areas close to the border.

Here is the full story.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1423678520070414

Mexican Mogul

It was recently reported that Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim overtook Warren Buffet as the second richets person on earth, and is edging in on Bill Gates for the top spot. Read the full article here:


http://www.usatoday.com/money/2007-04-11-second-richest_N.htm?POE=click-refer

Street Vending in L.A.

This week in class we were discussing informal markets in Latin America as a creative response to their economic situation. I found an article online that discusses what happens to these Latin American street vendors when they immigrate to the U.S.A. This article states that in L.A. there has been a recent growth in the amount of street vendors since the 1980s and that this is mainly due to the large influx of Latin American immigrants. Street vending is an acceptable occupation in Latin America as well as an important aspect of their culture. The article discusses the cultural clash that these immigrants experience in L.A. when they bring this aspect of their culture with them. I found the interviews with the street vendors particularly interesting.
Here is the link to article:
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~cupers/streetvendingIE.html

Brazil Death Squads

This article is about a gang that was recently broken up in Brazil that carried out around four killings a week. The gang sold their services to loan sharks and shop keepers among others, and murder victims were sometimes even street children. Each murder cost from $500 to $2500. For more information go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6552727.stm

Marching against bombing in Colombia

Thousands protested during a march in Cali, Colombia after a car bomb went off in front of the police city headquarters. The bomb killed a taxi driver and injured 34 people. The government blamed FARC for the bomb.

To read more, please click here

"Rio governor asks for army's help "

The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- Sergio Cabral Filho asked that the army intervene to contain violence that has been getting out of control in the country's capitol.

Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's most violent city with an annual homicid rate of 50 per 100,000 people. The violence is usually confined to shantytowns however, recently it has been spilling into rich beach areas that tourists usually go to.

The president of Brazil, Silva, is scheduling several meetings for the governor and public security secretary with the defense minsiters, and lots of actions are being taken to prevent the army from clashing with the police.

To read the whole story, go here.

Kerik withdraws from contracts in the Caribbean

Bernard Kerik, the former police commissioner of New York City and Bush's appointee to Homeland Security chief, has withdrawn from contracts to consult for Guyana and Trinidad due to legal trouble in the U.S. He was going to be the national security adviser of Guyana for a year and consult on security issues for Trinidad. According to the Associated Press, Kerik could be indicted for tax evasion, conspiracy to eavesdrop and providing false information. For more, see: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/12/guyana.kerik.ap/index.html.

Bolivia “shifts strategy” and attacks coca growing stronghold

I know that we just talked about Bolivia in class today. This article is interesting, becasue it shows that coca eradication is happening in Bolivia right now.

Here it is-- http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=10244&formato=HTML

White House Taking Harder Line Toward Illegal Immigrants

The White House's PowerPoint presentation to key Republican senators two weeks ago shook the immigration debate. It seemed to indicate that the administration was taking a much harder line toward illegal aliens by proposing huge fines, requirements that aliens return home briefly and a much longer path to citizenship.

If this flies, it could be huge.

More is here-- http://wpherald.com/articles/4183/1/Bush-avoids-endorsing-draft-immigration-principles/White-House-taking-harder-line-toward-illegals.html

Rice brushes off Latin american agenda.

WASHINGTON --Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shrugged off what she called the "negative agenda" of leftist critics in Latin America such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, saying Tuesday the United States will pursue its own agenda as it sees fit.

More is here--- http://www.macon.com/272/story/14968.html

Pope to visit Latin America for the First Time

Brazil - Pope Benedict XVI is expected to attract more than a million people at two open-air Masses during his upcoming visit to Latin America's biggest country, Brazilian church leaders said Wednesday.

For more go here-- http://www.beliefnet.com/story/215/story_21579_1.html

May 1st is Deadline

With President Hugo Chávez setting a May 1 deadline for an ambitious plan to wrest control of several major oil projects from American and European companies, a showdown is looming here over access to some of the most coveted energy resources outside the Middle East.

For more on this go to-- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/business/worldbusiness/10showdown.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin

Mexican Reporter Killed

Telavisa correspondent Amado Ramirez was gunned down after finishing his radio program in Acapulco by two unknown gunmen. The motive for Ramirez's murder remains unclear, however, his death is one of many acts of violence against journalists recently in Mexico that have made the country one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the Western hemisphere. 7 journalists have been killed and two disappeared since October. Many of the killings have been linked to drug gangs despite the government's efforts to crack down. Full article at: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/06/mexico.reporter.ap/index.html

Man swims the Amazon

Slovenian Martin Strel completed his 65-day swim of the entire length of South America's Amazon River after starting at the river's headwaters in Peru on February 1. During the journey Strel suffered from cramps, high blood pressure, diarrhea, chronic insomnia, larvae infections, dehydration and abrasions from his wet suit, but persevered and avoided encounters with the Amazon's notorious piranhas, the bloodsucking toothpick fish that swims into body orifices, and bull sharks. Strel has also swam the entire length of Europe's Danube River and North America's Mississippi River. For more, go to: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/07/amazon.swimmer.ap/index.html

Reunion in El Salvador

During El Salvador's bloody war in the early 1980's, many babies and children were kidnapped and killed. Some were put in military orphanages and eventually sold to adoptive families throughout the world. Since then, however, some of the survivors have been searching for their families and loved ones, sometimes with success. On April 3, Suzanne Marie Berghaus, born in El Salvador but raised in Wilmington, Massachusetts, located her long lost family with the help of Asociación Pro-Búsqueda, an organization working to reunite children and parents separated during El Salvador's Civil War. For more, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/world/americas/05salvador.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Castro and Bush

Now a new component of idealogical differences within Latin America arise, with Castro's views opposing Bush and da Silva. Read the full article


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401869.html?referrer=emailarticle

The Cost of Dying in Haiti

The cost of dying in Haiti has become too much to handle for much of the population. The city morgues are full of unclaimed corpses, the refrigeration is failing. Deforestation has caused the rise of the cost of wood, therefore making coffins unaffordable. The cost of a funeral is more than most Haitians make in a year, and it costs a good amount just to pick up the body from the morgue. Therefore most cadavers are left without claim. For more, read here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070408/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/haiti_high_cost_of_dying;_ylt=AgtwqxGmCEpDiv4xdQlWZg.3IxIF

Mexicans worry over drying lake

This article describes the drying up a a lake in Mexico that is likely the result of global warming and the fears of the Mexican people when it comes to global warming.

Article

Gauchos Have New Life In Montevideo

In an interesting story out of Motnevideo, Uruguay, the creole traditions of the gauchos from the grasslands of South America are revived for a weekend festival. It is estimated that over 200,000 spectators come to watch the rodeos and learn more about the gauchos. The highlight of the festival is a rodeo where gauchos attempt to hold on to a bucking bronco with the only prize being the right to parade around the ring while presenting the Uruguayan flag. This is an interesting story and shows the interest that many in Latin American have in their cultural backgrounds.

Easter Celebrations in Latin America

Here is a link to a goofy page (www.easterbunnys.net) that describes the Easter celebrations in Latin America. Check it out to learn more about what Latin Americans will be doing this weekend!

Odd Illness at Mexican Boarding School

There were fears of an epidemic at a Roman Catholic boarding school in Chalco, Mexico after 600 female students had odd symptoms and many were unable to walk. Health officials have decided the illness was probably psychosomatic.

To read more, please click here

Turtle Race On

Eleven of the endangered species of leatherback turtles are racing from Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands. The swim is intended to create notice to the perils facing these turtles. The winning turtle is the one that gets the farthest, but there is no prize as the competition's purpose is to show the dangers the turtles are confronted with. Humans have created conditions which have reduced the population of leatherbacks in the Pacific Ocean by 95 percent in the last 20 years. To follow the race of the turtles, go to http://www.greatturtlerace.com.

Turtle Race On

Eleven of the endangered species of leatherback turtles are racing from Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands. The swim is intended to create notice to the perils facing these turtles. The winning turtle is the one that gets the farthest, but there is no prize as the competition's purpose is to show the dangers the turtles are confronted with. Humans have created conditions which have reduced the population of leatherbacks in the Pacific Ocean by 95 percent in the last 20 years. To follow the race of the turtles, go to http://www.greatturtlerace.com.

Stolen Child Reunites with Mother

During the horrific El Salvadoran civil war, there were many incidents of the army stealing children and putting them up for adoption. Just two days ago, a 26 year old woman was reunited with her mother in Cacaopera, El Salvador. Her biological parents were forced to give her to an army official when she was just 14 months old. She was adopted by an American family in Massachussets and returned to El Salvador on a study trip after completing her master's degree in social work. Curious about her background, she contacted an organization that specialized in her type of situation, and it was able to track down her mother with the little information that was in her adoption file. This reunion was an emotional one. Read more about it athttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/world/americas/05salvador.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=americas

Eradication of Coca Plants in Peru

I thought this article was very interesting after our recent reading from Global Studies: Latin America about coca production in Bolivia. The article stated that Peru is the second largest producer of coca in the world, and that less than 10% of it is produced legally for traditional and medicinal uses. The Peruvian President, Mr. Alan Garcia, recently stated that all of the drug sites in the Peruvian Amazon need to be destroyed. He believes that this will prevent the corruption and violence that exists in Columbia due to the production of cocaine from spreading more than it already has. The article also mentioned that Mr. Garcia is planning on ratifying a free trade agreement between the United States and Peru in the next month, bringing to question his motives behind this speech.

For more go to:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6520863.stm

Castro fears biofuel plans will hurt world's poor

Castro has made his way into the public eye again with a newspaper column that denounces the U.S. promotion of using food crops for biofuels. Castro says that if ethanol is produced to be used in automobiles, the world's poor will be left hungry. Castro questions the impact of these biofuel plans on the poor and the supply of food. Castro gently chided leftist ally Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for his country's plans to cooperate with Bush in promoting ethanol production.

Some observers believe that Castro speaking to the public through this newspaper column shows that Castro is eager to have his voice heard again in international affairs, he wants to be seen as a leader again. Some believe that Castro will soon make an appearance in public.

To read more, go here.

Fitzcarraldo

This Wednesday in class we are watching Fitzcarraldo. I looked up some facts about the production of the film online. It is interesting to note that the writer and director of the film, Werner Herzog, is German and actually shot the film on location in Iquitos, Peru. During production, Herzog was criticized for taking advantage of the local people in these Peruvian jungles that were used in his film. Another interesting fact is that Klaus Kinski, the main actor in the film and also a German, fought openly with cast and crew members and indigenous persons throughout production. Kinski created so much conflict that an indigenous chief offered to assassinate him for Herzog, but Herzog declined. I think these experiences that occurred during production show the actual cultural differences and ignorance that still exist between European culture and the indigenous within Latin American countries.
Here is the Wikipedia article on the movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzcarraldo

"Argentina Pushes Diplomacy in New Falkland Bid"

It seems that President Kirchner of Argentina has asked the United Nations and other international bodies for help in the territory dispute over the Falkland or Malvinas islands. Historically, a point of contention between the British and the Argentinians, the dispute resulted in a 1982 war that resulted in the death of over 700 British and Argentinian troops. Kirchner, the first leader of the nation to pursue this matter via diplomacy, hopes that a fair verdict can be reached. Kirchner claims that they have never acknowledged the British claim to the land and, as a result, is illegitimate. This is interesting because it is reminiscent of the colonial rule of the Americas. Further, it shows Argentina's desire to seek a conclusion via international law instead of violence. It will be interesting to see how this case is resolved. It is a big issue for the region especially pertaining to navigation and fishing rights around the islands.