Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America

Over the weekend, President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Mexican President Vicente Fox met in Texas to form a "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America". President Bush hopes the agreement will "generate momentum for an expanded hemispheric trading partnership in both North and South America...a particular focus will be improving implementation of the 12-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which has been subject to disputes," according to the Wall Street Journal. The three North American economies want to band together amid growing competition from other regions of the world. Security was also a topic of discussion. Working groups from the three countries will now meet to solicit ideas from businesses and governments at the state and local level.

Coca and indigenous culture

Since we've started talking about Colombia and the problem of the drug trade I thought I would recommend a book, even though none of you will probably read it. The book is The Hold Life Has: coca and cultural identity in an Andean community by Catherine J. Allen. It's an ethnography about a traditional indigenous community and the centrality that coca has in their culture and cosmovision. I don't think that most people realize that, before being processed into cocaine, coca is no more potent, or harmful, than a cup of coffee.

Assimilation policy and salad bowl

I am not egocentric enough to tell you about my whole life but I find it interesting to tell you that little episode to show you how I came seriously to the thoughts I put forward at the end.
For Spring break I went to Los Angeles. Before I left, I was told that I would improve my Spanish rather than my English. I thought it was overestimating the influence of the Spanish language in that city and I thought it was nothing but cliché. Now I must admit that I was wrong! When you walk in many neighborhoods you can hear people speaking Spanish around you. When you take buses, Spanish-speaking people surround you. In every neighborhood you can see ads written both in English and Spanish. Very often, you can read casual warnings in both languages.

We all know objective facts about Latin-American immigration to California. We all know how huge is the Mexican population living in Los Angeles. But, it is hard to realize it until you are confronted to it directly.

When I came back I couldn’t help thinking about the concepts of immigration and integration. It became obvious for me how different the conceptions of immigration were in Europe and in the United States. Indeed, in Europe it is commonly said that immigration was successful when the immigrant became completely converted to embrace the culture of his new country of residence; it is even sometimes considered, though not always acknowledged, that the immigrant should lose a part of his native culture in order to make the immigration successful and to become fully integrated. The dominant policy concerning immigration in Europe is turned to assimilation while in the United States it is blatant that the “salad bowl” became the rule and that a kind of assimilation policy didn’t occur.

I don’t know which policy is the more appropriate. Both the European and the American policies have defects but it seems to me crucial that the immigration policy should be more discussed for the years to come. It is obvious that the immigration policy was designed decades ago for the society of that time and it did not evolve much since then, contrary to society. And that becomes all the more in a city like Los Angeles where, as soon as you arrive there, you can no longer ignore the huge Latin-American community and you realize that policies need to be adjusted to such realities.

Cuba Emboldened

In an article entitled "Mission Improbable" the Economist talks about Castro's increasing confidence and his harsh crackdown on dissent. Castro has numerous reasons to pleased with the current political atmosphere.

China and Venezuela have given Cuba's economy, which is showing minimal signs of recovery, a boost. The EU has abandoned its tough stance on Cuba and suspended its sanctions for 6 months. A EU commissioner for aid even visited Cuba last week. Finally, the left-of-center governments in Latin America have also been more sympathetic to Cuba

The US is however still vehemently opposed to making any concessions to Cuba.

The depressing conclusion of the economist is that neither the openness of the EU nor the challenge posed by the US will persuade Castro to loosen his iron grip on Cuba. Considering the current state of things they seem to be justified in saying so.

Killing over Environmental Dispute in Brazil

According to an article on cnn.com, a rancher accused of hiring men to kill an American nun in the Amazon rainforest about 6 months ago finally surrendered to police, and declared his innocence. The killing occured because of a dispute between the rancher and the nun - the nun wanted a portion of the rainforest to "be declared a sustainable development project for poor settlers" while the rancher wanted to develop the stretch of rainforest and log it.

For more information on this, here is the article.

Human Rights: The Universal Justication in Latin American International Relations

Actions regarding Latin American-US Relationships, whether by a Latin American actor or by the United States, are often justified in human rights terms. An article in the new york times, U.S. to Lift Ban on Military Aid to Guatemala , illustrates this point. This article discusses two actions -- the downsizing of the military by Guatemalan president Óscar Berger and the U.S.'s decision to lift ban on military aid to Guatemala. The Guatemalan president has cut the military's troop strength by close to half, to 15,000 soldiers from 27,000 in the wake on massive human rights violations committed by the Guatemalan military. This action has been applauded as a step forward for human rights. The United States has decided to reward the improvement in the human rights situation with American arms. U.S Defense Secretary Rusfeld said, "I've been impressed by the reforms that have been undertaken." Thus, the rhetoric of human rights is loud and bilateral in US-Latin American International Relationships.

Latin America tensions

Here is an article from the USAtoday website discussing the border disputes and other military issues.

News in Costa Rica

Since it is my duty to research about Costa Rica for class this week, I started early and found this website just in case anyone wanted a good place to look for current news in the nation. A quick overview as of this post: There was a small tsunami off the Cocos Islands, Costa Rica's soccer team defeated Panama's, 2-1, A Royal Palm Beach, Florida manslaughter fugitive was recently found and captured in Costa Rica, and a major fire damaged some buildings in San Jose this week.

Diego Rivera's "Man at the Crossroads"

In our readings this week about art and politics in Latin America, Diego Rivera's "Man at the Crossroads" mural caught my attention. In California in 1933, Rivera's patron, John D. Rockefeller, ordered his "Man at the Crossroads" mural to be destroyed because Rivera refused to remove the figure of Lenin from an allegory of progress in the modern age. Here is a link to a picture of the mural before it was destroyed.

Born Into Brothels

I saw a documentary about the children in the Indian red light district called Born Into Brothels. I really enjoyed this documentary a lot and I recommend all to see it. This documentary didn't have anything directly to do with Latin America, but while I was watching the movie I couldn't help but think of Latin America, particularly the movie Men with Guns. Watching the documentary gave you a sense of absolute injustice and anger, but it also gives you a sense of perplexing confusion and helplessness. These children seem doomed despite their goals and desires to repeat the same destructive life that their parents have. Men with Guns has that same feeling, that no matter what the outsiders attempt to do, the situation is so terrible that nothing can help them. Furthermore, I sort of felt that feeling of cycles in Latin American political and economic past sort of echoes that sort of feeling.

Just some thoughts. Go see the movie if you get the chance.

Chile's Easter Island

It being Easter and all, I thought I could tie in Latin America to the holiday, and see if they celebrated any differently. However, I decided to go the more interesting route and researched a little on Easter Island, off of Chile. I found a fascinating webpage that tells about the history of the island, and many of its mysteries, including many links to other webpages with more useful info.

Here's the website.

On the flipside...

Venezuela needs to learn from its southern neighbor, Chile, and elect a more moderate president. Once again, President Hugo Chavez is gearing up for a fight. As he continues to alienate the rest of the world by allying with radical regimes around the globe, thinks continue to look worse and worse for Venezuela. Although Chavez has largely remained within Venezuelan law (or has at least appeared to), his increasingly rabid rhetoric seems to demonstrate a move towards a new authoritarian regime. For the stability of Latin America and the world, let's hope not.

Washington Post article on the subject.

Hasta Luego Presidente Lagos

I disappeared for a few days thanks to a broken computer but now I'm back! Anyway, the Washington Post recently ran an article that chronicles the term of outgoing Chilean president Ricardo Lago. It's sad to see him go after the economic and social turn around brought about by his policies. Hopefully, he'll be re-elected later (consecutive terms aren't allowed under the Chilean constitution). But even more importantly, Chileans must be vigilant in order to continue the successful, moderate policies begun under Lagos and to keep the country from devolving into another dictatorship or other kind of extreme regime. His presidency should be one that other Latin American countries emulate.

Washington Post article on the subject.

The Motorcycle Diaries

I saw the motorcycle diaries this weekend, and it was a great movie. Here is a link to the movie review.

Chavez backing his discourse

We all know Chavez sentiments on the current administration in the United States. It wouldn't be realistic to think that Venezuela would stop exporting oil to the United States, but still Chavez seems to be exploring alternate options like India and China, and intends on cutting oil exports to the US. HE appeared on Al-Jazeera seeking support and allies to unite with him against American imperialist policies. Even if Chavez were to cut oil exports to America, how much would this affect the US, wouldn't another oil exporting country increase their exports? Here is the article from the Washington Post:

Chavez Casts Himself As the Anti Bush

"U.S. Efforts Seen as 'Against Freedom'"

I found this article on the Washington Post regarding Mexico-US relations. As we discussed in class, Mexico's primary goals and objectives in foreign policy and international relations are to expand and ameliorate it's relationship with the United States regarding issues such as immigration, economic advancements, politics, etc. The article touches on very recent negotiations and discussions on the issues, check it out.

Costa Rica and Caricom

Today in class, for all of you that were elsewhere, we discussed Caricom, or The Caribbean Community Secretariat, which is an organization of several small island countries in the Caribbean Sea (you can find out which countries here).

I couldn't help but draw a parallel between Costa Rica and Caricom. Dependence on the US is a common theme, in one way or another, throughout the Western Hemisphere. Costa Rica and Caricom are in need of US for different reasons, but it manifests itself in the same way. Because Costa Rica has no substantial military, it has to make sure not to make any policy, or engage in any relations, that will upset the US too much. This same behavior is true for Caricom, for the same reason, but also because it is dependent on the US for markets in which to engage in trade. I know there are many parallels that can be drawn between many Western Hemisphere states, but I find this particularly interesting, because Costa Rica and the Caricom states are very different in almost every way.

Fidel Castro Listed in Forbes Magazine as Worth $550 Million

According to CNN, Fidel Castro, 78, has been listed in Forbes Magazine as among the wealthiest world leaders. "Once again, they have committed the infamy of speaking about Castro's fortune, placing me almost above the queen of England," Castro said in Havana. "Do they think I am Mobutu or one of the many millionaires, those thieves and plunderers, that the empire has suckled and protected?" The empire that he is refering to is of course the United States.

Forbes believes Castro “derived his fortune from a web of state-owned companies that include retail conglomerate CIMEX, pharmaceutical company Medicuba and a convention center near Havana.”

The Cuban government immediately issued a press statement, dismissing the story as a “campaign of lies". "The revenues of Cuban state-run companies are used exclusively for the benefit of the people. Cuba has the fairest income distribution in the world.”

This is the second year Castro has appeared on the list. Last year, his worth was an estimated $150 million.

Cuba Diaries by Isadora Tattlin

Cuaderno Latinoamericano
My parents recently gave me a book entitled Cuba Diaries by Isadora Tattlin that was published in 2002. I just finished it and want to recommend it to anyone that is even slightly interested in the current affairs and standard of living in Cuba. It is a true account of life written by the wife of an American diplomat posted in Cuba in the 1990s. I found it interesting because she points out the many disparities between the socioeconomic classes of Cuba, especially the differences between the elite/foreigners and the mostly poor citizens. She points out at one point that beggars ask for soap instaed of money. USA Today's review of the book says, "Cuba Diaries leaves fascinating and indelible images of the everyday reality for the inhabitants of Fidel Castro's fiefdom...and pointedly illustrates the impact of what Cubans refer to as el triunfo de la revolucion." It was a good read, and I'd be happy to loan it out if anyone is interested.

M-13 arrests

This is an addendum to the earlier post about M-13, the gang made up mostly of illegal Central American immigrants. This article gives a little background of the gang and information about the nationwide crackdown that resulted in over 100 arrests. The article mentions that one of the leaders of the gang was nicknamed El Culiche, which the article translates as "Tapeworm." I suppose I have to trust the article, but seriously, what kind of gang leader names himself after an intestinal parasite?