05.09.08
Posted in U.S. Policy, El Salvador at 10:11 am by russ
As I said before, I’m very excited that they started this blog.
Geoff Thale, WOLA’s program director, testified in Congress today on the package’s Central America component. It includes many positive aspects, he said.
But it also contains some misguided ideas about where to spend money on ending gang violence. If there is one thing that all serious research on Central American gangs has shown, it’s that they aren’t mainly a transnational phenomenon. They require community-based, preventive responses that are tailored to the particular kinds of problems that gangs pose in a particular place. Yes, gangs are a serious security challenge, but it’s a mistake to see them as cross-border criminal enterprises stretching from Central America to the United States. Gangs in San Salvador have only very tenuous ties to those in Virginia or Los Angeles, according to numerous studies (and this one).
Yet the Merida Initiative focuses on the transnational aspects of gang violence.
Post goes on to outline what the bill does trying to combat the international aspects of gangs, what Thale said they should do instead (focus on local rehabilitation, etc.) and provides a link to the full testimony.
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05.07.08
Posted in Cuba, Human Rights at 9:17 pm by russ
Not abolition, but looks like a good move in that direction. If they abolish would that make the U.S. the only country with capital punishment in the Western Hemisphere? I remember something about people trying to reinstate it in Peru but didn’t hear if they were successful.
HAVANA, Apr 29 (IPS) - Cuban President Raúl Castro’s announcement that virtually all death sentences would be commuted to terms of 30 years to life was welcomed Tuesday by social sectors calling for the abolition of capital punishment.
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Posted in Blogs, Latin America at 9:02 pm by russ
Really good post by Greg. If you don’t always read him be sure to catch it. Perceptive and funny, as is much of what he writes.
Time Magazine has released its 2008 list of the 100 most influential people, so I couldn’t resist checking out the Latin America connection—the total is four. Either Hugo Chávez or Lula really should be vying for the first Latin American on the list, but neither makes it anywhere.
So what they really have is the ‘most influentialish’ list. These are Latin Americans who will not offend a U.S. audience, and make us feel good that we stick them on a list.
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Posted in Activism, Blogs at 8:51 pm by russ
The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) has a new blog, called WOLAblog. With a name so similar to my blog how could I not link to them? Seriously, I’ve been a fan of theirs for some time and knew a couple of their people when I worked in DC. I’ve added them to my newsfeeds and would encourage you to do the same.
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05.06.08
Posted in U.S. Policy at 6:15 pm by russ
Published today because he lives in NC.
Voy a permitirme, sin embargo, el placer de una opinión ecuánime y cauta: diré que es probable, más que probable, sumamente probable, que el joven senador de Illinois va a ser dentro de poco el candidato unánime de los demócratas y que en enero de 2009, para nuestro asombro y delectación, veremos a un hombre de raza negra ingresar en forma victoriosa a una Casa Presidencial que fue construida hace doscientos años por miles de esclavos norteamericanos y que se llama, paradójicamente, quizás ahora irónicamente, la Casa Blanca, la White House.
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05.05.08
Posted in Activism, U.S. Policy, Human Rights at 1:54 pm by russ
If your Rep. isn’t on the list please make the quick call. I have David Price, Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr saved in my cell phone so that way I can make these calls much quicker than if I had to dig up the number. It’s somewhat funny when I scroll past them looking for someone else, but, heck, I probably call David Price’s office more often than I call some people I have saved in my phone…
We have 122 cosponsors! Representative McGovern introduced HR 1707, the Latin America Military Training Review Act on March 27, 2007 with 71 bipartisan cosponsors and has grown to 122 cosponsors, listed at the bottom of this page. This legislation would suspend operations at the SOA/ WHINSEC and investigate the history of torture and human rights abuses associated with the school.
Hundreds of offices have been visited, but we need YOUR support for adding additional cosponsors! There are several ways that you can get involved including sending a letter, making a call, or scheduling a meeting, and all the tools and resources you need are below!
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05.03.08
Posted in U.S. Policy, Nicaragua at 10:17 pm by russ
Looking quickly, I couldn’t find other English language stories on this, except for a story in Cuban state media. I’d be interested to get more information on this. If NicaNet sends an alert I’ll pass it on. If you see any good stories please link in the comments.
In Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega is accusing the Bush administration of financing opponents in an attempt to overthrow his government. On Thursday, Ortega said the US embassy is helping organize protests to bring Nicaragua to a standstill.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega: “At some point, we will name those members of the Yankee embassy who are putting forward millions in financing for false union leaders and fake political leaders to organize protests against the revolutionary government. They are worried, because the country will not go to the streets against the revolutionary government. They want to do the same that they did to Salvador Allende.”
Ortega was elected in 2006 in defiance of US threats to impose economic sanctions and withdraw aid if he won. Ortega headed the Sandinista government in the 1980s that was a repeated target of Reagan administration subversion and economic warfare.
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05.02.08
Posted in Activism, Human Rights at 11:36 am by russ
I was there when the arrest happened. If you have a moment to call please do so. The site also lets you send an email.
After a 16 day sit-in, the University of North Carolina has chosen to arrest students rather than adopt the Designated Suppliers Program. Call, email, and fax Chancellor Moeser today demanding that UNC drop all charges and adopt the DSP!
Chancellor Moeser: (919) 962-1365:
Hello, my name is _______ and I am a _______ from _____. I am shocked that, instead of listening to students demands, you have chosen instead to have them arrested. UNC needs to act as a leader on this issue by adopting the DSP and dropping all charges against students. Thank you.
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04.26.08
Posted in Latin America at 9:22 pm by russ
Still more on this issue. This weekend I went to this conference on it, right in the middle of my game theory take home. Does that mean I’m not a rational actor?
Four Latin American leaders, meeting in Caracas, have agreed on a $100m (£50m) scheme to combat the impact of rising food prices on the region’s poor.
The presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela and Cuba’s vice-president also agreed on joint programmes to promote the development of agriculture.
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04.23.08
Posted in Trade / Debt, Latin America, Food at 4:16 pm by russ
The article also discusses the state of Latin America’s economy in relation to the world economy and reports another estimate of the impact of food prices on poverty that is not as bad.
SANTIAGO, Apr 22 (IPS) - The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) called on countries in the region Tuesday to take urgent measures to deal with the rising cost of food, which threatens to tip an additional 15 million people into extreme poverty.
[…]
An ECLAC communiqué released on Apr. 18 says that since early 2006 and especially 2007, consumer price indexes for food have increased in most countries in the region, by between six and 20 percent a year, and around 15 percent on average.
Because this situation mainly affects the poorest families, ECLAC urged countries in the region to adopt urgent measures, adapted to the reality of each country. Some of the recommendations are to reduce import tariffs and/or sales taxes, provide targeted subsidies to the most vulnerable sectors, or increase already existing assistance.
‘In countries where 15, 20 or 30 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty, action must be taken now,’ Machinea told IPS. ‘But there are several countries in the region that do not have the fiscal resources to act, and in these cases, international aid is crucial.’
ECLAC considers it necessary for industrialised and middle-income countries that are net exporters of food to make a special contribution to agencies that can deliver emergency aid to at-risk populations, like the World Food Programme (WFP).
A 15 percent increase in food prices would drive up extreme poverty in the region from 12.7 to 15.9 percent, says ECLAC.
This means that if steps are not immediately taken, 15.7 million Latin Americans could fall into extreme poverty and a similar number into poverty.
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04.22.08
Posted in Brazil, Food at 3:00 pm by russ
I’ve greatly pruned back the number of news feeds so I don’t feel overwhelmed by the flood of information, but I’ll always get the IPS Latin America feed.
“RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 21 (IPS) - The people of Brazil have reason to believe that they are making a real contribution to reducing hunger and environmental threats in the world by developing agricultural technology that has begun to be shared with poorer countries.
One example is the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation’s (EMBRAPA) new office in Africa, which was inaugurated Sunday in Accra by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on an official visit to Ghana.
Brazil has also made progress in following many of the recommendations of the three- year International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), Paulo Galerani, technical coordinator of EMBRAPA in Africa, told IPS.
Later this on biofuels:
Brazil has put a high priority on the development of agrofuels, with President Lula making frequent tours abroad and signing agreements with a number of countries.
However, the Brazilian government and business community face the challenge of refuting loud criticism of biofuels, which are accused by many of driving up food prices.
Brazil seems to be on the losing end of the information war, having failed to demonstrate to global public opinion the difference between the ethanol it has produced from sugar cane to replace gasoline for more than 30 years, and U.S. biofuels, which are based on corn and have accentuated imbalances in the global food market.
Lula is convinced that biofuels present an opportunity for agricultural development in Africa, where he believes they can reduce hunger and poverty by generating incomes and improving rural living conditions, while at the same time helping to mitigate climate change by replacing fossil fuels.”
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Posted in Latin America, Food at 8:30 am by russ
While Africa and parts of Asia are being hit hardest by this crisis, Latin America is certainly feeling it, too. I guess I’m supposed to be excited to have my research area becoming relevant but must say I’d be thrilled if I had to pick a new research agenda because there was no hunger left to study.
The 2,500-page WFP report says the world produces enough food for every one, yet over 800 million people go hungry. Its authors say food is cheaper and diets are better than 40 years ago, but malnutrition and food insecurity threatens millions nonetheless.
“The unequal distribution of food and conflict over control of the world’s dwindling natural resources presents a major political and social challenge to governments,” said the report’s authors. “[It is] likely to reach crisis status as climate change advances and world population expands from 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050.”
For his part, Brown is particularly concerned about the impact of U.S. policies on the growing food insecurity worldwide, and he is not convinced Washington has any plans to help mitigate the problem. “I don’t think the U.S. has realized the seriousness of the problem we are facing,” he told OneWorld.
“I am not sure they have any understanding of what is happening.”
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