Amid all the news out there this Monday morning (health care bills, awakened Ft. Hood shooters, menacing Gulf hurricanes, over-bonused bankers) this little gem caught my eye.
From the AP: Chavez to troops: Prepare for war with Colombia
"President Hugo Chavez ordered Venezuela's military on Sunday to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying the country's soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the South American neighbors. "The best way to avoid war is preparing for it," Chavez told military officers standing at attention during his weekly television and radio program."
Chavez is worried about the influence the US exerts over Colombia, their military cooperation, and argues that the Obama Administration could try to stir up a conflict between the two South American nations (because they're not busy enough?). From the Venezuelan perspective a new military pact between the US and Colombia threatens the region's stability.
"According to Francisco Javier Arias, deputy Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Colombia signed a pact with the U.S. allowing the Americans to freely use Colombian military bases and airports to secure the "continuity of the empire." "President Uribe is putting the region at risk to secure his re-election, dragging an elephant like the United States into a china shop, with the idea of solve problems that this northern country is not interested in," the official told Colombian Caracol Radio.
Chavez ordered 15,000 additional Venezuelan troops to the border. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe plans to appeal to the UN Security Council.
A sure way to get people riled up in Quince Mil, a sweltering outpost in Peru's southern jungle, is to ask about the origin of the town's uncommon name. There are at least four versions explaining the name, which means "Fifteen Thousand," each more colorful than the one before it. Mayor Mario Samanez claims to have the official version. He says its rains around 15,000 mm (590 inches) each year in the town, hence the name. "This is the spot with the world's second highest amount of rainfall annually. That is where the name comes from," Samanez says.
Actually the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does not list Quince Mil among the wettest places in the world. The title goes to Mawsynram, India, with 467 inches, followed by jungle spots in Colombia and Hawaii.
Local residents in Quince Mil have their own theories about the name. Some say a group of explorers passing through lost 15,000 pesos where the town now stands. The place was called 15,000 because that's what the explorers would ask for every time they came back to search for the cash. The town's name has become a synonym for bad luck. But malevolence may be at the origin as well. Fernando Farro, a local farmer, says Quince Mil takes its name from the amount of money the Peruvian government gave Russian fortune-seekers at the turn of the 20th century to eliminate Amazonian tribes and open the area for sugar plantations. And that darker explanation may be more relevant now as more and more attention is being paid to the backwater town.
Quince Mil sits at a strategic point on one of the final legs of a new highway that will link Peru's Pacific coast to Sao Paulo on Brazil's southern Atlantic coast. A few years ago it would take a week to get from Cuzco, in the Andes, to Quince Mil, with the road reaching elevations of 14,000 feet and descending fast into thick, tropical forest. The same route, now being paved by a Brazilian construction company, will take around six hours when the road is finished. "The road means radical change for the population. It is a great opportunity for people throughout the valley to get their products to markets," says Samanez, who expects the blacktop to finally reach the town in mid-2010.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Two men were granted a marriage license in Argentina's capital on Monday, breaking ground in a country and region where laws ban gay marriage.
At least 22 people died and another 31 were injured in eastern Peru when a bus plunged off a mountain road, news reports said Monday.
The state-run Andina news agency had reported 19 dead Sunday, just hours after the early morning accident in the Andes Mountains.
The bus, which carried foreign tourists, was only eight minutes away from arriving at the town of Quichuas on Sunday morning, Andina news said. It was traveling from the town of Ayacucho to Peru's capital, Lima, news reports said.
Most of the passengers were students and staff from the University of Huamanga, said Radio Programas del Peru, known as RPP. Three students and a professor were among those killed, RPP said.
Two of the dead were Colombians, RPP said.
The vehicle came to rest more than 100 meters (328 feet) below the road, in the rocky Mantaro River, Andina said.
Officials were still investigating the cause of the accident Monday. The bus was operated by the Molina Union transportation company, Andina said.
Thomson: New Bolivian Constitution marks first recognition of indigenous autonomy in 500 years. Part 1
Sinclair Thomson discusses the passing of a historic referendum in Bolivia that saw an over 60% support from the population. The referendum is precedent setting as, he says, “this is the first time Bolivia ever had a popular democratic vote on a constitution.” He explains that the referendum was an “intensely fought over campaign, and yet at the end it is a very solid victory. This Constitution came about as a result of a wave of uprisings against neo-liberal governments and the presence of transnational firms who exploit natural gas.” He continued to explain the referendum “is going to reconsolidate State control over strategic natural resources in the country,” and that “though it compromised a lot of [indigenous peoples’] demands, it recognizes their rights, and for the first time, their autonomy.”
Sinclair Thomson is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Department of History. He is the author of We Alone Will Rule: Native Andean Politics in the Age of Insurgency (2003) and co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (2007).
More than thirty protestors and police died after an indigenous Indian blockade of a highway in northern Peru was violently broken up by the authorities on 5th June 2009. According to reports, around 200 people were wounded.
The protests, in place since 9th April, were in response to government laws and policies that violate indigenous peoples’ rights and make it easier for outsiders to seize control of their territories.
Tribal rights NGO Survival International has published this video in which eyewitnesses to the recent violence in Peru’s Amazon give a dramatic account of what happened.
Thomson: The recently passed constitution in Bolivia marks significant concessions by Morales. Part 2
To understand the significance of the recently passed referendum in Bolivia, Sharmini Peries speaks to Sinclair Thomson, co-author of Revolutionary Horizons. Thomson says, “one of the interesting things about this document, is that it is a compromised document. It’s the outcome of a struggle between popular social forces and the government on the one hand and right-wing opposition forces based in the lowlands of Bolivia.” He concludes that, “this document represents the interests of both sides.” He continues to say that, “this Constitution is disappointing for indigenous peoples because it doesn’t allow for the redistribution of existing large-scale agricultural estates,” but explains the reform will affect future ones. Another major change introduced with the referendum is a new limit on the presidential reelection term, largely, Thomson says, because of a propaganda campaign the right wing opposition waged against Evo Morales, portraying him as a dictator.
Sinclair Thomson is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Department of History. He is the author of We Alone Will Rule: Native Andean Politics in the Age of Insurgency (2003) and co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (2007).
New constitution in Bolivia and the new U.S. government. Part 3
In September’s UNASUR meeting, Latin American leaders discussed and agreed to support Evo Morales in Bolivia. This international integration, Thomson says, “really shifted the balance of forces.” It “was decisive in shifting the political momentum in Bolivia and opened up the possibility of negotiations between the [Morales] government and the right wing.” This support allowed for the political environment that set the stage for the recently passed referendum. UNASUR’s formation is a change from the previous largely U.S. controlled political setting in Latin America. These governments are coming together, Thomson says, “against the hegemony of the neo-liberal model,” and “to assert their states in managing their economies and increasing national sovereignty.” The region’s relationship with the United States may also soon change as many expect Obama’s administration will have a different foreign policy than the historic involvement U.S. exercised in the 20th century.
Sinclair Thomson is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Department of History. He is the author of We Alone Will Rule: Native Andean Politics in the Age of Insurgency (2003) and co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (2007).
The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is an attempt to expand the failed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to every country in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, except Cuba. Negotiations began right after the completion of NAFTA in 1994 and were supposed to have been completed by January 1, 2005.
But an exciting thing happened: the FTAA was not signed on January 1st. Led by strong social movements across the hemisphere, countries like Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil have said NO to a model that has increased poverty across the globe, and are instead searching for a better model of regional integration.
Add your support to the thousands of people who are organizing to show that NAFTA should not be expanded but should be replaced with an international system of cooperation that fosters social equality, human rights, cultural diversity, environmental sustainability, and community well being. We've stopped the FTAA - for now. And now we MUST STOP CAFTA!!
Groups around the hemisphere have also been working together on an alternative agreement that will offer a workable vision of what a fair trade agreement would look like (see www.asc-hsa.org).The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is an attempt to expand the failed North... more
From BBC: They look like huge abandoned volleyball nets facing west towards the Pacific Ocean on one of the many hillsides in the Peruvian capital, Lima. They started as an experiment two years ago and now they are giving a lifeline to some of Lima's poorest residents. The Peruvian capital gets an average of just over 40mm (1.5 inches) of rainfall a year but what it does not get in showers, it makes up for in fog.
For nine months of the year, much of the coastal city is shrouded in sea mist and these nets are being used to trap it. The nets capture the fog in their thick plastic mesh and the drops fall into makeshift gutters that run along the bottom and drain into swimming pool-sized collection tanks further down the hillside. Using four of these simple 8m x 4m structures, this community, perched on the foothills of the Andes in Lima's Villa Maria del Triunfo district, can harvest around 240 litres of water every night and the similar amount during the course of the day.From BBC: They look like huge abandoned volleyball nets facing west towards the... more
From BBC: A senior commander of Colombia's second-largest rebel group, the ELN, has broken out of prison after an armed raid by fellow rebels, officials say. Gustavo Anibal Giraldo was being transferred to a court hearing when three gunmen on motorbikes attacked his eight-man escort. One guard was killed and another hurt as the rebels overwhelmed the convoy in the north-eastern city of Arauca. The ELN commander then fled on the back of a waiting motorcycle. Police found a van and two motorcycles abandoned near the Venezuelan border shortly after Wednesday's attack.
Gustavo Anibal Giraldo Quinchia, better known by his alias Pablito, is believed to have fled to Venezuela. Colombia's police chief announced a $830,000 (£518,000) reward for any information leading to his capture and asked Venezuela to co-operate in the manhunt. Pablito is charged with kidnapping two US reporters and an American helicopter mechanic several years ago in Colombia. All three US nationals were later released unharmed.
The rebel leader was captured in January 2008, in what was seen as a heavy blow to the ELN (the National Liberation Army), the BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Colombia reports.From BBC: A senior commander of Colombia's second-largest rebel group, the ELN, has... more
Former police chief in Argentina Mario Ferreyra was giving an interview for a local TV channel when he was informed the police were coming to arrest him. The man, accused of kidnapping and torture during the military government that ran Argentina between 1976 and 1983, told his wife he would love her forever and shot himself dead in front of the camera.
Apparently, the suicide was part of a pact of silence. Ferryra would not testify against former colleagues accused of crimes against human rights during the so-called "Dirty war" - a seven-year campaign by the Argentine government in which up to 30,000 suspected dissidents mysteriously disappeared ("los desaparecidos").Former police chief in Argentina Mario Ferreyra was giving an interview for a local TV... more
Looking at pictures of the Andean ridges, running like exposed spinal columns down the Western flank of Latin America, one is struck immediately by their white tips.
Soon, pictures are going to be the only way to see that whiteness.
Peruvian glaciers have long been known to be melting; Bolivia’s Chacaltaya glacier is fast disappearing; and now experts say Colombia is on pace to lose all of its Andean glaciers in the next 25 years if current trends continue. ...Looking at pictures of the Andean ridges, running like exposed spinal columns down the... more
"Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has approved a controversial bill allowing Amazon farmers to acquire an area of public land larger than France.
But the president vetoed some of the most contentious clauses that would have enabled absentee landlords and companies to benefit from the measure.
Smaller parcels of public land will be handed over for free, and larger ones at reduced or market rates.
Critics say it will amount to an amnesty for illegal land-grabbers.
The law is intended to end the chaotic state of land occupation in the Amazon.
Hundreds of thousands of farmers have no legal title over their land, with claims often dating back decades.
President Lula vetoed changes to the bill made during its passage through congress, which he claims would have altered the original aim to benefit smaller farmers.
But he has left in a clause that allows larger properties to be sold on within three years, instead of requiring the new owner to hold on to the land for at least a decade.
Environmental groups fear that could lead to a heating up of land speculation in the Amazon and encourage occupation of new forest areas.
Among the critics of the measure have been federal prosecutors in the Amazon, who claim it is unconstitutional because it enables land to be given to people who have acquired it illegally, and because it could infringe the rights of traditional and indigenous communities. "
-from BBC"Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has approved a controversial bill... more
Hugo Chavez, stirred up things more by calling the Colombian defense minister a "mental retard."
Colombian soccer players found dead in Venezuela
25 Oct 2009 20:24:43 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Grisly end to kidnapping saga on border
* Chavez insults Colombian minister in drugs spat (Adds Colombia offering to help solve crime)
By Enrique Andres Pretel
CARACAS, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Venezuela said on Sunday at least 10 members of an amateur Colombian soccer team had been found dead after being kidnapped on its side of the border.
The murders added another complication to fractious ties between the two South American neighbors. Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez, stirred up things more by calling the Colombian defense minister a "mental retard."
Caracas broke off relations and minimized trade earlier this year due to Colombia's acceptance of U.S. military bases on its soil. Bogota is one of the main U.S. allies in the region, whereas Chavez is a highly vocal critic of Washington.
The Colombian soccer players, seized on Oct. 11, were found with bullet wounds in various parts of western Tachira state, Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez told reporters.
One of the 12 men survived the ordeal, while another was still missing, Venezuelan authorities said.
Kidnappings and armed disputes are rife on both sides of the frontier, where Colombian guerrilla groups, paramilitary militia and criminal gangs all operate.
Carrizalez said the deaths of the football players, whom local media have said were local tradesmen in Venezuela for a match, were related to Colombia's internal conflict. He gave no further details.
Colombia offered to cooperate with Venezuelan authorities in bringing those responsible for the deaths to justice.
"This deplorable act shows that terrorism is international, that it does not respect frontiers," Colombian President Alvaro Uribe told reporters.Hugo Chavez, stirred up things more by calling the Colombian defense minister a... more
About 600 miles west of the Ecuadorian coast sits the volcanic archipelago, which hosts a number of endemic species that largely depend on each other to survive, reported Reuters.
According to scientists, sudden and frequently changing sea temperatures and the death of coral reefs near the islands reveal the impact global warming is having on local sea life.
"The coral reefs create a habitat; they are like a forest, like the Amazon. They are home to scores of species. ... If the corals die we lose thousands of species that are associated to the coral," said German marine biologist Judith Denkinger.
"Everything is intertwined. You can't say this is land, this is sea, they are both one," Denkinger said.About 600 miles west of the Ecuadorian coast sits the volcanic archipelago, which... more
Just over two weeks ago, this striking city landed the 2016 Olympic Games, the first ever in South America, setting off a sweaty, impromptu beach party that lasted most of the weekend. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil sobbed with happiness. Rio’s residents glowed with pride.
Residents of a Rio neighborhood found the body of a man in a cart on Tuesday. They said the man was killed by a rival gang.
Then over the weekend, in a chilling outburst of violence, drug traffickers wielding what the police say they believe was a large-caliber weapon shot down a police helicopter just one mile from Maracana stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics will be held and the World Cup final will be played two years before the Olympics.
Suddenly, the celebration has been overwhelmed by hand-wringing that Rio’s chronic drug violence, its Achilles’ heel, is being laid bare before the world, and at a particularly inopportune time. Brazilian leaders are touring the world, searching for the investors needed to pay for the billions of dollars in infrastructure required for the events.
The images of the downed police helicopter “really shocked Brazilians, and now everyone is worried about what will happen with the Games,” said Nadine Matos, 21, who works at a hair salon a block from Copacabana Beach. “We need to tell the world where we stand so that people outside Brazil understand what measures we are taking and are not so worried when planning to come down here.”
More @ linkJust over two weeks ago, this striking city landed the 2016 Olympic Games, the first... more
Guerillas with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia tortured and killed 17 native Awas because they believed the Awa were working with the government. "Guerillas with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia tortured and killed 17... more
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered his ambassador Saturday to go back to Colombia amid tense diplomatic relations between the two countries.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered his ambassador Saturday to go back to... more
Rendon Herrera, 43, who according to police is the leading figure in Colombia's drug-trafficking, right-wing paramilitary groups has been arrested in Columbia.
Columbian officials had offered a reward of up to $2m for information leading to his capture and he was finally arrested in the northern Colombian city of Apartado in a raid involving 300 police.
The Drug Enforcement Administration chief of intelligence Anthony Placido said Rendon Herrera is wanted in the United States on drug-trafficking charges and that the US government would seek his extradition for trial.Rendon Herrera, 43, who according to police is the leading figure in Colombia's... more
