tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77214066783742778292024-03-14T03:55:22.359-06:00LADB BlogThe Latin America Digital Beat(LADB) is the University of New Mexico's premier English language Latin America news service. Established as a unit of the Latin American and Iberian Institute in 1986, LADB has had an Internet presence since 1996. LADB is located on the UNM campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12207572449382209652noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-67795636383068109872017-12-18T14:29:00.000-07:002017-12-20T12:23:53.009-07:00Season's Greetings and Best Wishes from LADB<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vsIsUmtig5VQNQC-BzI7CFA1AejLHBaXhRAQNcKoyMtrzU6izLnIJKoVARZwwO1K813NJMtA3VvGgsUEY_nh-ZK-zUHkSCVh7bInjeUP6jQa1-QiJmfYWH_JeGqMd7RMSQh19Fz-Bpwe/s1600/Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1600" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vsIsUmtig5VQNQC-BzI7CFA1AejLHBaXhRAQNcKoyMtrzU6izLnIJKoVARZwwO1K813NJMtA3VvGgsUEY_nh-ZK-zUHkSCVh7bInjeUP6jQa1-QiJmfYWH_JeGqMd7RMSQh19Fz-Bpwe/s400/Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On behalf of our editors and writers and our administrative unit (Latin American and Iberian Institute at the University of New Mexico), the Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) would like to extend warm holiday wishes to our subscribers and readers. </span></i><br />
<br />
One important development for us in the past year is the change of our name. We kept the same acronym, but we became Latin America Digital Beat (previously the Latin America Data Base) and launched a <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/">redesigned website</a>.<br />
<br />
We look forward to continuing our detailed coverage of Latin America into the new year. We will begin our new coverage of the region in January. However, we would like to take a quick peek at some of the events that affected Latin America in a significant way during 2017 (and many of these same issues are very likely to resurface in 2018).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Colombia and Venezuela </b></span><br />
One of the most important topics we covered was the implementation of a <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/08/04-080369">peace accord in Colombia</a>, an agreement that ended more than half a century of conflict. There is resistance to the accord from some sectors of the Colombian political spectrum, so watch for more coverage of this topic in 2018.<br />
<br />
We also saw the<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/03/17-080241"> near collapse </a>of the the Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro, but a divided opposition and clever political maneuvering have allowed the administration <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/08/25-080387">to remain in power</a>. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Elections</b></span><br />
Electoral developments were important part of our coverage during the past year. Presidential elections were held in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/04/21-080271">Ecuador</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/12/07-080472">Honduras</a> and a primary election took place in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/12/01-080466">Chile</a>. In addition, regional and/or legislative elections were held in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/09/01-080394">Argentina</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/06/14-080321">Mexico,</a> <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/11/10-080460">Venezuela</a>, and<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/11/30-080464"> Nicaragua</a>. We also covered the installation of new or incumbent leaders in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/03/09-080233">Haiti</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/01/19-080183">Nicaragua</a>, and electoral maneuvering in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/04/07-080263">Chile</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/03/31-080253">Paraguay</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/12/14-080478">Bolivia, Costa Rica</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/09/22-080416">Colombia</a>, and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/08/09-080372">Mexico</a> ahead of important elections in 2018 and beyond. Corruption scandals also were the topic of our coverage, particularly in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/07/28-080360">Brazil</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/11/02-080447">Guatemala</a>. <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/03/02-080227">El Salvador, </a><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/03/23-080245">The Dominican Republic</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/04/07-080263">Mexico</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/05/12-080292">Chile</a>, and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/05/26-080305">Peru. </a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Trump Effect</b></span><br />
The arrival of a new administration in the United States also had a very deep impact on the region, particularly on immigrants from Mexico, the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/03/02-080226">Northern Triangle</a> countries (Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras) of Central America, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/08/10-080373">Cuba</a>, and <a href="http://haiti./">Haiti</a> The Trump administration's protectionist policies have also had significant economic implications for Mexico, particularly the push to <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/10/18-080440">renegotiate</a> and/or its threat to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Social Issues</b></span><br />
Continued violence against journalists in Mexico, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/08/30-080390">particularly Veracruz state</a>,
ensured that the country remained one of the most dangerous places in
the world for the news media. Violence also remains a constant in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/10/19-080443">Central America</a>, even though the region is official "at peace." Two countries, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/05/18-080299">El Salvador</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/09/15-080410">Chile</a>, moved to reduce some restrictions on abortion, but policies remain fairly restrictive in the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/05/05-080286">region</a> as a whole. <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/08/18-080382">Uruguay </a>legalized limited sales of marijuana, while <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/05/03-080281">Mexico's Congress</a> passed an initiative approving the use of pot for medical purposes.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/10/12-080437">Hati,</a> the Senate approved a harsh law that would make same-sex marriage––and any pro-diversity expressions––punishable by both prison and an exorbitant fine. In Mexico, President Enrique Peña Nieto’s campaign to legalize same-sex marriage
throughout <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/01/18-080188">Mexico</a> suffered a major setback when a key committee of the
Chamber of Deputies rejected an amendment to the Constitution allowing
such unions<br />
<br />
The Catholic Church remains a major source of opposition to liberalized laws on abortion, same-sex marriage and legalization of marijuana. Conversely, the Vatican under the leadership of Pope Francis is moving toward promoting a church that is more open and responsive to the poor in Latin America with the appointment of new leaders in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/12/13-080477">Mexico</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/04/27-080276">Costa Rica.</a><br />
<br />
Disastsers also were part of our coverage during the past year, including two major earthquakes in Mexico, one in the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/09/13-080406">southern region</a> of the country and the other in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/09/27-080418">Mexico City</a>, Three major hurricanes caused significant damage in the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/10/05-080426">Caribbean</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/10/05-080427">Cuba</a>.<br />
<br />
Below are excerpts from some of the pieces we covered and the journalists who wrote the articles. Here are biographies of our 2017 <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/about/contributor">Editorial Team</a> and occasional writer <a href="http://www.janelleconaway.com/Janelle_Bio.html">Janelle Conaway.</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwCi2xZLh_k8PcxFzM99m4akvSOmE6H6ZcSUFbMIyH0-Atx0D9QeWWA2cl4ffgKkzpQpZFYgS9AJyPqzAZScrjtVkK8RSoIeSEh-4RbovSBQCTYyIkURsg8EDefJ_tax1HfiplbasJ-My/s1600/Elsa2015.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="945" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwCi2xZLh_k8PcxFzM99m4akvSOmE6H6ZcSUFbMIyH0-Atx0D9QeWWA2cl4ffgKkzpQpZFYgS9AJyPqzAZScrjtVkK8RSoIeSEh-4RbovSBQCTYyIkURsg8EDefJ_tax1HfiplbasJ-My/s200/Elsa2015.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>With Rev. Raul Navarro, S.J.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Peru:</b><i> A series of events––including a teachers’ strike lasting more than 70
days; Congress’ questioning and censure of the education minister 90
days after doing the same against her predecessor; its refusal to grant
the vote of confidence requested by the prime minister, and the
resulting reorganization of the Cabinet––shows that Peru’s president is
facing a political crisis. Continuously fueling this crisis is an
already tense relationship between the executive branch and the
opposition-controlled legislature.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Elsa Chanduví Jaña</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/09/29-080423">NotiSur, September 29, 2017 </a></span><br />
*(Elsa is also our Assignment Editor)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfuMelYNrZPrDgL_SlfhUAKpMsHy2ULWtf9vGvfU3bwReN3USyt0K2qb-k6dtMoF-4OqOwspVfh2MqdCIMa45YwwL3yIyKjqrcI_gBnx_ZdNAtQceYWXuivtDro97VqJX9MARpzn7hbVE/s1600/Janelle_Bio_Photo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfuMelYNrZPrDgL_SlfhUAKpMsHy2ULWtf9vGvfU3bwReN3USyt0K2qb-k6dtMoF-4OqOwspVfh2MqdCIMa45YwwL3yIyKjqrcI_gBnx_ZdNAtQceYWXuivtDro97VqJX9MARpzn7hbVE/s200/Janelle_Bio_Photo.gif" width="132" /></a></div>
<b>Venezuela: </b><i>With Venezuela’s political, economic, security, and
humanitarian crisis deepening, the region is seeing a growing wave of
Venezuelan migrants. These are no longer the most privileged—many of those left
in the early years of the Bolivarian revolution—but often the more desperate. Some
are making perilous journeys into the hinterlands of Brazil, while tens of thousands
more have poured into Colombia—in many cases, returning to the country their
families had fled decades ago. On a much smaller scale, some Venezuelans have even
set out to sea in rickety boats, to try their luck in Aruba or Cura<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ç</span>ao. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) recently called on
countries in the region to take special measures to protect Venezuelan
migrants </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Janelle Conaway</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/05/05-080286">NotiSur, May 5, 2017</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijx8SwDD1IwkXsswb0YtxztagppOi0R-CC5oAgHfXX3SJ-EbRvBFaB4TfDuqnU1XSYtmiq7DUsc8aDLbALibzS72bclWRgC0GVRnHXC6bzGjC5wkzEyGggKIp5Pu1YeibEs3528CiO-v4t/s1600/Lindajoy+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijx8SwDD1IwkXsswb0YtxztagppOi0R-CC5oAgHfXX3SJ-EbRvBFaB4TfDuqnU1XSYtmiq7DUsc8aDLbALibzS72bclWRgC0GVRnHXC6bzGjC5wkzEyGggKIp5Pu1YeibEs3528CiO-v4t/s200/Lindajoy+2.jpeg" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Lindajoy is also a Translating Editor</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Mexico:</b><i> In the Tierra Caliente (Hot Land) of southwestern Mexico, a region
troubled with narco-driven crime, music schools have popped up in many
small towns, including Tlalchapa, Tlapehuala, Zirándaro, and Arcelia, in
Guerrero; and Zicuirán, Copuyo, and Apatzingán, in Michoacán. Although
many of the places where children learn to play instruments and dance to
traditional music are independent endeavors, the government
occasionally contributes, sometimes in reaction to the violence. El
Tecolote Cultural Center in Arcelia, for example, got help from the
government in the wake of a tragedy that had attracted international
condemnation.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Lindajoy Fenley, </b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/09/13-080407">SourceMex, September 13, 2017 </a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoywhP0qqkCuQ7pTpMiMIMxiTJ0NobCY8ijiKxciIdCdkI-0J_oG2-8TawrbjOV_tBYnxBrd3GMkucqg3AVAtCUmuCFtIqAwo8AeuEvJNCKOj4gRiSwCRWO0cI0J2NB00aj8io2rkj6iXF/s1600/Andres+Gaudin+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="949" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoywhP0qqkCuQ7pTpMiMIMxiTJ0NobCY8ijiKxciIdCdkI-0J_oG2-8TawrbjOV_tBYnxBrd3GMkucqg3AVAtCUmuCFtIqAwo8AeuEvJNCKOj4gRiSwCRWO0cI0J2NB00aj8io2rkj6iXF/s200/Andres+Gaudin+2.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<b>Colombia:</b><i> With the handover to UN inspectors of the remaining weapons in their
arsenal on June 27, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionaria de Colombia
(FARC) guerrillas put an end-note on the longest and costliest internal
war in Latin American history. In the country’s principal cities, the
development was cause for celebration, while for the extreme right, it
was further evidence that the government of President Juan Manuel Santos
has “given itself over to Marxist terrorism.” That sector also warned
that, should it win next year’s elections, it will dismantle,
one-by-one, the agreements that paved the way for peace. </i><br />
<i> </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Andrés Gaudín</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/08/04-080369">NotiSur, August 4, 2017</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_P_ODevf8gYhnmaS4RgcTeRQjhNElgwzz6qlLES_DZqWvzMSIQr2o0ISTDzwaGupkH5xoTGIGO0igsY-jzSmdxSOoOjD0SA5DtWq8_oZO-LoImlI3fBi7yRqRZn_FQF_DshPOTMS2O0d/s1600/Crosby+Giro%25CC%2581n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_P_ODevf8gYhnmaS4RgcTeRQjhNElgwzz6qlLES_DZqWvzMSIQr2o0ISTDzwaGupkH5xoTGIGO0igsY-jzSmdxSOoOjD0SA5DtWq8_oZO-LoImlI3fBi7yRqRZn_FQF_DshPOTMS2O0d/s200/Crosby+Giro%25CC%2581n-1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>Dominican Republic: </b><i>Human rights activists are alarmed that child prostitution and
trafficking have become common in the Dominican Republic. The practice
has been accepted as a source of income by many of the victims’
families, who receive money, gifts, and other goods in exchange for
allowing their children to be exploited, activists say. In 2015,
according to UNICEF República Dominicana, the Attorney General’s Office
(Procuraduría General de la República) received 6,741 complaints of sex
crimes. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Crosby Girón,</b> <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/06/15-080318">NotiCen, June 15, 2017</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYx21nbDWihxaaWCzRMNvUHquhN-ExAGAZ_Z0hvBX6lzQDMHfRsHzBRZYjC-qF6c6636-4AsB2DlsltTNsRKaJjylkstPBGMWQXhKv8R3_DdQawKDbf2RJP1YBPwY5gzEL180veGgD76/s1600/Johanna+Marris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYx21nbDWihxaaWCzRMNvUHquhN-ExAGAZ_Z0hvBX6lzQDMHfRsHzBRZYjC-qF6c6636-4AsB2DlsltTNsRKaJjylkstPBGMWQXhKv8R3_DdQawKDbf2RJP1YBPwY5gzEL180veGgD76/s200/Johanna+Marris.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Region:</b><i> Mostly due to its abundant natural resources, Latin America has long
relied on mineral exports for revenue as its primary means of sustaining
broader economic and social development. However, due to commodity
price fluctuations, this dependence leaves the region vulnerable to
sharp income losses when prices fall, often unpredictably. After a
decade reaping the benefits of a commodity boom, many Latin American
economies have been severely stretched, if not pushed into decline,
during the last two years as a result of global price decreases.</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Johanna Marris</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/05/12-080295">NotiSur, May 12</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK_qG9_4_BbNYgQhkQORloibXNk59K7cqr-zahtgEocuFq8so5W4gE3REaUDMwFgBUTHDkg2vLOxUjGD3281StD6Y3U_AF64JE91J11n-8wgEpjKhyphenhyphenInckyhYxur1gLTSuN8hyDbWmvU9/s1600/navarro_carlos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="155" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK_qG9_4_BbNYgQhkQORloibXNk59K7cqr-zahtgEocuFq8so5W4gE3REaUDMwFgBUTHDkg2vLOxUjGD3281StD6Y3U_AF64JE91J11n-8wgEpjKhyphenhyphenInckyhYxur1gLTSuN8hyDbWmvU9/s200/navarro_carlos.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Mexico: </b><i>Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the center-left politician who twice lost
presidential elections by narrow margins, might have much better luck in
the 2018 presidential contest, thanks in part to the policies of US
President Donald Trump. López Obrador, a populist who gained a
reputation for speaking his mind against the neoliberal economic model
and the corruption of the governing party, started to climb rapidly in
the public opinion polls in late January and February of this year.
López Obrador, who is president of the party Movimiento Regeneración
Nacional (Morena), is increasingly seen as the one person who could
stand up to Trump. The US president has angered most Mexicans with his
anti-immigrant rhetoric and his statements showing disrespect for Mexico </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <b>-Carlos Navarro</b> <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/02/22-080216">SourceMex, February 22, 2017</a></span><i><br /></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWtESHztUtxO0qFORXYRQtd4327IXrEIPG9AksZ318Qv0B-BYaJ4JjlpaJjEEaIlDtcv6ipS5wTKjRsoyNYPxn0ekhkfX85XeKEyN80VL2ljZ35KAqCJa2YaGZttQktyl4Q9W2ZS6ajnD/s1600/thumbnail_Louisa+Reynolds+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWtESHztUtxO0qFORXYRQtd4327IXrEIPG9AksZ318Qv0B-BYaJ4JjlpaJjEEaIlDtcv6ipS5wTKjRsoyNYPxn0ekhkfX85XeKEyN80VL2ljZ35KAqCJa2YaGZttQktyl4Q9W2ZS6ajnD/s200/thumbnail_Louisa+Reynolds+1.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
<b>Guatemala: </b><i>A formal request by the US to extradite Roxana Baldetti, the former
Guatemalan vice president, on drug trafficking charges has brought to
light details of her alleged ties to the Zetas Mexican drug cartel. On
June 7, the Attorney General’s Office (Ministerio Público, MP), said in a
press release that it had received a request from the US Department of
Justice for Baldetti’s extradition for “criminal association and
conspiracy to traffic drugs.” </i><i>The disgraced former vice president, who was indicted in the US District
Court for the District of Columbia in February, has denied the charges.</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> -Louisa Reynolds</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/07/13-080346">NotiCen, July 13, 2017</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLAOChDWKQVkqteWiQlubiue075Ucl3uIIHt9jYyrrz8-5f3EWVDh5NdljYADCEMHD2ipgD7pCggTu3VE7M4uR88bbQqPncQBYmey8weBQSZWlkxSyj0ox4ZZx6gBg2ynIWJ71i3o2fRe/s1600/thumbnail_George+Rodr%25C3%25ADguez+Oteiza.-too+smalljpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="119" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLAOChDWKQVkqteWiQlubiue075Ucl3uIIHt9jYyrrz8-5f3EWVDh5NdljYADCEMHD2ipgD7pCggTu3VE7M4uR88bbQqPncQBYmey8weBQSZWlkxSyj0ox4ZZx6gBg2ynIWJ71i3o2fRe/s200/thumbnail_George+Rodr%25C3%25ADguez+Oteiza.-too+smalljpg.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Northern Triangle:</b> <i>If they manage to enter US territory after an extremely perilous journey
through Mexico, migrants from the Northern Triangle of Central America
are now faced with a new risk: Anti-immigration stalwart Donald Trump as
the new tenant at the White House. But the magnitude of the violence in
their home countries––El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras––is such
that it is not likely that their numbers will decrease in the immediate
future.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-George Rodríguez</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/01/26-080192">NotiCen, January 26, 2017</a> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dI0nyWJ7nK3yP-N_OvcFQfSlue5VVmmU6u5T4ulS0SQavgkpJIrwQkBhjG6pvzuA6qI7MEwthqp3yFqOt3R_G0UnLgnRAUJ5sXqgu7k8dd-S8CwGtemH4VCkPKP1QjCFvQJtI-JNXpZZ/s1600/Luis+Angel+Saavedra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dI0nyWJ7nK3yP-N_OvcFQfSlue5VVmmU6u5T4ulS0SQavgkpJIrwQkBhjG6pvzuA6qI7MEwthqp3yFqOt3R_G0UnLgnRAUJ5sXqgu7k8dd-S8CwGtemH4VCkPKP1QjCFvQJtI-JNXpZZ/s200/Luis+Angel+Saavedra.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>
<b>Ecuador:</b><i> President Rafael Correa’s handpicked successor, Lenín Moreno,
was declared the winner of the April 2 presidential elections with
51.15% of the vote. But two weeks later, Moreno has not been able to
overcome the uncertainty caused by the way the Consejo Nacional
Electoral (National Electoral Council, CNE) handled the vote count and
by the contradicting results presented by three pollsters, who gave the
win to Guillermo Lasso, the opposition candidate. Lasso has charged
there was election fraud. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Luis Ángel Saavedra,</b><i> </i><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/04/21-080271">NotiSur, April 21, 2017</a></span><i><br /></i>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87fknCpttH-YGOQzxh3rXZu7pUpU7VvdUkaDNJoIMcWELVhOmeG6BBuSw6fKLQbLbnOSvTwUS7SziOqzfHDtFy6EtW7kkfBCXQ2TgUrT5BFs7M7bfXvykgcYKbHXajk4j85OnuYpeQIB8/s1600/Gregory+Scruggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87fknCpttH-YGOQzxh3rXZu7pUpU7VvdUkaDNJoIMcWELVhOmeG6BBuSw6fKLQbLbnOSvTwUS7SziOqzfHDtFy6EtW7kkfBCXQ2TgUrT5BFs7M7bfXvykgcYKbHXajk4j85OnuYpeQIB8/s200/Gregory+Scruggs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Brazil:</b><i> In a plot twist befitting a telenovela, Brazil’s wildly popular former
president, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva (2003-2011), has been convicted
of corruption and money laundering. He was sentenced to nine and a half
years of prison, but the presiding judge will allow him to keep his
liberty during his appeal. The July 12 decision shook Brazil to its
foundation, with the current and previous two presidents (including da
Silva’s successor, Dilma Rouseff [2011-2016]) now tainted by impropriety
following the June indictment of President Michel Temer on formal
corruption charges. <b></b></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Gregory Scruggs</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/07/28-080360">NotiSur, July 28</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_8YcesbF89x4N7GpV-dNEt9GcRtM3RJQzYxECQBTLctZWY4W9_Ddvfuc29cCLniRQsJ5K7TGtLbH7cV03vLwQqvZspUEcpMdQPYLmyD_JiaaQnBU3QWJMmmCtveC58FZ7mFCQsODatR6/s1600/Dr+Armando+Ch%25C3%25A1vez-Rivera.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="924" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_8YcesbF89x4N7GpV-dNEt9GcRtM3RJQzYxECQBTLctZWY4W9_Ddvfuc29cCLniRQsJ5K7TGtLbH7cV03vLwQqvZspUEcpMdQPYLmyD_JiaaQnBU3QWJMmmCtveC58FZ7mFCQsODatR6/s200/Dr+Armando+Ch%25C3%25A1vez-Rivera.gif" width="137" /></a></div>
<b>Cuba: </b><i>US President Donald Trump’s threatening rhetoric towards the Cuban
government has created uncertainty and resignation among Cuba’s
population––the apparent result of a popular intuition that the recent
period of relationship-building activities was too good to last for
long... Trump’s electoral victory sparked concern about a return to a hostile
state of affairs such as existed during the George W. Bush era, when
remittances sent to Cuba were limited and Cuban-Americans could only
visit relatives on the island for a period of 14 days every three years. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span>"Trump’s announcements about Cuba could have been worse,” said Artemio, a
taxi driver who covers the route from downtown Havana to José Martí
International Airport. There has not been a decrease in travelers from
the US, he said, adding that he felt some concern from Cubans who are
permanent residents of the US but have not been able to gain US
citizenship. </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Daniel Vázquez</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/08/10-080373">NotiCen, August 10, 2017</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP20gz0gWeSOkpKbpi2GTCnoOsFxfLTPMUvFw_-E90Z8IXaUAy1NNcAnhGsWTmFF7H69lHIwF9MrWIEfir0ptZLkdyDi1W6Q7pA9USamhheKVAFGLpC_BXye1WKk2wm_FrWzdsAV3BoJz/s1600/ben-earlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdP20gz0gWeSOkpKbpi2GTCnoOsFxfLTPMUvFw_-E90Z8IXaUAy1NNcAnhGsWTmFF7H69lHIwF9MrWIEfir0ptZLkdyDi1W6Q7pA9USamhheKVAFGLpC_BXye1WKk2wm_FrWzdsAV3BoJz/s200/ben-earlier.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ben is also a Translating Editor</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Nicaragua:</b> <i>With last year’s lopsided and highly controversial presidential and
parliamentary elections, Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega and Rosario
Murillo, his wife and vice president, tightened their already firm grip
over what is now, for all intents and purposes, a one-party state.
Opponents have good reason to question the pair’s democratic credentials
and sense of political fair play. But they proved powerless to stop the
regime as it dismantled, one by one, the various checks and balances
that might have kept Ortega from earning his third consecutive five-year
term as president and fourth overall, not including his period as head
of the country’s post-revolutionary junta government (1979-1985). </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>-Benjamin Witte-Lebhar</b>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/04/27-080275">NotiCen, April 27, 2017</a></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Our Editors and Administrative Unit</span></b></span></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8OBT1bTdNRqTGi07n3-LJwOxBCzHiFE1oIhs8mtH5-fVkKbMQJ5i2p4Y-tykfAKzv2ajCEkRjzKCvnR4MSAcL1FcM34cMGomjaZ8O4K2UuOiwhye2CfgBU12mBUXsxsG8doPG1hIWs5y/s1600/thumbnail_ileana+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8OBT1bTdNRqTGi07n3-LJwOxBCzHiFE1oIhs8mtH5-fVkKbMQJ5i2p4Y-tykfAKzv2ajCEkRjzKCvnR4MSAcL1FcM34cMGomjaZ8O4K2UuOiwhye2CfgBU12mBUXsxsG8doPG1hIWs5y/s320/thumbnail_ileana+1.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ileana Oroza Copy Editor</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUCb0KNWj0CtD-gO7xw99t9yB4bft-NFY8-odlu7dFd1Bfgg2a7unuLv19tZem6oahVos8x0JjQcQkDBX4IJkb3tZAryVnuk_3etQ5CurfWGqrj4ByrdU9uVC5K0b82IdbAwonv5_J6pT/s1600/carlos-navarro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUCb0KNWj0CtD-gO7xw99t9yB4bft-NFY8-odlu7dFd1Bfgg2a7unuLv19tZem6oahVos8x0JjQcQkDBX4IJkb3tZAryVnuk_3etQ5CurfWGqrj4ByrdU9uVC5K0b82IdbAwonv5_J6pT/s320/carlos-navarro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Carlos Navarro Managing Editor</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tHKq7s4tuf-Zyd6dPGknKv3tqZaAMBHb-CqcwAmnC9T2dKwDIGe_8J-_TDR3K7gZL9UZ3NiOQ1AmeU89l3fSrz_i25weDk8DiNKhLgy7TUsfPbCNBlGw0HeRHR1XDQfZXfhe9FN_zgpG/s1600/GregScruggs-earlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tHKq7s4tuf-Zyd6dPGknKv3tqZaAMBHb-CqcwAmnC9T2dKwDIGe_8J-_TDR3K7gZL9UZ3NiOQ1AmeU89l3fSrz_i25weDk8DiNKhLgy7TUsfPbCNBlGw0HeRHR1XDQfZXfhe9FN_zgpG/s320/GregScruggs-earlier.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Vickie Madrid Nelson (right) Associate Director for Busiesss Operations at LAI (with Carlos Navarro (Left) and Greg Scruggs (Center)<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I</span></span></span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif , "emojifont" , "apple color emoji" , "segoe ui emoji" , "notocoloremoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "android emoji" , "emojisymbols"; font-size: small;"><span id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z4Tg0RJySp2OZg48t72Z5rgXojgwZ2LoFlC4iWcGRKQPCzChOapxZwnAwLzGvoI6BSy8a2IDIJR2J1c7q3W5O4gxNqv-66P664peBYTMlttNlCLsx19loW5-aYWmmDEmbOtItGMu-4AB/s1600/LAII-Staff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z4Tg0RJySp2OZg48t72Z5rgXojgwZ2LoFlC4iWcGRKQPCzChOapxZwnAwLzGvoI6BSy8a2IDIJR2J1c7q3W5O4gxNqv-66P664peBYTMlttNlCLsx19loW5-aYWmmDEmbOtItGMu-4AB/s320/LAII-Staff.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Staff of the Latin American and Iberian Institute</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-15779675504117247262017-05-04T16:57:00.001-06:002017-05-04T17:04:04.964-06:00Independent News Site Covers Environmental Challenges for Cuban Neighborhoods, Communities<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8YjP3B56vv1GMnQILB0o3-DTFHl88DGzpMTYx-KxUKTZ_Z0cO2MsJ7hnj7gJm-sS1rOS5hOZBuUfP7stNkyWYTVjjT3EFglBFUB6BYOXASpgNkh2DDvnsGHt11oDWGrzpla0AVdFxbhW/s1600/Ciclo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8YjP3B56vv1GMnQILB0o3-DTFHl88DGzpMTYx-KxUKTZ_Z0cO2MsJ7hnj7gJm-sS1rOS5hOZBuUfP7stNkyWYTVjjT3EFglBFUB6BYOXASpgNkh2DDvnsGHt11oDWGrzpla0AVdFxbhW/s320/Ciclo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"<i>En la finca, las piñas, los plátanos, los aguacates, si brotan, se caen secos..."</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.periodismodebarrio.org/2017/04/04/el-ciclo-de-la-sequia/">El ciclo de la sequía</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Caseríos de la frontera de Santiago de Cuba con Guantánamo ante la escasez de agua.</span><b> Lian Morales Heredia, 4 de Abril, 2017
</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERkmYmAR_PPVQAkPkGyYLKMD42lfg5rrBB5D6X93opiTWTmXd_OrZ38ONxtBEWbV7tsJ_qags7EEvaIlO9cScCN-QpzznBjl9_m0yeU8bVVcJ2cfvsNDhvKprdaDKj062yiahrAAwuRLC/s1600/Rosario.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERkmYmAR_PPVQAkPkGyYLKMD42lfg5rrBB5D6X93opiTWTmXd_OrZ38ONxtBEWbV7tsJ_qags7EEvaIlO9cScCN-QpzznBjl9_m0yeU8bVVcJ2cfvsNDhvKprdaDKj062yiahrAAwuRLC/s320/Rosario.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>"Para la mayoría de su gente, no hubo otra vida que la playa, el carbón y la pesca. Se trataba de una vida en la que eran felices y a la que muchos regresarían sin pensarlo demasiado.
Pero ya no hay nada a lo que volver, salvo escombros."
</i></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.periodismodebarrio.org/2017/03/05/playa-rosario-memorias-de-un-fiasco/"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Playa Rosario: memorias de un fiasco </span></b></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">En 2005 se demolió un centenar de viviendas en Playa Rosario. En 2017, muchas familias permanecen todavía en albergues “temporales”.</span><b> Julio Batista Rodríguez, 5 de Marzo, 2017
</b><br />
<br />
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
Over the years, Cuba has suffered a number of environmental contingencies, including <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/1998/09/17-054597">drought in 1998</a>, and<i> </i>again <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2011/06/09-078221">in 2011</a>, <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2013/05/29-079319">2013</a>,<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2014/05/29-079320"> 2014</a>, and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2015/07/23-079708">2015</a>. Severe storms and hurricanes have also hit Cuba, including <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2001/11/29-053261">Michelle</a> in 2001, <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2008/09/25-051012">Gustav</a> in 2008, <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2014/03/20-079251">Sandy</a> in 2014, and <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2016/11/10-080139">Matthew</a> in 2016.<i> <a href="https://www.periodismodebarrio.org/">Periodismo de Barrio</a></i> tells the stories of how neighborhoods and rural communities in Cuba are coping with environmental challenges, including climate change. These stories are rarely found in the official news media and are told from the point of view of those who are affected by these challenges. Founded by Elaine Díaz Rodríguez, a Neiman fellow who studied journalism at Harvard in 2014, <i>Periodismo de Barri</i>o was created in October of 2015 with a multitude of intentions.<br />
<br />
Cuba’s first independent daily digital news outlet,<a href="http://www.14ymedio.com/opinion/Periodismo-barrio-Cuba_0_1876612324.html"> <i>14ymedio</i></a>, reports that <i>Periodismo de Barrio</i>’s perspective is that, “Journalism is an implicit promise of change. To be a journalist is almost as if you were to be preaching in favor of hope. When you ask someone to tell you their story, you are not only asking them to trust you, but also believing that sharing their story can help change something.”<br />
<br />
<i>Periodismo de Barrio, </i>which offers<i> </i>comprehensive narrative and investigative journalism, is a beacon of hope for Cubans and a means to open dialogue about the necessity of independent news outlets in Cuba, according to Díaz Rodríguez. However, the very existence of this news outlet is a challenge to the Cuban Constitution, which forbids any non-state media outlet, However, <i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> sets out to improve the condition of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Cuba, she notes in an interview.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/goW6GECzJSs" width="600"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(<b>Video</b>: <i>Elaine D<span style="font-size: 12pt;">íaz</span> explains to participants at the </i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"<a href="https://mmca17.splashthat.com/?gz=194199af19b942084d87188a49717c3a">Mobile Media Culture in the Americas: The Digital Divide</a>" conference in Miami how her news team obtains information from local community leaders and how the news reports are shared with residents of those local communities</i>) </span><br />
<br />
“<i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> was created with the objective of bringing to the public the stories of communities affected by natural disasters or especially vulnerable to phenomena such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, fires, landslides, and other events caused by the incidence of man,” said <i>14ymedio.</i> <br />
<br />
<i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> broaches topics related to climate change, and its staff hopes that through investigative reports offered by the news site, local governments will be better informed when it comes to making decisions for their communities. <br />
<br />
<i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> does not intend to project itself as a means of opposition to the Cuban government and, in accordance, has made public its refusal of donations from any institutions that seek, or have sought in the past, the subversion of the Cuban political system. Simply, the purpose of the news site is to disseminate better information and to truthfully reflect the realities confronted by Cubans in the face of natural disasters and other events—realities that the government may be silent on or that even might run contrary to what government news sources are publishing. Precisely because of this potential conflict with official governmental press, <i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> demonstrates courage in their commitment to describing reality, especially when the government has a demonstrated history of <a href="http://www.fhrcuba.org/Freedom_Of_Press_Cuba.html">imprisoning</a> those who speak out against it.<br />
<br />
However, <i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> is not immune to the reality of repression against the press in Cuba. In October of 2016, while covering the damage caused by <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2016/11/10-080139">Hurricane Matthew</a> in Baracoa in the Guantanamo province, Díaz Rodríguez and several members of her team were arrested by government authorities. The journalists claim their arrest was illegal because Cuban legislation does not limit the exercise of journalism in areas affected by natural disasters. The <i>Periodismo de Barrio</i> made its position known via <a href="https://www.periodismodebarrio.org/2016/10/16/quienes-tienen-derecho-a-contar-un-pais/">this editorial.</a><br />
<br />
Clearly, the model of journalism proposed by <i>Periodismo de Barrio</i>—one whose operation is not subject to state funds—may have a ways to go before it is fully accepted by the government. However, with passion and conviction and a desire to give a greater voice to local communities, <i>Periodismo de Barrio </i>carries on. BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-73061158973278268262017-04-13T15:04:00.002-06:002017-04-13T15:04:29.667-06:00A Nicaraguan Activist Fights Daniel Ortega's Canal Project<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhs5fjkWw0m9vgRcSle0B4rwtn58EDO-B6KViGAOAiAQcnKHb5Aa9bCaACn2STAmb8nVEMOn3_JLbgv-RqjZCRBBevSCVnFuC8A4__2e6AyYohIrD9izNz5z43pRP2CZIv3BDRXbETz-i/s1600/NicaCaanal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhs5fjkWw0m9vgRcSle0B4rwtn58EDO-B6KViGAOAiAQcnKHb5Aa9bCaACn2STAmb8nVEMOn3_JLbgv-RqjZCRBBevSCVnFuC8A4__2e6AyYohIrD9izNz5z43pRP2CZIv3BDRXbETz-i/s400/NicaCaanal.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Nicaragua_Canal.svg/697px-Nicaragua_Canal.svg.png">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>In attempt to stop her powerful work advocating against the destructive
inter-oceanic canal Francisca’s children were attacked. Her home was
raided, and authorities have harassed and detained her. During four
years of peaceful resistance, Francisca has been repeatedly assaulted,
leaving her physically injured and constantly alert to being attacked.</i> <br />
-<a href="https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/francisca-ramirez"><b>Frontline Defenders</b></a><br />
<br />
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b> <br />
Francisca Ramírez is an activist from the rural community of La Fonseca in the municipality of Nueva Guinea in southeastern Nicaragua. For more than four years, she has coordinated the <a href="http://www.cenidh.org/">Consejo Nacional en Defensa de Nuestra Tierra, Lago y Soberanía (CENIDH)</a>, an effort to protect the rights of rural communities in Nicaragua. The council's efforts are focused particularly on opposing the construction of a canal that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Opponents of the project have made their discontent known through <a href="https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/francisca-ramirez">marches and rallie</a>s, The efforts of the council to oppose the canal have received strong international support, including <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/03/16-080239">the European Parliament</a>. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Proponents of the canal, including President Daniel Ortega, argue that the project could give<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2014/10/23-079456"> a potential economic boost</a> to Nicaragua. The opponents point to the potential for significant<a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2013/08/15-079054"> environmental damage</a> and displacement of many rural communities.In his work analyzing the effect of the Panama Canal on U.S.
relations with Latin America, American History professor at John Hopkins
University, John Holladay, calls the canal “the greatest liberty man has taken
with nature.” One can rightly assume that this statement is even truer for the
proposed Nicaraguan canal, which will certainly crisscross more significant
amounts of land than the Panama canal did. </div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Comparisons to Berta Cáceres</b></span><br />
The principal strategy of (CENIDH) is to is repeal Law 840, which effectively gave
life to the project through the allocation of $50 million and stipulates
that displaced land owners will be paid for their land a sum that the
state deems “adequate." Even though the amount of money offered fails to meet the "adequate" threshold, the CENIDH does not want the canal to be built at all.<br />
<br />
That is why Francisca Ramirez and other members of the organization have taken the opportunity to speak out against the project to international non-governmental organizations and to the foreign media. In this video, Ramirez speaks to the press after meeting with the secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS).<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XtA9rZzMZ5o" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Ramírez’s efforts has drawn
comparisons to Honduran activist <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/03/23-080246">Berta Cáceres</a>, who was murdered in
2016. However, her ctivism, much like that
of Cáceres, has come at no small cost, though. She has been arbitrarily
detained, her property raided, seized, and damaged, her family members
have been beaten by men in military uniform, and she faces constant
harassment from government officials.
<br />
<br />
"In addition to the repressive nature of the government, Ramírez is
fighting back against the propaganda and efforts to misinform citizens," blogger Andrew Anderson wrote in the Frontline Defenders <a href="https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/blog/post/human-rights-defenders-face-authoritarianism-voices-nicaragua">blog</a>. "The latter seems to be one of the biggest challenges when denouncing
human rights violations and mobilising fellow countrymen and women
against them."<br />
<br />
Ramírez confirms this, saying: “For a long time, the government has been dedicated to
misinforming people, people are unaware of their rights. They think we are infringing on the government’s
rights every time we march!”<br />
<br />
"Nicaraguan defenders are struggling to preserve vital civil society
space where values of equality and human dignity are upheld above the
personalisation of power and ubiquitous clientelism. The country is at a
turning point where it might head for a one-party State. The question
is whether this time the international community is ready to support
those who are using peaceful means to counter increasing
authoritarianism and ensure respect for human rights," Anderson said in his blog.BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-43965461526526976002017-03-30T16:22:00.001-06:002017-03-30T16:22:39.742-06:00Ricardo Trotti Addresses Digital Divide, New Trends in MediaRicardo Trotti, executive director of the Inter-American Press Association/Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa since 2014, was a panelist at the "<a href="https://mmca17.splashthat.com/?gz=194199af19b942084d87188a49717c3a">Mobile Media Culture in the Americas: The Digital Divide</a>" conference at Florida International University in Miami on March 23, 2017. Trotti was one of four people who addressed the digital divide in many countries in Latin America and the impact of social media on traditional news coverage.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aegpER1h9Zo" width="600"></iframe>
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-63008039794156706072017-03-09T15:23:00.001-07:002017-03-09T15:23:21.079-07:00SUNU: A Documentary Film about One of the World's Greatest Treasures<div class="tr_bq">
</div>
<blockquote>
<i>Seen through the eyes of small, midsize and large Mexican maize producers, SUNÚ knits together different stories from a threatened rural world. It journeys deep into the heart of a country where people realize their determination to stay free, to work the land and cultivate their seeds, to be true to their cultures and forms of spirituality, all in a modern world that both needs them and despises them. SUNÚ reveals how maize and everything it gives life to could be lost forever, and shares a generous tapestry of simple, heartfelt messages for the farmers of the world and the city dwellers who could lose the capability to make important choices unless they act soon. </i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH86boxCbJklBj_D-pX3TFnP0gOPLFu5vL7KYVUhKf2UgZqKgf2eisgOQjlqD1AwC9U6VH5f6T-A7xfhI47_hlwSQcZ_AOVByTM528cNDHYyh1VK3ow9vS-IbQDHzk34oJyhs_hFPNiwFM/s1600/SUNU2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH86boxCbJklBj_D-pX3TFnP0gOPLFu5vL7KYVUhKf2UgZqKgf2eisgOQjlqD1AwC9U6VH5f6T-A7xfhI47_hlwSQcZ_AOVByTM528cNDHYyh1VK3ow9vS-IbQDHzk34oJyhs_hFPNiwFM/s320/SUNU2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
On Feb. 24<i>-</i>26, the S<a href="http://www.solasunm.org/">tudent Organization for Latin American Studies (SOLAS)</a>, in conjunction with the <a href="http://laii.unm.edu/">Latin American and Iberian Institute</a>, hosted their annual <a href="http://www.solasunm.org/sin-fronteras.html">Sin Fronteras </a>film festival. The festival, held at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, is a student organized free event devoted to films about and from Latin America.<br />
<br />
This year, SOLAS was fortunate to show <a href="http://sunudoc.com/en/homepage/">Sunú</a>, and to host the director, Teresa Camou Guerrero, who answered questions after the screening.
While I was unable to attend all of the films shown over the weekend, Sunú spoke to me as its agricultural and smallholder focus is very much in-line with my own research interests.<br />
<br />
As a member of SOLAS, I arrived early to help set up and was able to meet Teresa beforehand. Visiting from her home in Mexico City, Teresa was just beginning a film screening tour that brought her to Albuquerque and Santa Fe and will eventually take her throughout California. <br />
<br />
Sunú, which has won awards from nearly a dozen different film festivals, shows us the reality of small, middle, and large maize producers throughout Mexico as they struggle to fend off the advances of Monsanto and genetically modified maize varieties. Maize, first cultivated in Mexico at least 7,000 years ago, is more than just an economic means to survival or a source of nutritional sustenance, for the maize producers in Mexico, it represents their identity and is an intrinsic part of their cultural and spiritual practices.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/129924445" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Mexico has prohibited commercial planting of the genetically altered varieties that threaten to disappear thousands of years of maize traditional and cultural heritage, although there is pressure from commercial interests and multinational seed companies to allow GMO corn (<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2017/01/11-080178">SourceMex, Jan. 17, 2017</a>). With her documentary, Camou Guerrero aims to fortify the battle against GMO corn and to present to the world what exactly is at stake.
One of the largest threats faced by producers of native corn is that of contamination. The possibility of imported GMO corn contaminating native varieties was the subject of an article we posted back in 2004 – evidencing the persistence of this problem (<a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2004/09/22-052289">SourceMex, Sept. 22, 2004</a>).<br />
<br />
Camous Guerrero, in the clip below, speaks to the motivations of contaminating native corn:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lZqZwKNCUEo" width="350"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
With a background in puppeteering, Teresa’s connection to the subjects treated in this film may not seem like a natural fit. However, she explained to the audience that as an artist, she recognizes the power that the arts can lend to social movements and social issues, including the producer resistance to GMO corn in Mexico. In the clip below,<br />
<br />
In this clip, Teresa further explains how she became involved with this subject matter. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NIq7Ay0qZ6M" width="350"></iframe>
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-65598548444789734692017-03-01T11:29:00.000-07:002017-03-01T11:29:30.290-07:00Anti-Immigrant Sentiment Also Present in Chile, Argentina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
Anti-Immigrant sentiment is present in other areas of our hemisphere besides the United States. As US President Donald Trump decries immigration from predominately Muslim countries and vows to build a border wall to defend from immigrants from Mexico and Central America, two of South America’s two most financially prosperous and stable economies also are experiencing a growth of xenophobic expression. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw4YUQmzPUOImjbj48Duq2nNCZ7qen0djrcJ3sAN6jMERHAhyqSPOTZL-aj4_zMP-6QsUJpUT_dOwFC8GwgMrGl9kc5-7MSqRTVRw1PnSimd4iCzIExMZepafaPiyI7TD2xRG9BslveWy/s1600/Tribunal_de_Mujeres_Migrantes_-_Argentina_-_2006_%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw4YUQmzPUOImjbj48Duq2nNCZ7qen0djrcJ3sAN6jMERHAhyqSPOTZL-aj4_zMP-6QsUJpUT_dOwFC8GwgMrGl9kc5-7MSqRTVRw1PnSimd4iCzIExMZepafaPiyI7TD2xRG9BslveWy/s400/Tribunal_de_Mujeres_Migrantes_-_Argentina_-_2006_%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Migrant Women Folk Festival in Buenos Aires (<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Immigrants_to_Argentina#/media/File:Tribunal_de_Mujeres_Migrantes_-_Argentina_-_2006_(1).jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Chile and Argentina—economic powerhouses of the continent—an influx of immigrants in recent years has resulted in new anti-immigrant actions. Argentina, newly under a <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/01/29-079878">politically and economically conservative </a>government, has seen a crackdown on immigrants. In fact, government officials have begun the rhetorical work of conflating immigration with crime.<br />
<br />
Susana Malcorra, foreign minister of Argentina and <a href="http://unmladb.blogspot.com/2016/09/will-woman-be-elected-to-fill-these.html">a serious candidate</a> for UN Secretary-General in<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/09/02-080080"> last year’s election</a>, has done her part to establish a link between immigration and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/02/10-080209">drug trafficking</a>. Led by President Mauricio Macri, Argentina’s government has developed the rhetorical framework to vilify immigrants, established new controls meant to discourage immigration, targeted <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/01/13-080182">bus terminals</a> used by immigrants, and on Jan. 26, implemented a system that obligates airlines to comply with the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/02/10-080209">Interior Ministry</a>.<br />
<br />
Not unlike Argentina, Chile, too, has proposed legislation to curb immigration. In the face of a <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/01/27-080193">132% increase </a>of legally registered foreigners, Chile’s rightist coalition, Chile Vamos, wants to make it more difficult to obtain residency visas and also impose clearer penalties for violation of immigration laws. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fndn1jOctRrhS8INV76zuhAiyOYA2tFxhIc7t-VlxixWOylrv51pOc4kSIXcvbpyoFTiS_pxiVPAiaXESs20gm3taJyE9HIEYhnhBhCPj49TtiWzSkZu75iYQdFepDfx1JPi1bx-JHxW/s1600/Inmigrantes_peruanas_bailando_en_Chile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fndn1jOctRrhS8INV76zuhAiyOYA2tFxhIc7t-VlxixWOylrv51pOc4kSIXcvbpyoFTiS_pxiVPAiaXESs20gm3taJyE9HIEYhnhBhCPj49TtiWzSkZu75iYQdFepDfx1JPi1bx-JHxW/s320/Inmigrantes_peruanas_bailando_en_Chile.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peruvian immigrant women in Chile (<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Immigration_in_Chile#/media/File:Inmigrantes_peruanas_bailando_en_Chile.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Policies Fuel Anti-Immigrant Sentiment </b><br />
And what is the collateral damage of these legislative and discursive campaign against immigrants? Much as we have seen here in the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-human-rights-agency-sees-discrimination-complaints-rise-60-article-1.2972691">United States</a>, discrimination against immigrants is on the rise in both <a href="http://elcomercio.pe/economia/negocios/xenofobia-crece-antofagasta-chile-capital-cobre-noticia-1966866">Chile</a> and <a href="http://www.infobae.com/opinion/2017/02/14/la-nacionalidad-como-excusa-frente-a-la-incapacidad-en-materia-de-seguridad/">Argentina </a>as well. While immigrants are strategically targeted for national scapegoating, one study found that immigrants in Chile on average have spent<a href="https://www.consuladodebolivia.com.ar/2016/09/05/la-mayoria-migrantes-bolivianos-chile-se-dedica-la-agricultura/"> more time in school</a> than their Chilean counterparts. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.infobae.com/opinion/2017/02/14/la-nacionalidad-como-excusa-frente-a-la-incapacidad-en-materia-de-seguridad/">Immigrants in Argentina</a> primarily come from Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru, although some people are also migrating there from Uruguay and Chile.<br />
<br />
The majority of its immigrants <a href="http://www.mercurioantofagasta.cl/prontus4_noticias/site/artic/20110605/pags/20110605023503.html">entering Chile</a> hail from Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, with a recent arrivals coming the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Venezuela (a country that finds itself in times of unprecedented inflation). As more Haitians and other immigrants of African descent arrive, an interesting result has been the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/01/27-080193">diversification </a>of the traditionally homogenous ethnic makeup of Chile. <br />
<br />
There is uncertainty whether proposed and enacted legislation will ultimately discourage immigration into the two powerful economies at the tip of South America. Other factors could also come into play, such as the lack of job opportunities. Chile has experienced <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/10/14-080121">paltry economic growth</a> in recent years, and Argentina has seen a growth in inflation, a drop in domestic consumption, and an
explosive rise in the country’s <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/06/17-080007">poverty numbers</a> during the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/03/25-079931">Macri</a> years. The economy was a factor in recent migration patterns in the US, In the years following the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession">Great Recession</a>, the number of Mexican immigrants who <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/11/19/more-mexicans-leaving-than-coming-to-the-u-s/">left the US</a> surpassed arrivals. BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-50265873581331880732017-02-13T11:20:00.000-07:002017-02-13T11:20:24.112-07:00Experiencing Transition in Cuba<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDW1gkpxqwyuZG436jaYTnDLZSR_dEYXkOzWcn9mtc5FeTqlCgq6aJHsIlknXR5KZTH1Tq6EMs_Y3akpn_2Cy6R1zLF8QHv2Gh0J_plb4RKsChj4TqBYptGroLovA2aDia8h4zMk1OkqhR/s1600/SabrinaCuba1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDW1gkpxqwyuZG436jaYTnDLZSR_dEYXkOzWcn9mtc5FeTqlCgq6aJHsIlknXR5KZTH1Tq6EMs_Y3akpn_2Cy6R1zLF8QHv2Gh0J_plb4RKsChj4TqBYptGroLovA2aDia8h4zMk1OkqhR/s200/SabrinaCuba1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<i>“It is incredible to me all that has happened on the island in just a few months, and still, what awaits us doesn’t seem to be good at all,” Rubén, a doctor in one of Havana’s principal hospitals, commented at the start of 2017. “We’ve lived through some of the worst moments in the last 25 years, but [we] always had expectations that something better was coming. This time the illusions have ended,” he added, affirming that the government now has nothing to offer and is not even trying to sugarcoat the difficult circumstances." </i>from <b>NotiCen, Jan. 26, 2017</b></blockquote>
(Editor's Note: Just weeks before former President Barack Obama traveled to Cuba in March 2016 to expand relations with the island nation, Sabrina Hernández and two fellow travelers visited the island. Even then, there was a sense of optimism about the pending improvement of relations between the US and Cuba, as Obama and Cuban leader Raúl Castro had announced <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2015/12/10-079838">the resumption of bilateral relations i</a>n December of 2015. Fast forward to January of 2017, and that sense of optimism has been replaced by extreme concerns about the future, as Daniel Vázquez reported in the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2017/01/26-080191">Jan. 26 issue of NotiCen.</a> Here is Sabrina's account (including pictures) of what she and fellow travelers encountered during a trip to Havana, Las Terrazas, Viñales and Trinidad between mid-February and early March 2016). <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzJXu764ANOa720jpoWfZoj99jejB60K2vApFE-SDLfOkyyVr3mZJJU9Um10ZkfpwSPCmES-xCF8ADPO8BW6oSNIwuJx3pB0qFOk_WsSFE0uFwf9ucylNMXZe-c3n6ABGtZI-VBsKjt5l/s1600/SabrinaCuba5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzJXu764ANOa720jpoWfZoj99jejB60K2vApFE-SDLfOkyyVr3mZJJU9Um10ZkfpwSPCmES-xCF8ADPO8BW6oSNIwuJx3pB0qFOk_WsSFE0uFwf9ucylNMXZe-c3n6ABGtZI-VBsKjt5l/s320/SabrinaCuba5.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabrina Hernández (right) and her friend Erika</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
Only a year ago I traveled to Cuba with my sister and a friend, and the situation we encountered was one of hope and optimism as our trip coincided with former President Barack Obama’s normalizing of Cuban relations. We planned our trip not knowing that Obama would visit the island nation two weeks later. Aware of Obama’s impending visit, once we arrived in Cuba, we were bombarded with questions about our opinions of the then US president, and Cubans marveled at this historical moment. Excitement was palpable; as palpable as the money to be earned by an influx of U.S. tourists. Former President Jimmy Carter <a href="https://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/cuba-march2011.html">visited the island nation in 2011</a>, but no other U.S. executive had been there since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. <br />
<br />
After years of dreaming of Cuba, my sister and I finally decided to pull the trigger and planned our trip for February/March of 2016. Our friend Erika accompanied us. We flew from San Francisco International Airport to Cancún, and from Cancún, we caught our flight to Havana via AeroMexico. Arriving at the airport in Havana was surreal and one of the first things we experienced was the lasting legacy of Che Guevara: upon arrival we were asked to present our insurance cards as we would have to purchase costly per day insurance if we did not have our own. This unique requirement pays homage to the memory of the co-liberator of the country, Che Guevara, and his medical pursuits.
From the airport we took a taxi to our lodging arranged through the Airbnb site. Initially I had been opposed to the idea of booking a place via Airbnb, since I was intent on having the most authentic experience possible. I wanted to stay in a <i>casa particular</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpvKUN_Wo1Nccm36vhpe6HtLvHGsWum1kIZNtF45mhCpj6jWTyKO7puIWbY8cw5Udj13rgAfqd_MqB6Foa3USZN1iBp08nSY2ZJlXK5yKL4vgSRmsLou1HG09O_Mx02KVD3q9r-vdvKVZ/s1600/SabrinaCuba9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpvKUN_Wo1Nccm36vhpe6HtLvHGsWum1kIZNtF45mhCpj6jWTyKO7puIWbY8cw5Udj13rgAfqd_MqB6Foa3USZN1iBp08nSY2ZJlXK5yKL4vgSRmsLou1HG09O_Mx02KVD3q9r-vdvKVZ/s200/SabrinaCuba9.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Comfortable accommodations</b></span><br />
A <i>casa particular</i> is the home of a Cuban family who rent out a room to guests. The rates are more or less fixed throughout the country (or, at least the western half of the country) at US$25/night for a single traveler, or US$35/night for a room with two beds. We learned that in Cuba--a country that can be costly to navigate because budget hostels and affordable do not transportation exist--three is the magic number in terms of affordable travel. Every room we stayed in had both a full sized bed, and a twin bed. My sister and I split the full size bed, and my friend took the single bed. Thus, we split $35/night three-ways. By booking through Airbnb, I learned that this booking site can indeed provide an authentic experience--it offers a new platform for <i>casa particular</i> owners to reach prospective guests. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Ichel was our host in Havana and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better. She was sweet and lovely and also an amazing cook. The best dinner I had during my whole two week trip throughout the western half of the island was the pork and yucca al mojo cooked by our host. The pork was so soft, tender, and flavorful that we asked her if it was beef. She told us that it was pork and that the difference was that Cuban pigs are happy and fed very well.<br />
<br />
While we booked three nights in Havana in advance of our arrival, we did not make any further accommodations beyond our stay in Havana. As is common, Ichel took the liberty of asking us about our plans and phoning people she knew in the places we wanted to visit to arrange for us to stay in their homes. From everything I read prior to arriving in Cuba, this is an extremely common practice. However, with the advent of thawing US-Cuban relations, tourism was up dramatically and the ability to walk up to a <i>casa particular</i> – demarcated by a little triangle on the exterior of the house – and find vacancy was a thing of the past. Tourism was up and housing availability was down. <br />
<br />
From Havana, our next stop was to Las Terrazas, an ecological oriented village on the western side of the island. While in Las Terrazas, we met agro-tourists, Matt and Liz. They are the owners of <a href="http://joyfullyorganicfarm.ca/what-is-a-csa/">Joyfully Organic Farm</a> and CSA service near Toronto, Canada. As farmers themselves, they were attracted to Las Terrazas and Cuba in general so that they could learn more about alternative methods of farming.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54OlzZ_G9-LKk6vKU4qTZAyWTVa53Q70Yjh6xl18iUPMV8F4Z1WMviGCU0Rl0bnQRt2i2gi4FGVWF3pGgqiiQ2wfFwCvzMrUiNfsiyCBE_wjM_nFeVS9rEpqhGQPG9Cfba22ou_f7a_jP/s1600/SabrinaCuba2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54OlzZ_G9-LKk6vKU4qTZAyWTVa53Q70Yjh6xl18iUPMV8F4Z1WMviGCU0Rl0bnQRt2i2gi4FGVWF3pGgqiiQ2wfFwCvzMrUiNfsiyCBE_wjM_nFeVS9rEpqhGQPG9Cfba22ou_f7a_jP/s320/SabrinaCuba2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark roasted Cuban coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Home-roasted Coffee </b></span><br />
As a former coffee professional, our <i>casa particular</i> in Las Terrazas was a delight because a good portion of the land adjacent to the house was used for coffee production. The owners were excited that I was interested in their coffee operation and proudly showed me a tin of their own, home-grown, home-roasted coffee. If you are a fan of specialty, trendy coffee at all, then the coffee you find in Cuba is really going to confuse you. Cuba, true to its general “existing in the past” kind of charm, prefers an extremely dark roasted and sugar laden cup of coffee – a style that saw its peak in the beginning to middle of the 20th century. This method of preparation and consumption is not everyone’s cup of tea, err, cup of coffee. I found it so refreshing to experience something entirely different from what I knew. I made a point to consume Cuban coffee everywhere I went. I took the opportunity to speak to Cubans about their coffee every chance I could, and let me tell you, coffee is a great conversational jumping point in Cuba. There is a tremendous amount of pride among Cubans about their preference for coffee: <i>fuerte</i>. One man in Havana, so eager to share with me the strength of Cuban coffee, even bought me a café Cubano – a potent dose of Cuban coffee served in a thimble-sized cup – and administered a strict warning before I began to consume it. It was dark. It was sweet. And I was in love. Cubans even have a saying in reference to their coffee preference: “<i>Lo tomamos muy dulce porque la vida es amarga</i>,” or,<i> “we drink it sweet because life is bitter</i><u>.</u>” <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqBioIXzo0nihfkyBsWrpB08esM0IAb6WkVptfXKNI7qI1UAoNaWNz78KYgyOBiWMpPB8-uZQuqXkrSkPjnJQZ3H4PE1KLJ6r5N3nSg3c39piosjhbZh3_DArqeI-DakmBlIa6zM0fxnL/s1600/SabrinaCuba6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqBioIXzo0nihfkyBsWrpB08esM0IAb6WkVptfXKNI7qI1UAoNaWNz78KYgyOBiWMpPB8-uZQuqXkrSkPjnJQZ3H4PE1KLJ6r5N3nSg3c39piosjhbZh3_DArqeI-DakmBlIa6zM0fxnL/s320/SabrinaCuba6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tobacco leaves drying in Viñales</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tobacco country </b></span><br />
From Las Terrazas, we took a bus to the popular site of Viñales, a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/840">UNESCO World Heritage site </a>on the western side of the island. This community is perhaps well known for its mogotes<br />
(dome-like limestone outcrops) and tobacco production. It would be useful to mention that in Havana, I somehow managed to lose my tourist visa. Yes – this will forever be a low point in my life when I consider my personal responsibility, management, and organizational skills. Losing a visa in a country that has exceedingly strict regulations on, well, everything, is especially daunting. However, Ichel, the wonderful woman in whose home we stayed in Havana, accompanied us to the Havana immigration office where we learned that losing my visa just meant we needed to get to the airport at least five hours ahead of flight back to Cancun. Inconvenient? Absolutely. But overall, a serendipitous resolution to a problem I was certain would be much more serious.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqgd1jVy04jMEy5ecpVhzTrHnM7OQqbGAT8CdqztgzP2WrtIKEaTWDYE70FJEhtkPRNGhUwVmRpxa5fVMXZmEI4Gs9RhG6geF1D3SNOVmvBsfGbkPdSM8sKmBH0nuy401bGUuoAYcwwfl/s1600/SabrinaCuba7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqgd1jVy04jMEy5ecpVhzTrHnM7OQqbGAT8CdqztgzP2WrtIKEaTWDYE70FJEhtkPRNGhUwVmRpxa5fVMXZmEI4Gs9RhG6geF1D3SNOVmvBsfGbkPdSM8sKmBH0nuy401bGUuoAYcwwfl/s320/SabrinaCuba7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Varadero</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So the rest of the trip was going to be worry free, right? That was true until we arrived at Viñales. In that commmunity, we found that hosts in <i>casa particulares</i> were generally pretty terrified when they realized I did not have my tourist visa. I should add that at every <i>casa particular</i>, immediately upon checking in, you are asked to complete a page in their government issued guest book. These books are tightly regulated by the government. Previously, none of the hosts gave me too much grief about not having my visa, but in Viñales, the experience was totally different. Hosts did not want to accommodate us because they feared what would happen if and when the government took a look at their guestbook and noticed my visa number missing. There is a lot to unpack here and their fear was not without reason.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5tmcko41-Iwd8VQc3BgU04Xzs16Em7pC0gRFSvg3iTTszKpy1smZxqMIz2tPkrE2kuPzsVwsi4jii-pEGBB3f8IObtAjfPVcKJXIMB09_08s0eWg-pm-416jNQ54jFJ52zjNZEjUNbap/s1600/SabrinaCuba8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5tmcko41-Iwd8VQc3BgU04Xzs16Em7pC0gRFSvg3iTTszKpy1smZxqMIz2tPkrE2kuPzsVwsi4jii-pEGBB3f8IObtAjfPVcKJXIMB09_08s0eWg-pm-416jNQ54jFJ52zjNZEjUNbap/s320/SabrinaCuba8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A feast in Viñales</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is only recently that Cubans have even been permitted to fraternize
with tourists. Previously, any Cuban caught socializing with a tourist
could be arrested and thrown in jail for “bothering” tourists. Cubans
were not allowed to go to tourist hot spots such as the pristine
turquoise beaches in Varadero. Even today, beef and various seafoods are
designated for tourist
consumption only. When you consider this in conjunction with that fact
that we were tourists from the United States, the fear was entirely
justified. <br />
<br />
But why is Viñales so different from the rest of the country? It might be useful to read <a href="https://www.uncpress.org/book/9780807847831/insurgent-cuba/"><i>Insurgent Cuba</i></a> by Ada Ferrer, for a perspective on why the situation might be different in Viñales than other parts of the country. Ferrer writes that during the various attempts for independence, the westernmost areas of the island were staunchly opposed to independence. The predominantly Spanish populations of the west, compared with Afro-Cuban populations of the east, preferred to remain a Spanish colony and to abide by the laws established.<br />
<br />
We ultimately found accommodation with a woman whose husband worked for the immigration office in Viñales (and on the condition that we go to the office the very next morning to sort things out and acquire a visa so she could document the number in her guest book). After that fiasco was settled, we spent three to four days in Viñales. We made a day trip to Cayo Jutias, took tours of tobacco farms, and ate a lot of ham sandwiches. In Viñales, we ended up finding both Matt and Liz and Florence and Justin (a French couple we had met en route to Las Terrazas). In order to remain in contact, we began to utilize a note system; we would stop by their <i>casa particular,</i> and if they were not there at the moment, we would leave them a written note informing them of our plans for the day and inviting them to join any part that they were able. In the absence of technological innovation, we reverted to passing notes.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUsuvEYBfZ7jlrL9Ykp125vhqUK6y1w55FVGHc866Ie2zsUy_rz9FUcP6zwNmi-6OxUVOG9v8ragchZab88ZHolqA8lKBshQSW6wAQWnqngfzGk601bNtl1qXDDzn0dEs-R7q3ttsWVWf/s1600/SabrinaCuba4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUsuvEYBfZ7jlrL9Ykp125vhqUK6y1w55FVGHc866Ie2zsUy_rz9FUcP6zwNmi-6OxUVOG9v8ragchZab88ZHolqA8lKBshQSW6wAQWnqngfzGk601bNtl1qXDDzn0dEs-R7q3ttsWVWf/s320/SabrinaCuba4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mojitos in Trinidad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Better mojitos in Trinidad</b></span><br />
When we finished exploring Viñales, we caught a bus to Trinidad. Again,
the “Cuba-is-not-economically-friendly” truism reemerges. The bus ride
was not all that cheap, yet, it was the most affordable option. As
someone who has traveled “on a shoe-string” throughout Latin America, I
find it worth mentioning as many tourists are often surprised at how
Cuba can be so taxing on the wallet. <br />
<br />
Trinidad, close to the center of the island, was far and away my favorite location, a lovely colonial site rich and vibrant with culture. As we moved east from Viñales and other sites, the cultural changes are noticeable. The mojitos in Trinidad were sublime and better than those that I encountered in Havana.<br />
<br />
Overall, my trip to Cuba was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. My experience of the western half of the Island left me hungry to get to know the eastern half. Living for two weeks without connection to the outside world was an inexperience in and of itself – one that my worrisome father was none too thrilled about. That I got to know another culture, another way of living, and an entirely new way of being, is something that I won’t take for granted.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-81027473320182313472017-01-27T15:22:00.000-07:002017-01-27T15:22:51.629-07:00Warmer Temperatures Melting Glaciers in Andes Mountains<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnXDqUmCS2Fn-9T7o1h4df_B3w3-mad6zCgf4K0AZ3NM4jwML3mwExabP2Cl51BP1fy4hhZ9S_wUrG2XSmDxER-SlGu18eI5MBeU5xw1eN7HPjobvqeHeg_YOaVrC2OJqduuaDJCcQnqx/s1600/Pico_Bol%25C3%25ADvar_1950-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnXDqUmCS2Fn-9T7o1h4df_B3w3-mad6zCgf4K0AZ3NM4jwML3mwExabP2Cl51BP1fy4hhZ9S_wUrG2XSmDxER-SlGu18eI5MBeU5xw1eN7HPjobvqeHeg_YOaVrC2OJqduuaDJCcQnqx/s640/Pico_Bol%25C3%25ADvar_1950-2011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_Bol%C3%ADvar">Pico Bolivar, </a>Venezuela, comparison of 1950 to 2011. Photo: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pico_Bol%C3%ADvar_1950-2011.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
In a recent article in NotiSur, we covered the effects of <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2017/01/06-080176">climate change in Bolivia</a>. According to the piece written by Andrés Gaudín, Bolivian President, Evo Morales has demonstrated a strong dedication to combattig climate change, as his country has suffered a disproportionate impact from the warming of the climate, as evidenced by extended dry conditions over the past several years. <br />
<br />
Morales is fighting an uphill battle. The combination of a persistent drought and the alarming rate at which Andean glaciers are melting threatens the livelihoods of millions of Bolivians. The increasing scarcity of water in the region makes subsistence farming an increasingly precarious existence.<br />
<br />
Access to water is an issue that is relevant across the globe (including the US, where a <a href="http://standwithstandingrock.net/">proposed fuel pipeline</a> in the state of North Dakota could threaten to pollute local water supplies). The Andes containing 99% of the world’s tropical glaciers, and a large percentage of these ice formations are in decline. This has prompted a myriad of studies by scientists hoping to find some sort of response to the ever-growing threat to the local water supplies. One of the threatened areas is Cordillera Blanca of Peru, where <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170104103616.htm">researchers from Syracuse University</a> are trying to understand how the loss of glaciers has put local water supplies under pressure. According to one of the Syracuse studies, Peruvian glaciers have lost nearly half of their surface area since 1970. Laura Lautz, an associate professor of earth sciences at the university is trying to determine how glacial erosion has had an impact on reducing flows of rivers and streams in the region. Few other studies have been conducted on the topic because the remote nature of the region, which has made access difficult.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3FrT2rF2mOsEkEIpNWT5bHEtUlUVyM2A9MXuu9vRCFfm3djU08eAXou2iqrEQeQG6a9BegZeumgZQGVvSYYzy-ew_sOCDBoiatJD0IDsD8TPUK-3nMXrMfWwzgOdqK3GstP4DDbkxdpp/s1600/Andes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3FrT2rF2mOsEkEIpNWT5bHEtUlUVyM2A9MXuu9vRCFfm3djU08eAXou2iqrEQeQG6a9BegZeumgZQGVvSYYzy-ew_sOCDBoiatJD0IDsD8TPUK-3nMXrMfWwzgOdqK3GstP4DDbkxdpp/s400/Andes.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Sabrina Hernández</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Perils of Mining</b></span><br />
The lack of access to the rugged Andean terrain is one reason why the border between Ecuador and Peru remains a point of contention. In 2011 we published an article in NotiSur on the Ecuadoran government’s decision to implement <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2011/11/11-078412">large-scale extractive-mining projects</a> in the southeastern part of the country, even though these lands had been demarcated as “intangible” because of their great biological diversity or because of their being a source of water for nearby populations. This area has generated ongoing conflicts as both Peru and Ecuador seek claim to this region because of large deposits of gold, copper, and uranium. Mining has proven disastrous for the environment as it destroys high wetland pastures, dries up water sources, and completely alters the mountain landscape by removing mountain tops. <br />
<br />
Chile, a country that is home to a large chunk of the Andean chain (though not considered geopolitically an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andean_states">Andean state</a>), also sees its <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2011/11/11-078412">glaciers threatened by mining</a>. The country is home to approximately 82% of South America’s glaciers and relies on these icepacks as a source of fresh water.<br />
<br />
Chile has recently experienced drier-than-average weather, leading the government to issue official water- shortage declarations. The unusually dry weather and shortage of water has led many to search for both short- and long-term solutions also and to consider the importance of protecting glaciers and the fresh water they provide. Mining is just one threat that Chilean glaciers face and efforts have been made to thwart proposed multi-billion-dollar mining projects in the region.<br />
<br />
While governments and NGOs look for solutions to glacial erosion and water shortages, another effect of climate change is the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/andes-climate-change-glacieramaru-agriculture/">loss of cultural practices</a> and traditional homelands for the predominantly Quechua-speaking Andean inhabitants. Not only are farmers being forced higher up mountainsides by warmer weather, but theirs is a culture that views the Andean peaks as protective deities. Mountains that once were covered in glaciers now show bare rock.<br />
<br />
This glacial erosion also hurts employment in the tourism industry, as many tourist trails have now been rendered unsafe because of snow melt. There is strong concern that the disappearance of the snow will also result in the disappearance of local communities.BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-73168219800515052492017-01-01T08:47:00.000-07:002017-01-03T09:52:47.303-07:00Rating Havana's Private Restaurants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gW8KpRxuGHFWVrD5GuL20F3cNJYGDE4GyA8z6s24llslfkdexJxj14A6z5ogKvM-eepjRlYJGKmaQVO2xT8U-9QiEDn6WkAUpNVqTISpVTybIMryDe0-P90H2kb8keXGvzg5MHrNy7cR/s1600/IMG_4423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gW8KpRxuGHFWVrD5GuL20F3cNJYGDE4GyA8z6s24llslfkdexJxj14A6z5ogKvM-eepjRlYJGKmaQVO2xT8U-9QiEDn6WkAUpNVqTISpVTybIMryDe0-P90H2kb8keXGvzg5MHrNy7cR/s320/IMG_4423.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>By Carlos Navarro</b> <br />
The private restaurant business was born in Cuba in the 1990s when the government authorized individuals and families to use their homes to serve prepared foods to the public. (This was in the midst of the so-called <a href="http://www.cubahistory.org/en/special-period-a-recovery.html">Special Period</a>, a time when the loss of subsidies from the Soviet Union caused the Cuban economy to collapse). Tourism remained one of the few bright spots in the Cuban economy. (See our coverage in <b><a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/1998/03/05-054841">NotiCen, March 5, 1998</a></b>).<br />
<br />
The private restaurants, which became an alternative to the state-run eateries serving the tourist industry, came to be known as paladares (coining a term from the Brazilian soap opera <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0149539/">Vale Tudo</a></i>).<br />
<br />
We covered the evolution of the paladares in the LADB news service. "These started with
seating authorized for only 12, but recently the number has been
increased to 50," Mike Leffert wrote in <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2005/03/03-052134" title="NotiCen http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2005/03/03-052134"><b>NotiCen, March 3, 2005</b>.</a> At the end of 2011, it was estimated that there were almost 1,500 of
these restaurants, the majority in Havana. "On her only
visit to Havana in 1999, Queen Sofía of Spain dined on her first night
in the country at <a href="http://www.laguarida.com/en/">La Guarida</a>, a bastion of self-employment and good
food," Daniel Vázquez said in <b><a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2012/06/28-078658">NotiCen, June 28, 2012</a>
</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8_11SIZTcajBQTamhjxx0YhvWEVM1xJBqgEU7Nyy6frhXCMQmCe-eNDdTSejJ3TNKcKmhJYih_CY-oOuY0UGHMqMi4JUyL1hE3rOkLsnfSkIER9Pg_NCPFRFeQRgN_BQ_90H28rO0WTi/s1600/IMG_4059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8_11SIZTcajBQTamhjxx0YhvWEVM1xJBqgEU7Nyy6frhXCMQmCe-eNDdTSejJ3TNKcKmhJYih_CY-oOuY0UGHMqMi4JUyL1hE3rOkLsnfSkIER9Pg_NCPFRFeQRgN_BQ_90H28rO0WTi/s320/IMG_4059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The future became even brighter for the private restaurants (and similar operations like bed and breakfasts) with new reforms enacted by President Raúl
Castro's administration in 2014. "Thousands of Cuban entrepreneurs, who for the past two decades have
maintained their own small restaurants despite government restrictions,
can now look to the future with more optimism after President Castro's regime announced that greater opportunities would be offered in
order to grow the culinary sector and that private hands would manage
part of what, until now, has been state-run food services," Vázquez wrote in <b><a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2014/10/30-079462">NotiCen, Oct. 30, 2014.</a></b><br />
<br />
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="329" data-total-count="1454" id="story-continues-4">
With the early focus and still-prevalent attention on the tourist industry, travel sites like <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g147271-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html">TripAdvisor</a>, <a href="http://www.cuba-restaurants-guide.com/index.html">Cuba Restaurant Guide</a>, <a href="http://lahabana.com/">LaHabana.com</a> and others began to offer visitors to Cuba reviews about the private eateries. In 2012, the British newspaper <i>The Guardian, </i>published a list of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/feb/15/top-10-paladares-restaurants-havana">Top 10</a> paladares in Havana. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A huge downside </b></span><br />
A major downside to the growth in private restaurants is that all the high-quality food is going to the tourism industry. "Tourists
are quite literally eating Cuba’s lunch. Thanks in part to the United
States embargo, but also to poor planning by the island’s government,
goods that Cubans have long relied on are going to well-heeled tourists
and the hundreds of private restaurants that cater to them, leading to
soaring prices and empty shelves," <i>The New York Times</i> said in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/world/americas/cuba-fidel-castro-food-tourism.html?_r=0">an article</a> published on Dec. 8, 2016. This is a topic that we would like to address in a future post.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7nRBj6iMxGZCEhMxkpQNe1VBFOM69xe3-mSMYudl86SvFLK7JJOFURb_84Dv9d8MEUivjtyfzkgmwLLHnZ49RtrmTpZNUe4fk7rMETCk7z09cLTtQ5wSC8qKfigdu14w2bXq5AP7ofPo/s1600/CubaPaladar.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7nRBj6iMxGZCEhMxkpQNe1VBFOM69xe3-mSMYudl86SvFLK7JJOFURb_84Dv9d8MEUivjtyfzkgmwLLHnZ49RtrmTpZNUe4fk7rMETCk7z09cLTtQ5wSC8qKfigdu14w2bXq5AP7ofPo/s320/CubaPaladar.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cuba Paladar: The Voice of Local Reviewers</b></span><br />
The more than 20-year-old private restaurant sector has also become an option for some Cuban citizens in Havana and other parts of the island, especially as an easing of economic restrictions has promoted the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/cuba-middle-class_n_4260021.html">growth of the middle class</a> on the island. With this segment of the Cuban population now going to private restaurants, a group of enterprising young professionals developed a new site a couple of years ago called <b><a href="http://www.cubapaladar.org/bienvenido">Cuba Paladar</a></b>. "We are a small and dynamic group of young professionals who have developed this site specilizing in the culinary criticism of Cuban cuisine," said the organizers. "Our team visits each establishment, evaluating the quality and the creativity of the food, the service, the environment and the relationship between quality and the prices that are charged."<br />
<br />
Cuba Paladar separates the eateries into three categories: restaurants, cafeterias and bars. (As of Dec. 30, only the restaurants category was active). The site offers an easy search mechanism to the reviews posted by Cuba Paladar raters, as well as opportunities for others who have dined at each of the establishments to offer their own two cents on those eateries. "We have an interactive space where readers can participate with comments, criticisms, votes and recommendations, although the popular vote does not always match our specialized ratings," said site creators (led by Rodrigo Huaimachi and Jessica Rodríguez). <br />
<br />
The team--which includes more than two dozen critics, advisors, directors--hopes to keep expanding the operation. "Cuba Paladar is a non-profit and autonomous project of art and culinary criticism," said the organizers. "We hope to become a national and international reference site on Cuban cuisine." <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vhvkSYAJlyr8i94yzxUjuarMzAY4cV6qtokpLMTAMtSD1cJp5jEnCKQm-W-iD8zYekbCOL4bMEWaoWNF2WUx0acdzpDVlDb5nn79kGt9Gxk9zbhIynWPtMqa9c5jfubPP6VqwJ9ZZ0Hb/s1600/IMG_4505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vhvkSYAJlyr8i94yzxUjuarMzAY4cV6qtokpLMTAMtSD1cJp5jEnCKQm-W-iD8zYekbCOL4bMEWaoWNF2WUx0acdzpDVlDb5nn79kGt9Gxk9zbhIynWPtMqa9c5jfubPP6VqwJ9ZZ0Hb/s320/IMG_4505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating the Restaurants where UNM Group Dined</b></span> <br />
Cuba Paladar offers reviews for three of the restaurants where visitors from a University of New Mexico tour group dined during <a href="http://laii.unm.edu/abroad/common/2016-12-Deco-Jazz-web.pdf">a visit to Havana in December 2016</a>.<br />
<br />
The group traveled to the Cuban capital to experience and learn about Art Deco and other historical and cultural landmarks in Havana. We also attended the main events of the Havana Plaza Jazz Festival, featuring Cuban jazz icons Chucho <span class="st">Valdés, Roberto Fonseca and Omara Portoundo, and international performers Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride and Fatoumata Diawara.</span><br />
<br />
I start with brief impressions of six restaurants that we visited, followed by the Cuba Paladar review of three of those eateries, and Trip Advisor reviews. Please note that my personal assessment does not necessarily match those of my fellow travelers. Also, let me say up front that the food at the private restaurants was far superior to the offerings from two state-run eateries where we at lunch. One of those state-run restaurants La Torre, made up for its ordinary offerings with a spectacular view of Havana from up above.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6Rl_lwQGRLpi8ykwyZfhR_XqR8WRdT0UGdP6XeG8xZ8akXV76KpXZoJ_325E1cjS5gn9B8-wDW-IKYbzrzOMDl_D6tRhtcqBkltrNbChD_ovpdhVYG_FmAYbBz6j-IWHb6LptZp1ZRh7/s1600/IMG_4063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6Rl_lwQGRLpi8ykwyZfhR_XqR8WRdT0UGdP6XeG8xZ8akXV76KpXZoJ_325E1cjS5gn9B8-wDW-IKYbzrzOMDl_D6tRhtcqBkltrNbChD_ovpdhVYG_FmAYbBz6j-IWHb6LptZp1ZRh7/s320/IMG_4063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled fish goes well with rice and beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>La Paila Fonda </b></span><br />
<b>Our view</b>: This restaurant was a welcome treat on our first night in Havana, after waiting several hours for our luggage to be downloaded from the Cubana aircraft that brought us to the Cuban capital. The scent of grilled food permeated the site, and the offerings were quite good. A few of us went back on another night to dine at the same place. One member of our group especially liked the grilled lobster tail. The moros y cristianos (rice and black beans cooked together) was outstanding.<br />
<br />
Here is a review of <b><a href="http://cubapaladar.org/perfil/La-Paila-Fonda/1416503168">La Paila Fonda</a></b> from Marisel Morejón Barbán of <b>Cuba Paladar</b> in October 2015. "This restaurant<b> </b>in the heart of the Vedado neighborhood and only a block away from the main thoroughfare known as La Rampa, This is not where you expect to find a place that typifies a Cuban ranch. Highlighted by a colorful environment and the open-air layout, this restaurant has been operating for only a little more than a year. During this time, it has gained a loyal clientele, which favors the low prices and high quality provided by this eatery. Simple and harmonious, the decorations invite the customers to sit and enjoy food served in a country environment. The ample space allows clients to choose where they want to sit..Known for its delicious grilled meats and by the economical suggestions from the chef, one can choose between several entrees ranging between 2.95 and 11.00 CUCs (1 Cuban Convertible Peso is equivalent to US$1.00). <br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147271-d7188063-Reviews-Restaurante_Fonda_Paladar_La_Paila-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html">TripAdvisor Reviews</a></b> generally concur with Cuba Paladar. Here is one from a satisfied customer, who rated the restaurant in December 2016. "The place sits on top of a little hill and is nicely decorated. There is
a charming romantic patio.
My husband had ropa vieja which was excellent and I had fish which could
be best described as filling. Not bad but not good either. The extras
that came with it were very good though."<br />
'<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS11RCoK-DC7VipB6auES0y3e8WRsr-w0gKM-_CiM-kQT_8_u4pd98ZgOr1OikRID3xCKe6c5UoyErcTpAZs0fjlwbXA7rcCOqjIGBh_YjOcmzAYbwYx6THxufd8SiRImngmKY7NwGoP9G/s1600/IMG_4272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS11RCoK-DC7VipB6auES0y3e8WRsr-w0gKM-_CiM-kQT_8_u4pd98ZgOr1OikRID3xCKe6c5UoyErcTpAZs0fjlwbXA7rcCOqjIGBh_YjOcmzAYbwYx6THxufd8SiRImngmKY7NwGoP9G/s320/IMG_4272.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobster tail <span class="st">San Cristóbal</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<cite class="_Rm"></cite><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="st">San Cristóbal</span></b></span><br />
<b>Our View</b>: We were excited to dine at the same restaurant where President Barack Obama and his family ate during a visit to Cuba to formalize the restoration of relations between the two countries. The food and ambience was excellent, although our space was a little cramped. I had the lobster tail, which was tasty and well prepared. The restaurant does not appear to have a website, but does host a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Cristobal-Paladar/521172404654990">Facebook page</a>.<br />
<br />
Reviewer<span class="pull-left margin-top-10x"></span>
Frank Padrón of <b>Cuba Paladar</b> offers his two cents on <b><span class="st"><a href="http://www.cubapaladar.org/perfil/San-Crist%C3%B3bal-/167">San Cristóbal</a>.</span></b> "This is a great setting,with a good indoor climate and international and Cuba gourmet food. This has become a destination for foreign and national visitors even with its high prices. I knew the place not only because of its reputation but because of a meal I had there two years ago,along with members of a jury from Latin American Film Festival. All of us, including the foreign visitors, were impressed by the good service and wide variety of choices--a true <i>delicatessen</i>. I must acknowledge that the restaurant has maintained a high quality since then: courteous service and a large menu. However, while accepting that many of the choices are expensive, there is still an imbalance. For example, even though most of the shrimp options are offered for 10 CUC (Cuban convertible pesos. 1 CUC equals US$1.00), why is the enchilado (cooked in tomato sauce) offered for $15 CUC? What is so special about the red sauce that would cost an additional 5 CUC?<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147271-d2042638-Reviews-San_Cristobal_Paladar-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html">TripAdvisor Review:</a></b> This review shows that restaurant pricing is in the eye of the beholder and that Westerners have a different price-rating scale. "My friends and I went here not expecting too much, as you really do not
visit Cuba for the food.
We had one of the best dining experiences of the trip, and one of the
best ever. The food was lovely, well priced for such a wonderful
restaurant and the service was flawless.
After dinner we were given 15 year."<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>
</b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUgb4kkMuziD2xVne_H9wn4F06-bn-8AedtBQ519xAyUf3cJeHMSKDUUJwG2CNXKAAo5FfWqGlOdqB-o92UdlwPh4k-9E_rI3f7V88lBlAvE6i4Kjj8uRSjLhnkMTyliy6kzrlyKOdKB1/s1600/IMG_4274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUgb4kkMuziD2xVne_H9wn4F06-bn-8AedtBQ519xAyUf3cJeHMSKDUUJwG2CNXKAAo5FfWqGlOdqB-o92UdlwPh4k-9E_rI3f7V88lBlAvE6i4Kjj8uRSjLhnkMTyliy6kzrlyKOdKB1/s320/IMG_4274.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting of President Obama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The 'Obama Room' at <span class="st">San Cristóbal</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When we asked about Barack Obama, we got nothing but positive feedback because of the president's efforts to remove some restrictions with Cuba. See coverage from Daniel Vázquez in <b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2015/01/29-079532">NotiCen, Jan 29, 2015</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2015/03/26-079604">NotiCen, March 26, 2015</a></b></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the owners of <span class="st">San Cristóbal personally served the president, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, and Michelle's mother Marian Robinson.</span> President Obama declined an offer of wine with his meal. "I have to work tomorrow," he joked with the server.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the room where the Obamas dined, there is a painting of President Obama, along with a picture of the owner with the president and the first lady. </span></blockquote>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn74KzYMsGSikDjRLp1GRvm9hLdeFl9MBWOsFhKCCN1x4aN1I22_YYuWqqs9KJi1WjyF6-MEXPdqzMOwLBkg8uNI9Tpxq5GSbukFX3kPSIplyR9TOMJBoiQ26gal6Pp6Jb7WrftZ70q5g/s1600/IMG_4415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn74KzYMsGSikDjRLp1GRvm9hLdeFl9MBWOsFhKCCN1x4aN1I22_YYuWqqs9KJi1WjyF6-MEXPdqzMOwLBkg8uNI9Tpxq5GSbukFX3kPSIplyR9TOMJBoiQ26gal6Pp6Jb7WrftZ70q5g/s320/IMG_4415.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rabbit at La Casa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>La Casa</b></span><br />
<b>Our View</b>. When we came here, we were not aware that this was one of the oldest paladares to operate in Havana. One of the owners told me that the place has been operating for more than 20 years. The name La Casa reflects the early nature of the private restaurants, which were housed in a person's converted home. Because of its extensive experience in the food-service industry, La Casa has developed its own <a href="http://www.restaurantelacasacuba.com/">website</a> <br />
<br />
I had the rabbit, which was quite tasty and prepared superbly. This is the only place where we went that offered beer that was not produced in Cuba. Our option was the Dominican beer El Presidente. The service was good, and we were serenaded by two members of a group called Trio Madrigal.<br />
<br />
<b>Cuba Paladar</b>: Here is the review of <b><a href="http://www.cubapaladar.org/perfil/La-Casa/224">La Casa</a></b> by Yanko Marrero in September 2015. "Dozens of diners, primarily foreigners, enjoyed fresh lobster recently caught from our waters.,,, \We noticed, somewhat disappointed, that there were not many healthy options available on the menu...Once the needs of the clients were met, the host engaged in conversation with diners to learn their opinion about the food. Amid the myriad of rave reviews, it was inevitable that the news about the reestablishment of relations between the US and Cuban governments made it into the conversation. The host announced in perfect English that his family planned to open new and larger sites in the immediate future. With a sigh of hope, one did not have to wait for the hugs."<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147271-d1986393-Reviews-Restaurant_La_Casa-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html">TripAdvisor</a></b> This visitor, which wrote the comments in December 2016, offered a review that was typical of the reviews posted on the travel site. "Excellent visit to this homestyle restaurant. Classic Cuban food and
drinks, and great atmosphere with live music. We were there with an
academic tour group, so we got the full treatment. I had the Conejo
(Rabbit), while others around us had the Chicken, the fish, and the
lamb. All reported that they were great. Excellent rice and black bean
sides, as well as desserts rounded out the meal. I would definitely go
back!"
<br />
<span class="recommend-titleInline"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="st"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wR_r5BGaVIaTRyEB_JWK-iZKqGZO7PhYV5KMryBlVjWlycJF1fi0NlLP0YrM10RwnafpnWPiZmLW-ly2ia9ERJTbz812fwpOazo56wGvlIuelRbEv7DuaRplKYMlU-umJEigqDCJI7RG/s1600/IMG_4184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wR_r5BGaVIaTRyEB_JWK-iZKqGZO7PhYV5KMryBlVjWlycJF1fi0NlLP0YrM10RwnafpnWPiZmLW-ly2ia9ERJTbz812fwpOazo56wGvlIuelRbEv7DuaRplKYMlU-umJEigqDCJI7RG/s320/IMG_4184.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A true "free range" chicken <span class="st">El Cañonazo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="st">Hostal y Paladar El Cañonazo</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Our View</b>: The food was good, but the ambiance really made this place. This site, which also offers lodging via its hostel, creates even more of a country atmosphere than La Paila Fonda. (The chickens running around the place and the dirt floors in some areas add to the atmosphere). The restaurant does not appear to have its own website, but it does host a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hostal-el-Canonazo-LHavana/811393912234505">Facebook</a> page.<br />
<br />
<b>Cuba Paladar</b>: "Our critics will soon visit <b><a href="http://www.cubapaladar.org/perfil/El-Ca%C3%B1onazo/1414430597"><span class="st">El Cañonazo</span></a></b> and let us know what they think." <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147271-d1595513-Reviews-Hostal_y_Paladar_El_Canonazo-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html"><b>TripAdvisor</b></a> Here is what one reviewer said in May 2016. "Having spent 10 days on the resort, we were more than ready to go for a
meal somewhere else. We were not disappointed! Beautiful courtyard with
chickens roaming free. Fantastic servers and a fab band. Amazing sharing
platter with shrimp, lobster, pork and chicken. A little expensive for
lunch time at 40 pesos (CUCs) but lovely for a special meal. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdHvQLUuMgh4a2LHfeFqL9dzFQqD-KXsKFItpvC9PNOJF4nYfQNm0vPkXEyqVl0s41PAkyJmEJCTJLOZGydXXgN3YdcRcIT04kHDKDaweCCkHXejZyxRxBnu4GKhWisD8FaJmF6CPlDRB/s1600/Octupus+Apetizer+King+Bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdHvQLUuMgh4a2LHfeFqL9dzFQqD-KXsKFItpvC9PNOJF4nYfQNm0vPkXEyqVl0s41PAkyJmEJCTJLOZGydXXgN3YdcRcIT04kHDKDaweCCkHXejZyxRxBnu4GKhWisD8FaJmF6CPlDRB/s320/Octupus+Apetizer+King+Bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Octopus appetizer at King Bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>King Bar</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Our View</b>: We ate lunch at this location, which was memorable in many positive and negative ways. We ate in a patio, just a few feet from a <a href="http://www.havanainsider.com/king-bar/">graphic sculpture</a>, a piece that could be considered artistic in many art circles and pornographic in others. Check out the restaurant/bar's own <a href="http://kingbarhavana.com/">website</a>.This was probably the least favorite of the private restaurants among some members of our group. The choice of was primarily seafood (the octopus appetizer is shown at the left) and shrimp and fish. I thought the shrimp was OK, but not outstanding. Others thought otherwise. Reviews were also mixed for the fish. <br />
<br />
<b>Cuba Paladar</b>: "Our critics will soon visit <b><a href="http://www.cubapaladar.org/perfil/King-Bar/1426265234">King Bar</a></b> and let us know what they think."<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQMQAjMvb6j7gfHsx_FwRP85nEwC0fbQAyQn0L1duCKaz5utgrHSBGGXVAOBD4SuxvE2TnjHHHCH4xlAq7HbXrqycGE5LK2FewgvVyFnLSAA1ESLh5y6X42e2vevjXI2FP2TetwwgQnWD/s1600/King+Bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQMQAjMvb6j7gfHsx_FwRP85nEwC0fbQAyQn0L1duCKaz5utgrHSBGGXVAOBD4SuxvE2TnjHHHCH4xlAq7HbXrqycGE5LK2FewgvVyFnLSAA1ESLh5y6X42e2vevjXI2FP2TetwwgQnWD/s200/King+Bar.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147271-d7629568-r253980364-King_Bar_Restaurante-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html">Trip Advisor (Two Reviews)</a></b>.<b> </b>From the standpoint of many visitors to this site, this is a great bar and nightclub. Perhaps that is why the location is not as great as a dining option.<br />
<div id="copy_more_clean_child">
<br />
"Great place to enjoy food, drinks and dance the night away. A must if
you are in Havana. Highly recommended. Great value for money. An open
plan seating terrace and indoors disco bar. Great atmosphera," said an English-speaking reviewer in February 2015.<br />
<div style="display: block; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147271-d7629568-r253980364-King_Bar_Restaurante-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html#" style="background-color: transparent; color: green; font: 14px arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: underline;"></a><br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Contrast that review with this one, which was written in Spanish in December 2016. "This is a restaurant bar with a name and logo that are in bad taste (and the name of the place alludes to a Cuban vulgarity) with many pretensions and a lack of class."<br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteIrbr8ebvGJ8OpzgN8QZBLCB6sIgAl5UnzyEOasd4sUsGzvKftt6sEOSb9tKPW0MmC-AukfGaGeU5KxhOpIijHleaL0EEveV6kI1lGZ8tYXkbFrTbYMEg1MFuf9QVJrVwLCbO7WHB4rg/s1600/IMG_4503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteIrbr8ebvGJ8OpzgN8QZBLCB6sIgAl5UnzyEOasd4sUsGzvKftt6sEOSb9tKPW0MmC-AukfGaGeU5KxhOpIijHleaL0EEveV6kI1lGZ8tYXkbFrTbYMEg1MFuf9QVJrVwLCbO7WHB4rg/s320/IMG_4503.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ropa Vieja at La Casona de 17</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>La Casona de 17</b></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Our View</b>: This was the site of our final dinner in Cuba. The restaurant is located in a restored classic building, so the atmosphere was very good. I had the ropa vieja. Even though I avoid red meat whenever I can, I could not leave Cuba without trying this traditional shredded beef dish. I was not disappointed. I can't remember what everyone else had, but I heard no complaints about the food. (The top floor of this restaurant served as the location for two of our meetings, one with architect and urban planner Miguel Coyula and the other with members of Proyecto Espiral).<br />
<br />
The restaurant does not appear to have a website or Facebook presence, but some sites like Cuba <a href="http://www.cuba-restaurants-guide.com/restaurants/havana/la_casona_de_17.htm">Restaurants Guide.com offer</a> a good promo for this paladar.<br />
<br />
<b>Cuba Paladar</b>: "Our critics will soon visit <b><a href="http://www.cubapaladar.org/perfil/La-Casona-de-17/396">La Casona de 17</a></b> and let us know what they think." <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147271-d7629568-r253980364-King_Bar_Restaurante-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html"><b>TripAdvisor</b></a> Here is one nice review from March 2016."Beautiful Caribbean home with nice landscaping in an open environment.
They have the best Chicken and Rice in Havana, there is a 45 minute wait
as the food is cooked to order. They also have a nice "flan" dish that
is very well done and have live music.... very nice location near much
of typical Cuban culture. We came back..."
<span class="partnerRvw">
<span class="taLnk hvrIE6 tr356201757 moreLink ulBlueLinks">
</span></span></div>
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-42814323517012508012016-12-02T10:21:00.001-07:002016-12-02T15:40:28.014-07:00The Role of Food Banks in Addressing Hunger in Latin America<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiyQZJlbXqD5tcmsaw9bkjLmQCFcvPX9iwnTDS-8wVYEXmC14STpvrh_dBq7b3ZrImDhtpm6Wxar8SzHuTvKE0sxciB6CBTRwrVWNePmJwakJ86O3s-unOcTYPyBnoXmf0k63gedtYusg/s1600/images.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiyQZJlbXqD5tcmsaw9bkjLmQCFcvPX9iwnTDS-8wVYEXmC14STpvrh_dBq7b3ZrImDhtpm6Wxar8SzHuTvKE0sxciB6CBTRwrVWNePmJwakJ86O3s-unOcTYPyBnoXmf0k63gedtYusg/s320/images.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Plataforma de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
In recent years, Latin America has become a leader in the fight against hunger and has worked to formulate plans that aim to achieve lofty goals such as the eradication of hunger in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) region by 2025. We covered this (<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2014/05/30-079322">NotiSur, May 30, 2014</a>).<br />
<br />
In a NotiSur article in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/02/05-079888">February 2016</a>, Johanna Marris wraps up her otherwise entirely optimistic synopsis of the progress made to reduce hunger rates in half in Latin America with a pragmatic tone. She cautions, however, that all of the aforementioned progress in the region as well as future progress is largely dependent upon continued dedication from political leadership and the changing economic conditions. <br />
<br />
Some organizations like the <a href="http://plataformacelac.org/#">Plataforma de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional</a> (SAN) contend that Latin America <a href="http://plataformacelac.org/es/comercio-agroalimentario-alc">produces enough food</a> to feed the entire population of the region. "More than half of the agricultural imports in Latin America come from outside the region, illustrating the potential for trade in food and agriculture within the region," said (SAN). \<br />
<br />
The question of global policies on agriculture are also very relevant for Latin America. With the US and the world waiting for the dust to settle from a contentious presidential campaign--and an unforeseen victory by a candidate known to exploit fear and completely lacking in any prior political experience--one has to wonder what the future holds in regards to the glorious strides Latin America has made to tackle hunger in the region.<br />
<br />
Setting aside concerns about the future of agricultural trade policies and the potential for a protectionist and punitive administration, countries in Latin America are doing what they can to try to feed people within their borders. In the Nov. issue of SourcMex, we published an article about the emergence of <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2016/11/09-080138">food banks</a> in urban communities throughout Mexico. In this week’s blog post, I’d like to examine the role of food banks in several Latin American countries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7D97jsKXzdXD79doT0pgh9YnAmaRUQvP2V29sZe8dWKU465hL2DuEE6Hp8s20bFCG5Y9byoPpA8yHaML0VJH2f5vxXopatlxsYtT3Kwvsv_Kzuq8q3t6F-4t0GkQ9MSn6UIl9d7RJOt2/s1600/CaritasNica.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7D97jsKXzdXD79doT0pgh9YnAmaRUQvP2V29sZe8dWKU465hL2DuEE6Hp8s20bFCG5Y9byoPpA8yHaML0VJH2f5vxXopatlxsYtT3Kwvsv_Kzuq8q3t6F-4t0GkQ9MSn6UIl9d7RJOt2/s200/CaritasNica.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Nicaragua </b><br />
It might be especially useful to know what
Nicaragua is doing to combat
hunger within its borders. While the country is one of poorest in Central America, it is also one of the <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2016/02/18-079901">least violent</a>. The main food distribution efforts are led by <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjknt2jtNbQAhXBylQKHQXIDUUQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaritasnicaragua.org.ni%2Fque-hacemos%2Fbanco-de-alimentos%2F&usg=AFQjCNGEh8R1pTH-4KIz8JaU_DnHxLzO9A&sig2=YqLWuRd6RmSOO5OxPMIsJg">Caritas Nicaragua</a>, which operates under an Church-based ideology of servitude to the most vulnerable with society, specifically, children, seniors, sick, and families in extreme poverty. The food bank collects goods from private companies, businesses, and individuals. Donations are later organized and distributed to vulnerable people through community kitchens, hospitals, home visits, school, and rehabilitation centers. With a background in coffee importing, what is salient to me is that Caritas has locations established in the prominent coffee producing regions of the country – undoubtedly a much needed safety net when market volatility inevitably renders small, rural producers incapable of garnering a profit. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj772jmSgYcqZxct2Mnv3f9CKgtXRMSf6U7t-RKZKQmZySVxzGx83P2hC-vnnN7tdJWfAFSu7xoMatRIOqrUYDzoFbqteHWmfsPzR3apBa3VrVghwfI47YGQUZ_mFWzvb-CsKPC2h72bm5K/s1600/Guatemala.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj772jmSgYcqZxct2Mnv3f9CKgtXRMSf6U7t-RKZKQmZySVxzGx83P2hC-vnnN7tdJWfAFSu7xoMatRIOqrUYDzoFbqteHWmfsPzR3apBa3VrVghwfI47YGQUZ_mFWzvb-CsKPC2h72bm5K/s200/Guatemala.png" width="196" /></a></div>
<b>Guatemala</b><br />
This is another coffee producing country that also finds its agrarian population subject to the fluctuations of a market over which it has no control, <a href="http://bag.org.gt/vision/">Banco de Alimentos de Guatemala</a> is a private-sector civil association that works to obtain and distribute food donations to hungry communities in Guatemala. The majority the donations the food banks receives comes from large corporations. Whether these corporations are acting out of genuine good will or seeking to rectify decades of egregious bad karma, Banco de Alimentos puts their donations to use by serving 56 organizations that represent 11 departments within the country. Through the delivery of groceries and other basic necessities to families, Banco de Alimentos serves 23,000 people monthly. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEbvRWcRa2fngzpgZULfyhKbpQGd4upNo0dsXSXpkDjHQ7mW8bopvAK45JTT5iw8mbm_iEy4y7387rZft2B41XwA3wpMA_D0atr4_rr5rj1hyg_0kSRFTej65fSDyU91_Drq0qMuZXG1L/s1600/DR.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEbvRWcRa2fngzpgZULfyhKbpQGd4upNo0dsXSXpkDjHQ7mW8bopvAK45JTT5iw8mbm_iEy4y7387rZft2B41XwA3wpMA_D0atr4_rr5rj1hyg_0kSRFTej65fSDyU91_Drq0qMuZXG1L/s200/DR.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Dominican Republic </b><br />
With an estimated 15% of Dominicans suffering from some degree of hunger, <a href="http://www.bancodealimentosrd.org/">Banco de Alimentos de la Republica Dominicana</a>, founded in 1967, is a non-profit that is dedicated to alleviating hunger by making use of what, in other circumstances, might be considered food waste. El Banco collects and distributes large quantities of food in good condition that cannot be commercially sold for one reason or another. Their goals are two fold; to reduce waste and to reduce hunger.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAH1I3ViJ5RuIf1gQoa9WeSNd9QYxBTvug_I9iG_QiF69OInj3rZnAn2NjiVDN9tjaq1B7xXUjQPgJ24UzdGefbRou09zpHAXZxFP6K4Bo-EutSAoIA0wdjPLrQwswMb2pzhujyHsc0Bv/s1600/Argentina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAH1I3ViJ5RuIf1gQoa9WeSNd9QYxBTvug_I9iG_QiF69OInj3rZnAn2NjiVDN9tjaq1B7xXUjQPgJ24UzdGefbRou09zpHAXZxFP6K4Bo-EutSAoIA0wdjPLrQwswMb2pzhujyHsc0Bv/s200/Argentina.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Argentina </b><br />
The Argentine branch of <a href="http://www.bancodealimentos.org.ar/">Banco de Alimentos</a> operates throughout the country and primarily works in collaboration with community kitchens. Through the connections with these 750 community kitchens, Banco de Alimentos estimates that some 100,000 people are served every year. The food bank also processed an estimated 4 million kilograms of food in 2015. Banco de Alimentos Argentina is able to serve such a large population because it is run by close to 7,000 volunteers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlODvcRZdVwtgwq6vcac-j5lEwx8y_Apx43u8gqUnXyKUsBlDo8LizOZ0fMHDQorNJtQzfp6wyj-YUzSlfgqQSQbT_oWPjOlnh3qoC0etEZRE7gi5jJGXvqJCDBubdfKSsiqCzw7PKfQ3/s1600/Chile.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlODvcRZdVwtgwq6vcac-j5lEwx8y_Apx43u8gqUnXyKUsBlDo8LizOZ0fMHDQorNJtQzfp6wyj-YUzSlfgqQSQbT_oWPjOlnh3qoC0etEZRE7gi5jJGXvqJCDBubdfKSsiqCzw7PKfQ3/s200/Chile.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Chile </b><br />
<a href="http://bancoalimentoschile.org/">Banco Alimentos Chile</a> is a nongovernmental organization that was founded in 2003. The goal of the food bank is to collect surplus food production and distribute it to organizations that work with poor and hungry populations at a local level. The food bank engages in a variety of food fundraisers including a race that brought in 1,300 kilos (2,866 lbs) of food that was distributed to different organizations that benefit from Banco Alimentos Chile. <br />
<br />
The stories are similar in other countries in Latin America. Here are links to national or municipal food banks in the region.<br />
<br />
<b>Brazil </b>– <a href="http://www.bancodealimentos.org.br/?gclid=CjwKEAiA1ITCBRDO-oLA-q_n8xYSJADjBQfGTH9Swqlwc4taPqOAUEPqyjs-5W6eU0tpsp8witLZ1hoC3t3w_wcB">Banco de Alimentos Brasil</a><br />
<b>Colombia </b>– <a href="http://www.bancodealimentos.org.co/">Banco de Alimentos de Bogota</a><br />
<b>Costa Rica</b> – <a href="http://www.abacorcr.com/">Banco de Alimentos de Costa Rica</a><br />
<b>Ecuador </b>– <a href="http://www.bancodealimentosquito.com/html/">Banco de Alimentos de Quito</a><br />
<b>El Salvador </b>– <a href="http://www.bancodealimentos.org.sv/">Banco de Alimentos de El Salvador</a><br />
<b>Honduras</b> – <a href="http://www.bancodealimentoshonduras.org/">Banco de Alimentos de Honduras</a><br />
<b>Panama</b> – <a href="http://www.bancodealimentospanama.com/">Banco de Alimentos de Panama</a><br />
<b>Paraguay</b> – <a href="http://bancodealimentos.org.py/">Banco de Alimentos de Paraguay</a><br />
<b>Peru </b>– <a href="http://bancodealimentosperu.org/">Banco de Alimentos de Peru</a><br />
<b>Uruguay </b>– <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bdauy/">Banco de Alimentos de Uruguay</a>BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-22321114134681378042016-11-18T16:40:00.001-07:002016-11-18T16:40:10.876-07:00 Latin American Cities at the Forefront of Fight Against Climate Change<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FRJg2qbNHrQ" width="625"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQycQs2lkTOqsug5aQZKZDdctcmRG7IjmtRzrPsuVFHa5Mex6QUxbIJtOcJlxsIV894BwlBUQedpzCphYRtETUgECFQb2HX4Xhglnw-h7rGIn_UTT7JOxx6AoLsNiC8VPi4OR9IAiQxUk/s1600/C40Cities.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQycQs2lkTOqsug5aQZKZDdctcmRG7IjmtRzrPsuVFHa5Mex6QUxbIJtOcJlxsIV894BwlBUQedpzCphYRtETUgECFQb2HX4Xhglnw-h7rGIn_UTT7JOxx6AoLsNiC8VPi4OR9IAiQxUk/s1600/C40Cities.png" /></a></div>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
<br />
The Nov. 2 issue of <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2016/11/02-080136">SourceMex</a> reported on the upcoming Mayors’ Global Climate Conference organized by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group on Nov. 30–Dec. 2 in Mexico City. This initiative supports other actions taken by some of Latin America’s biggest cities to curtail the effects of global climate change. Six large Latin American cities are involved in the <a href="http://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/35898/S2013069_en.pdf;sequence=1">Climate Adaptation Santiago</a> (CAS) project. The CAS aims to gather information on the impact of climate change experienced in the six cities that participated in workshops set up through the project. Below is information drawn from the CAS project on the climate changes experienced and the unique paths these cities will take to ameliorate the adverse manifestations of climate change within their borders.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOQPmudaIVo-1FPHRdEjqsQCbmIXUZOt-cBLJSyxnRIvOJ10s9Eg0V7AaF2F_QBz5P7OrwWUx12AzdCd38tuLtLuWOR6bEQUVf1Iv-Mq6O-qnLC6CrGyWQYg4qeXBnRkkOat9KpVuvwMz/s1600/Bogota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOQPmudaIVo-1FPHRdEjqsQCbmIXUZOt-cBLJSyxnRIvOJ10s9Eg0V7AaF2F_QBz5P7OrwWUx12AzdCd38tuLtLuWOR6bEQUVf1Iv-Mq6O-qnLC6CrGyWQYg4qeXBnRkkOat9KpVuvwMz/s1600/Bogota.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bogotá</b></span><br />
In Bogotá, the most
notable effect of climate change thus far has been the change in
precipitation levels within the city and throughout the country as a
whole. With a background in coffee, I can assert that in this, a country
renowned for its production of specialty coffee, the change in water
patterns dramatically impacts the viability of its historically prolific
coffee production. With 90% of <a href="http://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/application/pdf/colombia___mariana_rojas_laserna_session_3.pdf">climate change impact</a> related to hydroclimatological phenomena, the creation of a <a href="https://www.dnp.gov.co/programas/ambiente/Paginas/plan-nacional-de-adaptacion.aspx">National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC)</a>
was initiated in 2012 in Bogotá. The goal of this initiative is to
reduce the vulnerability of the population to the effects of climate
change through promoting awareness and incorporation of climate risk
management into future developments. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2uLFkc5X9M" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1F2VuiVVuSL-SG2Iw95rua1SvAkVitPPNc0DSwoc5QIN_lQOxf_4UvXbvZX3JAgbASXMKYbiUWIvcLU0nmK_hEiNfAAPV7LcA95B-GosilxcUrsy2a4MlJypc5Uw2qbNKLbzX_760uFt/s1600/200px-Escudo_de_la_Ciudad_de_Buenos_Aires.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1F2VuiVVuSL-SG2Iw95rua1SvAkVitPPNc0DSwoc5QIN_lQOxf_4UvXbvZX3JAgbASXMKYbiUWIvcLU0nmK_hEiNfAAPV7LcA95B-GosilxcUrsy2a4MlJypc5Uw2qbNKLbzX_760uFt/s1600/200px-Escudo_de_la_Ciudad_de_Buenos_Aires.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buenos Aires </b></span><br />
The Argentine capital has experienced an increase in extreme precipitation, but a more prominent trend is the dramatic fluctuation of temperatures in recent decades, and records show an average temperature increase of 0.20 C per decade. At a national level, Argentina created the <a href="http://www.cofema.gob.ar/?IdArticulo=3042">Federal Environment Council (Consejo Federal de Medio Ambiente, COFEMA</a>) in 2010. The general objective is to identify, promote, and implement climate change adaptation measures. At a more local level, Buenos Aires implemented the <a href="http://ssc.undp.org/content/dam/ssc/documents/Key%20Policy%20Documents/Buenos%20Aires%20Plan%20of%20Action.pdf"> Buenos Aires Plan of Action 2030</a> which is primarily concerned with mitigation of climate change given that larger government tendency to focus on large-scale infrastructure projects. These mitigation measures include things such as switching to low-energy light bulbs, small-scale tree planting, proposing greater energy efficiency in buildings, and prioritizing pedestrian, bicycle, and public transport oriented initiatives.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wAgSwtrZEXAkXY6zrZMhV_GrZ9IDtY2ed6mmpw4jJdyp-PeQAA9OFS10K3a-cy3h9VFDC2ffLfOoFUPDklFcJd7n0_15schGoRnwGOZUYZbn2Mt7EnGL2vFKJXGmMnKmVXrufdW9WkRe/s1600/Coat_of_Arms_of_Lima.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wAgSwtrZEXAkXY6zrZMhV_GrZ9IDtY2ed6mmpw4jJdyp-PeQAA9OFS10K3a-cy3h9VFDC2ffLfOoFUPDklFcJd7n0_15schGoRnwGOZUYZbn2Mt7EnGL2vFKJXGmMnKmVXrufdW9WkRe/s200/Coat_of_Arms_of_Lima.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lima </b></span><br />
A city noted for its desert climate, experiences very little rainfall and is prone to water shortage. Given the limited water reserves available to Lima, the observed trend of fewer cold days in conjunction with the a rising maximum temperature is alarming as it has translated to declining rainfall. Because Lima is prone to threats such as flooding and droughts, the primary focus of Limeño initiatives is adaptation to reduce vulnerability. In Peru, <a href="http://www.minam.gob.pe/">the Ministry of Environment</a> (MINAM) is responsible for the creation of policies and plans that will address climate change and adaptation strategies. While Lima faces a great deal of obstacles -- limited financing, limited information on climate hazards, lack of inter-governmental collaboration -- the <a href="http://theredddesk.org/countries/plans/national-climate-change-strategy-peru">National Climate Change Strategy (Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático, ENCC)</a> “aims to provide guidance and information on climate change for national, sectoral and regional development plans and projects.”<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2n8V8Uw-5EU" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyf8TTvlnXqJ7MWdxeJTQO1AR_CMxmFn2qXlk1UHW34M09GKrcUYze8FMfkzBr9n4XOiWJaaAhT-VxOhNxUV-nK8kmz8HmNr7R62lumA93nV0_vyXeXT4xkelt4q9cxrGr3A8vFOA8tO8/s1600/escudoCDMX.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyf8TTvlnXqJ7MWdxeJTQO1AR_CMxmFn2qXlk1UHW34M09GKrcUYze8FMfkzBr9n4XOiWJaaAhT-VxOhNxUV-nK8kmz8HmNr7R62lumA93nV0_vyXeXT4xkelt4q9cxrGr3A8vFOA8tO8/s1600/escudoCDMX.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mexico City</b></span><br />
The Mexican capital alternates between droughts and flooding and an increase and climate change has exacerbated the extremes experienced in the city. The changes make changes to city infrastructure increasingly more necessary as impacts have caused “the drying of the lake system, the loss of rivers and springs, and more intense and destructive rainfall.” In 2008, Mexico City created the <a href="http://www.c40.org/blog_posts/mexico-city-meets-exceeds-climate-action-program-goals">Climate Action program (Proyecto de Adaptación al Cambio Climático, PACC)</a> which established concrete goals and deadlines to be met for annual progress reports. Mexico City, a city notorious for its dangerously high levels of pollution, not only succeeded in meeting the stringent carbon reduction goal set forth by the PACC, but surpassed the goal by 10.2%, said the C40 website. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DLufoH9dRtsV1INeF3xYLkx4aZ9Rewv5NC99sZ1Pqe0m7-7FqPiMtRT2ZRT_fn0yYFuA2EcQYwz9XcxUc7d86gq7Myj4TzUoRP-fdKlqbl-fHg2YdXYLK2x62SIpTTkCdIqopD7PMTYD/s1600/Escudo_de_Santiago_%2528Chile%2529.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DLufoH9dRtsV1INeF3xYLkx4aZ9Rewv5NC99sZ1Pqe0m7-7FqPiMtRT2ZRT_fn0yYFuA2EcQYwz9XcxUc7d86gq7Myj4TzUoRP-fdKlqbl-fHg2YdXYLK2x62SIpTTkCdIqopD7PMTYD/s1600/Escudo_de_Santiago_%2528Chile%2529.svg.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Santiago </b></span><br />
An increase in average temperatures and decrease in rainfall are the primary effects of climate change in Santiago. This decrease in rainfall, which allows for pollution to escape, has resulted in alarming levels of air pollution that even caused authorities to declare an <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/in-santiago-climate-change-fuels-choking-air-pollution-afd700f3d887#.a8zdfmtoj">environmental emergency</a>.
One initiative launched in 1998, the city’s <a href="http://www.sinia.cl/1292/w3-article-39262.html">Atmospheric Decontamination and Prevention Plan</a>, aims to remove thousands of old buses and vehicles from the road in order to curb pollution. This plan also pushed to pave roads that sent dirt flying into the air as well as restricted open burning and implemented tighter control of industry emissions. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTP_XRyURtZnzRYDfX-Tj66VXNY0fGyA7r0Gpv-zOZQmB0AJG_mPisc9U2mzTPj2lLtkZDb_Y84H9SbcKIHaWVFcpfb80RUZigxBXy80xiJone1PpXstTOsjJwY4b2nE_LvEhqAs-MBgG/s1600/Sao+Paulo+Coat+of+Armas.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTP_XRyURtZnzRYDfX-Tj66VXNY0fGyA7r0Gpv-zOZQmB0AJG_mPisc9U2mzTPj2lLtkZDb_Y84H9SbcKIHaWVFcpfb80RUZigxBXy80xiJone1PpXstTOsjJwY4b2nE_LvEhqAs-MBgG/s200/Sao+Paulo+Coat+of+Armas.png" width="155" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>São Paulo </b></span><br />
Records show that São Paulo has experienced an increase in+ extreme precipitation. “The frequency of days with precipitation exceeding 300mm/day has increased by almost 40% in the decade of 2000-2009, compared to the decade of 1930-1940,” said a summary of a workshop related to this trend. A related concern is the location of many homes in in areas susceptible to landslides and floods.
In 2009, the São Paulo city council approved law 14.933 which aims to reduce city greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a <a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2009/08/sao-paulo-adopts-comprehensive-climate-change-policy">comprehensive overview</a> of the law. In 2015, Brazil, under former president Dilma Rousseff, announced a joint effort with the United States to address climate change and move toward the use of more <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/two-of-the-worlds-largest-countries-are-joining-forces-to-fight-climate-change-c8098a126e37#.mja7c9izw">renewable energy</a>.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-37053653336195501142016-11-04T10:44:00.001-06:002016-11-04T10:44:45.691-06:00Yerba Mate: Argentina's Conversation Beverage<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><b> </b></b><i> “Mate is exactly the opposite of television. It makes you talk if
you’re with someone and think when you’re alone. When someone comes to
your house, the first thing you say is ‘hi’ followed by ‘should we drink
a few mates?’</i></blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNvsmib6d4tT_asbNbzBxQgX1Xrnx6Hyn5VGD-AiNt4fh_OH1xkRDDUprEE7zwXjBkBI-yAqO9-AwHuW005EjeQhnazSLK98iGR2aky3-R3TA-df_pE0dSKpidBdZduFv26ldaF-vF2Wz/s1600/yerba+mate-wikimedia+commons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNvsmib6d4tT_asbNbzBxQgX1Xrnx6Hyn5VGD-AiNt4fh_OH1xkRDDUprEE7zwXjBkBI-yAqO9-AwHuW005EjeQhnazSLK98iGR2aky3-R3TA-df_pE0dSKpidBdZduFv26ldaF-vF2Wz/s200/yerba+mate-wikimedia+commons.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
<br />
Yerba Mate, an infusion beverage touted as having the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate, is a drink ubiquitous in Argentina and as of late, embroiled in controversy because of the labor law violations in the almost slave-like conditions workers are subjected to in its harvest and production. <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/10/07-080114">An article</a> in the Oct. 7 edition of NotiSur drew new attention to labor law violations in Argentina and to
the persistence of child labor in almost slave-like conditions,
especially in rural areas.<br />
<br />
The labor violations resonate with Argentine citizens in a way that other similar situations have not. This is perhaps because these violations are centered around yerba mate. It is important to understand that yerba mate is an inextricable part of Argentine culture.<br />
<br />
Yerba mate and the gourds they are served in are as quintessentially Argentinian as soccer, gauchos, flamenco, and Pope Francis. Mate consumption is Argentina’s favorite pastime and is a social tradition that foments togetherness through the custom where a a group of people enjoy the same mate cup and filtered straw. The deeply entrenched aversion to “cooties” and thus, straw sharing, would inhibit this practice here in the United States.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78Br4kkyUxOrhpkSilm71-vqRmXQTP4cdGlTu7u2sZufm1dz2-Dcv5ggQxkiMtxGjijCRtvjdRVtGjXDvleyuBAmP0-4y2C3E4X3s2h57Rnd2WAzE9IV2EZj8lAgRKVWnnlC5nR9Bhmr4/s1600/Mate1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78Br4kkyUxOrhpkSilm71-vqRmXQTP4cdGlTu7u2sZufm1dz2-Dcv5ggQxkiMtxGjijCRtvjdRVtGjXDvleyuBAmP0-4y2C3E4X3s2h57Rnd2WAzE9IV2EZj8lAgRKVWnnlC5nR9Bhmr4/s320/Mate1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Sabrina Hernández</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Yerba mate at a Mexican hostel </b><br />
My own travel experiences have confirmed that Argentines are never being too far from their mate. Just this last April, I checked into a hostel in Puebla, Mexico, and upon arriving I was shown to my room where a woman was seated on the couch in the common area. She had in front of her a mate cup and straw. Without knowing anything about her, I made a very low risk gamble and began conversation by asking if she was from Argentina. “How did you know?” she responded, her genuine curiosity apparent. I told her that it was by her mate, of course, to which she smiled and asked if I wanted to share her mate. <br />
<br />
Another example of the importance of yerba mate is the 2011 critically acclaimed Argentine drama film "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754078/">Las Acacias</a>" directed by Pablo Giorgelli.The film follows a lonely Argentine truck driver named Rubén,who has been taking the motorway from Asunción,
Paraguay, to Buenos Aires, Argentina for years, carrying wood. Even though the movie focuses on the relationship between the trucker and a passenger, yerba mate becomes a powerful symbol. Throughout the film, the viewer sees Rubén sipping the mate, which he is able to prepare quickly with the water he keeps in a large thermos. In a film that accentuates the loneliness of Ruben’s daily life, his mate is personified as the only reprieve from his solitude. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQhrCiWGo-gWnBs-PP68CYNXgK6Uw68kk-UjG5bv9CgEPXCMbo1RZca7GKk33KRFbYYkQ_Tk33m5KVwmO7qm03scKwE-T88xiJp_pBb432JZ0pUG6QI_lJGV5UISKuSN_FNac9fDjfxNH/s1600/Mate2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQhrCiWGo-gWnBs-PP68CYNXgK6Uw68kk-UjG5bv9CgEPXCMbo1RZca7GKk33KRFbYYkQ_Tk33m5KVwmO7qm03scKwE-T88xiJp_pBb432JZ0pUG6QI_lJGV5UISKuSN_FNac9fDjfxNH/s1600/Mate2.jpg" /></a></div>
In a 2005 <a href="http://exposebuenosaires.com/yerba-mate-in-argentina/">Radio Mitre</a> interview, Lalo Mir captured the cultural significance of mate. <i>“Mate is exactly the opposite of television. It makes you talk if you’re with someone and think when you’re alone. When someone comes to your house, the first thing you say is ‘hi’ followed by ‘should we drink a few mates?’ Keyboards in Argentina are full of little pieces of yerba mate. Mate is the only thing that every house has all the time. Always. Amidst inflation, when there´s hunger, under a military regime, with democracy, during whichever of our eternal curses we are suffering. If one day you run out of yerba mate, a neighbor will give you some. Nobody is ever denied mate.”</i><br />
<br />
<b>The campaign against child labor </b><br />
It is this prominence and importance of mate that caused these labor violations to strike a chord among Argentines. An NGO, <a href="http://www.unsueñoparamisiones.org/">Un Sueño Para Misiones</a>, is working to raise visibility and pressure the Argentine government to take action against the labor violations that are occurring in the harvesting of Argentina’s culturally ubiquitous yerba mate in Misiones. Here is a 30-minute documentary about the work of the NGO to combat child labor in the yerba mate fields. The documentary is entitled “Me Gusta el Mate Sin Trabajo Infantil. (I like it Without Child Labor)."
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dj_eKoAIrcw" width="560"></iframe>
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-1410374243158362742016-10-14T18:03:00.001-06:002016-10-14T18:03:15.305-06:00The World's Best Cross-Border Investigative Team<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<i>Globalization and development have placed extraordinary pressures on human societies, posing unprecedented threats from polluting industries, transnational crime networks, rogue states, and the actions of powerful figures in business and government.
The news media, hobbled by short attention spans and lack of resources, are even less of a match for those who would harm the public interest. Broadcast networks and major newspapers have closed foreign bureaus, cut travel budgets, and disbanded investigative teams. We are losing our eyes and ears around the world precisely when we need them most.
Our aim is to bring journalists from different countries together in teams - eliminating rivalry and promoting collaboration. Together, we aim to be the world’s best cross-border investigative team. </i></blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWoeYHzDbbAUTm2rqntKtNERBMaO082SsPmyC6Dzd7vzEOBjy9eKnpQUgGo3f1_6eT43rIENhkYgodIAb4Mjy6ZQX8jCO4L9zOeCmGqc4PRS1ER7PV-qvARl4aOMA_VgH_-l3z8Keym-B/s1600/ICIJ.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWoeYHzDbbAUTm2rqntKtNERBMaO082SsPmyC6Dzd7vzEOBjy9eKnpQUgGo3f1_6eT43rIENhkYgodIAb4Mjy6ZQX8jCO4L9zOeCmGqc4PRS1ER7PV-qvARl4aOMA_VgH_-l3z8Keym-B/s200/ICIJ.png" width="200" /></a><b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
The<a href="https://www.icij.org/index.html"> International Consortium of Investigative Journalists</a> is a global network of more than 190 investigative journalists in more than 65 countries who collaborate on in-depth investigative stories. More than three dozen of those journalists work in Latin American countries, shedding light on matters of public interest that political and business leaders would rather not come to light. <br />
<br />
Founded in 1997 by the respected US journalist <a href="http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/people/editors/charles-lewis/">Chuck Lewis</a>, ICIJ was launched as a project of the <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/">Center for Public Integrity </a>, focusing on issues that do not stop at national frontiers: cross-border crime, corruption, and the accountability of power. Supported by the center its computer-assisted reporting specialists, public records experts, fact-checkers and lawyers, ICIJ reporters and editors provide real-time resources and state-of-the-art tools and techniques to journalists around the world.”<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-o64IuRp7agxGoXk9uPyyqjsWSrNZYMKwfHb_n3EY4RBuOiD9d6kxHCf2RRqQQEcU6BhXXlTCkha6afT3CT5bv5PVg0ypEQ59Z3hHdicUF7_6YX8aJpW3EEChaisnunpSB2qfkYxzubo/s1600/Bahamas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-o64IuRp7agxGoXk9uPyyqjsWSrNZYMKwfHb_n3EY4RBuOiD9d6kxHCf2RRqQQEcU6BhXXlTCkha6afT3CT5bv5PVg0ypEQ59Z3hHdicUF7_6YX8aJpW3EEChaisnunpSB2qfkYxzubo/s320/Bahamas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ICIJ Image for <a href="https://www.icij.org/offshore/former-eu-official-among-politicians-named-new-leak-offshore-files-bahamas"><b>Bahamas Secrets Coverage</b></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The LADB News Service covered two recent investigations by the ICIJ involving the release of previously hidden documents suggesting that powerful individuals might have used tax havens in Panama and the Bahamas to avoid paying taxes to their own governments. We covered the Panama Papers case in SourceMex and NotiSur in <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2016/04/13-079947">April</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/05/06-079973">May</a>, and the Bahamas Leak case in SourceMex in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2016/09/28-080101">September</a>. In both cases, the documents were released via the German newspaper <i>Suddeutsche Zeitung</i>, <br />
<br />
The ICIJ functions as a collective set of eyes around the world in a time when media, “hobbled by short attention spans and lack of resources,” is inadequately positioned to take on those cross-national industries, networks, and powerful figures who harm public well-being. Since our coverage is focused on Latin America, we take this opportunity to recognize the journalists from the region who are participating in the ICIJ as part of the "cross-border investigative team."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>Hugo Alconada Mon</b>, Argentina, editor of newspaper <a href="http://www.lanacion.com.ar/"><i>La Nación</i></a><br />
<b>Daniel Santoro</b>, Argentina, political editor at Argentina’s largest newspaper, <a href="http://www.clarin.com/"><i>Clarín</i></a><br />
<b>Ernesto Tenembaum,</b> Argentina, managing editor of political magazine <a href="http://www.laveintiuno.com.ar/"><i>VEINTIUNO</i></a><br />
<b>Horacio Verbitsky,</b> Argentina, political columnist/editorial writer at <a href="http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/principal/index.html">Página<i> </i>12</a><br />
<b>Rosental Calmon Alves</b>, Brazil, journalism professor at University of Texas at Austin<br />
<b>Angelina Nunes, </b>Brazil, assistant editor at <i><a href="http://oglobo.globo.com/">O Globo</a></i> newspaper<br />
<b>Fernando Rodrigues</b>, Brazil, news portal <i><a href="http://sobre.uol.com.br/index_en.jhtm">UOL</a></i><br />
<b>Marcelo Soares</b>, Brazil, digital reporter at <a href="http://www.folha.uol.com.br/"><i>Folha de S.Paulo</i></a><br />
<b>Claudio Tognolli</b>, Brazil, investigative reporter for Yahoo! Brazil<br />
<b>Monica Gonzalez, </b>Chile, founder and executive director of Chile’s<a href="http://ciperchile.cl/"> Centro de Investigacion Periodistica (CIPER)</a><br />
<b>Francisca Skoknic,</b> Chile, editor CIPER<b> </b><br />
<b>Maria Cristina Caballero,</b> Colombia, journalist known for her coverage of organized crime, corruption, and paramilitary forces<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPTtnJ1phxUcYsmCVfTebpH66geUer2XhoJ5lkDdQ-zkgxQRp9s57k3NNz8076CFsxIjEidM8Z8I6HvgzXRUiiBhvzaoLEq1503EVGBUklSnGYp5_hWI8BKq1jdfb-age9ewOlvwCld3_/s1600/LatinAmerica.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPTtnJ1phxUcYsmCVfTebpH66geUer2XhoJ5lkDdQ-zkgxQRp9s57k3NNz8076CFsxIjEidM8Z8I6HvgzXRUiiBhvzaoLEq1503EVGBUklSnGYp5_hWI8BKq1jdfb-age9ewOlvwCld3_/s400/LatinAmerica.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map: Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Ignacio Gomez, </b>Colombia, subdirector of <i><a href="http://noticiasunolaredindependiente.com/">Noticias Uno</a></i><br />
<b>Carlos Eduardo Huertas, </b>Colombia, investigations editor at <a href="http://www.semana.com/"><i>Semana</i></a> magazine and founder of Consejo de Radaccion<br />
<b>Ginna Morelo,</b> Colombia, investigative journalist, editor for <a href="http://www.eltiempo.com/"><i>El Tiempo’</i></a>s Data Unit, and a professor of journalism and general coordinator for the Consejo de Redacción<br />
<b>Gerardo Reyes,</b> United States/Colombia, investigations editor for <a href="http://www.univision.com/deportes/futbol/colombia/">Univisión</a><br />
<b>Maria Teresa Ronderos</b>, Colombia, founder and editor-in-chief of <i><a href="http://verdadabierta.com/">VerdadAbierta.com</a></i><br />
<b>Ernesto Rivera</b>, Costa Rica, staff writer for investigative unit at <i><a href="http://www.nacion.com/">La Nación</a></i><br />
<b>Giannina Segnini,</b> Costa Rica and United States, Director of the Master of Science Data Concentration Program at the<a href="http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/"> Journalism School </a>at Columbia University<br />
<b>Arturo Torres Ramirez, </b>Ecuador, research editor at <a href="http://www.elcomercio.com/"><i>El Comercio</i></a><br />
<b>Carlos Dada</b>, El Salvador, founder and director of the news website <i><a href="http://www.elfaro.net/">El Faro</a></i><br />
<b>Julio Godoy,</b> France/Guatemala, lives in Paris and does daily reporting mostly for German radio stations after being forced to flee Guatemala because of government pressure to silence his investigative reporting<br />
<b>Paola Hurtado, </b>Guatemala, chief of the investigative reporting team at ElPeriodico<br />
<b>Pedro Enrique Armendares,</b> Mexico, executive director of <a href="http://investigacion.org.mx/">Centro de Periodistas de Investigación</a><br />
<b>Alfredo Corchado,</b> Mexico, is the Mexico Bureau Chief for <b><i>The Dallas Morning News</i></b><br />
<b>Carlos Marín,</b> Mexico, editorial director of <i><a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/">Milenio</a></i><br />
<b>Alfredo Quijano Hernández</b>, Mexico, was the chief of the special investigations unit and news editor of the newspaper <i><a href="http://nortedigital.mx/">El Norte de Ciudad Juare</a>z</i> until his unexpected death in December, 2013<br />
<b>Leonarda Reyes,</b> Mexico, Executive Director of the <a href="http://protectionline.org/source/center-for-journalism-and-public-ethics-cepet/">Center for journalism and Public Ethics</a><br />
<b>Marcela Turati Muñoz</b>, Mexico, reporter for the magazine <a href="http://www.proceso.com.mx/"><i>Proceso</i></a><br />
<b>Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab</b> Wilhelm, Mexico, freelance journalist<br />
<b>Carlos Fernando Chamorro,</b> Nicaragua, founder and editor of <a href="http://confidencial.com.ni/"><i>Confidencial</i></a><br />
<b>Mabel Rehnfeldt,</b> Paraguay, investigative reporter and editor of <a href="http://www.abc.com.py/"><i>ABC Digital-ABC Color</i></a><br />
<b>Gustavo Gorriti, </b>Peru, leads the investigative center at the <i><a href="https://idl-reporteros.pe/">IDL-Reporteros</a></i><br />
<b>Angel Paez, </b>Peru, founder of Peru’s first investigative reporting team and has been working as director at <a href="http://larepublica.pe/"><i>La Repúbllica</i></a><br />
<b>Milagros Salazar,</b> Peru, reporter with <i><a href="https://idl-reporteros.pe/">IDL-Reporteros</a></i><br />
<b>Emilia Diaz-Struck</b>, Venezuela, lead researcher for ICIJ’s cross-border investigations<br />
<b>Joseph Poliszuk</b>, Venezuela, editor of the site <a href="http://armando.info/">Armando.info</a><br />
<b>Carlos Subero,</b> Venezuela, currently chief of the Editorial Committee of <a href="http://www.telecaribe.net/#/programas">Telecaribe</a>-<i><a href="http://www.notiminuto.com/#">Notiminuto</a></i>BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-81666334392141564332016-09-30T11:05:00.000-06:002016-09-30T11:05:19.413-06:00A Look at the 'Communitarian Nation of Moskitia' <blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Miskitos, some 150,000 to 200,000 strong, share the region with several other indigenous groups, as well as English-speaking Afro-Nicaraguans and some Spanish-speaking mestizos. In general, the east is culturally opposed to the rest of the country: Creole English and indigenous languages are more widely spoken than Spanish, and Protestantism (with strong indigenous and African elements) is more widespread than Catholicism. Moskitia’s would-be leaders claim that their new country will be ethnically inclusive, but its political structures are to be based on Misktito traditions. Hector Williams, head of the movement, goes by the indigenous title of Wihta Tara, or Great Judge. -</i>from <a href="http://www.geocurrents.info/place/latin-america/the-communitarian-nation-of-moskitia">GeoCurrents</a><i><br /></i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVmTDGwQRczrNLQ4ztxLeE9Z-3c3t_6VrWbBoodYb8n1BeQHPbcoYrKePCJ9p37xbO-C9eiIbjnmj-TQXowJKRU-LKxwK34oP7vrZaS7jjhSkE2uRt_dQrhy66954ONx9aRtP_PBEoCk9/s1600/Miskito.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVmTDGwQRczrNLQ4ztxLeE9Z-3c3t_6VrWbBoodYb8n1BeQHPbcoYrKePCJ9p37xbO-C9eiIbjnmj-TQXowJKRU-LKxwK34oP7vrZaS7jjhSkE2uRt_dQrhy66954ONx9aRtP_PBEoCk9/s320/Miskito.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
<br />
In the <b>Sept. 15 issue of NotiCen</b> we covered the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2016/09/15-080091">land conflict in in the Río Coco Arriba</a> sector of Nicaragua’s Región Autónoma de la
Costa Caribe Norte (North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, RACCN). Here, the Miskito communities are trying to defend their lands from mestizo settlers from western Nicaragua who are pushing further and
further into the region to exploit its valuable hardwoods, clear forest
space for cattle ranching, and in some cases, even set up clandestine
drug-trafficking outposts.<br />
<br />
To put the conflict into perspective, it is useful to learn more about the history and evolution of the Miskito communities As a Latin American Studies graduate student, learning new things like this is, in a nut shell, why I am here. So, I did a little bit of digging and here is some of what I learned:
Diverse Origins<br />
<br />
While Spain was conquering most of the hemisphere in the 16th century, the eastern regions of both Honduras and Nicaragua remained untouched until the 17th century. Prior to contact, the region was inhabited by numerous small indigenous groups, but with the turn of the 16th century, the region saw increasing interaction with English, French, and Dutch buccaneers, traders, and settlers. In addition to English interactions, the coastal indigenous populations were receptive of African slaves who had either escaped or shipwrecked into the region. The culmination of these diverse interactions resulted in the Miskito Creole English that is spoken by some today in addition to a native Miskito language and Spanish spoken by smaller populations. <br />
<br />
<b>Involvement with the Contras </b><br />
In the 1980s, Miskito support was highly sought after by both the Sandinistas and the Nicaraguan government. At that time, the Miskitos has formed guerrilla forces that engaged in armed struggle against the government. In an attempt to sway the Miskito, the government passed a statute that gave autonomy to the Miskito in September 1987 which was effective in quelling Miskito resistance. A series of LADB articles in 1987 document the different strategies employed by both the <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/1987/01/21-077286">Nicaraguan government</a> and <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/1987/02/18-077082">US government</a> to attain control of the Miskitos. <br />
<br />
<b>Independence Movement </b><br />
Located on the eastern coast of both Honduras and Nicaragua, a drive to the Miskito coast takes about 20 hours in car from Managua. Driving to El Salvador or neighboring Costa Rica would be quicker than accessing the remotely located and sparsely populated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_Coast">Moskito Coast.</a> It might seem like traveling to another country, in 2009, the Miskito announced their <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8181209.stm">declaration of independence</a> from Nicaragua. The <a href="http://www.geocurrents.info/place/latin-america/the-communitarian-nation-of-moskitia">Communitarian Nation of Moskitia</a>, who no longer recognizes the authority of the Nicaraguan government, comes replete with their own flag, national anthem, a lawyer, and an extensive list of grievances. Separatist action was spurred by a combination of dissatisfaction with President Daniel Ortega - both as the leader of the Sandinista’s in the 1980’s and as sitting president of Nicaragua - and exploitation of raw material in their jungle territory. The Nicaraguan government has given the Miskitos a degree of autonomy but has not recognized the Miskito communities as a separate nation. <br />
<br />
<b>Environmental and Health Concerns </b><br />
In a region that experienced upwards of 80% unemployment in 2009, lobster diving serves as an industry that offers employment and a means of survival for many Miskito along the Atlantic coast. However, commercial diving in and of itself is controversial not just because of the dangers of over hunting the lobster population, but the dangers inherent in diving itself. Hundreds of Miskito divers have died and an estimated half of the Miskito population live with injuries, including paralysis, from decompression sickness, a condition created by ascending too rapidly back to the water’s surface.<br />
<br />
To highlight this dangerous activity, a movie, "<a href="http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/02/my-village-my-lobster-film-exposes-extreme-danger-behind-a-favorite-seafood/">My Village, My Lobster</a>," was made in 2013 to bring attention to a law passed by the Nicaraguan government that will ban commercial diving, which would bring dire economic consequences for the Miskito. "The bulk of the film examines the hard lives of Miskito divers who work
on commercial boats, going out for 12-day stretches into deeper waters.
The boats have been heading out farther and farther, meaning divers have
to plunge deeper and deeper to pick up the clawless spiny lobsters from
the bottom," said <a href="http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/02/my-village-my-lobster-film-exposes-extreme-danger-behind-a-favorite-seafood/">an article</a> in <i>National Geographic. </i><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ejh0mveldhs" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<b>The 'White Lobster'</b><br />
According to an article in <i>Time</i> magazine, dated April 14, 2011, life has improved for some members of the Miskito community with the arrival of the "white lobster" on the Mosquito Coast. "White lobsters — also known as <i>bendiciones de Dios</i> or godsends —
are packages of cocaine and other drugs pitched overboard by
narco-smugglers fleeing Nicaraguan Coast Guard patrols," said the <a href="http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2063261,00.html"><i>Time</i> article</a>. "With that
valuable cargo, several tiny outposts on the country's Mosquito Coast
have morphed into international logistics hubs for transnational drug
shipments headed in every direction."BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-14541390078744991312016-09-16T14:26:00.000-06:002016-09-16T14:26:08.598-06:00Will a Woman Be Elected to Fill These Shoes? (Of UN Secretary General)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnfYxWE2S8l50K8NEaD6pbKe6z21C5X-6ttTiM5AZUwj_SRIp08OpP9-__NpLByY1PNkQcPvQCKD5BmAZCeDIuBsmMue4Xrq6rtKVzjte1jaX5DJFn_U_q1nPgyO1K_n5wNofJO156Ssw/s1600/Malcorra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnfYxWE2S8l50K8NEaD6pbKe6z21C5X-6ttTiM5AZUwj_SRIp08OpP9-__NpLByY1PNkQcPvQCKD5BmAZCeDIuBsmMue4Xrq6rtKVzjte1jaX5DJFn_U_q1nPgyO1K_n5wNofJO156Ssw/s1600/Malcorra.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susana Malcorra (Photo: UN)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><b>By Sabrina Hernández</b></b><br />
<br />
With the end of Ban Ki-moon’s term drawing near, election of the ninth secretary-general is underway. The early candidates included two women from the Latin American and Caribbean group, Susana Malcorra of Argentina and Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica. See <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/09/02-080080">our coverage</a> in the LADB News Service. Figueres has since <a href="http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/09/12/christiana-figueres-drops-un-race">withdrawn from the race</a>. <br />
<br />
Malcorra is one of four women who remain in the running for the post. The others are Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, Helen Clark of New Zealand, and Natalia Gherman of Moldova. No woman has previously served as UN secretary-general. An important factor in the decision is an unwritten rule of “regional rotation," which would give the upper hand to the Eastern European group as it is a region that has yet to see UN leadership. Gherman and Bokova would both fill the gender and regional roles.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7c-Jq63450adhmfC6kagYPlpZGgVLAgw1NNZ_HDuxoqee6Ncf1ZL7saa0Y2OO2Mnjgz_cqjkSk6HKfj1saU3Ic_B4E_JZWmZGn09J5bcm1EZJ14C97rq1cQQlrjz_eH2lfx2c41RyZWqc/s1600/Figueres%252B-%252B200x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7c-Jq63450adhmfC6kagYPlpZGgVLAgw1NNZ_HDuxoqee6Ncf1ZL7saa0Y2OO2Mnjgz_cqjkSk6HKfj1saU3Ic_B4E_JZWmZGn09J5bcm1EZJ14C97rq1cQQlrjz_eH2lfx2c41RyZWqc/s1600/Figueres%252B-%252B200x200.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christiana Figueres (Photo: UN)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So what does the UN Secretary-General do? Well, per the <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en">United Nations</a>, the <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/sg_role.shtml">Secretary-General</a> is “equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant, and CEO, the Secretary-General is a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesman for the interests of the world’s people, in particular the poor and vulnerable among them.” <br />
<br />
Yikes! Add to this whopper of a job description the <a href="http://www.1for7billion.org/">1 for 7 Billion</a> campaign (referring to one candidate to represent 7 billion people), and the magnitude and weight of this position can begin to be fully understood. Though broadly defined and open to interpretation, it is clear that whoever is elected later this year will have to stand at the forefront and work to address a hefty load of issues that will necessitate strategic leadership, managerial know-how, and efficiently and effectively navigate a plethora of priorities established by the UN’s member states. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbeqWHAQurzrEgC0XRLFmWeQBpfmb7Hrae1wmkfOmTYsKVxAqNfX5MQIGHcoNTOox-yUPS_u2lhE-U-xw69g1-5BIZoxZH8QITP5gyOEy4zSncQgxiwkp0aqTv88aB5YEUtxIQyYd-hNX/s1600/JavierPerezdeCuellar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbeqWHAQurzrEgC0XRLFmWeQBpfmb7Hrae1wmkfOmTYsKVxAqNfX5MQIGHcoNTOox-yUPS_u2lhE-U-xw69g1-5BIZoxZH8QITP5gyOEy4zSncQgxiwkp0aqTv88aB5YEUtxIQyYd-hNX/s1600/JavierPerezdeCuellar.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Photo: UN)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The 'poet' secreatary-general </span></b><br />
A member of the Latin American and Caribbean group has previously held the leadership of the UN, with Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru serving as secretary-general from 1982 to 1991 by A trilingual poet and grandfather, many were uncertain that Pérez de Cuéllar possessed the firm hand believed necessary for the job, which is to serve an emphasis on “world hunger and disease, abuses of human rights, the scourge of war, and the ultimate threat of nuclear catastrophe,”<br />
<br />
One of Pérez de Cuéllar's most notable contributions during his tenure was in his home region of Latin America. He personally became involved in negotiations between the government and guerillas in El Salvador on a <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Javier_Perez_de_Cuellar.aspx">peace pact</a>, which brought to an end 12 years of violent civil war in a time of chaos for the region. (Read <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/1991/12/20-063465">our coverage</a> in LADB).<br />
<br />
Because of his achievements, some have called Pérez de Cuéllar the "<a href="http://www.tamilnewsnetwork.com/2009/07/27/who-is-best-un-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon-could-learn-from-perez-de-cuellar/">greatest:</a>" secretary-general who has served in the post. However, the recognition was not enough to convince the people of Peru to vote him in as president in South American country's <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/1994/10/14-056456">1994 election</a>. <br />
<br />
In Pérez de Cuéllar we see a model for what it means to be an effective and esteemed secretary-general. In trying to get a solid grip on this expansive and often vague job description, the next secretary-general should not forget the lessons of those who held the seat before but also bring a fresh perspective and ideas to the table. Four of the <a href="http://www.1for7billion.org/candidates/">nine remaining candidates</a> are women, potentially bringing a new perspective to the job.BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-32024064669987343042016-09-02T17:11:00.000-06:002016-09-02T17:11:07.773-06:00Ni Una Menos Fights Violence against Women Throughout Latin America.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvqCkfiEV33HW2fD3ATUdfmpynv3TTmjvXSJZQ9tD0fd-s27GsaBmyQtMYnNZXTvk8X7qehLSsTXjLS9BHGonEbQzFtEBKv-uc5gCLgD1S-9wl8fCoLm1qz9QDvJKVDvRRMgX-BPuYh21/s1600/niunamenos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvqCkfiEV33HW2fD3ATUdfmpynv3TTmjvXSJZQ9tD0fd-s27GsaBmyQtMYnNZXTvk8X7qehLSsTXjLS9BHGonEbQzFtEBKv-uc5gCLgD1S-9wl8fCoLm1qz9QDvJKVDvRRMgX-BPuYh21/s200/niunamenos.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>By Sabrina Hernández</b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://niunamenos.com.ar/">Ni Una Menos</a></b>, a civic movement calling attention to the high incidence of sexual violence and femicide, has gained traction in Peru, a country that ranks second in Latin America for the number of incidents of sexual violence with 10 femicides a month Ni Una Menos organized a massive march on Aug, 13 to bring attention to the issue. (See<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/08/26-080071"> <b>Aug. 26 edition of NotiSur</b></a><b>)</b><br />
<br />
An estimated 50,000 people showed up and footage of the demonstration in Lima can be seen here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yBCugMaUdsY" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
In Peru, several controversial rulings by judges in domestic violence cases served as the impetus for this call to action and effort to bring the matter of violence against women to the center of the national debate.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Impunity and violence against women is an issue that I tracked very closely during my years in California. I was still back home in the San Francisco Bay area, when a judge handed down an <b><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/us/sexual-assault-brock-turner-stanford/">an appallingly paltry sentence</a></b> to a Stanford University swimmer convicted of rape this past summer.<br />
<br />
No matter what country, this is an issue that merits attention, and Ni Una Menos has managed to raise consciousness about the problem not only in Peru, but also throughout Latin America. Here are synopses of how the organization and local activists have worked to address gender violence in various countries in the region.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBJVPJfM9qHADdXS9-ata5T0P9HwI3sFonUxqKtGcGmU00jy5u_o8PolcS_zVbiIub9WhzTh50H8mqC2b_yWRSQ0S4yb7itGJHu4ldVHMf8AfW3scGrjv2tHTWEMjhaM_GVbMMciOK-x-/s1600/Argentina-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBJVPJfM9qHADdXS9-ata5T0P9HwI3sFonUxqKtGcGmU00jy5u_o8PolcS_zVbiIub9WhzTh50H8mqC2b_yWRSQ0S4yb7itGJHu4ldVHMf8AfW3scGrjv2tHTWEMjhaM_GVbMMciOK-x-/s1600/Argentina-1.png" /></a></div>
<b>Argentina</b> On June 3, 2015, a Ni Una Menos protest was held in the streets of Córdoba to demand an end to femicides and other types of violence against women. Thousandsof people took to the streets to demand an
end to gender-related killings and relative impunity for the
perpetrators of gender-related violence. This was only one of several protets in Argentina that year. According to <b><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/heather-jeffrey/argentina-marches-for-ni-_b_10319712.html"><i>The Huffington Post</i></a>, </b>more than 300,000 in Buenos Aires alone marched for Ni Una Menos, joining protestors in other cities. By some estimates, Argentina averages one femicide per 30 hours, up from an estimated one death per 40 hours in 2008. But these are just estimates. One of the demands of protestors is that the government collect and release accurate statistics on femicide. Another focus of the protest is aimed at prevention; protestors interviewed made mention of the importance of educating men how to treat women.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpTbnJPDiA-SwYr_QG2lnE4KRx_uWc3z8eFfgoThdDVc-_ME7YabwacX5EoRNzvDevgRerXfoJ7uCQU12Es90fqyPFljs4luY8D82zRQUk7EUmYkLGLSrgn_NfYCWa5h1kM11350uv50s/s1600/Mexico-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpTbnJPDiA-SwYr_QG2lnE4KRx_uWc3z8eFfgoThdDVc-_ME7YabwacX5EoRNzvDevgRerXfoJ7uCQU12Es90fqyPFljs4luY8D82zRQUk7EUmYkLGLSrgn_NfYCWa5h1kM11350uv50s/s1600/Mexico-1.png" /></a></div>
<b>Mexico</b> In July of 2015, Mexico held its own march against femicide and the violent killing of women and girls. The country, beleaguered by gender related violence, sees six women killed each day, which places it among the world’s worst countries for violence against women.
The culmination of these coordinated protests has led the government to issue “gender alerts.” This alert, the government’s recognition of a serious and systemic problem, will signify that “urgent action” is necessary to prevent the killing of women and to work towards the resolution of the countless open and languishing investigations. As of July, 2016, the federal government has activated a gender alert in 33 municipalities in the states of Mexico, Morelos, and Michoacan. While women see the gender alerts as a step forward, they believe much more needs to be done in Mexico. On a Sunday in late April, of this year tens of thousands of women in 27 states
marched through the streets of major Mexican cities to demand an end to
domestic violence, harassment of women, and femicides. Organizers dubbed
the campaign Primavera Violeta (Violet Spring), an effort to bring
attention to the many ways in which women are accosted in Mexico. Read more in <b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2016/05/11-079974">SourceMex, May 11, 2016</a></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CupAh7S2K8hPUPAB0xUC7rw0RvVqRFlr1-0ByGq32gl_rPHqyf7czTG46DcUKpdKpPHFgtihhEmsG8RTDKihnTVFrBmUkJKqZ9Ee2NiLO1hyphenhyphenfDvaPeYlJ8pbhufxV6A9v5e0W_YexmjE/s1600/Bolivia-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CupAh7S2K8hPUPAB0xUC7rw0RvVqRFlr1-0ByGq32gl_rPHqyf7czTG46DcUKpdKpPHFgtihhEmsG8RTDKihnTVFrBmUkJKqZ9Ee2NiLO1hyphenhyphenfDvaPeYlJ8pbhufxV6A9v5e0W_YexmjE/s1600/Bolivia-1.png" /></a></div>
<b>Bolivia</b> Activists have led protests to redress a staggeringly high incidence of gender related violence perpetuated by a patriarchal culture that views women as property of men. Bolivian government has taken a considerable action compared to other countries plagued with gender violence. In 2013, Bolivia passed Law 348 which was designed to guarantee women a life free of violence and prevent partner violence and punish abusers. Recently formed within the Bolivian police is the Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra La Violencia (FELCV) whose job is to prevent, investigate and combat violence against women and girls.
While Bolivia is leading the way with good laws and legal framework, cultural mentalities lag behind and many women find that lack of services and societal pressure to remain quiet makes the process of reporting incidents to be stressful and life-threatening, according to the daily newspaper <a href="http://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/bolivia-movilizacion-violencia-genero-feminicidio.html"><b><i>El Comercio</i></b></a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyERZH2SnzaqtLqoGloqarSTyPWNePfj2FpxTmFc6m6CBH5Y9od-E2fSCHKn9t-QEhTA2FUIIBqw4HLuQgQCFTxoHeHw1qprtHp2DxLxcgBs7RRQH95JbIkvmmbvNqNkcIagIFGokPsm-9/s1600/Colombia-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyERZH2SnzaqtLqoGloqarSTyPWNePfj2FpxTmFc6m6CBH5Y9od-E2fSCHKn9t-QEhTA2FUIIBqw4HLuQgQCFTxoHeHw1qprtHp2DxLxcgBs7RRQH95JbIkvmmbvNqNkcIagIFGokPsm-9/s1600/Colombia-1.png" /></a></div>
<b>Colombia</b>
A new law on femicide was implemented on July 6, 2015. In Colombia, an average of one woman is killed every two days and protesters who gathered on Sept. 16, 2015r attribute that high number, in part, to Colombia’s macho culture and a lack of awareness among women about their rights.
Experts now argue that the prosecutor’s office needs to change the way cases of femicide are identified and investigated in order for this new law to begin to chip away at the problem, according to <b><a href="http://www.colombiainforma.info/ni-una-menos-feminicidios-en-ascenso/"><i>Colombia Informa.</i></a></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pmVjZax2fzoDS07RA9Ah1UiTQNtr0XVW8oTFLA7epkEpWxNUqVM3eF1ZGElGGioNadXVn2QWUdMosZ0khG52I2YzXkj6SoE51Sw6O0LLlHhy9WyTdRdXlTg6U678kIYI7LL0GTCbguMC/s1600/Brazil-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pmVjZax2fzoDS07RA9Ah1UiTQNtr0XVW8oTFLA7epkEpWxNUqVM3eF1ZGElGGioNadXVn2QWUdMosZ0khG52I2YzXkj6SoE51Sw6O0LLlHhy9WyTdRdXlTg6U678kIYI7LL0GTCbguMC/s1600/Brazil-1.png" /></a></div>
<b>Brazil</b> With the <b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/08/05-080051">Rio Olympics</a> </b>in full swing, protestors gathered to condemn the rampant sexual violence that plagues the country. In few other countries can the systemic and institutionalized nature of the problem be as outwardly visible. A high profile rape case involving the Party of Social Christians leader, Marcus Feliciano, serves to illustrate the true depth and extent of the problem in Brazil, Ani Hao wrote in the online news site <b><a href="https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/our-olympic-message-brazilian-women-protest-the-countrys-sexual-violence"><i>Broadly</i></a>.</b> This protest, in large part motivated by the sexual assault of four women in the Olympic Village, marks a year of intense activism against gender related violence and femicide. Brazil has been tail spinning into political, economic, and social crisis and June 1, 2016, marked the largest feminist mobilization in Brazil’s history in light of a gruesome sexual assault of an adolescent girl by at least 30 men, most of whom, have not been punished. In March 2015, Brazil finally codified a law against femicide, thanks in part to intense feminist activism.<br />
<br />BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-16624073263960647812016-07-15T16:25:00.001-06:002016-07-15T16:29:19.343-06:00A Honduran Narco Corrido<i><a href="http://www.elijahwald.com/corrido.html">Narcocorridos</a> </i>have been a popular means to immortalize drug trafficking organizations and their leaders in Mexico. <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2008/01/09-051226">This genre</a> also known as durangense, norteña, or grupera originated in
small towns in northern states, and its lyrics often glorify the drug trade and drug
traffickers. One of the most popular subjects of this popular form of ballad has been <span class="st">Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, who has become a legendary figure because of his two bold escapes from Mexican prisons. </span><span class="st"><span class="st">Guzmán Loera escaped from the Puente Grande Penitentiary </span>in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2001/01/24-053597">2001</a>, was recaptured in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2014/02/26-079227">2014</a>, escaped again in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2015/07/15-079700">2015</a> and taken back into custody in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2016/01/20-079865">2016</a></span>. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6rDuY33Zvtc" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
These types of ballads were also popular during the height of Colombian control of the drug trade, as evidenced by this narco corrido about Pablo Escobar, leader of the
Medellín Cartel, who was<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/1993/12/03-057151"> killed in an exchange of gunfire</a> with the Colombian military in 1993. This corrido glorifies Escobar.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nYC_EZnS-hs" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Not to be outdone, a corrido also was created to celebrate the Honduran drug trafficking gang Los Cachiros. We published an article about the rise and fall of Los Cachiros in <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2016/07/14-080032">this week's edition</a> of NotiCen. <br />
<br />
Here are some excerpts:<i> </i><br />
<i>Los Cachiros” did not take long to jump from stealing cattle to
becoming one of Honduras top narco families––an immensely wealthy crime
élite that, among other major-scale activities, supplied drugs to none
other than Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and his Sinaloa cartel.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Honduran group, headed by four members of the Rivera Maradiaga
family––top leader Javier Eriberto (“Don Javier”), brothers Devis Leonel
and Santos Isidro, and sister Maira Lizeth––grew during just over a
decade, roughly between 2003-2015, into an organization that controlled
<a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2013/10/10-079110">most of the US-bound drug conveyances by air</a>. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The group's downfall began in n September of 2013, when the US Department of the Treasury singled them out
as a dangerous drug-trafficking organization operating mainly in the
departments of Atlántida, Colón, and Gracias a Dios, on the northern
Caribbean coast of Honduras, the latter bordering Nicaragua. This <i>narcocorrido</i> pays tribute to Los Cachiros.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFW-0BMjBqg" width="560"></iframe>
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-30614514723502330172016-05-20T12:14:00.004-06:002016-05-20T12:14:56.107-06:00Earthquakes: A Continous Threat in Western South America<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywbi6DSFPZfgPG1uo-wwQfmRNZuBFrUziK9fBGj8YQIA_O2H4Ng-BL5QFBJxehTzefTB4KBHq5t7FwvoEa69XLRvsPYMcfUR-j5jVuAlSc64yTHLwiW1XtTK8TdiSRDQGnm52kgpNQ2Qs/s1600/Nazca+Plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywbi6DSFPZfgPG1uo-wwQfmRNZuBFrUziK9fBGj8YQIA_O2H4Ng-BL5QFBJxehTzefTB4KBHq5t7FwvoEa69XLRvsPYMcfUR-j5jVuAlSc64yTHLwiW1XtTK8TdiSRDQGnm52kgpNQ2Qs/s200/Nazca+Plate.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: <span class="wsite-logo"><a href="http://caribbeantectonics.weebly.com/"><span id="wsite-title">Caribbean Tectonics</span></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>More than one-quarter of the world's “Great” magnitude 8 or larger earthquakes have occurred in western South America, including the 1960 magnitude 9.5 Chile megathrust earthquake, the largest earthquake ever recorded.
An array of earthquakes are generated by Nazca-South American plate boundary and intra-plate tectonic processes. This animation explores three major mechanisms for earthquakes due to the interaction of the plates: </i><a href="https://www.iris.edu/hq/"><b>Incorporated Research Institutes for Seismology</b></a><i> </i><b>(IRIS)</b><i><br /></i></blockquote>
The western countries of South America sit on the Nazca Plate, an oceanic tectonic plate in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. O<span style="font-size: small;">ver the last half-century, this geological feature has caused major headaches from Colombia to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Over the last 10 years, LADB has covered some of the earthquakes in the region, including recovery efforts and political implications. Here are some of the headlines. We included analysis from the Incorporated Research Institutes for Seismology (IRIS).</span><br />
<br />
<b>September 21, 2007: <a class="sresults" href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2007/09/21-051301" title="Noticen: Friday, September 21, 2007">Peru: Recovery Fund Set Up After 8.0 Magnitude Earthquake Pounds Region South Of Capital, Kills Over 500 </a></b><br />
A severe 8.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the coastal area of southern
Peru on Aug. 15, killing at least 540 people and leaving about 80,000
Peruvians homeless. The cities of Pisco and Ica were badly hit, along
with the surrounding regions along a 130-km stretch of the Pacific
coast. Casualty numbers could have been massive if Lima where a huge
portion of the country's population lives had been more directly shaken.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_100227_chile/20100227Chile.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwia-OPMnOnMAhXJ7oMKHTLcD6wQFggUMAU&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNFJfY923tR1CoiA3BmxTHXi8y0frw">Iris Analysis </a></b><br />
<br />
<b>March 12, 2010: <a class="sresults" href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2010/03/12-050624" title="Noticen: Friday, March 12, 2010">Massive Earthquake Strikes Just Ahead Of Presidential Handoff</a></b><br />
As Chile digs out from the massive Feb. 27 earthquake, the largest to
hit the South American country in a half century, political divisions
exacerbated by the recent elections continue to lurk just below the
surface. The seemingly interminable quake, which lasted more than two
horrifying minutes, struck in the wee hours of Saturday morning and
affected a huge swath of the country from north of Santiago to as far
south as Puerto Montt in the Lakes Region. For the millions of Chileans
shaken awake by the monster magnitude 8.8 event, it was in all senses a
living nightmare.<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_100227_chile/100227_chile.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwia-OPMnOnMAhXJ7oMKHTLcD6wQFgggMAk&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNFLKqYaNNC0yn5vACSwq-hwuwaODg"><b>Iris Analysis </b></a><br />
<br />
<b>March 26, 2010: </b><b><a class="sresults" href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2010/03/26-050611" title="Noticen: Friday, March 26, 2010">Sebastián Piñera Takes Helm Of Quake-rattled Nation </a></b><br />
Two decades of leadership by the center-left Concertacion coalition came
to an official end March 11, when Sebastian Pinera, a conservative
billionaire businessman and onetime senator, donned Chile's presidential
sash for the first time in what turned out to be literally an
earth-shaking event. Just minutes before the start of the ceremony, held
in the Congress building in Valparaiso, a series of powerful tremors
rippled through central Chile, putting a natural exclamation point on a
transfer of power already loaded with historic significance. Not only
did Pinera's inauguration swing the country to the right for the first
time since the end of the military dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet
(1973-1990), it also came less than two weeks after Chile suffered its
worst natural disaster in half a century: a magnitude 8.8 earthquake
that struck Feb. 27. <br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>December 10, 2010:</b> <a class="sresults" href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2010/12/10-078085" title="Noticen: Friday, December 10, 2010"> <b>Chile President and Opposition Trade Barbs while Earthquake Victims Wait for Solutions </b></a><br />
Nine months after one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded
history jolted central Chile, the disaster has returned to the national
forefront as fodder in a mudslinging match between the country’s
increasingly popular President Sebastián Piñera and a weakened
opposition eager to find a chink in the first-year leader’s political
armor. The massive magnitude 8.8 quake and subsequent tsunami struck Feb. 27, less than two weeks before Piñera took office.
The back-to-back disasters killed 521 people and caused an estimated
US$30 billion in damages, destroying homes, bridges, and other
structures throughout Chile’s central regions. <br />
<br />
<b>January 2, 2011</b> <b><a class="gs-title" data-ctorig="https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_110102_chile/20110102Chile.pdf" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_110102_chile/20110102Chile.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwia-OPMnOnMAhXJ7oMKHTLcD6wQFggXMAY&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGbTPZ6WGRQpk3pb8-KHo40E0qeXw" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_110102_chile/20110102Chile.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwia-OPMnOnMAhXJ7oMKHTLcD6wQFggXMAY&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGbTPZ6WGRQpk3pb8-KHo40E0qeXw" target="_blank">Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake in Central Chile (IRIS)</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>September 30, 2012</b> <b><a class="gs-title" data-ctorig="http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_120930_colombia/120930colombia.pdf" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_120930_colombia/120930colombia.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwia-OPMnOnMAhXJ7oMKHTLcD6wQFggRMAQ&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNH6HZeRvrrQjSx-tBrZisA7r7sp6g" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_120930_colombia/120930colombia.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwia-OPMnOnMAhXJ7oMKHTLcD6wQFggRMAQ&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNH6HZeRvrrQjSx-tBrZisA7r7sp6g" target="_blank">Magnitude 7.3 Colombia (IRIS)</a></b> <br />
<br />
<b>October 9, 2015: <a class="sresults" href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2015/10/09-079789" title="Noticen: 2015-10-09">Chile Slammed but Not Leveled by Third Major Earthquake in Five Years </a></b><br />
As cleanup efforts continue following last month’s major earthquake
off the coast of Illapel, in the Coquimbo Region of northcentral Chile,
more than a few observers are marveling at how relatively well the
country fared—all things considered. The disaster that unfolded on the evening of Sept. 16, just ahead of
Chile’s annual Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day) celebrations, was both
horrifying and tragic. The powerful quake ruined thousands of
dwellings, prompted a mass evacuation along the country’s lengthy
coastline—parts of which were inundated by tsunami waves—and killed 15,
according to the Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Pública's Oficina
Nacional de Emergencia (ONEMI). It also triggered a barrage of
aftershocks (more than 800 to date), rattling already frayed nerves not
only in Norte Chico, as the hardest-hit area is known, but in the
populous Metropolitan (Santiago) and Valparaíso Regions, as well.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_150916_chile/150916_chile.pdf">Iris Analysis </a></b><br />
<br />
<b>November 24, 2015 Iris Reports Earthquakes Along <a href="https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_151124_peru/151124Peru.pdf">Brazil-Peru Border </a></b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>May 20, 2016:</b> <b> </b><a class="sresults" href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2016/05/20-079984" title="Noticen: 2016-05-20"><b>Ecuador Accused of Boosting Taxes to Cover Costs of Earthquake Damage</b> </a><br />
Ecuador has a pro-forma 2016 budget of approximately US$25 billion and a
fiscal shortfall of some $US8 billion, caused mainly by a dependence on
oil exports that have suffered falling prices in the last two years.
Now, the government has decided to deal with the economic crisis by
creating new and unexpected taxes, arguing that more funds are needed to
face the damage caused by the April 16 earthquake on its northern
coast... Following the earthquake, Ecuadorans showed their solidarity in many
ways: various public and private entities, especially municipalities,
managed to collect major quantities of food, clothing, water, and even
money. They organized to take the supplies to the earthquake areas, but
they came up against government officials who decided the government
would take charge of distribution.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_160416_ecuador/160416ecuador.pdf">Iris Analysis </a></b><br />
<br />
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-8378727021475882352015-11-13T16:22:00.003-07:002015-11-13T16:22:52.636-07:00Fracking a Big Concern in the Amazon<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>As global oil prices remain in the dumps and Brazil’s state-owned petroleum company Petrobras reels from a <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2015/08/14-079733">corruption scandal</a>,
an October auction of exploratory oil blocks yielded little interest
from major multinational corporations...Greenpeace Brasil called the auction a "double disaster." In a note on
its Web site, the environmental advocacy group said, "In addition to
being a clear incentive for dirty and polluting energy sources, the
onshore exploratory blocks are located in ten large hydrological
basins." The nongovernmental organization (NGO) also noted that the
auction considered blocks of shale gas in the Amazon, which require the
use of a process known as hydrologic fracturing, or fracking, that has
been at the center of controversy about natural-gas extraction in the
US.</i>-from <b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2015/11/06-079811">NotiSur, Nov. 6, 2015</a></b></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxRaLOo8vCdqM9iHiQtCvLGw4RreVE_BW3S6iPPwDKoxR6BxcsnvxM6OOTH_UbR7xFpEd4yztNLuWRXKunppK3jhZyQm9u6xtIQwdPKZphvH-p-uEagmwSrxs2DSQW5t_JYLVwwIBgk8c/s1600/Nao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxRaLOo8vCdqM9iHiQtCvLGw4RreVE_BW3S6iPPwDKoxR6BxcsnvxM6OOTH_UbR7xFpEd4yztNLuWRXKunppK3jhZyQm9u6xtIQwdPKZphvH-p-uEagmwSrxs2DSQW5t_JYLVwwIBgk8c/s1600/Nao.jpg" /></a></div>
Hydraulic fracking fracking<span class="st" data-hveid="63"> or simply “<i>fracking</i>”
is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a
high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas
inside. </span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="63"><br /></span>
<span class="st" data-hveid="63">The process is becoming an increasingly popular method to extract natural gas in the US and Europe, drawing strong opposition from environmentalists in both continents. Opponents have raised concerns about the huge amounts of water used in the process and the potential for contamination of groundwater with carcinogens. Fracking has also been known to cause earth tremors. </span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="63"><br /></span>
<span class="st" data-hveid="63">The Brazilian government has also developed an ambitious plan to use fracking to extract natural gas in a vast area of over 122,000 square kilometers across 12 states, including </span>including protected areas and lands
directly adjacent to indigenous domains in the Amazon.<br />
<br />
"Effects from drilling and extracting oil and gas in the Amazon are characterized
as being not only disastrous for ecosystems and biodiversity where
drilling takes place, but also for the populations living in surrounding
areas, as is the case with many indigenous and traditional peoples," said <a href="http://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1021-amazon-fracking-scheme-encounters-stiff-resistance-in-brazil">Amazon Watch</a>.
Fracking activities have been linked to devastating environmental,
social and economic effects such as water contamination, air pollution,
destruction of terrestrial and aquatic fauna, soil infertility, and also
to health problems such as increased risk of cancer, neurological and
heart problems and birth defects.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/brasil/pt/Noticias/Duplo-desastre-Brasil-ignora-compromissos-com-Clima-e-promove-fontes-fosseis-na-Amazonia/">Greenpeace Brasil</a> has come out against fracking, but the strongest opposition is heard from the activist group <a href="http://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1021-amazon-fracking-scheme-encounters-stiff-resistance-in-brazil">Coalizão Não Fracking Brasil - COESUS </a>(The Brazilian No Fracking Coalition) has organized to fight against the corporate takeover of indigenous lands and precious bioregions. This coalition formed mainly by indigenous leaders and environmental activists, in a strange twist of political resistance, actually represents a shared-interest with those interested in protecting the traditional oil industry, such as the leaders and investors of Petrobras.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In an act of defiance targeting the Brazilian Oil and Gas Agency (ANP),
Brazilian indigenous leaders and activists interrupted a major auction
of new fracking concessions set to spread across the Amazon rainforest.
Holding up signs calling for "No Brazil Fracking" (<i>Não Fracking Brasil</i>),
activists seized the spotlight to demand indigenous rights and
divestment from dirty energy, briefly halting the 13th round of bidding
for fracking exploration rights at the ANP on October 7th in Rio de
Janeiro. <a href="http://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1021-amazon-fracking-scheme-encounters-stiff-resistance-in-brazil">Amazon Watch</a></blockquote>
Fracking has had another effect on the Brazilian energy market. The increased availability of shale gas has reduced prices. A boom in fracking
mostly in Brazil’s northern Amazonian provinces is literally sucking up a
large portion of foreign interest in Brazil’s energy resources. <br />
<br />
Fracking in the Amazon might represents a serious threat for Brazil’s oil interests, and contributes to a trend of dropping oil values worldwide, as well as new sites for foreign investment in places like Iraq and Western Africa. US investors, as well as other foreign prospectors, are far more interested in Amazonian fracking than Brazilian oil right now, and that may also have something to do with the fiscal policies that make it much more difficult, expensive and risky to invest in oil.<br />
<br />
The greatest obstacle for fracking projects in the Amazon is the inability of the government to draw up land deals that do not violate agreements between the state and indigenous groups. Because of this, we may be seeing the start of a new era in which national governments are forced to backtrack on land deals they made decades, even centuries ago. States have backtracked on agreements with indigenous peoples for generations. What is different in contemporary times is is the strength of the opposition voices, particularly voices that speak for the wellbeing and sustainability of the earth.<br />
<br />
<b>Jake Sandler contributed to this post</b>BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-19645898825933985162015-10-16T11:32:00.001-06:002015-10-16T11:32:30.710-06:00Ecuador's Fundamedios at the Center of International Fight for Freedom of the Press<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The beginning of an administrative process to shut down the Fundación Andina
para la Observación y Estudio de Medios (FUNDAMEDIOS), a
nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works to promote and protect the
right to free expression and association, alerted civil society
organizations to the start of new restrictions on these rights and the
danger that other organizations could be forced to close. While the reaction of domestic and foreign organizations—including a
statement by four UN rapporteurs and the Organization of American States
(OAS)—forced the Secretaría Nacional de Comunicación (SECOM) to shelve
the case already underway, the risk for civil society organizations
remained because of the arbitrary way cases can be opened or closed to
fit the political convenience of the government. </i>-from <a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2015/10/16-079796">NotiSur, October 16, 2010</a></blockquote>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3h2AMXNQLOQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>By Jake Sandler </b><br />
In 2006, a group of Ecuadoran journalists, anthropologists, economists and architects organized themselves formally in an effort to improve the quality and integrity of the nation’s journalistic output. This was the seed of the organization called Fundamedios, according to the organization's’ official <a href="http://www.fundamediosbajoataque.org/">Web site</a>. Once the effort began to gain traction and support from almost every corner of academia, social activism and community watchgroups, the new organization assumed the role of independent observer to ensure the quality of print publications and broadcast media outlets.<br />
<br />
Soon, the young organization realized that the most significant obstacle to quality of journalism was liberty; if too many journalists feel scared and intimidated (by the government, by corporations, by organized crime, etc.) to write and report the full depth and degree of their stories, then the quality and integrity of the overall media output will continue to suffer tremendously. And so Fundamedios formed itself as an organization focused specifically on working to keep tabs on the activities of hired thugs and other actors that work to threaten, violently or otherwise, the liberty for journalistic work. Each year, Fundamedios watched its <i>registro de agresióne</i>s (register of aggressions) <a href="http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/elmundo/nuevo-ataque-libertad-de-expresion-ecuador-articulo-585881">continue to grow </a> to an irrevocable point of reckoning – there was now an empirical and accessible list of proof of all the journalists who have been or are being actively repressed. In 2008, the young register project identified 23 cases of repression. In 2009: 103, 2010: 151 cases, until 2013 when they registered a startling 174 cases of aggressions against journalists.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVdGp1ZQeV2ZuutQC2CzCvDFkWBQ4f5YkGU0ue0zSFETTlVQGmQB5JmNFxBfhEimNi5cnxuf7kCmZNXEe3UPH7mdoa9ks25JJz2xwmp0oUQ99INfU7UK4d8J1j9_DdH90HNhqRqHQWWqg/s1600/fundamedios.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVdGp1ZQeV2ZuutQC2CzCvDFkWBQ4f5YkGU0ue0zSFETTlVQGmQB5JmNFxBfhEimNi5cnxuf7kCmZNXEe3UPH7mdoa9ks25JJz2xwmp0oUQ99INfU7UK4d8J1j9_DdH90HNhqRqHQWWqg/s400/fundamedios.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>International attention </b><br />
Finally, after the government gave absolutely no action or acknowledgement of the complaints and evidence that Fundamedios was reporting, the organization went to international human rights groups, including the UN. After the international community began wagging its finger at the Ecuadoran government, President Rafael Correa's administration began cracking down on the organization itself, and Fundamedios found itself the subject of the same threats and active repression that was being wielded against the journalists on the Fundamedios’ register.
<br />
<br />
The more reports that Fundamedios would supply to the international community, the heavier the threats and repression from the Ecuadoran government became. The most successful action taken by the government to quiet the group was its own <a href="http://www.fundamedios.org/dos-anos-de-la-ley-de-comunicacion-las-cifras-mas-alla-de-la-propaganda-oficial/">propaganda</a>, designed to convince the public that the Fundamedios group was undermining liberty and had too much control of the press. Under these auspices, the government began legally chipping away at the power of Fundamedios to exist. However, the impact on the international community was felt strongly, and many groups including the UN continue to battle with the Ecuadoran government on behalf of Fundamedios’ right to exist.<br />
<br />
Because so many other nations in the world face the same grave problems of freedom of the press, not only in Latin America, the impact of Fundamedios has influenced the growth of similar groups, as well as the growth of action by the international community to combat such repressive tactics. In Ecuador, due in large part to <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/latest-victories/good-news-ecuador-plans-to-shut-down-fundamedios-abandoned-ua-19615">international pressure</a>, the government’s plans to shut down Fundamedios have been abandoned, at least for now.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-2443272026275987792015-10-05T11:21:00.000-06:002015-10-05T11:21:26.603-06:00Uruguay Opposes TiSA and Effort by U.S., European Union to Control the Flow of Digital Information<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The strong domestic dispute that, during the first six months of
Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez’s term, muddied the waters of the
Frente Amplio (FA) ended in early September. On Sept. 7, the president
and his ministers adopted as their own the recommendations from an FA
congress and closed the controversial negotiations on Uruguay’s eventual
participation in the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), an accord
promoted by some of the biggest US and European service-industry
corporations. </i><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2015/10/02-079785"><b>NotiSur, October 2, 2015</b></a></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wmjyhFsrPsZ6K-UzC5h2ztYKAYglg1Upnw3KmvejJefDP1Wkae8tV1LsRwb4fNGojadu0ItyEA0UZjm8pAYzD47eqXaEA8-ddbY62K4tT_DUn5bJF2-DhRAY9MBkvkvQ0JGbptPs7Zpg/s1600/TiSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wmjyhFsrPsZ6K-UzC5h2ztYKAYglg1Upnw3KmvejJefDP1Wkae8tV1LsRwb4fNGojadu0ItyEA0UZjm8pAYzD47eqXaEA8-ddbY62K4tT_DUn5bJF2-DhRAY9MBkvkvQ0JGbptPs7Zpg/s640/TiSA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>By Jake Sandler </b></span><br />
On the surface, the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/tisa/">Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) </a>appears to be a tool to renovate and enhance the services sector of existing international trade agreements, particularly the more ephemeral and immaterial aspects of global services commerce such as the trade and migration of digital information and Internet services across national borders. Therefore, we might think of TiSA as a transnational data-flow agreement. <br />
<br />
TiSA’s overall promotional framework is that the agreement would stimulate the growth of the services sector (by far the most robust and important sector of the US, EU and many other highly developed nations’ economies) by opening up channels of access and better regulating for fair practices. <br />
<br />
However, this agreement--predominantly designed and pushed by the US and the EU, along with Taiwan, Israel, Chile and New Zealand--has come under harsh criticism for its suspicious focus on regulation mechanisms to control of information flow. This is a subject that whistleblower <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/edward-snowden-21262897">Edward Snowden </a>has made so potent a topic for many people throughout leftist communities in the Western hemisphere. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT7kCHjAwpg6bw2SUl17LpJwsEkgKQZzZ0K4jP8OBuleBMNjzb7JZuRmt1TuIWby67X2Q3is4XRHk20laR2Jcxkp5T509FaSYcZLzzDd3X8pV7MAu0z1TFD35i2bE67JTqmThI1O2zROD/s1600/Uruguay-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT7kCHjAwpg6bw2SUl17LpJwsEkgKQZzZ0K4jP8OBuleBMNjzb7JZuRmt1TuIWby67X2Q3is4XRHk20laR2Jcxkp5T509FaSYcZLzzDd3X8pV7MAu0z1TFD35i2bE67JTqmThI1O2zROD/s1600/Uruguay-1.png" /></a></div>
Uruguay’s recent decision under President Tambaré Vázquez of the leftist Frente Amplio coalition to drop out of the deal is highly representative of the general criticism of the agreement. The
decision of the Vázquez administration is certainly not motivated by economic interest, as Uruguay would likely benefit from new opportunities to invest overseas
and new markets for exporting their own services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Uruguay views </span>TiSA as a threat to information privacy and freedom of information. The South American country also fears that this deal would give
the US and the EU a disproportionately strong amount of
control over international data flow.<br />
<br />
With Uruguay decision to drop out, six other Latin American countries
remain part of TiSA: Chile, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, and
Panama. <br />
<br />
<b>Controversy, WikiLeaks </b><br />
In June of 2014, WikiLeaks released a document from the TiSA negotiations called the "<a href="https://wikileaks.org/tisa-financial/analysis.html">Financial Services Annex</a>," This document reveals that the talks were shrouded in secrecy, a clear departure from the World Trade Organization’s traditional template. The break-away group of WTO nations conducting the TiSA talks, led by the US and the EU, is often referred to as the<a href="http://www.ictsd.org/bridges-news/bridges/news/services-openings-eyed-by-some-wto-members"> Real Good Friends of Services Club</a>.<br />
<br />
Furthermore the <a href="https://wikileaks.org/tisa-financial/Analysis-of-secret-tisa-financial-annex.pdf">WikiLeaks report</a> investigation found that:<br />
<ul>
<li>TiSA is designed for and in close consultation with the global finance industry, whose greed and recklessness has been blamed for successive crises and which continues to dominate rulemaking in global institutions.</li>
<li>A sample of provisions from this leaked text show that governments signing on to TiSA will: be expected to lock in and extend their current levels of financial deregulation and liberalisation; lose the right to require data to be held onshore; face pressure to authorise potentially toxic insurance products; and risk a legal challenge if they adopt measures to prevent or respond to another crisis. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Ban on Access to Source Codes </b><br />
TiSA also contains stipulations that require an open access for source codes of all member nations. For example, the Mayor of Munich has already taken the step of making a mandatory switch of all public systems to <a href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2984686/enterprise-software/qa-italo-vignoli-on-the-italian-ministry-of-defenses-move-to-libreoffice.html">open source systems like LibreOffice</a> or OpenOffice.While this can be considered a part of the framework of creating openness and transparency, the second edge of the blade is that it also knocks down national and subnational barriers of protection against the reach of other nations into their own public information flow.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-80009984056006727242015-09-25T11:57:00.000-06:002015-09-25T16:29:01.845-06:00Jimmy Morales: the Comedic Actor Who Could Become President of Guatemala <blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Jimmy Morales, a comic actor who once starred in a slapstick comedy
as a cowboy who ran for president, is the surprise winner of the
Guatemalan elections held on Sept. 6. </i><br />
<i>
</i><i>Morales, of the minuscule Frente de Convergencia Nacional (FCN), is
running for office in the midst of the greatest political crisis in the
country’s recent history and has successfully portrayed himself as an
outsider. However, his critics have warned that most of his party
members are right-wing Army veterans and that, given the country’s
recent history of authoritarian military regimes, Guatemala could be
heading for a repeat episode.</i> from <b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/noticen/2015/09/24-079775" target="_blank">NotiCen, September 24, 2015</a></b></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3O7QDo1_ixZPLMP3nt3yjnIvoqL0vN5_UiJd92px-FTh22qGYjUoRQ0zxb7uQZfsG0bcJ1D195qWDFAZ6XZBRedqlG-hB3TVllIhsU6gVE93J13Owh_04lEr-mRCeorn0KkGe__hWsy3z/s1600/Guatemala-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3O7QDo1_ixZPLMP3nt3yjnIvoqL0vN5_UiJd92px-FTh22qGYjUoRQ0zxb7uQZfsG0bcJ1D195qWDFAZ6XZBRedqlG-hB3TVllIhsU6gVE93J13Owh_04lEr-mRCeorn0KkGe__hWsy3z/s1600/Guatemala-1.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>By Jake Sandler</b></span><br />
The string of protests that have consumed Guatemala in the aftermath of the scandals involving ex-President Otto Pérez Molina and his former vice president Roxana Baldetti includ what some journalists and academics have called it ‘the <i>Guatemalan Spring</i> and the emergence of a fascinating political leader, comedic actor Jimmy Morales. Morales is famous for playing a bumbling cowboy who accidentally becomes president. Well, after Morales garnered 24% of the votes cast in the recent Sept. 6 national election, his famous comedic interpretation in <i>Presidente de a sombrero</i> (“President in a Cowboy Hat”) may become real life, just without the cowboy hat. Here is a trailer.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hUWea-0-1SY" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Born James Ernesto Morales Cabrera in the capital city of Guatemala in 1969. Morales spent his earl school years at the Evangelical Institute of Latin America. If elected president, Morales would become the third Evangelical President of Guatemala. Before beginning his career in television and film, Morales went on to earn various degrees, including a bachelor’s in Business Administration and Theology, and a master’s and doctorate the University of San Carlos in Strategic Security, focusing on security and defense. <br />
<br />
Morales entered the entertainment industry alongside his brother, Sammy Morales, with the still popular television series <i>Moralejas</i> (“Morals”), a comedic show that centers on satire of society and government. In addition to this series for which he is best known, Morales has appeared in seven Guatemalan films, including <i>Manzana güena en noche buena</i>, <i>La misteriosa herencia</i>, <i>Detectives por error</i>, “<i>Ve que vivos, una aventura en el más allá</i>, <i>Repechaje</i>, <i>Gerardi</i>, and <i>Un presidente de a sombrero</i>. He has also starred in the movie <i>Fe</i> as a morally bound priest, directed by renowned Guatemalan director Alejo Crisóstomo.<br />
<br />
The 2011 casting of Morales to this role as priest-protagonist displays the artistic reach of his acting, which goes beyond comedic satire into the profound and dramatic nuance of Crisóstomo’s internationally awarded films. That same year he changed his name to Jimmy Morales and ran for mayor of Mixco as the candidate for the Acción de Desarrollo Nacional (AND) political party. Two years later in 2013, Morales was elected as Secretary General of the Frente de Convergencia Nacional (FCN) party, a post he currently holds. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-piLqhLYExbqhyphenhyphenCkt9tgdRc18ykEIPMc8fsfYVQjw8SQ9PS-qvWoxitKKbZoC1NHRrFn4HryvsQ8tVt-l0zFXUrKCmjuOxgZSa9q8n1L1LBI8Paukvo7_GdUJjcxv2UnCC6rF2S_SzMUP/s1600/jimmy-morales-letras-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-piLqhLYExbqhyphenhyphenCkt9tgdRc18ykEIPMc8fsfYVQjw8SQ9PS-qvWoxitKKbZoC1NHRrFn4HryvsQ8tVt-l0zFXUrKCmjuOxgZSa9q8n1L1LBI8Paukvo7_GdUJjcxv2UnCC6rF2S_SzMUP/s1600/jimmy-morales-letras-web.jpg" /></a></div>
Jimmy Morales’ emergence as a political leader and serious frontrunner in Guatemala’s presidential race places the actor, writer, director, producer and politician in a group of memorable moments throughout recent history – when democracy crosses the paths of popularity with professional entertainers and artists. Here is his <a href="http://www.jimmymorales.gt/main01/?page_id=2" target="_blank">campaign Web site</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Morales joins list of entertainers running for office </b><br />
Earlier this year we published a blog post on the story of Haiti’s pop music icon and <a href="http://unmladb.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-political-trajectory-of-sweet-micky.html" target="_blank">President Michael Martelly</a>, who has led the Haitian government since 2011. In 2010, popular Haitian-American hiphop artist Wyclef Jean had attempted to join the fray of presidential hopefuls, but was turned down by the national election committee. <br />
<br />
Elsewhere, we have seen actors make their way into the top offices of government: Eva Peron, although never president, maintained a great degree of power and popularity in Argentina; actresses Silvia Pinal and María Rojo both became senators in the Mexican National Congress. However, India and the Philippines top the list with famous actors turned politicians. The United States is a close third. We all know about Ronald Raegan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Jerry Springer (mayor of Cincinnati) and Sonny Bono (US representative in California). In the current election cycle, Donald Trump has emerged as political player. Trump might claim to be more of a businessman than an entertainer, although many would disagree. <br />
<br />
Some <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/13/exclusive-meet-guatemalas-donald-trump-comedian-jimmy-morales-surging-into-presidency-amid-anti-corruption-campaign/" target="_blank">US news outlets</a> have begun to dub Morales “The Donald Trump of Guatemala," but there are stark differences between the two politicians, namely:<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/tv-comedian-former-businessman-lead-guatemalan-election-1441597400" target="_blank"> money</a>. A first-round win by Morales was a remarkable achievement considering his party spent around US$480,000 for the campaign through July, according to electoral records. In contrast, Manuel Baldizón, of Libertad Democrática Renovada (LIDER), who came in third, spent US$5.3 million.<br />
<br />
Part of Morales' appeal is that he has centered his campaign on convincing the electorate that he is not part of the elitist political establishment. His slogan, “neither corrupt nor a thief” could earn him some support in the runoff election. However, his conservative views on social issues, including his anti-abortion stance, could alienate voters who lean left, and especially the youth student movement, which is looking for a change. His primary opponent is Sandra Torres, ex-wife of former center-left President Álvaro Colom (2007-2011). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12207572449382209652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-14501556069000743052015-09-18T11:41:00.003-06:002015-09-18T11:41:42.041-06:00Meet the Fire Expert Behind the Investigation at the Garbage Dump in Cocula, Guerrero<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>A report from a group of independent experts working under the auspices of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has cast doubt on a Mexican government report regarding the fate of 43 students from a teachers college (Escuela Normal Rural de Ayotzinapa Raúl Isidro Burgos) in Guerrero state.
An investigation from the IACHR-sanctioned Grupo Interdisciplinario de
Expertos Independientes (GIEI), however, challenged the administration’s
version of the events, including the official conclusion that the
students had been killed in Iguala and taken to the garbage dump in
Cocula where their bodies were burned to ashes. The GIEI based its conclusion on an investigation of the site conducted
by José Torero, a renowned Peruvian expert on fire, who visited the site
on July 13. Torero’s report said, "The minimum amount of fire needed to
cremate the bodies could not have occurred" at the dump in Cocula, not
even enough to burn one body. </i> -<a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/sourcemex/2015/09/16-079764">SourceMex, September 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtk48Qvi2CZ2zxhxFiUsjvXMdh0kXVBxhBqvoxhZoPyD8HjFrOB3NnBzBBTicg54auAqrS069sb4MMaL2hd7hKM-KJkdLUFp_1nuQukI3H-LnyfHU09yZ5s2W8WG1iIkou_vdATAvytt8/s1600/torero-profile-box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtk48Qvi2CZ2zxhxFiUsjvXMdh0kXVBxhBqvoxhZoPyD8HjFrOB3NnBzBBTicg54auAqrS069sb4MMaL2hd7hKM-KJkdLUFp_1nuQukI3H-LnyfHU09yZ5s2W8WG1iIkou_vdATAvytt8/s320/torero-profile-box.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: University of Queensland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>By Jake Sandler </b><br />
The decision by the IACHR to hire José Luis Torero as a consultant gives the investigation significant credibility. After all, Torero has done extensive research on fire safety, arson and other matters related to the incendiary sciences. He has published 20 book chapters and over 300 articles on subjects
relating to fire protection and fire safety engineering. His
specialties include “fire dynamics, flame spread, microgravity research,
smoldering combustion, smoke detection, structures and fire,
suppression systems, contaminated land and education in fire safety
engineering.<br />
<br />
Torero has conducted work on prescriptive and performance
based design, forensic fire investigation and product development,
conducted detailed structural response to fire, fire resistance
evaluation, material selection, life safety analysis, smoke evacuation,
detection and alarm design as well as standard and advanced fire
suppression systems.” Over the years his numerous awards and honors
include a NASA-Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contributions
to Space Shuttle Mission (1995). <br />
<br />
Born in Lima, Peru, Torero graduated with a Masters Degree in Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (1989), MSc. from the University of California at Berkeley (1991), and a PhD. from the University of California at Berkeley (1992). In 2001 he took a position as Associate Professor of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland. That same year he was also awarded a position as researcher with the National Center for Scientific Research in France. That began his move into European research communities, where since the 1970s the University of Edinburgh had established the most state of the art Fire Safety Engineering program in the world. His current positions include a Chair and Directorship of Fire Safety Engineering at the Building Research Establishment at the University of Edinburgh, where he is also head of the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment.<br />
<br />
His expertise on this specialty subfield in engineering is extraordinary and rarely matched throughout the globe. The question is, has he had experience intersecting his work and research with a volatile and politically charged issue such as that which Mexico has contracted him? Although it can be said that fire safety and protection are socially loaded fields everywhere, it seems most of Torero’s work had been in aerospace engineering, urban planning and fire suppression systems, not necessarily this more forensic and criminal angle at play in Guerrero. Although this is a somewhat new position for Torero, he will be utilizing his expertise in the same way he has in his previous studies, focusing on patters and nature of the flames themselves, and the materials that were burned in an attempt to construct a better overall understanding of what actually happened.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-82881977223490124262015-09-11T13:21:00.000-06:002015-09-11T13:21:05.083-06:00Food and the Politics of Identity in Mexico: The Paradox of Turtle Eggs from El Istmo<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Mexican government has launched a campaign to protect several
species of threatened and endangered sea turtles that reproduce on the
country’s beaches, enacting measures to prevent poaching of eggs in
Oaxaca and other areas. </i>The government’s primary effort involves a scheme to increase monitoring
beaches where turtles make their nesting grounds, particularly the
olive ridley turtle. The Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos
Naturales (SEMARNAT) recently acquired two drones from the Secretaría de
Marina (SEMAR) to monitor the Escobilla and Morro Ayutla beaches in
Oaxaca during the summer months. The two beaches account for 90% of the
olive ridley turtle’s nestings in Mexico.<b> <a href="http://The government’s primary effort involves a scheme to increase monitoring beaches where turtles make their nesting grounds, particularly the olive ridley turtle. The Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) recently acquired two drones from the Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR) to monitor the Escobilla and Morro Ayutla beaches in Oaxaca during the summer months. The two beaches account for 90% of the olive ridley turtle’s nestings in Mexico. ">SourceMex, Sep 2, 2015</a></b></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i> </i><b>By Jake Sandler</b><br />
<i>“Hrutuaa’ dxitabigu’, dxitabigu’ guero</i>!” shouted an older indigenous Zapotec vendor outside of the central marketplace in Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, Mexico. ‘I’m selling turtle eggs, I’ve got turtle eggs white boy!’<br />
<br />
She knew just by looking at me that I was not from around there, not so much because of my physical appearance but because of the clothes I wore, or even more so the way I wore them, the way I walked through the market, looking excitedly around at everything. I had been living in Juchitán for over a year, and I had bought turtle eggs from that same woman several times before. But they never stopped being a very special treat. And I never stopped being a <i>güero.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcalESDsASOPGAzLw3hkddPqanrWyPBD8-T_GoKyuIU76MLjupJCfpHpDIvDCb2ksUSmA9Zci59N3wC2-sBOa8Xg-aTNZr9fn4Dal4HzYbIqbmuwkUuZ2DVdYUMk-MdlxUmMDHQU9d-93/s1600/Turtleeggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcalESDsASOPGAzLw3hkddPqanrWyPBD8-T_GoKyuIU76MLjupJCfpHpDIvDCb2ksUSmA9Zci59N3wC2-sBOa8Xg-aTNZr9fn4Dal4HzYbIqbmuwkUuZ2DVdYUMk-MdlxUmMDHQU9d-93/s200/Turtleeggs.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Turtle eggs are not to be eaten all the time; they are precious, relatively expensive, and, after all, should not be over hunted. This is known locally and is a part of the cultural knowledge that surrounds them in the Isthmus region of Oaxaca. For instance, it is known that these eggs are incredibly high in cholesterol, fats and other things to be eaten in moderation. This helps keep consumption down to a level that ultimately would not seriously harm the local population of turtles and the surrounding ecosystem. Furthermore, they are regarded locally as an aphrodisiac, a sort of Viagra for the pre-pharmaceutical age. Therefore, unlike iguana meat or other local specialties, the consumption of turtle eggs is linked to gender and sexuality; men typically eat them, but they may also be considered a special and spiritual stimulant for woman. In any case, they are to be eaten with care and treated with reverence (at the end of the article, look to see the typical way to eat a turtle egg). However, despite this local reverence and moderation, the recent growth of interest and demand in the turtle eggs from outside has caused an economy of export in which the turtle eggs are being over hunted. <br />
<br />
This is part of a much larger pattern in which objects imbued with cultural meaning find demand in cosmopolitan centers where a high price is placed on their exoticness and cultural value, while from the very same cosmopolitan centers emanates the environmental reform movement and the discourse against poaching and over-fishing. However, there is a distinction between, on one hand, black market trade in exotic foods and animals and, on the other hand, foodies who simply enjoy consuming pre-Hispanic or otherwise culturally loaded gastronomical products. <br />
<br />
In other parts of Oaxaca, <i>platos típicos</i> (“typical dishes”) include <i>pollo con mole coloradito</i> (chicken smothered in a dark sauce made from dozens of local ingredients that include chocolate, chiles, bananas and peanuts), chapulines (grasshoppers, toasted and seasoned), <i>nopales </i>(pads of the Opuntia “prickly pear” cactus, sautéed and served with an egg omelet), <i>huitlacoche </i>(corn smut, a naturally occurring black corn fungus, served as a filling in quesadillas) and perhaps the most internationally recognized mezcal (a liquor distilled from an agave mash, using multiple species of the plant). <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9drN0drOz5JAzQoDw5RrdZGLS-LcrmsQvZg3v2lCVBkDGiKMrhVNy7x3FUTpfzL6uyshQchsYpORGIUIzoNGCf1r7uIfZQ4kQ-npfyzF2Dkhp_XCJFr8pnHDj5jddKKOptH_B8QKGreg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9drN0drOz5JAzQoDw5RrdZGLS-LcrmsQvZg3v2lCVBkDGiKMrhVNy7x3FUTpfzL6uyshQchsYpORGIUIzoNGCf1r7uIfZQ4kQ-npfyzF2Dkhp_XCJFr8pnHDj5jddKKOptH_B8QKGreg/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Jake Sandler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Unique offerings at the market in Juchitán</b></span><br />
In turn, none of these dishes are considered iconic of the the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region, or simply el Istmo en local parlance. Rather, at the marketplace in the center of Juchitán de Zaragoza, the cultural epicenter of <i>El Istmo,</i> los <i>platos típicos</i> include <i>huachinango al horno</i> (red snapper fried in a light batter) and camarón fresco (fresh shrimp from the lagoon, sometimes served in a tomato cocktail), or you can have a stew with your choice of meat: ngupi, leshu, or guchachi’ (armadillo, rabbit or iguana, respectively).<br />
<br />
One of the most prized of all Isthmus gastronomical specialties is turtle eggs. Turtle eggs are called <i>dxitabigu</i>’ (pronounced jee-tah-bee-goo) in <i>diidxazá</i>, the Isthmus Zapotec language, and they are consumed as much, if not more, for their medicinal or spiritual value as they are for nutrition.
Oaxaca is Mexico’s fifth largest state, and it is the largest state south of Durango. It is also one of the three poorest states in the nation, along with its neighbors Chiapas and Guerrero. Aside from long stretches of Pacific coast, all three of these southern states are mostly mountainous, relatively difficult to traverse and contain rural populations and communities that are spread out over great distances. Lacking the wide scale industrial development of northern and central Mexico, these southern states rely heavily on tourism for economic revenue.<br />
<br />
But no other state has conquered the tourism market of southern Mexico like Oaxaca. Oaxaca’s cultural bureaucracy has worked within a national project of <i>indigenismo,</i> a particular ideological interpretation of indigenous culture that has been central to national politics and tourism marketing since the Revolution in the early 20th century. Arts and crafts took center stage in this nationalized exhibition of culture – the black pottery of San Bartolo Coyotepec, the woven wool textiles of Teotitlán del Valle and the flower embroidered huipiles (traditional women’s blouses) of the Isthmus. In time, a number of important artists emerged from this climate of cultural production and promotion, including perhaps the most famous, Francisco Toledo, an Isthmus Zapotec, or binnizá, born and raised in Juchitán de Zaragoza. <br />
<br />
Graphic arts, poetry musicians and journalism united the cultural commodities that the national government had promoted and funded since the post-Revolutionary era with their own desires for local autonomy and the political power to fend off the increasing presence of multinational interests. Through the work of artists like Toledo, an entire visual lexicon was created, a sort of catalogue of symbolically, and therefore politically, important objects. Toledo often drew the figures of the iguana and the turtle. Poets, too, used those animals as metaphors, and even musicians used the bichuga bigu, a turtle shell used as a musical instrument.<br />
<br />
The turtle, the iguana and other small game and fish popular in the cuisine of Juchitán took center stage in the cultural symbolism deployed throughout the grassroots resistance movement that was taking place. By 1980, Juchitán became the first municipality where the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) was defeated in municipal elections since the revolution. The PRI lost to COCEI Coalición Obrera, Campesina y Estudiantil del Istmo (COCEI), a leftist party that used the <i>diidxazá</i> language as their principal mode of communication and the central marketplace in Juchitán as its soapbox, staging grounds and performance center. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW56YAVQzp0Y676822Dd7tMoFw77WljL1ZktVZ_QAjIaXcUFrHdZ3S4KfyQzA3b0vdXqUmYylr3B8tgRfLT2pWxsvMSWIoqwNzv2xDwqXqtYJPeDcwHyfd_BppC56TPPNcWff5mI-vGNuW/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW56YAVQzp0Y676822Dd7tMoFw77WljL1ZktVZ_QAjIaXcUFrHdZ3S4KfyQzA3b0vdXqUmYylr3B8tgRfLT2pWxsvMSWIoqwNzv2xDwqXqtYJPeDcwHyfd_BppC56TPPNcWff5mI-vGNuW/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Jake Sandler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Environmental hypocrisy?</span></b><br />
Not coincidentally, the late 1970s and early 1980s was the time that a movement for environmental awareness and policy reform began to represent an important role in global economies and domestic political discourses. Therefore, the success of politically and culturally organized juchitecos to imbue their material world with real political significance was running head on with emerging discourses about resources and the environment. <br />
<br />
While the juchitecos were using consumable objects such as turtle eggs as symbols of resistance against the salt mines and petroleum refineries in Salina Cruz, transgenic corn seeds from Monsanto, and Latin America’s largest wind park in La Ventosa, the national government was enacting policy reforms that favor capitalist interests in salt, oil, corn and wind energy as commodities while making the sale and consumption of turtle eggs illegal. An important question for Mexico’s national government arises: If you are going to actively police turtle egg poaching because of its environmental danger, why not do the same for transgenic corn? <br />
<br />
However unfortunate or ironic, turtle eggs find their way to markets outside of Juchitán in a more environmentally detrimental way than, say, a painting, a book of Zapotec poems or a music album. No matter how politically important it is for juchitecos that elements of their local cuisine are being demanded and consumed in the cultural and fashionable hearts of the national capital, the Mexican government’s priority is stopping turtle egg poachers.
Whether in terms of gastronomy, language, dress or artistic styles, el istmo is a region of its own within the state of Oaxaca, and although it is not significant part of the state’s tourism economy, certain elements of the iconic istmeña culture, such as turtle eggs, cannot help but find their way into the vogue of the nation’s capital from time to time. Turtle eggs are only the latest example.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7721406678374277829.post-70093667533668335292015-08-28T12:15:00.000-06:002015-08-28T12:15:07.198-06:00Museum Serves as a Reminder of Dirty War in Chile<b>By Jake Sandler</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The death earlier this month of Gen. Manuel Contreras, a notorious secret-police boss and unrepentant human rights abuser, coupled with legal developments in a number of decades-old criminal cases, have shed new light on the dark and still haunting legacy of the dictatorship of Chile’s Gen. Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
On Aug. 7, nearly nine years after <a href="https://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2007/01/05-051540">Pinochet passed away</a> at age 91,
Contreras, 86, followed his former boss to the grave. Both men died of
natural causes, and, in both cases, the deaths prompted spontaneous
street celebrations. Outside the Santiago hospital where Contreras had been treated since
September 2014 for kidney problems and other serious health issues,
critics of the 17-year military regime poured sparkling wine and waved
flags. -from <b><a href="http://ladb.unm.edu/notisur/2015/08/28-079744">NotiSur, August 28, 2015</a></b></i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB816U7lp9hZAhU8ogYQRjrbEK7fb2m7FOK7h9hRby9hnv8mRHQBxOdbwLsP99BbuZPB6QUQ-LKC7I2wtQ2kVGKIqRm5xnCWffch3zLHNt8jC2HNyyE1yL4iH0U0tkHt6sVKkpSR60cflW/s1600/Chile-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB816U7lp9hZAhU8ogYQRjrbEK7fb2m7FOK7h9hRby9hnv8mRHQBxOdbwLsP99BbuZPB6QUQ-LKC7I2wtQ2kVGKIqRm5xnCWffch3zLHNt8jC2HNyyE1yL4iH0U0tkHt6sVKkpSR60cflW/s1600/Chile-1.png" /></a></div>
The date of September 11th has its own infamous meaning in Chile. The US-backed coup that toppled the Allende government and launched Chile into a seventeen-year military dictatorship headed by General Pinochet occurred on September 11th, 1973, a day when the presidential palace was under violent siege and Salvador Allende allegedly committed suicide in his chambers. The years that followed were marked by grave violations of human rights committed by the Pinochet regime.
<br />
<br />
Although that period ended with the transition to democracy in 1990, the wounds have not healed into healthy scars, but remain fresh and open in so many ways. The trials of crimes against humanity, with their failings and achievements, have been a centerpiece of that public healing process. However, outside of law and government, a prominent place where this process of collective healing and construction of historical memory has taken place is within Chile’s vibrant cultural sector. Hence, <a href="http://www.museodelamemoria.cl/catalogos/">El Mueso de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (MMDH),</a> “Museum of Memory and Human Rights”. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01a02mgt64ZDm1lkM7ho21jyiz9d5ZMn_tWYOcbUQGCZCsDN7n90IK8I4pgYsDKuECPK0l8yob2AESAXqeS_3ID_gTLdhUbP9c38qH9Vr9Wy7UfE0JAen1T-YrIVZexPFCuypmlnlbr1P/s1600/fachada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01a02mgt64ZDm1lkM7ho21jyiz9d5ZMn_tWYOcbUQGCZCsDN7n90IK8I4pgYsDKuECPK0l8yob2AESAXqeS_3ID_gTLdhUbP9c38qH9Vr9Wy7UfE0JAen1T-YrIVZexPFCuypmlnlbr1P/s1600/fachada.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Bachelet and the Bicentennial Foundation </b><br />
The MMDH was founded in 2010 as a part of the cultural initiatives carried out during the Chilean Bicentennial. Obviously, the national celebrations of Chile’s independence caused many questions of Chile’s recent past to surface anew. Then President Michelle Bachelet headed the effort herself, as she and her family had a publicly-known connection as victims of the crimes against humanity; Bachelet’s father died in detention following the coup, while she and her mother were detained, tortured and later exiled. Bachelet has reported that she was <a href="http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2013/10/08/actualidad/1381202095_923747.html">interrogated in detention by Manuel Contreras</a> himself, in the infamous detention center Villa Grimaldi. The board of directors includes Bachelet and many academics, artists and intellectuals linked with La Concertación political movement. <br />
<br />
Contemporary Architecture and Center of Santiago’s Cultural Eastside
The MMDH is located in Santiago’s cultural heartland – the eastside. The architecture of the museum itself is contemporary and encourages a dynamic, interactive relationship between the indoors and the outdoors, and between the public and the space. MMDH not only supports artists and archives collections of important historical documents relating to the 1973-1990 period, but also hold educational initiatives, community performances and art contests to promote awareness and production of art that discusses themes of the dictatorship, such as kidnappings, detention, torture, memory and exile. <br />
<br />
<b>“Bad Memory”: A Musical Tribute </b><br />
In 2013, the MMDH held a music contest called “Mala memoria”, or ‘bad memory’, which encouraged musicians to pay tribute to various themes of the dictatorship and of collective memory. The artist Vilú wrote her song “Gloria” in homage to Gloria Lagos Nilsson, who was kidnapped and killed in detention in 1974. Almost two years after Vilú was awarded by the MMDH for her song, <a href="http://www.museodelamemoria.cl/dictan-condena-por-secuestro-calificado-de-gloria-lagos-nilsson-una-de-las-victimas-tributadas-en-mala-memoria/">Manuel Cantreras was convicted </a>in court for Gloria’s disappearance, torture and murder. This video of the beautiful song "Gloria" was subitted to the MMDH. <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i_q2kG3kHNc" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<b>Museums of Memory – A Larger Picture</b><br />
MMDH was not the first such institution in Chile, although it has come to hold a certain importance especially within the arts community of Santiago. The Catholic Church’s<a href="http://www.vicariadelasolidaridad.cl/"> Fundación Vicaria de la Solidaridad</a> , <a href="http://villagrimaldi.cl/">Villa Grimaldi: Corporación Parque por la Paz</a> and <a href="http://josedomingocanas.org/">la Casa de la Memoria</a> all played a part in supporting the founding of the MMDH in 2010. The MMDH is among <a href="https://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/12/04/photos-places-of-remembrance-in-santiago-chile/">five places </a>in Santiago cited by the organization Global Voices where one can remember the Pinochet dictatorship and say “Never Again” <br />
<br />
Given that Chile’s history is unique, but not alone in Latin America, cultural institutions and organizations that focus on collective memory and human rights have emerged elsewhere. Such institutions exist in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and elsewhere. Earlier this year <a href="http://unmladb.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-museum-about-corruption-in-paraguay.html">we featured a piece </a>on Paraguay’s <a href="http://www.museodelacorrupcion.org/" target="_blank">Museo de la Corrupción</a> any of these institutions follow in the footsteps of museums, such as the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., which have marked a new era of responses to state violence. In this context, we are seeing museums transforming their traditional roles in society.<br />
<br />
Traditionally, museums were about collections and exhibition. Today, as we see with the MMDH, the museum’s societal purpose is found not just in the collections themselves, but the very act of collecting. Through this act, the community engages in archiving of their own memories. And as we see with Vilú, younger generations have a physical place to express their connection to their cultural and political past.
BreadNM Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847276058090325923noreply@blogger.com0