New Chilean Government Apologizes to "Dispossessed" Mapuche People

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Article from NotiSur, March 28

The recently inaugurated government of President Michelle Bachelet issued a timely mea culpa this month in an effort to press the proverbial reset button on long-frayed relations with the Mapuche, Chile’s largest indigenous group. On March 12--just one day after Bachelet took office--the new intendente (appointed regional governor) of the Araucanía Francisco Huenchumilla formally apologized for the "dispossession" of the Mapuche’s ancestral lands. He said the state has made "mistake after mistake" and has a "pending debt" dating back to the late 1800s, when the Mapuche were forced off their lands through a series of military campaigns known euphemistically as the "pacification of the Araucanía." Most of that land is now in the hands of non-Mapuche farmers and large forestry companies. Benjamin Witte-Lebhar Read More

Weekly Commentary: For more information on the Mapuche people please visit the “Mapuche Nation” webpage. This webpage contains information on the Mapuche Nation’s status regarding international treaties, social organizations and current political situations. The relationship between national governments and indigenous collectives throughout Latin America has been a topic of extreme importance. The United Nations in 2007 created the “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People” in attempt to codify the rights of indigenous populations around the globe. Precursors to this declaration can be found in the Organization of American States’ “Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” as well as the International Labour Organization’s “Convention 169” known as the “Indigenous and Tribal People’s Convention”.

 Link: Mapuche Nation

 Link: Mapuche International

Peru’s New Cabinet Gets Reluctant Approval

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Article from NotiSur, March 28

On the verge of a total crisis involving the Peruvian Cabinet, opposition members of Congress forced three ballots before giving new ministers a vote of confidence. Opposition legislators, however, maintained their demand that first lady Nadine Heredia stop actively participating in governmental affairs. With then Housing Minister René Cornejo presiding, the Consejo de Ministros, which had been sworn into office on Feb. 24, appeared before Congress March 14. Article 130 of the Peruvian Constitution requires the Cabinet president, accompanied by the full Cabinet, to appear before Congress within the first 30 days of taking office "to present and discuss general government policy and key management measures." The required visit in effect raises the question of trust, essentially setting up a vote of confidence for the Cabinet. This Cabinet is the fifth under President Ollanta Humala, who is just midway through a five-year term. Elsa Chanduví Jaña Read More

What’s Going On with Dominican Cinema?

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Article from NotiCen, March 27

Fifteen films were produced in the Dominican Republic in 2012, a sizeable figure considering that, from 1923, when the first Dominican film was produced, to 2010, 57 local films and 72 foreign films were produced on Dominican soil. Among the foreign films that have been produced in the Dominican Republic are the Spanish film Fiesta del Chivo and the US film The Godfather Part II. The films produced in the Dominican Republic in 2013 span a number of genres including drama, comedy, and historical fiction. The country has also served as a backdrop for a number of international commercial productions, soap operas, and reality shows, a popular format nowadays. As a result, the Dominican Republic now has an increasingly number of skilled technical and artistic staff to meet the requirements of foreign production companies. Crosby Girón Read More

Costa Rica Begins Process to Join Alianza del Pacífico Amid Skepticism, Opposition

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Article from NotiCen, March 27

Costa Rica’s outgoing government is keen on becoming a member of the exclusive club of Latin American economies in the Alianza del Pacífico (AP), much to the skepticism and, in some cases, outright opposition voiced by some quarters. On Feb. 10, in Colombia’s northern Caribbean city of Cartagena de Indias, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla--whose four-year term ends May 8--signed a declaration for Costa Rica to adhere to the AP’s Framework Agreement, thus beginning the process to become a full member of the regional economic and trade integration bloc. George Rodríguez Read More

Environmentalists Give NAFTA Mixed Reviews

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Article from SourceMex, March 26

A leading Mexican environmentalist, who acknowledges that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) did not produce the environmental disaster opponents had warned it would, nevertheless feels it is time to review and update the environmental agreements associated with the three-nation pact. "After 20 years, it is necessary to revise the parallel agreements," Gustavo Alanís, general director of the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA), told LADB last month. However, while many parts of the trade agreement need adjusting, he said, there is no political will to do so. Conversely, Femke Bartels, who stepped into the leadership of Greenpeace Mexico half a year ago, blamed NAFTA for contributing to Mexico’s environmental problems in two areas--toxic rivers and maize production. But she also expressed hope that Mexico would take advantage of its extraordinary wind and solar resources to wean the country from its traditional dependence on fossil fuels. Lindajoy Fenley Read More

Mexico, U.S. Unveil Environmental Restoration Plan for Colorado River Delta

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Article from SourceMex, March 26

The US and Mexican governments have announced a pilot project to restore wetlands in the Colorado River delta in Baja California state, a once lush area that has dried up because of the diversion of water upstream. The project, which was set to start on March 23, is part of a larger effort by the two countries to bring more stability to water supplies from the Colorado River. Mexico and the US made the commitment to restore the Colorado River via a five-year agreement, signed in November 2012, which allowed the two countries to share and manage water from the waterway. The new joint effort would allow both countries to respond more efficiently to drought and other environmental challenges. Carlos Navarro Read More

New Law Sets Specific Rules for Citizen Consultations

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Article from SourceMex, March 20

A new law is now in effect that could make it easier for the center-left opposition to organize a referendum allowing citizens to speak out against the energy reforms approved in late 2013. Opinions differ, however, on whether restrictions in the new Ley de Consulta Popular could prevent such a referendum. The initiative, approved overwhelmingly in both chambers of Congress and signed into law by President Enrique Peña Nieto, puts into practical terms the political and electoral reforms that Congress approved in 2011 and 2013. The reforms created several major changes in Mexico’s political structure, including independent candidacies and the right of citizens to call for referenda. Carlos Navarro Read More