[From BBC Caribbean]Costa Rica has been elected to fill a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Its opponent, the Dominican Republic, bowed out following two rounds of voting in which they'd trailed behind.Costa Rica received 116 votes and the Dominican Republic 72 votes in the first round.In the second round, the vote was 119 for Costa Rica and 70 for the Dominican Republic.
BBC Caribbean's correspondent in Santo Domingo Jean Michel Caroit says the China factor could have swung the vote in Costa Rica's favour. "The Dominican Republic has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and Costa Rica broke away from Taiwan a few months ago and established diplomatic relations with mainland China," he said. "And obviously many people were saying here in the Dominican Republic that it would be a major factor in the election."
Relief over decision
Costa Rica has sat on the council twice before, while the Dominican Republic never has. Dominican officials said Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso held more than 45 bilateral meetings with other UN delegations to seek support but Costa Rica also waged a vigorous campaign.
The early withdrawal of the Dominican Republic drew applause from the UN assembly mixed with relief that there would be no repeat of last year's epic between Venezuela and Guatemala. They then both failed to get the two thirds majority necessary to be elected to the second regional seat in the security council. After three weeks, both withdrew and Panama was elected as a compromise candidate. Costa Rica will now serve on the security council for the years 2008 to 2009.
Also elected on Tuesday were Libya, Vietnam and Burkina Faso and Croatia.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Ecuadorean Girl Attacked in Spain by Racist
[From AP] The attack, which was filmed by security cameras aboard a train and broadcast on Spain's main television channels, showed a tall man with very short hair repeatedly hitting and kicking a young girl, all the while maintaining a mobile telephone conversation. At least one other occupant of the carriage ignored the aggression. The attack, which was filmed Oct. 7, led to the arrest of a man. A local court judge at Sant Boi, Barcelona, has charged the man, identified only as Sergi Xavier M.M., 21, with causing injury with racist motives, a court statement said Tuesday. The suspect, who had a previous criminal conviction for theft, was released pending further court proceedings, the statement said. The government of Ecuador, where the girl, aged 16, was originally from, has contacted lawyers in Spain to take up her case, Ecuadorean Ambassador Nicolas Issa Obando told reporters. Ecuador's foreign ministry said Tuesday it had sent a diplomatic note to the Spanish embassy in Quito in which the government expressed its "most energetic protest for this xenophobic act."
Train security camera video:
Interview with assailant:
Report from Spanish TV Station La Sexta:
Train security camera video:
Interview with assailant:
Report from Spanish TV Station La Sexta:
An Independent Kurdistan
Here on Latino Insurgent, I have at times discussed the movement for the independence of Kurdistan as a possible variable in the Middle East that is often ignored by most other media outlets. For the record, the Latino Insurgent blog supports the independence and self-determination struggle of the people of Kurdistan.
Despite the implications that this may have on other affairs in the region, the freedom of the people of Kurdistan cannot be delayed or abridged simply because it may be inconvenient to other nations and their interests. The right to self-determination is not negotiable. Hopefully, perhaps in a perfect world, this can be accomplished without violence.
The following two videos are interesting to this end. The first is an official video professionally produced by the Kurdish government. The second is an amateur video. In both videos there is an undeniable nationalist sentiment. That sentiment is much more subdued in the first than in the second, but certainly present.
Despite the implications that this may have on other affairs in the region, the freedom of the people of Kurdistan cannot be delayed or abridged simply because it may be inconvenient to other nations and their interests. The right to self-determination is not negotiable. Hopefully, perhaps in a perfect world, this can be accomplished without violence.
The following two videos are interesting to this end. The first is an official video professionally produced by the Kurdish government. The second is an amateur video. In both videos there is an undeniable nationalist sentiment. That sentiment is much more subdued in the first than in the second, but certainly present.
House Natural Resources Committee Approves Legislation on Puerto Rico Status
First and foremost here is the press release of the Committee's decision:
We will have a full analysis on this very shortly.
House Natural Resources Committee Press Release
Committee Advances Legislation to Guide Puerto Rico's Future Political Status
October 23, 2007
Washington, D.C. - For the first time in nearly 10 years, the House Natural Resources Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), today voted in favor of legislation to provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for the citizens of Puerto Rico.
"When I became chairman of the Committee earlier this year, I issued an Agenda of American Values to guide the work we would undertake - one part of that agenda stated, in reference to the territorial possessions of the United States, that we must recognize there is an inherent right of political self-determination," Rahall said. "I strongly believe that the time is now to provide a clear direction in determining the future political status of Puerto Rico."
The Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007 (H.R. 900) - introduced in February 2007 by Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) and supported by 129 Members of Congress - will enact some of the recommendations set forth in the Report by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status, which was issued in 2005.
The legislation passed out of Committee today by a voice vote makes several changes to H.R. 900 as originally introduced. A substitute amendment, offered by Chairman Rahall, removed elements of the original bill and replaced them with a provision calling for a single plebiscite to determine if the people of Puerto Rico want to retain their current territorial status (status quo) or change to a status that is constitutionally viable, permanent, and non-territorial.
An amendment by Insular Affairs Subcommittee Chairwoman Donna Christensen (D-VI) would direct the Congress to recognize the authority of Puerto Rico, in the event that citizens voted in favor of a change in territorial status during the original mandated plebiscite, to convene a constitutional convention or an additional plebiscite for the purpose of proposing a self-determination option. Christensen's amendment removed any future role of the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status.
Christensen said, "I am pleased that Chairman Rahall and the author of H.R. 900 were open to accepting my amendment recognizing the authority of Puerto Rico to either convene a constitutional convention or hold a subsequent plebiscite to determine the people's choice for Puerto Rico's future political status and relationship with the United States. The Rahall substitute, with my amendment, is a good faith joint effort to bring the differing approaches together in a way that allows us to move forward."
"The United States is the greatest democracy in the world - a superpower. Yet, at the same time, the Congress of the United States has never extended to the citizens of Puerto Rico a Congressionally sanctioned process for them to reassess their political status. As such, the Committee met today to consider legislation of great import to the citizens of Puerto Rico - a proposition to see if Puerto Ricans are satisfied with the status quo in terms of their political status, or not," Rahall said.
We will have a full analysis on this very shortly.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Piss off the Government... Read a book!
READ books people. Read everyday. Read like your life depends on it. Because it actually does. It is so easy not to read that the government just doesn't have to dissuade you from it. They expect that you will not read. So read. Read a book. Piss off the government and read. Here are some suggestions:
Support this blog, go to the Latino Insurgent Bookstore for more reading ideas. The Latino Insurgent Bookstore is powered by Amazon.com
Support this blog, go to the Latino Insurgent Bookstore for more reading ideas. The Latino Insurgent Bookstore is powered by Amazon.com
Monday, October 22, 2007
Bush War Funding Request Includes Mexico and Central America
Just finished reading the newest War Funding Request by the Bush Administration (because I have very little else to do with my time) and found this little gem embedded into the mix:
There are two questions that immediately rise to the forefront here:
So this $500 million is the first payment of a $1 billion contract with Mexico known as the "Merida Initiative" in Mexico. The details, although somewhat vague, include no actual exchange of money only equipment and training. But critics in Mexico have questioned whether this is an attempt by both governments to introduce American military forces into Mexico.
Patricia Espinosa, spokesperson for Mexican Foreign Relations, assures that "at not point was it ever contemplated to have foreign troops, government agents, or American industries in Mexican national territory involved in actions against organized crime and narco-trafficking " [Niega cancillería presencia militar de EU por Iniciativa Mérida]
Still if military equipment is involved in the trade, there will be American troops on Mexican soil, just like in Plan Colombia, the U.S.-Colombian deal that fed Colombia's War Against Drugs. If advanced military technology is traded then American military trainers will have to train the Mexican military. Also, and maybe this is splitting hairs here, but Espinosa never says that there will not be American troops on Mexican soil, she says there will not be any "involved in actions against organized crime and narco-trafficking". The statement is qualified.
The first question is why is this tucked into the War Funding Request handed to Congress? Either Bush doesn't want this to be handled as a separate manner by Congress, or this is somehow connected to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is an ongoing battle for supremacy just south of the US-Mexico border between Mexican Federal forces and the local drug cartels, but that has been ongoing for a while, and if Bush were really concerned about it he would not have recalled the national guard from the border.
I'm speculating now, but with the European Union watching for illegal American prisons within member countries, and media attention tuned to the ongoings at Guantanamo, and there being nowhere else that has the perfect combination of isolation, security, and accessibility, could the details of the "Merida Initiative" include a Guantanamo-like prison on Mexican soil? This would explain its appearance on the War Funding Request. Which would also explain question #2.
All we can say is that from both sides of the border there is much more to this than meets the eye. Oh, and as far as the $50 million going to Central America, if I were Daniel Ortega, I'd be watching my back.
"$500 million for Mexico and $50 million for Central American countries, in their unprecedented cooperative efforts to address common threats to our nations by combating transnational crime and drug trafficking."
There are two questions that immediately rise to the forefront here:
- Why is this being attached to the War Funding Request?
- What exactly is the US buying from Mexico for 500 million dollars?
Mexico: U.S. Plans $1 Billion in Aid to Fight Drugs
Published: October 5, 2007The United States would give Mexico $1 billion in aid over the next two years to fight drug cartels under an aid package that will need Congressional approval, said Carlos Rico, the Mexican under secretary for North American affairs. For months, the two governments have been holding discussions about a program that would provide the Mexican police and prosecutors with training, equipment and advanced technology from the United States. Details of the negotiations have not been made public, and aides in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives said lawmakers had yet to be briefed. Judith Bryan, a spokeswoman for the United States Embassy in Mexico City, said a final agreement had not yet been reached.
So this $500 million is the first payment of a $1 billion contract with Mexico known as the "Merida Initiative" in Mexico. The details, although somewhat vague, include no actual exchange of money only equipment and training. But critics in Mexico have questioned whether this is an attempt by both governments to introduce American military forces into Mexico.
Patricia Espinosa, spokesperson for Mexican Foreign Relations, assures that "at not point was it ever contemplated to have foreign troops, government agents, or American industries in Mexican national territory involved in actions against organized crime and narco-trafficking " [Niega cancillería presencia militar de EU por Iniciativa Mérida]
Still if military equipment is involved in the trade, there will be American troops on Mexican soil, just like in Plan Colombia, the U.S.-Colombian deal that fed Colombia's War Against Drugs. If advanced military technology is traded then American military trainers will have to train the Mexican military. Also, and maybe this is splitting hairs here, but Espinosa never says that there will not be American troops on Mexican soil, she says there will not be any "involved in actions against organized crime and narco-trafficking". The statement is qualified.
The first question is why is this tucked into the War Funding Request handed to Congress? Either Bush doesn't want this to be handled as a separate manner by Congress, or this is somehow connected to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is an ongoing battle for supremacy just south of the US-Mexico border between Mexican Federal forces and the local drug cartels, but that has been ongoing for a while, and if Bush were really concerned about it he would not have recalled the national guard from the border.
I'm speculating now, but with the European Union watching for illegal American prisons within member countries, and media attention tuned to the ongoings at Guantanamo, and there being nowhere else that has the perfect combination of isolation, security, and accessibility, could the details of the "Merida Initiative" include a Guantanamo-like prison on Mexican soil? This would explain its appearance on the War Funding Request. Which would also explain question #2.
All we can say is that from both sides of the border there is much more to this than meets the eye. Oh, and as far as the $50 million going to Central America, if I were Daniel Ortega, I'd be watching my back.
A Message from Fidel to Bush
[from granma.cu]
BUSH is obsessed with Cuba. Yesterday, the news was received that a White House spokesman announced the president would present new initiatives for the transition period now begun. Another spokesman from the State Department later confirmed the statement, reiterating Bush’s demanding and threatening tone.
As affirmed by Ricardo Alarcón, the president of our National Assembly, a comrade who is well-informed about Bush’s scheming and intentions, after that would come the firing squads of the Cuban-American mafia, with permission to kill everyone suspected of being a faithful member of the Party, the Youth or the mass organizations.
Mr. Bush: Your genocidal blockade, your support for terrorism, your murderous Cuban Adjustment Act, your wet-foot/dry-foot policy, your protection of the worst terrorists in this hemisphere, your unjust punishment of the five Cuban heroes who exposed the danger posed to U.S. citizens and those of other countries of dying in mid-flight, must all end.
Sovereignty is non-negotiable.
Likewise, the shameful torture being carried out in the occupied territory of Guantánamo must also end.
We were never intimidated by your threats of preemptive and surprise attacks on the 60 or more dark corners of the Earth. The outcome of that has now been seen in a single country: Iraq.
Do not attack others; do not threaten humanity with a nuclear war. The peoples will defend themselves, and all would perish in that inferno.
Thank you for your attention.
Fidel Castro Ruz
October 21, 2007
Time: 6:12 a.m
[Original Spanish version]
BUSH is obsessed with Cuba. Yesterday, the news was received that a White House spokesman announced the president would present new initiatives for the transition period now begun. Another spokesman from the State Department later confirmed the statement, reiterating Bush’s demanding and threatening tone.
As affirmed by Ricardo Alarcón, the president of our National Assembly, a comrade who is well-informed about Bush’s scheming and intentions, after that would come the firing squads of the Cuban-American mafia, with permission to kill everyone suspected of being a faithful member of the Party, the Youth or the mass organizations.
Mr. Bush: Your genocidal blockade, your support for terrorism, your murderous Cuban Adjustment Act, your wet-foot/dry-foot policy, your protection of the worst terrorists in this hemisphere, your unjust punishment of the five Cuban heroes who exposed the danger posed to U.S. citizens and those of other countries of dying in mid-flight, must all end.
Sovereignty is non-negotiable.
Likewise, the shameful torture being carried out in the occupied territory of Guantánamo must also end.
We were never intimidated by your threats of preemptive and surprise attacks on the 60 or more dark corners of the Earth. The outcome of that has now been seen in a single country: Iraq.
Do not attack others; do not threaten humanity with a nuclear war. The peoples will defend themselves, and all would perish in that inferno.
Thank you for your attention.
Fidel Castro Ruz
October 21, 2007
Time: 6:12 a.m
[Original Spanish version]
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Covering The Cuban Municipal Elections
Cuban municipal elections started today Sunday October 21 at 7AM. By the end of today Cubans will have elected 15,236 delegates for local municipal assemblies out of 37,258 candidates. By Cuban election rules candidates are forbidden from campaigning and candidates are only represented by a picture and resume. This is the first tier of the Cuban election process which is then followed by a vote cast by those elected local assembly men or women for the 609 seats of the National Assembly, after which the National Assembly elects a President, expected to be Raul Castro.
This year's elections are considered important because the Cuban government has asked for younger members of Cuban society to run as candidates and take ownership of Cuba's government. This latest move by the Cuban government is, not surprisingly, being met with skepticism by the United States which claims Cuba's system to be undemocratic. However, While Cuba's government only recognizes the Cuban Communist Party as the only legal political entity, non-communist party candidates, independents, are allowed to run for office and are often elected into municipal assembly posts.
The call for younger members of Cuban society to join the election process is a reflection of the advanced ages of many in the islands leadership circles. With Fidel Castro's health in question and with senior Communist Party members retiring due to their age, the government has asked for "new blood". In Cuba, elections are open to all citizens over the age of 16 years old. Seven million Cubans are expected to cast a ballot today, or roughly 85% of the eligible voting population.
Quick facts about the Cuban Democratic System:
AFP - Castro Lauds Cuba's One-Party Elections
Reuters - Cuba holds first election without Castro
BBC News - Cuba set for municipal elections
Mathaba - Mass Participation in Cuba's elections
Diario Las Americas - Cuba's Electoral Farce
Press TV - Cuban's elect municipal councilors
This year's elections are considered important because the Cuban government has asked for younger members of Cuban society to run as candidates and take ownership of Cuba's government. This latest move by the Cuban government is, not surprisingly, being met with skepticism by the United States which claims Cuba's system to be undemocratic. However, While Cuba's government only recognizes the Cuban Communist Party as the only legal political entity, non-communist party candidates, independents, are allowed to run for office and are often elected into municipal assembly posts.
The call for younger members of Cuban society to join the election process is a reflection of the advanced ages of many in the islands leadership circles. With Fidel Castro's health in question and with senior Communist Party members retiring due to their age, the government has asked for "new blood". In Cuba, elections are open to all citizens over the age of 16 years old. Seven million Cubans are expected to cast a ballot today, or roughly 85% of the eligible voting population.
Quick facts about the Cuban Democratic System:
- 37,258 candidates of which 28% are women.
- Voter turnout ranges from 80 to 90% turnout.
- Cuban population is 11.4 million people.
- Proportionally speaking 3 out of every 1000 Cubans are running for office this year.
AFP - Castro Lauds Cuba's One-Party Elections
Reuters - Cuba holds first election without Castro
BBC News - Cuba set for municipal elections
Mathaba - Mass Participation in Cuba's elections
Diario Las Americas - Cuba's Electoral Farce
Press TV - Cuban's elect municipal councilors
Cuba's Peak Oil Story: Lessons to be learned for those who will listen
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba's economy crashed as their primary source of oil suddenly disappeared. Cuba entered what was termed as the "Special Period". During this period, roughly the entire decade of the 1990s, Cuba was forced to reinvent its economy as well as its society. The economic problems were largely the result of the lack of oil, which was then exacerbated by American policies to exploit this period to bring about the final collapse of Fidel Castro's government.
American measures such as the Helms Burton Act of 1996 and its preceding policies beginning in 1992 strove to push the Cuban population towards revolution. The measures ultimately failed. The following documentary tells the story of how Cuba managed to restructure its economy and society to overcome the "Special Period". There are lessons here that every country on Earth needs to begin learning if human progress is going to continue into the future.
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
American measures such as the Helms Burton Act of 1996 and its preceding policies beginning in 1992 strove to push the Cuban population towards revolution. The measures ultimately failed. The following documentary tells the story of how Cuba managed to restructure its economy and society to overcome the "Special Period". There are lessons here that every country on Earth needs to begin learning if human progress is going to continue into the future.
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
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