In Colombia (and perhaps in other parts of the Americas) the genre of adult contemporary music is colloquially called “musica para aplanchar” (translation - “ironing music.”) This slightly derisive term is used to describe the tunes housewives or servants would generally listen to as they run their errands at home such as ironing clothes.
With the help of the ever popular YouTube, here’s a small sample from artists past and present whose music definitely fits in the category of “musica para aplanchar”:
* “We're not going to attack anybody” said Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez as he announced government plans to create a missile defense system.
* This is just not a good sign for tourism in the Dominican Republic.
* Negotiations continue in Peruin order to avoid a nationwide miners strike on Monday.
* During his visit to Camp David, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has asked U.S.counterpart George W. Bush not to cut off aid to Ecuador and Bolivia.
Links- International Herald Tribune, National Post, Reuters,
NOTE: In order to make up for the lack of posts earlier this week we will publish 2-3 posts on Saturday including our weekly article on music.Stay tuned!
Addition by subtraction may not be a good idea in the closing of a pair of government programs that are going to close in Mexico and Brazil, according to a pair of bloggers.
Council on Foreign Relations fellow Shannon O’Neil’s blog on immigration examines how demographics are shaping the immigration debate.
Critical Miami gives his take on “Cocaine Cowboys”, a documentary on the drug trade in Miami.
Fellow contributor Maegan la Mala reviews the boobietastic snoozefest that was last night’s Premios Billboard a la Musica Latina.
Will the legalization of first trimester abortions in Mexico City be the beginning of a nationwide push to decriminalize abortion?The Mex Files thinks so.
Links- A Year in Uruguay, Beautiful Horizons, Bloggings by Boz, Foreign Policy – Passport, Gridskipper, ImmigrationProf Blog, kottke.org, LatIntelligence, Plan Colombia and Beyond, Pop!Tech, Posthegemony, Ricardo’s Blog, The Latin Americanist, The Mex Files, Two Weeks Notice, VivirLatino, Wonkette
Though the conflict in Iraq was the issuedu jour during last night’s Democratic presidential debate, Bill Richardson opined on Cuba’s future. “We should be planning for a post-Castro Cuba,” said the Mexican-American governor of New Mexico, and added that the U.S. ought to do “whatever it takes” to promote democracy on the island.He adroitly neglected to mention that he met Castro several years ago during a Congressional trip.
According to one blogger, Richardson’s defense of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales based on ethnicity may have lost him some support on the left.However, Richardson has recently reversed his stance on Gonzales and even called on the embattled Gonzales to resign.
Links-GuardianUK, The Telegraph, Reuters AlertNet, New York Daily News, Albuquerque Tribune, BlogCritics.org, The Latin Americanist
Image-New York Times (The Democratic presidential candidates line up after last night’s debate was over; Bill Richardson is second from right between Senators Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton)
Pack your bags.Get your passport ready.Start making plans to vacation in Honduras this summer.Spirit Airlines has a special offer to fly from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to San Pedro Sula, Honduras all for the amazingly low price of 8 cents*!
Wait?There’s an asterisk near the price?That can’t be good.So what’s the catch?
“The fare prices do not include up to $23.90 in U.S. fees and airport charges plus possible international taxes and fees of up to $125 per round-trip.”
So 8 cents* is in reality about $144.Darn, there went the chance to see Guamilito and Plaza Catracha for less than the cost of a pack of chewing gum.
Damn you Spirit Airlines!
Links- Spirit Airlines, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Wikipedia
Image- Univision.com(Parque Central in San Pedro Sula)
Former Mexican president Vicente Fox (image) warned that populist governments in the Americaspromote “messianic stances” which may lead to dictatorships.Fox’s remarks came during a visit to the European Parliament which Venezuela’s El Universal headlined as an “International Meeting to Prepare (an) Anti-Chavez Strategy.”
In addition, Fox called an extension to the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border “a big mistake” during an awards ceremony on Wednesday night.Added Fox on what was deemed as a “virtual wall” by the head of the U.S. Border Patrol:
“We can do much better than building walls by working together…What are they hiding from?. . .Who is going to stay within, and who is going to stay out?”
According to news agency EFE, the director of Spain’s Instituto Cervantes claimed that Spanish is the second-most studied language in the world and bested only by English.Speaking at the opening session of a language conference, César Antonio Molina noted that Spanish is a global language that “opens doors to future professions.”
In addition, Molina also noted that one of the language’s main obstacles its expansion into other countries such as the U.S., where Spanish serves as a “vital platform.”Indeed, Spanish is the most taught foreign language in U.S. schools according to a 2002 survey by the Modern Language Association.
Bolivia’s coca production has not changed since 2005 according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy.The report seems to refute claims made last month by a Department of State study that Bolivian President Evo Morales “advocates for increased cultivation…of coca” and that government policies have “increased trafficking” of coca.
“’I think we're frankly quite concerned that there's been a buildup in cultivation,’ James O'Gara, the U.S. drug control agency's deputy director for supply reduction, told The Associated Press”.
Links- Office of National Drug Control Policy, Department of State, CNN
Image- Americas.org(Bolivian street vendor selling coca leaves)
Colombia was left without electricity this morning after an unexpected blackout hit the entire country this morning. According to Colombian media approximately 35% of national service has been restored so far, and the head of the national electricity company cited “technical errors” as to why the blackout occurred.
Links- CNN, El Tiempo, RCN
Image- El Tiempo (Chaotic morning traffic in Medellin after being hit by today’s blackout)
* Did you know that Uruguayhas the highest prices for gasoline in Latin Americaat over $5 a gallon!
* While New York Citymayor Michael Bloomberg wraps up his trip to Mexico, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is preparing for his visit next month to Mexicoand El Salvador.
* Good news for Mexicoand Brazil: foreign investment in both countries has grown to record levels.
Social networking site MySpace unveiled specialized sites for Hispanics in the U.S. as well as a version for the Americas.MySpace en Español will be a bilingual version of MySpace which aims to “display more music and other programming for Hispanic users” according to the site’s executives.
At the same time, MySpace launched MySpace Latino America which administrators hope will lead to “more country-specific sites” along the lines of MySpace Mexico.
In a report issued yesterday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticized Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’ decision last to revoke the broadcasting license for Radio Caracas Television (RCTV).The CPJ report stated that the move against RCTV:
“Reflects an arbitrary and opaque decision-making process that sets an alarming precedent and casts doubt on Venezuela's commitment to freedom of expression. The threat of losing access to the airwaves hangs over dozens of other television and radio stations whose concessions have also come up for renewal, prompting some news outlets to pull back on critical programming… The Chavez administration appears to be replacing what it considers to be corporate domination of the airwaves with state domination”.
Chavez deemed RCTV as “coup-mongering” and has vowed not to give in to accusations like those made by CPJ:
“Anybody who goes around thinking they can pressure me through international organizations, other governments or a diabolical court or marches, they are not going to pressure me on May 27 the day the concession is going to end.”
Links- Committee to Protect Journalists, Newsday, Caribbean Net News, Guardian UK
Leading opposition senator Gustavo Petro (image) claimed that there was an assassination plot against him led by ex-Colombian army colonel Julian Villarte.Petro has been a constant target of death threats due to his strong accusations against paramilitary infiltration in the government.Yet what makes Petro’s claims unique is that Villarte had provided security for U.S. coal company Drummond, which has been accused of hiring paramilitaries to kill labor union leaders.(Sounds like the case against Chiquita, no?)
“Rock group Maná considered that the controversy over the depenalization of abortion would have been avoided had Mexican authorities paid more attention to sexual education and birth control methods.”
Mexican federal health authorities have said that Mexicans from outside Mexico Citycould travel there to get abortions, and assured that legal abortions could be conducted in both public and private medical clinics.
Abortion has become a very contentious issue in Latin America, especially since several countries such as Colombia and Argentina have recently relaxed anti-abortion laws. (Not all states are bucking the trend, however).
Links- ABC News, Nuevo Excelsior, International Herald Tribune, Milenio, Baltimore Sun, El Universal, The Latin Americanist, Guardian UK, Catholic Online
Image- Nuevo Excelsior (“My body is mine” says the slogan written on the stomach of a Mexican abortion activist yesterday)
Over a week after Ecuadorians voted to have a constitutional assembly, it would seem like all hell is about to break loose in Ecuador.The country faces uncertainty after several turbulent events over the past 24 hours:
Additionally, President Rafael Correa ordered police to block the now reinstated legislators from returning to their seats, while federal prosecutor Elsa Moreno ordered the arrest of the recalled congressmen on charges of sedition.
The latest development is that 6 of the 57 legislators fled to neighboring Colombia, yet they will not plead for political asylum.
* According to Prensa Latina, Israelwill deport Puerto Rican activist Alberto de Jesusafter he climbed a tower near the West Bank’s separation barrier and planted a Palestinian flag on it (image).
* Follow-up:New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg visited Mexico Cityyesterday in order to observe a unique anti-poverty program he hopes to implement in New York.
* Brazilian courts ruled that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not involved in an alleged plot to buy damaging information about opposition politicians last year.
* San Franciscomayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed the city as a “sanctuary” for immigrants and said that city officials would not assist with federal immigration raids.
* Peruvian president Alan Garcia met with U.S. President George W. Bush as part of Garcia’s campaign to promote a free trade deal between both countries.
* McDonald’s plans to expand in Latin America by adding 1600 franchises in the region.
U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama (image) neglected to directly mention Latin America during a major foreign affairs speech made yesterday in Chicago.The Illinois Senator bemoaned “the consequences of a foreign policy based on a flawed ideology” on a number of topics ranging from nuclear arms to foreign aid to the Iraq conflict.
Mind you, this does not mean that Obama has ignored Latin America altogether as he demonstrated in a speech shortly before the President’s tour of the Americaslast month:
“We need to restore U.S. relations in the hemisphere. We need to consolidate the gains that have been made in the sweeping change of the last few years. We need to sustain our commitment to democracy, to social justice, and to opportunity for our neighbors to the south. The western hemisphere is too important to our core economic and security interests to be treated with the neglect and mismanagement that have defined the past six years”.
However, for him to have not explicitly mentioned the Americas in such a seemingly vital speech does raise some eyebrows.Hopefully Obama can provide more details of his views on Latin America in the weeks to come.
Links- International Herald Tribune, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, U.S. Senator Barack Obama
Update (25 April): Looks like Fidel will be staying at home on May Day according to the president of the Cuban Parliament. (Link via Monsters & Critics).
The Associated Press briefly speculated yesterday over the possibility that Fidel Castro may appear in public next Tuesday in order to celebrate the annual May Day parade.Here’s the key quote from the article:
“Cuban officials have been giving increasingly positive reports about Castro's recovery, sparking expectations that the he will make a public appearance soon, perhaps at the annual May 1 workers parade that draws hundreds of thousands of people”.
Meanwhile, the Cuban media published photos on Saturday of Fidel Castro meeting with senior Chinese Communist Party officials in Havana on Friday (image).According to Granma, Fidel had a “deep and fruitful” meeting for an hour which surely helped strengthen the ties between the Cuban and Chinese governments.
Links- Reuters, Granma, CNN, The Latin Americanist, Wikipedia
Elections for the next U.S. president may be over a year away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to speculate. How do the main candidates stand on the immigration debate? Let’s take a look at what some of them said on their official websites and links to a few other sources.
Hillary Clinton
“I believe the Bush administration is failing to meet what should be the basic requirements of immigration policy: continuing our American tradition of welcoming immigrants who follow the rules and are trying to build a better life for their families, while strengthening national security in a post 9-11 world.
Our current immigration laws need to be reformed: we need a better solution to the question of illegal immigration which recognizes the conflict between the need to enforce the law, and the reality that too many employers are using undocumented workers today”.
“This Nation is calling for our borders to be secured and for an overhaul of our immigration system, and that it be done in a humane and comprehensive fashion. Vote after vote after vote taken in this body reaffirms that fact.
The new policies as provided for under [the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006] will increase border security and provide for a new, temporary worker program to enable foreign workers to work legally in this country when there are jobs that American workers won't fill. And, it will acknowledge and address in a humanitarian and compassionate way the current undocumented population.”
“The Department of Homeland Security recognizes that identifying and deporting the 11 million undocumented workers currently in this country would be both logistically impossible and highly disruptive to the American economy. Instead of mass deportations, Senator Obama believes that Congress must pass comprehensive, compassionate reform that reaffirms the rule of law and brings the undocumented population out of hiding”.
“A nation of laws cannot allow millions of undocumented immigrants to live in the shadows and hundreds of thousands more to enter the country illegally every year. For decades politicians have passed laws on immigration with a wink and a nudge, with no intent of following through and making sure those laws were enforced.
For far too long, the immigration debate has been about electoral politics, not about policy. We need more honest leadership than that. We need to stop exploiting the immigration problem, and start solving it. We need to pass realistic laws and then enforce them rigorously”.
“Immigration has been an important part of our nation's success. The current system, however, puts up a concrete wall to the best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system, and increase legal immigration into America”.
So who do you think is the best candidate on the topic of immigration?Vote in our poll below and/or feel free to leave a comment.(Note: the poll closes on May 5th).
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is in Cuba today where he is finishing up on a tour of Latin America that included stops in Nicaragua and Venezuela.In Managua, Mottaki met with President Daniel Ortega and came to several preliminary agreements between Iran and Nicaragua.Meanwhile, Mottaki repeated Iran’s claims to develop nuclear power while he met with senior Cuban government officials in Havana.
A major archeological discovery was made last week in Mexico when scientists discovered evidence of child sacrifices from before the Aztec period.The bones of approximately a two dozen children were dated back to between 950 A.D. and 1150 A.D., and are believed to have been sacrificed by the Toltecs to Tlaloc (image), the god of rain and fertility.
“As the official slogan, ‘Build power from below’, proclaims, their stated purpose is to promote grass-roots democracy and hand power directly to the people - in particular the urban poor who make up the bulk of his most fervent supporters.
But as well as grappling with the grim conditions in slums such as Catia, members of these voluntary groups will constitute a nationwide militia, schooled in Cuban-style tactics for both guerrilla warfare and counter-insurgency".
The article went on to cite an advisor to Chavez who admitted that “some communal groups have already received military training” as well as a local opposition politician who said that the government was denying anti-Chavez groups from being part of the communal councils.
General apathy and abstentions marked Sunday’s vote for France’s president in the country’s overseas territories in the Americas.Despite being allowed to vote before mainland France and being visited by the main candidates in the run-up to the election, approximately 38% of voters went to the polls in Guadeloupe and turnout on French Guianabarely broke 50%.Nonetheless, Global Voices Online clues us in to the strong feelings that a few bloggers have on the candidates.
Yesterday’s elections produced a runoff between Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal.BBC News provides a handy chart of how Sarkozy and Royal stand on the main election issues.
Links- Caribbean Net News, EiTb, Jamaica Gleaner, Daily News, Global Voices Online, Canada.com, BBC News
Image-Jamaica Gleaner (Segolene Royal begin greeted during her January 2007 visit to Guadeloupe)
* The International Monetary Fund estimates that Caribbeaneconomies will face net losses from the Cricket World Cup.
* Is Reuters’ reporting on Haitian violence biased? Bay Area Indymediathinks so.
* On the tenth anniversary of the end of a rebel takeover of Peru’s Japanese embassy,Peruvian vice president Luis Giampietri remembers his five months as a hostage.
* Follow-up: Organizers of an illegal immigrant “game” that was to take place at the University of Iowa (original link here from this post) decided to cancel the event and host a lecture instead.
Links- Bloomberg, Bay Area Indymedia, The Financial Express, Hispanic Tips, The Latin Americanist, Des Moines Register, Wikipedia, Los Angeles Times
Image- CBC (West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara bids adieu to the crowd lunging after playing in his final game)
