Notable Quotable: Awarded behind bars

“It is my sincere hope that all political prisoners who remain jailed, including three of today’s award recipients, will be unconditionally released”.

---President Barack Obama called on the Cuban government to open the doors to democracy by freeing all of the country’s political prisoners.

Obama’s remarks came as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) awarded five Cuban dissidents its annual Democracy Award. None of the recipients traveled to Washington to receive their prize since three of them were behind bars while the other two were arrested for trying to organize a protest.

Despite a recent thawing in relations between Cuba and the U.S., one of the awarded dissidents criticized Obama for his “sterile approach” towards the Castro regime.

Image- cbs13.com
Online Sources- Miami Herald, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist, AP

Notable Quotable: Trashcan of the Americas?!

More than ever before, Miami continues to be the great continental trash can for all the defeated oligarchies.

---A scathing op/ed piece in the Cuban state-run daily Granma aimed at who they consider as the “strong nucleus of right extremists from various Latin American countries” that call Miami home.

The article centered on the lack of extradition from the U.S. of Luis Posada Carriles- a former CIA operative wanted by Venezuela and Cuba for alleged terrorist activities. According to the piece, Posada is part of a massive conspiracy centered in Miami that is targeting the Venezuelan and Cuban governments.

Posada currently stands on trial facing immigration fraud and perjury charges relating to his accused lying to an immigration judge over his previous activities. His defense team argued for a delay and that request was granted today by a federal justice in El Paso who postponed trial until February 2010.

Image- South Florida Sun-Sentinel (2007 file photo of Luis Posada Carriles)
Online Sources- Granma International, UPI, AP

Notable Quotable: The GOP's long shot

Can the Republicans win back the White House in 2012 or 2016 while losing further ground among Latinos?...

I think the answer to the…question is 'yes' -- although it depends, of course, on exactly how much more ground they lose, as well as how much ground they could hope to gain among white voters. If they chose to pursue this strategy, the Republicans would probably elect to make immigration a linchpin issue of their campaign, perhaps coupled with the adoption of some paleoconservative, protectionist rhetoric on issues like NAFTA. While this strategy would be at best a temporary fix -- it would become less effective each passing year as the country continues to grow more diverse -- it might have some strategic benefits in the next two elections, particularly if the economy remains poor or there is some sort of double-dip recession.

---Political statistician/FiveThirtyEight.com founder Nate Silver describes the almost impossible situation the GOP faces of winning future presidential elections while Latino support diminishes. (Read his detailed post for more details about what he deems as “Operation Gringo”).

As we’ve mentioned before, some Republican politicos are worried that their party is alienating the Latino vote and increasingly ignoring a chief electoral demographic.

(Hat tip: The Daily Dish).

Image- New York Sun (Republican presidential candidate John McCain spoke at the League of United Latin American Citizens conference last July).
Online Sources- The Daily Dish, FiveThirtyEight.com, The Latin Americanist

Notable Quotable: All for love

"I've seen with my own eyes how many brothers of mine serve God as married men and with the blessing of having their own families."

--- Father (soon to be Reverend) Alberto Cutie announced on Thursday that he would join the Episcopalian Church weeks after tabloid photos caught canoodling on the beach with his secret girlfriend.

The head of the Catholic Church's Miami archdiocese said he was "deeply disappointed" by the news, yet Cutie admitted that any mass he might perform would be "invalid” had he stayed as a Roman Catholic priest.

It remains to be seen how the move will affect Cutie’s popularity; his youthful looks, warm demenaor, and charisma led him to build a loyal following via numerous television and radio appearances.

Image- CNN
Online Sources- CNN, Reuters, New York Times

Notable Quotable: Heaven on Earth

"It truly frustrates me to hear those who attack us constantly talking about God, and what the bible does or doesn't allow…We are not asking anything from God. We are asking for our legal rights here on the earth. He'll decide up there what we do or don't get."

--- Alfonso Guerrero- half of the first gay Latino couple to legally marry in California last June- provides a sensible explanation on the needlessly contentious issue of gay marriage.

On Tuesday, California’s top court voted 6-1 to uphold a ban on gay marriage (via Prop 8) but recognized the legality of those unions that took place before the measure was approved last year in a statewide referendum. As this report shows, the court’s Solomon-like solution seemingly pleased nobody:

The debate of gay marriage has also manifested itself in the state of New York where Latinos participated in competing pro-gay marriage and anti-gay marriage rallies two weeks ago. Expect Latinos to be increasingly targeted as both sides campaign for their respective causes; one group against gay marriage has prominently featured photos of happy-looking Latino families in the web ads.

Online Sources- Blabbeando, Reuters, Indecision Forever, OC Weekly

Notable Quotables: Lugo on celibacy

"I believe that only God is perfect, and everything a human being does is imperfect…Therefore celibacy is also an imperfect question for a man or a woman."

---In an interview with Argentine newspaper Clarin, Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo gives his two cents on the celibacy vows taken by Catholic clerics.

A former Roman Catholic bishop, Lugo admitted last April to fathering a child while in the priesthood. Lugo has denied being the father in two subsequent paternity claims.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, BBC News, MSNBC

Notable Quotables: Almost gone

"Healing…To wish that people is ill gets better soon. Only two people here in Na Ha and on the other side is Lacanja can practice…He is the last old man in this area that can do it. The tradition is getting a little bit lost because of the new culture."

---Director of Natural Reserves and Wildlife in Chiapas Maria Theresa Vasquez describes a spiritual ritual of the healer of one of Mexico’s three remaining Lacandon tribes.

As Voice of America reported, the Lancondians “are one of the most isolated and culturally conservative of Mexico's native peoples.” Unfortunately, these descendants of the Maya have seen their numbers dwindle to roughly 1100 as some have fled to other communities while their lands have been encroached by loggers and ranchers.

Image- history.ca (Image from Canadian filmmaker Collin Hanney’s 1960 documentary on the Lancandon peoples).
Online Sources- Voice of America

Notable Quotables: Drying up

“People don’t realize that we’re at five minutes until the clock strikes twelve. We will have a hydrological problem of historical proportions in ten years if we don’t act now.” - [ed. translated text]

---So-called “water expert” Luis Manuel Guerra warns on the danger of having insufficient potable water for the megalopolis of Mexico City.

Water service is expected to resume tomorrow to all parts of the Mexican capital. The city’s main pipeline serving 20% of the populace has been temporarily shutdown due to record low reserves and to fix leaky pipes.

Officials have warned that this summer may be one of the hottest in years and have urged people to severely ration water use.

Mexico City isn’t the only major world city with water shortage problems; Beijing is drying up while authorities in Los Angeles are considering imposing a rationing plan.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- Milenio, El Universal, ABC Online, Al Jazeera English, UPI

Notable Quotables: You can run but you can’t hide

“The verdict will also send a powerful message to current heads of state who may be tempted to use abusive tactics to resolve their political problems. As Fujimori discovered yesterday, crimes they may be able to get away with while in power can come back to haunt them years later.”

---José Miguel Vivanco- executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch- gave his two cents on yesterday’s historic verdict against Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori.

Peru’s Supreme Court convicted Fujimori for human rights abuses during his decade in power and subsequently sentenced him to 25 years in jail.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, CNN

Notable Quotables: Stay

“If I were they, I would think carefully before setting foot outside the United States. They are now, and forever in the future, at risk of arrest. Until this is sorted out, they are in their own legal black hole.”

--- British human rights attorney Philippe Sands remarked in reference to the six former White House officials indicted by Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon.

As we recently mentioned, ex-attorney general Alberto Gonzales and five others have been named in a criminal case regarding human rights abuses at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Garzon is best-known for issuing an arrest warrant against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet several years ago. Garzon’s tireless crusade has earned him the wrath of supporters of the late Spanish fascist strongman Francisco Franco as well as criticism from Venezuela’s government.

(Hat tip: The Daily Dish.)

Image- Der Spiegel (Alberto Gonzales testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2007).
Online Sources- The New Yorker, The Latin Americanist, Guardian UK, The Daily Dish

Notable Quotables: From the Murray River to the Rio Grande

"We had folks send an email saying, in good Australian fashion, 'Hey mate, we've been watching your border for you from the pub in Australia'," he said.

---Executive director of the Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition Don Reay comments on people as far away as Australia who monitor webcams along the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to Reay over 100,000 web users worldwide have registered to become “virtual border patrol deputies.”

In a CBS News video we posted last month, the border cameras have something of a cult following though its minor efficacy doesn’t justify its major price tag.

(Hat tip: FP Passport).

Online Sources- FP Passport, The Latin Americanist, Guardian UK
Image- BBC News