A Woman’s Worth: Recognition

Today we’ll examine the recognition given to a pair of women from the Americas as part of our feature this week in honor of International Women's Day.

Yesterday the U.S. State Department gave their “International Women of Courage” award to ten women including Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez and Mexican Deputy Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibañez. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Morales for her efforts to start a federal witness protection program in order to protect those trying to help in the combat against powerful Mexican drug gangs. “She has shown an unfailing drive to combat organized crime and corruption, and a valiant dedication to the protection of citizen security and human rights,” said Clinton.

The forty-year-old Morales has held her post since March 2010 though she has worked in the Attorney General’s office for several years. In 2008 she headed Operación Limpieza (“Operation Clean Sweep”), which led to the arrest of 35 public officials linked to the Beltrán Leyva drug gang.

After receiving her award Morales told the press that she recognized the risks run by both men and women in law enforcement and emphasized that she and her comrades have a “willingness to overcome those fears” that could’ve held them back.

Along with Belarusian Nasta Palazhanka, Sanchez could not make it to the ceremony yesterday since she was not permitted to travel by the Cuban government. Despite her absence, the outspoken blogger and activist told Europa Press that she was “very proud” to have received her award:

“More than anything I share this honor with nine other women who have pursued notion of development in other countries, and her risking their lives to defend their ideals,” she explained…

“Although its happen many times before I am not accustomed to staying in Cuba because I’m prevented from traveling. In the meantime I will take advantage of my time...because one day I hope to teach someone how to use the Internet or open a Twitter account”.

In the following video via the Oslo Freedom Forum, Sanchez discusses why she became a blogger and the problems with Internet access in Cuba:

Online Sources- U.S. State Department, Milenio, El Universal, EFE, Europa Press, monstersandcritics.com
Video Source - Oslo Freedom Forum via YouTube

Today’s Video: Eye on Venezuela

What have different news sources and bloggers been saying over the tensions between Colombia and Venezuela? Newsy recently made a video of some of those viewpoints which give us plenty to think about:

Online Sources- Newsy, The Latin Americanist

Weekend Headlines: November 14-15, 2009

* Mexico: In an unsurprising move, Mexican government officials are peeved off at Forbes for placing Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman so high on their list of the World's Most Powerful People.

* Latin America: Colombia and Ecuador have taken a small step to restoring full diplomatic ties that have been cut off since March 2008.

* Cuba: A group of Cuban dissidents have intensified their protests against the Castro regime by going on an all-liquid diet.

* Brazil: Apparently Brazilian police have nothing better to do than pursue an anonymous blogger who has published the names of over 300 supposed adulterers.

Image – Guardian UK (“Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman in 1993.”)
Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, CNN, Guardian UK, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: November 10, 2009

* Cuba: Cuban bloggers have been unfairly harassed and repressed by the island’s government and in the latest incident one of the country’s best-known bloggers claimed to have been briefly detained and attacked by “three state security agents.”

* Mexico: Mexican authorities found a secret 133-yard tunnel under construction below the U.S.-Mexico border.

* Colombia: Colombian coffee growers will harvest 30% less this year according to the head of the committee overseeing Colombia’s national coffee exporters association.

* Brazil: Officials at Brazil’s Bandeirante University reversed its idiotic decision to expel a female student who wore a “mid-thigh length red dress.”

Image – MSNBC (Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez said that she was threatened and assaulted by local police last week.)
Online Sources- CNN, MSNBC, Reuters, The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, LAHT

Fast but not yet free

A Miami-based company announced plans to lay the first optical communications fiber between the U.S. and Cuba. Execs at TeleCuba Communications claimed that they received special permission from the Treasury Department to install the cable which would be operational by 2011.

The only hurdles against the TeleCuba plan is getting the final okay from the Cuban government as well as constructing it faster than a similar cable planned between Venezuela and the island.

The move represents the gradual thawing of the political freeze between Washington and Havana, yet it would hardly benefit most Cubans:

Only about 2.1% of Cubans have regular access to the global internet and 11.5% to the Cuban intranet, according to the Washington-based democracy and human rights organization Freedom House.

"Bloggers can go online at government-owned internet cafes, at universities and hotels," it says.

Additionally, Cuban bloggers tend to be unduly harassed by the island’s regime. In the latest incidence, blogger Yoani Sanchez has been forbidden from traveling to the U.S. to receive a journalism award from Columbia University (CU). "The Cuban government ought to value Ms. Sanchez's work as a sign that young Cubans are ready to take Cuba into a better future,” said the dean of CU's Graduate School of Journalism to Reuters.

There could be a vast improvement in U.S.-Cuba ties by the time the TeleCuba cable is finished. Hopefully by that time the island’s people including its bloggers can have sufficient freedom of expression to take advantage of such a technological improvement.

Image- Miami New Times
Online Sources- Miami Herald, AP, BBC News, Reuters, The Latin Americanist

Daily Headlines: October 14, 2009

* Haiti: The United Nations Security Council unanimously backed the mandate for having troops in Haiti for one more year.

* Cuba: It isn’t easy being a blogger in Cuba; not only is freedom of expression a luxury but so is freedom to travel.

* Panama: An OAS-affiliated human rights council is expected to hear the case of an Ecuadorian migrant who claimed he was tortured by Panamanian police.

* Colombia: A former Colombian paramilitary commander confessed to local prosecutors that his men were behind a 2000 massacre of 38 people.

Image- javno.hr
Online Sources- Xinhua, CNN, LAHT, The Latin Americanist, Amnesty International

Daily Headlines: May 5, 2009

* Cuba: How difficult is it to be a blogger in Cuba? According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Cuba is one of the "10 worst countries to be a blogger."

* Brazil: The country’s Bovespa index hit past the 50,000 mark for the first time since September as stocks rallied over an optimistic commodities outlook.

* Colombia: Sixth time may be the charm for Colombian president Alvaro Uribe who wants to outlaw the personal use of several narcotics.

* Venezuela: No reports of damage or casualties were made after an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook coastal Venezuela.

Image- MSNBC (Yoani Sanchez is Cuba’s best-known blogger and author behind the critical “Generation Y” site.)
Online Sources- MSNBC, Bloomberg, csmonitor.com, The Latin Americanist, AFP

Cuba: Bloggers keep speaking out vs. gov’t

Last week’s news of several Congressional Black Congress members meeting with Fidel Castro may’ve been a key step in the thawing of frosty relations between the U.S. and Cuba. For that meeting to be a step in the right direction, however, major changes need to be enacted in both countries even if it causes heavy debate.

As we’ve mentioned before, the Castro administration and Cuban bloggers have had a fractious relationship. The government has severely restricted access to the internet and affording a personal computer is out of the reach of the common person. The police have also harassed some bloggers and warned that their activities “run afoul of the law”.

During last month’s Havana Biennial art show, artist Tania Bruguera set up a particular installation. Residents were granted the chance to go speak for one minute at a podium with a microphone. Well-known anti-Castro blogger Yoani Sanchez took her opportunity to speak against the government:


Bruguera’s installation was approved by the government who ran the art show. A government communiqué shortly after Sanchez’ performance implied that she is a "professional dissident" employed by the U.S.

Sanchez remained defiant in an entry written to the Huffington Post earlier this month:

I confess to you that I do not want them to allow me to travel as if it were a gift. I have a feeling that I will travel from Cuba when everyone can do it freely, but in the meantime, I will continue besieging them with my demands, my posts and my questions.

The Cold War may’ve been over for years yet the U.S. and Cuba have permitted such a farcical political and economic rift to continue. While the U.S. can relax travel restrictions and possibly drop the decades-old trade embargo, Cuba needs to relax its restrictions on personal freedoms. The end of the government’s ongoing conflict with the island’s bloggers would be a very welcome step.

Online Sources- Huffington Post, AP, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, miamiherald.com

Se solicita ayuda...

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We're currently seeking fresh faces to write for The Latin Americanist. We welcome just abut any viewpoints so as long as they help inform our hundreds of daily readers and enlighten their knowledge on the Americas. We're willing to accommodate whether you wish to submit one post a week or take on a more full-time role.

Any help would be greatly appreciated so please don't hesitate to contact us at ourlatinamerica@yahoo.com if you are interested.

Thanks for you support!

Image- Brownstoner

Daily Headlines: March 19, 2009

* Cuba: Bloggers and the mainstream press have been highly critical of Mexican ex-foreign minister Jorge Castañeda’s claim that Hugo Chavez plotted to overthrow the Castro regime.

* Uruguay: The country’s legislature passed a bill permitting terminally ill patients the opportunity to reject “life-prolonging treatments.”

* Ecuador: Between fifty and eighty additional troops were recently deployed along Ecuador’s border with Colombia.

* Peru: British researchers studied a Peruvian hospital and concluded that ultraviolet lights may drastically reduce the spread of tuberculosis in medical clinics.

Image- Guardian UK
Online Sources- CNN, Machetera, Reuters, Xinhua, AFP

Daily Headlines: March 13, 2009

* Chile: Several U.S. banks are being sued by Chile’s government over allegedly helping the late dictator Augusto Pinochet embezzle public funds.

* Cuba: The country’s government continues to repress independent journalists despite the emergence of bloggers critical of the Castro regime according to Reporters Without Borders.

* Ecuador: The government will formally default on a bond debt of $2.7 billion that is due in 2030.

* Dominican Republic: Hundreds of health professionals demanding higher wages went on a 24-hour strike yesterday.

Image- CBC
Online Sources- Reporters Without Borders, IHT, cbs4.com, CNN

Daily Headlines: February 18, 2009

* U.S.: Time magazine’s top blogs of 2009 list praised Cuban-based Generación Y and deemed PerezHilton.com as overrated.

* Cuba: Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom apologized to Cuba for his country permitting the CIA to train exiles who participated in the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion.

* Mexico: Nearly 500,000 bus and truck operators went on a 24-hour strike in protest of rising fuel costs.

* Antarctica: Almost three months after 122 people were rescued from a sinking ship near Antarctica another cruise ship ran aground with 65 passengers.

Image- Global Voices Online
Online Sources- Time, MSNBC, LAHT, The Latin Americanist, USA TODAY

Cuban Internet expansion soon (but not soon enough)

Cuban communications minister Ramiro Valdes declared that the island’s government will expand Internet access to the country sometime in 2010.

Valdes remarked that he anticipated broadening online access next year after the completion of a 930 mile-long fiber optics line between Cuba and Venezuela. The cable is designed to circumvent the U.S. embargo on Cuba which bars the island from using a nearby line that connects from Florida.

Despite a May 2008 reform permitting the public to purchase desktop computers, the U.N. estimates that only a scant 2% of Cubans have Internet access. Internet use is restricted to government officials and tourists that can afford it while the government has cracked down on Cuban bloggers.

Vice Minister Boris Moreno discarded the possibility of expanding online access this year. Moreno also reiterated government policy that is “to ‘favor collective access’ in such places as universities, scientific institutions and cultural centers.” Opposition on the island has decried such a policy:

Dissidents say the government's true goal is to control access to information…

In July, the head of the US interest section in Havana, Michael Parmly, said that Washington would allow US companies to connect Cuba to their underwater cables.

"The only thing that is missing is for the Cuban government to lift its restrictions, loose its fear and begin to trust its own people," he said.

Image- BBC News (“Cuba's licensed internet terminals are meant only for tourists”.)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, The Inquirer, Reuters, hispanicbusiness.com, AFP

Bloggers of the World Unite: Copycats

• Should bloggers be peeved or proud if their work is plagiarized by others?
• Apparently illegal narcotics are holding up the world’s financial system.
• Today’s edition of “Latino politicos caught in scandal” is sponsored by Hiram Monserrate and Eddie A. Perez.
• Robinho's off-the-field behavior has gone from bad to a lot worse.
• Lastly, Guanabee informs us of a new Spanish TV program combining voyeurism with child psychology:
  

Online Sources- Guanabee, Gothamist, Lotería Chicana, borev.net, Latinopundit, Gothamist

Beyond the Americas: Chairman Mao’s blogging grandson

Some stories speak for themselves:

This is Mao Xinyu, the 38-year-old grandson of Chairman Mao.

Grandson Mao is a senior colonel in the People's Liberation Army. He's now become well-known here as a blogger. The readers of the People's Daily online have just voted his blog the most popular of the last year.

Mao's blog is largely dedicated to an appreciation of his grandfather, who died when he was six years old. The founder of communist China is still admired by many people here -despite the fact that millions died because of famine and conflict during his rule (an official Communist Party verdict delivered after his death ruled - with precision - that Chairman Mao was 70% right and 30% wrong).

"The greatest happiness of my life and satisfaction come from a real understanding of a great man. And he is my grandfather," grandson Mao writes.

(Hat tip: Neatorama).

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- BBC News, People’s Daily Online, Neatorama

Cuba: Yay buyers; boo bloggers

There is a clear case of mistaken Internet priorities by the Cuban government.

Authorities on the island have allowed a Spanish-based firm to run an online shopping site on the island during the holidays. "It's a good business but it's also a way for Cubans (overseas) to help their family members here," said one of the executives of mallhabana.com to the AP. Though the site has been around since 2006, Cuban officials have been heavily promoting it during the holiday season.

Mallhabana.com certainly helps with the flow of goods on the island for those Cubans with the luxury of shopping online. But what about the flow of information through websites such as personal blogs? Unfortunately, the island’s authorities haven’t looked as kindly on bloggers as they have on shopping sites:

Police have prohibited Cuba's most prominent blogger from attending an independent cyber-workshop and warned that her activities ran afoul of the law, her husband said.

Yoani Sanchez and husband and fellow blogger Reynaldo Escobar were summoned separately (on December 3rd) to a police station near their apartment in Havana's Vedado district and reprimanded, Escobar said in a telephone interview.

Authorities told the couple they could not travel to the western province of Pinar del Rio for a two-day blogger's workshop…

Another Havana blogger, Claudia Cadelo, was also called into a meeting with police, but failed to appear because she is in the hospital, Escobar said.

Cubans can ostensibly purchase a computer via mallhabana.com (with the government’s complicity) yet cannot express themselves freely once they go online.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Image- Mother Jones
Online Sources- Toronto Sun, AP

Happy third birthday to us!

On September 3^rd, 2005 an NYU grad student created a unique forum for the discussion of news and issues pertaining to Latin America. The first trio of posts on that day examined topics as varied as The Economist’s view on Hugo Chavez, Costa Rica’s downgraded credit rating, and protests in Argentina. Who would’ve imagined that this blog would continue strong after three years, over 3500 posts, and mentions in media outlets like the Washington Post or this month’s Latina magazine?

In the name of the entire The Latin Americanist team, thank you all who read, comment, and enjoy our blog. We always work hard to inform you, principally, but also to provide our own viewpoints. You are the reason we work hard to disseminate information and insight regarding Latin America and its impact on the world. We are grateful that you trust in us, and we will continue to strive to continue being the forum that this blog intended to be.

On a purely personal note, I would like to wholeheartedly thank Taylor Kirk whose foresight allowed this blog to be created and for permitting me to contribute to this wonderful site. I’m deeply indebted and grateful to all my fellow contributors- Maegan, Alison, and Michael- whose advice and knowledge are immeasurable. Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to all our readers for their attention.

Hopefully this blog can continue for many years to come so let’s keep moving forward!

Image- Guardian UK (I don’t like the color pink, but that cake certainly looks savory!)

Sources- The Latin Americanist, Blogger, Washington Post, Latina

Colombia: Rebels free eight hostages

Colombia's FARC guerillas released eight hostages and handed them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), according to ICRC officials yesterday. A statement from the ICRC said that the FARC approached the aid agency to do the handover, the Colombian military paid no role in the action, and that the ICRC will “continue to support efforts” to try to free other hostages.

Unfortunately, several hundred remain held unfairly against their will by the FARC in heinous conditions including at least two who were kidnapped with the eight freed on Wednesday.

The handover was the first hostage release by the FARC since a military mission freed fifteen people including Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. contractors earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos revealed the covers used by the rescuers on the July 2^nd military mission. The mission already hit controversy when it was revealed that the ICRC symbol was misappropriated and apparently another entity was misrepresented:

Two people who helped rescue 15 hostages from Colombian rebels posed as journalists from a real Venezuela-based television news organization, Colombia's defense minister said Wednesday.

Two of the nine rescuers assumed the roles of journalist and cameraman from the news organization TeleSUR during the daring rescue, Juan Manuel Santos said…

TeleSUR's general director of information, Armando Jimenez, said the company was preparing a response.

Jean-Francois Julliard, deputy director of the press advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders, said authorities can endanger journalists when they pose as members of the news media.

Image- CNN (“Carlos Cuesta, left, greets family members after being released by FARC rebels on Thursday.”)

Sources- CNN, AFP, Canada.com, BBC News, The Latin Americanist

Bloggers of the world unite!

• An interesting look at how the Confederate states tried to colonize parts of Latin America during the Civil War.
  
• Cuy: The new white meat.
• Hay Chihuahua! Is an animated film on “dancing, Spanish-accented Chihuahuas” tasteless or funny?
• Last week we mentioned how a television network’s series of the greatest Chileans ever skipped over Augusto Pinochet. But was the bigger omission independence hero Bernardo O’Higgins?
• Barack Obama may not have visited Latin America recently though that hasn’t stopped his half-sister from campaigning on his behalf in Mexico.

Sources- The Latin Americanist, Guanabee, Vivirlatino, Bloggings by Boz, La Plaza, Mental Floss

Weekly Debate: Evo’s immigration op/ed

In an article written in Monday’s Guardian UK, Bolivian president Evo Morales advocated that the European Union (EU) refrain from enacting harsh anti-immigration laws. In the piece, Morales gives several of the usual immigrants’ rights arguments including that immigrants do the jobs Europeans don’t and that billions of Euros in remittances are sent to Latin America. However, he also invokes a historical lesson to back his perspective:

European citizens arrived in Latin and North America en masse, without visas or conditions imposed on them by the authorities. They were simply welcomed, and continue to be in Latin America. They came to exploit the natural wealth and to transfer it to Europe, with a high cost for the native population. Yet the people, property and rights of the migrants were always respected.

Contrast the European "return directive", to be voted on in the European parliament this week. It imposes harsh terms for detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants, regardless of the time they have spent in European countries, their work situation, their family ties or their achievements in integrating themselves into local society.

• So what do you think about Morales’ argument?
• Does his perspective make sense or is he clutching at straws?
• Is the EU acting hypocritically or justly towards immigrants?
• Should the EU follow Italy’s lead in cracking down on immigrants or are those measures too harsh?
• Is immigration policy in Europe better or worse than the U.S.?

If you want to participate in this debate please leave a comment to this post and/or vote in our poll.

Let your voice be heard!

Sources- Guardian UK, Bloomberg, boston.com

Image- BBC News (Thousands of illegal immigrants line up in an attempt to take advantage of an amnesty in Spain in 2005).