Immigration agents to get expanded powers

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will receive expanded powers to make drug arrests.

Holder announced the changes to the Senate and the actions are particularly targeted towards Mexico. Furthermore, the move was also done to quell a “long-running turf dispute with the Drug Enforcement Administration:”

In the past, when ICE agents wanted to work on their own drug investigations, they had to seek the permission of the DEA and make sure that the ICE agents involved had Title 21 authority. ICE maintained this scenario hampered their ability to work cases, especially on the border where ICE has such a large presence. DEA fought back, claiming that ICE agents did not have the expertise to handle narcotics investigations.

A real world example would be when ICE agents raid a safe house full of illegal immigrants and discover that it’s really a drug operation. Under the current regulations, the ICE agents would not be allowed to make any drug-related arrests unless the DEA was called to the scene.

With such an escalation of crimes near the U.S.-Mexico border, the plan will also try to contain any spillover of violence into the U.S.

Holder is expected to formally announce the move at a news conference on Thursday.

Image-Voice of America
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, MSNBC, AP, Washington Post

Next haven for Gitmo detainees: Spain?

Earlier this month, members of the European Union (EU) agreed to a framework allowing individual states to take in Guantanamo prison detainees. Despite reluctance from some countries like Germany, Italy reached a deal with the White House on Monday to take in “three specific inmates.”

Reports out of Spain, in the meantime, claimed that the Iberian country could take up as many as four detainees from the controversial prison camp:

The United States has asked Spain to take four inmates from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Madrid will study the request case by case, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Wednesday.

"We will study each case one by one and respond once we understand the implications of the decision and in what way we can help the United States close Guantanamo," Moratinos told a news conference.

"There may be more cases presented in the future," he said.

According to Spanish daily El Pais, officials in that country are negotiating who would pay for the detainees’ security. Furthermore, the paper said that the transferred prisoners would most likely be Syrian and Turkish and that they would have freedom of movement within Spain.

France, Ireland, and Portugal have previously expressed interest in taking in detainees.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Reuters, AFP, BBC News, USA TODAY

Eric Volz files petition against Nicaragua

A U.S. citizen who was jailed for thirteen months in Nicaragua has accused the Central American country for trying to reinstate his conviction.

In 2007, Eric Volz was convicted and sentenced to thirty years in prison for the 2006 rape and death of his former girlfriend- Doris Jimenez. His case stirred up plenty of emotions in Nicaragua as critics viewed him as a foreign gringo murderer while his supporters claimed that he was convicted by a kangaroo court. Last year, Volz was freed by an appellate court and has since been in hiding while working on his upcoming memoirs.

Yesterday Volz delivered a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights alleging that the Nicaraguan government will restore his conviction. In a press release issued by his representatives, Volz accused Nicaraguan officials of trying to exploit him as a political pawn:

“I believe in justice and the word of law,” said Volz. “I lost over a year of my life due to a crime I didn’t commit and the Nicaraguan courts know I didn’t do. What happened to me shouldn’t occur to anyone. Courts exist to protect the innocent which is why I hope the Inter-American Commission takes action.” – [ed. personal translation]

What do you think?

Image- MSNBC
Online Sources- New York Times, NPR, The Latin Americanist, WHNT
E-mailed Source – Press release via Friends of Eric Volz

Miercoles Musical: Summertime fun

A small bit of summertime bliss via Spain's El Guincho:

Daily Headlines: June 17, 2009

* U.S.: Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor defended her membership in the all-female Belizean Grove group against allegations that she breached the Code of Judicial Conduct.

* Latin America: Are the Andes Mountains shrinking? A team of Argentine researchers think that’s a possibility.

* Costa Rica: Chinese and Costa Rican representatives have entered the latest round of free trade negotiations with China requesting that Costa Rica open their markets.

* Argentina: One day after an Argentine baby became the country’s first swine flu fatality three more people died as a result of the disease.

Image- CNN
Online Sources- BBC News, AFP, Reuters, Guardian UK, MSNBC

Today’s Video: The good reverend

We continue our look this week at exceptional Puerto Rican figures with poet and playwright Pedro Pietri.

Pietri was a key member of the “Nuyorcian Movement”- a group of artists and intellectuals centered in New York City that promoted Puerto Rican culture. Along with Miguel Piñero and Miguel Algarín, Pietri co-founded a venue for Latino creative expression that still stands today: the Nuyorican Poets Café. Pietri's nationalistic views on Puerto Rico led him to give out fake Boricua passports and he called himself “Reverend Pedro Pietri” due to his outlook on religion.

Some of Pietri’s best-known poetry includes “Puerto Rican Obituary”- a tribute to the politically-motivated Young Lords and the nationalistic “El Spanglish National Anthem”. The following video is of Pietri reading the latter work; he passed away in 2005 from cancer.

• Monday - Hector Lavoe

Online Sources- Wikipedia, YouTube, El Puerto Rican Embassy, Nuyorican Poets Café, Monthly Review, THe Latin Americanist

NYT: Sammy Sosa failed drug test in ‘03

According to a report in the New York Times, Sammy Sosa tested positive for banned drugs in 2003.

The report cited “anonymous sources” that said that the Dominican slugger failed the drug test two years before denying doing so when testifying under oath in front of Congress. The article neglected to say which drug Sosa allegedly tested positive for as well as why his name was the only one leaked to the Times.

The reaction to the report in the clubhouse of Sosa’s former team- the Chicago Cubs was mixed; Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said to the AP that "nothing surprises me anymore." Team general manager Jim Hendry viewed things differently:

When asked how Sosa will be remembered, Hendry said: "I hope it's still more positive than negative. He played well for a long time…

In my early GM days, he was a guy who played every day. He didn't want days off. He certainly put up numbers and performed for the fans here in high fashion in the '90s, where -- except for '98 [when the Cubs made the playoffs] -- there were some lean years. He had a lot to do with helping the franchise and certainly helping our fan base. I hope the game still remembers him for the good things he did."

Several superstar ballplayers this year have received scrutiny over taking drugs; Alex Rodriguez confessed to having taken performance-enhancing drugs years ago while Manny Ramirez continues to sit out after being suspended for fifty games.

Image- AP
Online Sources- AP, The Latin Americanist, ESPN, New York Times, Bloomberg, Washington Post

BRIC states including Brazil call for greater clout

A summit of four of the world’s main emerging powers ended with a call to having a greater say in global economic decisions.

Leaders of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) alliance agreed to greater cooperation within the bloc but also urged economic reform and allowing developing economies to have more influence among wealthier states. They attempted to emphasize this in a carefully-worded statement emitted earlier today:

"We are committed to advance the reform of international financial institutions, so as to reflect changes in the world economy. The emerging and developing economies must have greater voice and representation in international financial institutions, and their heads and senior leadership should be appointed through an open, transparent and merit-based selection process…

We urge the international community to keep the multilateral trading system stable, curb trade protectionism, and push for comprehensive and balanced results of the WTO's Doha Development Agenda."

At the conference held in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, Dmitri Medvedev, Manmohan Singh, Hu Jintao and Luis Inacio Lula da Silva also discussed how to diversify their assets away from the U.S. dollar as well as opposition to protectionism.

Despite the BRIC’s veiled critique of bodies like the World Bank and the U.N., Brazil along with Russia have announced plans to purchase bonds from the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights.

Image- Deutsche Welle
Online Sources- AP, Guardian UK, Reuters, Hindu, MarketWatch

Peruvian Prime Minister Planning to Quit

The Prime Minister of Peru, Yehude Simon, stated today that he is planning on quitting, Reuters reported.

His announcement comes as opposition leaders are calling on President Alan Garcia to fire Simon for failing to stop the recent clashes between police and members of Peru's indigenous communities. The unrest began after the Peruvian Congress passed two laws that would make it possible to increase foreign investment in the Amazon. On Monday, Simon asked Congress to revoke the new laws.

At least 34 people have died after police raids tried to break up blockades.

"Obviously, I am going to go for sure as soon as all is calm, in the coming weeks," Simon told RPP radio, a day after apologizing to indigenous leaders and saying the government failed to win their support before passing the laws.

Online sources: Reuters
Image: LivinginPeru.com

Report: Thousands of migrants kidnapped in Mexico

Most of the time, the discussion of Mexico and immigration centers on migrants crossing its shared northern border with the U.S. Yet it’s worth noting that the country’s lengthy southern border is also a gateway for migrants.

An estimated 500,000 Central Americans cross the border yearly and either settle in Mexico or attempt trek hundreds of miles to the U.S. Despite the weakened global economy, abuses by Mexican security officers and drug-related violence, the numbers of migrants entering Mexico illegally continues to grow.

A report released this week by Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) highlighted the dangers faced by Central American migrants. 9758 of them have been kidnapped between September and February according to the NHRC, often by drug gangs though sometimes corrupt officials are involved. The study added that the average ransom was about $2500 per person and that 70% of those abducted were Hondurans.

The NHRC report portrayed a chilling picture of how no migrant is safe from the hands of kidnappers:

"The kidnapping of migrants has become a constant practice, on a worrying scale, generally unpunished and with characteristics of extreme cruelty," said the commission's head, Jose Luis Soberanes, on presenting the report…

Fifty nine minors and 157 women were among those abducted, including four pregnant women, of which two were killed, it said.

Many were also raped, the report said, underlining the lack of official figures on the issue and slamming the "inefficiency" of the justice system in preventing and investigating the cases.

Image- boston.com (“Illegal immigrants travel in a train heading north, on their way to the U.S. in Arriaga, southern Mexico, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008.)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, ABS-CBN News, AP

Daily Headlines: June 16, 2009

* Mexico: Rest in peace Carlos Pardo; the NASCAR Mexico Series driver was killed in this horrific accident on Sunday in a race that he posthumously won.

* Latin America: An Argentine baby became the country’s first swine flu fatality yesterday while visitors have been temporarily barred from visiting the Krome immigrant detention center due to three infected detainees.

* Brazil: A ninetieth minute penalty converted by Kaka proved to be decisive as Brazil eked by Egypt 4-3 in its opening Confederations Cup match.

* Dominican Republic: Venezuela’s state-owned oil firm PDVSA will buy a 49% stake in a Dominican Republic refinery days before Hugo Chavez is to visit the country.

Image- examiner.com
Online Sources- BBC Sport, Reuters, UPI, Guardian UK

Today’s Video: We miss you Hector

In honor of last Sunday’s Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York, this week’s video theme will highlight extraordinary figures from la isla del encanto.

One of the great salsa vocalists of all time was the Ponce-born Hector Lavoe. His much too short life was filled with many peaks (e.g. working with legends like Willie Colon and Fania All-Stars) and numerous lows (drug addiction, depression, contracting HIV). Thankfully, his spirit lives on through his music like this 1983 performance of the aptly titled “Triste y Vacia” (Sad and Empty):

Online Sources- Wikipedia, YouTube, NY1

Peruvian PM proposes scrapping controversial laws

Could a series of controversial land laws passed by Peru’s government soon be cancelled? Apparently that may be the case as the controversy still lingers over a series of fatal clashes in the Peruvian Amazon:

Peru's prime minister said on Monday he would ask Congress to revoke two laws that aim to increase foreign investment in the Amazon rain forest after deadly clashes between police and indigenous groups.

Yehude Simon signed a pact with tribal leaders in the jungle city of San Ramon that included a promise to present a bill in Congress by Thursday that would strike down legislative decrees 1090 and 1064, state news agency Andina reported.

Simon added that he would back removing a state of emergency placed in the Amazonian city of Bagua were some of the deadliest disturbances took place.

Though President Alan Garcia previously deemed the demonstrators as “barbarians” and ignorant to economic progress, Peru’s government seems to be taking a softer tone. Congress voted to suspend the controversial land use decrees last week as pressure mounted domestically and internationally.

Nevertheless, the Garcia administration has been accused of backing the repression of residents from the Amazonian region. Officials recently shutdown a Bagua radio station for allegedly spreading “unofficial information” while the government continues to reject negotiating with the region’s main indigenous group. No wonder that recent U.S. Spanish-language daily “La Opinión” blamed the government for its “lack of respect and sensitivity to the indigenous population, by
not establishing a consultation process involving them in decisions about their lands.”

Image- AFP (“Indians of the central Peruvian jungle continue blocking a main highway in Andahuaylas.”)
Online Sources- La Opinión, The Latin Americanist, AFP, Stamford Advocate

Top court rejects border fence, “Cuban 5” cases

The U.S. Supreme Court (USSC) rejected hearing a case regarding the “virtual wall” being constructed along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Several southern Texan communities along with environmentalists and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo indigenous tribe brought up the lawsuit alleging that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overstepped its authority. The order to expedite barrier construction by then-Secretary Michael Chertoff' under the 2005 REAL ID Act “would constitute an unprecedented expansion of agency authority to preempt state and local law without clear congressional authority-and without any oversight by any court" according to the plaintiffs’ brief.

Yet the USSC decided not to hear the case of County of El Paso v. Napolitano; thus, making it the second recent lawsuit related to the border fence that was rejected by the high courtover the past year. In addition, as the lawsuit winded it’s way though the lengthy legal process most of the 670-mile barrier had already been built.

Aside from the border fence case, another lawsuit that got the short end of the stick from the USSC involved the “Cuban Five”:

Five Cubans convicted in 2001 of spying for the Castro regime had their appeal tossed out Monday by the Supreme Court.

The men had sought a new trial in a politically charged case that has attracted international attention. Lawyers for the "Cuban Five" said their trial in Miami was unfairly prejudiced by the larger community.

The justices without comment denied the request, leaving the convictions in place.

Image- AFP
Online Sources- AFP, AP FOX News, CNN

Back to the old house

If there was ever an example for the need for immigration reform look no further than that of Maria Martinez.

The nineteen-year-old will soon graduate from her local high school in the town of Harrisonburg, Virginia where she took advanced classes and volunteered as a translator at a local elementary school. Her aspirations included going to college much like her classmates and doing something positive with her life.

Maria Martinez will be deported in August to El Salvador.

At the age of twelve, Martinez was smuggled illegally into the U.S. by her mother. The journey to Virginia was harrowing yet once she settled down she was able to assimilate into a new culture. She was never comfortable with her status as an undocumented migrant and tried to rectify the situation. It would turn out to be a noble yet ultimately hurtful choice:

Maria's mother was legal and so were her half brothers and sisters who were born here. So, in 2006, as a 16-year-old, Maria applied for citizenship.

Her mother admits some regret now for that decision. Maria was denied and, by applying, the U.S. government knew, officially, she was here illegally.

On her 18th birthday, she would need to return to her grandmother's home in El Salvador, or immigration officials would force her to leave the country. If she was forced to leave, Maria could not apply to return to the United States.
[Maria’s mother] Olivia paid $1,300 for a lawyer who was able to defer Maria's voluntary deployment until after she graduated from high school.

Perhaps you may be thinking “if Maria were to emigrate legally she would’ve avoided this mess in the first place” and ideally that would’ve been a viable option. Yet as Reason Magazine noted last October, Martinez would’ve had to wait at least six years for citizenship under the best case scenario. (More likely at least ten years). Maybe she would’ve had a fruitful life in El Salvador had she waited but the odds of her living well in the midst of abject poverty in a country fractured by civil war is pretty slim.

In the end she decided to sacrifice herself via voluntary deportation so that her family could continue moving forward in the U.S. There’s the chance that she can be reunited with her loved ones after departing for El Salvador only if politicos can get their act in gear and tackle immigration reform. Until then, Martinez will be on the outside looking in with the hope that her new life in El Salvador is not as difficult as it was during her childhood.

Image- The Daily News Record (“Maria Martinez poses a few days before graduating from Harrisonburg High School. When she was 12, her parents had her smuggled into the United States to join them. A failed attempt to gain citizenship led immigration officials to have her deported.”)
Online Sources- Reason Magazine, The Daily News Record

Daily Headlines: June 15, 2009

* Cuba: Cuban neurosurgeon and dissident Hilda Molina reunited with her family in Argentina for the first time in fifteen years after being given permission to leave the island.

* Nicaragua: The Venezuelan government has pledged to give Nicaragua $50 million of the $62 million in aid which was cut days ago by the U.S. via the Millennium Challenge Corporation fund.

* Bolivia: Fidel Castro “feels very well, and as always is concerned about health policies, social policies, economic policies,” according to Bolivian President Evo Morales who visited him in Havana last week.

* Argentina: Has the Argentine government led a campaign of “economic warfare” against residents of the nearby, British-controlled Falkland Islands?

Image- AFP (Hilda Molina is seen pictured with her grandson after meeting yesterday in Argentina.)
Online Sources- BBC News, The Latin Americanist, LAHT, Guardian UK, CNN