EL Salvador: FMLN Victorious, Funes wins.

Cincinnati - BNB
EAMR
03/16/2009

Latin America continues its shift to the Left. This time was El Salvador's time to take a step forward. The Salvadorean people sends out a clear signal to Washington and the world."Latin America is Changing". US hegemony in the region takes another low blow.

Funes represents new hope and change for El Salvador politics and to an extend the region with a possible adhension to the ALBA bloc which neighboring Honduras and Nicaragua are part of. The Bolivarian Alternative against neoliberalism reflected in the US promoted FTAA (ALCA) trade agreement.

The Obama precidency and his CIA advisor better get it right this time, we are tired of arrogant imperialist policies and intervention. The US must change its view of Latin America. Peace will come only with mutual respect. We definetely don't want a repeat of the US sponsored dictatorships and civil wars of the 60's & 70's in the region, this time the resistant will be continental and backed by millions.

Ali Primera: Pueblo Salvadoreño

South American Nations Form Regional Defense Council

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com
03/12/2009

Mérida- Defense ministers from Venezuela and eleven other South American nations formed the South American Defense Council Tuesday at a summit in Chile. The council will be a diplomatic forum to diffuse regional conflicts, increase transparency in military expenditures, and to promote military cooperation for the fulfillment of regional security needs.

The declaration also establishes a commitment by each member nation to respect the territorial sovereignty of other member nations, and to the protection of democratic systems of government.

The new defense council is an arm of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), a political integration organization that began informally in 2004 and was formally constituted last May. Its member countries are Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam y Guyana.

The United States is not included in the defense council, but the council discussed the possibility of the U.S. participating as an observer if the U.S. changes its policy toward Cuba.

Full story here

Dispatches from El Salvador: Elections

San Salvador - CB-MLK
Jorge Marin
03/13/2009

We arrived at San Salvador on Tuesday. It is a very warm and modern city. We had our training for observers of the electoral process yesterday. I am sorry to say that the possibility of fraud is high. The selling of votes happens, where people turn in their ballots to the buyer, rather than depositing it in the ballot box and then the chain of pre-dispose votes begins. The next voter already goes in to vote with a ballot which he/she uses to vote and their own ballots are turned in to the buyer, and so on. It is up to us to make sure that every voter deposits a ballot in the ballot box.

The two parties, FMLN and ARENA, have been defending and attacking each other on the media. ARENA using the power of the government in their favor to make public some of the campaign donations to Funes (FMLN) from busisness interest. Funes has defended himself well. The polls we were shown, that were concluded on March 10th, shows the FMLN with 8% ahead of ARENA. People are showing their colors without feeling intimidated in the capital.
So far so good...

Washington's Lost Credibility on Human Rights

Mark Weisbrot - THE GUARDIAN
03/11/2009

The U.S. State Department's annual human rights report got an unusual amount of criticism this year. This time the center-left coalition government of Chile was notable in joining other countries such as Bolivia, Venezuela, and China - who have had more rocky relations with Washington - in questioning the "moral authority" of the U.S. government's judging other countries' human rights practices.

In the past, Washington was able to position itself as an important judge of human rights practices despite being complicit or directly participating in some of the worst, large-scale human rights atrocities of the post-World War II era - in Vietnam, Indonesia, Central America, and other places. This makes no sense from a strictly logical point of view, but it could persist primarily because the United States was judged not on how it treated persons outside its borders but within them. Internally, the United States has had a relatively well-developed system of the rule of law, trial by jury, an independent judiciary and other constitutional guarantees (although these did not extend to African-Americans in most of the Southern United States prior to the 1960s civil rights reforms). Washington was able to contrast these conditions with those of its main adversary during the Cold War - the Soviet Union. The powerful influence of the United States over the international media helped ensure that this was the primary framework under which human rights were presented to most of the world.

U.S.-based human rights organizations will undoubtedly see the erosion of Washington's credibility on these issues as a loss - and understandably so, since the United States is still a powerful country, and they hope to use this power to pressure other countries on human rights issues. But they too should be careful to avoid the kind of politicization that has earned notoriety for the State Department's annual report - which clearly discriminates between allies and "adversary" countries in its evaluations.

The case of the recent Human Rights Watch report on Venezuela illustrates the dangers of this spillover of the politicization of human rights from the U.S. government to Washington-based non-governmental organizations (NGO's). More than 100 scholars and academics wrote a letter complaining about the report, arguing that it did not meet "minimal standards of scholarship, impartiality, accuracy, or credibility." For example, the report alleges that the Venezuelan government discriminates against political opponents in the provision of government services; but as evidence for this charge it provides only one alleged incident involving one person, in programs that serve many millions of Venezuelans. Human Rights Watch responded with a defense of its report, but the exchange of letters indicates that HRW would have been better off acknowledging the report's errors and prejudice, and taking corrective measures.

Full article here

Body Snatchers shut down in Venezuela

Caracas - BNB
EAMR
03/08/2009

International "Bodies Revealed" Japanese exhibition was closed down and put under investigation last week in Venezuela. " it is a very evident sign of the immense moral decomposition that shakes this planet" Chavez affirmed, during this Sunday "Alo Presidente" TV program. He showed real concern for parents who bring their children to the exhibit.

"The lack of reaction by Society to this exhibit is shocking. People visit this criminal and perverse exposition as if it was a piece of art, there is no commotion. Profiting by Human Cadavers with no spiritual revolt, no human reaction in front of another Human degrade.... Not far off from the detachment of American and Israeli pilots dropping bombs over children in Iraq and Gaza."

Chavez reacted after reading the column in Diario Vea, which questioned the macabre show visited by over 15 million Humans around the world. Many sources have question the procedence of the bodies. Organizers claimed they were donated to Universities for scientific studies. Surely they were not intended to be displayed in such a manner. Other media sources claim the bodies came from China's penal system. In any case, for about $25 per person his exhibit hardly looks profitable in Venezuela after the shut down by authorities.

Venezuela: Irish paper giant Smurfit Kappa Group, Eucaliptus farm expropiated.

Portuguesa - BNB
EAMR
03/07/2009

El Piñal 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) farm was seized by Venezuelan authorities yesterday. The Eucalyptus tree farm is blamed for the drought of several local rivers in the foothills of the Andes, affecting important crops in the region. The tree was first introduced from Southeast Asia to the rest of the world by Sir Joseph Banks, botanist, on the Cook expedition in 1770. Eucalyptus are the basis for several industries, such as pulp, charcoal and others. California enviromentalist call the highly flammable tree the evil plant.

In Venezuela the tree is use to make corrugated paper and packing products. El Piñal farm is part of Smurfit Kappa Forestry division, among several mills and farms they owned across five states in Venezuela. In South Africa environmentalist consider the water guzzling plant an infestation. During the announcement President Chavez said the lumber would be exploited rationally then the farm's vocation would be replace with another crop. Corn and beans were mentioned as possibilities. Although California activist have found it very problematic and expensive to eliminate the trunks and roots of this messy plant. The future of this land is yet to be determine.

Video of Chavez announcement:

"Aprieta las nalgas Mendoza, Polar is next if you don't comply with the Law." -eamr

US Jobless rate hits 8.1%, Venezuela's drops to 6.1%

Cincinnati - BNB
EAMR
03/06/2009

Venezuela's economy continues with a positive future outlook. Venezuela created new jobs in a sustained manner for the last 5 years, reaching a record low for the last decade of 6.1% unemployment. AP reports a grim outlook for the US. Latest numbers for February show almost 700 thousand lost jobs, placing the jobless rate at 8.1%.

The Universal media dictatorship reports opposite results of Venezuela's performance. Univision and other experts in fact manipulation report a much higher jobless rate for Venezuela at 9.5%. Fortunately truth always comes on top. Venezuelan ministry of Labor continues to enforce a presidential decree of labor immobility which guarantees job security.

Can't hold on much longerrrrrrrrrr...

Cargill violates Venezuelan Law and price regulations. Chavez takes action.

Venezuela - BNB
EAMR
03/05/2009

President Chavez ordered the expropriation of an important rice mill in Acaricua, Portuguesa State. The mill produces the Santa Ana Parboil rice brand owned by American food giant Cargill [CARG.UL]. The decision came after several warnings. Food prices have nearly doubled in Venezuela ever since Chavez announced a Constitutional amendment last year, which was approved by a popular referendum February 15th. The change to the Constitution allows any holder of public office to have no limits in runs for election, Chavez and opposition Governors included.

The private sector (Contra-Revolution) in Venezuela is known for retaliating by punishing the populations with food shortages and price increases. Venezuelan law regulates prices on foods part of the Venezuelan daily diet. Production companies must assign 80% of their total capacity to those regulated items (rice, oil, coffee, flour, sugar,beans,bread, meats, milk) and 20% to special flavor products. To assure food security and price stability.

Cargill was producing 0% of the regulated rice, and 100% of their 2,400 thousand tons per month was produced as flavored rice sold at twice the regulated price of 2.3 Bs.F per Kilo. Rise would be mixed with a kind of bullion powder. Flavor powder worth $15 would be sufficient to flavored die their monthly capacity. Clearly violating regulations and intentionally alarming the populations with the increase of price. Venezuelan food giant Polar had a rice plant under military and worker controlled this week to the same violations. Workers in the plants resume operations and increased production of the regulated Rice after the announcements.

Meanwhile, reuters reported today "The Chicago Board of Trade rough rice futures for March delivery RRH9 ended 18-1/2 cents weaker at $11.94-1/2 per hundredweight, hovering near a two-year low." Of course, Pro-Capitalism analysts blame the financial world crisis on Chavez.

Leonel Fernandez: Jose Marti Inspires all Freedom-Loving People

HAVANA - ACN

03/04/2009

Jose Marti is a source of inspiration for all the people fighting for freedom, dignity and decorum, said today Dominican Republic's president Leonel Fernandez Reyna. He also called for Latin American integration and condemned the U.S blockade to Cuba.

Fernandez spoke about the importance of Latin American and Caribbean integration to face the international financial crises. He said the region should be able to unify ideas through unity and that those criteria should be presented at the United Nations.

Full story here

Honduran President Harshly Criticized Current Globalization

HAVANA - ACN

03/04/2009

Honduran President José Manuel Zelaya severely criticized on Tuesday the current neo-liberal globalization and suggested to use part of the money allocated for the financial recovery of banks to fighting poverty on the planet.

In the presence of Cuba’s First Vice-president José Ramón Machado Ventura, the Central American head of state lectured participants in the event on the adjustments required by globalization. He highlighted that the current economic collapse of world capitalism is more serious than the cyclic crisis that has affected that system, which has served to show its deficiencies and mistakes and the resounding failure of the neo-liberal model.

Full story here

Panama: President aims for closer ties with Venezuela in recent visit.

Caracas - Prensa Latina
03/03/2009

Panama President Martin Torrijos arrives in Venezuela Tuesday to carry out a working agenda with his peer Hugo Chavez, who will welcome him at the Miraflores Palace.

The Venezuelan statesman attended in Panama at that time the celebration of the 180th anniversary of the Amphictyonic Congress, a first step for Latin American integration, sponsored by Simon Bolivar in that country on June 22, 1826.

Full story here

Related notes:

Panama requests to be a member of Chavez's Petrocaribe.

Costa Rica and Guatemala also signed recently with Petrocaribe.

Obama: Chavez an obstable for progress in the region. An obstacle to FTAA (US Hegemony) progress?

Colombian Minister Santos statements represent a threat to sovereignty of the region

Caracas - ABN
03/03/2009

The recent statements made by the Minister of Defense of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos represent a threat to the stability and sovereignty of the countries of the region, it reads a communiquee emitted on Tuesday by the Venezuelan Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs.

"The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is deeply concerned about and rejects the irresponsible statements issued by Colombia’s Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos since they represent a threat to the stability and sovereignty of the countries of the region"...full statement here

Chavez Demands Extradition of Terrorist Posada Carriles from US

HAVANA - ACN

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reiterated on Friday his country’s extradition request to the United States on terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who escaped a Venezuelan jail, after the bombing of the Cubana flight 455 in Barbados 1976.

Chavez also requested the extradition of former Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Perez who is blamed for the bloodshed during the Caracazo uprising, reported Prensa Latina.

President Hugo Chavez said that US President Barack Obama should hand over Posada Carriles, a fugitive from Venezuelan justice, and accused of masterminding the midair explosion of a Cuban passenger airplane in 1976 that killed all 73 persons aboard.

Full story here

ALBA Oil Fleet Purchases First Tanker

CARACAS - Periodico 26

TRANSALBA Transport Co. received its first tanker ship, the Petion, named after Haitian national hero Alexandre Petion, announced Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) on Monday.

The company said the Panamex type vessel has a 72,700 ton deadweight, and will be destined to transport crude oil from the refinery in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela and the Camilo Cienfuegos Refinery in Cuba, reported Prensa Latina.

A second tanker, with the name Sandino, is expected to be delivered in March. By having its own fleet the TRANSALBA transportation costs will drop.

Full story here

Nicaragua to Open ALBA Oil Refinery

Managua - PL

The Nicaraguan authorities will open on February 26 the first phase of "The Supreme Dream of Bolivar" oil refinery, announced media on Tuesday.

Multinoticias Canal 4 TV station aired statements by Francisco Lopez, director of state-owned PETRONIC, announcing the conclusion of the first stage of the oil refining complex, which is being built with the help of Venezuela, as part of the Bolivarian Alternative for the People of the Americas (ALBA).

Full story here

Cuban Justice Minister Denounced U.S Blockade at the UN

HAVANA - ACN
03/03/2009

Cuba's Justice Minister, María Esther Reus, denounced the economic, financial and commercial blockade of the U.S against Cuba at the 10th session of the UN’s Human Rights Council.

Reus said she hopes someday she will be able to announce in Geneva that the blockade has been lifted and that the five Cuban anti-terrorists held in American jails have been released, reported Prensa Latina news agency.

Full story here

Human Rights Record of US in '08

Xinhua - China daily
02/26/2009

BEIJING -- The Information Office of the State Council published a report titled "The Human Rights Record of United States in 2008" here on Thursday.

The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008 on February 25, 2009. As in previous years, the reports are full of accusations of the human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions including China, but mentioned nothing of the widespread human rights abuses on its own territory. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2008 is prepared to help people around the world understand the real situation of human rights in the United States, and as a reminder for the United States to reflect upon it s own issues.

Full story here

Venezuelan Government rejects accusations made by the U.S. Department of State

Caracas - ABN
02/26/2009

Due to the report emitted on Wednesday by the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, denouncing alleged corruption cases, pester the freedom of the press and human rights violations in Venezuela, without presenting a single proof, the Ministry of People's power for Foreign Affairs made public a statement rejecting and condemning United States meddling in Venezuela.

Full statement here

Wall Street Continues to free fall, The Dow brakes the 6k barrier

New York - Agencies

03/02/2009

Wall Street open today with a strong negative tendency and the Dow Jones Industries had loss almost 2% shortly after the opening bell, after learning The US Government has to rescue the insurance giant AIG once again, which registered record losses last year.

The Dow Jones index shrank 132 points, closing with 6.930 units, level not registered since October 1997, dropping from a high of 14.000 units last year. The Nasdaq reversed 1,3% and the S&P also loss 1,9%. Ouch!

ALBA Member Countries Create Permanent Commission

HAVANA - ACN
03/02/2009

The member countries of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), the bloc that is working for regional integration and cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, have approved the creation of the Permanent Commission of this organization.

The agreement was reached during a recent session in Caracas, Venezuela, of the 8th Meeting of the ALBA Political Commission that was attended by delegations from Cuba, Bolivia, Dominica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Full story here

International Event on Globalization Begins in Havana

HAVANA - ACN
03/02/2009

The 11th International Encounter of Economists on Globalization and Development Problems that begins on Monday in Havana will be the most important of its kind held so far.

"The current global economic crisis makes it the most important so far,"said the president of the organizing committee, Roberto Verrier.

According to Verrier, some 1,500 delegates from 60 countries as well as representatives from 27 international institutions, including the United Nations and a special envoy from the President of the UN General Assembly, will participate in the meeting.

Other important personalities that will take part in the event include Dominican President Leonel Fernandez and his Honduran counterpart Jose Manuel Zelaya as well as US Nobel laureates for Economy Robert Mundell, Robert Engle and Edmund Phelps.

Verrier added that 10 presidents of Central Banks, almost 20 Ministers of Economy, the UNESCO Deputy Director and the President of the ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas) Bank are also in Havana for the meeting.

"We will analyze the topic of the global economic crisis in two working sessions, on Monday and Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, we will discuss ways in which social movements and economists from developing countries can contribute to facing this crisis," Verrier explained.

According to the president of the organizing committee, other topics to be discussed include trade, the Doha Round, ALBA and regional integration.

The 11th International Encounter of Economists on Globalization and Development Problems will conclude next Friday.

Bolivia: Legacy of Che Guevara endures

Lainie Cassel
28 February 2009
greenleft.org.au

A half century ago, a young doctor and Cuban guerilla sought to bring revolution to Bolivia and was brutally murdered for his efforts. Forty years after the death of Che Guevara, hundreds of Cuban doctors have been welcomed to assist Bolivians in establishing a fair and just society.

The role of Cubans as a mechanism for development is a trend that began in Venezuela under the direction of President Hugo Chavez and has recently been adopted by countries such as Bolivia and Ecuador.

As Latin America shifts towards the left, Cuban citizens have become the island’s most important “export”, proving to be a potent threat to US influence in the region.

The poorest country in South America, Bolivia’s majority indigenous population has faced a long history of poverty. However, under the direction of the first indigenous president, Evo Morales, the government promises a drastic change from the past.

click for full story

February 27, 1989 decreed the beginning of the Bolivarian Revolution

Caracas, Feb 27. ABN.- “February 4 (1992) is a son of February 27 (1989). Those days decreed the beginning of the rebellion. The civilian-military movement was launched,” expressed this Friday the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias, during a mass in honor of the people who fell on the events happened on February 27, 1989, known as the Caracazo.

“I have never shared the opinion that on February 4 (1992) the Bolivarian Revolution started, the second of our history, because the first one was Simon Bolivar's. This revolution, which arrived to triumph and build the socialist Venezuela, started 20 years ago, a day like today, at these streets of Caracas,” said Chavez.

He reminded that at that day, “the streets of Caracas were flooded by people running from the massacre that was falling like hell's rays over these people. We need to remember that to know where we come from, feed the historic consciousness, and of what we are today, but, most of all, to see where we go to.”

“On February 27 people went out [to the streets], [that day] had no soldiers, and the ones it had, just went out to violate and massacre it [the people]. On February 4, we, the rebel soldiers went out, we had people, but they could not join us. Today, we are united in here: people and soldiers making this revolution and building the socialism,” he stressed.

Furthermore, the President stated: “The people of February 27 is the same people who saved me and joined the soldiers on April 13, 2002 [at the coup d'Etat against Chavez], the day of the popular and military revolution;” therefore, he said that April 13 results from adding February 27, 1989 with February 4, 1992.

“Those are moments of our history, and for them we need to take care of people and Army Forces unity. Let's take care of the unity between the Government, the revolutionary force and the conscience. Let's commit more with the battle to give people what belongs to people,” he emphasized.