Foreign Scoldings and False Accusations in the War on Drugs

In a memo last Thursday, Barack Obama declared that Venezuela and Bolivia “have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotic agreements.”  His argument rests upon their expulsion of DEA operatives.

To the contrary, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reports that from 2010 to 2011, Bolivia’s production of coca declined by 12 percent.  Eradication efforts were also up by 25 percent.  Moreover, Morales’ government has confiscated over three and a half times the amount of coca intercepted by the previous administration.  Though Venezuela has struggled to curtail rising violence from a spike in drug trafficking directed towards the growing European market for cocaine, Bolivia has been successful at containing the reach of organized crime and the proliferation of coca production.

Bolivia and Venezuela responded to US accusations with passion, but equally false claims.  Morales correctly countered that the US was the principle source country for cocaine, but failed to relate the historical trend of falling cocaine consumption in the US.

Morales challenged, “they should tell us by what percentage they have reduced the internal (drug) market. The internal market keeps growing and in some states of the United States they’re even legalizing the sale of cocaine under medical control.”

He pointed out “that since 1961, when the first international anti-drug agreements were signed, drug trafficking has grown rather than declined.”

Beside the erroneous claims of statewide cocaine legalization, what he failed to mention was that since 1989, the US market for cocaine has declined by over 360 percent.  The once enormous US market is set to be eclipsed by Europe over the next few years.

Though both sides in this squabble are rightfully upset over the actions and accusations, their conceptions of the issue are skewed by their position.

New Global Acronyms Take the World by Storm

So mid-2000s

An elusive MIST hangs over the soggy BRIC.  The darlings of the developing world – Brazil, Russia, China and India – have been outshined by new kids on the economic bloc.  Once again, Goldman Sachs has coined another global acronym, this time to classify a group of second tier, but more agile rising powers.  With the stroke of four keys, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey became the MIST.

But, their ascension into the world of invented global acronyms has irked many other countries eager to gain notoriety in the international arena.  The creation of the BRIC generated hype for these rising powers, leading other enterprising nations to petition for their very own acronyms.

Many have tried combinations that help dispel stereotypes and negative perceptions about their countries.  LUCKY, is a federation formed by the often less fortunate Libya, Uganda, Cambodia, Kosovo and Yemen.  With headquarters in beautiful Benghazi, LUCKY hopes for a radical rebranding.  Meanwhile, Somalia and Iraq have sought to shed their chaotic image by partnering with the uneventful countries of Kazakhstan, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Suriname.  Together they form KICKASS.

Others – Gautemala, Ecuador, Tanzania, Jordan, Israel, Greece, Ghana and Yemen – just want to GETJIGGY with it.  The delegation is in talks for the creation of a super coalition with the PARTYHARD nations of Poland, Australia, Republic of the Congo, Turkey, Yemen, Honduras, Algeria, Russia, and Denmark.  However, controversy shrouds the latter group over a disagreement with North Korea, which claims that its country, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), puts the Democratic Peoples Republic in PARTYHARD.

To show solidarity and perhaps gain some residual stardom from global pop sensation and heartthrob Justin Bieber, Bolivia, Iran, Ecuador, Brazil, Ethiopia, Russia, Finland, Eritrea, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of the Congo, have come to represent BIEBERFEVER.  In a recent conference, they agreed upon a platform for global change and released this video as a teaser.

Meanwhile, Weakleaks, the less famous cousin of Wikileaks, has caused a row in Washington’s diplomatic circles after leaked cables showed the designation of troubled countries into an unsavory acronym.  PROBLEMS, composed of Paraguay, Russia, Oman, Bosnia, Libya, El Salvador, Myanmar and Somalia, began as a cheap joke, but evolved into a minor security commission.  Stable and wealthy Oman was most offended by the designation.  A hacked email from a US official revealed that the oil rich Mideast country was merely filler to complete the word. Both Oman and its neighbor Yemen are in high demand, for they control access to the only O and Y.

But, others have taken the acronym craze with a grain of salt.  As one Libyan scholar of international relations put it, “Hey, if you are LUCKY enough to KICKASS at your PROBLEMS, then PARTYHARD and GETJIGGY with BIEBERFEVER.”  None-the-less, it will be interesting to see the evolution of these blocs as the balance of world power continues to shift.

Hugo Chavez and the Non-Aligned Movement seek an end to Syria’s turmoil

On Tuesday, Hugo Chavez announced he would consider efforts to end the Syrian conflict through collaboration with the global Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). “[H]opefully we can somehow help to achieve peace in Syria, whose people are being run over by this imperialist, violent politics,” he announced during a recent press conference. With action to resolve the political crisis stalled in the UN, this group of 120 countries seeks to take the reins.

History and Revival

The Non-Alignment Movement began in 1961 as an alternative to the spheres of influence dominated by the US and USSR.  Founded by Sukarno of Indonesia, Nehru of India, Nasser of Egypt, Nakruma of Ghana, and Tito of Yugoslavia, the movement represented the rising powers of the developing world. From the end of the Cold War until 2003, the movement ceased to its hold summits.  But since then, the last few summits have revived the movement and membership has increased and now includes China as an observer.

Notable attendance at this year’s conference in Tehran included:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, North Korea’s parliamentary chairman Kim Yong-nam, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Bolivian President Evo Morales, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Cuba’s Raul Castro,  Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

During the conference, leaders condemned unilateral sanctions, backed the right of Iran and other states to peaceful nuclear energy and supported the creation of a Palestinian state. They also advocated for nuclear disarmament and “human rights free from political agendas.”

Non-Aligned Interventionism

In considering NAM’s desire to resolve the situation in Syria, many questions arise.  How does a movement championed most strongly by leaders without a good sense for human rights, stand to effectively fix a massive humanitarian catastrophe?  And moreover, how does a non-aligned movement, opposed to intervention, plan on intervening and aligning itself with one side of the conflict?

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) will not lay down its weapons until Bashar and his government resigns, making an effective solution to the conflict hinge upon the triumph of one side over the other.  Attempts by the NAM to keep Bashar in power while simultaneously ending the violence, would require the complete annihilation of the FSA.   But even the extermination of an insurgency will not end the root of discontent that originally created it.  The domination of Syria’s politics by a single dynasty must end before long-term peace can be achieved.

Additionally, division within NAM hinders efforts to draft a unified approach for conflict resolution.   Mohammad Morsi of Egypt strongly criticized Bashar’s delegation for its disregard for basic human rights and called on the leader to step down.  Meanwhile, Venezuela and Iran continue to support the continuation of Bashar’s regime.

Noble Intentions

Despite the dubious human rights credentials among many of the movement’s champions and the contradictory nature of their Syria proposal, NAM’s stance against dominant world interests interfering in domestic politics, is not without merit.

George Washington was one of the first to warn against the pitfalls of US interventionism.  In his 1793 farewell address, he spoke strongly against the formation of global spheres of influence:

Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all…

The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest…

[H]istory and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.

Over the next two centuries, the US became a dominant global power through projecting its economic and security interests abroad.  What began as a response to two global crises – namely WWI and WWII – became a trap of perpetual foreign involvement.  The more that the US involved itself in the affairs of other countries, the greater its stake in a favorable outcome became.

NAM’s fundamental problem, is that it cannot be both a champion for non-intervention, while seeking to involve itself.  Involvement in the Syrian case requires an interest in the triumph of one faction over another, but non-alignment opposes favoring a specific political position.

The value of such a movement rests on its resistance to interfering in the sovereignty of nations and its opposition to the division of the world into blocs of interest led by a few powerful states.  NAM defends self-interest from the interests of others. As it is the responsibility of the UN to alleviate humanitarian catastrophe; perhaps, NAM will help ensure that such efforts exclude the use of military force.

Chavez v. Capriles, two polls and the Venezuelan election

The October 7, Face Off

Average of two major opposing polls:

Chavez +5.4*

Hugo Chavez 46.4%

United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) 

Henrique Carpiles 41%

Democratic Unity Coalition (MUD)

*Average reflects sum of percent support for each candidate in polls conducted by Datanlysis and Consultores21

If the elections are decided purely upon campaign videos, then Chavez maintains an advantage.

“Mi Comandante” – Chavez’s Official Campaign Song

“Hay un Camino” – Capriles Campaign Video

Datanalysis: Chavez +12.5

Hugo Chavez 46.8%

Henrique Capriles 34.3%

“The socialist’s advantage narrowed to 12.5 points in a Datanalisis poll in August from 15.3 percentage points in June.”

Consultores21: Capriles +1.8

Henrique Capriles 47.7%

Hugo Chavez 45.9%

Survey of 1,000 people had a margin or error of 3.2 percentage points.

“A poll taken between June 15 and June 26 showed the president with 45.9 percent support against 45.8 percent for Capriles. The Caracas-based pollster correctly predicted that Chavez’s opponents would win a slender majority in the popular vote in legislative elections in September 2010.”

Latin America Stays Strong amid Economic Stagnation

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff riding towards a future of better infrastructure

As developed nations continue to stagnate and Asian tigers appear to be slowing down, Latin American countries remain resilient.  Brazil launched a campaign for competitiveness, Argentina’s trade surplus soars and Mexico’s middle class remains.  Even Haiti received praise for measures to improve its business environment.

Through a new campaign for competitiveness, President Dilma Rousseff is determined to reduce the business killing deficiencies in infrastructure and tax structure, known as the “Brazil Cost.”  She plans to continue reducing interest rates, below the historic low of 7.5 percent, while cutting certain taxes, increasing the rate of loan disbursements by 8 percent, and reducing electricity costs by 16.2 percent for consumers and 28 percent for industry.  Additionally, she has vowed more stimulus amid a 26 percent drop in job growth in the first half of 2012, as well as massive improvements in transportation infrastructure to break the ‘logistical bottlenecks’ that contribute to the “Brazil Cost.”

Moreover, her agenda includes an historic affirmative action law, which seeks to ensure that half of all students at Brazil’s 59 federal universities come from public schools.  The new bill, known as the Law of Social Quotas, was approved 80-1 by the Brazilian Senate in early August.  Officials expect the number of black students at these universities to rise from 8,700 to 56,000, a small step in the right direction in a country where 51 percent of citizens identify as black or mixed-race.

Further south, Argentina’s protectionist trade policy contributes to a growing trade surplus, while foreign investment continues.  President Cristina Fernandez has been widely criticized for her restrictions on imports, expropriation of foreign corporations and measures to ban the purchase of US dollars.  While she might have angered her trading partners – Japan, EU, and US filed complaints to WTO – her policies have not scared away all foreign investment and the nation’s trade surplus has doubled to $1.64 billion in August.   Procter and Gamble has agreed to invest $120 million in a new packaging plant, Monsanto will invest $329 million in a corn seed factory, and Russia’s state-owned Gazprom has agreed to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Argentina’s YPF.

In 1960, eighty percent of Mexico’s population lived in poverty; today 62 percent identify as middle class and extreme poverty now effects less than a quarter of the population.  The change manifests most strongly in immigration, which reached net zero for the first time in 2011.  Though the recession lowered Mexico’s per capita income by 9.3 percent, economic opportunities and more stable employment at home have continued to outcompete with US alternatives.

Meanwhile, as Caribbean economies struggle to grow, Haiti received praise for new measures, which seek to improve the country’s business environment.  The government reduced the time it takes to acquire a construction permit from 1,110 days to 60 days and lowered the registry time for new businesses from 180 days to 10.  Another $300 million industrial park, funded by the US government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), is set to create 60,000 jobs.

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Follow Up

Tiny Uruguay outshines neighbor Argentina with investors

A tale of two neighboring leftists

9 September, 2012

McClatchy Media

[Uruguay], the long-overlooked South American nation, which lacks Argentina’s flair for political melodrama and Brazil’s clout and ambition, finally is emerging from their shadows, becoming a darling among investors and even a model for democracy.

Uruguay was the only South American country in the “Full Democracy” category.  Its overall 17th rank was even ahead of the United States, at 19, and the United Kingdom, at 18.

Uruguay surpassed the United States in the index in civil liberties, functioning of government, and electoral process and pluralism.

…

Alberto Bernal, with Miami-based Bulltick Capital said, “[In Uruguay], It is not a question of ideology. You can be as much of a leftist as you want, but don’t change the rules of the game. If you say you are going to respect laws, then respect them.” By contrast, with Uruguay’s neighbor, “There is no certainty in Argentina, because you know the rules of the game could change.”

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/09/3804926/tiny-uruguay-outshines-neighbor.html#storylink=cpy

Power, Politics and Powerful Information

Those with power often stand at the mercy of powerful information.  Leaders sculpt the world with their actions, but mass media paints a portrait of their work for all to see.   The freedom of the media to paint the portrait it sees in the world can be both toxic and beneficial to those in charge. Three cases of extradition reveal a triangle of powerful information and its powerful enemies.

Over the last few months, Ecuador has granted asylum to two oppenents of political hegemony.  In July, President Rafael Correa accepted a request by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who is seeking refuge from allegations of sexual assault in Sweden.  Assange fears that such an extradition would provide the US with an opportunity to seize and prosecute him for publicizing state secrets.

Later in August, an Ecuadorian court protected Aliaksandr Barankov, a Belarusian dissident from being extradited back to his home country, where President Alexander Lukashenko has dominated politics for the last 18 years.  Barankov, a former police officer had fled the country after uncovering an oil smuggling ring led by top government officials.

Meanwhile, the US has granted political asylum to an Ecuadorian journalist convicted of libel against the country’s president.  Columnist Emilio Palacio has been in the US for a year, escaping a three year sentence and a $40 million fine, for publishing an article that described President Correa as “the dictator” and accused the leftist leader of ordering soldiers to open fire on a hospital, during a brief coup attempt by members of the national police force.

These three extradition cases reflect foreign policy disputes.  The small Andean nation of Ecuador is standing up for an opponent of US power in the world, while the US is protecting a dissenter to the Ecuadorian government.   Though both these countries boast democratic values and a respect for human rights, they are more motivated by political priorities than humanitarian ones.  The US protects press freedom when it serves to undermine an opponent, but curses international transparency when the release of state secrets threatens diplomatic objectives.  Similarly, Ecuador praises the freedom of information when it damages the stature of a major world power and an oppressive regime, yet raises its own fist to squash dissent at home.

Despite rhetorical justifications, the powerful will always prioritize power over principles.

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Follow Up

America’s refusal to extradite Bolivia’s ex-president to face genocide charges

Another politically motivated extradition dispute from the Hemisphere

9 September, 2012

The Guardian

The view that [Ex-President] Sánchez de Lozada must be extradited from the US to stand trial is a political consensus in Bolivia, shared by the government and the main opposition party alike.

…

In October 2003, the intensely pro-US president of Bolivia, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, sent his security forces to suppress growing popular protests against the government’s energy and globalization policies. Using high-powered rifles and machine guns, his military forces killed 67 men, women and children, and injured 400 more, almost all of whom were poor and from the nation’s indigenous Aymara communities.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/09/america-refusal-extradite-bolivia

Chagas: one bite now, causes heart failure 20 years later

Reduvid bug

One night you are sleeping peacefully, when suddenly a small bug drops down from the rafters above and decides to feed on your face.  After sucking your blood to its heart’s content, the bug proceeds to defecate in the same space it had just enjoyed a meal.  You awake the next morning with a swollen bite and scratch away to relieve the itch.  In a few days you develop flu like symptoms – headache, diarrhea, fever, the works.  A few weeks later, you have conquered the sickness.  Years pass and the incident seems nothing more than the distant haze of a memory.  Then one day, 20 years into the future, your heart stops working and you die.  An autopsy reveals a megacolon (enlarged colon) and a megaesophagus (enlarged esophagus).

This story is repeated 20,000 times every year throughout the Americas.  Chagas: a parasitic infection passed through the fecal matter of reduvid bugs, is the disease behind the mystery.  Health services estimate eight to 11 million people carry the disease in the western hemisphere.  Though early treatment of the disease can prevent its delayed chronic symptoms, the majority of carriers do not know they have been infected.

T. cruzi

Chagas is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a unicellular flagellar protozoa, resembling a microscopic flat worm.  Once inside the blood, the parasite replicates itself by asexual binary fission and begins a long process of colonization throughout the tissues of the colon, nerves, esophagus, and heart.

Besides transmission via the reduvid bug, commonly referred to as the “kissing bug” for its habit of sucking faces, Chagas can also be spread through blood transfusions, organ transplantations, breast milk, and across the placenta.   Fourteen thousand infants are born with congenital Chagas every year and 13 percent of all still births in Brazil can be attributed to the disease.

The disease was first discovered in 1909, by Brazilian immunologist Carlos Chagas.  Though a major Chagas outbreak hit the country in the 1920s, it did not become an internationally accepted public health concern until the 1960s. Before discovery and treatment, the parasite went completely unchecked.  In fact, some evidence suggests that Charles Darwin had contracted Chagas during a stopover in Chile.  He described feeling ill for six months in the port of Valparaiso, but quickly recovered afterward to resume his travels.  A year after returning to England he developed mysterious symptoms, which debilitated him for the rest of his life.

The bug that causes the disease has a variety of different names, including vinchuca in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, bareiro or “barber” in Brazil, pito in Colombia, chinche in Central America, and chipo in Venezuela.  It is mostly found in rural areas, hiding in thatched roofs and other organic house materials.  Modern efforts to reduce the 40,000 cases occurring every year focus on spraying insecticide, raising awareness of bites, and encouraging testing and treatment.

On the bright side, once the initial acute symptoms of the disease have been identified, treatment is 60-90 percent effective in preventing the development of the chronic symptoms, down the road.  So if you fall asleep under a roof made of straw and palm fronds, check your face in the morning, do not scratch, and wash bug droppings from the bite.  Everything will be alright in a Chagas free future.

Chagas bite causes initial swelling of eye

Wages rise and work continues in Argentina and Brazil, but not everywhere

South America’s two largest economies reconciled union disputes and judicial rulings this week, allowing work to continue on major projects.

On Monday, a strike led by unions representing 90 percent of government employees ended in Brazil, on promises to raise public sector wages by 15.8 percent, over the next three years. In another development, work resumed on the Belo Monte dam after Brazil’s Supreme Court reversed a previous ruling that had suspended the project.  The hydro plant will be the world’s third largest, generating from 4,751 MW to 11,233 MW, depending on the flow of the Xingu River.  Upon completion, the project will flood 195 square miles of rainforest, affecting more than 66 communities.

“Stop Belo Monte”

On Tuesday, in Argentina, an alliance of government, unions, and business leaders agreed to raise the minimum wage by 25 percent amid continued inflation and slow economic growth. Monthly minimum wage will rise to 2,670 pesos (US$ 576) on Sept. 1 and to 2,875 pesos (US$ 621)            on  Feb. 1.

But other strikes continue elsewhere in the Americas.  Last week In Colombia, a hunger strike ended, in which four GM workers sowed their lips shut after being fired for contesting the automotive company’s health policy.  The hunger strike marked the culmination of nearly a year of protest.  Strikers accused GM of falsifying the medical records of factory workers, to absolve the company of responsibility for health complications derived from working at the plant.  On Aug. 22, after three weeks of fasting, GM agreed to mediation and protest leaders removed the stitches and dug into a meal of roast chicken and arepas (Colombian pancake).  Despite some progress, the strikers continue to occupy an area surrounding the US Embassy in Bogotá.

And in Chile, students have taken to the streets once more to demand the affordability of higher education.  Tuesday’s protests swelled to over 150,000 supporters.  Last year, students led more than 40 major demonstrations through the capital of Santiago.

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Follow Up

GM’s Hunger Games

Mediation fails to secure compensation for strikers

10 September, 2012

The American Prospect

Under mounting public pressure, Colmotores agreed to negotiations facilitated by the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on August 23.

The talks, however, did not result in GM rehiring the workers or compensating them for lost wages. After three and a half days of mediation, the talks were broken off last Friday. The hunger strike and U.S. protests have begun anew, and what happens next is anyone’s guess.

http://prospect.org/article/gms-hunger-games-0

Colombian GM worker takes hunger strike to Washington

Strikers take the fight to GM’s its home turf

11 September, 2012

Joey O’Goreman, Colombia Reports

Colombian General Motors (GM) worker Jorge Parra is on hunger-strike again, and this time he is in Washington D.C.

After a mere three-and-a-half days the talks were broken off when GM refused to meet the protestors demands to be rehabilitated and retrained so they could resume working in the company.

“The only thing GM offered was $6,000 to share between the 12 workers, that is not even enough to buy a hot-dog stand,” said Parra.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/25972-colombian-gm-worker-takes-hunger-strike-to-washington.html

Latin America’s Clean Energy Future: A Snapshot

Uruguayan wind farm

Howling winds across the plains of Patagonia, raging rivers from the mountains to the amazon, and the blistering sun of the Atacama Desert may propel Latin American countries to the forefront of renewable energy production.  Even volcanos offer a significant source of geo-thermal energy for some countries.  The power generated by nature throughout Mexico, Central, and South America could generate enough electricity to wean the Americas from carbon heavy alternatives.

However, Latin America and the Caribbean garnered merely 10 percent of the estimated $260 billion invested in clean energy development worldwide, in 2011.  The US attracted $55.9 billion and China $47.9 billion.  Currently, the region derives 7 percent of its 301 gigawatts (GW) from clean renewable sources.  But these figures conceal the fact that 65 percent of all electrical energy in the region comes from large scale hydropower – a renewable form of energy excluded from the category of clean energy.  By contrast, world reliance on hydro accounts for 16 percent of all electricity produced in 2011.  And Latin America has only tapped 30 percent of its total hydro capacity.

Moreover, improvements in the investment climate of many Latin American countries and other public policy initiatives, which seek to further clean energy development, may finally capture the region’s potential.

Many leaders have pursued ambitious policies to reduce carbon emissions, by encouraging private investment in the clean energy sector.  Costa Rica derives 99.2 percent of its energy from renewable sources, with a whopping 35.7 percent from geothermal.  Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Panama, El Salvador, and Argentina have all launched significant clean energy development plans for the future.

Costa Rica geothermal plant

Within the next three years, Uruguay aims to generate half of its power through renewable means.  A series of 21 wind farms producing 1.2 GW are scheduled for completion in 2015 and will provide 29 percent of the country’s energy.  Argentina also plans to increase its wind power production by 1 GW.  This year, El Salvador revealed plans to construct a 14.2 megawatt (MW) solar farm and a 42 MW wind farm – its first utility-scale wind and solar projects.  Chile recently initiated its largest wind farm project set to produce 115 MW by 2013.  In Mexico, another 396 MW wind farm has been proposed for the windy Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in the state of Oaxaca.  Hundreds of additional projects lie in the works.

As a region with many developing countries, Latin America has the opportunity to use clean energy development to power the future.  Thirty million people currently live without electricity and consumers on the grid continue to demand more.   Latin America has the resources, needs, and ambition to pursue a clean energy future.  The main challenge is resisting an over reliance on abundant fossil fuel reserves, which continue to expand with new discoveries offshore.

First Chilean solar in Atacama Desert

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Follow Up

Three Million in Peru Still Lack Electricity

Latin America Herald Tribune

LIMA – Some 3 million people in Peru’s rural areas still lack electricity and nearly a third of the population is using firewood as cooking fuel, the Energy, Development and Life, or EnDev, project, said

According to EnDev’s national coordinator, nearly 500,000 rural families must use battery-operated lights, candles and cigarette lighters to see at night and spend more than 40 soles (about $15) a month for low-quality power service.

…

The 1993 census indicated that just 7.7 percent of Peru’s rural population had access to electricity. By 2007, that figure had risen to 29.5 percent and the Energy and Mines Ministry’s latest report shows the proportion now stands at 63 percent, Moreno said.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=570690&CategoryId=14095

Cuba power failure plunges millions into darkness – video

10 September, 2012

The Guardian

A large swath of Cuba was plunged into darkness on Sunday night due to a power failure. Weather on the island was clear and calm. No one at the state-owned electrical company could immediately be reached to explain the outage. Blackouts are not uncommon in Cuba, due to its aging electrical system

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/sep/10/cuba-power-failure-millions-darkness-video

El Salvador’s Criminal De-Mobilization Evokes De-Militarization of Civil War

Gang members surrender arms

The truce among rival gangs that reduced violence in El Salvador by 53 percent still holds firm.  Though, extortion and kidnapping are noticeably down in the capital of San Salvador, these gang related crimes shot up slightly in July.  With 30,000 to 50,000 gang members throughout the country it is difficult to enforce a complete de-mobilization.  By contrast, the country’s military and police forces are composed of about 15,000 active duty personnel each.

During peace talks, gang leaders evoked the agreement of Chapultepec that ended El Salvador’s civil war between the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) rebels and government forces in 1992. The war killed over 70,000. De-militarization proved to be the cornerstone of the agreement, separating Public Security from National Defense through the creation of a civilian police force distinct from the military.  By the end of the war, El Salvador had 63,000 soldiers.  An initial reduction plan sought to halve that force to 31,000 members.

But, the end of civil conflict did not stop violence in the country.  Criminal activity filled the vacuum after wartime hostilities ended.  The deportation of young Salvadoran refugees living in the US brought the gang culture present in major US cities to El Salvador.  Meanwhile, economic opportunity remained low and spending on security plummeted, as a result of peace accords.  By 1997, El Salvador was still the most dangerous country in the world, with 140 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.  At the beginning of the year, the country experiences about 65 murders per 100,000.

Though violence continues to grip the nation – once tied with neighboring Honduras, as the world’s most dangerous nation – March peace talks between the rival MS-13 and 18^th Street gangs have brought a brief hiatus in a saga of death.  Sources in August estimate the murder rate is on track to fall to 34 homicides per 100,000, by the end of the year.

Peace talks were carried out between gang leaders in a maximum security prison and officiated by a military chaplain and a former lawmaker.  The Salvadoran government agreed to some concessions that granted the imprisoned bosses privileges such as family visits.  But despite the reduction in homicides, disappearances continue to plague the country.  In the first quarter of 2012, there were 692 disappearances – an 8 percent increase from the same period in 2011.

Ironically, the government overseeing the gang true is led by president Mauricio Funes, from the FMLN. The same rebel alliance that fought the government during the civil war of the 1980s has evolved into a modern political party operating in a democratic system.  The continued success or failure of the peace agreements will determine the fate of reconciliation and negotiation as a crime reduction strategy in the region.  Previous policies had taken a hardline, focusing on government led crackdowns and the expansion of law enforcement.  So far, none of El Salvador’s crime ridden neighbors in Guatemala and Honduras have endorsed the ceasefire.  Negotiating with criminal organizations still remains unpopular.

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Follow Up

Murdered schoolboys shake Salvador’s gang truce

Some wish the truce to fail

9 September, 2012

Marcos Aleman, AP

LAS COLINAS, El Salvador – [Five] schoolboys went missing on a Thursday, and it took nearly three weeks for police to discover the mass grave…The killings were the work of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, one of two notorious Salvadoran gangs that regularly visited schoolyards to recruit kids – using the usual method: a big meal with cake and soft drinks.

…

Carlos Ponce, an expert on crime for the Salvadoran Attorney General’s Office, says the truce is a sham.

“It’s all a lie, the gangs continue to operate, people continue getting killed, people keep disappearing and the gangs get stronger and stronger,” he said.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/09/v-fullstory/2992851/murdered-schoolboys-shake-salvadors.html#storylink=cpy