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Se debilita la moral de los soldados de EEUU en Irak
FALLUJA, Irak 7.16.03 Bush, Wars
Bajo ataques y rechazados
por los iraquíes, los soldados de la 3ra. División de Infantería de Estados
Unidos
estacionados
en la conflictiva población de Falluja mostraron amargura por la decisión de que
que permanecerán
i indefinidamente en Irak.
'Es una sorpresa'', declaró el sargento Josh Holt, de Montgomery, en Alabama.
Enfrentando crecientes amenazas en Irak, el Ejército informó el lunes que miles
de soldados de la 3ra. División
de Infantería mecanizada permanecerán en el país a pesar de anteriores planes difundidos de enviarlos a casa en
julio o agosto.
Bremer's Iraq: Pragmatism
vs. Dogma -Socialism
Tuesday, July 15, 2003;
Is L. Paul Bremer a socialist?
The man President Bush named to be the top administrator in Iraq, Bremer sure
sounded like one when he declared that "a method should be found to assure that
every citizen benefits from Iraq's oil wealth."
This very progressive view, offered in an opinion article in Sunday's New York
Times, was backed up by two highly practical, far-reaching suggestions. "One
possibility would be to pay social benefits from a trust financed by oil
revenues," Bremer wrote. "Another could be to pay an annual cash dividend
directly to each citizen from that trust."
To get a sense of how radical these ideas are, consider what they'd mean if our
government put them into practice at home. What if the Social Security system
were financed not by payroll taxes but by "a trust fund financed by oil
revenues"? Instead of making a limited number of individuals very rich, oil
wealth would help pay benefits to senior citizens -- or, alternatively, create a
national heath insurance program.
Kennedy Blasts Bush Post War
Policy
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 15, 2003; Bush, Bush Wars, Failing Wars
Senator Edward M. Kennedy today methodically laid out a broad criticism of
President Bush's postwar Iraq policy, taking the administration to task for
everything from the misuse of intelligence to the failure to internationalize
the Iraqi rebuilding effort.
In a speech at the Johns Hopkins University School of Applied International
Studies (SAIS), the Massachusetts Democrat accused the administration of
undermining "America's prestige and credibility in the world" and "the trust
that Americans should and must have in what their nation tells them."
"It's a disgrace that the case for war seems to have been based on shoddy
intelligence, hyped intelligence, and even false intelligence," Kennedy said.
Bush Bundlers taking to a
new High; Selling the Government
By Thomas B.
Edsall and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, July 14, 2003; elections, Bush
As chairman, president and chief executive of Safeway Inc., the world's
11th-largest grocery chain, Steven Burd is the nexus of a wide network of
subordinates and suppliers, as well as friends in corporate suites. And that is
why he will play a critical role in President Bush's effort to raise the largest
amount of money ever spent on a presidential campaign -- not by giving a lot of
money himself, but by finding a lot of people to give relatively little.
Julian Bond sees GOP with 'dark underside'
THE WASHINGTON TIMES 7.14.03
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Republicans appeal "to the dark underside of American
culture, to that minority of Americans who reject democracy and equality," NAACP
Chairman Julian Bond said yesterday at the civil rights group's 94th annual
convention.
"They preach racial neutrality and practice racial division ... their
idea of reparations is to give war criminal Jefferson Davis a pardon," Mr. Bond
said during his welcoming remarks. "Their idea of equal rights is the American
flag and Confederate swastika flying side by side."
Mr. Bond, who in a 2001 speech compared conservatives to the Taliban, never
specifically used the term Republicans but made the comments about those who
control the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court.
Arrecia la tormenta por el discurso de Bush
WASHINGTON 7.14.03
La
administración del presidente George W. Bush buscó justificarse ayer, mientras
las críticas en su contra se acumulan por la utilización de información dudosa
acerca de los supuestos proyectos de Bagdad para la compra de uranio en Africa
para emprender una guerra contra Irak.
''Es ridículo sugerir que el presidente de Estados Unidos lanzó una guerra
basado sobre la cuestión de saber si Saddam Hussein había intentado procurarse
uranio en Africa. No es más que una parte de un informe más amplio'', declaró la
consejera para la Seguridad Nacional, Condoleezza Rice.
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 14, 2003; elections, Democrats
It's oppo time!
Except for that brief dustup in South Carolina, members of the Democratic
nine-pack have spent most of their time pummeling Bush while playing patty-cake
with each other.
Even Howard Dean, during that TV rumble with Tim Russert, declined to name names
when asked about his slams of those Washington insiders running for president.
This, you will not be surprised to hear, cannot last.
It's only a matter of time before the Dems start skewering each other, digging
up dirt and airing negative ads.
Balance en blanco y gris del Plan Colombia, que hoy cumple tres años
ELTIEMPO.COM
Julio 13 de 2003
Para sus defensores hay varios resultados para destacar, como la reducción del
área de los cultivos ilícitos. Para sus detractores, en cambio, se ha
intensificado la guerra.
El 13 de julio de 2000, el Congreso estadounidense, a solicitud del presidente
Bill Clinton, aprobó casi US$ 1.300 millones de dólares para enfrentar el
narcotráfico y generar desarrollo social en el país.
Desde entonces, E.U. ha seguido invirtiendo gruesas sumas de dinero -en promedio
600 millones anuales-. Pero como en todo hay críticos y detractores.
Para los primeros es una historia exitosa. llena de resultados positivos, y cuyo
futuro es aún más promisorio. Para los segundos los millones de dólares
gastados, antes que contribuir, han generado más violencia en el país.
La violencia se suma al drama de la juventud
BOGOTA
Siete
de cada 10 combatientes de los grupos guerrilleros y paramilitares de Colombia
tienen entre 14 y 26 años de edad, según dos estudios que revelan la
dramática situación que enfrentan los jóvenes en este país debido a la violencia
y la falta de oportunidades.
De acuerdo con la investigación divulgada ayer, cuatro de cada cinco muertes
registradas en la población de colombianos en ese rango de edad (10.7 millones
de un total de 44.5 millones de habitantes) tienen su origen en actos de
violencia
Colombia's Results (Just Fine)
The Washington Post Sunday, July 13, 2003;
THREE YEARS AGO today, President Clinton signed into law Plan Colombia, a bold
initiative intended to help that Latin American democracy fight the drug
traffickers and insurgents of the left and right who threatened to destroy the
country while supplying most of the cocaine on U.S. streets. Some members of
Congress and human rights groups protested that the attempt to bolster the
Colombian army with equipment and training while sponsoring the aerial spraying
of coca fields would embroil the United States in a Vietnam-like quagmire. The
critics were wrong. Colombian coca and poppy production has been reduced
substantially: According to a United Nations study, the acreage has dropped by
38 percent in three years. With the traffickers and their guerrilla allies on
the defensive, violence is down, too. Homicides have fallen by a quarter and
kidnappings by a third this year compared with last year. Colombia's economy is
growing, and its president, Alvaro Uribe, leads the strongest and most popular
government the country has had in decades. Though Plan Colombia still hasn't
achieved many of its goals, there can be little question that the $2.7 billion
invested by the United States so far has gotten results
Descubren diario personal de Harry Truman en el que critica a los judíos
Julio 12 de 2003
ELTIEMPO.COM
Jewish Americans, antisemistim cry
Menos de un año antes de reconocer la creación del Estado de Israel en 1948, el
entonces presidente estadounidense escribió: "Creo que los judíos son muy, muy
egoístas".
"(A los judíos) no les importa cuantos estonios, letonios, finlandeses,
polacos, yugoslavos o griegos sean asesinados o maltratados mientras los judíos
reciban un tratamiento especial", dice el diario del ex presidente, publicado
en el sitio web de la Truman Library (Trumanlibrary.org/diary).
Entregado luego a su irritación, escribe: "Cuando los judíos tienen poder,
físico, financiero o político, no tienen nada que envidiarle a Hitler ni a
Stalin en lo que concierne a crueldad o malos tratos frente al común de los
mortales".
El presidente de Estados Unidos, George W. Bush, sigue en problemas por Irak
EL TIEMPO
Julio 13 de 2003
El alto costo de la guerra, las numerosas bajas en las tropas estadounidenses en
la posguerra y la posibilidad, cada vez más factible, de haberle mentido al país
lo comprometen seriamente.
Así, la guerra contra el terrorismo, hasta ahora el factor que más ha
contribuido a los altos índices de popularidad del mandatario estadounidense ha
comenzado a costarle caro.
Esta semana en particular, y pese a que se encontraba a un Océano de distancia
–en gira por África–, Bush tuvo que enfrentar una andanada de críticas no solo
por el rumbo que ha tomado la posguerra en Irak sino, de nuevo, por los motivos
que lo llevaron a esa aventura en Oriente Medio.
Residente de Norwalk rumbo al Congreso de México
Un ingeniero mexicano que cruzó la frontera indocumentado se convierte
en el segundo diputado que representa a los mexicanos en el exterior
José Fuentes-Salinas
Redactor de La Opinión
Sabe lo que duele la inmigración. Hace 30 años, aún con un título
de ingeniero, cruzó indocumentado la frontera por el río y luego
en la cajuela de un auto.
Pero ahora, con toda su familia compuesta por ciudadanos estadounidenses,
Manuel de la Cruz está por regresar a México como diputado plurinominal
del próximo Congreso mexicano que entra en funciones en septiembre
Researchers to Keep Some
Biotech Rights
Plant Patents Could Be Used to Aid Poor
By Justin Gillis
Washington Post Staff Writer Biotech, Bio agric
Friday, July 11, 2003;
The nation's leading centers
of plant research launched a plan yesterday to share the benefits of
agricultural biotechnology more widely, particularly with farmers growing
subsistence crops in poor countries and with specialty farmers growing fruits,
nuts and vegetables for the American table.
Under the plan, announced in the journal Science, top universities and other
research centers said they would manage their biotechnology patents more
carefully than in the past. When they license patents on new techniques to
corporations, they said, they will reserve rights to use those techniques for
humanitarian projects in poor countries, and to apply them to specialized crops
that are grown in the industrial world but are too small to interest large
agricultural companies.
Tongue-Tied In the Arab
World
By David Ignatius
Friday, July 11, 2003; Bush, B’s Wars, Failing Wars
PARIS -- The Post ran
a story this week about an explosion on a bridge in Baghdad that targeted U.S.
troops. Sadly, such stories are becoming routine, but something in the lead
sentence caught my eye: "The combat engineers inside the tan Humvees had
traversed the Wedding Island Bridge dozens of times to fetch their translator."
"To fetch their translator." That's the worrying detail. None of the engineers
spoke Arabic, apparently. Which meant that, like most of the 150,000 U.S.
personnel in Iraq, they were dependent on interpreters. That's a dangerous
vulnerability. But, as with so much else about postwar Iraq, nobody seems to
have thought it through carefully.
España asediada por ilegales latinoamericanos
MADRID 7.11.03 LA & Spain
Más de 600,000 latinoamericanos que el año pasado entraron a España con una visa
de turismo válida por tres meses se quedaron del todo en el país, según datos de
la Dirección General de la Policía divulgados por la Dirección General de la
Policía.
''De los 714,767 latinoamericanos que entraron en España a lo largo del año
2002, 613,808 no regresaron a su país'', sostienen las estadísticas citadas,
entre otros, por el influyente diario barcelonés El Periódico, que
concluye que la gran mayoría de esas personas pueden haberse radicado en
territorio español.
Stanford Financial apuesta por el Caribe
El Nuevo Herald 7.11.03 Caribbean
¿Podrá la
región caribeña echar mano a sus atractivos para saltar del subdesarrollo al
primer mundo? Según el Stanford Financial Group, el Caribe está listo para dar
el salto de un extremo a otro y apuesta a impulsar la región hacia esa dirección
con un Fondo de Inversiones de $2,000 millones que planea lanzar en agosto.
Allen Stanford, ejecutivo principal de Stanford Financial Group con sede en Houston, Texas, no ha escatimado esfuerzos para convencer a algunos gobiernos caribeños y a Wall Street que mucha de la prosperidad de la región vendrá con los recursos del fondo que se dedicarán a la construcción de hoteles de cinco estrellas, campos diseñados para grandes torneos de golf, condominios de lujo y propiedades comerciales de primera.
Irak cuesta miles de millones al mes
NUEVA YORK
La permanencia militar de Estados Unidos en Irak cuesta casi $4,000 millones por
mes, mientras la presencia en Afganistán está alrededor de los $950 millones
mensuales, informó el secretario de Defensa, Donald Rumsfeld, ante el Comité de
Servicios Armados del Senado.
''No sabemos, nadie sabe'' cuánto tiempo las fuerzas norteamericanas estarán en
Irak, enfatizó Rumsfeld.
Según el secretario de Defensa, la amenaza a la seguridad de los militares
estadounidenses en Irak ''es real, pero estamos lidiando con ella'' y está
circunscrita a un territorio.
Mexican lawmaker sees voting in U.S.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES Hispanics, in politics in LA
MEXICO CITY — Manuel de la Cruz, the first U.S. citizen ever to win a seat in
Mexico's Congress, has a modest platform — to make the United States of America
a Mexican electoral district.
Mr. de la Cruz, born in Zacatecas, Mexico, but a longtime resident of
Norwalk, Calif., is one of six Mexican-Americans who live in the United States
and ran for office here in Sunday's national elections.
Another candidate, Jose Jacques Medina, is awaiting late returns to see if
he too will win a seat in the 500-member Congress.
The two are among the leaders of a group of Mexican-Americans, backed by
Mexico's No. 3 political party, who believe that Mexico's political future is
tied to voters on the top side of the Rio Grande.
Euforia y Contribución de un Hispano Colombo Americano al los Colombianos
Histórico liderato de
Víctor Hugo Peña en el Tour de Francia podría durar hasta el sábado
El
Tiempo 7.10.03 Hispanics, Contributions
Es la única inquietud para los colombianos, que este miércoles gozaron con la
hazaña del ciclista nacional, tras el triunfo de su equipo, US Postal, en la
contarreloj por equipos de 69 kilómetros.
El equipo estadounidense, que arrasó en la fracción entre Joinville y Saint-Dizier,
llegó al Tour de Francia como lo ha hecho en los últimos cuatro años: pensando
en rodear a su superlíder Lance Armstrong para verlo victorioso finalmente en
París. Y esta situación no se va a alterar así el liderato ya esté en sus manos,
y con ocho de sus nueve corredores en esos primeros lugares de la general.
La empresa miamense Netrox crece por la demanda de la seguridad cibernética
El Nuevo Herald 7.10.03 Hispanics,. In High Tech
Durante
años, Alex Rodríguez trató infructuosamente de convencer a sus clientes sobre la
conveniencia de aumentar la seguridad en las redes computarizadas. Pero después
de los atentados del 11 de septiembre del 2001 y los continuos ataques
cibernéticos, empezaron a darle la razón.
Aunque, como dicen, ''más vale tarde que nunca'', pues a raíz del cambio de
actitud la empresa miamense Netrox LLC, presidida por Rodríguez, informa que
''ha logrado duplicar sus actividades'', sin revelar el monto del ingreso anual.
Bush
Recantation Of Iraq Claim Stirs Calls for Probes
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 9, 2003; Bush, Lies
Democrats called for
investigations yesterday after the White House acknowledged Monday that
President Bush should not have said in his State of the Union address last
January that Iraq had tried to buy uranium in Africa.
The White House acknowledgment followed a British parliamentary report casting
doubt on intelligence about the alleged uranium sale, which Bush had attributed
to the British.
Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) called it a "very important
admission," adding, "This ought to be reviewed very carefully. It ought to be
the subject of careful scrutiny as well as some hearings."
Bid to Stop
Cheney Lawsuit Rejected
By Pete Yost
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 8, 2003; Bush, Secret government
A federal appeals
court Tuesday rejected the Bush administration's bid to stop a lawsuit that
seeks to delve into the energy industry's ties to Vice President Dick Cheney's
energy task force.
In a 2-1 ruling, the court said administration officials must turn over some
information about the task force or list specific documents that they intend to
withhold from the proceedings.
The administration argues that the lawsuit by the Sierra Club and a conservative
group, Judicial Watch, is an unwarranted intrusion into the internal
deliberations of the executive branch of government.
Jewish Voters Standing By
Their Party, Analysis Says
By Thomas B.
Edsall
Sunday, July 6, 2003; Jewish, political parties
There is good news
for Democrats concerned that President Bush has been making inroads with Jewish
voters: They remain decisively more Democratic than the rest of the electorate
and far less supportive of the Bush administration, according to an analysis by
the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC).
Combining data from five national surveys taken by the independent Ipsos/Cook
Political Report Poll between January 2002 and March 2003, the NJDC found
that while "46 percent of all Americans would definitely vote for Bush, only 25
percent of American Jews would do so."
Facing
Reality in Iraq
TWP Tuesday, July 8,
2003; Bush, Bush’s Wars, Failing wars
MOST OF IRAQ is
stable, and most Iraqis continue to cooperate with the U.S. mission in the hope
that it will succeed in passing power to a representative government. But in
military terms, the postwar situation is getting worse rather than better. Enemy
forces, concentrated in areas north and west of Baghdad where support for the
old regime was strongest, have grown bolder and more effective by the week, and
Saddam Hussein himself apparently managed to smuggle a defiant message to the
al-Jazeera network in time for the Fourth of July. While their degree of
organization and connections with the former dictator are debatable, the
militants pose a clear strategic threat to the U.S. mission beyond the painful
cost in lives they are exacting. The danger is that they will succeed in
triggering a broader guerrilla war against U.S. troops fed not just by loyalty
to the Baath Party but also by popular discontent with American occupation -- a
war that could destabilize Iraq and the region around it. To head off that
threat, the Bush administration needs to act decisively and soon.
Nuevas regulaciones amenazan al turismo en la Florida
Especial para El Nuevo Herald
Tourism
Nuevos requisitos del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos para los
visitantes extranjeros pueden afectar el turismo en el sur de la Florida, según
expertos.
Los ciudadanos de 27 países que actualmente pueden entrar al país sin visa
deberán obtener pasaportes que puedan ser leídos por computadoras a partir del
1ro de octubre para ingresar. De lo contrario deberán solicitar una visa y
arriesgarse a que se la nieguen.
''Las regulaciones tendrán un efecto negativo enorme en nuestro turismo. Será
más difícil venir: más burocracia'', opinó el presidente de la Asociación de
Hoteles del Gran Miami y las Playas, Stuart Blumberg, quien agregó que hasta el
60 por ciento de los turistas en Miami vienen del extranjero.
Lieberman a tough sell among Jewish donors
THE WASHINGTON TIMES 7.8.03 Elections, Democrats, Lieberman
Joe Lieberman, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination for
2004, isn't breaking any records for collecting campaign contributions from
fellow Jews. Some of them argue this isn't the right time for a Jewish
candidate.
Potential Jewish donors fear a Jewish president could stir up anti-Semitism
in the middle of the war on terrorism and the military occupation of Iraq, Jews
in both parties say.
"To be Jewish is to sometimes feel insecure in the world," says Hank
Sheinkopf, a New York-based Democratic presidential-campaign consultant.
Toeing the Line on
Appropriate Attire
Suits or Shorts? Some Workers Get Clear Orders
By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 8, 2003; Interns,
They stand out among
the gaggle of interns who descend on Capitol Hill each summer. The young women
make their presence known with each click of a high heel. The young men throw on
their jackets even for runs to the basement cafeteria.
Coats and ties, hose and heels -- these are necessities for a summer job in Rep.
John L. Mica's office. If there was any doubt, the Florida Republican reaffirmed
his beliefs on appropriate congressional dress about the time the interns
arrived.
Mel Gibson looks right for movie on Jesus
THE WASHINGTON TIMES 7.7.03 Jewish Americans,
Filmmaker Mel Gibson, whose upcoming movie on the last 12 hours in the life
of Jesus has drawn charges of anti-Semitism from Jewish and Catholic scholars,
is shopping his film to a more receptive audience: evangelical Christians,
conservative Catholics and Orthodox Jews.
On June 26, he surprised a group of 900 evangelical pastors meeting at the
9,200-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs with a four-minute trailer from
"The Passion."
That afternoon he also showed the entire film to about 30 Christian leaders
at Focus on the Family, one of the nation's largest evangelical ministries.
Where
Candidates Meet the Pressure
Washington Post Staff
Writer
Monday, July 7, 2003; Media, Sunday Shows, Meet the press
Sen. John Edwards was
widely panned after an appearance on "Meet the Press" last year, and in January,
he called Tim Russert and said he wanted to come back.
But Edwards has apparently thought better of a Russert rematch. "There's a great
elite audience that watches 'Meet the Press,' but that's not the audience we
need to reach this summer," spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri says.
Insiders call it the Russert Primary, and no television show looms larger in
presidential politics these days. As Howard Dean learned two weeks ago,
faltering on "Meet the Press" brings an avalanche of negative headlines. But a
strong appearance can kick-start a campaign.
"It's important that we try to find out who these men and women are and what
they believe," says Russert, who keeps "voluminous" files on every White House
contender. "The easy thing is to provide free time for infomercials."
Hill of Beans
In the Capitol's Senate Dining Room, A Bipartisan Favorite Served 100 Years
By Jennifer Frey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 7, 2003; Congress, Anecdotes
Beans, beans, the
musical fruit . . .
Today we're here to honor bean soup.
To mark this momentous occasion -- the 100th anniversary of Senate Bean Soup,
that Capitol culinary stalwart, always on the menu, senatorial in its
dignified sameness -- we have invited lawmaker Carl Levin of the esteemed
navy-bean-producing state of Michigan to accompany us to the Senate Dining Room
for a bowl of the stuff.
Except it's hot outside. Mega-hot. Sticky hot. Bean soup is, well, the sort of
thing you might -- might -- crave on a cold January Monday. Simple,
hearty stuff for a day that calls for a dose of thick, filling warmth. But this
is gazpacho weather. Cool cucumber soup weather. This is a day for . . .
vichyssoise.
Unprepared For Terrorists
By David S.
Broder
Sunday, July 6, 2003; Bush, Bush Wars, Failing Wars
We have been warned.
Our country remains woefully unprepared to cope with another terrorist assault.
The warning comes not from some paranoid characters on the political fringe but
from a sober set of experienced government officials -- one of whom, at least,
was prescient about the dangers most of us discovered only when the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon were attacked.
He is Warren Rudman, the former Republican senator from New Hampshire who, with
former Democratic senator Gary Hart of Colorado, issued a report seven months
before 9/11 describing domestic terrorism as the primary national security
threat and saying, "The United States is today very poorly organized to design
and implement any comprehensive strategy to protect the homeland."
Short-Fused Populist,
Breathing Fire at Bush
By Evelyn Nieves
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 6, 2003; Elections, Democrats
Sixth in a series
Howard Dean was angry. Ropy veins popped out of his neck, blood rushed to his
cheeks, and his eyes, normally blue-gray, flashed black, all dilated pupils.
"The only hope Democrats have to beat this president," he said, his left fist
punching the air, "is to behave like Democrats and stand up for what we
believe!"
"YEAH!" the crowd cheered, standing and applauding.
"Can we afford tax cuts," Dean continued, reddening to his gray temples, "when
we have the largest deficit in the history of the country?"
"NO!" the crowd shouted back.
Hugo Chávez
revela sus diferencias con Álvaro Uribe
El Tiempo Julio 05 2003 Latin América, Union LA
"Él es un
hombre de derecha. Yo soy de izquierda", dice el presidente venezolano, que
además ataca al empresariado colombiano.
No es un secreto que
a gran parte de la empresa privada colombiana no le gusta el presidente Hugo
Chávez.
Temporary Solutions, or New
Problems?
How to Take 'Quality Short-Term Workers' from Oxymoron to Reality
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 6, 2003; Business Opportunities, Jobs
Not too long ago, Myvesta, a nonprofit financial counseling firm in Rockville,
hired a few temporary workers to stuff envelopes for a day. One woman the temp
agency sent had an odd work habit: She would stuff a few envelopes and then put
her head down for a nap. Or she'd pick up a book and start to read.
Understandably, her employment ended after a few hours.
It wasn't the only time Myvesta had brought in temps, or had bad luck with them.
One time before, four temps hired for the day sat around a table, not far from
the cubicles of regular Myvesta employees. The temps spent the day talking about
drugs, alcohol and "how they got high this weekend," said Kevin Keith, the
company's director of human resources. When the director of the company went
over to tell them to keep it down because people were trying to work, the temps
soon resumed gabbing, saying, "Who does she think she is?"
Back to the cliché: It's so hard to find good help these days.
Marcado viraje hacia la izquierda en la región
The Miami Herald / B. AIRES
Cuando
el presidente de centroizquierda Néstor Kirchner tomó posesión a fines de mayo
en una ceremonia a la que asistieron 13 líderes extranjeros, ningún jefe de
Estado atrajo más aplausos que el gobernante cubano Fidel Castro.
La segunda ovación en
duración fue para el presidente populista de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez. La tercera
fue para el presidente izquierdista de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Por el
contrario, el enviado especial del presidente George W. Bush, el secretario de
Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano, Mel Martínez, recibió sólo lo que podría
considerarse un aplauso de cortesía.
The Baby Bust
TWP Sunday, July 6,
2003; Hispanics, Demographics
"HONEY, I SHRUNK THE
KIDS" might well have been the title of last month's National Vital Statistics
report, which shows that the U.S. birthrate has hit a record low. The U.S.
population isn't shrinking -- yet. But if current trends continue, the country
will grow increasingly reliant on immigration to bolster the ranks of its
working-age population.
Thankfully, the shrunken birthrate is largely a result of falling numbers of
teen pregnancies, which have steadily declined since the 1990s, thanks in part
to public awareness campaigns. Also, the graying of the population has
contributed to the lower birthrate, as more people live longer past the
traditional years of fertility. Nevertheless, a larger trend is unmistakable:
Birthrates for women in their peak reproductive years are down. Women are
waiting longer before having children and are having fewer when they finally do.
Gobierno colombiano tratará
de espantar en Europa los fantasmas que existen contra política de UribeEl
Tiempo 7.6.03 Colombia, Colombia y Europa
Este jueves se realizará en Londres una sesión preliminar de la Mesa de
Coordinación y Cooperación con Colombia, que es básicamente la reedición de las
mesas de aportantes hechas por el gobierno Pastrana.
Allí, el Ejecutivo tratará de vender la Política de Seguridad Democrática del
presidente Uribe y definir las líneas de cooperación de Europa y los organismos
multilaterales, especialmente.
Los 'jurados' de esta cumbre serán nada menos que los representantes de los
países de la Unión Europea (UE); Noruega y Suiza (que no pertenecen a esta
comunidad); Japón, Canadá, México, Brasil, Argentina, Chile y Estados Unidos.
También estarán en la mesa de conversaciones organismos multilaterales como la
ONU, Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), Banco Mundial (BM) y la
Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF).
Como Trabaja la Impunidad en
Colombia
USA, tras la
cabeza del comandante de la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC), general Velasco
El
Tiempo 7.6.03 Colombia, Impunidad
Lo acusa de ocultar pruebas para entorpecer la investigación que señala a la FAC
como responsable de la muerte de 18 civiles, durante un bombardeo en Santo
Domingo (Arauca) en 1998.
Ante la presión diplomática, encabezada por saliente embajadora de ese país,
Anne Patterson, personas cercanas a Velasco aseguran que el militar ya ofreció
su renuncia al presidente Álvaro Uribe, pero ésta aún no se ha concretado. El
pasado 4 de junio, Patterson le dijo al Presidente que su país tenía pruebas
concretas de que los civiles habían caído por disparos de FAC.
Agregó que Washington podía entender que se hubiera cometido un error militar,
sin embargo, reprochaba que no se admitiera como tal y se tratara de manipular y
engañar.
Marcado viraje hacia la izquierda en la región
The Miami Herald / B. AIRES
Cuando
el presidente de centroizquierda Néstor Kirchner tomó posesión a fines de mayo
en una ceremonia a la que asistieron 13 líderes extranjeros, ningún jefe de
Estado atrajo más aplausos que el gobernante cubano Fidel Castro.
La segunda
ovación en duración fue para el presidente populista de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.
La tercera fue para el presidente izquierdista de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva. Por el contrario, el enviado especial del presidente George W. Bush, el
secretario de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano, Mel Martínez, recibió sólo lo que
podría considerarse un aplauso de cortesía.
Pointless
Punishment
Saturday, July 5, 2003;
Bush, Arrogance
DURING HIS LAST VISIT
to Europe, President Bush promised new U.S. allies in the eastern half of the
continent that they would not be forced to choose between their allegiances to
the United States and to the European Union. Yet now the White House is
insisting on just such a choice -- in pursuit of a gratuitous ideological point.
This week U.S. military aid to nine European countries, including six incoming
members of NATO, was suspended because of their failure to conclude agreements
exempting Americans from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
The court has yet to hear its first case, much less indict an American.
Is There a Road Map Out of
Iraq?
By Colbert I.
King
Saturday, July 5, 2003; Bush, Bush Wars, Failing Wars
"When are they coming
home?" The question was an obvious reference to U.S. troops in Iraq. But the
words weren't spoken by an antiwar activist at a peace rally on the Mall. The
question, as I recall it, was raised on the floor of the U.S. Senate by West
Virginia's Robert Byrd about two weeks ago. Byrd's query has been on the minds
and lips of more and more Americans. And why not?
Yesterday The Post reported that Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of
ground forces in Iraq, said at a news conference that an average of 13 attacks
have been launched each day against U.S. and British forces during the past
45 days. Some Iraqi neighborhoods are seething over the U.S. presence, according
to Post reporters on the scene. It wasn't supposed to turn out this way.
Music Icon Shills For Kucinich
Presidential
candidate Howard Dean may be the Democrats' best-financed lefty, but progressive
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) had his own victory to announce last week: the
endorsement of country-western icon Willie Nelson.
"I am endorsing Dennis Kucinich for president, because he stands up for
heartland Americans who are too often overlooked and unheard," Nelson said. "A
Kucinich administration will put the interests of America's family farmers,
consumers and environment above the greed of industrial agribusiness."
Nelson said he planned concerts to help fill Kucinich's campaign coffers.
Kucinich was thrilled. "It's an honor to earn the support of a man who has come
to symbolize the best values of America," he said.
The People Powering
Howard
By Ruth Marcus
Saturday, July 5, 2003; Elections, Democrats, Dean
The rain was coming
down. The traffic on Rockville Pike was the usual aggravating slog. At the
California Tortilla restaurant just off the pike, on a patio boasting a view of
a suburban parking lot, nearly 70 people gathered around cafe tables with
strangers, writing letters to people they didn't know.
A Howard Dean "meetup" is part Jane Austen, part Bill Gates. Across the country
Wednesday night, thousands of people drawn together through the power of the
Internet dusted off their epistolary skills, hand-writing letters to Iowa
Democrats urging them to support the former Vermont governor.
Baseball Consultant Is Paid
With D.C. Funds
Sports Commission Dispenses $200,000
By Serge F. Kovaleski
and Mark Asher
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, July 5, 2003; DC, Baseball
The D.C. Sports and
Entertainment Commission has paid a West Coast baseball consultant more than
$200,000 since late 2001 to help the District attract a major league team.
The no-bid contract with Bavasi Sports Partners LLP is a departure from the
practice followed by several other cities that have bid for baseball franchises
in recent years. In those cities, public agencies have tapped private money when
they have hired such consultants.
Defensoría del Pueblo alerta
sobre aumento de desapariciones forzadas
El
tiempo 6.5.03 Colombia, Impunity
Cada mes, en la Fiscalía se registran como desaparecidas 271 personas, en
promedio, es decir una cada dos horas y media. Esto significa un incremento de
tres por ciento con respecto al 2001.
Ese aumento prendió las alarmas del Estado e hizo que la Defensoría emitiera por
primera vez una resolución sobre el tema.
Son dos las grandes preocupaciones que se desprenden del documento. Una, el ya
mencionado aumento del delito, y la otra, la impunidad.
If Bush Asks, Who Will Help?
By Jim Hoagland
Thursday, July 3, 2003; Bush, Bush Wars, Failing wars
George W. Bush
approaches the moment when American presidents seeking reelection routinely
shift to playing defense on foreign policy.
Incumbents start to minimize their involvement in hot spots abroad and
centralize policy-making in the White House in the summer before a presidential
election year.
But Bush is no conventional incumbent. He is so deeply involved in remaking
Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East that he lacks a foreign policy firewall
for 2004. His presidency is irretrievably tied to events in those remote and
devastated precincts. Bush must use every asset he possesses every day to
achieve, at a minimum, non-failure.
U.S. suspends aid to 14
countries in the Western Hemisphere, among a worldwide total of 35, in
retaliation for their support for the International Criminal Court
6.3.03 Bush, Arrogance, Latin America
By cutting off military aid, the White House undermines its own War on Terrorism
and contradicts its previous policies.
The ICC case is the latest example of Washington’s coercive bullyboy diplomatic
treatment of its Hemispheric neighbors.
The State Department under
Colin Powell has hit a new low regarding its mixed signals concerning the
importance of human rights policies.
Estados
Unidos pierde al hacer la paz lo que ganó en la guerra de Irak
El
Tiempo 7.3.03 Bush, Bush’s Wars, Failing wars
Si las cosas continúan como van, Estados Unidos va a perder más soldados en la
posguerra que en la guerra de Irak.
Pero el lado más preocupante de esta realidad, es la confirmación de una gran
paradoja: así como la superpotencia tiene una capacidad extraordinaria para
ganar guerras alrededor del mundo, la conquista de la paz parece costarle un
trabajo increíble.
La versión del Pentágono es que los ataques a sus fuerzas son el producto de
minúsculos focos de resistencia vinculados al anterior régimen, y que pronto
serán exterminados. Pero los hechos muestran otra cosa.
Bueno es
culantro...
El
tiempo 7.3.03 Colombia, Plan Colombia, USA
Intervention
Pese a una relación privilegiada, Colombia quedó en la lista de países a los que
les fue suspendida la ayuda militar estadounidense. ¿Qué pasa?
Un inesperado
incidente ha enturbiado las relaciones de Colombia y Estados Unidos. Por una
parte, el Gobierno Uribe se ha negado a firmar el acuerdo bilateral que exige
Washington y que otorga inmunidad a ciudadanos estadounidenses frente a la Corte
Penal Internacional (CPI). Lo cual puede resultar extraño si se tiene en cuenta
que el presidente Álvaro Uribe se ha dado 'pelas' más duras por George Bush,
como fue la de respaldar su guerra contra Irak. Por otra parte, el presidente
Bush omitió a Colombia de la lista de 22 países a los que no exigió la firma de
este acuerdo bilateral. Lo cual sorprende, cuando ha proclamado una relación
privilegiada con su colega Uribe, y la Casa Blanca considera a Colombia como un
aliado especial.
Fernán Martínez
comenta cómo se fabrican estrellas
El
Tiempo 6.3.03 Colombia, celebrities, Media
¿Cuál es la técnica de comunicación de esta escalera para luminarias de la
farándula? Martínez consolidó a Julio y creó a Enrique Iglesias, dió a conocer a
Sofía Vergara, la revista LOFT, lanzó a Vanessa Alexandra Mendoza y convirtió a
Juanes en figura.
Name Those
Fundraisers
Wednesday, July 2, 2003;
Elections, fundraising
THE BUSIEST PEOPLE at
presidential campaign headquarters yesterday were the accountants, crunching the
final fundraising numbers for the crucial second quarter. The headlines are
obvious: that former Vermont governor Howard Dean leads the Democratic pack with
$7.5 million, and that all the Democrats pale in comparison to the $34.2 million
and counting amassed by President Bush in just a few weeks. The details will
follow July 15 when the campaigns file their disclosure reports. But nowhere in
those voluminous pages will people be able to find the names that really matter
-- not who wrote the $2,000 checks, but who was responsible for bringing them
in. For in a campaign finance system that hinges on disclosure, the glaring
omission is the failure to require that a campaign's true financiers be
revealed.
The Toll on American
Innocence
By David Ignatius
Tuesday, July 1, 2003; Bush, Bush Wars, Failing Wars
PARIS -- "March of
Folly," a study by the historian Barbara Tuchman of history's costliest
blunders, was lying open on the reading table a year ago when I first discussed
the prospect of an American invasion of Iraq with my Syrian-born friend Raja
Sidawi.
America was about to make a mistake of historic dimensions, warned Sidawi, who
made his fortune in the oil business and now runs Petroleum Intelligence Weekly
and other industry publications. He likened the Bush administration's implacable
march into Iraq to Britain's mobilization for the deadly morass of World War I
and America's self-inflicted wounds in Vietnam.
No, no, I told Sidawi. This time it could be different. The Arab world is
beginning a period of upheaval and change, and good things will be impossible
without the removal of Saddam Hussein. I still believe that, but I am haunted by
my friend's words.
Colombia podría perder ayuda
militar de E.U. si no firma acuerdos de inmunidad ante la CPI
ELTIEMPO.COM
El país no figura entre al menos seis latinoamericanos que ya acordaron dar
inmunidad a los soldados estadounidenses ante la Corte Penal Internacional
(CPI).
"Esto le haría perder la ayuda militar estadounidense", dijo este lunes un
funcionario del departamento de Estado.
"Colombia no ha firmado un acuerdo sobre el artículo 98", dijo a la AFP el
informante, que pidió el anonimato, consultado sobre si Colombia podía ser una
de las "más de siete" naciones que firmaron el acuerdo en seceto y que fueron
mencionadas este lunes de manera general por el portavoz Richard Boucher.
Lucrativa la visita de Bush a Miami
El Nuevo Herald 6.30.03 Elections,
Bush
Vino, habló, recaudó y se fue. Ayer en Miami, el presidente George W. Bush
parecía un huracán. En apenas 40 minutos, sus discursos generaron $1.8 millones.
Unos $750 por segundo.
Su paso por la ciudad, de poco más de cinco horas, fue tan rápido, y sus paradas
fueron siempre tan adelantadas, que muchos admiradores y algunos reporteros se
quejaron de que ni lo vieron.
Pero el Presidente se fue contento con la Florida. El Partido Republicano
reveló, durante el almuerzo de $2,000 el cubierto donde se recaudó los $1.8
millones, que en Tampa ya se había asegurado $1.2 millones en una recepción, a
la cual el mandatario se dirigió a media tarde junto a su hermano, el gobernador
Jeb Bush.
¿Se viene la diplomacia trasatlántica?
ANDRES OPPENHEIMER
ENH 6.30.03 Bush, Latin America
Apenas
unas pocas semanas después de que se insultaran públicamente por la Guerra de
Irak, Estados Unidos y países claves de Europa --incluida Francia-- están
conversando en privado para coordinar cada vez más sus políticas hacia América
Latina.
La semana pasada, el secretario de Estado, Colin Powell, se reunió en Washington
con la canciller española, Ana Palacio, y pasaron ''un largo rato'' hablando
sobre las crisis de Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba y los desafíos económicos de
Brasil y Argentina, según me señaló Palacio en una entrevista telefónica después
de la reunión.
"Mientras yo
sea presidente no serán suspendidas las fumigaciones",
advierte Álvaro Uribe
EL TIEMPO 6.30.03 Colombia, Fumigaciones
De esta manera, el jefe de Estado fijó la posición de su gobierno frente a
determinación del Tribunal Superior de Cundinamarca, que ordenó la suspensión de
fumigaciones con glifosato.
"Hay que hablar muy francamente, mientras yo sea el presidente de la República
no puedo suspender las fumigaciones, no me gusta engañar al pueblo, no me gusta
tener un discurso aquí y uno allá. Vamos a derrotar la droga como sea, eso no ha
hecho sino traerle violencia y problemas al pueblo colombiano", dijo Uribe.
Internet Becoming
Candidates' Domain
Dean Leads Democrats in Using Web
By Lois Romano
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 29, 2003; Elections, Internet
For six months now,
former Vermont governor Howard Dean has been running an ever-expanding
grass-roots campaign online, raising millions of dollars and bringing 128,000
passionate cybersupporters to his underdog presidential campaign.
His rivals grudgingly concede that Dean, 54, has clearly tapped into something.
He is attracting the largest crowds of the nine Democratic contenders -- which
his staff attributes almost entirely to his campaign's Internet reach. His
supporters arguably are the most intense for this early in the process, tens of
thousands of them self-organizing in about 300 cities once a month through their
online contact, a Web site called Meetup.com.
Mississippi Teens Journey
Into a Different World
Washington's Diversity and Politics Offer Life Lessons
By Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 24, 2003; Interns, Articles on Interns
The odometer clicking
off the miles wasn't all that told eight excited teenagers how far they were
traveling from the cotton fields and catfish ponds of their Mississippi Delta
home towns.
Some not old enough to drive, they were passengers in a well-worn van that
departed Sunflower, Miss. -- population 800 -- on a journey through the Delta,
across Tennessee and Virginia, and into downtown Washington.
Chiquita to Transfer Panamanian Division
By KATIA MARINTEZ
The Associated Press
Sunday, June 29, 2003; Latin America, Corp America in LA
PANAMA CITY, Panama -
Chiquita Brands International Inc. on Monday will transfer one of its
cash-strapped divisions to a worker-owned cooperative in northern Panama - one
of the largest such hand-overs in the banana-growing industry's history.
In April, the Puerto Armuelles Fruit Co.'s union agreed to pay $20 million to
buy the company its members work for and the 7,415 acres of plantations it
controls in Chiriqui province, 310 miles north of the capital of Panama City, on
the border with Costa Rica.
The ownership transfer takes place Monday in Chiriqui.
NEWSFLASH: THIRTY-EIGHT MILLION HISPANICS TO DETERMINE NEXT PRESIDENT
Hispanics, Hispanic elected officials
WASHINGTON, DC -- House Democratic Caucus Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) will join
nearly 1000 Latino political leaders and elected officials from across the
United States for the 20th Annual National Association of Latino Elected and
Appointed Officials (NALEO) Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, from June 27-28,
2003. NALEO is a nonpartisan membership organization whose constituency
includes the nation's more than 6000 elected and appointed Latino public
servants.
The Scalia
Model
David Broder
Sunday, June 29, 2003; Bush, Supreme Court
During the last
presidential campaign, whenever George W. Bush was asked what he would seek in a
Supreme Court appointee, the first name he brought up as his ideal was Justice
Antonin Scalia. Last week's historic rulings in the University of Michigan
affirmative action cases show why Bush needs to find another model.
Cobran enorme auge las películas en español
El Nuevo Herald 6.29.03 Hispanics,
Film
La
explosión del DVD y el creciente poder adquisitivo de los hispanos ha causado un
histórico boom, con el aumento de películas en español disponibles para
el lucrativo mercado del entretenimiento hogareño. Se estima que los hispanos en
Estados Unidos gastaron más de $4,000 millones en productos de entretenimiento
casero en el 2002, gran parte de los cuales fueron videos y DVD. Por lo tanto,
Hollywood está invirtiendo en la producción y adquisición de películas hispanas,
y los productores y distribuidores independientes hacen lo mismo.
¿Por qué
Venezuela mira al sur y Colombia al norte?
El
Tiempo 6.28.03 LA, Alianza
Como nunca antes el
tema de la integración económica de la Comunidad Andina pasa por el terreno de
los intereses geopolíticos. Distancias de Chávez con E.U. hacen parte del
problema.
Es un asunto de equilibristas. Colombia y Venezuela, los socios más importantes
de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN), caminan por la cuerda floja de la
integración económica en distintas direcciones del hemisferio, pero intentando
que este organismo regional con 34 años de existencia no caiga al vacío.
Mientras Colombia mira hacia el norte e invita a los miembros de la Comunidad
Andina a negociar en bloque el Alca (Área de Libre de Comercio de las Américas)
y a buscar un acuerdo de libre comercio con Estados Unidos, Venezuela mira hacia
el sur e intenta seducir a su vecindario para pactar primero una negociación de
ese tipo con Mercosur.
Miami inicia una 'gran campaña' para lograr la sede de la Secretaria del ALCA
El Nuevo Herald 6.28.03 Miami, FTAA
Miami
''trabajará duro'' para convertirse en el único candidato de Estados Unidos al
secretariado del ALCA y sobre este objetivo girará una ''gran campaña'' cuyo
costo se estima en $1 millón, afirmó ayer Jorge Arrizurieta, director ejecutivo
y principal ejecutivo de la FTAA Inc.
Como parte de la campaña, esta ciudad realiza un fuerte cabildeo en Washington
D.C. para que la balanza se incline a su favor antes de fin de año.
'A nuestros amigos de
Atlanta [Estados Unidos], México, Trinidad y Tobago y Panamá les deseo mucha
suerte, pero pueden estar seguros de que vamos a trabajar duro para lograr que
Miami --que es realmente la `sede natural', el lugar central, el lugar neutro--
consiga esta importante y codiciada sede'', dijo Arrizurieta al referirse a los
competidores de esta ciudad en la contienda por el secretariado.
BUSH DROPS 10 POINTS AMONG HISPANIC VOTERS
RESULTS INDICATE BUSH’S HONEYMOON WITH LATINOS MAY BE OVER
Washington DC – The New Democrat Network today released the results of its 2nd Annual National Poll of the Hispanic
Electorate. A part of
NDN’s “Democratas Unidos” Hispanic Project, the poll has four major findings:
1)--Latinos feel that Bush
has let them down.
Bush has suffered a ten-point drop in Presidential Preference.
Latinos indicate they do not feel he has kept his word on important issues such
as, foreign policy towards Latin A
America, education, and the economy;
2)--Education and the
economy are top concerns.
Hispanics’ most important issue is education
and they feel Bush has not lived up to his rhetoric and promises to “leave no
child behind.” On the
economy, results indicate Latinos feel the record deficit will make it difficult
for the economy to improve.
3) --Bush’s nomination of
Miguel Estrada IS NOT of great concern to Latinos.
More than 60% of
Latinos are not aware of Miguel Estrada’s nomination or have no opinion on the
matter.
4)--On a national level,
Hispanic voters do not feel that an increase in Latino political power has
translated to an increase of benefits to their families.
This may indicate why
Hispanic voter turnout
is diminishing.
“The goodwill that President Bush went to such lengths to build with Hispanics
seems to be eroding,”
said Sergio Bendixen of Bendixen and Associates, the firm that conducted the
poll. “Latinos really feel
that someone who presented himself as their friend, has now let them down in the
areas that are most
important to them and their families.”
The Imperial Presidency Redux
By Arthur Schlesinger
Jr.
Saturday, June 28, 2003; Bush, Abuse of Power
The
weapons-of-mass-destruction issue -- where are they? -- will not subside and
disappear, as the administration supposes (and hopes).
The issue will build because many Americans do not like to be manipulated and
deceived.
It will build because elements in Congress and in the media will wish to regain
their honor and demonstrate their liberation from Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld.
It will build because of growing interest in the parallel British inquiries by
committees of the House of Commons. Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary,
formulated the charge with precision: "Instead of using intelligence as
evidence on which to base a decision about policy, we used intelligence as the
basis on which to justify a policy on which we had already settled."
Miami inicia una 'gran campaña' para lograr la sede de la Secretaria del ALCA
El Nuevo Herald 6.28.03 Miami, FTAA
Miami ''trabajará duro'' para convertirse en el único candidato de Estados
Unidos al secretariado del ALCA y sobre este objetivo girará una ''gran
campaña'' cuyo costo se estima en $1 millón, afirmó ayer Jorge Arrizurieta,
director ejecutivo y principal ejecutivo de la FTAA Inc.
Como parte de la campaña, esta ciudad realiza un fuerte cabildeo en Washington
D.C. para que la balanza se incline a su favor antes de fin de año.
'A nuestros amigos de
Atlanta [Estados Unidos], México, Trinidad y Tobago y Panamá les deseo mucha
suerte, pero pueden estar seguros de que vamos a trabajar duro para lograr que
Miami --que es realmente la `sede natural', el lugar central, el lugar neutro--
consiga esta importante y codiciada sede'', dijo Arrizurieta al referirse a los
competidores de esta ciudad en la contienda por el secretariado.
Lula
insta a crear gran bloque económico sudamericano
Associated Press 6.28.03 Latin America,
Alianza Union SA
CARMEN DE VIBORAL, Colombia
-
El presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, abogó en la cumbre andina
por la creación de un gran bloque económico sudamericano que refuerce el poder
de la región para las negociaciones del Area de Libre Comercio de las Américas
(ALCA).
En un discurso ante los
presidentes de Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela y el vicepresidente de Perú,
Lula indicó que el camino a seguir es fusionar la Comunidad Andina de Naciones
(CAN) --que componen estos cinco países--, con el Mercosur.
"Brasil concibe la integración entre el Mercosur y la Comunidad Andina como una
herramienta para alcanzar una relación que refleje el peso de ambos bloques",
dijo Lula el viernes por la noche, en un centro cultural del municipio de Carmen
de Viboral, a 220 kilómetros al noroeste de Bogotá.
Las latinoamericanas conquistan el corazón de España
6.28.03 Spain, LA in spain
Las cosas han cambiado. Si hace 500 años los españoles conquistaron América,
ahora las latinoamericanas conquistan a los españoles. Según el Instituto
Nacional de Estadística (INE), el 61.9 por ciento de los varones de este país
que contraen nupcias con una extranjera lo hacen con una americana,
especialmente de América Latina.
Ese fenómeno, unido al de los bebés que procrean, ha sido positivo para una
España cuya tasa de natalidad es la más baja del mundo occidental (en promedio,
una española tiene 1.26 hijos). Tanto que, de acuerdo con el INE, el año pasado
se registró la cifra más alta de nacimientos desde 1988, gracias en buena medida
a los partos de madres foráneas.
Cámara de
Representantes de E.U. pide bloquear 37,1 millones de dólares ayuda Colombia
Corresponsal de EL TIEMPO 6.27.03 Colombia, Plan Colombia
Estarán
congelados hasta que el gobierno colombiano, la DEA y el Departamento de Estado
de E.U. den explicaciones convincentes sobre las dos toneladas de cocaína que se
"perdieron" en Barranquilla el año pasado.
Así lo dejó planteado el presidente el Comité de Relaciones Internacionales de
las Cámara de Estados Unidos, el republicano Henry Hyde, en una carta dirigida
al subsecretario asistente de Asuntos Legales del Departamento de Estado, Paul
Kelly.
Internet Advocacy www.moveon.org
This past week,
www.moveon.org conducted "an online vote to
help concerned participants express their preferences among the current field of
Democratic candidates" for president. The vote was a great success, with
"317,647 members" voting, making MoveOn's e-primary "larger than both the New
Hampshire Democratic primary and Iowa caucuses combined." Here are the results:
Howard Dean 43.87%, Dennis Kucinich 23.93%, John Kerry 15.73%, John Edwards
3.19%, Richard Gephardt 2.44%, Robert Graham 2.24%, Carol Moseley Braun 2.21 %,
Joseph Lieberman 1.92%, and Al Sharpton 0.53%. Of respondents, 2.01% chose
"undecided," while 1.93% chose "other." MoveOn also "announced that any
candidate from the field of nine that garnered more than 50% of the vote would
receive our endorsement." No candidate reached this threshold however.
La 'nueva' ventaja latinoamericana
ANDRES
Oppenheimer 6.27.03 latin America, advantages
En una reciente
entrevista, el ex jefe de Estado español Felipe González me dijo una cosa que me
dejó pensando: la diferencia entre los países centrales y los periféricos será
cada vez más relativa, y hasta los países más pobres de América Latina tendrán
la posibilidad de desempeñar un papel importante en la economía global.
''Las fronteras del
desarrollo van a pasar por sitios rarísimos, como la India'', dijo González,
refiriéndose a la exitosa industria exportadora de servicios de computación de
la India. ``Centro y periferia, en la sociedad de la red, han perdido relevancia.
Casi cualquier país puede llegar a ser parte del centro''.
Mexican ID not valid, a 'threat,' FBI says
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The Matricula Consular card, issued by the Mexican government to Mexicans
living in the United States, "is not a reliable form of identification" and
poses a criminal and terrorist threat, the FBI has concluded.
"Clearly, this is a threat to vulnerability," Steven McCraw, the assistant
director of the FBI's Office of Intelligence, told a House immigration panel
yesterday.
Mr. McCraw said the identification cards are easy to obtain through fraud,
and lack adequate security measures to prevent easy forgery. He cited examples
of alien smugglers being arrested with up to seven different cards and an
Iranian national who was arrested with a Matricula Consular card in his name.
House Limits Pre-War Intelligence Investigation
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 26, 2003; Congress, GOP Congress
The
Republican-controlled House today defeated two amendments by Democrats to
broaden congressional investigations into the Bush administration's handling of
pre-war intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and connections with
the al Qaeda terrorist network.
Members postponed until later today or Friday a final vote on the bill
authorizing more than $37 billion to finance U.S. intelligence operations next
year.
The House defeated, by a vote of 239 to 185, an amendment by Rep. Sheila Jackson
Lee (D-Tex.) to require the comptroller general to look into the sharing of U.S.
intelligence with U.N. weapons inspectors before the war. Jackson Lee said
questions about whether the Bush administration shared all its relevant
intelligence about weapons sites with the U.N. inspections teams needed to be
answered because President Bush had said "inspections had failed" and that
Iraq's weapons "posed such a dire, imminent threat to the United States that we
had no choice but to go to war."
Targeting Lobbyists Pays Off
For GOP
Party Earns More Funds, Influence
By Jim VandeHei and
Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, June 26, 2003 Lobbying, GOP
Nearly a decade after
Republicans launched a campaign to oust Democrats from top lobbying jobs in
Washington, sometimes through intimidation and private threats, they are seizing
a significant number of the most influential positions at trade associations and
corporate government affairs offices -- and reaping big financial rewards.
Partly because of the "K Street Project" -- and partly because of GOP control of
Congress and the presidency -- virtually every major company or trade
association looking for new top-level representation is hiring or seeking to
hire a prominent Republican politician or staffer, according to Republicans and
Democrats tracking the situation.
This year, General Electric, Comcast, Citigroup and many other Fortune 500
companies have hired Bush administration officials and former GOP congressional
advisers for top lobbying posts. A Republican National Committee official
recently told a group of GOP lobbyists that 33 of 36 top-level Washington
positions he is monitoring went to Republicans, according to someone who
attended the meeting.
Chávez ve el ALCA como paso al suicidio
CARACAS
6.26.03 Latin America, FTAA, en contra
El presidente venezolano, Hugo Chávez, afirmó ayer que ingresar al Area de Libre
Comercio de las Américas (ALCA) sería ''firmar el acta de defunción de la
patria'', al reiterar sus fuertes críticas contra ese mecanismo.
''Continúan algunos pretendiendo imponerle a este continente un modelo de un
Area de Libre Comercio, y una desregulación total de nuestras economías. ¿Y cómo
pretenden que compitamos nosotros con la economía de Estados Unidos?'', preguntó
Chávez en un acto en el palacio presidencial de Miraflores.
Sobornos aún reinan en el seno del comercio internacional
El Nuevo Herald 6.26.03 Latin America,
Corrupcion
En
la onda de la globalización, parece ser que los sobornos están en el orden del
día. Miguel J. Schloss, asesor, cofundador y ex director ejecutivo de
Transparencia Internacional, dice que las dádivas desempeñan ''un papel
significativo'' en el comercio internacional y los países líderes en exportación
parecen estar inclinados a utilizar este tipo de práctica corrupta.
En los mercados emergentes se nota el pago de sobornos internacionales ''en los
sectores de obras públicas y construcción, seguido por la industria de armas'',
de acuerdo con los datos del Bribe Prayers Index (BPI).
El Congreso norteamericano duda del Plan Colombia
El Nuevo Herald 6.26.03 Colombia, Plan
Colombia, Resultados
En medio de un
sentimiento generalizado de impaciencia en el Congreso de Estados Unidos con los
resultados del Plan Colombia, el organismo investigador de esa rama del poder
público señaló que el plan no tiene objetivos claros y representa serios
desafíos financieros y de manejo para Washington.
En un informe de 45 páginas, la Oficina de Fiscalización del Congreso (GAO)
afirma que después de tres años no existe en Washington información sobre el
costo de los programas antinarcóticos, parte fundamental del Plan Colombia; al
tiempo que los departamentos de Estado y de Defensa no han elaborado un cálculo
del presupuesto futuro del plan, ni han definido las metas ni los criterios para
determinar si el plan ha logrado sus fines.
Al mismo tiempo, la capacidad de Colombia de contribuir más ampliamente con el
programa es limitada, y el país continúa bajo la amenaza de la insurgencia y la
necesidad de cumplir con los parámetros de derechos humanos, requisito esencial
para que Estados Unidos continúe con la asistencia.
Giving
Revisionists a Bad Name
By Alexander Keyssar
Tuesday, June 24, 2003; Page A21 Bush, Arrogance
Last week, in a
speech to business leaders in Elizabeth, N.J., President Bush dismissed as
"revisionist historians" those critics who have begun to question the
administration's rationale for invading Iraq. His national security adviser,
Condoleezza Rice, made a similar claim a few days earlier. They both seem to
think there is something suspect or illegitimate about revisionist history.
Televisión de Estados Unidos no tiene representación hispana
EL
Tiempo 6.25.03 Hispanics, TV
Las grandes cadenas
la mantienen al margen en su programación, a pesar de que son una minoría con
poder de consumo creciente.
El estudio,
realizado por La Universidad de California en Los Angeles, revela que los
actores hispanos recibieron sólo el 3 por ciento de tiempo en seis de las más
importantes cadenas de TV en el 2002, mientras los blancos tuvieron el 81 por
ciento y los negros el 15.
Por las rutas vinícolas de Andalucía
Especial/El Nuevo Herald
Andalucía es una tierra dotada de un brillante colorido y de pasiones intensas.
Resulta casi imposible describir en pocas palabras la enigmática cultura
andaluza.
Puede
ser hermética a la vez que abierta y espontánea, meditativa y bulliciosa, tan
humilde como hiperbólica, respetuosa y al mismo tiempo irreverente y, sobre todo,
manifestarse llena de contradicciones.
Las empresas justifican sus pérdidas
NUEVA YORK 6.23.03 Bush, Bush’s Wars, Failing Wars
Pareciera que los dioses le dieron la espalda a las empresas del país. Cada vez
son más las compañías que dicen que la guerra, la enfermedad y el mal tiempo son
las razones por las que sus ganancias del segundo trimestre no cumplirán con las
previsiones.
En un ambiente de una mayor supervisión por parte de los accionistas, las
compañías simplemente podrían estar apelando al clima y a los acontecimientos
internacionales como excusas para cubrir sus propios errores.
Un colombiano traza el futuro del automovilismo
DEARBORN, Michigan
En las paredes de las oficinas ejecutivas de la sede de la segunda empresa
automotriz del mundo, a pocas millas del galpón donde hace un siglo Henry Ford
inició la producción masiva de automóviles, cuelgan dos pinturas del concepto
futuro del vehículo deportivo GT 40, un icono histórico de la Ford que se
consagra hoy como su mayor orgullo automotor.
Presidente
argentino entró golpeando a los sectores más corruptos y completa su primer mes
en plena luna de miel
El tiempo 6.23.03 Latin America, Argentina, Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner, por el que casi nadie votó, da resultados contundentes en
tiempo récord. De 20 por ciento de apoyo, su aceptación alcanza hoy el 76 por
ciento.
A puro vértigo. Así puede sintetizarse el primer mes de gestión de Néstor
Kirchner. El presidente argentino llegó a poder con una debilidad extrema, trazó
el panorama en días y se planteó la urgencia de “construir poder” y asegurar la
gobernabilidad. El 76 por ciento de aceptación popular que marcan las encuestas
indican que lo está logrando.
¿Norte o Sur?
El tiempo 6.23.03 Latin A., Integration
Los presidentes andinos, en la cumbre del viernes en Antioquia, a la que también
asistirá Lula, tendrán que decidir qué camino tomar.
Varios planteamientos que bien vale la pena comentar sobre las relaciones de
Estados Unidos con Colombia salieron a relucir en el seminario que sobre el tema
realizaron en días pasados la Fundación Buen Gobierno y el Diálogo
Interamericano en Bogotá.
China es la amenaza comercial para los confeccionistas latinoamericanos
El Tiempo 6.23.03 Latin A, Integración,
La producción a bajísimos costos de la confección china no solo podría inundar
los mercados mundiales con precios muy bajos, sino apoderarse del estadounidense
a partir del año 2005.
Los textileros y confeccionistas latinoamericanos, en particular los
centroamericanos y andinos, afectados ya por la competencia asiática, temen
perder desde ese año el gigantesco mercado de E.U., cuyas importaciones anuales
superan los 76.000 millones de dólares.
Una nueva aerolínea con ruta a Nueva York
The Miami Herald 6.21.03 Corp america, Airlines
Song
inicia hoy su vuelo inaugural desde el Aeropuerto Internacional Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
prometiendo ser un nuevo competidor en el mercado de los viajes de placer.
La subsidiaria de bajo precio de Delta Air Lines, que sustituye a Delta Express,
empezará su servicio desde Fort Lauderdale con dos vuelos diarios al Aeropuerto
Internacional John F. Kennedy de Nueva York. Para octubre, al aerolínea ampliará
a 19 vuelos diarios a JFK, Boston, Newark, La Guardia de Nueva York, Las Vegas,
Hartford y el Dulles de Washington.
El sol, un doctor muy económico que sale todos los días
El Tiempo 6.21.03 Health, Sun & Vitamin D
Una exposición relativamente breve a los rayos solares, sin restricciones y
varias veces a la semana, puede ayudar a la protección contra un buen número de
enfermedades.
¿Puede el sol, al que muchas personas rehuyen por temor al cáncer de piel y a
las arrugas, salvar más vidas de las que puede dañar? Sí, dice categóricamente
Michael F. Holick, profesor de medicina, dermatología, fisiología y biofísica de
la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Boston (E.U.).
Kucinich for President Speech
On February 17, 2002, more
than a year before the war with Iraq, I sat down and wrote "A Prayer for
America," a speech I delivered later that day to the Southern California ADA, to
a rousing reception. If that speech, or this essay, touches or inspires you,
volunteer--help us speak truth to power:
http://www.kucinich.us/volunteer.php
More than a
year
before the Bush Administration bombed Baghdad, I spoke of "...the War Games of
an unelected President and his unelected Vice President." Months before anyone
else now running for President, I spoke these words: "Let us pray that our
country will stop this war...
Because we did not authorize the invasion of Iraq.
We did not authorize the invasion of Iran.
We did not authorize the invasion of North Korea.
We did not authorize the bombing of civilians in Afghanistan.
We did not authorize permanent detainees in Guantanamo Bay.
We did not authorize the withdrawal from the Geneva Convention.
We did not authorize military tribunals suspending due process and habeas
corpus.
We did not authorize assassination squads.
We did not authorize the resurrection of COINTELPRO.
We did not authorize the repeal of the Bill of Rights.
We did not authorize the revocation of the Constitution.
We did not authorize national identity cards.
We did not authorize the eye of Big Brother to peer from cameras throughout our
cities.
We did not authorize an eye for an eye.
Nor did we ask that the blood of innocent people, who perished on September 11,
be avenged with the blood of innocent villagers in Afghanistan.
We did not authorize the administration to wage war anytime, anywhere, anyhow it
pleases.
We did not authorize war without end.
We did not authorize a permanent war economy."
Congresswoman Hilda Solis
Hispanic Radio Address Air Date: Sat. June 21, 2003
"Instead of allowing seniors to get their prescriptions through Medicare,
Republicans in the House of Representatives want to dismantle the program
entirely. Under their plan, the prescription drug benefit would be run by HMOs
and the private insurance industry.
"This means that those insurance companies would be able to charge any price
they wanted, and even determine which drugs seniors are allowed to purchase.
Medicare should be about healing patients, not enriching private insurance
companies.
"Besides forcing seniors into private HMOs, the Republican plan still does not
make prescription drugs affordable for many Latino seniors. That's because
participants will still have to pay for the first $250 worth of drugs without
any help at all. And they would pay 20 percent of their drugs from there up to
$2000. After that, the Republican bill completely stops paying for the drugs,
even though seniors are still paying $35 or more per month to be a part of the
plan.
Bush’ Support for Military Questioned
By
Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 17, 2003; Page A19
Bush, Talk and no Action Democrats concerned about facing a popular wartime
president in next year's elections think there may be an opening in the most
unusual of places: President Bush's treatment of the military.Bush is held in
high esteem by the military, because of his leadership of successful military
campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq and his unstinting defense budgets. But Bush's
opponents say he has rewarded American troops' heroism by skimping on their
housing benefits, their tax cuts, their health care and education for their
children.
GOP Consultant nets $16 million
By
Jim VandeHei and Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writers Elections, Fundraising,
GOP
Monday, June 16, 2003; Page A04
In the first four months of this year, House Republicans spent more than $16
million on campaign fundraising pitches crafted by telemarketing guru Rodney
Smith and delivered by GOP employees at a little-known firm in Akron, Ohio,
federal records show.
That is a remarkable sum for one small company in a sea of political
consultants. But House GOP leaders say they are happy with the results of
InfoCision Management Corp.'s work: a huge surge in donations and an
ever-growing rolodex of small donors the Republican Party can tap in future
elections. Those benefits, party leaders say, easily outweigh the occasional bad
press, such as disclosures that InfoCision's callers accidentally solicited an
adult filmmaker and a Utah woman who ran a topless maid service.
Pain of
Past Resurfaces in Guatemala
Ex-Dictator Rios Montt Campaigns for Presidency, Denying Role in Atrocities
By
Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service Guatemala, elections, Rios Mont
Monday, June 16, 2003; Page A16
SANTA ANITA LAS CANOAS, Guatemala -- Jose Lorenzo Nicho can still picture the
soldiers tying 14 men to fence posts at dawn. Before they drew their rifles and
executed them, they tortured the suspected guerrillas all night. Nicho, 56, said
he remembers hearing their screams, including the cries of his two brothers that
echoed around this mountaintop village and still haunt survivors 21 years later.
That massacre, on Oct. 14, 1982, was one of hundreds committed during this
country's 36-year civil war, in which more than 200,000 people were killed by
military or paramilitary forces. The majority of the victims were poor Mayan
Indians killed in the government's often indiscriminate "scorched earth"
anti-insurgency campaign in rural communities like this one.
La Triple Frontera intenta mejorar su mala imagen
FOZ DE IGUAZU, Brasil
Un
anuncio publicitario de uno de los diarios de mayor circulación de esta ciudad,
mostraba hace unas semanas un aviso de página entera con un montaje fotográfico
de Bin Laden descansando plácidamente y la imagen al fondo de las majestuosas
cataratas de Iguazú, situadas a 15 kilómetros de esta ciudad.
El Consorcio Colombia digital impulsa el desarrollo de una nación digital
El Tiempo 6.16.03 Colombia, Education, Hight Tech
La
tecnología puede ser un poderoso factor de desarrollo o aumentar la distancia
entre países con diferentes posibilidades de acceder a las nuevas herramientas.
Sin duda, durante los últimos años, las tecnologías de la información y las
comunicaciones (TIC) han dado lugar a una verdadera revolución digital que se
constituye en el pilar fundamental de la denominada sociedad del conocimiento.
New GOP
Caucus Races After Latinos
Group Will Register Voters, Groom Future Candidates
By
Nurith C. Aizenman and David Snyder
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, June 16, 2003; Page B01 Elections, Hispanic Vote
Moments after Alma Preciado was sworn in as a U.S. citizen, a volunteer with the
Democratic Party asked whether she wanted to register to vote.
She readily agreed. Within weeks, Preciado says, her mailbox was flooded with
campaign literature from Democratic candidates, and she soon became a reliable
party-line voter.
It wasn't until nearly a decade later that Preciado, a native of Mexico,
happened upon a rally for presidential candidate George W. Bush and realized
that her views were actually more in line with the GOP.
Affirmative Action Debate Forces Brazil to Take Look in the Mirror
By
Jon Jeter
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, June 16, 2003; Page A01 Brazil, Race
RIO DE JANEIRO -- The 36 freshmen who stroll into Prof. Geraldo Monteiro's
sociology of law class at the State University of Rio de Janeiro are as diverse
as they are loud, a distinctly Brazilian gumbo of blue eyes, cornrows and
complexions from black to white and every earthly hue in between.
"Last semester," said Monteiro, a law professor here, "there weren't enough
blacks in the law school to even mention. I'm generalizing only a little when I
say that all of my students were blond, white and rich. A lot of those kids are
in court now, learning the law a different way: by suing the university."
Contratiempos de un cachaco diplomático
El
Tiempo 6.15.03 Colombia,
Sobre su profesión habla Hernán Tobar, ex diplomático clásico y antiguo en
términos de su afición automovilística.
Se ingresa a la Cancillería no para especializarse en fronteras, en hacer
pasaportes, en manejar claves, o expedir visas, sino para viajar al exterior con
cargo diplomático. Para merecer el nombramiento, el aspirante debe haber hecho
carrera diplomática y hablar, por lo menos, otro idioma. Requisitos que poco se
cumplen, pues los presidentes utilizan los cargos diplomáticos para recompensar
a quienes ayudaron en la campaña; también para alejar a incómodos enemigos
políticos. Por estas y otras razones, la Cancillería no es profesional. Como sí
son profesionales Itamarati del Brasil, Torre Tagle del Perú, o las de Chile,
México o E.U.
If Bush Is Lying, He's Not the First
By
David Wise
Sunday, June 15, 2003; Page B01 Bush, Lies,
The sign on the White House these days might well read "Welcome to Credibility
Gap."
Sooner or later, every modern administration has fallen into this unwelcome
gulch, a disaster that happens when the gap between the government's words and
the known facts becomes discernible to the voters. The phrase "credibility gap"
came into use during the Democratic administration of Lyndon B. Johnson, but
deception as an instrument of national policy began long before that. Misleading
official statements, "spin" and, at times, outright lies are an all-too-familiar
part of the White House landscape. Government lying has become as American as
apple pie.
The Costs of Iraq
Sunday, June 15, 2003; Page B06 Bush, Bush’s Wars, Failing wars
ON JUNE 3, just over a month after President Bush declared the war in Iraq over,
Sgt. Atanacio Haro Marin Jr., 27, of Baldwin Park, Calif., was killed at a
checkpoint near Balad in central Iraq when his unit came under fire from
automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.
Two days later, on June 5, Pfc. Branden F. Oberleitner, 20, of Worthington,
Ohio, was fatally struck by a grenade in Al Fallujah.
'México lindo y querido'
El Tiempo 6.15.03 Colombia, Colombia y
Mexico
Con pocos países como con México, tiene Colombia nexos culturales tan estrechos.
Humor, cine, música, comida ... la presencia de los ‘manitos’ aquí es profunda y
perdurable.
Vicente Fernández se fue de Bogotá sin enterarse de que venció a las Farc en su
santuario del Caguán en el 2000. Entonces, el grupo guerrillero supervisaba casi
todas las actividades en esa región, pero no pudo controlar las preferencias
musicales de los sanvicentunos. Cuando estuve allí para una serie de programas
para la BBC, lo que salía de una grabadora portátil en el aeropuerto y lo que se
escuchaba con estridencia en los bares no eran himnos revolucionarios. Eran las
sentidas, amorosas, despechadas y sentimentales canciones de Fernández, el mismo
ex albañil y ex lustrabotas que, sin disparar un tiro, pasó de la miseria a la
opulencia y reunió, hace poco, en torno a su figura de charro y a la de su hijo
Alejandro, a unos 20 mil colombianos, solamente en el Campín en Bogotá.
Pragmatic
Centrist In Debt to JFK
Living Religion, Honing Ambition
By
Edward Walsh
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 15, 2003; Elections, 2004,
Democrats
Third in a series
In 1988, Joseph I. Lieberman took a calculated political risk. He was
Connecticut's popular Democratic attorney general, but he decided to challenge
the state's imperious U.S. senator, Republican Lowell P. Weicker Jr.
"Joe had been seen as retiring, a consensus-maker, an average public speaker,
Lieberman Lite and so forth," recalled former Connecticut Democratic chairman
John F. Droney Jr. "And Weicker was a large, physically imposing, bombastic,
self-assured good speaker. Joe just tore him apart in this one big debate at the
Old Statehouse, and Weicker was stunned. Joe would just not let up on him. He
was like a terrier.
Mismanaged Property
Saturday, June 14, 2003; Page A22 DC, Corruption
D.C. COUNCIL member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) raised a red flag last fall when
the Williams administration asked the council to authorize a $12.5 million deal
to buy land in Prince George's County owned by developer Douglas Jemal that the
city has been using as an impoundment lot. Mr. Jemal was pulling in nearly $1
million a year to lease the site -- 37 acres he had bought in 1998 for $1.5
million. Mrs. Schwartz's challenge prompted the Williams administration to
withdraw the deal. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
The D.C. Office of Property Management, which worked out the proposed purchase
with Mr. Jemal, is under the supervision of the deputy mayor for operations, who
reportedly answers to the mayor. But information provided by council member Jim
Graham (D-Ward 1), who has participated in six hearings into that office's lease
management practices, makes clear that the property management office has been a
world unto itself -- and a seamy one at that. Mr. Graham has concluded that
there is ample evidence of fraud, theft and corruption in the property
management operations. It's no surprise that the D.C. auditor's office has
called in the FBI. What is astonishing is the extent to which such alleged
malfeasance could have materialized in a city administration that is supposed to
have installed a system of checks and balances and high-quality personnel to
prevent just such trouble.
Un senado de millonarios
Associated Press 6.14.03 Government, Senate
El nuevo líder de la mayoría senatorial Bill Frist, y el veterano senador
demócrata Edward Kennedy están entre los más ricos de un Senado lleno de
millonarios, según las declaraciones financieras dadas a la publicidad el 13 de
junio.
El republicano de Tennessee, que antes de dedicarse a la política era un
destacado cirujano especialista en trasplantes de corazón y pulmones, y cuya
familia fundó The Healthcare Company, una de las cadenas de hospitales
más grandes de la nación, reportó fideicomisos entre los $6.5 y los $31
millones.
Indígenas atacan a pedradas a Ríos Montt en norte de Guatemala
Associated Press 6.14.03 Guatemala, government,
elections
RABINAL, Guatemala
-
El ex dictador Efraín Ríos Montt fue atacado a pedradas cuando intentaba dirigir
una manifestación política el sábado en esta localidad, donde centenares de
campesinos participaban en la inhumación de 66 osamentas de víctimas de masacres
de los militares en 1981, según constató la AP.
"Tenemos que respetarnos los guatemaltecos", dijo Ríos Montt a la enardecida
turba cuando recibió la primera pedrada. Los dirigentes locales, quienes también
huyeron bajo una lluvia de piedras, sacaron en vilo al ex dictador hacia uno de
los vehículos en los cuales abandonó presuroso el lugar del mitin.
E.U. presiona a Colombia para remover a generales involucrados en violaciones a
derechos humanosEl
Tiempo 6.14.03 Colombia, Plan Colombia, Funding
En Washington y Bogotá es un secreto a gritos que esto sucede y que ha sido una
constante de las relaciones bilaterales durante los últimos años. Los casos de
los comandantes del Ejército y de la Fuerza Aérea están sobre el tapete.
Quizás Estados Unidos nunca reconozca abiertamente que presiona al gobierno de
Colombia en este asunto y de la existencia de una "lista de generales" cuyas
cabezas serían bienvenidas. Tal vez tampoco el gobierno colombiano admita que
cede a dichas presiones.
The
Incredible Shrinking Mayor
By
Colbert I. King
Saturday, June 14, 2003; Page A23 DC, Mayor Williams. His Inner
Circle
It's a wonder D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams still manages to haul himself out of
bed for work each day. During the four-plus years he's been in office, there's
hardly been a six-month period when the mayor has not had to step forward to
advise the public that he has been "shocked," "distressed," "nauseated" or
"disgusted" by some story of scandal or major bungling in the bowels of his
administration. His capacity for outrage is virtually endless. So,
unfortunately, are the opportunities.
Yet the more he fumes and the more he lurches from one humiliating snafu to
another, the more Williams comes across as a leader with little control over the
troops under his command. That's not just a perception; it's becoming a reality.
D.C. Finance Chief Voices Doubt About Stadium Plan
By Mark Asher and Craig Timberg
Washington Post Staff Writers DC, New Baseball
Stadium, Against
Friday, June 13, 2003; Page B06
D.C.
Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi warned yesterday that the mayor's plan
to spend $339 million to lure major league baseball to Washington could face a
shortfall of nearly $2 million a year if the team plays poorly.
Gandhi contended that losing teams draw far fewer fans than winning ones, and he
called the projected sales tax on tickets "a bit uncertain" because many tickets
would be sold on the Internet, where taxation is rare.
Valuation
How much is your business worth?
By Jeffrey Levine and Andrew Sherman, AGF, Programs, Courses, Entrepreneur
Fortune Small Business Business valuation is sometimes considered more art than
science. Or better put, value is often in the eye of the beholder. It is defined
as what a willing buyer will pay a willing seller, but the true computation of
value is difficult to pin down.
Cámara de Representantes de E.U. propone pagar a informantes en Colombia
EL TIEMPO 6.13.03 Colombia, Washington Dicta
Podría pagar recompensas a campesinos colombianos que suministren información
que permita localizar plantaciones de amapola. Depende de la decisión que tome
el Gobierno de George W. Bush. La Cámara busca mayor efectividad en la lucha
contra la producción heroína.
En
una carta conocida por EL TIEMPO, el presidente de la Comisión de Relaciones
Internacionales, Henry Hyde, le dice al zar antidrogas John Walters que apoye un
programa "a gran escala para pagar a los campesinos por esta información".
Crece la deserción escolar de los latinos
El
Nuevo Herald 6.13.03 Hispanics, Education
Un
reciente estudio reveló que sigue aumentando a niveles alarmantes la deserción
entre los estudiantes hispanos de secundaria en el estado, la cual alcanzó
cifras muy por encima de los promedios estatal y nacional.
En la última década [1990-2000], el índice de deserción escolar en la Florida
entre los jóvenes hispanos de 16 a 19 años subió del 18.2 por ciento al 18.8 por
ciento, mientras que el nivel estatal general bajó de 14.3 por ciento a 11.9 por
ciento.
Lo que el golpe se llevó -Rojas Pinilla
El
Tiempo 6.13.03 Colombia, History
Un régimen que despertó esperanzas en el país ensangrentado de hace medio siglo,
pero las frustró él mismo con su arbitrariedad y su vanidad.
Medio siglo después del que, en su momento, se calificó como "un golpe de
opinión", hay que mirar ese acontecimiento histórico del 13 de junio de 1953, en
apariencia ya lejano, bajo el prisma del significado que pueda tener para las
generaciones de hoy.
Reaping the World's Disfavor
By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, June 11, 2003; Page A35 TWP Bush, Bush Wars,
Failing Wars
Save for
the continuing search for its justification, the war in Iraq is over. For the
United States, if not yet for Iraq, the consequences are clear. We have
established yet again the utter supremacy of our hard power.
Unfriendly governments tremble anew at our armed might and our willingness to
use it. Some, to be sure, are hard at work building their atomic arsenals, and
the last thing we need is a trembling adversary with a nuclear trigger. Still,
if the challenge before us is military, our government is justly confident we
can deter or defeat it.
Pelosi apoya niños latinos afectados por recortes republicanos
Martes 3 de junio de 2003 GOP, GOP &
Hispanics, Against Hisp
Washington, D.C. - La Líder Demócrata en la Cámara de Representantes Nancy
Pelosi anunció hoy su apoyo para el “Acta de Créditos Contributivos para las
Familias Trabajadoras,” sometido hoy por varios congresistas demócratas. Este
proyecto de ley ampliaría el crédito contributivo infantil para ayudar a las
familias trabajadoras que se quedaron rezagadas por los recortes a los impuestos
de los republicanos
“El Mensaje de los republicanos es que estos millones de niños no merecen ayuda,
a pesar de que sus padres trabajan arduamente todos los días. Es inconcebible
que los republicanos en la Cámara hayan rehusado proveerle un crédito a las
familias trabajadoras estadounidenses. Las prioridades republicanas son claras:
los intereses de sus amigos ricos son más importantes que los millones de niños
y sus familias que se beneficiarían de esta extensión.
El
Salvador: ARENA listo para elegir candidato presidencial
Associated Press 6.15.03 Latin America,
El
Salvador,
elecciones
SAN SALVADOR
-
El
partido político de gobierno anunció que elegirá el próximo 13 de julio sus
candidatos para las elecciones presidenciales de marzo del 2004.
El presidente de Ideología de la Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA), Mario
Acosta, informó que en las primarias participarán unos 8.000 afiliados al
partido
GOP Whip
Quietly Tried to Aid Big Donor
Provision Was Meant To Help
Philip Morris
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer GOP, conflict of
Interest
Wednesday, June 11, 2003; Page A01
Only
hours after Rep. Roy Blunt was named to the House's third-highest leadership job
in November, he surprised his fellow top Republicans by trying to quietly insert
a provision benefiting Philip Morris USA into the 475-page bill creating a
Department of Homeland Security, according to several people familiar with the
effort.
The new majority whip, who has close personal and political ties to the company,
instructed congressional aides to add the tobacco provision to the bill -- then
within hours of a final House vote -- even though no one else in leadership
supported it or knew he was trying to squeeze it in.
Once alerted to the provision, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's chief of staff, Scott
Palmer, quickly had it pulled out, said a senior GOP leader who requested
anonymity. Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) also opposed what Blunt (Mo.) was
trying to do, the member said, and "worked against it" when he learned of it.
Wanted: A New
Democratic Strategy for Courting the Latino Vote
By Matthew Alvarez McMillan Elections, Hispanic vote
Democrats are worried about 2004. George W. Bush is poised to recapture the
White House with the help of unlikely allies –ethnic minorities. The Grand Old
Party is acutely aware that their "old"
(traditional) base – white males – is diminishing in electoral importance and
that they must reach out to new voter groups if they hope to remain a relevant
political force in the new century.
Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in America. Latinos, just 9%
of the population in 1990, surpassed blacks as the largest ethnic minority group
in the 2000 census (now 12% of the
population). Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Mark Racicot is quite
aware of the changing face of America. "We are reaching out to all Americans,
including Hispanics, out of
conviction, not convenience," he said during the 2002 Congressional campaign,
"President Bush has a positive agenda to improve the lives of all Americans,
from national security to economic empowerment, and Latinos are taking a note of
that."
Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans and U.S. Policymaking
Hispanics,
Polarization
The drastic discrepancy between the Bush administration’s harsh treatment of
Mexican immigrants and its whole-hearted acceptance of Cuban immigrants can be
clearly traced to the respective influence of these communities in the United
States. Wealthy and educated right-wing Cuban émigrés in the United States have
had an extraordinary influence over U.S. policy towards Cuba. Regardless of
their citizenship status, this relatively small group of Latinos has come to
play a crucial role in Florida politics, creating a political and financial
mechanism through which to shape U.S. policy. Since emigrating from Cuba, they
have made major financial contributions to state and local politicians who share
their anti-Castro views, and aid in influencing U.S. policy toward the island.
FBI Probes Ex-Official Who Oversaw D.C. Leases
By Craig Timberg and Yolanda Woodlee
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, June 11, 2003; Page A01 DC, corruption
The FBI
is investigating allegations that a former official of the D.C. Office of
Property Management inflated appraisals, overpriced leases and managed
transactions in offshore bank accounts from his government office computer.
The investigation, disclosed yesterday by D.C. Auditor Deborah K. Nichols, comes
as D.C. Council hearings have disclosed unusual actions by the former city
official, Michael Lorusso, and developer Douglas Jemal, who rents the government
hundreds of thousands of square feet of office space.
Estados Unidos pidió al Gobierno de Colombia la baja del general Gabriel
Ramón Díaz
Junio 7 de 2003 EL TIEMPO / CONFLICTO ARMADO Colombia,
Washington dicta Politica
Más de 4 meses insistió E.U. en el retiro del alto mando castrense, por
presuntas actividades relacionadas con narcotráfico y apoyo a los grupos
paramilitares.
La primera en ser informada sobre el interés del gobierno del presidente George
Bush fue la ministra de Defensa colombiana, Martha Lucía Ramírez de Rincón, a
quien dos agentes de la agencia antidrogas estadounidense, DEA, le presentaron
pruebas que, para ellos, comprometían al general en dichas actividades.
Periodista colombiana relata experiencias de soldados de E.U. obligados por
las circunstancias a vivir en Irak
Junio 7 de 2003 EL TIEMPO Bush, Bush’
Wars, Failing wars
Rodeada de espejos en oro macizo y tapetes persas, la coronel Vanesa Peeden
parece no estar satisfecha. “Todo esto es muy kitch y nada funciona”, dice
mientras arrincona unos sillones de terciopelo rojo que sobrevivieron a los
bombardeos. “Los tubos y los grifos se rompen cada día. Pero frente a lo que se
ve afuera, aquí vivimos como unos reyes”.
Tras esas puertas de hierro macizo que protegen lo que hasta hace un mes fue el
Palacio Republicano de Saddam Hussein, está Bagdad, una ciudad que entre sus 45
grados de temperatura, se asfixia por el desbordamiento de las basuras, los
trancones de más de tres horas en las calles, las quejas de los padres de
familia que no tienen cómo darle a sus hijos una botella de agua fría porque
todavía no hay luz. Pero es el tema de seguridad el que encabeza el listado de
los males.
El golpe del 13 de junio de 1953
LECTURAS DOMINICALES- ELTIEMPO.COM 6.8.03 Colombia, Historia, Rojas toma el
poder
Carlos
J. Villar Borda, entonces gerente y corresponsal de la United Press en Bogotá,
reconstruye el escenario de la toma del poder por el general Rojas hace medio
siglo.
El
golpe de cuartel que llevó a la Presidencia al general Gustavo Rojas Pinilla
comenzó a gestarse el 7 de agosto de 1946, cuando el liberalismo perdió el
poder, después de cinco presidencias. A pesar de que todos admitían que la
división liberal representaba un riesgo, fracasó cualquier intento por lograr un
acuerdo entre Gabriel Turbay y Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, los dos candidatos del
partido. La figura aparentemente bonachona y ecuánime de Mariano Ospina Pérez,
el candidato conservador, hizo que los liberales minimizaran el peligro. Ospina
era un dirigente cafetero moderado y ponderado, de quien nadie temía una acción
intrépida o arbitraria.
Casi dos años después de su liberación, soldados secuestrados en Miraflores (Guaviare)
viven con la guerra en la cabeza
El
Tiempo, 6.8.03 Colombia, Efectos sicologicos
No se acostumbran a la vida civil, no duermen, son agresivos, piensan en el
suicidio o en matar a alguien. Esta es una muestra de algunos de los casos más
graves.
Sentado sobre el borde de la terraza de ladrillo desnudo, en el atiborrado sur
de Bogotá, el ex soldado Luis Alexander Cifuentes habla con frialdad de sus
demencias.
"Mi suegra dice que yo soy como sicópata porque una vez peló un pollo y yo me
comí las tripas crudas, me le comí el hígado y el corazoncito", dice Cifuentes,
de 21 años, delgado, trigueño, de mirada huidiza y frases rápidas.
Details Sought on Bush Role in Texas Dispute
By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer Bush, Abuse of Power
Sunday, June 8, 2003; Page A07
A
Democratic leader asked yesterday for details of communication by President Bush
and his senior adviser, Karl Rove, with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.)
about a partisan Texas dispute that absorbed federal resources.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), ranking Democrat on the Governmental Affairs
Committee and a presidential candidate, said White House Chief of Staff Andrew
H. Card Jr. told him by telephone Tuesday that DeLay spoke with Bush and Rove
about the matter
In Game of Expectations, Bush Usually Wins
By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer Bush, Campaign strategies
Sunday, June 8, 2003; Page A05
With
striking clarity, President Bush last week acknowledged an attribute his
opponents have long assigned him. "I am the master of low expectations," he
said.
Ironically, the assessment was offered aboard Air Force One as Bush left Jordan
on Wednesday after a summit that raised the exceptionally high expectation that
a Middle East peace deal, including an independent Palestinian state, was within
reach by 2005. And, true to form, Bush offered a modest definition of his
expectations for the talks -- "I was hoping to have honest dialogues" -- and
said those expectations were met.
La
Habana lucra con sus modelos
EL
Nuevo Herald 6.8.03 Miami, Politics Cuban
Cuba ha abierto las puertas a un empresario canadiense que quiere aprovechar el
tesoro en bruto de las modelos criollas y triunfar con ellas en el mundo de la
moda, al nivel de lo que logró un Ry Cooder con los ancianos músicos de Buena
Vista Social Club cinco años atrás.
La revista Cigar Aficionado ha dedicado su portada y páginas centrales de
la edición de junio a promover el flamante negocio de las supermodelos de la
isla, actualmente en boga en los principales mercados de Europa. Según la
publicación, el empresario Dean Bornstein estableció recientemente sus oficinas
en La Habana para asumir la representación de más de 75 de las más cotizadas
supermodelos cubanas, utilizando una subsidiaria de su compañía establecida en
Toronto, Canadá.
Bush Certainty On Iraq Arms Went Beyond Analysts' Views
By Dana Priest and Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writers Bush, Impeach
Saturday, June 7, 2003; Page A01
During
the weeks last fall before critical votes in Congress and the United Nations on
going to war in Iraq, senior administration officials, including President Bush,
expressed certainty in public that Iraq possessed chemical and biological
weapons, even though U.S. intelligence agencies were reporting they had no
direct evidence that such weapons existed.
In Texas
Feud, a Plane Tale of Intrigue
U.S. Role in GOP Hunt for Democratic Lawmakers Is Still Murky
By R.
Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer Bush, Abuse of power
Saturday, June 7, 2003; Page A01
Texas Rep. James E. "Pete" Laney thought he was taking a secret trip to Oklahoma
on the morning of May 12. He flew on a private plane from his northwest Texas
home to Ardmore, where he joined 50 other state Democratic legislators at a
Holiday Inn. It was a mass boycott designed to prevent a quorum in the Texas
House, where the GOP majority was poised to enact a congressional redistricting
plan certain to send more Republicans to Congress.
Democrats, Group Seek Probe of GOP, Westar
By Thomas B. Edsall and Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writers GOP, Abuse of Power
Saturday, June 7, 2003; Page A02
Prominent Democrats and a consumer advocacy organization yesterday called on the
Justice Department to investigate $56,500 in campaign contributions by a
Kansas-based energy company that had sought a "seat at the table" as key
Republicans worked out details of the Bush administration's energy bill.
Chile y EEUU firman histórico pacto comercial en Miami
El
Nuevo Herald 6.7.03 Bush, FTAA
Flanqueados por una hilera de banderas chilenas y estadounidenses que comparten
los mismos colores, representantes de ambos países sellaron ayer en Miami un
acuerdo bilateral de libre comercio, el primero suscrito entre Washington y un
país sudamericano, que sienta las bases para un mercado común en el hemisferio.
FANTASIAS
GUERRERISTAS
Por Apolinar Díaz-Callejas 6.5.03 Colombia, Moral elastica
El país se desmorona y se debate en el caos administrativo, porque el presidente
Uribe, como dijo Lleras De la Fuente, no dirige. La crisis social por el
desempleo y deambular de millones de colombianos desplazados de sus regiones de
origen, la continuación de la violencia y los secuestros, los errores fatales en
rescate de secuestrados, el abandono de escuelas y universidades por los jóvenes
pobres, la suspensión de hospitales públicos, la desaparición de instituciones
estatales, las crisis y privatización de las empresas de servicios públicos y la
angustia misma sobre el porvenir de la República y la soberanía e independencia
nacionales nos atormentan.
FCC Ruling a
Bad Example for the Hemisphere
Balanced News Under Attack Media, FCC
The Federal Communications Commission’s announcement today that most likely will
weaken regulations affecting media ownership should alarm advocates of balanced
news coverage. These proposed reforms will allow conglomerates to increase
their market share, and thus profits, by buying up small media outlets and
allowing them to reach an ever-larger share of local audiences, at the expense
of local news and public affairs programming. It will also provide a bad
example for Latin America, where the media already is frequently besieged by
governments and private interests.
delitocuelloblanco.com
DEBATE EN DEFENSA DEL PATRIMONIO PÚBLICO
Piedad Córdoba Ruiz
Senadora de la República de Colombia
Colombia, corruption
Presentación
Es
posible que los ciudadanos y las ciudadanas que están ahora mismo en sus hogares
atentos a esta transmisión se pregunten qué utilidad puede tener para el país un
debate sobre el comportamiento ético de un ministro y de su actividad
profesional, en momentos en que otros problemas y otras dificultades -tal vez de
mayor urgencia- reclaman la atención nacional.
Es probable que se interroguen acerca de las perspectivas de un debate sobre los
procederes nada claros de un hombre público que, pese a haber sido cuestionado
por los medios de comunicación y por la sociedad colombiana, ha recibido la
absolución presidencial para permanecer en ejercicio del cargo, como si las
actuaciones del ex presidente de Invercolsa fueran distinciones meritorias, en
lugar de lastres éticos
GOP's voter inroads
By
Donald Lambro
THE WASHINGTON TIMES GOP,
Hisp
Published May
29, 2003
There is growing fear among Democratic strategists that
George W. Bush is making gains in their party's base, especially with minorities
and labor. If true, this could be the most important political sea change in
America in 70 years.
Real Live Democrats
By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, June 4, 2003; Page A27 Democrats
The
Democratic wing of the Democratic Party convenes here today at a national
conference sponsored by the liberal Campaign for America's Future. The gathering
comes not a moment too soon, not only because the party's progressive base needs
to assert and renew its principles, but also because it has come under assault
lately from its intra-party adversaries
DNC aide decries Hispanic 'disconnect'
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The chairman of the Hispanic caucus of the Democratic National Committee
said yesterday that there is a "disconnect" in the party regarding the minority
vote and accused it of scrapping a $1.5 million plan to attract Hispanics.
Alvaro Cifuentes, who also chastised the DNC leadership for failure to hire
Hispanics, announced a three-day summit for party Hispanics in September that
will be "completely funded on our own, separate from the DNC."
"There is obviously a problem in the party with Hispanic and Latino issues,"
Mr. Cifuentes said. "We've been trying for the past two years to address them."
Autorizan la compra masiva de los medios de prensa
Media, FCC
The Miami Herald
La venta de Paxson Communications, el grupo más grande de televisión del país,
podría ser uno de los primeros y más importantes negocios liberados ayer por los
extensos cambios del gobierno sobre propiedad en los medios de comunicación.
Media Giants
Hint That They Might Be Expanding
Firms Eye Newspapers, TV Stations in New Areas for Them
By Alec Klein and David A. Vise
Media, FCC
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, June 3, 2003; Page A06
The
mighty of the media industry will grow mightier while smaller competitors fall
by the wayside.
That appeared to be the consensus after yesterday's ruling by the Federal
Communications Commission to relax rules on the concentration of media
ownership. Major media companies, such as Tribune Co., are signaling a growing
appetite for television stations and newspapers in markets where they already
have a presence. Meanwhile, some small to mid-size firms are showing a readiness
to put up a for-sale sign, if only because competition could get tougher in an
increasingly consolidating industry with fewer, more powerful players.
Hacer
turismo en varias ciudades de Latinoamérica es muy barato, pese a su dura
realidad
EL TIEMPO 6.3.03 Latin A, Costo de vida
Si
usted quiere sacar provecho al costo de vida debería trabajar en Londres, comer
y viajar en taxi en Buenos Aires, comprar un periódico e ir a cine en Caracas y
tomar leche en Colombia.
Eso sí no se le vaya a ocurrir trasladarse a vivir a Lima.
Comienza macrorrueda de negocios para buscar afanosamente mercados en
Centroamérica, El Caribe y México
Junio 1 de 2003 EL TIEMPO Colombia,
Mercado intl,
Los mercados de estas tres regiones se han convertido en la alternativa para las
exportaciones colombianas, ante la caída del 60 por ciento de las ventas a
Venezuela en el primer trimestre del año.
Con el fin de concretar ese objetivo, hoy y mañana en Cartagena más de 800
empresarios colombianos sostendrán alrededor de 4.500 citas de negocios con 250
compradores de esas economías, a las que Colombia apenas exportó 1.471 millones
de dólares en el 2002.
A escasas cuadras de la residencia del presidente Álvaro Uribe se refugian
células de las Farc
Junio 2 de 2003 Colombia, Moral elastica
EL
TIEMPO
Esconden a secuestrados, refugian a milicianos (en su mayoría universitarios),
atienden a guerrilleros heridos y enfermos, además de planear ataques
terroristas contra Bogotá.
Desde el pasado 20 de marzo, una decena de milicianos llegaron a refugiarse en
una casa de mala muerte, a solo tres cuadras de la Casa de Nariño, alquilada por
el guerrillero Milton Chacón -actualmente detenido en los calabozos del DAS-
para fraguar nuevos atentados.
Un
país de moral elástica
El
tiempo 6.103 Colombia, Moral elastica
Una de las más graves enfermedades nacionales es el culto a la ilegalidad en
todas sus formas.
Si fue insólito ver al 'Pecoso' Castro tirar de las mechas al jugador de River
Plate y oírlo justificarse tranquilamente diciendo que lo que hizo fue "feo pero
válido" para no echar a perder el partido, es infinitamente más grave que un
amplio grupo de la afición se haya manifestado de acuerdo con él.
Lula y Fox, la voz de Latinoamérica en la cumbre del G8
EVIAN, Francia 6.1.03 Latin A, Cumbres,
Cumbres G8
El
presidente brasileño, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, y su homólogo mexicano, Vicente
Fox, intentarán hoy hacer oír la voz de América Latina en Evián, en el este de
Francia, ante los mandatarios reunidos en la cumbre del Grupo de los Ocho (G8),
más preocupados por la estancada economía mundial, Irak y el Medio Oriente.
Maestros colombianos
Crítico de Arte/El Nuevo Herald
Decirlo una vez más conviene. La diversidad es, sin lugar a dudas, el signo de
identidad máximo de la plástica latinoamericana; su estandarte y también su
posibilidad. Esa condición es tanto nacional como continental y, en algunos
casos, su subrayado es más evidente en ciertos países y exposiciones.
Testimony of
Mr. Adolfo A. Franco Government, Federal Gov, USAID,
Latin America USAID
Assistant Administrator,
Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean
Before the House Committee on International Relations
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Thursday, February 27, 2003 at 2 o’clock
p.m.
DNC says minorities' firing was a mistake
THE WASHINGTON TIMES 5.30.03
The termination of 10 minority employees at the Democratic National
Committee this week was a mistake that never received formal approval, a party
official said yesterday.
But some Democratic leaders are still seeking an explanation from committee
chairman Terry McAuliffe for an episode that sent staffers into meetings all day
yesterday.
"If the Republicans were to do this, you know what would happen," said Donna
Brazile, who chairs the DNC's Voting Rights Institute. "You know I would be
kicking them where they need to be kicked."
What world
migration means for business
From
HBS Working Knowledge
Special to CNET News.com
May 25, 2003, 6:00 AM PT Immigration, Immigr
Positive impact
http://news.com.com/2009-1087_3-1008612.html
Immigration is changing the world more than at any other time in
history, opening up business opportunities and introducing new challenges,
according to Harvard University professor Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco.
Tras aprobación de la Ley del Cine, por fin habrá presupuesto para este arte
EL TIEMPO 5.30 Colombia, Cine Colombia
La votación unánime de la plenaria del Congreso de la República dio via libre a
las normas para el fomento de la actividad cinematográfica en Colombia.
Esta Ley (la 141) está sostenida en tres pilares fundamentales, que la hacen de
vital importancia para el comienzo de una industria cinematográfica nacional.
Enorme el poder de compra de los hispanos
El
Nuevo Herald
La
firma Merrill Lynch puso en la mira a los hispanos que dejan unahuella dorada en
Estados Unidos por su enorme poder de compra, y para ser un imán de sus
inversiones está atacando a ese mercado desde cuatro puntos estratégicos del
país, uno de ellos, Miami.
EL TIEMPO
6.1.03 directo
Royne Chávez, ex jefe de
seguridad de la Casa de Nariño, tendrá que responder por equipos de comunicación
del Estado que las Farc no devolvieron
Se suma a las investigaciones que le siguen la Procuraduría y la Fiscalía a este
coronel retirado de la Policía para saber cómo obtuvo unos bienes y por presunto
enriquecimiento ilícito, respectivamente. más
>>
The_Failure_to_Defend_the_Skies_on_9/11
By Paul Thompson
Bush, Bush Wars, 911
Cover-up
On May 21 and 22, 2003, the 9/11 Independent Commission held its second set of
public hearings, focusing on the issue of air defense. It's not surprising if
you haven't heard about this, because the media poorly covered the hearings,
with major papers such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times failing to
write any articles on them.
Una pequeña empresa de Tailandia le disputa el mercado a Pizza Hut
5/29/03 Corp America, Worlwide, Boycott
BANGKOK, Tailandia
William Heinecke se enfrentó a Pizza Hut en Tailandia y triunfó, captando más de la mitad del mercado en cuestión de meses. Ahora está planificando sus primeras operaciones contra el mayor suministrador de pizzas del mundo, incluida una prospección en el Medio Oriente, donde los establecimientos de venta de pizza estilo norteamericano no son exactamente los preferidos.
Chao trades barbs with organized labor
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao yesterday accused organized labor of acting
irrationally in its opposition to the Bush administration.
"I think the rhetoric is really overheated and exaggerated," Mrs. Chao said
during a press reception downtown.
Leaders of the AFL-CIO labor federation have said they plan to emphasize
rising unemployment during their effort to replace President Bush with a
Democrat in the 2004 election.
Entrevista con
Lucho Garzón: Colombia, Gobierno, Candidatos
"ESTOY YA EN LA SEGUNDA VUELTA"
Vía Alterna: Una primera pregunta sobre el resultado electoral: ¿Por qué 650 mil votos y no el millón que todos esperábamos?
Lucho Garzón: Es feo ponerse a dar explicaciones de por qué el resultado no fue mayor del que hubiéramos deseado. Es feo porque es hablar de uno mismo, pero en el Polo no se ha hecho un balance. Y por eso voy a hablar en primera persona.
From Mercadito
To Supermarket
Latino Companies in U.S. Cater to Hometown, Mainstream Tastes
By Krissah Williams
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 27, 2003; Page E01 Latin America, Hispanic Mkt
for LA
Cerveceria La Constancia SA was founded in 1906 by Rafael Meza Ayau in his small home in the city of Santa Ana, El Salvador. Over the years, the brewery, owned by several families, grew into one of the country's largest companies, and it eventually decided to try to sell its products in the United States, home to the largest community of Salvadorans outside of El Salvador.
To break into the United States, La Constancia embraced the doctrine of "Sanchez to Sanchez to Smith." There are many variations, but generally it is described like this: Latin American companies (Sanchez) first target this country's Hispanics (Sanchez) or try to work with Hispanic American entrepreneurs. Later, the Latin American firms use the accumulated expertise and infrastructure to go after mainstream U.S. customers (Smith).
Back in
Political Forefront
Iran-Contra Figure Plays Key Role on Mideast
By Michael
Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer Bush, Jewish Americans
Tuesday, May 27, 2003; Page A01
A cycle of disgrace and redemption has brought one of Washington's most accomplished -- and controversial -- bureaucratic infighters back to the center of U.S. foreign policy decision-making.
When Elliott Abrams stood in front of a federal judge in October 1991 and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress, few imagined he would ever return to government. At age 43, he had become one of the casualties of the Iran-contra scandal, detested by Democrats for his combative political style and mistrusted by human rights activists for playing down the crimes of right-wing dictatorships in Central America.
Defense Firms Consolidate As War Goes High-Tech
By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 27, 2003; Page A01 Bush, Bush
Wars, Business Benefits
The nation's leading defense contractors are gobbling up small technology firms in a consolidation binge driven by the Pentagon's demand that future military conflicts be dominated by high-tech warfare.
The buying spree is contributing to a fundamental change in the structure of the defense industry as the top players move away from their roles as mere weapons makers and increasingly cast themselves as "systems integrators" that produce high-tech networks for the battlefield. In the past three years, contractors have swept up about 180 small tech firms, mostly in Northern Virginia, a 25 percent increase from the previous three-year span
Unfulfilled Promises Leave Iraqis Bewildered
Washington Post
Foreign Service
Tuesday, May 27, 2003; Page A01 Bush, Bush Wars, Failing
Wars
BAGHDAD, May 26 -- Sitting in a battered Toyota Corona, Fadhil Murah wiped his sweaty forehead with a soiled red rag. Behind him snaked a line of cars a half-mile up Jadriya Bridge, waiting to fill up with gas. Ahead of him was another hour he would spend waiting his turn. On a day of withering heat, his words punctuated by a cacophony of car horns, he spoke glumly of his life and his city.
He had closed his construction supply store, wary of thieves. He had sold everything in his house -- from his bed to the refrigerator -- to support his wife and four children. He has little hope of returning soon to his former job at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, part of a government that exists in name only. For food, he relies on the $5 or so he makes a day tooling Baghdad's streets as a gypsy cab driver.
Mayo 26 de 2003
EL
TIEMPO / CONFLICTO ARMADO Colombia, Plan Colombia,
funding
Crece en el Congreso de E.U. la oposición a la ayuda a Colombia
El último ataque lo lanzó Joseph Biden, de la Comisión de Relaciones Internacionales del Senado, quien pidió transferir los fondos para nuestro país a lugares donde operan redes de Al Qaeda.
Para Biden, los grupos armados de Colombia, aunque terroristas, no ponen en jaque la seguridad nacional de E.U. como sí lo hacen otros grupos. "Hablamos del terror como si todos los terroristas fueran creados iguales. Pero no todos son una amenaza directa para nosotros. Nadie de las Auc está atacando a E.U. pero nos gastamos cientos de millones asistiendo al gobierno colombiano para que los enfrenten y hasta entrenamos a los militares para que solucionen los problemas internos de esta institución", dijo Biden recientemente en una audiencia de la Comisión Judicial del Senado.
Una lluvia de dólares cae sobre Irak
WASHINGTON 5.26.03 Bush, Wars, Funds
Los dólares llegan a Irak en cargamentos aéreos. Un empleado del ejército les
paga a unos electricistas de Bagdad sacando el dinero de un escaparate repleto.
Y hay soldados colocando alambre de púas en el sitio donde los retirados
iraquíes recogen sus pensiones.
'Esto no inspira mucha confianza'', dice Christopher Preble, del Instituto CATO,
refiriéndose a las finanzas para la reconstrucción de Irak en la posguerra.
Las tropas y los oficiales de EEUU reparten $1 millón al día en Irak, según la
Oficina de Reconstrucción y Ayuda Humanitaria del Pentágono.
División de los paras presagia un baño de sangre
El
Nuevo Herald 5.26.03 Colombia, Guerrillas,
paramilitares
Las Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) ya no están unidas.
Están en guerra.
Dos poderosos frentes del paramilitarismo se han enfrascado en un conflicto que
amenaza con un baño de sangre y con desvertebrar las conversaciones de paz del
presidente Alvaro Uribe con esas agrupaciones.
JFK's Enduring Appeal
Tuesday, May
27, 2003; Page A19 TWP Politics, Kennedys
The
historian who told the world that John F. Kennedy had a relationship with a
19-year-old White House intern cannot be accused of being an apologist. But what
fascinates Robert Dallek is why JFK has retained so much public admiration
despite the many unflattering revelations since his death 40 years ago.
Fox Asks for
Action on Immigration
President Says Mexicans Working in U.S. Are 'Reliable People,' Not Security
Threat
By Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service Mexico, Immigration
Tuesday, May 27, 2003; Page A10
MEXICO
CITY, May 26 -- President Vicente Fox appealed today for action on a
long-delayed immigration accord with the United States, now that the Iraq war is
over and more than 20 months have passed since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks.
7 Days of
Desperation Along Mexican Border
Migrants' Dreams Die in Brutal Crossing
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, May 26, 2003; Page A01 Immigration
MEXICO CITY, May 25 -- Olegario Pozos rode in a bus along a southern Mexican
highway on Sunday, May 11, traveling with three of his cousins, two other men
and the smuggler they knew only as Coyote. He was guiding them from the jobless
grind of Oaxaca, their poor southern state, to the U.S. border.
Lagos
Humiliates Chile by Not Standing
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs
Tall Over its Iraq Vote 5.26.03 VP notes, from others
NGOs
By crucifying his UN ambassador, Juan Gabriel Valdés, Chilean President Lagos
impales the legendary Chilean diplomat on a Cross of Free Trade
White House strategy of giving a cold shoulder to Chile because it did not back
Bush Iraq strategy at the UN, was based on the assumption that Santiago
eventually would demonstrate that it was not being led by a latter day O’Higgins,
but by a group of craven politicians
Democrats
Fight Hispanic Media Merger
Republican Ownership Could Limit Access to Viewpoints, Groups Tell FCC
By
Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer Media,
Hispanics
Sunday, May 25, 2003; Page A05
Concerned about Republican inroads into the Hispanic community, congressional
Democrats are trying to fend off a proposed merger between Univision
Communications Inc. and the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation.
More than 20 Democratic senators and representatives -- including Senate
Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) -- have urged Federal Communications
Commission chairman Michael Powell to block the planned corporate marriage
between the two entities, which would create the nation's largest
Spanish-language radio and TV company. Although the fight is ostensibly over
media ownership, several Democrats acknowledge it is part of a larger battle for
Latinos' political allegiance.
Inevitably,
The Politics Of Terror
Fear Has Become Part Of Washington's Power Struggle
By
E.J. Dionne Jr.
Sunday, May 25, 2003; Page B01 |
"Mr. President, the only way you are ever going to get this is to make a speech
and scare the hell out of the country."
So said Sen. Arthur Vandenberg to President Harry Truman in 1947. Vandenberg, a
Republican, was giving Truman advice on how to get Congress to vote for aid to
help Turkey and Greece in their fight against communist insurgents. But
Vandenberg might as well have been laying out rule number one in the Politics of
the Cold War. From 1947 until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the country
was scared as hell about Soviet power and the threat of nuclear war. And these
fears dominated political life.
Historias de
derroche de los soldados 'nuevos ricos' en Popayán
El
tiempo 5/25/03 Colombia, corruption
Las de montones de dinero circulando en los comercios crecieron como espuma por
toda la ciudad cuando el comandante del Ejército, general Carlos Alberto Ospina,
hizo público el escándalo.
Pero 48 horas después, la mayoría de los comerciantes y hasta las prostitutas
comenzaron a hacerse los despistados...
FedEx y UPS temen enfrentar la competencia
WASHINGTON
¿Una aerolínea de carga propiedad de un ciudadano estadounidense cuyo principal
cliente es una compañía alemana, propiedad del sistema postal alemán a través de
una serie de corporaciones extranjeras, se puede considerar como controlada por
Estados Unidos?
Military Record for 2004 Elections
By Lois Romano
Washington Post Staff Writer elections, Military
records
Sunday, May 25, 2003; Page A04
Since
the election of Bill Clinton in 1992, a candidate's military service has seemed
an issue of the past, one that intrigued the news media but not necessarily the
voters, who in the past three presidential elections rejected war veterans in
favor of candidates who managed to avoid combat at the height of the Vietnam
War.
But perhaps for the first time since Dwight D. Eisenhower rode his World War II
service into the Oval Office in 1952, candidates for the White House today must
face the possibility that -- for an electorate scarred by terrorism and coming
out of war in Afghanistan and Iraq -- military service has taken on a new
relevancy.
On Not
Admitting Our Mistakes
By
Richard Cohen
Friday, May 23, 2003; Page A25 Bush, Lies
Pfc. Jessica Lynch's capture and rescue was certainly a dramatic affair --
particularly in The Post. This newspaper told its readers that she had been shot
and stabbed, that she had fought off her Iraqi attackers -- her gun blazing --
until she went down and was taken prisoner, hospitalized and then rescued eight
days later. Trouble is, much of that may be false.
Lynch apparently was not shot. Lynch was not stabbed. Lynch may not have put up
much of a fight, maybe none at all. The lights may have gone out for her the
moment her unit was attacked and her vehicle went off the road. It was then,
probably, that she suffered several broken bones. This information, too, was in
The Post -- sort of.
Debt and
Taxes
Thursday, May 22, 2003; Page A34 TWP Bush, Bush Tax cuts
THE DEBT CEILING is the ultimate, all-purpose political football. The party in
power invariably wants to lift the limit as much and as quietly as possible. The
opposition party wants to make the move as public, and therefore as politically
painful for the other side, as can be. Everyone knows that eventually, after
sufficient theatrics, the limit will be raised; the government can't start
bouncing its checks. Still, this year's maneuverings -- expected to come to the
floor before the Senate leaves town for Memorial Day -- offer some particularly
delicious samples of political hypocrisy and partisan gamesmanship, along with a
less amusing reminder of the consequences of irresponsible budgeting.
Tougher
Rules On U.S. Visas Bring Fears of Long Waits
By
Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer Immigration, US denies visas
Saturday, May 24, 2003; Page A01
The State Department has ordered Foreign Service officers in many nations to
begin face-to-face interviews with millions of visa applicants who previously
have not merited such scrutiny, a step that will result in months-long backlogs,
according to officials and documents.
The rules, formally issued in a cable sent to 221 embassies and consulates
Wednesday, have prompted strong objections from business, education and tourism
groups. The groups say that longer delays in obtaining visas will discourage
foreign nationals from visiting the United States at a time when the economy is
still struggling.
Keyes logra una red con Latinoamérica
El
Nuevo Herald 5/24/03 Miami, Real Estate
Ahora que algunos latinoamericanos están fascinados con las propiedades
sudfloridanas, Keyes Company comienza a construir ''puentes virtuales'' hacia la
región.
Hasta el
momento ha cerrado acuerdos con nueve firmas latinoamericanas especializadas en
corretaje de propiedades, para empezar una red de información por la internet.
Colombia domina las deliberaciones al inicio de la Cumbre del Grupo de Rio
CUSCO, Perú
La XVII Cumbre del Grupo de Rio se inició ayer poniendo énfasis en el problema
de Colombia y en la urgencia de una firme intervención de las Naciones Unidas
para encontrar un acuerdo de paz al largo conflicto de más de cuatro décadas en
ese país.
''Amigo presidente [de Colombia, Alvaro] Uribe, usted no está solo'', afirmó el
presidente peruano Alejandro Toledo en la ceremonia inaugural de la XVII Cumbre
de Jefes de Estado del Grupo de Rio en Cusco, la capital del Imperio de los
Incas.
Pese a muertes, continuará la inmigración ilegal a EEUU
Associated Press
POZOS, México
-
Margarita
Ramírez reconoce que es difícil explicar a los estadounidenses por qué los
mexicanos, como su hermano Héctor, arriesgan sus vidas para cruzar ilegalmente
la frontera. La explicación se dificulta aún más cuando el cadáver de Héctor
yace dentro de un ataúd metálico, en el patio de la casa familiar.
Balance de cien años, por Juan Carlos Echeverry
El
tiempo 5.24.03 Colombia, History
Hitos del desarrollo nacional el siglo pasado, según el Decano de Economía de la
Universidad de los Andes y ex director de Planeación.
En Colombia muchas personas siempre han tenido el convencimiento de que a los
adversarios se los debe convencer a bala de sus equivocaciones. En el año 1903,
los personajes transados en la peor de las guerras vistas hasta entonces,
palparon las consecuencias de esa actitud: el país fue amputado, perdió la
porción de su territorio con mayor valor estratégico a nivel mundial, fue
derrotado y humillado. Pelearse unos con otros sólo llevó a que otro se sentara
a su mesa y se comiera el almuerzo.
El liberalismo frente a la dictadura de Rojas Pinilla 'por cuenta de unos
cuántos pusilánimes'
El tiempo 5.24.03 Colombia, historia,
Políticos
Duras observaciones de Carlos Lleras de la Fuente sobre el comportamiento de
jefes liberales con su padre y con Rojas Pinilla, en este fragmento sobre hechos
alrededor de la dictadura militar hace cincuenta años, tomado de su libro, que
aparece en estos días.
¡Qué tiempos aquellos! Pese a toda mi profunda tristeza (creo que el joven
Werther era un patialegre comparado conmigo), hubo otras ocasiones memorables:
el concierto de Agustín Lara en el palacio de Bellas Artes, y su presentación
con Pedro Vargas en un gran cabaret en el paseo de la Reforma, en donde estuve
sentado a dos metros del gran maestro del bolero; la presentación de Arturo
Rubinstein y la de la ópera Boris Goudonov en el mismo palacio de Bellas Artes;
los violines del Villa Fontana; los almuerzos en el viejo y tradicional
Sandborns en la Alameda.
Bush Courts
Big Donors in Presidential Mode
By
Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer Bush, pres campaign,
Bush
Thursday, May 22, 2003; Page A11
President Bush embarked last night on a packed schedule of fundraising events
designed to showcase him as commander in chief even as he builds a
record-breaking financial advantage over his future Democratic opponent.
Bush's goal is to collect about twice as much as he did for his last race.
Campaign sources said his fundraising strategy is built for speed so he can
finish most of the events and return to full-time governing just as the
Democratic nominating contest is peaking.
U.S. Latino
Online Population Bigger Than Spain's
5.23.03 VP opinion, On Hisp & LA, Demogra
The U.S. Latino online population is 11 percent larger than the total online
population of Spain and 4 percent larger than the total online population of
Mexico, Argentina and Columbia combined, according to comScore, a
consumer-research consultancy.
Ocho días a
bordo de un crucero por cuatro islas del Caribe
El
tiempo 5.22.03 Miami, cruceros
Una travesía con muchos planes para hacer en tierra y en alta mar, mientras se
viaja a cuerpo de rey.
Cuando se ve Titanic o El crucero del amor queda la idea de que
viajar en un crucero es solo para millonarios. Damas de vestidos largos con aire
aristocrático, manjares impronunciables y champaña son las imágenes que quedan
de estas inolvidables películas.
Un
Cusco agitado espera a la Cumbre de Rio
CUSCO, Perú 5.22.02 LA, Cumbres
La
Policía lanzó gases lacrimógenos ayer contra grupos de maestros huelguistas que
intentaron ingresar a un área declarada como restringida con ocasión de los
preparativos de la cumbre presidencial del Grupo de Rio que se inicia mañana con
la asistencia de 15 mandatarios latinoamericanos.
Los manifestantes, que marchaban por una céntrica avenida coreando consignas,
intentaron dirigirse a la Plaza de Armas, pero piquetes de efectivos policiales
les cerraron el paso.
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