You are not logged in.
Log in
Entries by Topic
All topics « Anti War Building Occupation CHAVEZ Colombia Solidarity Cuba Delegation to Caracas Honduras Solidarity HUMAN RIGHTS Latin America Solidarity Mexico Mexico Solidarity Opposition Opinions Organizing-Activism-Info Socialism South America USA IMPERIALISM Venezuela News Venezuela Solidarity |
Joe Anybody Latin America Solidarity
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Honduras 100 Days of Resistance - 2 videos 10.29.09
Mood:  irritatedNow Playing: 2 part video on resistance in Honduras posted in October 2009 Topic: Honduras Solidarity
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 5:20 AM
Updated: Thursday, 29 October 2009 5:29 AM
Sunday, 18 October 2009
The Take - Argentina and factory Occupations
Mood:  crushed outNow Playing: workers take back their factories in Argentina Topic: Building Occupation In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act - The Take - has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head.
In the wake of Argentina's dramatic economic collapse in 2001, Latin America's most prosperous middle class finds itself in a ghost town of abandoned factories and mass unemployment. The Forja auto plant lies dormant until its former employees take action. They're part of a daring new movement of workers who are occupying bankrupt businesses and creating jobs in the ruins of the failed system. But Freddy, the president of the new worker's co-operative, and Lalo, the political powerhouse from the Movement of Recovered Companies, know that their success is far from secure. Like every workplace occupation, they have to run the gauntlet of courts, cops and politicians who can either give their project legal protection or violently evict them from the factory.
The story of the workers' struggle is set against the dramatic backdrop of a crucial presidential election in Argentina, in which the architect of the economic collapse, Carlos Menem, is the front-runner. His cronies, the former owners, are circling: if he wins, they'll take back the companies that the movement has worked so hard to revive. Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy, the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale. With The Take, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada's most outspoken journalists, and writer Naomi Klein, author of the international bestseller No Logo, champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of workers' lives and their struggle: the demand for dignity and the searing injustice of dignity denied.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 6:00 PM
Saturday, 17 October 2009
8 vidoes from Peace Rally in Caracas
Mood:  brightNow Playing: pdxVenezuela attends Peace Rally in Caracas Venezuela on 9.4.09 Day 1 Paint My Masterpiece Caracas Venezuela Bus Ride Caracas Bus Ride Trash Health and Education http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89f2g6og8BM Peace Rally Part 1 "We Arrive" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Qc9VjCMh0 Peace Rally Part 2 "Signs & Music" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS3E3RJbQu8 Peace Rally Part 3 "Closer to the Stage" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbGCg8-1pnU Peace Rally Part 4 "Yankee Go Home" Peace Rally Part 5 "Behind the Stage" Peace Rally Part 6 "On Stage" Peace Rally Part 7 "Speeches on Stage" Peace Rally Part 8 "Music on Stage" (more still to come)
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 2:08 PM
Updated: Saturday, 17 October 2009 2:13 PM
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Violation of Law Seen in GOP Legislators' Support of Honduran Coup Interview with Brendan
Mood:  sharpNow Playing: Violation of Law Seen in GOP Legislators' Support of Honduran Coup Topic: Honduras Solidarity Violation of Law Seen inGOP Legislators' Support ofHonduran Coup Interview with Brendan e-mail: betweenthelines@snet.net
This was copied from: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2009/10/394805.shtml
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 12:01 AM
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Indy Media & Honduras Information is here
Mood:  loudNow Playing: Listen to Radio Liberada, from somewhere in Honduras, after the military coup Topic: Honduras Solidarity Listen to Radio Liberada, from somewhere in Honduras, after the military coup
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 12:01 AM
Monday, 12 October 2009
Socialism: words of Albert Einstein 1949
Mood:  a-okNow Playing: Why? Topic: Socialism Why Socialism? by Albert Einstein http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einstein.php This essay was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949). Is it advisable for one who is not an expert on economic and social issues to express views on the subject of socialism? I believe for a number of reasons that it is. Let us first consider the question from the point of view of scientific knowledge. It might appear that there are no essential methodological differences between astronomy and economics: scientists in both fields attempt to discover laws of general acceptability for a circumscribed group of phenomena in order to make the interconnection of these phenomena as clearly understandable as possible. But in reality such methodological differences do exist. The discovery of general laws in the field of economics is made difficult by the circumstance that observed economic phenomena are often affected by many factors which are very hard to evaluate separately. In addition, the experience which has accumulated since the beginning of the so-called civilized period of human history has—as is well known—been largely influenced and limited by causes which are by no means exclusively economic in nature. For example, most of the major states of history owed their existence to conquest. The conquering peoples established themselves, legally and economically, as the privileged class of the conquered country. They seized for themselves a monopoly of the land ownership and appointed a priesthood from among their own ranks. The priests, in control of education, made the class division of society into a permanent institution and created a system of values by which the people were thenceforth, to a large extent unconsciously, guided in their social behavior. But historic tradition is, so to speak, of yesterday; nowhere have we really overcome what Thorstein Veblen called "the predatory phase" of human development. The observable economic facts belong to that phase and even such laws as we can derive from them are not applicable to other phases. Since the real purpose of socialism is precisely to overcome and advance beyond the predatory phase of human development, economic science in its present state can throw little light on the socialist society of the future. Second, socialism is directed towards a social-ethical end. Science, however, cannot create ends and, even less, instill them in human beings; science, at most, can supply the means by which to attain certain ends. But the ends themselves are conceived by personalities with lofty ethical ideals and—if these ends are not stillborn, but vital and vigorous—are adopted and carried forward by those many human beings who, half unconsciously, determine the slow evolution of society. For these reasons, we should be on our guard not to overestimate science and scientific methods when it is a question of human problems; and we should not assume that experts are the only ones who have a right to express themselves on questions affecting the organization of society. Innumerable voices have been asserting for some time now that human society is passing through a crisis, that its stability has been gravely shattered. It is characteristic of such a situation that individuals feel indifferent or even hostile toward the group, small or large, to which they belong. In order to illustrate my meaning, let me record here a personal experience. I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supra-national organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: "Why are you so deeply opposed to the disappearance of the human race?" I am sure that as little as a century ago no one would have so lightly made a statement of this kind. It is the statement of a man who has striven in vain to attain an equilibrium within himself and has more or less lost hope of succeeding. It is the expression of a painful solitude and isolation from which so many people are suffering in these days. What is the cause? Is there a way out? It is easy to raise such questions, but difficult to answer them with any degree of assurance. I must try, however, as best I can, although I am very conscious of the fact that our feelings and strivings are often contradictory and obscure and that they cannot be expressed in easy and simple formulas. Man is, at one and the same time, a solitary being and a social being. As a solitary being, he attempts to protect his own existence and that of those who are closest to him, to satisfy his personal desires, and to develop his innate abilities. As a social being, he seeks to gain the recognition and affection of his fellow human beings, to share in their pleasures, to comfort them in their sorrows, and to improve their conditions of life. Only the existence of these varied, frequently conflicting, strivings accounts for the special character of a man, and their specific combination determines the extent to which an individual can achieve an inner equilibrium and can contribute to the well-being of society. It is quite possible that the relative strength of these two drives is, in the main, fixed by inheritance. But the personality that finally emerges is largely formed by the environment in which a man happens to find himself during his development, by the structure of the society in which he grows up, by the tradition of that society, and by its appraisal of particular types of behavior. The abstract concept "society" means to the individual human being the sum total of his direct and indirect relations to his contemporaries and to all the people of earlier generations. The individual is able to think, feel, strive, and work by himself; but he depends so much upon society—in his physical, intellectual, and emotional existence—that it is impossible to think of him, or to understand him, outside the framework of society. It is "society" which provides man with food, clothing, a home, the tools of work, language, the forms of thought, and most of the content of thought; his life is made possible through the labor and the accomplishments of the many millions past and present who are all hidden behind the small word “society.” It is evident, therefore, that the dependence of the individual upon society is a fact of nature which cannot be abolished—just as in the case of ants and bees. However, while the whole life process of ants and bees is fixed down to the smallest detail by rigid, hereditary instincts, the social pattern and interrelationships of human beings are very variable and susceptible to change. Memory, the capacity to make new combinations, the gift of oral communication have made possible developments among human being which are not dictated by biological necessities. Such developments manifest themselves in traditions, institutions, and organizations; in literature; in scientific and engineering accomplishments; in works of art. This explains how it happens that, in a certain sense, man can influence his life through his own conduct, and that in this process conscious thinking and wanting can play a part. Man acquires at birth, through heredity, a biological constitution which we must consider fixed and unalterable, including the natural urges which are characteristic of the human species. In addition, during his lifetime, he acquires a cultural constitution which he adopts from society through communication and through many other types of influences. It is this cultural constitution which, with the passage of time, is subject to change and which determines to a very large extent the relationship between the individual and society. Modern anthropology has taught us, through comparative investigation of so-called primitive cultures, that the social behavior of human beings may differ greatly, depending upon prevailing cultural patterns and the types of organization which predominate in society. It is on this that those who are striving to improve the lot of man may ground their hopes: human beings are not condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self-inflicted fate. If we ask ourselves how the structure of society and the cultural attitude of man should be changed in order to make human life as satisfying as possible, we should constantly be conscious of the fact that there are certain conditions which we are unable to modify. As mentioned before, the biological nature of man is, for all practical purposes, not subject to change. Furthermore, technological and demographic developments of the last few centuries have created conditions which are here to stay. In relatively densely settled populations with the goods which are indispensable to their continued existence, an extreme division of labor and a highly-centralized productive apparatus are absolutely necessary. The time—which, looking back, seems so idyllic—is gone forever when individuals or relatively small groups could be completely self-sufficient. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that mankind constitutes even now a planetary community of production and consumption. I have now reached the point where I may indicate briefly what to me constitutes the essence of the crisis of our time. It concerns the relationship of the individual to society. The individual has become more conscious than ever of his dependence upon society. But he does not experience this dependence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a protective force, but rather as a threat to his natural rights, or even to his economic existence. Moreover, his position in society is such that the egotistical drives of his make-up are constantly being accentuated, while his social drives, which are by nature weaker, progressively deteriorate. All human beings, whatever their position in society, are suffering from this process of deterioration. Unknowingly prisoners of their own egotism, they feel insecure, lonely, and deprived of the naive, simple, and unsophisticated enjoyment of life. Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society. The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers the members of which are unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labor—not by force, but on the whole in faithful compliance with legally established rules. In this respect, it is important to realize that the means of production—that is to say, the entire productive capacity that is needed for producing consumer goods as well as additional capital goods—may legally be, and for the most part are, the private property of individuals. For the sake of simplicity, in the discussion that follows I shall call “workers” all those who do not share in the ownership of the means of production—although this does not quite correspond to the customary use of the term. The owner of the means of production is in a position to purchase the labor power of the worker. By using the means of production, the worker produces new goods which become the property of the capitalist. The essential point about this process is the relation between what the worker produces and what he is paid, both measured in terms of real value. Insofar as the labor contract is “free,” what the worker receives is determined not by the real value of the goods he produces, but by his minimum needs and by the capitalists' requirements for labor power in relation to the number of workers competing for jobs. It is important to understand that even in theory the payment of the worker is not determined by the value of his product. Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights. The situation prevailing in an economy based on the private ownership of capital is thus characterized by two main principles: first, means of production (capital) are privately owned and the owners dispose of them as they see fit; second, the labor contract is free. Of course, there is no such thing as a pure capitalist society in this sense. In particular, it should be noted that the workers, through long and bitter political struggles, have succeeded in securing a somewhat improved form of the “free labor contract” for certain categories of workers. But taken as a whole, the present day economy does not differ much from “pure” capitalism. Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers' goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before. This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future career. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society. Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a planned economy is not yet socialism. A planned economy as such may be accompanied by the complete enslavement of the individual. The achievement of socialism requires the solution of some extremely difficult socio-political problems: how is it possible, in view of the far-reaching centralization of political and economic power, to prevent bureaucracy from becoming all-powerful and overweening? How can the rights of the individual be protected and therewith a democratic counterweight to the power of bureaucracy be assured? Clarity about the aims and problems of socialism is of greatest significance in our age of transition. Since, under present circumstances, free and unhindered discussion of these problems has come under a powerful taboo, I consider the foundation of this magazine to be an important public service.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 8:26 PM
Updated: Monday, 12 October 2009 8:27 PM
Land returned on Indigenous Resistance Day (in 2005)
Mood: a-okNow Playing: 2005 news story of interest for today in history Topic: Venezuela News . VENEZUELA: Land returned on Indigenous Resistance Day . CARACAS – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned 1.65 million acres of land to 15 indigenous communities in recognition of national Indigenous Resistance Day on October 12 2005. The collective titles are for land in the states of Apure, Anzoategui, Delta Amacuro, and Sucre. Chavez also offered governmental assistance for social development projects for the 34 ethnic groups that live in the territory. This was the second delivery of collective land titles under Chavez; 313,824 acres were returned to indigenous communities in Monagas and Anzoategui in August 2005. Prensa Latina reported that Chavez emphasized that the ceremony was the country`s third annual celebration of Indigenous Resistance Day. In 2002, the government changed the holiday from Dia de la Raza (Race Day), which celebrated Christopher Columbus` arrival to America. Sources and further reading: Prensa Latina and Cultural Survival
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 6:00 AM
Updated: Monday, 12 October 2009 8:26 PM
Honduras 10-9-09
Mood:  don't askNow Playing: New media measures take effect in Honduras Topic: Honduras Solidarity New media measures take effect in Honduras Oct 10 2009
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) -- Honduras' interim leaders put in place new rules Saturday that threaten broadasters with closure for airing reports that "attack national security," further restricting media freedom following the closure of two opposition stations. The latest decree is sure to anger supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya and appears to be a challenge to the Organization of American States and a team of regional diplomats who were in the country Thursday to push for a resolution of the crisis. A statement released by the OAS delegation urged the coup-installed government to, among other things, allow the resumption of operations at the two broadcasters, which backed Zelaya's return to office. Under the decree imposed by the government of interim President Roberto Micheletti, "the frequencies of radio or television stations may be canceled if they transmit messages that incite national hate and the destruction of public property." Officials can monitor and control broadcast messages that "attack national security," according to the decree. It was adopted by the Interior Ministry and will be enforced by the National Telecommunications Commission, interim Information Minister Rene Zepeda told The Associated Press. Micheletti was sworn in Honduras' interim president following a June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya and sent him into exile. After Zelaya suddenly reappeared in Honduras and took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy on Sept. 21, street protests prompted the Micheletti government to limit freedom of expression, association and movement, and to shut down two pro-Zelaya broadcasters. The restriction on civil liberties has been lifted, but Channel 36 and Radio Globo are still off the air. Micheletti said they would remain shut down until their owners "come to the courts to recover their right to be on the air." "We thought that when the (civil liberties) decree was revoked, the equipment would be returned, but that has not happened," said Yesenia Herculano, an activist with Honduras' Committee for Free Expression, earlier this week. "There has been no progress." Talks on resolving the bitter divide over Zelaya's ousters produced some signs of progress before breaking off for the weekend. On Friday, police fired tear gas and a water cannon at about 200 pro-Zelaya protesters who demonstrated outside the hotel where negotiations were taking place. There were no arrests and apparently no major injuries, though many people rubbed their eyes or had tears streaming from their eyes because of the acrid smoke.
The international community has been pressuring the Micheletti government to allow Zelaya's return before the Nov. 29 presidential election that was scheduled before the coup. Zelaya was toppled after he pressed ahead with plans for a referendum on changing the constitution despite a Supreme Court order ruling the vote illegal. The U.S. and other nations have suspended foreign aid and imposed diplomatic isolation on the interim administration. Full Original article found here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_HONDURAS_COUP?SITE=ARFOS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-10-06-19-06-54
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 6:00 AM
Updated: Monday, 12 October 2009 1:33 PM
Friday, 9 October 2009
Delegation Goes To Honduras
Mood: brightNow Playing: Delegation is reporting back from Honduras Topic: Honduras Solidarity
http://hondurasdelegation.wordpress.com/ DELEGATION REPORT FROM HONDURAS We’re back at the hotel after a very long day of meetings. We met today with students and youth and the international committee of the National Resistance Front. We also had the opportunity to connect with a delegation that is here from Los Angeles, and discussed coordinating future efforts. While some of us were busy sending out the emergency email this morning, others were able to get into the U.S. embassy and meet with a representative to present our evidence and demands
http://hondurasdelegation.wordpress.com/
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 8:54 PM
Updated: Friday, 9 October 2009 8:59 PM
Snipers fire on Zelaya
Mood: don't askNow Playing: Mercenaries and paramilitaries arrive in Honduras Topic: Honduras Solidarity Radio Globo reports: . Snipers fire on Zelaya . Mercenaries and paramilitaries arrive . in Honduras . Urgent - Take Action Now! 10.9.09
Also, according to an Oct. 9 AP report, paramilitaries from Colombia are arriving in Honduras now. Many of these paramilitaries were trained in torture and repression at the infamous School of the Americas in the U.S. Support the people of Honduras in their heroic struggle against the brutal coup regime! Thousands of courageous working people are taking to the streets, in spite of the growing brutality of the criminal right wing forces, who are armed and trained by the U.S. The following is a report from the delegation of U.S. activists in Honduras, who will be holding a news conference today, October 9, at 5pm EST at the offices of the Bottlers’ Union, a center in Tegucigalpa of the National Front for Resistance Against the Coup: In the last 24 hours, the situation in Honduras has reached a profound level of urgency. The illegal, de facto Micheletti regime is clearly reaching a point of desperation—and there is a serious danger in this, as the rightwing can and will do anything when they are desperate. The delegation also reports that despite the coup government's announcement that it had lifted the ban on civil liberties, the country still remains under martial law. The coup government is telling the world that it has lifted martial law, but they haven't told anyone in the police or military, from the top commanders to the troops in the streets. There is still a massive armed presence, and protesters and dissidents are still being brutally attacked and arrested. That's why it is so important for us to support the Delegation in Solidarity with the Honduran Resistance. The corporate media is echoing the coup government's press releases claiming that martial law has been lifted and civil liberties restored, and ignoring the fact that repression is intensifying. We need you to help get the word out. What you can do now: Call - Honduras Desk, U.S. State Department 202-647-3482
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 12:55 PM
Updated: Friday, 9 October 2009 12:55 PM
Human Rights Help Needed: Colombian Activist in Visa Limbo
Mood:  energeticNow Playing: Principe Gabriel Gonzalez has suffered repeated persecution because of his work Topic: Colombia Solidarity Principe Gabriel Gonzalez, like many human rights activists in Colombia, has been harassed by his own government. Baseless criminal charges, imprisonment, stigmatization as a "terrorist"-these are unfortunately an all-too-common experience for human rights defenders in Colombia Gonzalez has endured these challenges to continue his critical work fighting for justice for victims of the conflict in Colombia - and this is why Human Rights First has chosen him as the recipient of our annual human rights award. But Gonzalez may not be able to come to New York this month to accept the award - not because the Colombian government will not let him leave Colombia, but because the U.S. government has not granted him a visa to enter the United States. We are asking for your help to remove Gonzalez from the bureaucratic limbo he has been in for the last four months. Sign our petition today to urge U.S. government officials to grant Gonzalez a visa. Gonzalez's case illustrates the predicament activists face when they are falsely accused of being terrorists as a result of their work in support of human rights. In an ironic and sad twist of fate, his advocacy fighting for the rights of prisoners landed him in jail in Colombia and now threatens to bar him from entry to the United States. His visa is being held up apparently because of the false charges lodged against him by the Colombian authorities-despite U.S. agreement that those charges amount to nothing. In a report earlier this year, Human Rights First exposed how Colombian prosecutors routinely use trumped-up charges to stigmatize and silence human rights activists. Fortunately, we have achieved real progress in a number of the cases we documented, including the release of over a dozen activists who were unjustly detained and the opening of an investigation into a prosecutor involved in one of the cases. By honoring Gonzalez with this prestigious award, we are recognizing his courage and dedication to the pursuit of justice as well as the broader movement to advance human rights in Colombia. Colombian Activist in Visa Limbo.jpg) Like many activists in Colombia, Principe Gabriel Gonzalez has suffered repeated persecution because of his work – including baseless criminal charges, imprisonment, death threats, and stigmatization as a “terrorist.” He has endured it all to continue his critical work fighting for justice for prisoners and victims of the conflict in Colombia. Human Rights First is honoring him with our annual human rights award this month.However, Gonzalez may not be able to accept the award in person–not because the Colombian government will not let him leave (as you might expect), but because the U.S. government is not granting him a visa. Earlier this year, Human Rights First released a report, In the Dock and Under the Gun: Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia, that documented the widespread and systemic nature of the problem. We are asking for your help to get Gonzalez out of the bureaucratic limbo he’s been in for the last four months. Send a message today to urge U.S. government officials to grant him a visa, putting into practice our stated policy of supporting human rights defenders in Colombia.
We urge you to approve the visa application for Colombian activist Principe Gabriel Gonzalez so that he can accept Human Rights First’s award in New York on October 22, 2009. It has been over four months since he first applied for his visa and he has received no explanation for the unreasonable delay. I understand that the U.S. government may have concerns about the criminal investigation against him. However, the State Department and numerous United Nations bodies have agreed that those charges are specious. Gonzalez’s case is just one example of a larger problem in Colombia where activists are subjected to baseless charges intended to stigmatize and silence them. Earlier this year, Human Rights First released a report In the Dock and Under the Gun: Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia, that documented the widespread and systemic nature of the problem. Last month, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders led an extensive visit to Colombia, meeting with Gonzalez and decrying the problem of unfounded criminal proceedings against Colombian activists. Refusing a visa to Gonzalez sends the wrong message to the Colombian authorities and undercuts U.S. policy to support Colombian human rights defenders who are under attack. Please grant Gonzalez a visa. He deserves the recognition the award would afford him and granting the visa would demonstrate that the United States is standing by its policy of supporting human rights and the rule of law in Colombia. The link to send this letter is below http://actions.humanrightsfirst.org/t/5124/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=699
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 5:01 AM
Updated: Friday, 9 October 2009 12:48 PM
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Mood:  chattyNow Playing: Plans for a resolution generally center on the San José Accord Topic: Honduras Solidarity Thursday, October 8, 2009Honduras:Maquila Owners Call for InterventionWeekly News Update on the Americas
As of Oct. 4 Hondurans’ free speech and assembly rights remained suspended under a 45-day state of siege declared by de facto president Roberto Micheletti a week earlier. The general secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), Chilean  diplomat José Miguel Insulza, was scheduled to visit Tegucigalpa on Oct. 7 with a delegation of about 10 foreign ministers to negotiate a resolution to the crisis that began more than 100 days earlier with a June 28 military coup against President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales. The deposed president has been staying in the Brazilian embassy since his surprise return to the country on Sept. 21. (Agence France Presse 10/4/09) Plans for a resolution generally center on the San José Accord, a proposal from Costa Rican president Oscar Arias for Zelaya to return to office until his term expires on Jan. 27 but with a coalition government and an agreement not to pursue calls for a constituent assembly to rewrite the 1982 Constitution. Zelaya has generally agreed to the plan, but the grassroots movement against the coup rejects any compromise on the constituent assembly. A new variant of the San José Accord is being promoted by Adolfo Facussé, president of the National Association of Industries of Honduras (ANDI). He claims his proposal is backed by other powerful business owners and that Micheletti has shown interest. Under the “Facussé Plan,” Micheletti would step down “with honor” and Zelaya would return to office but would stay under house arrest while awaiting trial on corruption charges. The proposal also includes a multinational force with troops from Canada, Colombia and Panama, all countries with conservative governments closely allied to the US. The occupying force would “be charged with watching out that [Zelaya] complies” with the agreement, Facussé told the left-leaning Mexican daily La Jornada in an interview published on Sept. 30. The foreign troops would “strictly limit the capacities of this gentlemen,” he said. “[T]hey’ll just come to help and then will go back home.” The US has identified Facussé as an important backer of the coup. In August he called for resistance to international economic sanctions imposed after the coup, “because it’s better to eat tortillas and beans for year than to return to the situation we were in before, under the influence of Mr. Chávez”—a reference to leftist Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez Frías, an ally of Zelaya. Since August, however, owners of the country’s maquiladoras (tax-exempt plants assembling products for export) have grown increasingly nervous about the economic situation. Facussé himself was deported from the US when he attempted to visit Miami on Sept. 12 [see Updates #1002, 1004, 1005]. In the La Jornada interview Facussé insisted that he was friends with Zelaya and had backed Honduras’ participation in Petrocaribe, Chávez’s system for supplying discounted Venezuelan oil to the Caribbean Basin. “I invited the Venezuelans here,” Facussé said. “I supported Zelaya on the Bolivarian Alliance”—the Chávez-initiated Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America trade bloc (ALBA, formerly the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America). The La Jornada correspondent noted that Facussé, who is of Palestinian origin, is related to the late Schafik Handal, a leader of the leftist Farabundo Martí Front for National Liberation (FMLN), which now holds the presidency of El Salvador. (LJ 9/30/09)  In an article posted at the website of the US magazine The Nation on June 30, just two days after the coup, New York University professor Greg Grandin wrote that what the US government “might be angling for in Honduras could be the ‘Haiti Option.’ In 1994 Bill Clinton worked to restore Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide after he was deposed in a coup, but only on the condition that Aristide would support IMF [International Monetary Fund] and World Bank policies.” (The Nation 6/30/09) Aristide’s restoration in 1994 included a military occupation by more than 20,000 US troops. The US occupied Haiti again in March 2004 after Aristide’s second removal from office, but the US troops were replaced in June 2004 by a multinational force headed by Brazil. The force remains there five years later [see Update #1005].
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 10:46 AM
venezuela bans ....
Mood:  blueNow Playing: Family Guy .... Topic: Venezuela News The government in Venezuela has warned it will impose fines on TV companies that broadcast cartoon show Family Guy, claiming an episode promoted drug use.Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said the hit animated programme should be pulled from the airwaves because it advocates the use of marijuana. He was angry at a recent episode in which one character, Brian, a talking dog, started a campaign to legalise the drug.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 8:02 AM
Updated: Thursday, 8 October 2009 8:03 AM
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Critics Say Chavez Targeting Opponents For Arrest
Mood: don't askNow Playing: NPR ..has article and audio podcast about Chavez targeting opponents Topic: Opposition Opinions Here's the latest anti-Chavez propaganda from National Public Radio. It aired yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
homepage: 
address: BETWEEN THE LINES c/o WPKN Radio 89.5 FM Bridgeport, Connecticut 
In the morning of this Sunday, Honduran president Mel Zelaya was kidnapped by the military and transferred by force to Costa Rica. 
cool
0 comments:
Post a Comment