NewsTaco

By Dr. Henry Flores, NewsTaco

One thing that has been lacking for many years and from many United States Administrations is a Latin American policy.  We have had policies, don’t get me wrong.  But, we have never had a comprehensive policy since the early nineteenth century and then it was only warning the world that Latin America was our backyard and there was no room for other exploiters.

A review of our policies over the almost last two centuries, going all the way back to the Mexican War of 1848 when the United States acquired half of Mexico as its own indicates nothing but a belligerent and imperialistic attitude toward any and all Latin American countries.  A brief review will suffice here.

The Mexican War, which really began earlier than 1848, expanded US control over half of all of Mexico plus several million dollars.  This war, which saw the desecration of Catholic churches to such an extreme that an entire brigade of Irish Catholic soldiers disserted and joined the Mexican Army, did not leave a good taste in the mouth of our neighbor to the south.

Then we went to war with Spain in the 1890s and received Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and other concessions bolstering our empire.

Don’t you just love this!  While nativists scream about us speaking Spanish, the United States kept adding Spanish Speaking countries to its growing empire!

Anyway, during both World Wars we added a military presence in almost every country in the hemisphere to use as logistic, training, and strategic centers.  So by the time we overthrew the Guatemalan government in the 1950s we were well established militarily in the region.  Beginning with Guatemala we expanded control by backing dictatorships, mostly military, throughout Central America, with the exception of Costa Rica down through Panama and into South America.

The 1960s saw us begin waging war against communism by blockading Cuba and supporting Operation Condor throughout South America.  This last operation was supporting the oppressive military dictatorships in Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.  All these repressive regimes since have fallen, mostly through the anger of the people who have now instituted liberal-type democracies.  But the issue is that these countries have not forgotten that the United States always supported the dictatorships, murder squads, political prisons, torture centers, biased media outlets and anti-democratic movements throughout the hemisphere.  This may be our “backyard” but we have not played well with our neighbors.

Latin Americans, I have found throughout my travels, see a role model for democracy in the United States regardless of our past reputation.  Many see the political actions of our leaders as those of misguided individuals and not a reflection of who Americans are as a people.  I tend to agree with this perspective.

Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, just passed away.  He was a vocal and stern critic of American foreign policy.  He even lectured President Obama on the ugly history of America’s track record throughout Latin America.  His passing leaves a great void because Chavez, for all his craziness, did provide other Latin American leaders with a voice of protest and leadership against United States interests in their countries.  These countries, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay, became a union that could stand up to the United States and get some respect.

It is not clear what will happen now that Chavez has gone.  I do know this, however, now that he is gone we have an opportunity to engage Latin America in ways other than we have in the past.  Now is the time for President Obama (I know his plate is full) to step into the breach and extend a hand of friendship and constructivism to the countries of Latin America.  What we need, is friends, true friends in this hemisphere and now that our president can speak Spanish, he needs to go down there and practice.

[Photo by cliff1066™]

By Jaime Suchlicki, The Atlantic

Dressed in an impeccable, custom-tailored suit and a Versace tie, instead of his usual military fatigues, General Raul Castro addressed the Cuban Parliament on February 24. He did not discuss political or economic reforms. Instead, he announced he would be stepping down from power at the end of the five-year term for which he had just been elected. If the Pope retires, “I can also retire,” he explained. Yet the Cubans would have to wait for the “younger” brother to reach 87 years of age to see the end of the Castro dynasty.

But not so fast. There are other Castros in the wings. In particular, Raul’s son, Alejandro Castro Espin, a colonel in Cuba’s intelligence apparatus, could be groomed in the future by becoming a general and a member of the Communist Party Politburo, Cuba’s ruling body. In the meantime, Raul appointed a younger Communist, Miguel Diaz Canel, as first vice president among five other vice presidents. A hardline party apparatchik, Diaz Canel, a 52-year-old engineer and former Minister of Education, grew up under Fidel’s and Raul’s shadow as an obedient and disciplined Marxist. A protégé of Ramon Machado Ventura, an old communist and (till Sunday) first vice president, Diaz Canel mirrors the ideological rigidity of his mentor.

Click on picture to read full story.

[Photos by  "Carolonline", Trinidad-News.com]

By Mariano Castillo and Osmary Hernandez, CNN

Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) – Hugo Chavez, the polarizing president of Venezuela who cast himself as a “21st century socialist” and foe of the United States, died Tuesday, said Vice President Nicolas Maduro.

Chavez, who had long battled cancer, was 58.

Click on picture to read full story.

[Photo by www_ukberri_net]

By Amanda Maxwell, La Onda Verde de NRDC

Chile

Enersis, the owner of Endesa—the company that controls 51% of HidroAysén—believes that the mega-dam project will resume this year. Among the remaining roadblocks is a permit for the construction of a transmission line needed to move electricity from the dams to the country’s central electric grid. Approval of the line is pending an environmental impact assessment. Surpassing this hurdle, however, does not guarantee a clear go-ahead. The project is likely to face additional challenges, including securing its implementation in legally protected areas and consulting with indigenous groups where development impacts their territories, a process mandated by ILO Convention 169. (Pulso 2/19/2013; Diario Electrónico 2/20/2013)

Controversy continues to swirl around Barrick Gold Corporation’s Pascua Lama mining project in northern Chile. According to a statement presented to the Copiapó Court of Appeals, the company, which is accused of contributing to the pollution and melting of nearby glaciers, is attributing the observed glacial melt to climate change. The Toronto-based Barrick Gold—the world’s largest gold mining company—is currently facing four lawsuits in the country. (The Santiago Times 2/19/2013)

The turbulent waters of Chile’s Chacao Channel may hold significant potential for tidal power, claims new research from a group of Chilean and American scientists. The channel is estimated to have the third-strongest tidal current in the world, representing about 2,000 MW of energy potential. The Ministries of Energy and the Environment have offered support for developing Chile’s tidal and wave energy potential, although commercial production remains far off. (The Santiago Times 2/20/2013)

Costa Rica

Blue carbon—carbon dioxide stored in coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, saltmarshes and seagrass meadows—can help Costa Rica become carbon-neutral by 2021. The Térraba-Sierpe National Wetlands alone account for approximately 40% of the country’s carbon storage potential. Coastal wetlands sequester carbon up to 100 times faster than terrestrial forests, although deforestation and soil degradation threaten these ecosystem nation-wide. (The Costa Rica News 2/17/2013)

The Costa Rican coast guard has detected 14 illegal fishing vessels operating in the Golfo Dulce, intercepting one and identifying 13 others. This was the first operation undertaken by the country’s National Coast Guard Service after the death of 280 endangered sea turtles this past January raised suspicions of illegal fishing activities in the area. (El Financiero 2/14/2013)

Mexico

Specialists from the National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INOE) have developed a solar-powered industrial steam generator as part of INOES’s program to advance solar energy technologies for the state of Puebla. The device promises to improve the competitiveness of the state’s rural industries, especially those that undertake pasteurization, distillation and dehydration processes. (Ecoticias 2/21/2013)

Speaking at the launch of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy, a UN-backed initiative that will help 30 countries build their national green economy strategies, Mexico’s Minister of Environment and Natural Resources reiterated the country’s commitment to sustainable development. Among the national goals outlined by Minister Guerra Abud are achieving sustainable and low-carbon growth, preserving the country’s biological diversity, and promoting efficiency in water management. (Semarnat Press Release, 2/19/2013)

Paraiso del Mar, a large-scale resort development in La Paz, Baja California Sur, is facing new legal troubles after the discovery of several anomalies in the granting of its environmental permits. In a recently released decision, the Federal Court for Fiscal and Administrative Justice determined that the project was given a legal go-ahead by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources even though it was not in compliance with Ministry’s regulation on mangrove protection. This decision has effectively nullified the project’s environmental impact assessment. (El Sudcaliforniano 2/21/2013)

Regional

INTERPOL has seized around eight millions of dollars’ worth of timber and made almost 200 arrests across Latin America in its first international operation targeting illegal logging. Carried out in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela, the operation sought to foster cooperation among national environmental law enforcement agencies as well as with INTERPOL and other international organizations. (INTERPOL media release 2/19/2013)

This article was first published in NRDC Switchboard.

Amanda Maxwell is a born and bred Jersey girl, but has lived for varying amounts of time in Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and the Czech Republic before moving to Washington, DC. Prior to joining NRDC she received my Masters degree in International Politics and Economics with a focus in Renewable Energy policy from Charles University in Prague. While there, she gained an appreciation for night running, train travel (especially of the high speed variety), and the local pivo. She received a Bachelors degree in history and Spanish from Middlebury College, and also studied in Buenos Aires.

- See more at: http://www.newstaco.com/2013/02/21/latin-america-green-news-9/#sthash.HPg04Iuc.dpuf

By Amanda Maxwell, La Onda Verde de NRDC

Chile

Non-conventional renewable energy projects are aiming to add more than 6,000 MW of installed capacity to the SING, Chile’s northern electricity grid. Among these are 4,384 MW of solar power—primarily photovoltaic, but also solar thermal—which will require an investment of over US$15 million, and 1,732 MW of wind power, which call for an investment of US$3.7 million. (Estrategia 2/15/2013)

With an investment of US$408 million, Chile will have more than 120 MW of installed geothermal capacity by 2016. Two plants are expected to come online in the coming years, including the Cerro Pabellón plant in the Antofagasta Region and the Curacautín plant in the Araucanía Region. The former, owned by Enel Green power, has already received its environmental approval and is expected to begin operations in 2015. Curacautín, which is being developed by Geo Global Energy, is still awaiting its environmental assessment and is expected to come online in 2016. (Estrategia, 2/13/2013)

Recognizing the role that shale gas has played in revolutionizing the global energy map, Colbun, Chile’s second largest electricity generator, is partnering with AES Gener toconstruct a liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal. However, the company—which is currently negotiating with LNG suppliers and has several other hydroelectric and coal-powered projects in the works—is aiming to temper expectations about the initiative, claiming that, for a small market such as that of Chile, the outcome of ongoing negotiations remains uncertain. (Diario Financiero 2/11/2013)

Santiago continues to be plagued by water shortages, with more than 4,800 households and 52 businesses experiencing water outages for the third time in three weeks. On Saturday, more than 4 million people and countless businesses were affected by a cut in water service, allegedly caused by increased mountain precipitation that has severely diminished the purity of the Maipo and Mapocho Rivers, the city’s main source of drinking water. (The Santiago Times 2/11/2013)

Lake Cachet 2, which lies on the Colonia glacier in Chile’s Aysén Region, has experienced its thirteenth glacial lake outburst flood—an event in which a glacial dam containing the lake is breached, causing the lake to drain of all of its water in a matter of hours. The flood generated increased flows in the Colonia and Baker Rivers, which registered peak volumes of 3,598 cubic meters per second, more than double the normal flow rate, and flooded parts of Route 7 South. (Que Fácil 2/12/2013)

Chile’s native forests are experiencing a resurgence, claims the country’s National Forestry Corporation (CONAF). Data shows that, in 2012, Illegal logging of native forests was the lowest in five years, while native forest land cover has increased by 169,008 hectares over the last 14 years. Citizen complaints have played an important role in increasing the rate of detection of illegal logging activities. This week, for example, CONAF upheld an illegal logging complaint made by a resident of Pucón against a local landowner; the local criminal court is now charged with identifying and prosecuting the responsible parties. (Nacional 2/13/2013; Bio Bio Chile 2/12/2013)

Costa Rica

The University of Costa Rica and the Korean Environment Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to help the Metropolitan Federation of the Municipalities of San José Jose convert municipal waste into electricity. Under agreement, the municipalities will deliver their solid waste to a new power generation plant for the next 25 years. The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity—the country’s government-run electricity service provider—will be legally obligated to purchase the electricity generated by the new facility. The initiative aims to promote alternative energy and diminish the size of landfills. (El Financiero 2/15/2013)

The Valle Central wind power project has been officially recognized by the United Nations for its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a designation that will allow the project to receive income from certified emissions reduction credits. The recognition is part of the UN’s international “Clean Development Mechanism”, a market-based tool that incentivizes the implementation of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. (El Financiero 2/15/2013)

Mexico

Mexico has significant solar thermal power potential, claim researchers form the Renewable Energy Institute at the UNAM. Although the government has attempted to promote solar thermal projects in social housing through the Green Mortgages Program, its use in households is still limited. Financing remains a major barrier as installations require a sizable up-front investment. (Artículo 7 2/11/2013)

Biologists from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) report the successful reproduction in the wild of the California condor—a vulture that is regarded as the largest land bird in North America and one of the rarest birds in the world. The achievement has particular significance given the fact that all condors currently present in Mexico have been born and bred in captivity and eventually reintroduced into the wild. (El Siglo de Torreón, 2/9/2013)

Juan José Guerra Abud, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, has announced the creation of a Council on Climate Change, which will be tasked with analyzing and advising on public policies aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts of climate change. Although Mexico is responsible for only 1.3% of global greenhouse gas emission, it remains extremely vulnerable to climate change due to its biodiversity and the presence of multiple distinct climates and geographies. (El Economista 2/12/2013)

This article was first published in NRDC Switchboard.

Amanda Maxwell is a born and bred Jersey girl, but has lived for varying amounts of time in Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and the Czech Republic before moving to Washington, DC. Prior to joining NRDC she received my Masters degree in International Politics and Economics with a focus in Renewable Energy policy from Charles University in Prague. While there, she gained an appreciation for night running, train travel (especially of the high speed variety), and the local pivo. She received a Bachelors degree in history and Spanish from Middlebury College, and also studied in Buenos Aires.

By BBC News

Archaeologists in Peru say they have discovered a temple at the ancient site of El Paraiso, near the capital, Lima.

Entry to the rectangular structure, estimated to be up to 5,000 years old, was via a narrow passageway, they say.

At its centre, the archaeologists from Peru’s Ministry of Culture found a hearth which they believe was used to burn ceremonial offerings.

With 10 ruins, El Paraiso is one of the biggest archaeological sites in central Peru.

Click on picture to read full story.

[Photo by Peruvian Ministry of Culture]

By Anamda Maxwell, La Onda Verde de NRDC

Chile:

“Caring for our energy together” will be the slogan of Chile’s Energy Efficiency Expo AChEE 2013, which will be held in Santiago in March. The Expo will bring together key stakeholders from the supply and demand side to showcase newly available technologiesand promote possible actions that both households and businesses can undertake to achieve greater energy efficiency. The business sector globally may be able to derive several important lessons from a new energy efficiency project implemented in one of the world’s most well-known edifices—the Empire State Building. One year since the building underwent a retrofit in 2011, its energy use has declined by nearly 40%, representing a savings of $2.4 million. (Electricidad 2/6/2013; Pulso 2/7/2013)

The Chilean northern electricity grid can gain 700 MW of capacity from non-conventional renewable sources this year, according to a report published by CDEC-SING. This includes 355.5 MW from solar (photovoltaic) energy and 345 MW of wind power. However it’s likely that the technical complexity of connecting to the grid may delay the start of operations of several of these projects. (Estrategia 2/8/2013)

Non-conventional renewable energy in Chile is getting a push from Rafael Mateo, former CEO of Endesa Chile and current director of ACCIONA Energia. The formerly staunch supporter of the hydroelectric project HidroAysen has recently shifted toward non-conventional renewable energy, backing solar and wind as the most promising energy sources for Chile’s future and questioning the indirect subsidies given to hydroelectric power. (El Diario de Aysén 2/6/2013)

Elvis Valdes, a member of the Cochrane City Council has published a harsh letter in El Mercurio, reproaching a group of citizens in Chile’s Aysen region that have criticized Bishop Luis Infanti for aiming to halt the development of the controversial HidroAysen project. Siting several inconsistencies in plans to relocate local residents, among other alleged offenses, the Councilor states that “those that have signed the letter supporting [Endesa] and expressing opposition to the Bishop’s sentiments clearly don’t know the reality that we live in southern Aysen.” (El Dínamo 2/5/2013)

Costa Rica:

Wetlands protection benefits coastal communities by ensuring access to adequate water supply and primary materials, as well as livelihoods through eco-tourism, claims a new report titled “The economics of ecosystems and Biodiversity for Water and Wetlands” published by the Ramsar Secretariat. Costa Rica contains 12 sites that form part of the Ramsar Convention—an intergovernmental treaty that promotes the sustainable management of wetlands through national action and international cooperation—covering approximately 10% of the country. (El Financiero 2/8/2013)

The national registry of protected areas is out-of-date, reports an audit performed by the Comptroller General of the Republic within the Ministry of Energy and the Environment. Sixty-one protected areas are missing from the National Natural Heritage registry, while the area of 14 is incorrect, representing a discrepancy of over 126,190 square kilometers. This lack of accuracy provokes errors in the calculation of land value and serves as a disincentive for registration. (El Financiero 2/8/2013)

On February 6, the Municipal Council of San Jose declared the San Jose canton to befree of genetically modified products. The unanimous decision was taken to promote public health, ensure biodiversity, and safeguard food security. The San Jose decision follows similar declarations by 26 other cantons, a movement that began in Paraiso de Cartago in 2005. (El País 2/5/2013)

Mexico:

Juan José Guerra Abud, the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, hascreated a commission to advise the president on the protection of the vaquita—a rare species of porpoise traditionally found in the northern Gulf of California. The commission will propose environmental, economic, and social actions to prevent the cetacean’s extinction and outline strategies to revive the population, which is currently critically endangered. (El Sol de México 2/6/2013)

According to the Director General of the 2013 International Electricity Expo, Mexico’s efforts to develop sustainable and renewable energy has placed it fourth among the world’ leaders in the promotion of clean energy. Although the country has made great technical strides toward energy sustainability, it still lacks the personnel to perform many of the innovative electrical installations. To begin addressing this issue, the upcoming Expo Electrica Norte, which will take place in Monterrey in March, will include special seminars to certify workers in electrical installation. (Diario de Yucatán 2/7/2013)

Mexico’s National Forestry Program (CONAFOR) is seeking to revitalize the country’s forest economy in 2013 and reduce deforestation and forest degradation with a new injection of funding and technical expertise. The program plans to sign fire cooperation agreements with individual states and the Federal District in order to strengthen the transmission of technical competencies and aims create 27,000 jobs in the forest sector through conservation initiatives and sustainable use projects. (SEMARNAT Press Release 2/7/2013)

Regional:

Wind power has incredible growth potential in Latin America, claims the CEO of the Danish firm Vestas. Central America and the Caribbean, in particular, have heightened appetite for renewable energy as the regions’ power generation relies heavily on diesel, which is dirty and unsustainable, and a limited amount of hydroelectric sources, which are highly cyclical. Complementing this is a very favorable financial environment, including high liquidity in the banking and investment sector. (El País 2/8/2013)

This article was first published in NRDC Switchboard.

Amanda Maxwell is a born and bred Jersey girl, but has lived for varying amounts of time in Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and the Czech Republic before moving to Washington, DC. Prior to joining NRDC she received my Masters degree in International Politics and Economics with a focus in Renewable Energy policy from Charles University in Prague. While there, she gained an appreciation for night running, train travel (especially of the high speed variety), and the local pivo. She received a Bachelors degree in history and Spanish from Middlebury College, and also studied in Buenos Aires.

By Mary Jo McConahay, New America Media

SAN SALVADOR — Local bishops, not the pope, traditionally run church life and sometimes political life from Mexico to Argentina, but the reach of Pope Benedict XVI, who announced his retirement effective Feb. 28, has been unique. For decades, when Ratzinger’s shoe dropped, the tremor reverberated over Latin America, where half of the world’s one billion Catholics live.

After the watershed Second Vatican Council, which stressed ecumenism and invited active lay participation in ecclesial thinking and ritual, Latin America took the fresh insights of the Church to heart perhaps more than any other region. It was as if the piety and first-hand understanding of hardship and sacrifice that filled the lives of the Latin poor had been just waiting to burst out, to inform the wider faith with their understanding of it, thoughtfully to question what they saw as anomalous. Discussions among church members in small “base Christian communities,” and their dialogue with pastors and theologians, made the 1960s and 1970s effervescent with new perceptions and commitments to challenging injustice. Latin American bishops meeting in Medellin and Puebla established “the preferential option for the poor”; called oppressive structures like corrupt capitalism “sinful,” but not unchangeable; and declared the aim of practiced faith was not development, but liberation.

In the 1980s, the man now known as Pope Benedict XVI directed the Church’s doctrine watchdog office once called the Inquisition. He put the brakes on the fast-growing movement that became known as liberation theology, calling it a “fundamental threat.” The church’s body was moving ahead of its red-cloaked clergy, and that was intolerable. Ratzinger forbade certain world-famous Latin theologians to publish or preach by invoking what is called “silencing,” a tool wielded from above meant to prevent ”confusion” among church members, but arguably used by Ratzinger to quell challenges to structures on which the Latin Church had fed for five hundred years: small, landed, wealthy oligarchies; the militaries at their service; strict ecclesial hierarchies deaf to input from the ordinary laity.

When long-brewing civil strife erupted in Guatemala and El Salvador, the military denounced Church members who abided by liberation theology, characterizing it as a political movement aligned with armed leftist insurgents, killing dozens of unarmed priests and hundreds of civilian catechists. Ratzinger remained virtually silent. Church figures calling for peace were targeted. Here in San Salvador, its government supported by the United States during a 12-year civil war, a right wing death squad killed Bishop Oscar Romero as he said Mass in 1980. Members of the Salvadoran National Guard kidnapped, raped and killed four U.S. churchwomen working among the urban poor in the capital. In 1989, members of a U.S.-trained elite unit assassinated six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. The Vatican was notable for pulling its punches with Washington during the time. What might have happened, Guatemalans and El Salvadorans ask to this day, if Ratzinger and Pope John Paul II had regarded the Latin American call for liberation from autocratic rulers with the same force with which the European churchmen supported the Polish Solidarity revolution?

Latin neoliberal administrations that emerged from the tumultuous 1980s and 1990s are a disappointment to many, failing to fill the promise of delivering better lives — even ending poverty — with development and new businesses. Amnesty International reports that the number of murdered El Salvadoran women and girls, mostly poor, often found mutilated, doubled in three years to 477 in 2011. The most recent (2011) United Nations Development Program Report on El Salvador reiterates throughout the need for social policy to become one of the mainstays of development, that “the welfare of persons is not only about income.” Much of the country, it says, continues finding a way of life in the middle of persistent poverty and inequality.

Rev. Jose Maria Tojeira, former rector of the University of Central America where the Jesuits were killed, told El Faro, El Salvador’s digital newspaper, that whoever is elected pope must be “very committed” to peace and support solidarity with the poorest during the “crisis of meaning” that prevails in the world. Much hunger and social justice persist, he said, “and I believe these are the challenges for the Catholic Church in a world very centered in technology, and in ‘how to live’ more than ‘what to live for.’” Tojeira lamented that the pope would leave without completing the beatification process begun in 1996 for Archbishop Romero, a step to sainthood.

Amid speculation about who will be the next pope, are suggestions that the time may have come for a Latin American prelate, or someone from the global south. Half of the cardinals who will vote are from Europe, but only a quarter of Catholics live there. Whoever is elected, dramatic church changes do not appear imminent.

“Given that the previous and current pope have stuffed the College of Cardinals with like-minded conservatives, the future will probably look like the recent past,” said Thomas Sheehan, Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. Sheehan worked in El Salvador war zones as a freelance reporter in the 1980s.

What has not changed from the days when Ratzinger recognized the transformative potential of liberation theology and challenged it, is the understanding that Latin America is the future of the Church. Before the pope’s surprise resignation announcement, he was scheduled to attend the opening of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, July 1. The largest Catholic country in the world, Brazil has become an economic powerhouse, and is home to some of the most outstanding liberation theology thinkers. The Vatican says it is not canceling a papal appearance. Brazil is likely to be the first foreign destination of the new pope.

This article was first published in New America Media.

Mary Jo McConahay’s reporting has appeared in Time, Newsweek, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Ms., Salon, Sierra, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Parenting, The Progressive, National Catholic Reporter, and more than two dozen other magazines and periodicals. She began freelancing in Mexico; became a staff reporter for the Arab News, in Saudi Arabia; and reported for the Paris-based International Herald Tribune, and London-based economic magazines. She covered the Central American insurgencies for a decade for Pacific News Service, and U.S. newspapers such as the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle.

[Photo courtesy New America Media]

By Anamda Maxwell, La Onda Verde de NRDC

Chile

4.80 GW of non-conventional renewable energy projects were approved by Chile’s environmental impact system in 2012, more than four times the 943 MW that were approved in 2011. Of the total approved, 3.14 GW were proposed solar projects, which surpassed the capacity of proposed wind projects for the first time. Another 2.40 GW of renewables projects are still under evaluation, including wind, solar, mini-hydro and geothermal plants.(Business News Americas 1/30/2013)

According to a new study, coal fired power plants represented 25 percent of the energy generation in Chile’s main grid, the SIC, in 2012 – the highest percentage in the last 11 years. At the same time, hydroelectric power fell to its lowest generation in a decade, at 41 percent. The study’s authors noted that imports of hydrocarbons grew to a record amount in the past year as well, and that they expect the role of coal power to grow over the coming years particularly as the country’s low rain levels continue for a fourth straight year. (Economía y Negocios 1/28/2012)

Borja Prado, the head of Endesa España –one of the companies that owns the controversial HidroAysén—said last week that the future of the hydroelectric project depends on the government’s approval, and that once the project has passed all of the necessary steps, the company will study the project’s profitability. “We have invested a lot of money in HidroAysén, but it is a project that has to undergo the government’s process,” he said. (El Mercurio 1/25/2013) The municipality of Chile Chico, located in the same region as HidroAysén’s proposed dams, rejected the project. The town’s mayor, Luperciano Muñoz, spoke out against the project and lamented that some members of the community had accepted money from the company. (Radio Universidad de Chile 2/1/2013)

The Transport Ministry announced a new regulation on auto emissions which will go into effect later this year, limiting some of the riskiest air pollutants to public health: nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide. The newly amended Decree 149 makes the current regulation 10 percent more demanding as of June 25, and will become 20 percent more demanding in 2015. Authorities say that approximately 100,000 vehicles in Santiago –of the area’s 1.6 million – will likely not comply with the new standard. (El Mercurio, via Terram.cl 1/26/2013)

Mayors of Chile’s Metropolitan Region near Santiago asked the government to nationalize Chile’s waters after a massive water shortage last week caused by the company Aguas Andinas left many in the country’s capital without water for hours. According to Article 19 of the Constitution, the rights for Chile’s waters are privatized, allowing private parties to buy and sell them as property. The petitioners, members of the Chilean Municipalities Association, argued that the government should manage all water resources and be charged with their environmental protection and sustainable use. (El Dinamo 1/24/2013)

Costa Rica

Costa Rica was recognized as an international model in marine conservation at an event organized by the National Geographic Society during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The event acknowledged Costa Rica’s leadership in the creation of the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor, a four-country initiative that includes Cocos Island, Malepelo Island and the Galapagos Islands. (La Nación 1/28/2013)

Costa Rica’s Agromonte pineapple company received carbon neutral certificationfollowing a two year accreditation process under the in the international PAS2060 system. The certification process included accounting for emissions from fertilizers, herbicide, water and other resources used during the cultivation stage but did not consider other stages of production such as transportation. (El Financiero 2/1/2013)

Mexico

According to a new study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Vestas, nearly 92 percent of Mexicans favor renewable energy over conventional alternatives. The study also found that 65 percent of the people surveyed would pay up to 10 percent more for power generated by renewable sources. However, sixty-three percent of respondents also said they felt they had little access to information about energy consumption. (Informador 1/29/2013)

President Peña Nieto launched an Interagency Commission on Climate Change charged with defining a joint agenda and creating guidelines for a national policy on climate change.  The commission is composed of 13 federal agencies and will include the participation of civil society, private and academic leaders. The interagency effort will have a budget of 34,500 million pesos. (Diario Crítico de México 1/29/2013)

By 2020 renewables could represent a fifth of Mexico’s installed capacity, attract over 350 million pesos in investment, generate 50 million jobs and help cut 13 million tons of CO2, according to Mexico’s Undersecretary of Energy Planning and Transition Leonardo Beltrán who spoke at the  Mexico Windpower Congress and Expo. Speaking at the same event, the head of the Mexican Wind Association, Leopoldo Rodriguez, highlighted that in 2012 wind power represented over  two percent of the nation’s total installed capacity, or 1,4000 MW. (Noticias 1/31/2013)

This article was first published in NRDC Switchboard.

Amanda Maxwell is a born and bred Jersey girl, but has lived for varying amounts of time in Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and the Czech Republic before moving to Washington, DC. Prior to joining NRDC she received my Masters degree in International Politics and Economics with a focus in Renewable Energy policy from Charles University in Prague. While there, she gained an appreciation for night running, train travel (especially of the high speed variety), and the local pivo. She received a Bachelors degree in history and Spanish from Middlebury College, and also studied in Buenos Aires.

By Amanda Maxwell, La Onda Verde de NRDC

Chile

Hundreds of people took to the streets in the town of Ventanas to march “For a Decent Life,” demanding that no more new coal-fired power plants are built in the area. Ventanas was declared a “pollution saturated zone” in 1993, yet companies have continued building new plants there. Three thermoelectric plants and one copper refinery are currently operating in Ventanas. Soon the new Campiche coal plant will join them, and the Energía Minera plant, proposed by the national copper mining company Codelco –which would be among the biggest in the country—has been approved. Eduardo Quiroz, head of the artisanal fishermen in the area, said that “the Valparaíso region will die with another thermoelectric plant.” (Radio Universidad de Chile 1/12/2013)

Citizens in the Huasco River Valley are suffering from the environmental damage and consequent health impacts caused by the area’s industrial development. The area used to be a fertile desert oasis and healthy agricultural center in Chile’s northern Atacama Desert. But nearby power plants burning petcoke and a gold mine upstream of the valley’s river have created a dry and polluted environment, and people are suffering from a high incidence of cancer. (The Santiago Times 1/15/2013)

Minister of Energy Jorge Bunster announced the government’s newest proposal to encourage the country’s renewable energy sector, when he recommended that Congress increase the current law requiring 10 percent of total energy generation to come from renewable sources by 2024 to 15 percent by the same year. Previously, the government had proposed increasing the law to 20 percent by 2020, but has since stated that it believes that that goal would be too difficult to achieve. Carlos Finat, Executive Director of the Chilean Renewable Energy Association says the new proposal is too weak, and that the country could absolutely meet the 20 percent by 2020 proposal. (Nueva Mineria 1/17/2013)

Chile’s General Water Directory announced that some of the country’s major energy companies will have to pay fines this year for the water rights they have held but not used. Endesa received a $14 million fine; HidroAysén will have to pay $5.2 million; AES Gener’s fine is $7.3 million and Colbún will pay $3.2 million. The total amount of fines that the water authority announced is to more than $73 million. (Diario Financiero 1/17/2013)

After a surprise mudslide in San Jose del Maipo left 2 million people in Santiago without running water, many are questioning the country’s ecological policies, particularly those concerning deforestation and soil erosion. Although some officials have dismissed the event as a one-time occurrence, Senator Guido Girardi is calling for new legislative initiatives that prioritize ecosystem restoration as a means to prevent similar problems in the future. (The Santiago Times 1/23/2012)

Austral University, La Reserva Costera Valdiviana and Forestal Masisa will replant 2.5 million native tree species over 3,600 hectares in Valdivia’s coastal range, replacing the non-native eucalyptus trees that have spread there. These evergreen forests that stretch along 400 kilometers have lost half of their area in the last 100 years. (La Tercera 1/14/2013)

Costa Rica

Preliminary reports from scientific and environmental organizations show that the recent death of 280 sea turtles in the Golfo Dulce is likely caused by the turtles getting caught in fishing gear. Local fishing groups and NGOs have called on the government to quickly determine the cause of the turtle mortalities and take the necessary precautions to remedy the situation and protect the region’s marine resources.  These groups have repeatedly alerted authorities about the presence of long-line fishing boats within and in close proximity to the Golfo Dulce Responsible Fishing Marine Area where such practices are prohibited. Local communities are also alarmed that the presence of so many turtle carcasses could create a health risk to residents. (El País 1/24/2013; La Nación 1/25/2013)

The United Arab Emirates will finance a Costa Rican program to achieve 100% electricity service across the country through small scale renewable energy.  In Costa Rica there are still approximately 28,000 families without access to energy. This new program will allow the Costa Rican Electricity Institute and local cooperative to provide these families with access to modern energy services. The project will cost between $50 to $70 million, and will install mini hydro, wind and solar systems. (El Financiero 1/17/2013)

As part of the “Ideas” energy innovation contest held by the Interamerican Development Bank, the Costa Rican company Swissol will design a solar water heater geared at middle and low income sectors of the population. With the help of funding from the bank, Swissol will develop a prototype water heater during 2013. The goal is that production of 1,000 to 3,000 units will begin between 2014 and 2016. (El Financiero 1/16/2013)

Two hundred taxi drivers will be able to exchange their old taxis for new electric vehiclesunder a new “Green Taxi” initiative in Costa Rica. The Ministry of Environment and Energy signed an agreement with the local representative of the BYD car company which has already supplied green taxis in China and Colombia. Participating drivers can make $1,000 monthly payments to purchase the vehicles and will not have to pay the import tax.  (El Financiero 1/21/2013)

Under the leadership of the local group Aliarse, five municipalities and 20 companies in Costa Rica are coming together to launch a waste collection campaign. The “Greener Costa Rica” initiative aims to collect 55 tons of electronic waste this weekend, disassemble it and ship it to Canada for re-use. This is the second such waste collection campaign that Aliarse has spearheaded to help cut down on electronic waste in the country. (La Nación 1/25/2012)

For each $1,000 of GDP that Costa Rica produces it emits only 0.35 tons of CO2,making it one of the least carbon intensive countries.  In Latin America and the Caribbean, only El Salvador and the Bahamas have such low emissions per GDP. In 2004, Costa Rica’s emissions reached 0.43 tons, but have since dropped to levels between 0.34 and 0.36 tons. (El Financiero 1/14/2013)

Mexico

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) announced that modifications will be made to the Mexican Official Policy 163 with regard to vehicle efficiency. The new regulations will be revealed in the upcoming months but will chiefly match the environmental regulations for cars in other North American countries. The policy requires better technology for cars as well as a ban on selling any cars that could not be sold in the United States and Canada for environmental reasons. Juan José Guerra Abud is hoping that these new regulations will save 603 million barrels of oil, 1,000 million Mexican pesos on fuel, and reduce emission to 225 million tons of CO2. The new regulations will become valid during the 2014-2016 periods. (El Economista 1/17/13)

Pemex failed to immediately announce an oil spill that occurred on January 13, when a pipeline fractured during exploration of new wells. The spill occurred along the boundary line of Las Choapas and Agua Dulce yet the amount of the spill and extent of the damaged area is still unknown. Greenpeace is calling on the Federal Attorney of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to sanction Pemex for this spill and to strengthen existing regulations for notification of spills. (Greenpeace México 1/18/13).

The Secretary of the Environment, Juan José Guerra Abud, and the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Anthony Wayne, met to discuss and reaffirm their mutual commitment to ensure that the border region of the two countries remains an environmental priority. They addressed topics such as climate change, clean transportation, waste, water and biodiversity. (Biosfera: Sala de Prensa 1/18/13).

A report prepared for the US Congress by the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) identified Mexico as a nation where fishing activities resulted in the bycatch of protected species, referring to the incidental capture of loggerhead marine turtles in Baja California Sur.  According to the report, NMFS contacted Mexico via diplomatic channels regarding the situation and has yet to receive a reply to the inquiry. The report based its identification based on bycatch numbers reported by Mexican fishing and environmental entities. Mexican groups have voiced serious concern that very high turtle bycatch numbers in Mexico’s Gulf of Ulloa. (Octavo Día 1/16/2013)

At the 42nd meeting of the National Council of Protected Natural Areas, Francisco Moreno Merino of the Federal Attorney of Environmental Protection and Luis Fueyo MacDonald of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas signed a three year agreement to strengthen the abilities of both groups to carry out their responsibilities. The agreement focused on the exchange of information and computer resources, consolidation of conservation and management programs, technical teamwork, and training. The goal is for this exchange of resources will promote more efficiency in the conservation of Natural Protected Areas, wildlife, marine wildlife and Federal Maritime Territory Zones. (Biosfera: Sala de Prensa 1/21/13).

President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration must decide in the coming weeks whether or not to allow Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bread to plant transgenic corn in 2.4 million hectares in Mexico. The upcoming decision is based on a process that began in 2009 when a moratorium on transgenic products ended and the approval of experimental planting began.  NGOs have expressed serious concerns about the health and environmental impact of planting genetically modified crops in Mexico. (El País, 1/12/13)

Regional

A new study published in the journal The Cryosphere found that Andean glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates – the fastest rates in over 300 years. The Andean glaciers are a source of fresh water for tens of millions of people in South America, but have shrunk between 30 and 50 percent since the 1970s due to the planet’s rising temperatures. Scientists warned that further melting could cause some Andean glaciers to disappear entirely, impacting communities who rely on them for water supply. (The Guardian 1/23/2013)

This article was first published in NRDC Switchboard.

Amanda Maxwell is a born and bred Jersey girl, but has lived for varying amounts of time in Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and the Czech Republic before moving to Washington, DC. Prior to joining NRDC she received my Masters degree in International Politics and Economics with a focus in Renewable Energy policy from Charles University in Prague. While there, she gained an appreciation for night running, train travel (especially of the high speed variety), and the local pivo. She received a Bachelors degree in history and Spanish from Middlebury College, and also studied in Buenos Aires.

By Christopher Sabatini, Voxxi

In her four-year term, Hillary Clinton has not only been the State Department’s most traveled secretary of state in history, she’s also been a frequent flier to Latin America and the Caribbean. In 22 trips to the region (including Canada), she traveled to 31 countries.

Can we expect the same level of attention from secretary of state nominee, Senator John Kerry? Not likely, though that may not be a bad thing.

By 2008, U.S. political capital in the region was badly damaged. In the first four years of President George W. Bush’s administration, a number of high-level government officials made little effort to hide their preferences for specific candidates or parties in elections in Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela, violating a long-standing policy—in place since the presidency of President Bush’s father—to support the process of democratic elections regardless of their outcomes. Moreover the brief embrace of the seizure of power in Venezuela during the confusion that erupted on April 11, 2002 after troops, acting on orders from President Hugo Chavez, fired on protestors—further inflaming regional suspicions that the U.S. was up to its old habits of interventionism in the region.

While the Bush Administration course-corrected in its later years, the perception and lingering suspicion remained.

For many, inside and outside the United States, the election of President Barack Obama was an opportunity to reset the relationship. But politics in the region had changed too much. A new generation of populist presidents in Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia, the so-called ALBA alliance, (largely as a means to assert their own sovereignty) refused to let the old suspicions die. At the same time, concerns about their intentions, within their own countries and outside of it, remained, irrespective of the party in the White House.

Hillary Clinton’s role in Latin America

President Obama and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, did bring a new tone that helped smooth over relations, especially with the other countries in the hemisphere, but there was no going back to the days of regional consensus and partnership with the United States that had marked relations under President George Bush (father) and President Bill Clinton.

In the early years of the administration, Clinton tried. She traveled with President Obama to the Summit of the Americas in April 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago and went to the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly in June the same year. But these high-level efforts did not reward her efforts, nor did the subsequent trip to the Summit of the Americas in Colombia last year. Chavez and several other countries friendly to his project turned these into platforms to embarrass the United States rather than focus on concrete problems such as security and development that were on the agendas. Most of the real work on issues near and dear to her heart was done on her bilateral trips.

It was Secretary Hillary Clinton’s personal interest and dedication to development and social inclusion that drove her engagement in much of the region and will differentiate her foreign policy from any future tenure under Senator Kerry. Since her time as First Lady, Hillary  Clinton has shown a deep commitment to health, women’s rights and economic empowerment issues. Development issues became a centerpiece of her visits whether it was women’s leadership in Peru, economic empowerment in Colombia and of course Haiti, which she visited four times. Her commitment to social inclusion also led to the creation of a social inclusion division within the Western Hemisphere Bureau.

In contrast, Senator Kerry has shown little interest in the sorts of development issues that would make him look south. While on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and in his capacity as a special emissary for the Obama administration, his focus has been on the traditional areas and themes of U.S. foreign policy, the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.

None of this is to say that, should he become Secretary of State, Senator Kerry will ignore the region nor that he won’t bring special skills that are relevant to the hemisphere. For one, it is quite likely that several crises in the region will force him to become involved, among them the challenge of narcotics trafficking and security in Mexico and Central America, the complex political transition in the midst of high levels of polarization in Venezuela and the process of change in Cuba—coming in part from the possible (though never certain) death of Fidel Castro (who is 86) and/or Raul (who is 81).

For another, the prism of development may not be the most appropriate approach to a changed region. The existence of the Venezuela-led ALBA countries and the economic and diplomatic rise of Brazil could well benefit from diplomatic tools and approaches from other regions. The question then is: Given all the pressing issues on any secretary of state’s agenda, when and why will he need to look south?

This article was first published in Voxxi.

Christopher Sabatini is Senior Director of Policy at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas, Editor-in-Chief of “Americas Quarterly” and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

[Photo courtesy The White House]

By Amanda Maxwell, La Onda Verde de NRDC

Chile

Chile’s Minister of Energy, Jorge Bunster, proposed a new tender system for renewable energy, which would competitively bid out renewable energy contracts to independent generators. This proposal would replace the government’s previous one, called “the 20-20 law,” which would have required that 20 percent of Chile’s electricity supply to come from renewables by 2020. If implemented, the new tendering scheme would mean that traditional large generators would no longer need to meet the current obligation of obtaining between 5 percent and 10 percent of electricity from renewable sources. Instead, specialized renewable energy suppliers would compete to supply this power but without set obligations. (Plataforma Urbana 01/09/13)

Chile’s Committee of Ministers, its highest administrative authority, delayed ruling on the controversial HidroAysén mega-dam project again, this time until March. The Committee must assess the almost two thousand appeals that were filed against the project’s environmental approval, by civil society and by the company itself. Environment Minister Maria Ignacio Benitez says that the committee may need more time to review the appeals, while environmental groups feel the decision is political and not technical. (Radio Universidad de Chile 01/10/2013) The Catholic Church’s Bishop of Aysén, Luis Infanti, delivered letters to the five ministers in the committee, urging them not to rule on the HidroAysén based on purely economic interests, but to also consider social interests. (Cooperativa 01/09/2013)

Chile is warming, claims new evidence from Catholic University’s Institute of Geography. Attempting to quantify the impact of global warming on the country over the past three decades, the research determined that the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Santiago have increased between 0.19°C-0.32°C and 0.07°C-0.15°C per decade, respectively. These figures are in line with climate projections that show Chile’s average temperature increasing between 2°C and 3°C by the end of the century in the worst-case scenario. (La Tercera 01/06/2013)

A study completed by Solarbuzz, a solar energy market research company, has named Chile a regional leader in solar energy, indicating that the country will represent more than half of all photovoltaic energy generated in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2017. Although the country’s total solar capacity is still relatively low—the estimate includes both currently operating facilities as well as proposed projects—there is substantial interest in expanding the role of solar power in energy generation. Upon completion, plans currently being considered would add close to 760 MW to the Chilean grid. (La Tercera 01/07/2013)

Costa Rica

The Environment Commission of Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly will consider a proposal to create a new canton (a Costa Rican administrative division) joining Corcovado with Bahía Drake and parts of Sierpe. The idea of a new “ecological” canton was presented by local residents as a popular initiative with the goal of strengthening environmental conservation in the Osa region. (El Financiero 1/7/2013)

A group of about 100 false killer whales are visiting Caño Island, about 20 kilometers off of the coast of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Some individuals have stayed in the vicinity up to a month and a half. Generally this species is found in deeper waters far from the coast. Costa Rica’s Osa is an exception, making the region an important site to study the species. (La Nación 1/11/2013)

Mexico

Scientists announced that they expect fewer gray whales to be born off the Baja California Sur coast this year than normal, due to the lack of food available to the whales in the Arctic. A biologist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Wayne Peryman, says that these whales found less food in the Arctic and that this will affect their reproduction. Around 20,000 gray whales make the 15,000 kilometer trip every year from the Arctic to Mexico’s Baja California Sur to give birth and raise young. (Octavo Día, 1/03/13).

The new Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (Sermanat), Juan José Guerra Abud, stated that Mexico has a responsibility to ensure that all future economic growth is sustainable. “Economic growth has to be sustainable, that is our responsibility, we are not going to permit development to violate environmental laws…” To achieve this Guerra Abud wants to fortify the human capacity of the Federal Attorney of Environmental Protection (Profepa) with staff from Semarnat to allow Profepa to better monitor compliance with environmental laws. He also noted the upcoming release of new policies that will bring emissions in line with levels permissible in the U.S. and prevent the use of cars that do not meet new emission standards. Finally, Guerra Abud will look to achieve the goal of protecting 17 percent of the nation’s surface area and 10 percent of its oceans. (Veracruzanos.info 1/08/13).

The CEO of International Power Expo, Alberto Segura Larios, noted Mexicans’ increasing awareness of renewable energy and sustainability and how that will contribute to Mexico being a large driver of renewable energies this year. The growing awareness has led an increasing number of people to participate in sustainable energy programs. Many Mexican businesses are also finding new technologies and practices that promote intelligent consumerism and environmental protection. (Reve 1/2/13).

Regional

The town of Río Negro diverged from the national government of Argentina with itsdecision to ban all unconventional exploration or extraction of hydrocarbons, including fracking. The Cinco Saltos City Council’s seven members all voted unanimously for the ban, using health and potential negative environmental effects as the main reason for this ban. The town, which has already had its share of contamination with mercury, is most concerned about the water supply safety. Because fracking utilizes so much water in its process, as well as so many chemicals, the town believes that there is no fail-proof way of containing all of the possible contaminates. Cinco Saltos leads the way as the first jurisdiction in Latin America to pass such a ban. (The Independent Argentina 1/10/13).

A new report highlights that Latin America has excellent opportunity for wind power growth. The region’s current and future wind projects could have a total installed capacity of 46 GW by 2025. Brazil will lead have a significant lead in the region, with 31.6 GW of installed capacity by that time. Mexico is likely to have the second highest installed wind capacity in 2025, with 6.6 GW. (Renewable Energy World 01/10/2012)

This article was first published in NRDC Switchboard.

Amanda Maxwell is a born and bred Jersey girl, but has lived for varying amounts of time in Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and the Czech Republic before moving to Washington, DC. Prior to joining NRDC she received my Masters degree in International Politics and Economics with a focus in Renewable Energy policy from Charles University in Prague. While there, she gained an appreciation for night running, train travel (especially of the high speed variety), and the local pivo. She received a Bachelors degree in history and Spanish from Middlebury College, and also studied in Buenos Aires.

By Yoani Sanchez, Huffington Post Latino Voices

I turn on the TV and see a woman giving birth in front of the camera at some hospital in the interior of the country. The voice of a spokeswoman explains the birth figures for 2012, while I wonder if they asked the woman’s permission to film her during childbirth. The most probably answer is no. Ten minutes later a friend comes by and gives me an article in which Alan Gross’ attorney protests because the Cuban government has released the medical history of his client. The subject reminds me of that scene where a hidden camera in a hospital captured Orlando Zapata Tamayo’s mother talking with a doctor, not knowing she was being recorded. The footage was broadcast in prime time to millions of viewers to see, clearly without her authorization, the suffering of a woman who was about to lose her son.

But the saga doesn’t end there. Last September the director of a polyclinic explained the symptoms of a dissident who fell ill while on a hunger strike. All the details were relayed without the least shame about violating the privacy of a patient and also violating the Hippocratic oath when it says, “I will remain silent about everything that, in my profession or out of it, I hear or see in…

READ MORE HERE

This article was first published in Huffington Post Latino Voices.

[Photo by www_ukberri_net]

By Yoani Sanchez, Huffington Post Latino Voices

Someone has to be at the foot of the aircraft steps, to say goodbye, holding the handkerchief and wiping their eyes. Someone has to receive the letters, the brightly colored postcards, the long distance phone calls. Someone has to stay and look after the house that once was full of children and relatives, watering the plants they left and feeding the old dog that was so faithful to them. Someone has to keep the family memories, grandmother’s mahogany dresser, the wide mirror with the quicksilver coming loose in the corners. Someone has to preserve the jokes that no longer spark laughter, the negatives of the photographs never printed. Someone has to stay to stay.

This 2013, when so many await the implementation of Immigration and Travel Reform, could become a year where we say “goodbye” many times. While I respect the decision of each person to settle here or there, it doesn’t fail to sadden me to see the constant bleeding of creativity and…

READ MORE HERE

This article was first published in Huffington Post Latino Voices.

Yoani Sanchez, a University of Havana graduate in philology, emigrated to Switzerland in 2002, to build a new life for herself and her family. Two years later, she decided to return Cuba, promising herself to live there as a free person. Her blog Generation Y is an expression of this promise. Yoani calls her blog ‘an exercise in cowardice’ that allows her to say what is forbidden in the public square. It reaches readers around the world in over twenty languages. Yoani’s new book in English, Havana Real, is now available for pre-order here.  Time magazine listed her as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2008.

[photo by  Nouhailler]