HSA Bulletin March 16th, 2009
1. Inscriptions are open for the IV People’s Summit
2. United States in a good moment after the meeting with Brazil but tensions continue with Mexico
3. FMLN wins Presidental elections in El Salvador
4. IADB: 50 years of financing inequality
5. UNASUR agrees to coordinate defense planning
6. Suit brought against the Pellas Group by those affected by the use of pesticides
7. Ecuador suspends NGO license
8. Attacks against ecological leader in Colombia
9. Truth Commission is proposed to investigate crimes from the Bush era
10. Feminism, water and energy on the agenda of events of the week
1. Inscriptions are open for the IV People’s Summit
Inscriptions are open until March 31st to participate in the IV Summit of the Peoples, to be held the 18th 19th and 20th of April in Trinidad Tobago, parallel to the V Summit of the Americas.
The focus of theSummit will be policies in the hemisphere to deal with the crisis and its distinct expressions in the following areas: economics, environment, energy, social, culture and governability. The process of discussion and conceptualization in preparation for the Summit has begun, with work on strategic environmental and energy proposals.
The governments of the continent are expectant about the Summit, as it will be the first with the Obama government. The White House has announced that Vice-President Biden will travel to Chile and Costa Rica from March 27-30 to meet with Latin American leaders prior to the Summit. Obama will travel to Mexico, to meet with Calderon April 16-17th, the two days prior to the Summit. Hugo Chavez has announced that on April 16th, Venezuela will host the 5th Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas.
More information:
-Web page of the Summit: http://www.cumbredelospueblos.org/?lang=en
-Inscripciones: http://www.cumbredelospueblos.org/article168.html?lang=en
Spanish:
-Vicepresidente hace gira previa a Cumbre: http://www.univision.com/contentroot/wirefeeds/world/7907586.html
2. United States in a good moment after the meeting with Brazil but tensions continue with Mexico
According to analysts during his recent visit to the U.S., Luis Inacio Lula became the spokesperson for Latin America with President Obama. Lula’s agenda was as follows; the crisis, a reform of the international financial system, protectionism, without orientations or concrete promises. Agrofuels was a theme of major interest for both leaders, but they didn’t discuss in depth the impact of the crisis on Ethanol prices.
The good relations with Brazil stands in contrast to recent tensions which with Mexico due to violence connected with drug trafficing, which has resulted in about 15 assassinations per day and has generated tensions between leaders of the two countries. Recently the secretary of the government of Mexico, Fernando Gomez Mont said: “ Because the U.S. is the biggest consumer of drugs and producer of weapons in the world, it has become the most important market for organized delinquents.” The head of U.S. Intelligence Services, Dennis Blair said in the Senate that Mexican authorities aren’t able to guarantee the governability of their country and the CIA director has declared publicly that he asked his son not to go on vacation in Mexico.
More information (in Spanish):
Lula-Obama meeting:
-http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/45014-NN/lula-pidio-a-obama-establecer-nueva-relacion-con-america-latina/
-http://lta.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idLTASIE52F0P320090316
-http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g7TNWfXqbyeqwSmkWlwkqaKe49vA
México:
-http://www.exonline.com.mx/diario/columna/539828
3. FMLN wins Presidental elections in El Salvador
With 51.7% of the vote, Mauricio Funes won the Presidental Election in Salvador on March 15th. The elections happened under relative calm and resulted in a victory for the candidate of the former guerilla movement converted into political party the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation. The new president has promised an inclusive government with a future for all Salvadorans. About 61% of the voting age population participated in the elections which finally took the presidency from the ARENA party which has ruled since 1989.
More information (in Spanish):
-http://www.diariocolatino.com/
-http://www.ipsenespanol.net/nota.asp?idnews=91554
4. IADB: 50 years of financing inequality
From March 27th-31st, 2009 the 50th Annual Assembly of Governors of the IADB will occur in Medellin, Colombia. Under the theme: “50 years financing inequality, Enough Already”, popular movements and social organizations from all over the region will protest the assembly with a series of alternative events. It will begin with a forum in the National University of Colombia, Medellin, which will highlight the failure of the institution in its objective of promoting development in the continent, policies which has increased indebtedness and the consequences to the rights of people and the environment of the region.
More information (in Spanish):
-Artículo y programación: http://www.biodiversidadla.org/Principal/Contenido/Documentos/Conferencia_BID_50_anos_financiando_desigualdad._!Basta_ya!
-Declaración de campaña:
5. UNASUR agrees to coordinate defense planning
On March 10th, at a meeting of the Ministers of Defense of the UNASUR countries in Santiago, Chile, the 12 countries agreed to create a Defense Council. They also reiterated their promise to create a zone of peace and cooperation in the region and the absolute respect for the sovereignty of their territories. This comes in response to the conflict a year ago, when Colombia violated the territories of Ecuador and Venezuela, when it attacked a FARC encampment situated in Ecuadorian territory.
More information (in Spanish):
6. Suit brought against the Pellas Group by those affected by the use of pesticides
The Nicaraguan Association of people affected with Chronic Renal Insufficiency, who have been struggling for four years to have their demand against the Pellas Group heard in court held a demonstration in front of the central offices of the Pellas Group. They demand compensation for all of the injuries and damages which they have suffered as a result of exposure to toxic pesticides on the farms of the Chinandega Sugar Refinery. They are demanding that a sanitary emergency be declared in the region, because the use of these pesticides has taken the lives of more than 2200 people in the last four years.
More information (in Spanish):
7. Ecuador suspends NGO license
The Ecuadoran government decided to suspend the operating license of the NGO, Ecological Action, which has participated actively in the protests and criticisms of the Mining Law approved last month. “This action is not just a simple administrative measure, as the Ministry of Health has said. Clearly it is in retaliation for the work of Ecological Action together with other organizations, in response to their critical position against the Mining Law and the opening it creates for large scale mining in the country”, expressed the NGO in a communication to the government.
The HSA issued a declaration condemning the government for this action.
More information (in Spanish):
-Carta abierta de Acción Ecológica al presidente Rafael Correa: http://www.accionecologica.org/
8. Attacks against ecological leader in Colombia
Along with the difficult humanitarian crisis which the indigenous peoples are suffering in Colombia, last week there was another episode of persecution against a human rights activist who has accompanied organizing processes of indigenous people in Colombia. Manuel Rozental was accused in a Colombian publication with broad circulation of being a member of the FARC. This was based on information of doubtful origin. Social and academic organizations have expressed their strong rejection of these claims. The publication has not issued any clarification. (The bulletin contained statements in support of Manuel from the HSA and various health organizations).
9. Truth Commission is proposed to investigate crimes from the Bush era
Several Democratic Senators asked the U.S. Congress to create a truth commission to investigate abuses committed in the war against terrorism- from telephone surveillance to torture during the administration of President Bush. This request made by Senator Leahy is supported by a bill presented in the House by John Conyers.
More information (in Spanish):
-Para firmar a favor de la comisión de la verdad:
10. Feminism, water and energy on the agenda of events of the week
- Week of global action in defense of water
March 16-22 will be the week of action in defense of water, in response to the V World Summit on Water, in Istanbul, Turkey, where government leaders and private sector actors will meet to lay out the future of water for the planet within a neoliberal development model. The week of global action is a common platform for movements, organizations, activists, citizens, elected representatives and conscious governments who believe that all people have the right to access secure water sources for domestic, agricultural, recreational and cultural uses, in a egalitarian, sustainable and democratic fashion.
XI Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encounter
Close to 1500 women from social organizations from all over the hemisphere will meet from March 16-18 in Mexico City to debate issues related to fundamentalisms. Since the early 80’s Latin American and Caribbean feminists created a space of regional political articulation. These encounters have occured every two or three years since 1981. The first was held in Bogotá Colombia.
More information (in Spanish):
-http://www.agenciapulsar.org/nota.php?id=14600
-http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site/09031211-Inicia-el-lunes-XI.36951.0.html
-III Tri-National meeting of Energy unions and North America civil society groups
March 16-18 workers from the energy sector and civil society organizations will meet in Mexico City to advance in the coordination among organizations and workers in the three countries. They will analyze the impacts of the economic crisis, on workers, particularly in the energy sector and the public policies in each country. They will also analyze the tendencies of the social movements to support Mexico in the defense of energy and public services.