New York, Wednesday 20 September 2006.
Representatives of the governments of the world, good morning to all of you. First of all, I would like to invite you, very respectfully, to those who have not read this book, to read it.
Noam Chomsky, one of the most prestigious American and world intellectuals, Noam Chomsky, and this is one of his most recent books, Hegemony or Survival: The Imperialist Strategy of the United States. [Holds up book, waves it in front of General Assembly.] (…)
Home > English > Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean
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VENEZUELA - Hugo Chávez Address to the United Nations (by Hugo Chávez, Common Dreams News Center)
21 September 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
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MEXICO - A Country with Three Presidents (by Diego Cevallos, IPS)
19 de septiembre de 2006, puesto en línea por Manuela Garza Ascencio
IPS - Mexico’s left plans to re-lay the foundations of the country with a symbolic "government" chosen by its followers, working through social activism, and a party coalition acting through the country’s institutions. The challenge it faces is to persuade the Mexican people, among whom approval of the left is declining, to support its goals and strategies, observers say.
The opposition movement, which is easily "big enough to force concessions from the regime," will catalyse "grievances (…) -
AMERICAS - Five Years After 9-11: Bush’s Backward Slide in Latin America
Raúl Zibechi, IRC
19 de septiembre de 2006, puesto en línea por Manuela Garza Ascencio, Raúl ZibechiIRC - Five years after the September 11 attacks, the United States under George W. Bush is weaker and more cut off from Latin America than it has ever been. For the first time since World War II, the United States is no longer the most important factor in the continent’s politics, to the point where we can say that a certain regional multilateralism has been developed in the hemisphere. Brazil is the main counterbalance to Washington in the region, but the growing importance of Argentina (…)
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CUBA - Havana May Breathe Vigour Into Non-Alignment (by Praful Bidwai, IPS)
13 September 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
IPS - Will next week’s summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Havana, Cuba, be a wasteful jamboree marked by ponderous speeches and lofty but empty rhetoric? Or will it rejuvenate the movement and transform it into an exciting enterprise that reflects the aspirations of the vast majority of the world’s people who live in 116 member-states and 17 observer countries?
Supporters of the first view are convinced that NAM has long been "irrelevant"; it’s a "dead horse." NAM’s (…) -
MEXICO - Calderón Becomes Mexican President-Elect (by Will Wissert, Truthout)
7 September 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
Truthout - Mexico City - Felipe Calderon became president-elect of Mexico on Tuesday, two months after disputed elections, when the nation’s top electoral court voted unanimously to reject allegations of fraud and certify his narrow victory.
His leftist rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, had said he would not recognize the ruling. His supporters wept as the decision was announced and the courthouse shook as protesters set off fireworks outside.
"Felipe Calderon didn’t win. Fraud won," (…) -
MEXICO - Chance for Legal Solution Narrows in Mexican Election (by Laura Carlsen, IRC)
5 September 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
IRC - By throwing out most of the opposition’s challenges to the July 2 elections on the grounds of filing errors, the Mexican Electoral Tribunal has closed another door to a legal solution and set the nation on a likely collision course.
The tribunal’s decision to discard the challenges inflamed the opposition led by center-left candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The center-left candidate has called for a full recount of the votes.
With few institutional options left, his coalition (…) -
NICARAGUA - Thirsty and in the Dark (by José Adán Silva, IPS)
1 September 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
IPS - A severe drought is preventing Nicaragua’s electric companies from operating at capacity. The energy crisis triggered protests recently when the period of electricity rationing reached 15 hours a day.
After four months of energy blackouts, thousands of people took to the streets of the capital last week to demand the removal of the multinational corporation Unión Fenosa, the leading electrical distributor in the country, and who residents blame for the lack of service.
In the (…) -
HAITI - The Return of Aristide (by Brian Concannon Jr., IRC)
28 August 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
IRC - Say “the return” when discussing Haiti, and people who follow events in the country know you are talking about the return of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from his exile in South Africa. Mr. Aristide was ousted in a coup d’etat in February 2004, and flown, against his will, in a U.S. government plane to the Central African Republic. He has since settled in South Africa, at the government’s invitation, but has always said he will return to Haiti when the conditions are right. (…)
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MEXICO - Critical Moment (by Laura Carlsen, IRC)
5 August 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
IRC - Since the start of Mexico’s presidential campaigns, the race has opened up latent but profound fissures in Mexican society. The present post-electoral conflict not only hinges on legal issues of how the elections were run. It brings to the fore deep concerns about transparency, social justice, and the future course of a nation at a critical juncture in its fledgling transition to democracy.
The post-electoral conflict reached a higher pitch this week as round-the-clock encampments (…) -
CUBA - Fidel’s Brother at the Helm (by Jim Lobe, IPS)
5 August 2006, posted by Manuela Garza Ascencio
IPS - Uncertain about the condition of long-time U.S. nemesis, Cuban President Fidel Castro, the administration of President George W. Bush said Tuesday it would not alter its policy toward the Caribbean nation with which it has had no regular diplomatic communications for most of the past six years.
"There are no plans to reach out," said White House spokesman Tony Snow, who stressed that Castro’s unprecedented transfer of power to his brother, Raúl, should be seen as the latest affront (…)