Catastrophe Strikes

Sheesh!!! Poor Haiti … such a sad day. 7.0 quake and thousands probably dead as hospitals, most buildings, the Presidential Palace all simply fall on top of people. Add no water or electricity to a people already starving.

May God grant them some peace.

Updated info.

Neighborhood News

Wonderful thing the Bolivian (en) government is doing – putting natural remedies on par with synthetic / non-synthetic medicines. Hopefully, they can get something going on an export level since most medicines come from plants fruits and veggies anyway. Here’s looking forward to non-synthetic medicines which don’t come from labs with 5 zillion side-effects.

Brasil (es) still can’t catch a break from the rains … this time its mudslides resulting in 44 deaths. A tourist hotel and Rio got hit hardest on this go round.

Uruguay (en) is doing some really cool stuff with ‘dry toilets’ and eco-friendly waste / water management.

More news to come …. I’ll get around to everyone else later.

I’m Soo Right

… sometimes.

The purges have begun in Honduras, Al Queda & KGB style.

So far we have:

Would you be so kind as to give us lists [Soviet Style] of people who are for and against this abomination of government we keep calling a democracy ['cause you know if we keep saying that lie over and over people will believe it, despite what they see], Mayors?

LETTER FROM HONDURAN ARMY
(unofficial translation, by Rights Action)

ARMED FORCES OF HONDURAS
FIRST COMMUNICATIONS BATTALION
Las Mesas, F.M.
October 22, 2009
Issue: Request

To: Senior Mayor, Local Authority Of Your Office

By means of this request, I speak to a distinguished person, wishing that the Divine Creator of the Universe blesses you and your family and that you continue being successful as an authentic leader of your
municipality.

The purpose of this letter is to request your support with the following:

Names and telephone numbers of the leaders of the community that support the Democratic Civil Unity and that work jointly with the municipality for the goodness of the people.

Leaders, names and telephone numbers that support the resistance movement and that cause unrest in community projects.

Mr.
Mayor, we need this information as soon as possible so that we can be prepared each day in order to strengthen our democratic system.

We await your response and communication. With appreciation,

Carlos Roberto Rivera Cardona
Captain of Communications
Leader of the RR.HH. Section (S-1)
EHO-2782
* * *

…. and

You are under arrest. You have a right to be harassed, tortured, and mutilated. Wait! Our bads! You have NO rights. Off with your head!

Honduras is sooooo fucked.

Neighborhood News

Evo wins again.

Honduras loses again with the majority of voters boycotting the elections while still under military repression. With the numbers posted by TSE, that’s about a 42.7% turnout. I guess the majority didn’t care about threats of arrest for non-participation. (btw, that Congress so no to Mel’s reinstatement.) Some masked men gunned down five people in Honduras. This is what happens when you acquire Colombian AUC terrorist services and request lists of names. So the “purge” begins.

According to a report 20 million people are out of work world-wide and it ain’t over yet. (es)

Argentines living in what’s considered “villas miseria” are busying themselves fighting off stereotypes.

Colombian police find some heroin & there’s another Uribe Admin scandal.

Some nutz attack a commuter bus full of women, children, and old folks in Mexico. (es)

What’s This?

After 4 months:

Tegucigalpa. El presidente del gobierno de facto de
Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, aceptó este jueves un acuerdo
para restituir al depuesto mandatario Manuel Zelaya en el poder,
previo consentimiento del Congreso, para poner fin a la crisis, según lo consignó en un comunicado.

Something’s not right. Share power with a guy who has never been able to win a Presidential election? Hmmmm. Wonder how this will turn out?

Update: Looks like the agreement was signed and awaits Congressional approval.

English version.

Neighborhood News

Neighborhood Happenings:

• More anti-social soldiers have been arrested in Colombia for killing people and dressing them up as ‘militants’. Meanwhile DAS members get caught snooping in Vz.
• Some low IQ thief in Chile was crushed by the ATM he helped steal during a police chase. 
• People living in certain areas of Mexico have been relegated to eating ratas due to extreme poverty.
• The “Favela Boyz” in Brasil are shooting down helicopters among other a-social things.
• A priest, Arana, may possibly run for Peruvian President. No one seems certain of it though.
• A UNDP report says Central America is mostly violent. [An executive summary can be downloaded here (es) or read a shorter version here (en).]
• Severed feet keep popping up in Canada.

That’s it for today.

Lula Has Huevos

In the ongoing saga which is Honduras, the de facto government has given Brasil a 10 day ultimatum in regards to the real Honduran Pres, Zelaya. According to the de factos, Zelaya is using the embassy to organize insurrection and other such things.

Resonse? :

“Brasil no tolerará un ultimátum de un gobierno golpista”, dijo Lula da Silva a periodistas desde la venezolana Isla Margarita, donde asiste a la II Cumbre América del Sur-Africa.

And furthermore:

El mandatario brasileño advirtió además que si las tropas que cercan la Embajada de Brasil de Tegucigalpa “entran por la fuerza” al recinto diplomático, “estarán cometiendo un acto que rompe las normas internacionales”.

Pretty much says, ‘piss off we don’t listen to ultimatums from coup governments and if their troops enter our embassy, they enter for a war’.

So He’s Back … 007 Style

That wily little: road block dodging, security force evading, intelligence officer slipping … Manuel Zelaya. Looks like he did everything but a HALO drop and is inside the Brasilian Embassy of Tegucigalpa.

Meanwhile, top golpista, Roberto Micheletti first denies the news because frankly its kinda embarrassing, then throws a temper tantrum on the reality Zelaya has really popped up in the Capitol. He doesn’t stop there: Micheletti angry about the embarassment turns off the lights, shuts off the water, imposes a countrywide all day all night curfew [no work, no shopping, no coming outside, nada], tear gases people gathering near the Brasilian embassy, and sends police to enforce the new prison terms of country-wide confinement. There also seems to be a problem or two with the airwaves and cell towers … again.

Some neighborhoods repelled the police. I guess they didn’t feel like sitting inside their houses for several days.

I can see surrounding the Brasilian Embassy: its to be expected, but feeding the entire country a big shit sandwich is going overboard. That’s pretty much how you unite everyone against you.

Weird how scared a couple of politicians are of Zelaya … like he is some one man super soldier with Jedi powers or something. Is it the hat?

Felicitaciones!!!

Happy 25th Anniversary to LaJornada !!!!

!Felicitaciones desde EEUU y Panamá con amor! Su corazón esta bien.

I’m Back !!!

Back from a restful vacation in sunny California. Lots of heat, burritos, tacos, and wildfires.