Tag Archives: Noticias

Noticias: Odebrecht Scandal

Odebrect Scandal

 

worker in hard hat with Odebrecht logo on back of uniform For Noticias this week, I found an article entitled “Politicians Worldwide Suspected as Bribery Scandal Unfolds”. The article was published on September 14 of this year. Right off the bat, I found this topic interesting because I have studied the faults in Latin American politics so I think this article was a good place to start.

     The article was about a Brazilian construction company called Odebrecht. This construction company has been under investigation since 2016 for allegedly bribing political officials for construction jobs in return. Odebrecht is a company that was responsible for the construction of the Olympics stadium, the infrastructure of the 2014 World Cup, as well as the metro systems, dams, airport terminals etc.

     Odebrecht’s influence impacted the majority of South America, a large part of Central America and parts of even African and Europe. Since the beginning of the investigation, Odebrecht has admitted to bribing politicians to help them gain construction jobs. The company admitted to paying $349 million in bribes to Brazil alone, on top of the bribes paid to at least 12 other countries.

Table of countries where Odebrecht has admitted paying bribes (Brazil, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Panama, Angola, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, Mozambique) and where it is alleged to have paid bribes (Antigua, El Salvador) and is under investigation (Chile, Portugal)     The article breaks down each country’s involvement with the Odebrecht scandal. The responses from these countries ranged from politicians having no idea that their election campaigns were being paid off by the Odebrecht company as stated by the current president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos to countries such as Peru and Ecuador who have prohibited their elected officials from leaving the country due to the investigation.

     The article briefly explains the consequences of the construction company’s actions and how those contractors will be spending their lives. The CEO of the company, Marcelo Odebrecht, is serving a 19-year jail term which began last year after being found guilty of bribing Brazilian officials in exchange for contracts for construction.

Noticias: Murder in Mexico

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/17/arts/television/narcos-mexico-killing.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Famericas&action=click&contentCollection=americas&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=14&pgtype=sectionfront

A location scout by the name of Carlos Muñoz Portal has been found dead in Mexico. He was scouting for locations to shoot scenes for the popular Netflix show ‘Narcos’. The 37 year old’s body was found riddled with bullets in his car just outside Mexico City. The article goes on to describe the main premise of Narcos, which, according to the article, is about “the gritty wars of the 1980s between drug kingpins and law enforcement agencies”. Furthermore, the article describes the context of the murder of Muñoz, which essentially is only one of thousands of murders that have occurred throughout Mexico this year.

The cultural and social implications of this article are much greater than they may seem at first glance. Regardless of how the author wishes to depict Mexico, one cannot tell this news story with a positive connotation for Mexico. In other words, this story makes Mexico look bad, no matter how you put it. This is particularly interesting when one considers the implications within the United States. For one thing, many people are upset at Trump and his supporters for the way they treat and talk about Mexican immigrants, but this kind of story gives allows those who are racist and bigoted to say “look at how violent Mexico is, we don’t want those people coming into our country”. The fact that Mexico has had over 2,200 recorded murders nationwide in the month of June alone makes it even worse. It is difficult to convince those who are prejudiced against Mexicans that they are not all gangsters or criminals when over 2,200 people have been murdered in Mexico in one month. Not only that, but I find the article itself to be incredibly ironic. A location scout for a show about gang violence in the 80s was murdered in Mexico just last week, proving that violence in Latin America is still a large problem.

In terms of identities, it is sad to see that Mexico seems unable to rid itself of its identity as a country full of violent gangs and poverty. This makes Mexico and Mexicans (and consequently all Latin Americans) look bad on the world stage, and the murder rate in Mexico right now can only worsen Mexican-American relations. It is important for the Mexican government to find a way to deal with the rampant violence plaguing Mexico, because as stated previously, articles such as this one will only serve to give more fuel to the fires of those who are prejudiced against Mexicans.

Noticas 2

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/09/19/world/americas/19reuters-un-assembly-brazil.html

In this article the Brazilian President Michel Temer talks about the rise of nationalism in many countries around the world. Also about how protectionism is not the solution to many of today’s problems. Protectionism is the practice of restricting or limiting trade between certain countries through tariffs or other methods.

President Temer states that limiting trade will only hurt other countries such as Brazil which is coming out of a major recession. Also that the planet is in desperate need of our help with the rise of global warming and the only way to help the planet is by working together. This goal wont be accomplished if all we are doing is imposing tariffs on one another. Corporations have been responsible for the destruction of our ecosystem and only the leaders of our world have the power to stop them. Working together should be are main goal to make the world a better place for everyone.

Working together can be seen with Venezuela and how countries are supporting its transition to a democratic state. By supporting each other we can help others achieve the happiness they deserve.

 

 

2nd Noticias

Freddy Bernal, Venezuela’s minister for urban agriculture, visiting a rabbit farm.

Strange, Hannah. ‘They put bows on them’: Venezuelan plan to encourage rabbit-eating amid food shortages goes awry as people adopt them as pets. Telegraph. 14 Sept 2017

Within this Telegraph article by Hannah Strange, she talks about the Venezuelan food crisis and how they plan to deal with it by encouraging the people to breed rabbits for meat. The Venezuelan president called this attempt to help his people from the crisis, Plan Rabbit, and Strange writes that he thought that this would be a great idea to implement a new alternative food source to the people that is less expensive than other mainstream meats like beef and chicken that has become extremely expensive. It started out as a trial held by Venezuela’s minister for urban agriculture, Freddy Bernal. He have 15 communities baby rabbits to grow and breed and then collected the rabbits again to count them. What came back to him was very surprising to him because many rabbits came back with names and bows on their heads and were treated as pets instead of potential food.

After seeing that the rabbits were being treated as pets, Bernal decided to try to adjust the way that people viewed the rabbits, from pets to food. He also insisted on switching to goats to take the place of cows within the crisis. This food crisis is causing an economic collapse within the country and has caused record levels of malnutrition in children states Strange. She also states that the average Venezuelan has dropped 19 pounds due to the food and economic crisis. As a result of this, many people are leaving Venezuela in search of a new life and the president of Venezuela blames this crisis on the opposition that is against the government while analysts blame it on the inflammation of the currency within Venezuela as it is now inflated up to 700%, and the drop in imports that the country basically live off of.

This article shows that the people in Venezuela, although in a economic and food crisis’, seem to be unaffected mentally throughout this time of crisis as they don’t really take the opportunity to provide food for themselves but instead keep their sanity through making a pet out of what should have been a stable’ish food supply given to them by the government. The article has some pictures that show how the officials are reacting to how the people are treating these animals as pets but they seem to be humored by the citizens reaction to the rabbits instead of mad or some other justifiable emotion that would come from a plan not working the way that it was planned to.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/14/put-bows-venezuelan-plan-encourage-rabbit-eating-amid-food-shortages/

Noticias 2

Garcia, Patricia. We Need to Talk About the Emmys’ Latinx Problem. Vogue. 18 Sept 2017.

In this Vogue magazine article, the writer Patricia Garcia mentions that there were no Latinx winners or even nominees at the Emmys on Sunday. Garcia points out that Hollywood is very proud of themselves for this being the most diverse Emmys ever, but how can this be true if there aren’t even Latinx nominees? A Latina has not won an Emmy in a decade and a Latino has not won an Emmy since the 90s. Garcia points out that part of the problem for there not being any Latinx nominees is because Latinxs are cast in the same roles repeatedly. Latinos are typically casted in shows about the drug trade, while Latinas are “house maids or feisty maneaters,” (Garcia Vogue). Garcia also mentions that Latinx participation in Hollywood is lower than it was 70 years ago.

This article points out that there aren’t many Latinx actors in Hollywood. One of the most well-known Latina actress in today’s age is Sofia Vergara and she is a trophy wife whose beauty is often mentioned in the TV show. Another issue the Vogue article argues is that not only are there few Latinx actors, but also few Latinxs in Hollywood period. This includes directors, screenwriters, and other behind the scenes people. Garcia also mentions that the Latinx population is the largest growing minority in the U.S., but they are unrepresented.

This article connects to the class’ them of identity. With there being so few Latinxs in Hollywood it can make it hard for children to feel that they can be in Hollywood. When a child only sees Caucasian actors and actresses, it might make them feel ugly and wish they could have blonde hair and blue eyes. These children could experience low self-esteem later in life and feel as if they are not valued in the States because Hollywood does not mention them. Hollywood and the media are important because it is what is seen all day and it seen as the epitome of beauty. Hollywood and the media is constantly shoved down throats, so how is it supposed to make children feel when they do not see someone who looks like them on magazine covers and in their favorite movies or TV shows? Latinxs will never feel accepted as part of America if they do not see themselves a part of American culture.

https://www.vogue.com/article/emmy-awards-latino-representation

 

 

Noticias Week 5

McCormick, Myles. ‘They lied’: Bolivia’s untouchable Amazon lands at risk once more The Guardian. 11 Sept. 2017.

In 2011 Bolivia’s Tipnis national park was declared “untouchable” which protected the land from further development. This huge victory for the indigenous people living in the area came after months of protests in Bolivia’s capital La Paz during which protesters clashed with riot police and were subjected to tear gas, rubber bullets, and other riot control techniques. These protests were sparked by an attempt to build a road through the national park, luckily the plans to build the road were abandoned after the “untouchable” declaration.1

2

On August 13th, the Bolivian president signed a bill that revoked Tipnis’s untouchable status. This could mean that the road will be built through the park after all. Roughly 14,000 people live in the Tipnis national park, most of whom are indigenous. The park is also home to a diverse animal population and some studies estimate that the construction of this new road could cause up to 64% deforestation in this national park over the next 18 years. Much of this deforestation would not come from the new road on its own but would come from the people and the development that the new road would bring with it. While the native population is concerned about the new development, the government of Bolivia argues that the construction of this road is necessary to bring support services like education and medical services to the people who live in this area. To enforce their claim the government references a 2012 study that supposedly shows that the people of the area support the construction of this road however studies by an independent third party has showed that the government study was rigged. Many people in the area are not opposed to a road however they are opposed to a road that runs through the proposed area because it would be culturally and environmentally disastrous.1

3

This article actually does a good job of portraying the voice of the indigenous population of the area discussed. They include arguments from the native tribes but they also conducted interviews and used direct quotes from affected peoples. My one complaint about the portrayal of the native people in the article is that they seemed to group all of the tribes together despite the fact that they seem to have different opinions about the issue.

The article I picked relates to the the course topic of identity in Latin America because this is a common clash in Latin American countries that can challenge the identity of people, especially indigenous people. When the government tries to interfere with the Indigenous way of life, even if they are trying to help, it can erode indigenous culture and identity which can in turn erase an entire way of life.

 

1) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/11/they-lied-bolivia-untouchable-amazon-lands-tipnis-at-risk-once-more

2) https://boliviadiary.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/octava-marcha-llegada-la-paz.jpg

3) https://nacla.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/large_image/wysiwyg_imageupload/5981/TIPNIS-MapCtees,PropRoad%20LaR%202.5.12.jpg

Noticias #2-Women’s Death Sparks Protests Across Mexico

On Friday Sept. 18, 2017, Mara Fernanda Castilla was found abandoned and murdered in a ditch outside of Mexico City. Mara was a young college student who decided to use ‘Cabify’ (a Spanish-ride sharing service) to get home after a night of clubbing with friends. The ‘Cabify’ app showed that Mara did make it to her destination, yet cameras never recorded her getting out of the car or into her apartment. The gruesome murder sparked an uproar and prompted activists to protests on their Independence Day parade (Sunday Sept. 17, 2017) . The activists say the country has neglected the injustice of femicides occurring in their country. Femicide is a crime involving the violence and killing of women.

The amount of murders of women in Mexico city are so high that society groups have pushed for a gender alert which was also rejected in July 2017 by the government. The article also states that statistics show that seven women are killed every day and no attention is given by the government unless they are taken to the media.

The article highlights how the government has been ignoring the intense amount of murders and crimes against women and hopes to shed light on this issue and influence the government to take better measures in preventing this atrocity.

Latin America/Mexico is portrayed as a violent environment. It is also seen as a place in need of better government that shows attention for their people. On the other hand, it also highlights the power of the people when they join together to share their dismay on the violence of women. They are portrayed as passionate individuals yearning and fighting for a change and safer environment.

Although this article is very intense, I thought it was important to showcase the violence against women. It connects to our class themes of identity because I think this is a universal topic especially considering that Mara was a current college student(similar to us) before her murder. It is something that could happen to anyone and should always be addressed. It also emphasizes how our encounters as women differ and compare in different regions.

links used:

http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-41301819

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/18/mexico-woman-murder-student-ride-hailing-service-cabify

 

Noticias Week 5

65 Percent of Mexicans View U.S. Negatively, Survey Finds

In this New York Times article, it mainly talks about the general Mexicans’ opinion towards U.S right now. According to Pew Research Center, which has done a survey among 37 countries, Mexico shows the biggest drop in positive views towards the U.S.  People’s negative opinions of the U.S strikes up to 65 percent this year from 30 percent last year. As the research center puts it, the increase in the unfavorable view towards the U.S mostly relates to the President’s Trump’s policies and his signature campaign promise. For instance, up to 94 percent of the Mexican people oppose his plan of building the Great Wall across the Mexican and U.S border and only 5 percent of the Mexicans support the president and believe he is doing the right thing. Despite the unfavorable view towards Trump, most of the Mexicans still want to immigrate to the U.S.

This article is interesting and indicative, not only because it tells us a lot of people unfavorable attitude towards the President Trump, but also indicates us that, despite the not-so-optimistic political situation between two countries, people still want to settle down in the U.S. This survey of the recent repeal of DACA. a lot of undocumented immigrants are facing the problems of deportation. I think this is detrimental to the people who were brought here since they are children and they have lived in the place 20 years. It’s not their fault of coming here and become an undocumented immigrant. If those people are to be deported to the country where they have no emotional or mental connection with, they would feel a sense of loss of national identity. They are strangers to their homeland! They have already been rooted with the ideology of being American and the emotional tie they formed with the country is hard to cut through. To put it another way, Deporting them would be like to the send the children away from their adopted parents, who they spend 20 years with to the biological parents, who they left 20 years ago.

Deporting those “Dreamers”, indeed, would help the President Trump keep his campaign promise, but the benefit only rests on that. I could not see any more advantages of implementing this policy, so do the Mexicans.

Noticias Discussion Questions

Read the posts by Tanaka & Jovi

Come to class prepared to discuss the readings and the following questions:

What is at stake for Latin America in 2017?

1: What are some examples of inequality in the Latin group you see in everyday life?

2: What do you think is the key factor in addressing the issues in Latin America?

3: With all problems stated in the articles by Naomi, which would you feel to be the most important to tackle and why?

California Sues Trump Administration Over DACA Elimination

1: How does the repeal of DACA correlate to the course’s central theme of identity for Latin Americans living in the United States since most people that are being affected in DACA are from Latin America?

2: What is your opinion on Trump’s action on DACA and how California decided to take action?

For context, the original resource is hyperlinked. So, if you need to see the original news, just click on the name of the issues.

Latin America’s Campus Revolution

https://www.economist.com/news/americas/21722867-region-has-had-boom-universities-now-it-needs-make-them-better-latin-americas?zid=305&ah=417bd5664dc76da5d98af4f7a640fd8a

In the article “Latin America’s Campus Revolution” I read about how areas in the Latin American region have established better higher education opportunities. Though dated from the summer of 2017, the article mentions that the problem with higher education in these areas was a problem at the beginning of the century and the improvements being made are still incredibly relevant today. The article looks into the campus revolution through the eyes and experiences of current student César Huamán.

César Huamán is a current student at one of the new private universities in the area. Human and his family all contribute to the costs of education which adds up to approximately $137 a month. Huamán’s family says that they don’t mind paying the price because they want “to have a professional in the family, even if it’s only one”. This quote genuinely surprised me because where I grew up in the U.S. seniors in high school were, for the most part, expected to go to college after completing some form of high school. I think that this expectation is so widely spread in the U.S. because there is a wider variety of schools in North America. I find this article interesting because I had never really thought long and hard about higher education and universities in Latin American countries, so to hear a mother saying that she wanted at least one professional in her family was really off putting to me and a moment of realization that the access to education is not the same throughout the world.

The article applauds the growth of universities in the Latin American region, however, it discusses that the education is still not up to standards. There are still many problems with the education system including that there are few engineering and science students, and the poor-quality education that the newer institutions provide. Due to this fact, higher education is risky for many Latin American students because their families try to pay the high tuition and costs, but the student does not receive an adequate enough education  for the money to be worth it. Thus discouraging the idea of students attending a University at all.