- A word from our sponsors -
‘Breathtaking homicidal violence’: Latin America in grip of murder crisis
Latin America has suffered more than 2.5 million murders since the start of this century and is facing an acute public security crisis that demands urgent and innovative solutions, a new report warns.
“The sheer dimensions of homicidal violence are breathtaking,” says the report by the Igarapé Institute, a Brazil-based thinktank focused on security and development issues.
The publication, released on Thursday, paints a bleak portrait of what it calls the world’s most homicidal continent.
Latin America suffers 33% of the world’s homicides despite having only 8% of its population. One-quarter of all global homicides are concentrated in four countries – Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela – all of which are gearing up for presidential elections in which security is a dominant theme.
“The overall trend right now in Latin America is one of increasing homicides and deteriorating security,” said Robert Muggah, one of the report’s authors.
“Latin America is a large area and there are lots of variations. But as a region – including Mexico down to Central America and South America – the rate of homicide is set to continue increasing up until 2030. The only other places we are seeing similar kinds of increases are in parts of southern and central Africa and some war zones.”
The report lays bare how young Latin Americans are disproportionately affected, with nearly half of all homicide victims aged 15–29. It also denounces the “astonishingly” large role of guns.
Muggah said: “In addition to having these exceedingly high, epidemic levels of homicide, the vast majority of these homicides are committed with firearms. Over 75% of homicides are gun-related.” The global average is about 40%.
The security crisis has taken centre stage this year as the region’s most violent nations head to the polls. Colombia and Venezuela are both due to hold presidential elections in late May while Mexico, which last year saw its highest murder rate since records began, votes on 1 July and Brazil in October.
Seeking to exploit public anger over insecurity and crime, some candidates are floating radical responses. On Sunday, one Mexican presidential hopeful, Jaime Rodríguez, suggested chopping off thieves’ hands. “It’s a serious proposal, not something I’ve just pulled out of my sleeve,” he later claimed.
In Brazil, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, an early presidential frontrunner, has vowed to relax gun-control laws. “We must give everyone the right to carry a gun, just like in the US,” he told O Globo this week. “We already have a ‘bang-bang’ going on in Brazil but only one side is allowed to shoot.”
Muggah said he feared many voters would look to strongman-style populists peddling “simple, forceful and aggressive solutions to what they see as one of their primary problems”.
“There is a risk right now that Latin Americans are seduced by this narrative of mano dura [iron fist]. [But] we will not solve this problem … by simply throwing more police, longer sentences and more prisons at it.”
Source: The Guardian
- A word from our sponsors -
How to resolve the territorial conflict between Belize and Guatemala
On Sunday, April 15, Guatemala held a referendum to determine whether it’s willing to take the border conflict with Belize to the International Court of Justice.
With an admittedly low turnout of just 26%, a very high percentage of 95% voted affirmatively on the proposal. According to local newspapers, the consultation aroused little interest, and there was considerable misinformation about what was being voted on.
It is now necessary to hold a similar consultation in Belize, and if it is affirmative, the litigation could be headed to the International Court. The day after the event, the government of Belmopan expressed its satisfaction with the result and announced that a consultation would be held in Belize shortly. Thus, the 2007 recommendation of the Secretary General of the OAS, would be fulfilled.
Other conflicts: Costa Rica Has A New Map: Includes 36,000 km2 of Maritime Territory Won in Court Against Nicaragua
The disputed territory consists of about 12,000 km2, between the Sarstún and Sibun rivers, as well as about a hundred islands and islets (approximately half of Belize’s total area). This dispute recognizes a long history that dates back to the 19th century, in which Guatemala claimed territories that were not expressly included in the cession of lands occupied by Spain to Great Britain and the original territory of Belize.
Belize declared its independence in 1981, which was recognized by Guatemala ten years later, although limited to the self-determination of the Belizean people, but not to the territory of the country, which remained in dispute. A first popular consultation similar to the one carried out now was thwarted in 2013.
Belize has a total population of some 380,000 inhabitants, of which the two southernmost districts included in the Guatemalan claim: Stann Creek and Toledo, count less than 70,000. It has a rudimentary economic structure; it is basically an exporter of agricultural products such as sugar, citrus fruits, bananas, and shellfish, and despite its attractive Caribbean Sea coastline, it has little tourist development, compared with that of other countries in the region.
Submitting the dispute to the decision of the International Court of Justice implies, as in any trial, a risk for the interests of both nations. Despite this, it seems a considerably better solution than continuing with a litigation indefinitely open and without a solution. However, such a trial will deal with questions related to sovereignty, to the detriment of other interests that are less solemn but perhaps more relevant for the inhabitants.
The development and prosperity of that area seem to depend much less on which of the two countries has sovereignty over it, than on the rules that allow for economic growth; and the implementation of said rules will not occur as a consequence of the adjudication of sovereignty by the International Court.
It could be said that, as often happens in private disputes, an agreement is always preferable to a trial, for multiple reasons; and perhaps Guatemala and Belize have not given themselves the chance to explore some forms of agreement to overcome the conflict and take economic advantage of it.
There are many examples in recent history about the consequences that a peaceful change of rules has produced in inhospitable or disadvantaged regions. Hong Kong and Singapore are perhaps two of the best-known examples. Once merely China’s desolate and rocky islands, once the rules were changed, became thriving regions.
Another interesting historical example is that of Pennsylvania, an extensive sparsely populated territory donated by the King of England to Sir William Penn, who established rules there based on respect for individual rights and formed the foundation of what later became the United States.
On this basis, one could think of an alternative solution, which does not involve discussing territorial sovereignty before an international tribunal, but an agreement between the two countries that contains, in general terms, the following guidelines:
1) Suspend the discussion on territorial sovereignty for a considerable period of time (for example, a century), during which both countries commit themselves to avoid any claim or to perform acts that may generate conflict.
2) Promote the creation of an administration of the territory, integrated by the inhabitants of that zone, in which certain rules are established that, like the Constitutional Statute of Hong Kong at the time, are based on certain fundamental principles: recognition of individual rights, and the minimum intervention of the state in private affairs.
3) Very low fees for administrative services instead of taxes, an opening of borders for the entry and exit of people and goods, an open legal system that allows the agreed resolution of conflicts using all the legal resources available to the parties, low levels of regulation on civil and commercial activities, and high respect for property rights.
4) Belize and Guatemala would be the guarantors of respect for these rules and could work with companies from their respective countries in economic and financial matters. A mechanism should also be established so that, at the end of that period, either the recognition of the definitive autonomy of that region and the renunciation of any claim of sovereignty by the two countries can be decided, or else the discussion on sovereignty can be resumed. and submitted to the International Court of Justice.
Very likely, by then the region will have acquired such a level of prosperity and growth that its inhabitants will hardly be concerned with the border dispute. In addition, both Guatemala and Belize would probably gain a lot by having a rich and prosperous region as a neighbor and business partner.
Wealth is produced through investment, and money goes where certain rules are respected. In Latin America, it has been very difficult to change the rules through democratic processes, since populism has always generated incentives to maintain the privileges of those who dictate them, at the expense of those who produce wealth.
Some years ago, such a rule change was attempted in limited regions of Honduras, but the effort failed precisely for political reasons. Perhaps this uninhabited and unexploited region that is currently being contested by Belize and Guatemala could be the place to show how a change of rules could be a direct path to prosperity. It would be auspicious if both governments gave themselves the chance to examine that alternative before resorting to an International Court.
Article originally appeared at Panampost.com
- A word from our sponsors -
The International Community Dooms Nicaragua to Repeat Venezuelan Experience
In Venezuela, at least four processes of dialogue have taken place between the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro and the representatives of the Venezuelan official opposition in the last four years. All in vain. Unfruitful. Small victories for the regime. Achieving nothing for the society that had to witness the ‘negotiations’.
The dialoguing bought Maduro time and won him support. The ostensible opposition leadership deviated, delayed relevant strategies and deluded a society. In the end, they were only terrible disappointments for a legitimate cause.
At the time the dialogues were promoted by leading actors of the international community. In 2014, the Vatican and Unasur. Then, some regional Chavista allies: Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, and the former Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
But although many did not participate directly in the attempt to sponsor dialogue, there was the usual pantheon of cheerleaders of the world in support of the meetings. The Obama administration through its emissary Thomas Shannon; the European Union voiced support. The countries of the world considered, until last year – when good sense returned to Western nations and important regime changes occurred in the region – that dialogue was the most sensible alternative to solve the crisis in Venezuela.
Now the citizens of Nicaragua must confront a similar situation: faced with the criminal repression of the regime of Daniel Ortega – which has exposed his clear authoritarian style and his eagerness for young blood -, the nations of the world have chosen to suggest an inept strategy of dialogue that would only favor the Sandinistas.
Ortega is pleading for a dialogue with the opposition.
He needs it.
“We are confirming our willingness to resume this open dialogue,” said the vice president and first lady of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo. Spain has joined the chorus of the United States, Germany, Canada and, of course, Pope Bergoglio.
“We expect from the government of Nicaragua a prompt and total clarification of the circumstances in which these deaths have taken place,” reads a statement from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then, they state that Ortega’s decision to withdraw social reforms “is a step towards the dialogue in which all social sectors must participate.”
“We demand that all parties involved resolve the situation with an inclusive peaceful dialogue to protect the rights and security of the Nicaraguan people,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement.
The United States, for its part, reiterated its position through its Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Francisco Palmieri, who condemns the violence in Nicaragua, but continues to “urge respect for human rights and the need for a broad dialogue to resolve the conflict.”
We reiterate our condemnation of excessive police violence in #Nicaragua, given last night’s events. We continue to urge respect for human rights, and the need for broad-based dialogue to resolve the conflict.
— Francisco Palmieri (@WHAAsstSecty) April 23, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Pope‘s remarks were the icing on the cake. He asked that “the differences be resolved peacefully and with a sense of responsibility”. Ah, yes. Peace and an “end to violence.” Just like that! And “differences” as if it were a lovers’ quarrel.
Mónica Corrales, an active Venezuelan on social networks, and allegedly a member of the resistance against Maduro, wrote about it: “Differences? It seems that the person who has not learned the differences between the tyrants and the oppressed, is him. He also is unwilling to take responsibility for any of this.”
It is useless for Pope Francis to continue to speak on the need for peace in South America. His agenda definitely does not promote the cause of freedom in the region. But the other countries, which have now taken a much more rational approach to the Chavista dictatorship, should not make the mistakes of the past with the Nicaraguans, who deserve support today like never before.
Perhaps the Venezuelan experience generates an inconvenient animus towards the word dialogue; but that same experience also helps to clarify the true nature of the socialist swindlers.
In Nicaragua, a few days of protests have resulted in 25 deaths.* The criminals of Nicaragua have a greater appetite for death than those of Venezuela. Faced with protests in the streets of Managua, the regime responds like criminals: with barbarism and killing. That’s how they are. They learned from Cuba.
The international community should learn from the Venezuelan drama to distinguish between tyrants willing to kill in exchange for power, and those despots who can claim a spot at the table if a good whiskey is served. It would not be a question of discarding diplomacy – as a Russian official suggests, who is now cited all the time – but of accommodating it to respond to these murderers who represent 21st century socialism and fidelismo; and who insist on not abandoning this terrible geopolitical project.
*In over a week of protests the unofficial death toll is 34, according to social organization. Official numbers from the government are not available.
Article originally appeared on Panampost.com
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Costa Rica Immigration Prepares For Increase In Nicaraguan Arrivals
Costa Rica’s immigration service, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), is preparing for an eventual increase in the number of Nicaraguans entering the country due to the political crisis that Nicaragua is experiencing.
“We would have to assess the possibility of allowing admission, much more when people need to be safe or leave their country to avoid being in greater danger. In this sense, Costa Rica is very committed to special protection,” said Gisela Yockchen, Director of Migration.
So far, the immigration service has not registered any abrupt changes in the numbers of entering or leaving the country by way of the Peñas Blancas border with Nicaragua. However, there was a drop in the number of people leaving Costa Rica for Nicaragua.
This is partially due to the cancellation of services by bus operators, such as Transnica and Ticabus, that provide service between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, waiting on conditions to improve before resuming travel. The service has since been restored.
“We always anticipate estimating possible migratory situations generated by political situations in nearby countries and in this case we already know the situation,” said Yocken.
Wednesday marked the 8th continuous day of protests in Nicaragua. Figure from social organization say about 34 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in the clashes between protesters and police. Officials numbers are not available from the Daniel Ortega government.
- A word from our sponsors -
14 Bridges Between San Jose and San Ramon Are In Poor, Serious and Alarming Condition
The Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales y Modelos Estructurales de la Universidad de Costa Rica (Lanamme-UCR) has determined that 14 bridges on the Bernardo Soto (San Jose – San Ramon highway) are in deficient, serious and alarming conditions.
The Lanamme made the findings public based on the results from its Unidad de Puentes del Programa de Ingeniería Estructural (Bridge Unit of the Structural Engineering Program).
One of them, the bridge over the Colorado River, is on the list of 12 that required immediate intervention according to an emergency decree issued on May 8, 2014, yet the work is still pending.
This highway on the west side of the Central Valley has had practically no major repairs by the current administration and incoming president-elect Carlos Alvarado said recently that the road awaits at least three more years of analysis.
The Bernardo Soto is part of the redesign and rebuilding of the road to San Ramon, the section of the Ruta 1 from the Sabana park in San Jose, announced during the Chinchilla Miranda administration (2010-2014) and mired in delays and canceled contracts that have cost taxpayers in millions of dollars so far and no road to show for.
Among the bridges that require intervention is the Francisco J. Orlich on the autopista General Cañas, by the Plaza Cariari. Another bridge that needs ‘serious attention’ are the Juan Pablo II, in La Uruca.
The Lanamme points out that the current state of the bridges of the Ruta 1 has been falling to an alarming state due to deterioration or damage.
All the bridges on the Ruta, with the exception of the Juan Pablo II, were designed according to AASHTO standards prior to 1977, so their vulnerability in the event of an earthquake is significant.
Source (in Spanish): Crhoy
- A word from our sponsors -
Costa Rica to Offset National Team’s World Cup Carbon Footprint
Costa Rica will offset its national soccer team’s carbon footprint during the 2018 World Cup in Russia by purchasing bonds that help fund an environmental project, officials said Wednesday. The initiative is the fruit of an alliance between Costa Rica’s soccer federation and the country brand “Essential Costa Rica” and is aimed at fostering a culture of environmental sustainability.
Costa Rica’s National Forest Financing Fund estimates that the Ticos’ national team will generate 286.9 metric tons of carbon emissions during the round-robin phase of soccer’s international showcase event.
To offset that footprint, the national federation and Essential Costa Rica will buy carbon bonds that support the Proyecto Caribe (Caribbean Project), an initiative that protects a 1,250-hectare (4.8-square-mile) area of Costa Rican rainforest.
- A word from our sponsors -
Teachers, Muncipal & Health Workers Strike in San Jose!
Wednesday was a day of strikes and protests in downtown San Jose, as thousands of public sector employees took to the streets against the tax reforms that will increase the burden on workers and the middle class.
The day started with no commuter train service, conductors and brakemen of the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer) – railway – refused to work, and quickly joined by teachers, municipal and health workers.
Schools were closed, municipal services like garbage collection were cut and health centers like the Hospital Mexico and Calderon Guardia reduced to emergency services only.
At the Mexico, hundreds of scheduled outpatient appointments were canceled, leaving users now to wait for a new appointment within the coming month.
The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) ruled out any school closings, saying teachers were expected to complete their duties, though a number of schools and colleges were affected by empty classrooms and teachers. However, the teacher’s union said that 95% of the schools were affected.
Union leaders, including the Luis Chavarria, president of the Unión Nacional de Empleados de la Caja y la Seguridad Social (Undeca) and Albino Vargas, leader of the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados (Anep) – two of the largest public workers unions in the country, say they demand discussion involving all economic sectors, saying workers are prepared to do their part, but they should bear the entire burden.
“If the country needs truly call for a raise in taxes, we can meet it,” the president of the Asociación Nacional de Educadores (ANDE) teachers union, Gilberto Cascante, said. “But those who evade and elude taxes also (have to pay).”
At the center of the tax reform proposed by the current administration and supported by the incoming government of Carlos Alavardo, who will be sworn in on May 8, is a move from a 13% sales tax on goods, to a Value Added Tax (VAT) or Impuesto Valore Agregado (IVA) in Spanish, applicable to a broader range of produces and services.
It is unlikely the tax plan will be approved by the current legislature before it is dissolved on April 30 and a new Legislative Assembly is formed on May 1 for the coming four years.
Cascante said the people want a tax plan that is “more fair and not one that taxes the savings of the poor, and not the rich, whose savings are abroad.”
The manifestations disrupted the entire downtown San Jose, protesters taking over the Avenida Segunda from the Parque la Merced to the Plaza de la Democracia and the Legislative Assembly.
Traffic congestion was worse than a normal Wednesday.
By early afternoon the manifestations ended, protesters went home, the commuter train began operating normally for the afternoon rush hour.
- A word from our sponsors -
7 and 10 Year-old Perish In Fire In San Francisco de Dos Rios
Tragedy befell a single mother in San Francisco de Dos Ríos, San José, Thursday morning when her two young children perished in a fire in the apartment they had recently moved into. The children, a boy and a girl, aged 7 and 10, were found in their mother’s bedroom.
Authorities believe the children had been left unattended at the time of the fire and investigating the case, and believe the children could have been pulled out of the small apartment if the mother, a 27-year-old woman identified by her last name Batista, had been there. Apparently, the woman worked nights.
Authorities believe the fire started in the bedroom where the children were trapped, firefighters indicating the point of origin of the fire was near the bed.
Source (in Spanish): La Nacion
- A word from our sponsors -
Medical Devices Company Announces Costa Rica Expandion and 1,100 New Jobs
Microvention-Terumo announced it will be doubling its production capacity in Costa Rica by the end of the year and plans to expand its facilities and hire an additional 1,100 people starting at the beginning of 2019.
The new facilities will be located in the Zona Franca Coyol, in Alajuela, and will house 80% of Microvention-Terumo production worldwide.
MicroVention is a neuroendovascular medical device company that develops minimally-invasive devices for treatment of vascular diseases in the brain. The company exports medical devices such as intraluminal stents, occlusion balloons, platinum coils and flow diverters for the treatment of strokes, aneurysms and neurovascular diseases.
MicroVention was founded in 1997 and is headquarered in Aliso Viejo, California.
More information on job openings at Microvention-Terumo can be found here.
For all job opportunities at the Coyol Free Zone click here.
- A word from our sponsors -
446 Direct Flights Connect Juan Santamaria (SJO) With Europe and The Americas
With the start of the flight from Frankfurt, Germany by Lufthansa, Costa Rica now has a record 446 direct flights a week between San Jose, Europe and the Americas.
Of the total, 423 are commercial and 23 chartered.
Only in 2017 and the start of 2018, 23 non-stop flights were added.
The figure varies according to the season, as airlines increase their frequencies in response to demand, that is, there could be more flights to a city or reduced due to low occupancy.
Currently, there are 27 airlines operating in the country, a result of the arduous work by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) – Costa Rica’s Tourism Board – and the AERIS, the San Jose’s Juan Santamaria international airport (SJO), who are constantly working to attract more airlines, better connections and with lower prices.
“The attraction of airlines is the result of a comprehensive strategy that was reinforced and accelerated three years ago and that has been successful in the development of tourism in Costa Rica,” said Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura.
Connecting San Jose to Europe are Iberia (Madrid), Edelweiss (Switzerland), Lufthansa (Frankfurt), KLM (Amsterdam), British Airways (London), Air France (Paris) and Condor (Frankfurt).
In addition, some of the airline’s codeshares, that is a flight booked on British Airways with a few flights a week to San Jose, may be operated by Iberia with daily service.
In the Americas:
- Aeromexico – Mexico City
- Air Canada – Toronto
- Air Transat – Toront0, Montreal
- Alaksa – Los Angeles
- American – Dallas, Miami, Charlotte, Phoenix
- Avianca – Guatemala, Mexico, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Bogota
- Copa – Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama
- Delta – Atlanta, Los Angeles
- Jet Blue – Fort Lauderdale, Orlando
- Interjet – Mexico City
- United – New York, Houston, Washington D.C., Chicago, New Jersey
- Volaris – San Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cancun, Guadalajara, Managua
- Spirit – Fort Lauderdale
- Southwest – Baltimore, Houston, Fort Lauderdale
- WestJet – Toronto
The increase in flights has also meant lower ticket prices. Commerical flights between San Jose and the U.S., Canada and South America can be as low as US$300 return; less than US$200 to Mexico and Central America; and less than US$1,000 to Europe.
For the most current list of airlines operating to and from the San Jose airport (SJO) and flight arrivals and departures.
Source (in Spanish): La Republica
- A word from our sponsors -
Catholic Church Agrees to Mediate following Violent Protests in Nicaragua
The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (ECN) agreed on Tuesday to be the mediator and witness of a dialogue proposed by the Daniel Ortega administration to overcome a crisis and ongoing demonstrations that have left at least 30 people dead and 428 injured, according to NGOs and official sources.
The president of the ECN, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, said in statements to the press that the ECN accepts the role of mediator and witness of the dialogue called by President Ortega on Sunday “in the face of the very serious situations that Nicaragua has experienced and that exacerbated last week.”
Ortega invited Cardinal Brenes and the bishops to be guarantors of the dialogue between the government, the private sector and workers.
Although the president had said he would not agree to hold dialogue with conditions, the clergy made a list of basic requests.
“To ease the atmosphere of dialogue, we consider it is essential and imperative that both the government and every member of civil society avoid all acts of violence and disrespect for public property and maintain a serene climate with absolute respect for the life of each and every Nicaraguan,” the ECN said in statements read by Cardinal Brenes.
In the statement, signed by the plenary of bishops who make up the ECN, the Nicaraguan clergy said they hope “that with a sincere spirit and a will to fly the flag and find the paths of peace, which rests on justice, equity and law, the Nicaraguan brothers will accept us as mediators and witnesses.”
“We are waiting for their respective acceptance,” they said in the document, in which they claim to have agreed to mediate “after praying, listening and asking for the lights of the Holy Spirit.”
As a result of the various acts of violence in the protests in Nicaragua, the non-governmental organizations and the Nicaraguan Red Cross reported that there have been at least 28 people killed, among them two policemen, one teenager and one journalist, and 428 injured, while more than 200 protesters have been arrested or have disappeared.
The announcement of social security reforms by the Ortega administration started the widespread demonstrations in the Central American nation between Wednesday and Sunday, although the changes were subsequently repealed in an attempt to avoid aggravating the situation.
The demonstrators also protested against alleged electoral fraud, the continuous rise of fuel prices, the impunity of the police and the unexplained deaths of peasants who opposed the government, and the government’s discourse of “peace and reconciliation” that supposedly does not reflect the reality of the country.
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Government Decrees Regulation For Breastfeeding Rooms In The Workplace
The Executive Branch of the government has signed a decree requiring companies, both public and private, employing more than 30 women, to have to provide a space for women to breastfeed their child without risk, and/or the time and the place to express and store breast milk safely, without risk of contamination.
Among the adequate measures that the lactation room should have are: a minimum physical space of six square meters and a height of two meters and forty centimeters. It must have a refrigerator of at least 38 liters capacity to conserve exclusively breast milk, a small table, at least two chairs with soft lining, back and armrests; a sink with liquid soap dispenser, trash can with lid and their respective plastic bags for garbage, screens or curtains or any division to ensure privacy between workers and proper air circulation; renewal of air through natural and/or artificial ventilation, by fan or air conditioning, natural and/or artificial lighting to ensure a brightness, cleaning plan, non-slip material floor and resistant structural conditions that allow easy cleaning, and meet with the accessibility provisions of Law N ° 7600.
Vice-president Ana Helena Chacón Echeverría said that “this is a historic debt that we are paying off, since it is an ethical imperative to guarantee women the best conditions.” The VP added, “this is another step towards strengthening the respect and fulfillment of women’s rights, in the face of situations of disadvantage or unequal treatment with men, in different social spaces, such as the workplace.”
Efforts to guarantee compliance with Article 100 of the Labor Code, in favor of the right of the working mother to have a place that meets the appropriate conditions, have been ongoing since 2012.
The Minister of Labor and Social Security (MTSS), Alfredo Hasbum Camacho, said that “in paying off this debt to the mothers of our country, we not only enforce labor legislation, but we are encouraging the creation of spaces that meet the minimum sanitary conditions, and avoid exposure to atmospheres that present a high risk, danger of contamination for the mother, milk and extraction and conservation accessories and indirectly to your child.”
The Reglamento para las Salas de Lactancia en los Centros de Trabajo (Regulations for Breastfeeding Rooms in the Work Centers) must be implemented within a period of no longer than 12 months, once the decree goes into force. Failure to comply can result in the employer sanctioned with fines ranging from 1 to 23 base salaries of an “oficinista 1”.
The Minister of Health, Karen Mayorga Quirós, mentioned that “it is of the utmost importance to ensure the health of the mother and of minors. We must provide adequate and dignified spaces, in addition, we must guarantee the provisions of the decree, therefore, we must ensure this compliance.”
The decree was signed by the President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, Vice President Chacón, and as witness, the ministers of Labor and Health.
- A word from our sponsors -
Virilla Bridge Between Lindora and Belen Closed Nightly
Take note, the Virilla bridge connecting Lindora (Santa Ana) and Belen will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night starting today, April 25 to May 3.
The Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (Conavi) informs the closure is required to mobilize heavy cranes on the current bridge as support to the work being carried out on the new bridge construction.
The only vehicles permitted access on the bridge are those of the ABA bus company that provides regular bus service between Santa Ana and Belen.
- A word from our sponsors -
Argentina’s abortion legalization debate ignites soul searching on women’s rights
As an Argentinean scholar of gender in politics, I’m normally called to provide commentary on some fairly depressing statistics.
For example, there are just two women who head Argentina’s 20 federal government ministries. And last year, Argentinean women earned nearly 25 percent less than men for the same work.
In recent months, however, something unexpected happened.
Since 1921 Argentina, a historically Catholic country, has allowed abortions only if the mother’s health is at risk or if she was raped.
But under President Mauricio Macri, who has governed from the center-right, Congress has begun an unprecedented debate on a bill that would allow women to terminate their pregnancies within the first 14 weeks. Abortion services would be provided free within Argentina’s universal basic health system.
The abortion debate has given rise to legislative discussions about long-ignored problems like the gender pay gap and parental leave. And late last year, Congress surprised Argentineans by passing a law requiring that 50 percent of all candidates nominated by political parties to run for office be women.
Is Argentina on the verge of a huge leap forward in gender equality?
Not first place, not last
Compared to the rest of the world, Argentina’s brand of sexism is only moderately bad. The country comes in 34th of 144 countries ranked on the World Economic Forum’s gender equality index – better than 45th-ranked United States and 35th-ranked Canada.
Argentina has had two female presidents. María Estela Martínez de Perón succeeded her husband, the iconic Argentinean leader Juan Perón, in 1974. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner governed the country for two terms, from 2007 to 2015.
Wikimedia/The Conversation
But just having a woman in high office does not guarantee that a country will take political action to help women overcome gender barriers. Fernández de Kirchner oversaw no effort to improve the reproductive and sexual health of Argentinean women, for example.
Women in Argentina face serious inequalities. Data from the National Statistics and Census Institute showing that men earn 23.5 percent more than women in the same jobs could be expressed like this: Argentinean women work for free 86 days of the year compared to their male colleagues.
Government data also show that Argentinean men who participate in household chores and care-taking do so 24 hours a week on average. Women spend 45 hours a week taking care of their homes and their family members – which adds up to 100 days of unpaid labor a year.
Global inequalities
Argentinean women share the problem of excess household labor with women in Australia, the United States, Norway – pretty much everywhere.
Decades of evidence demonstrate the negative consequences that this burden causes for women. It makes some job opportunities unattainable and reduces their earnings when they have to work less to care for loved ones. Across the globe, raises and promotions tend to come more slowly for women.
This discrepancy is particularly strong in fields with hierarchical systems based on rigid promotion requirements like academia. The University of Oxford named its first female chancellor in 2015 – a mere 800 years into its existence.
In Argentina, women constitute the majority of the teaching staff at the country’s 55 public universities. But 89 percent of Argentinean university presidents are men.
Giant steps forward
On March 8, some 200,000 Argentinean women marched nationwide for International Women’s Day. Many of them called for the legalization of abortion, asserting that it would advance women’s health and human rights. The illegality of abortion poses numerous risks to women in Argentina and across Latin America, where abortion is highly restricted or banned in all but a handful of nations.
Under current law, almost all abortions are a crime in Argentina. Both the woman and the doctor who performs the procedure can be punished with up to 15 years in jail. In 2014, a 27-year-old woman was charged with aggravated homicide and sentenced to eight years for allegedly inducing an abortion.
Argentina also has a high maternal death rate, due in part to the 500,000 clandestine abortions estimated to be performed here each year. Illegal medical procedures are risky because they lack government quality control.
I also believe that access to reproductive health service is a question of economic justice. Every 10 minutes, a teenage girl in Argentina becomes a mother. In most cases, government data show, she is from a poor family without the financial resources to support raising a child, continuing a vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Election 2019
The sudden addition of gender to the political agenda should have an important impact on the October 2019 general election, when Argentina will elect its president and legislators.
Men still dominate the top ranks of all the country’s main political parties. The inequality has persisted despite a 1991 “gender quota” requiring parties in Argentina to nominate women to run at least in 30 percent of all legislative races.
That law succeeded in getting more women into Congress, but not into leadership positions within their own parties.
In 2019, parties must nominate the same number of men and women. In my assessment, that will oblige male politicians to negotiate with women and share decision-making with them from a more equal position. If women aren’t fairly represented on a given party’s candidate list, that party can’t run anyone in the election.
The sudden surge of gender equality-related legislative debate will all but ensure that women’s rights become an issue on the 2019 campaign trail. Social problems like maternal mortality, the gender pay gap and sexism in the workplace have long been ignored during electoral cycles.
Now, political parties will be compelled to declare their stance on these issues. Candidates will have to propose policy solutions and explain their ideas to citizens.
This will make for some heated and passionate confrontations, but that’s a good problem. Because when a subject enters the political debate, it sends a powerful message to society that it’s worth discussing – and needs resolving.
This article was originally published in Spanish
This article by Virginia García Beaudoux, Professor of Political Communication and Public Opinion, University of Buenos Aires was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
- A word from our sponsors -
Dictatorship the underlying problem in Nicaragua riots, priest says
As violent clashes continue between security forces and anti-government protestors in Nicaragua, an eye witness has said the country’s underlying problem is the president’s authoritarian bent.
Nicaraguans began protesting in the streets of Managua April 18 following the government’s announcement of reforms to the country’s social security system. The army has been deployed and as many as 27 people have been killed.
The social security reforms were abandoned April 22 by president Daniel Ortega, but protests have increased over what is seen as an overly harsh response to protesting pensioners.
Nicaragua “is living under a dictatorship with the facade of democracy,” a priest working in the country told CNA.
“We could see a transition to peaceful negotiation in the coming days and an end to protests on the street and violent repression. Or we could see an accelerated effort to amplify the protests and fight for a complete take down of the Ortega regime.”
The priest spoke on condition of anonymity due to the unpredictability of the situation.
“The continued aggression and violence on the part of the government continues to incite people to protest. One step forward followed by two steps back,” he said.
A reporter was killed during a broadcast covering the protests over the weekend, and the priest believes that the government’s strong reaction against protestors, and in particular students – including the use of tear gas and rubber bullets by riot police – motivated the latest round of protests Monday.
Nicaragua’s social security system has needed an overhaul due to poor management of funds and a lack of transparency from officials, the priest said.
However, the reforms proposed last week would make Nicaraguans pay for these errors: “it was a trigger for massive protests,” he said, pointing out that though social security reforms lit the fire, the conversation surrounding the protests has changed.
The plan would have required retirees to pay 5 percent of their pension into a medical expenses fund, the social security withdrawal from employees’ salaries would have increased from 6.25 to 7 percent, and employers would have had to increase contributions as well.
Though the reform was tossed out, larger-scale protests and looting broke out April 23, including demands for Ortega to resign and resulting in further violent clashes with police.
The priest said he believes older Nicaraguans had been reluctant to protest corruption because they feared violence, having lived through the Nicaraguan Revolution throughout the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s.
Young people, on the other hand, “feel like it is their turn, to take up the mantle of their parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, to fight for a better future for Nicaragua.”
Bishop Silvio José Baez Ortega, Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, thanked a group of some 2,000 students gathered in the Managua cathedral April 21 for being “the moral reservoir” of the Church and assured them of the Church’s support for their cause. “You have woken the nation up,” he said.
Fr. Víctor Rivas Bustamante, from the Nicaragua bishops’ conference, told Vatican News that the local bishops are “working to recover the concerns and demands of young people and of different social sectors, to lay out to the government what is being demanded so that the government can act and change its position.”
The problem is no longer just welfare reform, but “other issues: there is talk of democracy, freedom of expression, and many other things,” Bustamante said.
Ortega has been president of Nicaragua since 2007, and oversaw the abolition of presidential term limits in 2014. His wife, Rosario Murillo, is also his vice president.
He was a leader in the Sandinista National Liberation Front, which had ousted the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and fought US-backed right-wing counterrevolutionaries during the 1980s. Ortega was also leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1985 as coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction, and from 1985 to 1990 as president.
Source: CNA
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Rioters Uproot Ortega’s ‘Trees of Life’
Nicaraguan protesters demanding President Daniel Ortega’s resignation have been taking their anger out on a pet project of his wife — giant steel sculptures scattered around Managua.
The 17-meter (55 feet)-tall “Trees of Life” structures erected throughout the Nicaraguan capital were designed by Ortega’s wife and vice-president, Rosario Murillo.
But following a wave of deadly protests that erupted last week over planned pension reforms, many in the opposition have come to see them as emblematic of the administration’s arrogance in one of Latin America’s poorest countries.
“Knocking down the trees means overthrowing this government that is acting badly towards us,” said Vladimir, a student manning a barricade near the Polytechnic University, one of the flashpoints for anti-government rioting in the Central American country for almost a week.
Five years ago, the Sandinista government ordered the construction of 150 giant steel “trees” in different areas around the capital, part of a new-age vision for the city by the 66-year-old Murillo, inspired by Gustav Klimt’s painting “The Tree of Life”.
Murillo said last year the colorful structures, with swirling branches lit by an array of bulbs, were designed to ensure people “enjoy the beauty of our capital.”
The trees, which many consider to be a whim of the first lady, have cost about three million dollars to construct and an additional million dollars in electricity bills annually.
At least five of the structures were targeted and demolished by protesters during the unrest.
“It’s an expression that we Nicaraguans do not want this regime to remain in power,” said another young protester who identified himself as “El Flaco”.
“They are pieces of metal valued at $25,000 which are worthless, do not produce oxygen, and are crap,” said Vladimir.
“These trees symbolize the eccentric and esoteric mentality of Vice President Rosario Murillo, who is the personification of the government’s daily management, all authoritarianism and arrogance,” analyst Gabriel Alvarez told AFP.
Murillo, a poet, has taken a hands-on role in her husband’s government since his Sandanista Front returned to power in 2007, and many refer to her as the real power in the Sandanista leadership.
These trees “are a representation of the tyranny” of this government, “mainly by Murillo, as she is the one who makes the decisions,” said a protester who identified himself by the pseudonym “Parabelus”.
“Being in a country as poor as Nicaragua, an adornment of that kind that costs about $25,000 is a lack of respect,” said a man working near the entrance to the university who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
At the university, where anti-government protesters have been holed up since last Thursday, youths armed with stones and slingshots watch passers-by with suspicion, after they were attacked on Sunday by pro-government rioters who sought to evict them by force.
Ortega’s announcement late Sunday that he was scrapping the reform came too late to appease the protesters, angered by the death toll from a heavy-handed government crackdown.
A crackdown on the protests over planned social security reform left at least 27 people dead and dozens injured, prompting calls from the United Nations on Tuesday for Nicaragua to investigate possibly “unlawful killings.”
The government said the dead included at least two police officers.
The targeting of Murillo’s sculptures recalls an incident in 1979 when a statue of former dictator Anastasio Somoza on a horse was torn down by triumphant Sandinista revolutionaries when they seized power.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/nicaragua-rioters-uproot-ortega-couple-s-trees-of-life/article/520639#ixzz5DdKV0gPe
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Former Miss ‘Monoseada’ In Guatemala
Few men could resist the charms of the former Miss Karina Ramos, who visited Guatemala over the weekend and took the opportunity to play with a little monkey.
The Costa Rican model was Guatemalandia celebrating Earth Day in the company of Chispita.
“I always dreamed of having a little monkey up close! I loved seeing Chispita free and without fear of the people, playing among the trees of the reserve and coming down to greet the visitors,” wrote Karina on the social networks.
Chispita took the opportunity to stroke Karina’s hair and face, licking her. Chispita even sucked Karina’s arms, but, not even a bite of the banana that Karina had in her hands.
“There was no better way to celebrate Earth Day than to be near nature, creating more awareness of how much we have to take care of it,” she said.
The video has more than 90,000 views.
Source: Costa Rica Confidential
- A word from our sponsors -
Talamanca Man Takes Pride And Cherishes The Coffin His Dear Friend Made For Him
This is the story of two friends looking out of each other. Don Adán López López, better known as Panchito, was sent home (medically evicted) from the Blanco Cervantes hospital in 2013, with a list of illnesses, for him to die surrounded by his family.
Staring death in the face, Panchito took up the offer of his long time friend, Don Leoncio. Both from the Talamanca region.
You see, Panchito was a carpenter. He had the gift of working with wood and had passed on his knowledge to his good friend. His woodworking included making coffins.
Don Leoncio Cruz seeing his friend reduced to nothing – ‘hecho leña’ in Spanish, deduced his dear friend didn’t have long to live, maybe only hours. Panchito had not eaten for more than 30 days, he couldn’t swallow anything. The hospital had given him the list of illnesses, ten in total, which they could do nothing for him at 76 years of age.
So, Don Leoncio decided to make a coffin for his friend.
Five years later, Panchito, now 81, is alive and kicking, his friend Leoncio, not so much.
In fact, in La Unión de Bribrí de Talamanca, Panchito can be seen these days riding his bicycle to deliver the brooms he makes and on weekends riding to Puerto Viejo de Limon to sell vegetables from his garden. Panchito is also a farmer.
And doing something that gives him great pleasure, ‘chineando’ – taking great care of his coffin.
Panchito is a character in the area, especially because, as he says, he lives with death in his living room, since the coffin is part of the furniture. Not ever thinking about taking it apart.
“Nobody touches it, it’s my last home and I love it very much, besides, my great friend Leoncio made it and he died, that gift I will take with me to the grave”, says this Bribriceño, who considers himself to be like a Toyota (tough and rough).
“Yes, it hurt a lot,” he said of having had to bury his friend.
“Five years ago they sent me home to die with my family because they told me, there was nothing to do for me. As I had taught my friend to make coffins, he told me that he wanted to return the favor by making me my coffin, because death was close, so he took my measurements and he made it for me … the truth is that it is not so tailored, I asked for it with more height to not be uncomfortable when I die,” explains Panchito.
At the time all Panchito could expect was “la pelona” (death). He never expected to outlive his friend.
Why did they (the hospital) evict you, Panchito? “Because I have, they said, I a lot of diseases. When I left Blanco Cervantes they gave me a paper in which they confirmed that I had a multi-infarct cerebrovascular disease, neurogenic dysphagia, mixed polyneuropathy and I do not know how many more things (seven others). That’s why they decided that the best thing was for me to spend my last days with my family. That’s already been five years”, Panchito told Eduardo Vega of La Teja.
Despite his illnesses and his friend’s deducing he didn’t have long to live, Panchito has been active, never staying still, kept on fighting off death.
“I’m not going lay around to die, I do not have time, I prefer to think about living, being happy and having a good time. I thank Diosito (God) every second that he gives me life and I thank him in the best way I know, working.
“Thinking about death is to ruin oneself and I am not for that. I would like to be an example for young people today that life is always enjoyed. If we are part of death, it is also better to be positive and think about life. My coffin reminds me that one day I will die, but in the meantime I take care of it so that after it will take care of me,” concluded a Panchito very full of life and very happy, because for five years he had a load taken off: “Having the coffin ready gives me peace and tranquility, I no longer have to think about what my family will do with me when I die,” he said.
Source (in Spanish): La Teja
- A word from our sponsors -
Man Kills Own Brother Over Alleged Sexual Abuse Of His Woman
A man, 61 years of age, identified by authorities by his surname, Quirós López, was stabbed and killed by his own brother on Monday after he was surprised, apparently at the time had intended to sexually abuse his brother’s common-law wife.
The event occurred Monday afternoon in the town of Dos Brazos de Puerto Jimenez, in Golfito, in a ‘champa’ (a plastic ranch), where the woman lived with the two brothers for several months.
According to the police report, the surviving brother said he ran when he heard his woman’s cry for help, hitting his brother with a stick at first and then stabbing him in the neck with the knife he was carrying.
Apparently, the three had been drinking before the incident. The brothers were engaged in gold prospecting in the area. The case is now in the hands of the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ).
- A word from our sponsors -
Tickets For May 8 ‘Transfer of Powers’ Now Available
The next government of Costa Rica will celebrate 200 years of our country as a free, sovereign and independent Republic. On May 8, the official transfer of powers will be celebrated in the heart of San Jose: in the Plaza de la Democracia y Abolición del Ejército (Democracy Plaza and the Abolition of the Army).
The event, to take place at 8:30 a.m. is free to the public. The first 1,000 spots were already taken up, the next block of tickets will be available (online) on April 26.
Click here for your tickets and more information.
Although the event is an ‘open’ event, attendance in the Plaza is by ticket holders only.
- A word from our sponsors -
Costa Rica Has A New Map: Includes 36,000 km2 of Maritime Territory Won in Court Against Nicaragua
Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry presented, Monday afternoon, the new map of Costa Rica with the 36,210 square kilometers (km2) of maritime that the country gained from Nicaragua during the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hauge, trial.
The new cartography is the result of the definition of limits in both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, set by the judges on February 2 of this year.
The maritime space gained is the difference between the borders defined by The Hague and the limits that the government of Daniel Ortega demarcated, unilaterally, on the map with which it took out an international tender for a series of blocks of the Costa Rican sea, for oil and natural gas exploration and exploitation.
The map by the Nicaraguan government was the reason for which Costa Rica sued the neighboring country before the ICJ, in February 2014
Specifically, the Court resolution gave Costa Rica 25,330 km2 of territory in the Pacific Ocean and 10,880 km2 in the Caribbean Sea.
That map was the cause for which Costa Rica sued Nicaragua before the ICJ, in February 2014. That dispute was resolved 80 days ago and, in its resolution, details the delimitation announced on Monday.
Specifically, Costa Rica won 25,330 km² in the Pacific Ocean and 10,880 km² in the Caribbean Sea.
The maritime territory won in the dispute, according to the ICJ ruling, is a little more than the one the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calculated.
Source (in Spanish): Presidencia
- A word from our sponsors -
Cop and Former Cops Faked Roadside Blocks To Murder Model, Her Boyfriend and Brother
An officer of the Fuerza Publica (national police) in Alajuela and two former policemen faked a roadside police stop to intercept three people who were murdered in August last year.
The official, identified by his last name Vargas Melendez and the two ex-police, Saborío Segura and Barboza Pérez, were arrested on Monday for the alleged murder of model Isamara Alejandra Villalta Solano, 26 years old; her sentimental partner, Andrés Martín Pérez Vega, 35, and a minor, who was Villalta’s brother.
The model’s body and that of Pérez were found on August 13 on the banks of the Jesús María River, in Guadalupe de San Rafael de Esparza, Puntarenas; while the corpse of the young man, aged 17, appeared seven days later in the same place.
Vargas was head of the Grupo de Apoyo Operacional (GAO) – police tactical support group, confirmed OIJ director Walter Espinoza.
The detentions were made during raids of several homes in Tuetal, San Rafael, Desamparados and Palmares in Alajuela.
- A word from our sponsors -
Nicaraguans Continues On Edge
Nicaraguans, as they enter the seventh day of protests that have touched every corner of the country, continue on edge. The worst part is not knowing what is going to happen today or tomorrow. Much less of the future.
In six days of protests at least 28 people have lost their lives and hundreds more injured. Official figures are not available.
The crackdown on protests has also meant detentions. The university student group says in the past week 43 people have “disappeared”, with at least 20 believed to have been killed, the others being holed up in the prison, once a torture center for the Somoza regime.
The student group of the Universidad Politécnica de Nicaragua (Upoli) is demanding the release of all ‘political’ prisoners taken in the last several days, a Nicaragua free and president Daniel Ortega and his wife and Vice-president, Rosario Murillo, gone.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department ordered all relatives of US Embassy staff in Managua out of the country.
The pension reforms was the spark to the protests that began in Managua on Wednesday and have since taken root across the country.
But its not just about the pension reforms that have since been revoked by the Ortega government, there are long-simmering grievances over political stagnation, economic frustration and Ortega and Murillo’s authoritarian style of leadership.
Never, in the last 11 years of Ortega’s rule have there been such a massive protests and uprising of the people from all sectors, including the business sector that over the years benefited from their alliance with the Sandinista government, but today find themselves having to shoulder the social debt of the country.
Following Ortega’s personal call to peace and personally announcing the revocation of the pension reforms approved on April 16 by the board of the Nicaraguan Social Security Fund (INSS), the violence on Monday subsided, however the protests continued, even bigger than before as thousands of workers, pensioners and ordinary residents marched to the capital Managua to demand and end to repression.
The capital city was painted blue and white from the thousands of flags. “Afuera! Afuera! (Out! Out!) could be heard over and over, echoing the university students’ demand that Ortega and Murillo step down.
Similar marches took place in Masaya, Granada, Leon, Esteli and Matagalpa.
But Ortega has refused to bow down to demands to rein in the police. Late Monday, police raided the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua, the center of the student protests for the second night running. AFP photographers were on hand as witness.
“The protests are no longer just about the INSS (social security), it is against a government that denies us freedom of expression, freedom of the press and to demonstrate peacefully,” 26-year-old political science student Clifford Ramirez told AFP.
Few, fearing reprisals, are willing to put their face and name forward as leaders to the protests, making it difficult for the Ortega government to dialogue with.
It was unclear where the wave of unrest will go.
International Alarm
The Vatican, U.S. and European nationals have all condemned the violence. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for restraint and urged Ortega’s government to “ensure the protection of human rights of all citizens, particularly the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”
Internationally, support for Ortega is crumbling, complicating his wielding of power in the country. On the positive side, Ortega’s rule has avoided the arrival of criminal gangs that are plaguing the northern Central American countries such as Honduras, El Salvador (both bordering Nicaragua) and Guatemala.
However, the economic situation in Nicaragua is not as rosy as the Ortega and Murillo team would have its people and the world believe. The INSS is in debt, one could say bankrupt. Corruption is rampant in the state institutions. The aid by Venezuela dried up some time ago.
The average Nicaraguan not a pro-supporter of the Sandinista government has no doubt in their mind that Ortega and Murillo have been drying up state resources to line their own pockets. Truth or not, important is that is the common sentiment of their leaders.
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Chinese Start-Ups Turn To Latin America as New Land Of Tech Opportunities
The golden opportunity for Chinese start-ups to “go Latin” may have arrived. Things have been looking good between China and Latin America, with trade multiplying 22 times since the year 2000, a stark contrast to Latin American trade with the United States, which merely doubled in the same time period, according to Angel Melguizo, chief economist at the Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an intergovernmental economic organization.
In 2015, China promised US$500 billion in trade and US$250 billion in direct investment to Latin America within a decade, with infrastructure being one of the key areas of cooperation.
But Chinese involvement in Latin America is not just about infrastructure.
As competition among Chinese start-ups grows fiercer domestically, many firms are looking overseas for new opportunities. Latin America stands out in the global market as it wakes up to tech start-ups and is expected to become a battleground for global tech giants in the years to come.
Distant lands
China’s Transsion Holdings, a mobile phone manufacturer which dominates the African market, is expanding to Latin America with the launch of its new phone in March 2017. This January, China’s ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing purchased 99 Taxis, Brazil’s leading ride-hailing company. In February, Mobike, one of China’s biggest bike sharing platforms, launched in Chile.
Smaller start-ups have also started to enter the Latin American market. Some may have never set foot in the distant land, but have nonetheless developed popular local apps from their offices in China.
Others, like Noticias Aguila, a news aggregator developed by Shenzhen Inveno Technology, managed to set up an office in Mexico, attracting over 20 million users and over 10 million Facebook followers within less than two years, becoming the biggest mobile media platform in Latin America.
The company started out as a news aggregator in China until its CEO, Tang Xin, a former Tencent employee, started to worry about the growing domestic competition.
“Competition in the news aggregator market in China is extremely intense. Apart from us, there are a lot of big players. There are vast blue oceans out there, why do we limit ourselves in this red ocean?” Tang told China Entrepreneur magazine in 2017.
In the business world, a blue ocean refers to market space untainted by competition, while red ocean refers to the competitive, “bloody” existing market.
Taking advantage of his experience in the Chinese market, Inveno launched Noticias in Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Columbia, and has now become one of the most successful examples of Chinese start-ups in Latin America.
Smiling at you
Hao Jie, an entrepreneur and partner at Magma Partners, one of the leading high-tech funds in Latin America, describes Latin America as a “virgin land” for start-ups, largely unnoticed by global capitals until just a few years back.
He expects more Chinese start-ups to join the Latin trend in the coming years. To help Chinese entrepreneurs launch in Latin America, Magma Partners recently launched the Sino-Latin American Accelerator, based in Shanghai.
In the meantime, many Latin-American start-ups are looking to China for opportunities. They include ClearingPoint, a Shanghai-based fin-tech start-up founded by Latin Americans offering international payment solutions between Asia and Latin America.
China has a competitive start-up environment, but Gabriel Miron, an entrepreneur from Guatemala who founded ClearingPoint two years ago, believes his start-up has a special niche in the marketplace as trade between China and Latin America grows and large amounts of money is expected to flow in between.
Miron had been conducting remittances between Mexico and the US for years until he decided to pivot to China after learning that large amounts of money transfer between China and Mexico every day. Still at an early stage, ClearingPoint is presently applying for financial licenses.
Arriving in Shanghai two years ago, Miron was among the first batch of Latin American entrepreneurs in China.
“There are a lot of Latin Americans doing trade in China. But in the case of technology and innovation, it’s a smaller group, learning the best practices and know-how in China. It’s a trend right now, it’s small, but it might grow in the future,” Miron told the Global Times.
“Latin America had been characterized by having the US as the only technology and innovation provider. But China now has so much technology and innovation that Latin America will see a growing flow of innovation and tech from China, which is really interesting,” he said.
Miron was impressed by the speed of Chinese businesses and the fin-tech industry. “The pace of technology and innovation that China has in start-ups and in fin-tech is amazing and exponentially better than anything in Latin America and the US. The speed of innovation and progress is much more advanced than in any other place,” Miron said.
“The Chinese mentality of doing business is something really amazing and it helps us to mature and improve our business skills. The challenge becomes strength,” he told the Global Times.
The trend occurs at a time when US President Donald Trump has been neglecting Latin America and repeatedly insulting Mexico, leading to unfavorable views of Mexicans.
You might be interested: US Efforts to Drive Wedge Between China, Latin America Will Fail – Analysts
Hao says many Latin American entrepreneurs are increasingly disappointed by US investors. He quotes the CEO of a Latin American company as saying, “I feel like Silicon Valley is disappearing. Investors from Silicon Valley are more interested in the proportion of racial and ethnic minorities in my company than what we actually do in business.”
As a result, when the Latin American companies now see a Chinese face, they are eager for cooperation. “If you have a yellow face, you’ll find the entire world smiling at you,” Hao said.
The saturated market in the US is another reason why some Latin Americans are turning to China and Chinese funding. “As a foreigner not living in the US nor China, it is easier to secure funding in China than the US, as there are many more foreign companies trying to go into the US market,” Miron said.
Respecting values
Investment in Latin America, however, has not always been smooth for China. Many Chinese State-owned companies, which started to invest in Latin America over two decades ago, have made unsuccessful business investments in the region in the past due to a lack of knowledge of local culture and political risks.
ShougangHierro Peru, a unit of China’s Shougang Group, one of China’s biggest steel companies, for example, is often hit by local strikes and protests against the company.
Hao said for Chinese entrepreneurs, it is important to respect the core values of each country. “Many people think adapting to local culture is the biggest concern when you enter a new market, but more important than culture is a respect to the universal values, such as honesty and reciprocation,” he said.
Understanding the culture of countries in Latin America is also important, considering that there are 20 countries in the region, each with different political and social environments.
“Cultural difference should not be seen as a barrier, but steps to success,” Hao said.
This story was originally published in the Global Times.
- A word from our sponsors -
Arguably the Oldest Man Around Dies in Chile Aged 121
Doctors say that healthy habits will help get you to age 85, but some people manage to be around for much longer. Just how they do it remains a medical mystery.
Celino Villanueva Jaramillo, passed away last Wednesday in hospital in the town of San Jose de Mariquina, in southern Chile, The Guardian wrote.
Born in 1896 – four years before the current Guinness-listed oldest person, Nabi Tajima – Jaramillo lost his birth certificate in a house fire 20 years ago thus losing his chance to be recognized by Guinness.
However, the birth date on his renewed Chilean identity card personally handed him by President Sebastian Pinera, is indeed 1896, and no one in Chile doubts his longevity.
President Pinera, who is a billionaire, also presented the centenarian former farm worker with a set of earphones, two crutches and a small wood-burning stove.
Sadly, no offer was made for the provision of specialist geriatric care for Chile’s and possibly the world’s oldest living person though.
“We’re very sad,” said Ivonne Morales, who together with her mother Marta Ramirez had adopted Celino when he was 99 years old and destitute. “He was an integral part of our family, the man of the house.”
Celino Villanueva, who had never married and had no known living relatives, will be buried on Friday morning.
- A word from our sponsors -
Cuba is Changing Its Politicians but Not Its Politics – Observers
Instead of preaching to others about the alleged flaws in their electoral systems, Washington should focus on its own internal politics, observers said, commenting on the White House’s critical remarks towards the newly elected Cuban president, Miguel Diaz-Canel.
© REUTERS / Oswaldo Rivas
The U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert’s remark that the Cuban leadership transition is “of great concern” to the White House is nothing new, Mateo Grille, editor of the Uruguayan magazine Caras y Caretas, told Sputnik Mundo, explaining that this is a “standard expression” used by the US “before every election that challenges the American vision.”
“The famous generation that created Cuba has long retired, for obvious biological reasons [age],” Grille said. “Now there are an incredibly large number of women and young people among the 605 deputies elected to the National Assembly, who will bring their new vision to the work of the National Assembly. But this will not affect the vector of development.”
After six decades of Castro rule on April 19, former First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel was confirmed by the Cuban National Assembly’s 605 deputies as the country’s new president. A day earlier, Cuba’s election commission nominated Diaz-Canel as the only candidate to succeed Raul Castro, 86, who has been at the helm of the state since 2006.
The Cuban Constitution of 1976 established a parliamentary form of government: the head of state and government is appointed by the people’s National Assembly. This is the supreme body of state, whose members are elected every five years by the country’s population. The ninth convocation of the National Assembly began its work following the March 11 elections.
Commenting on Washington’s “concerns,” Grille referred to the 2016 US presidential elections which resulted in Donald Trump’s victory, despite the fact that more Americans voted for his political opponent Hillary Clinton. In this model, the votes of the population are not important, but the number of voters by state, which does not guarantee a democratic process at all, the journalist pointed out.
In addition, one should take into account “the fictitious struggle between the US two parties,” which in fact pursue the same political course and differ only by the amount of money collected during their election campaigns, he stressed.
Washington’s “great concerns” make a strong contrast to the Cubans’ absolute calm, as the transition of power in the country occurs in a natural way, Grille remarked. According to the journalist, “power in Cuba comes from the people, not from corporations and not even from the Communist Party.”
For his part, political analyst Arturo Lopez-Levy, an American of Cuban origin, believes that the US should pay more attention to international human rights laws.
“In this sense, both Cuba and the United States have much to strive for, like most states,” Lopez-Levy said. “It would be much more meaningful if the US ceased to promote its political system as an exemplary model.”
The political analyst emphasized that, just like the US, Cuba has the right to exercise its own political system.
April 17-20 is symbolic for the Cubans: Exactly 57 years ago, the CIA-sponsored Brigade 2506’s Bay of Pigs Invasion failed due to the courageous resistance of the Cuban Army and militia. The US operation envisaged the creation of a foothold on the southern coast of the island and the establishment of an alternative government there, which would be recognized by the international community.
Miguel Diaz-Canel, who was born a year before these historical events and who is turning 58 on April 20, is one of many Cuban leaders, who do not belong to a generation of revolutionaries, but who have occupied key positions in the country for many years. However, he will be the first of them who has climbed to the top position in the state.
Although Raul Castro, 86, is stepping down, he will remain in charge of both the Cuban Communist Party and the country’s armed forces.
The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Today Cuba.
Article originally appeared on Today Cuba and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Safety Fears Force CONCACAF To Cancel Women’s U-17 Event In Nicaragua
North American Football (soccer) CONCACAF cancelled the remainder of its Women’s Under-17 Championship being staged in Nicaragua over safety concerns, said the US-based organization.
On Sunday, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) said the event in Managua was being cancelled immediately to ensure the safety of all fans, players, delegations and participants.
“The Confederation has taken the decision to cancel the remainder of the tournament following vigilant monitoring of the situation as it has developed and in close coordination with the Nicaraguan Football Federation and local authorities,” CONCACAF said in a statement announcing the move.
The event was halfway into the group stages with Mexico and Haiti having clinched berths in the knockout rounds with Nicaragua and Puerto Rico eliminated. The United States and Canada were in position to clinch knockout spots as well with victories Sunday over Bermuda and Costa Rica respectively.
“Safety and security is our only priority as we continue to work with CONCACAF on all matters related to the cancellation of the Women’s U-17 Championship.” Semi-finals were scheduled for Friday with the championship and third-place matches next Sunday. Three teams were set to qualify for the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup later this year in Uruguay.
The Concacaf added it will determine future steps regarding this tournament and the related qualifying process for Concacaf teams for the FIFA Women’s World Under-17 Cup Uruguay 2018.
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.
- A word from our sponsors -
Costa Rica Has A System To Measure Effective Fight Against Global Warming
The Sistema Nacional de Métrica del Cambio Climático (Sinamecc) – National System of Metrics of Climate Change – is the tool with which Costa Rica will begin to measure the effectiveness of its fight against global warming.
It is a software that will store the information of all the initiatives implemented by the country, from different sectors, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for warming the atmosphere.
Édgar Gutiérrez, Minister of Environment and Energy (Minae), said that this platform will have data on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from companies and institutions.
Gutiérrez added that it will be possible to find information on the amount of emissions per canton, as the municipalities sign up to the program.
The Sinamecc will be an open platform whose data will be available to all citizens.
Gutiérrez said that this information will be shared on the Minae website, during the next few weeks, although he did not specify the date.
The action is part of the path that Costa Rica follows to fulfill the Carbon Neutrality Country Program 2.0.
Source (in Spanish): La Nacion
- A word from our sponsors -
Are You Paying Too Much In Taxes?
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” according to Benjamin Franklin. But it is certain that some in the world are paying more taxes than others. And to the surprise of many, Costa Ricans are near the bottom of the list of taxes paid around the globe.
In Central America, Costa Rica, at 15% personal income tax is bested only by Guatemala’s 7% and in Latin America overall, by Bolivia’s 13%.
Tradingeconomics.com list of countries by Personal Income Tax Rate in 2018:
- Sweden 61.85
- Chad 60.00
- Ivory Coast 60.00
- Aruba 59.00
- Japan 55.95
- Denmark 55.80
- Austria 55.00
- Belgium 53.70
- Netherlands 52.00
- Finland 51.60
- Israel 50.00
- Slovenia 50.00
- Zimbabwe 50.00
- Luxembourg 48.78
- Ireland 48.00
- Portugal 48.00
- Germany 47.50
- Iceland 46.30
- Australia 45.00
- China 45.00
- France 45.00
- Greece 45.00
- South Africa 45.00
- Spain 45.00
- Taiwan 45.00
- United Kingdom 45.00
- Italy 43.00
- Papua New Guinea 42.00
- Euro area 41.50
- Guinea 40.00
- Mauritania 40.00
- Republic of the Congo 40.00
- Senegal 40.00
- South Korea 40.00
- Switzerland 40.00
- Uganda 40.00
- European Union 38.60
- Norway 38.52
- Morocco 38.00
- Suriname 38.00
- Zambia 37.50
- Namibia 37.00
- United States 37.00
- Armenia 36.00
- Croatia 36.00
- Uruguay 36.00
- India 35.54
- Algeria 35.00
- Argentina 35.00
- Cameroon 35.00
- Chile 35.00
- Cyprus 35.00
- Ecuador 35.00
- Equatorial Guinea 35.00
- Ethiopia 35.00
- Gabon 35.00
- Malta 35.00
- Mexico 35.00
- Philippines 35.00
- Sierra Leone 35.00
- Thailand 35.00
- Tunisia 35.00
- Turkey 35.00
- Vietnam 35.00
- Venezuela 34.00
- Barbados 33.50
- Canada 33.00
- Colombia 33.00
- New Zealand 33.00
- Puerto Rico 33.00
- Swaziland 33.00
- Mozambique 32.00
- Poland 32.00
- Bangladesh 30.00
- Congo 30.00
- El Salvador 30.00
- Gambia 30.00
- Indonesia 30.00
- Jamaica 30.00
- Kenya 30.00
- Lesotho 30.00
- Malawi 30.00
- Nicaragua 30.00
- Peru 30.00
- Rwanda 30.00
- Tanzania 30.00
- Malaysia 28.00
- Brazil 27.50
- Samoa 27.00
- Azerbaijan 25.00
- Botswana 25.00
- Dominican Republic 25.00
- Ghana 25.00
- Honduras 25.00
- Myanmar 25.00
- Panama 25.00
- Slovakia 25.00
- Trinidad And Tobago 25.00
- Laos 24.00
- Liechtenstein 24.00
- Nigeria 24.00
- Albania 23.00
- Uzbekistan 23.00
- Egypt 22.50
- Czech Republic 22.00
- Singapore 22.00
- Syria 22.00
- Afghanistan 20.00
- Cambodia 20.00
- Estonia 20.00
- Fiji 20.00
- Georgia 20.00
- Isle of Man 20.00
- Jordan 20.00
- Latvia 20.00
- Lebanon 20.00
- Madagascar 20.00
- Pakistan 20.00
- Moldova 18.00
- Ukraine 18.00
- Angola 17.00
- Sri Lanka 16.00
- Costa Rica 15.00
- Hong Kong 15.00
- Hungary 15.00
- Iraq 15.00
- Lithuania 15.00
- Mauritius 15.00
- Serbia 15.00
- Seychelles 15.00
- Sudan 15.00
- Yemen 15.00
- Belarus 13.00
- Bolivia 13.00
- Russia 13.00
- Tajikistan 13.00
- Macau 12.00
- Romania 10.00
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.00
- Bulgaria 10.00
- Kazakhstan 10.00
- Kosovo 10.00
- Libya 10.00
- Macedonia 10.00
- Mongolia 10.00
- Montenegro 9.00
- Guatemala 7.00
- Bahamas 0.00
- Bahrain 0.00
- Bermuda 0.00
- Brunei 0.00
- Cayman Islands 0.00
- Kuwait 0.00
- Oman 0.00
- Qatar 0.00
- Saudi Arabia 0.0
- United Arab Emirates 0.00
More lists:
- A word from our sponsors -
The Top Four Beaches in Costa Rica, According to Q!
There are few countries that “have it all” when it comes to vacations, but it could be said that Costa Rica falls into this category.
Whether it is beaches, surfing, history, forests, volcanoes or anything else – this is a country which is well and truly taking full advantage of tourism.
As the title may have already given away, today’s guide is going to concentrate on the country’s beaches. This is quite often which grabs the headlines.
Bearing this in mind, let’s take a look at four of the best beaches that this country has to offer.
Manuel Antonio
Let’s start with the pick of the bunch, Manuel Antonio. Few would disagree that it is the most popular in the country, and it’s for very good reason. On Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, Manuel Antonio encompasses rugged rainforest, white-sand beaches and coral reefs.
The beach itself is out of this world, even if it does attract a lot of people nowadays. The thing that makes this beach unique is its proximity to the Manuel Antonio National Park though. This is a coastal rainforest, and will take just half an hour to get to from the beach itself. All forms of wildlife are aplenty, monkeys especially.
If we return to the beach area, there’s an amazing coral seascape and snorkeling is one of the prime activities in the region.
Santa Teresa
A broad strip of forest frames the beach of Santa Teresa and an absence of high-rise buildings maintains the pristine image of the coastline with its long sweep of white sand beach washed by the Pacific surf and backed by jungle covered hills.
Behind the beach forest lies Santa Teresa’s main drag which runs parallel to the coast on a potholed and dusty dirt road.
Quite a tourist who had just been on a surf vacation in Costa Rica decided to make Santa Teresa his home. The multicultural new residents have created a panoply of restaurants, venues, and hotels in Santa Teresa, with lodging options from low-key surf hostels to some of the most luxurious hotels in Costa Rica.
In and amongst the soft, white beaches are plenty of rock pools – meaning that this is one beach that really can appeal to the entire family.
Nacascolo Beach
The previous couple of suggestions have focussed on beaches that really do open themselves up to the tourism market nowadays. This is by no means a bad thing – it means that you will always have amenities on offer. However, if you’re looking for something a little quieter and secluded, it’s time to take a trip to Papagayo Peninsula.
One of the main reasons that Playa Nacascolo is not on the radar if many is because of it’s location. When we say secluded, we really mean this. To reach the beach, you need to head the Four Seasons Costa Rica resort. Instead of entering the Four Seasons at the roundabout, keep going to the left until you see a sign that says public beach access. You will arrive at a parking lot. Every 15 or so minutes a shuttle will take you through the Four Seasons property (the views of the ocean, the gulf, and the private residences are to die for!) and drop you at Playa Nacascolo, or three other beaches along the property.
Costa Ballena
Many a visitor passes on Costa Ballena, reading that the area is difficult to access and offers little to travelers. That was a few years back. Fast forward and you’ll discover that this is no longer the case. Located an hour south of Manuel Antonio, the Costa Ballena (Whale Coast) is slowly becoming famous for its pristine beaches and rolling green mountains that teem with wildlife.
The Costa Ballena is a 35 km (22 miles) stretch of coastline in Costa Rica’s south Pacific. It is made up of three major towns: Dominical to the north, Ojochal to the south, and Uvita in between.
The zone is delimited as the coastal range from ‘Rio Barú’, in Dominical, all along the coast, including Uvita and Ojochal, with the river mouth of the ‘Rio Grande de Térraba‘, at the height of Coronado. Costa Ballena is a unique tropical destination where lush mountains meet pebbled beaches. It’s most unique feature, the community!
- A word from our sponsors -
Costa Rica Credit Card Debt Up 14%
The number of cards in circulation grew by 13% between January 2017 and the same month in 2018, while the balance of debt on credit cards increased by 14% in the same period.
According to a quarterly study on credit and debit cards for 2018, with a cut off point of January 31, on average each person has two credit cards and three debit cards.
The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) report adds that “… credit cards went from 1,326,754 cards in July 2010 to 2,744,145 in January 2018 (an increase of 107%) and with respect to debit cards, a total of 4,577,955 were recorded in July 2010 and for January 2018 the figure is 6,163,760 (a 35% increase).”
“… There was an increase in the balance of debt of ¢155 billion (14.4%), with respect to the previous year, for a total of ¢1. 233,037 million (or 1.2 billion), which represents around 3.79% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
“… Likewise, it was determined that defaults from 1 to 90 days reached 6.27% and 4.74% for defaults of more than 90 days. With regard to interest rates, 71% of plastic cards in circulation have an interest rate in colones that ranges between 40% and 50%.”
See full study. (In Spanish)
Source (in Spanish): Central American Data
- A word from our sponsors -