Monday, August 30, 2010

The Dominican Republic and Haiti After the Earthquake Nervous Ties and Fractious Tensions Persist

1 http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/16/1734536/six-months-after-the-earthquake.html

2 http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/12/president-obama-president-fernandez-meet-trade-drug-trafficking-and-haiti

3 http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2010/7/27/36461/The-US-pledges-to-help-Dominican-Republic-on-aid-for-Haiti

4http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2010/7/30/36492/Officials-says-agenda-for-Haitian-Dominican-leaders-meeting-is-ready

5 UNDP report p. 89 translation

6 UNDP report p. 99 translation

7http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2010/08/09/haitian_children_turn_to_begging_in_dr_after_quake/

Friday, August 20, 2010

Expanding Alliances in the 21st Century: The U.S. and Brazil Unite to Address Overlapping Matters of National Security

1. “Brazil: Foreign Military Influence,” April 1997, http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-1795.html (24 May 2010)

2. “The Terrorist Enemy: Defining the Enemy,” http://www.state.gov/s/ct/enemy/index.htm (24 May 2010)

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. “A U.S. base in Rio?” http://www.cipcol.org/?p=1455 (24 May 2010)

7. “U.S.- Brazil Defense Cooperation Agreement,” 12 April 2010, http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-1795.html (24 May 2010)

8. “Foreign Policy Overview,” http://www.brasilemb.org/foreign-policy/overview (24 May 2010)

9. John G. Ikenberry "Liberal Order Building." To Lead the World. Oxford: Melvyn P. Leffler and Jefferey W. Legro, 2008, p. 94.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid. p. 100.

12. Sara Miller Llana and Andrew Downie, “Why Brazil Signed a Military Agreement with the US,” 13 April 2010, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2010/0413/Why-Brazil-signed-a-military-agreement-with-the-US (24 May 2010)

Inhumane, Ineffective, Intolerable: Prisons of a Rising Power

(1) Branford, Becky, “Brazil’s ‘Medieval’ Prisons,” BBC News, 2 June 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3768145.stm


(2) Brazil Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review, First session of the UPR Working Group, 7-11 April 2008, AI Index: AMR 19/023/2007, pp. 4, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/amr19/023/2007/en/5f56cf8e-a2bf-11dc-8d74-6f45f39984e5/amr190232007en.pdf


(3) 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Brazil, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 25 February 2009, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/wha/119150.htm

(4) “One in Five: The crisis in Brazil’s prisons and criminal justice system,” International Bar Association, Human Rights Institute Report, February 2010, pp. 15

(5) Barrionuevo, Alexei, “Rape of Girl, 15, Exposes Abuses in Brazil Prison System,” New York Times, 12 Dec 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/world/americas/12brazil.html

(6) “Tackling the Chaos in Brazil’s Prisons,” The Economist, 22 Feb 2001, http://www.economist.com/node/511505

(7) Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Mr. Philip Alston, Mission to Brazil, A/HRC/11/2/Add.2 future, 28 August 2008, pp. 26, http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/11session/a.hrc.11.2.add.2_en.pdf

(8) Amnesty International Report 2010: The State of the World’s Human Rights, AI Index: POL 10/001/2010, pp. 85, http://thereport.amnesty.org/sites/default/files/air2010_az_en.pdf#page=31

(9) “Tackling the Chaos”

(10) “One in Five,” pp. 7

(11) “One in Five,” pp. 11

(12) “No One Here Sleeps Safely: Human rights violations against detainees,” 23 June 1999, AI Index: AMR 19/09/99, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/amr19/009/1999/en/b659eadf-e1e1-11dd-a03a-6b5b1e49bce3/amr190091999en.pdf

(13) Amnesty International Report 2010, pp. 85

(14) “One in Five,” pp. 12

(15) “One in Five,” pp. 33

(16) “Tackling the Chaos”

(17) “One in Five,” pp. 5

(18) “One in Five,” pp. 7

(19) “One in Five,” pp. 8

(20) See “Not-so-swift justice,” The Economist, 25 Mar 2004, http://www.economist.com/node/2542089

(21) Branford, “Brazil’s ‘Medieval’ Prisons”

(22) “One in Five,” pp. 52

(23) “One in Five,” pp. 17

(24) “In the House of Horror,” The Economist, 9 Nov 2000, http://www.economist.com/node/417839

(25) “One in Five,” pp. 7

Friday, August 13, 2010

Nicaragua & ALBANISA: The Privatization of Venezuelan Aid

1. “The Sea, the Ship, and the Uncertain Course,” Revista Envío, May 2008, Number 322. http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/3775


2. “Comptroller’s Office to Audit ALBANISA,” NicaNet, February 9, 2010. http://www.nicanet.org/?p=915


3. Tim Rogers, “Gov’t: Power Blackouts to End Dec. 1,” Nica Times, November 9-15, 2007. http://www.nicatimes.net/nicaarchive/110907.htm


4. Luis Galeano and José Adán Silva, “Apartan a Chico López,” El Nuevo Diario, December 27, 2009. http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/64891


5. “Reported embezzlement at ALBA in Nicaragua,” El Universal, December 29, 2009. http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/12/29/en_eco_art_reported-embezzlemen_29A3239051.shtml


6. Figure calculated using exchange rate from January 2009 (http://www.exchange-rates.org/history/NIO/USD/T). The córdoba has hovered around an exchange rate of 20:1 U.S. for the past couple years, but it continues to lose its value.


7. Translation of statement by Rafael Paniagua, quoted in: “Alemán rechaza palabras de representante del ALBA,” El Nuevo Herald, February 1, 2010. http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/02/01/643153/aleman-rechaza-palabras-de-representante.html#storylink=rss


8. Translated from quotes in: “Arce: “está loco” el ejecutivo del ALBA,” Radio La Primerísima, February 2, 2010. http://www.rlp.com.ni/noticias/69828


9. “Nicaragua News Bulletin: 6. Channel 8 purchased by Sandinista group,” NicaNet, January 26, 2010. http://www.nicanet.org/?p=906


10. Ibid.


11. Luis Galeano, “Albanisa es un pulpo,” El Nuevo Diario, September 28, 2009. http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/58180


12. “CGR auditará ALBA, NISA,” Radio La Primerísima, February 4, 2010. http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias/general/70020


13. “Nicaragua: Alba cooperation under the spotlight,” Latin American Regional Report: Caribbean & Central America, February 2010, RC-10-02.


14. Victor Hugo Tinoco, “Corruption is the Most Serious Aspect of the Ortega-Chávez Relationship,” Revista Envío, September 2009, Number 338. http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/4061


15. “Nicaragua: Alba cooperation under the spotlight.”


16. Galeano.


17. “Nicaragua: Alba cooperation deepens,” Latin American Weekly Report, November 19, 2009, WR-09-46.


18. “What Surprises Will the End of this Third Year Bring?”Revista Envío, October 2009, Number 339. http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/4075


19. “Venezuelan aid for Nicaragua,” LatinNews Daily, June 15, 2009.


20. “Selection indicators,” The Millenium Challenge Corporation. http://www.mcc.gov/mcc/selection/indicators/index.shtml


21. “Nicaragua: IMF visit inconclusive,” Latin American Weekly Report, March 13, 2008, WR-08-10.


22. “Nicaragua: Questions surround funding for fuel subsidies,” Latin American Weekly Report, March 22, 2008, WR-08-20.


23. Hugo Tinoco.


24. “Nicaragua: ‘Alba’ bonuses stall talks with IMF,” Latin American Weekly Report, May 13, 2010, WR-10-19.


25. Translated from the following: “Si Albanisa fuese una empresa transnacional, ustedes creen que va a facilitar para mejorar el salario de los trabajadores, ¿cuándo?” cited from “Ortega reta a transnacionales repartir riqueza como Albanisa,” Radio la Primerísima, May 8, 2010. http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias/general/76131

PRI Began its Ascent to Power as U.S. Looks for Formula to Bring Down Mexican Drug Syndicates

[1] Mitofsky is a polling organization founded by Warren Mitofsky, who is often regarded as: “The founding father of exit polling.”

[2] BGC is a global consulting and finance firm. Excelsior is a polling company based in the Netherlands.

[3] U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation: Next Steps for the Merida Initiative. 111th Cong., 2nd sess., (2010) (Testimony of Shannon O’Neil). The proposals in this section are compiled from testimony to the Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere; and Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism.

[4] Mascaro, Lisa. Senate Passes Border Security Bill. August 13, 2010. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-border-security-20100813,0,6127202.story (accessed August 13, 2010).