Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A Democratic Dictator? Unhelpful Caricatures and Venezuelan Democracy

i - The Guardian. ‘Are you a Chavista?’ September 27th, 2010. ‘http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2010/sep/27/venezuela-hugo-chavez

ii - Wall Street Journal. ‘Venezuelans Cast Parliamentary Votes’ September 27th, 2010. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704760704575515722977805594.html?mod=WSJ_World_LEFTSecondNews

Venezuela's Parliamentary Elections: Everybody Wins

i- http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press_releases/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-353/10

ii- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4487686.stm

iii- http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/world/101497344.html

iv- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11423927

v- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4496586.stm

vi- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11416238 and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4496586.stm

vii- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11423927

viii- For example, see http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/23/chavezs-fraud-game/

ix- http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/21/1836039/election-observers-coming-to-venezuela.html

x- http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5600

xi- http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b40e945e-c9c2-11df-b3d6-00144feab49a.html and http://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/news/peace_publications/democracy/venezuela_2006_eng.pdf

xii- http://www.eluniversal.com/2010/09/02/eco_ava_cne:-oposicion-tiene_02A4420731.shtml

xiii- http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5627 and http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/27/world/main6903849.shtml

xiv- http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/capriles/cadena-global/detalle.aspx?idart=3355726&idcat=56657&tipo=2

xv- http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/27/world/main6903849.shtml

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Venezuela’s Communes: Not as Radical as You Might Think

1 Kennis, Andrew “The Quiet Revolution: Venezuelans Experiment wth Participatory Democracy,” Venezuelanalysis.com, 2010, http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5558.

2 “Venezuela's politics: Commune-ism,” The Economist, 2010, http://www.economist.com/node/16595071.

3 Giusti, Roberto “Ley de Comunas amenaza la democracia,” La Prensa (Managua, July 5, 2010), sec. Internacionales:12A, http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2010/07/05/internacionales/30342.

4Lerner, Josh “Communal Councils in Venezuela: Can 200 Families Revolutionize Democracy?,” Venezuelanalysis.com, 2007, venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/2257.

5 For example, see "“Consejos comunales de Monagas reciben recursos para desarrollar hábitat,” Agencia Venezolana de Noticias, 2010, http://www.avn.info.ve/node/9159, “ONA y consejos comunales impulsan lucha contra la drogas con más deporte,” Agencia Venezolana de Noticias, 2010, http://www.avn.info.ve/node/12458, and Trujillo: Mas de BS.F 40 milliones fueron destinados a proyectos de vivienda,” Radio Nacional de Venezuela, 2010, http://www.rnv.gov.ve/noticias/index.php?act=ST&f=19&t=135162.

6 López, Jaime “Venezuela aprueba la primera ley sobre comunas y busca legalizar el trueque,” El Mundo, 2010, http://www.elmundo.es/america/2010/06/23/venezuela/1277310400.html. and Kennis 2010. The former article cites 11,761 councils. The later cites 30,179 (with 500 more moving through the registration process).
7 Kennis 2010

8 López 2010.

9 For example, see “PCV niega que con nuevas leyes se implante comunismo,” El Tiempo, 2010, http://www.eltiempo.com.ve/noticias/default.asp?id=340144.

10 López 2010.

11 “Venezuela's politics: Commune-ism,” The Economist, 2010, http://www.economist.com/node/16595071.

12 Baicocchi 2003, Dennisi Rodgers,, Subverting the Spaces of Invitation? Local Politics and Participatory Budgeting in Post-Crisis in Buenos Aires (London: Crisis States Research Center, 2005), and Yves Cabannes, “Participatory budgeting: a significant contribution to participatory democracy,” Environment and Urbanization 16, no. 27 (2004): 27-46. See Cabannes 2004 for a full list of the Latin American cities in which participatory budgeting programs have been tried, and details on each program.

13 Forero, Juan “Venezuela Lets Councils Bloom,” The Washington Post, 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051602547.html and Pearson, Tamara, “Venezuela’s Reformed Communal Council Law: When Laws Aren’t Just for Lawyers and Power Is Public,” Venezuelanalysis.com, 2009, http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4980.

14 Pascal Fletcher, “Chavez communes stoke Venezuela democracy debate,” Reuters, 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66E7E420100715.

15 Ibid. and Pascal Fletcher, “Chavez communes stoke Venezuela democracy debate,” Reuters, 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66E7E420100715.

16 López 2010

17 Baiocchi, Gianpaolo, “Participation, Activism, and Politics: The Porto Alegre Experiment,” in Deepening Democracy: Institutional Innovations in Empowered Particpatory Governance, ed. Archon Fung and Erik Olin Wright, The Real Utopias Project (New York: Verso, 2003), 45-76.

18 Baiocchi 2003.

19 Baiocchi 2003.

20 A number of other studies have supported the conclusion that the Brazilian paticipatory budger process has been overwhelmingly positive for its community. For example, see Leonora angeles, “Democratizing Regional Govenrance: Constraints and Opportunities for Brazilian and Other Metropolitan Regions in Latin America” (presented at the Congress of the Latin American Studies Association, Rio De Janeiro, June 11, 2009), Benjamin Goldfrank “Lessons from Latin American Experience in Particpatory Budgeting” (presented at the Latin American Studies Association Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 2006), Frank Fischer, Participatory Governance, Jerusalem Papers in Regulation and Governance (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Forum on Regulation and Governance, 2010), and Participatory Governance and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Economic and Social Affairs (New York: United Nations, 2008).

21 Baicocchi 2003, Dennis Rodgers, Subverting the Spaces of Invitation? Local Politics and Participatory Budgeting in Post-Crisis in Buenos Aires (London: Crisis States Research Center, 2005), and Yves Cabannes, “Participatory budgeting: a significant contribution to participatory democracy,” Environment and Urbanization 16, no. 27 (2004): 27-46. See Cabannes 2004 for a full list of the Latin American cities in which particpatory budgeting programs have been tried, and details on each program.

22 Goldfrank 2006.
23 Fischer 2010.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Consequences of the State’s Negligence to Lower Gas Export Prices

SOURCES:
http://www.economist.com/node/16281343?story_id=16281343&fsrc=rss

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2322651820100624

http://www.larepublica.pe/economia/23/08/2010/gas-seguira-siendo-mas-caro-para-peruanos
http://e.larepublica.pe/image/2010/agosto/23/eco01.jpg

http://viewswire.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=ib3Article&pubtypeid=1142462499&article_id=1257319110&fs=true&rf=0

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51443

http://www.amazonwatch.org/amazon/PE/camisea/

________________________________________________

NOTES

In January 2006, Hunt Oil broke ground on a $1 billion plant to liquefy natural gas for export to planned markets in mainland Mexico and Western United States.

The government doent seem to be pursuing any changes to these contracts so that the price of (natural) gas bought for exports is not too different from the price of the gas bought for domestic (clients)," García told reporters. He said that Peru would seek to reach an agreement with natural gas companies because he does not want investors to take Peru to court for breach of contract.

Para mas informacion puedes revisar: los articulos de Humberto campodonico, en el diario la republica, alli estan sus articulos sobre el tema en los ultimos 3 meses han sido varios. Su columna se llama cristal de mira. Tambien esta el ing. carlos herrera descalzi, del colegio de ingenieros del peru. En la web de Propuesta ciudadana hay un documento llamado "gas de camisea" entre la exportacion y el mercado interno que tiene informacion que puede ser util.

Producto de las protestas en la provincia de La Convencion en el cusco, el gobierno ha sacado otro decreto supremo estableciendo que el gas del lote 88 quedara exclusivamente para el mercado interno, ya no se exportara. Ahora falta que el gobierno negocio esto con el consorcio camisea.

En tu opinion experta, se lograra que suban los precios del gas natural exportado del lote 88, o parece ser improbable dada la poca voluntad politica?
En relacion al precio de exportacion. El cuestionamiento vino porque actualmente el precio Henry Hub del gas al que se empezo a exportar esta bajo (alrededor de 4 dolares), lo que descontando los costos de transporte y otros dan un precio en boca de pozo de 0.54 +- dolares por millon de BTU (y la regalia resultante para el estado 0.14 centavos), cuando el mercado interno esta pagando mas (entre 1 y 2.5 dolares). Por eso hace poco ante los reclamos del sur del pais el gobierno emitio un decreto supremo estableciendo que la regalia que paga la exportacion no sera en promedio menor que la que paga el mercado interno. En boca de pozo quiere decir, en el lugar donde se extrae el gas del subsuelo.

[3] Maybe the price paid by foreign importers is in fact not equal to the world price, but rather some kind of negotiated price that gives the foreign buyers a very sweet deal. This could give you the gap you describe regardless of the royalty rate. What is happening is that domestic firms selling a bunch of exports to favored buyers -- who happen to be foreign -- at a loss. You would want to know why that sweet deal is in place: is it permanent, was it a condition of attracting foreign investment, etc.


The urgency of this matter has even made it a prominent issue in the upcoming Peruvian presidential elections of 2001. With the exploitation of natural resources likely to be a central issue in the presidential election, Mr Humala's radical position (he has promised to turn Block 88 of the Camisea field, which is currently destined for exports, over to supply the domestic market) may prove attractive in some parts of the country. Against this backdrop, the current government and the Camisea Consortium may look to speed up a new agreement and avoid further confrontation.

To avoid the loss of the 3,750$, the Peruvian government would have to enforce a reduction in domestic taxes on natural gas, or regulate or constrain the ability of natural gas producers to charge higher prices to Peruvians than to foreign importers.

know you don't have time for it at the moment, but Paul Collier's recent book The Plundered Planet would be a good source. I think he argues there that many countries charge too low a royalty rate, in effect giving away their natural resources too cheaply.

--High domestic prices discourage the consumption of natural gas and its use in production, and encourage the substitution of other forms of energy. Environmental impacts depend on comparing natural gas with other energy sources.

Further adverse fiscal impacts could come from a higher cost of borrowing in international markets, because of lower creditworthiness associated with the weaker revenue base.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Suriname Elects the Country’s Most Controversial Political Figure as President

i “Collaboration between Anton de Kom university and VU University of Amsterdam,” January 2009. http://www.cis.vu.nl/en/our-expertise/education-and-development/current-projects/surinam-project/index.asp. (9 August 2010).

ii Badawy Manuela, “Investors Cool to Suriname Presidential Choice.” Forexyard. 30 July 2010. http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/ANALYSIS-Investors-cool-to-Suriname-presidential-choice-2010-07-29T215347Z. (29 September 2010).

iii Riley, Brendan. “Nicaragua and ALBANISA: The Privatization of Venezuelan Aid.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 13 August 2010. http://www.coha.org/nicaragua-albanisa-the-privatization-of-venezuelan-aid/. (16 August 2010).

iv “Ex-Suriname Head Faces Murder Trial.” 2 February 2009. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/02/2009220201340400544.html. (2 August 2010).

Friday, September 03, 2010

Hardline Immigration Reform: Misconceptions and National Identity

1 Goodnough, Abby. Surprising Immigration Crackdown Advances. The New York Times, June 10, 2010. Available online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/us/11boston.html
Ibid. Massachusets: Immigration Crackdown is Eased. The New York Times, June 27, 2010. Available online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/us/25brfs-IMMIGRANTCRA_BRF.html

2 Powell, Benjamin, An Economic Case for Immigration. Library of Economics and Liberty. (2010). Available online: http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2010/Powellimmigration.html

3 Wall, Steven. No Social Security number? Use ITIN to pay federal income taxes. LexisNexis News, April 10, 2010. Available online: http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=27009&docId=l:1160893321&start=6

4 Immigrants and Crime: Are they Connected? Immigration Fact Check. Immigration Policy Center, (2008). Available online: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/Crime%20Fact%20Check%2012-12-07.pdf

5 Boerman, T, Central American Gangs: An Overview of the Phenomenon in Latin America and the U.S. Journal of Gang Research, 15(1), (2007). Pp. 35-32.

6 Passel, Jeffrey S. The Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S.: Estimates Based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey. Pew Hispanic Center, (2006). Available online: http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/61.pdf

7 H-2B Program: Access to seasonal workers to fill temporary positions during peak business periods is critical to the American lodging industry. American Hotel and Lodging Association, (2009). Available online: http://www.ahla.com/issuebrief.aspx?id=19512

8 Price, Michelle. In Arizona, A call to redefine citizen. The Boston Globe, June 16, 2010. Available online: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/06/16/in_ariz_a_call_to_redefine_citizen/?camp=obinsite
Available online: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/06/16/in_ariz_a_call_to_redefine_citizen/?camp=obinsite

No Justice for Nicaraguan Banana Workers

1 “US judge overturns Dole Nicaragua banana ruling,” BBC News, July 13, 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10660068.

2 “1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP),” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Technology Transfer Network-Air Toxics Web Site, http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dibromo-.html. The EPA’s web site cites the following for this data: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Toxicological Profile for 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA. 1992.

3 “Nicaragua/bananeros: año sin respuesta,” BBC Mundo, March, 28, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4376000/4376031.stm.

4 “Victims of Nemagon Hit the Road,” Revista Envío, No. 287, June 2005. http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/2972.

5 Some also claim that DBCP was used in Nicaragua until 1992. It is also worth noting that there are reports of nationalized banana companies using these pesticides.

6 "Chemical Information: 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP." Center for Disease Control and Prevention. April 13, 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/data_tables/DBCP_ChemicalInformation.html

7 "1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane (DBCP)," Environmental Protection Agency. November 6, 2007. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dibromo-.html

8 H. Babich, D.L. Davis, and G. Stotzky, "Dibromochloropropane (DBCP): a review", Sci Total Environ. 1981 Mar;17(3):207-21. Abstract available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information website: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7015501

9 For more information on DBCP and studies concerning its toxicity, please see the following sources: CDC; EPA; NCBI; Heather Clark and
Suzanne Snedeker, "An Evaluation of Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)", Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in New York State, July 2004, available at http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/FactSheet/pesticide/fs50.dbcp.cfm

10 “Victims of Nemagon Hit the Road.”

11 Giorgio Trucchi, “Afectados por el Nemagón nuevamente en marcha,” América Latina en Movimiento, June 4, 2007. http://alainet.org/active/17911&lang=es.

12 “Victims of Nemagon Hit the Road.”

13 BBC reports that 468 victims were awarded the compensation. “Nicaragua/bananeros: año sin respuesta.”

14 “Dole se defiende,” BBC Mundo, March 28, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4376000/4376421.stm.

15 Trucchi.

16 “Gobierno ‘de manos atadas,’” BBC Mundo, March 28, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4376000/4376951.stm.

17 “Victims of Nemagon Hit the Road.”

18 Translated from “Gobierno ‘de manos atadas.’” Original text: “…Pero el gobierno no tiene su representación, pues es un problema individual, personal, con la compañía a quien se demanda.”

19 Translated from “Gobierno ‘de manos atadas.’” Original text: “…nuestros brazos no alcanzan a llegar a las fuentes de poder en otros países.”

20 “Banana Workers Get $3.3M In Pesticide Case,” CBS News, November 5, 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/05/business/main3454902.shtml.

21 “Oral Ruling,” Mejía v. Dole, et al., April 23, 2009, 5-6, http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CBsQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dole.com%2Fservedocument.aspx%3Ffp%3Ddocuments%2Fdole%2F04-23-09_Chaney_Oral_Ruling.pdf&ei=tXJhTLuiF4T48AbYjuGwCg&usg=AFQjCNEbqysEAPUGUOaXA_OT36E1s5Hp-g&sig2=8An2VLYDD2O2a6AdwnxwoA.

22 Anthony McCartney, “LA judge in Banana Workers Case Cites Threats,” ABC News, June 7, 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10851148.

23 Marcos Alemán, “Nicaraguan banana workers deny they conspired in fraud to win pesticides case against Dole,” The Washington Examiner, May 14th, 2009. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/nicaraguan-banana-workers-deny-they-conspired-in-fraud-to-win-pesticides-case-against-dole-93824874.html#ixzz0oBjCUsgg.

24 “Gobierno ‘de manos atadas.’”