Moises Sanchez is a farmer in the Huila Department in Southern Colombia. On January 13, 2013, the Esmad (anti-riot police) dragged him out of his house, and broke it down before his eyes. “They told me they did for my safety, because my farm will be flooded by the reservoir,” he says. “For more than a year now, Emgesa has promised me a land as compensation, but I have received nothing. The police still have my things; I didn’t claim them because I don’t know where to take them.”
Moises Sanchez is one of thousands affected by the El Quimbo hydroelectric project, which Emgesa (a Colombian company that is actually controlled by the Italian-Spanish Endesa-Enel) is building on the Magdalena River.
Because of the dam, six municipalities of the Department of Huila will be flooded. “Asoquimbo (Association of People Affected by the El Quimbo Hydroelectric) was born in 2009 to defend the rights of the people living within the area of influence of the project,” says Jennifer Chavarro, student and member of Asoquimbo.

The story of El Quimbo is full of contradictions. In 1997, the Ministry of Environment decided not to grant the environmental impact license to the project, considering that it was not feasible because of the damage it would create to “the best lands with agricultural potential of the region.” In 2007, Emgesa requested the license again to the Ministry of Environment. The document was approved on May 15, 2009 based on a concept of the Ministry of Agriculture which overturned the previous verdict: without specifying which conditions had changed, the ministry stated that El Quimbo wouldn’t jeopardize the food security of the region. In addition, the environmental permit has been approved without the Environmental Assessment of Alternatives, a test to assess the options for development of a project, and without taking into account the decision of the Attorney General’s Office, which six days before the granting of the license, requested the Ministry of Environment to refrain from doing it. “The environmental permit in 2009 has been amended three times to support the interests of Emgesa”, complains Miller Dussán Calderon, Surcolombiana University professor and member of Asoquimbo.

Eight months before the approval of the environmental license, the Ministry of Mines and Energy ratified Resolution 321, declaring the 8586 acres needed to build the Quimbo of public utility and social interest. “The disappearance of an area of 8586 hectares cannot be considered a low-impact entity, as the company claims,” writes the Ministry of Environment in the Environmental License.

The damages caused by El Quimbo have been investigated by the Comptroller General of the Republic, which estimates a potential financial loss of 350.644 million pesos (about 200 million dollars). The preliminary investigation led to a referral to the Attorney General’s Office and the application for the initiation of a process of fiscal responsibility against the ANLA (National Environmental Licensing Authority).

In addition, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) found that Emgesa affected archaeological heritage and would have to pay between 200 and 300 million pesos (between 110 and 170 thousand dollars).

“According to the license, Emgesa would need to compensate smallholders restoring the properties, so they can settle elsewhere,” says Jesus Elias Benavides, a farmer in La Honda community. However, until today they did not buy even one inch of land and the only compensation that some families received was in cash.

In Colombia, there is a legal vacuum on the displacement caused by the megaprojects, which multinationals can easily exploit. “Eighty percent of foreign direct investment in Colombia is represented by energy-mining projects. This generates a humanitarian tragedy in a country where there already are millions of people displaced by the conflict,” complains Daniel Bookshelves from the National University of Colombia. “The state would have to provide standards for these investments, there is no minimum profile matrix displaced by dams and so each company is doing a review on a whim”.

Emgesa has characterized the people affected by the project of El Quimbo as “direct,” which are those who will lose their homes and their lands, and “indirect”, a definition that includes all the people whose work will be affected, such as day laborers and fishermen. In fact, the local fishermen saw 7.95 tons of fish affected in the period 2009-2011 alone, according to a research by Incoder (Colombian Institute for Rural Development).

However, Emgesa censed a minimal portion of the actual affected people. “Asoquimbo legally should not do the census, but we made a hit record and found that 1,400 people were surveyed,” says Professor Miller Dussán Calderón. We deliver our research to the Comptroller General of the Republic, who proved that effectively Emgesa census methodology was seriously flawed. Then another phenomenon happened, due to the fact that when you stop the production of a land, it affects all the production chains. So traders also wanted to be counted, and now our record gives 9111 people and more are waiting to be registered.

“On January 28, 2013, the Comptroller General’s Office summoned us to a meeting where we deliver the signatures of these people who call themselves affected, requesting a decision on the case.” However, the ANLA announced it has no intention of reopening the census.

Corporate education reform hits SF Community College

April 4, 2013

A protest against the privatization and closure of City College of SF. (PHOTO BY DAVID BACON)

by David Bacon
Truthout Report

On March 14, the day before the Trustees at San Francisco Community College District handed in the report that may decide the life or death of California’s largest community college, student and faculty marchers headed downtown to City Hall. Hundreds of chanting, banner-waving people stopped traffic on Mission Street. Their mood combined desperation at the prospect of the closure of the school, and anger and defiance at the kinds of changes that authorities are demanding to keep it open.
Shanell Williams, urban studies major and president of the Associated Students at SFCC, said that the required changes are part of a larger effort to turn students into commodities, and move towards the privatization of education. “Next year students will be affected by the Student Success Act,” she warned. “Every student will have to have an education plan, there will be repeat limits, and a 90-credit cap on the Board of Governors fee waiver [that allows poor and working class students to petition to waive tuition fees]”.

Over the past three years of the state’s fiscal crisis San Francisco has endured a $53 million loss in revenue. Despite it, teachers and previous chancellors worked to maintain an adequate class level, and avoided layoffs through temporary cuts and concessions. But commissioners found there had not been enough cuts or cancelled classes, that too much (92 percent) of the budget was spent on personnel, and that too few administrators were on staff.

Many faculty and students believe that California’s economic crisis is being used to enforce a series of changes intended to move the community college system towards privatization, and to attack unions. Alisa Messer, president of the faculty union at SFCC, Local 2121 of the American Federation of Teachers, says that education reformers “See community colleges as a means to turn out hirable people, or students for four-year institutions. We see them as institutions serving the broader community.”

The Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) told the district that subsidies for some education programs needed by students should be cut and that one important goal was to “reduce the number of full-time faculty.” For teachers, it suggested negotiating contract provisions that provide benefits and compensation “that may not be sustainable in the current economic environment.”

The district responded that it would demand “rolling back pay schedules, reducing the cost of health benefits, reducing the cost per hour for part time faculty, and/or reducing or eliminating the cost of part-time faculty health benefits.”

For the janitors, instructional aides, food service workers and other non-teachers, FCMAT told SFCC to eliminate contract provisions, including wellness payments, substantial paid time off, a 37.5 hour workweek, and high levels of vacation and compensatory time.

Last July Local 2121 and the district agreed to emergency measures to meet the fiscal crisis caused by the loss of state funding, including a 2.85 percent wage cut for the 2012-2013 school year. Afterwards faculty and students hit the road to campaign for state Proposition 30, to prevent further funding cuts, and citywide Proposition A, intended to plug the hole in the district budget.

The political leaders who placed the measure on the ballot, including district trustee Anne Grier, said in their ballot argument that funds from Proposition A would be used to maintain core academic courses; provide workforce training; provide an education that prepares students for four-year universities; keep City College libraries and student support services open; keep technology and instructional support up to date, and offset State budget cuts.

In November voters passed Prop. 30 and Prop. A. In December, however, district negotiators announced that the administration would impose a 4.4 percent “annualized” wage cut on faculty, retroactive to July. Together they would effectively cut salaries by 8.8 percent through next July. The district refused to bargain, and when union negotiators persisted in demanding explanations, a new budget projection was produced.

After further prodding, the district announced that all Proposition A money would be used to increase the district’s reserves, and better fund pension liabilities. The administration claimed this was a mandate from the ACCJC, and what voters thought they were voting for was irrelevant.

Student enrollment has been falling as a result of the economic crisis, but began falling much faster when class cuts and a possible closure made them extremely insecure. That in turn caused the district’s income to fall as well.

In an effort to show its willingness to obey the accreditation commission and FCMAT dictates, in October the board hired a “special trustee” with the power to veto decisions he feels jeopardize the school’s response, much as appointed “special managers” in Michigan today overrule decisions made by elected city councils. The board chose Bob Agrella, past president of Santa Rosa City College, who promptly blamed the union for opposing the cuts and concessions. Its objections were keeping the college from meeting ACCJC recommendations, he claimed, and accused it and students of trying to protect the system’s nine campuses from closure.

When students and teachers marched through the city on March 14, they were protesting the way the fear of closure has been used to force through the ACCJC and FCMAT demands. Shanell Williams angrily denounced the tactic saying, “We need to have confidence that the administration will do what it takes to keep the college open, without squeezing out the most at-risk students or forcing extreme cuts on the faculty.”

Sanctioning community colleges is growing beyond San Francisco, however – 27 districts in California are currently on the list. Two have “Show Cause” orders that threaten closure, in addition to SFCC. The accreditation commission is not a public agency, but a self-perpetuating private one, overseen by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, funded by educational institutions.

What gives its recommendations power is the U.S. Department of Education, which will only fund financial aid at accredited institutions. Particularly for community colleges, whose student body is drawn overwhelmingly from working class communities, accreditation therefore becomes a life or death issue.

DHS excuses for buying so much ammo don’t add up

April 4, 2013

by J. D. Heyes
Natural News

Just move along, folks. There’s nothing to see here.

That’s the attitude of the Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano when it comes to scrutiny of her agency’s massive purchase requests for billions – that’s right, billions – of rounds of ammunition, along with 7,000 “personal defense weapons” (they would be called assault weapons if owned by private citizens), and 2,700 mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) armored vehicles of the type used to protect troops in Iraq and Afghanistan from improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

These concerns are “unfounded,” according to low-level DHS officials – the only ones addressing the questions, since DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano thinks she is above doing so. All part of the department’s normal logistical needs. This kind of purchase is normal and should be viewed as such. Calm down.

From The Associated Press, which is merely regurgitating DHS’ talking points:

“Federal solicitations to buy the bullets are known as “strategic sourcing contracts,” which help the government get a low price for a big purchase, says Peggy Dixon, spokeswoman for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga . The training center and others like it run by the Homeland Security Department use as many as 15 million rounds every year, mostly on shooting ranges and in training exercises.”

The purchases are to be spread out over five years, the government says. Counting the most recent solicitation, which is viewable on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website, DHS, in sum, is now looking to purchase nearly two billion rounds of ammunition. Even spread out over five years that is a staggering amount: 400 million rounds per year. The Defense Department doesn’t even use that much.

Okay, the math just doesn’t add up

If you take Dixon’s estimate of 15 million rounds used by various federal agents per year and then even double it for additional training and uses, it becomes obvious the federal government is stockpiling ammunition, pure and simple. The question is, why?

Talk show host Mark Levin, a lawyer who served in several posts during the Reagan administration and who is no conspiracy theorist, had this to say about DHS’ extraordinary purchases:

“To provide some perspective, experts estimate that at the peak of the Iraq war American troops were firing around 5.5 million rounds per month. At that rate, the [Department of Homeland Security] is armed now for a 24-year Iraq war. … I’m going to tell you what I think is going on. I don’t think domestic insurrection. Law enforcement and national security agencies, they play out multiple scenarios. … I’ll tell you what I think they’re simulating: the collapse of our financial system, the collapse of our society and the potential for widespread violence, looting, killing in the streets, because that’s what happens when an economy collapses. I suspect that just in case our fiscal situation, our monetary situation, collapses, and following it the civil society collapses, that is the rule of law, they want to be prepared. I know why the government’s arming up: It’s not because there’s going to be an insurrection; it’s because our society is unraveling.”

Jeff Knox, director of The Firearms Coalition, notes that there are currently between 135,000 and 145,000 armed federal law enforcement officers. If you divide up the ammunition DHS is purchasing among all of them, that comes to nearly 14,000 rounds each.

Are you getting an idea now how implausible the department’s explanations are regarding plans for massive ammunition purchases in the coming years? And what about the assault rifles and MRAPs?

DHS has no history of purchasing this much ammunition – ever

For now, let’s just focus on the ammo issue. The excuses given by DHS officials for such a large purchase are 1) fed training facilities burn through a lot of ammo every year so the government needs these rounds; and 2) the government is merely taking advantage of bulk purchase pricing, like you and I would if we shopped at Sam’s Club or a similar bulk-savings retailer.

A Natural News examination of the FBO website; however, found that the government’s bulk ammo purchases are fairly recent, dating back to this solicitation to purchase 1,000 rounds of .40 cal. “frangible” ammo in 2008. Frangible bullets are designed to break apart when they strike a hard object, like a wall.

Government ammunition solicitations began to increase dramatically with this request for 50-75 million rounds in December 2010, eventually culminating in the billions of rounds now solicited, on order or set for delivery.

Ironically, the pace with which the government began purchasing so much ammunition, weapons and other military gear coincide with events here and abroad that do not bode well for the long-term economic health of our nation. So does that mean Levin, a seasoned political observer and former federal government insider who was once chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese, completely off the mark? Remember, this is a man who doesn’t subscribe to conspiracy theories.

Some questions that need to be answered

We have additional questions too, that no one in the mainstream media is asking:

– Why does the Department of Homeland Security need more ammunition than the Pentagon, which is actively fighting wars?

– If the department has ever purchased this much ammunition before, during what period of time did these purchases occur? Were these purchases requested over a similarly short period of time (a couple of fiscal years)? What calibers were purchased and in what amounts?

– Given that hollow points are not generally used for target practice because they are much more expensive, what is the purpose of ordering so many of this type of round?

– If such quantities of ammunition have been purchased by government law enforcement entities in the past, are those agencies ready to make public those purchase documents, along with sworn affidavits from the companies from which said ammunition was purchased?

– Why, in a time of budget austerity (the government is closing airport control towers and the White House to tours, for Pete’s sake), is DHS spending so much on dubious equipment?

– How does Napolitano explain the disparity between ammunition that is admittedly used every year with the actual amount ordered or requested? And why does every federal agent need nearly 14,000 rounds of ammunition?

– What does any department within DHS need MRAPs? What is their intended use?

Like an increasing number of lawmakers, we are also waiting for answers.

Study finds that turmeric prevents diabetes

April 4, 2013

by David Gutiérrez

Turmeric has a long history of use in a variety of traditional Asian medical systems for treating a wide variety of ailments. Now, Western scientists are increasingly finding that this culinary root and its active ingredients may be potent weapons in the fight against diabetes. Indeed, it has been shown to be effective at nearly every stage of diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Biochemical activity

One of the earlier studies on turmeric’s effectiveness in diabetes prevention was conducted by researchers from the National Centre for Cell Science in India and published in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 2007. Researchers exposed pancreatic cells from mice to a stressor after first incubating some of them in a solution of curcumin for 24 hours.

Curcumin is the active ingredient that gives turmeric its orange-yellow color. Along with related chemicals, it comprises the family of curcuminoids.

The researchers found that curcumin-treated cells were significantly less damaged by free radicals and suffered significantly less damage than untreated cells. This has implications for diabetes because damage to the pancreas can interfere with its ability to produce healthy levels of insulin.

“We show here for the first time, that prophylactic use of curcumin may effectively rescue islets from damage without affecting the normal function of these cellular structures,” the researchers wrote.

Another study, published in the journal Nutrition in 2011, found that when people ate a meal high in turmeric and other spices, their blood levels of triglycerides and insulin decreased significantly, even when that meal was high in fat. Antioxidant activity in the body was also increased.

Diabetes prevention and treatment

It’s not just in the short-term that turmeric provides protection against diabetes. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care in July 2012 found that it may actually prevent prediabetes from developing into diabetes.

The researchers assigned prediabetic participants to take either a 250 mg curcuminoid supplement or a placebo every day for nine months. By the end of the study, not a single person in the curcuminoid group had developed diabetes, compared with 16.4 percent of the participants in the placebo group.

But even if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s not too late for turmeric to provide real benefits. A 2012 study from Harbin Medical University and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that people with Type II diabetes who were given 300 mg of curcuminoids each day for three months dramatically lowered their glucose levels and insulin resistance, as well as their levels of hemoglobin A1c and free fatty acids.

“This is the first study to show that curcuminoids may have an anti-diabetic effect by decreasing serum fatty acid possibly through the promotion of fatty acid oxidation and utilization,” the researchers wrote.

Turmeric has also been linked to a number of other health benefits, including reducing the inflammation and oxidation damage that can produce chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer; promoting healthy fat loss; promoting liver health; and reducing the risk of heart disease. Turmeric is also one of the most effective cancer-fighting foods.

Vaccine victory: Widespread resistance from parents to HPV jab for daughters shows truth is spreading far and wide Parents with young daughters are increasingly wising up to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine scam, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. Based on the latest figures, more than 16 percent of parents in 2010 rejected popular HPV vaccines like Gardasil and Cervarix for their daughters citing major safety concerns, this compared to just 4.5 percent of parents in 2008.

The study, which was put together by a team of researchers from major institutions across the U.S., evaluates current vaccination trends with regards to the various reasons why some parents do not vaccinate their children. After carefully evaluating data compiled as part of the 2010 National Immunization Survey of Teens, the research team learned that parents are increasingly rejecting the HPV vaccine, and specifically for reasons of safety more than anything else.

“Despite doctors increasingly recommending adolescent vaccines, parents increasingly intend not to vaccinate female teens with HPV,” explains the study’s conclusion. “The concern about safety of HPV grew with each year.”

In years past, many parents who objected to HPV vaccines for their daughters cited various other reasons such as a lack of need due to their daughters not being sexually active, or just a lack of need for no particular reason at all. But over the course of just two years, the number of parents who objected due to safety concerns jumped by nearly 400 percent, illustrating that parents are catching on to the truth about this deadly vaccine. (by Natural News)

Latin America strengthens offensive for the Falkland at UN

April 4, 2013

by the El Reportero’s wire services

The support to Argentina, regarding its sovereignty claim over the Falklands, summons since today ministries from several countries, representing key Latin American mechanisms of integration and Caribbean.

The new regional offensive that confronts the British most recent maneuvers which tries to consolidate that southern archipelago occupation, is led by Argentinian Minister of Foreign Relations, Hector Timerman.

With that objective, the Foreign Minister from Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez and from Uruguay, Luis Almagro, traveled to New York, together with the Peruvian Foreign vice-Minister, Jose Beraun Aranibar.

The three of them represent, in the same order, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

The group will be received tomorrow by the General Secretary of United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, who has repeatedly expressed his will to mediate the negotiations between Argentina and United Kingdom about the Falklands.

El Salvador marks anniversary of killing of Monsignor Romero

People’s and religious organizations in El Salvador mark today the 33th anniversary of the assassination of Bishop and martyr Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who always protected the poor and persecuted.

He was shot by a hired gunman while celebrating holy mass at the chapel of the Divine Providence Cancer Hospital of San Salvador. His killer has never been found.

The UN Truth Commission that investigated human rights violations during armed conflict (1980-1992) concluded in 1993 that the crime was planned by founder of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena), Maj. Roberto d Aubisson.

In a ceremony to pay tribute to Romero yesterday, President Mauricio Funes said that “we are still waiting justice to get to the bottom of the case and reveal the truth, not only owed to Monsignior’s relatives, but also to the Catholic Church and all the Salvadorian people.”

Russia Is Launching Mexico’s Communication Satellite

A Proton-M rocket is scheduled to put Mexico’s Satmex-8 communications satellite into orbit on Tuesday, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said.

The rocket is to lift off at 11:07 p.m. Moscow time from the Baikonur space complex in Kazakhstan, the Interfax news agency reported.

This will be the first launch of a Proton-M since one of the rockets failed to put a Russian Yamal series satellite into orbit in December.

Roscosmos experts determined that the rocket’s failure was caused by a problem with a turbopump.

Satmex-8 was originally scheduled to be put into orbit on Dec. 27, but its launch was postponed until the cause of the Proton-M’s failure was determined.

The satellite, which was manufactured by U.S.-based Space Systems/Loral, belongs to Satelites Mexicanos, or Satmex.

Venezuelan violence is key campaign issue

Venezuela’s interior and justice minister, Néstor Reverol, admitted this week that homicides increased by 14 percent in 2012 to 16,072 compared with a year earlier.

The murder rate has increased from 48 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011, Reverol said, to 54. This is more than twice the murder rate in Peru where the government, under heavy public and media pressure, this week announced the creation of an elite police intelligence team to crack down on criminal gangs to try and combat.

Venezuela’s acting president, Nicolás Maduro, said that ending violence in the country required “an integral and Socialist vision”, and appealed to artists and sportsmen to assist in developing a plan to tackle it.

Ecuador rejects preventive measures imposed by IACHR

Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, announced that Ecuador will not accept the preventive measures imposed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) since that organization does not have authority for such an action.

We will not accept those measures because they are illegal, he said.

(LatinNews and Prensa Latina contributed to this report).

The great Cyprus bank robbery shows that there is no bank account that is safe – Part 2

April 4, 2013

by Marvin J. Ramirez

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: (Last week’s editorial we missed pointing out that it was Part 1 – this is Part 2 and last).

Most of you might think that the US government would never touch your bank savings, that the dollar would never collapse, or that the US would never let the economic system to breakdown.

Well, as many might have seen just this week, the small nation, Cyprus, has become the latest experiment of nationalization of its own people bank accounts, the beginning of a domino reaction that could come anytime – after rolling over the European Union – to America. The famous bailout just recently in the US was just a small show of what it can be done without the people’s consent, and which is expected to hit home in a near future.

The guest article below for this week is Michael Snyder’s, The great Cyprus Bank robber shows that no bank account is safe,” explains in very much detail, what we, as Americans, should expect and be ready for when this same medicine is applied in home.

The great Cyprus Bank robbery shows that no bank account is safe – Part 2 and last

by Michael Snyder
Economic Collapse

It would be hard to over-emphasize how significant the Cyprus situation is. The EU demonstrated under no uncertain circumstances that they will destroy the rule of law to maintain their own power. It was a recognition of tyranny that many of us have always assumed was the case but yesterday became reality.

The damage done here is not related to the size of the haircut – currently discussed between 3 and 13 percent – but rather that the legal language which each and every investor on the planet must rely on in order to maintain confidence in the system has been subordinated to the needs of the powerful elite. To the power elite making the major decisions in DC, London, Berlin, France, Brussels, et. al., laws are like ice cream, easily melted.

Which begs the question, who is next? Will it be Portugal? Greece? Spain? Italy? France???

Will they impose a “one-time” tax on your bank account? Your house? Your stocks and bonds? Retirement accounts?

The global elite have declared open season on all large piles of money, and now many people all over the world will consider taking money out of the bank to be the rational thing to do. This will especially be true in countries in southern Europe since they would probably be the next to have wealth confiscated.

This is so abundantly clear that even Paul Krugman of the New York Times understands this…

It’s as if the Europeans are holding up a neon sign, written in Greek and Italian, saying “time to stage a run on your banks!”

Tomorrow and the days immediately following should be very interesting.

The global elite have truly “crossed the Rubicon” by going after private bank accounts. It is almost as if they purposely chose the most damaging solution possible to the financial crisis in Cyprus.

Many in the financial world are absolutely stunned by all of this. For example, David Zervos is describing this move as a “nuclear war on savings and wealth“…

All of us should really take a moment to consider what the governments of Europe have done. To be clear, they initiated a surprise assault on the precautionary savings of their own people.

Such a move should send shock waves across the entire population of the developed world. This was not a Bernanke style slow moving financial repression against risk free savings that is meant to stir up animal spirits and force risk taking.

This is a nuclear war on savings and wealth – something that will likely crush animal spirits. This is a policy move you expect from a dictatorial regime in Sub-Saharan Africa, not in an EMU member state. If the European governments can clandestinely expropriate 7 to 10 percent of their hard working citizen’s precautionary savings after the close of business on a Friday night, what else are they capable of doing? Why even hold money in a bank account? Are they trying to start a bank run?

So what motivated the global elite to do this?

According to CNBC, one of the motivations was to go after the Russians that had been using the banking system of Cyprus to launder money…

Indeed, the IMF is reported to have been keen on the levy as a way to stem the flood of Russian money into the island over the last few years which has promptedconcerns over money laundering.

Russian money accounts for about 25 percent of all money in the banking system of Cyprus, and obviously the Russians are quite upsetby what the IMF and the EU have decided to do. Even Vladimir Putin is loudly denouncing this move…

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the tax “unfair, unprofessional and dangerous,” according to a statement posted on the Kremlin website. Russian companies and individuals have $31 billion of deposits in Cyprus, according to Moody’s.

And you haven’t heard a lot about this in the western media, but the Russians have actually stepped forward and have offered to help Cyprus out of this jam. For example, there are reports that Russian investorsare interested in buying the two banks that were the primary cause of this bailout…

Officials have also said Russian investors are interested in buying a majority stake in Cyprus Popular Bank and increasing their holdings in Bank of Cyprus – the two biggest banks on the Mediterranean island.

And according to Sky News, Gazprom has offered Cyprus a very large sum of money for the right to explore their offshore gas reserves that have not been developed yet…

The uncertainty comes as Russia’s finance minister said his country would consider restructuring its loans to Cyprus.

Russian energy giant Gazprom has also reportedly offered financial assistance to Cyprus in exchange for access to the island’s gas reserves.

So far the government of Cyprus has rejected the help of the Russians, but could they change their mind at some point? Apparently the Russians are offering enough money to completely fund the bank bailout…

According Greek Reporter, Gazprom made an offer over the weekend to the Cypriot government to fund the bank restructuring planned under the Cypriot bailout (which is set to cost up to €10bn) in exchange for exclusive exploration rights for Cypriot territorial waters. How reliable this story is remains to be seen, but it does hint at the geopolitical tension which we have been warning about.

Gazprom is known to be very close to the Russian government and despite Russian President Vladimir 3Putin overtly slamming the deposit tax – calling it “unfair, unprofessional and dangerous” – it is unlikely that they would let this opportunity pass untouched. Fortunately, the Cypriot government is said to have rejected the deal off the bat, but if displeasure towards the eurozone and the EU grows, the Russian option may become increasingly appealing.

It will be very interesting to see what happens.

Meanwhile, some European officials are already suggesting that other nations in southern Europe should have a “wealth tax” imposed upon them. The following comes from an article by Paul Joseph Watson…

Joerg Kraemer, chief economist of the German Commerzbank, has called for private savings accounts in Italy to be similarly plundered. “A tax rate of 15 percent on financial assets would probably be enough to push the Italian government debt to below the critical level of 100 percent of gross domestic product,” he told Handelsblatt.

A “tax” of 15 percent on all financial assets?

Could you imagine if you woke up one morning and the government had decided to suddenly steal 15 percent of all the money that you had in bank accounts, retirement funds and stock portfolios?

If I had a bank account in Italy I would be very nervous right about now.

Under normal circumstances these kinds of things don’t happen, but governments will use an “emergency” to justify all kinds of things. I recently came across an article that included a great quote by Herbert Hoover that put this beautifully…

“Every collectivist revolution rides in on a Trojan horse of ‘emergency’. It was the tactic of Lenin, Hitler, and Mussolini. In the collectivist sweep over a dozen minor countries of Europe, it was the cry of men striving to get on horseback. And ‘emergency’ became the justification of the subsequent steps. This technique of creating emergency is the greatest achievement that demagoguery attains.”

This is what the elite love to do.

They love to create order out of chaos.

And this is just the beginning. The Great Cyprus Bank Robbery was just a beta test for what is coming next.

As the global financial system crumbles, the global elite are going to target our bank accounts, our retirement funds and our stock portfolios. You might want to start thinking about how you will protect yourself.

So what are your thoughts on all of this? Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below…

Debate on gun control should ask whether Congress has power to regulate

April 4, 2013

President Obama called for more gun control in his State of the Union address. The effectiveness of his proposals have been the subject of heated debate. But both sides are missing the larger question: Does Congress even have the right to regulate or ban guns?

by William J. Watkins

Gun control has become one of the preeminent battles of 2013. During a press conference last month, in which he was surrounded by children, President Obama urged Congress to ban “assault” (semiautomatic) weapons, limit magazines to 10 bullets, and introduce universal background checks for all firearm buyers. And last night, Mr. Obama again called for this regulation in his State of the Union address. Naming those affected by gun violence, he asserted to a cheering, standing crowd: “They deserve a vote.”

Across the country, Americans are debating the effectiveness of Obama’s gun-control proposals. Commentators on the left argue that semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines aren’t necessary for home defense or hunting. On the right, the president’s critics say limiting guns won’t end violence and point out that no matter what laws Congress passes, criminals will still find ways to be well armed. The proposed legislation, they contend, simply would put law-abiding citizens at a disadvantage.

Both sides are missing the larger question in this debate: Does Congress even have the right to regulate or ban guns? Where does Congress derive the power to prohibit ownership or manufacture of certain weapons or magazines? It seems that many gun-rights advocates and opponents have forgotten their basic civics in assuming that Congress can act as long as 51 percent of the members agree.

The Second Amendment of the Constitution clearly states: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” And as James Madison wrote in Federalist Paper No. 45, “The powers delegated…to the Federal Government are few and defined.” Those essays were written to promote ratification of the Constitution and assure states of its limits on federal power.

Madison further explained that these powers would “be exercised principally on external objects such as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign comregularmerce.” The states, he assured his readers, retained “numerous and indefinite” powers extending to “the lives, liberties, and properties of the people,” including “internal order.” The Supreme Court has consistently upheld the individual’s right to bear arms over several decades and court cases.

Such history lessons are usually dismissed by modern politicians.

Of course, Congress has passed laws that ban guns in the past, and many experts feel the courts have upheld the legality of some regulation and restriction of gun ownership. The 1994 “assault weapon ban,” which expired in 2004, is a prime example. But the fact that the federal government has taken an action in the past does not itself answer the question about the authority for, or legitimacy of, the action. In 1942, more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps. Few would argue that this was constitutional or sets a valid precedent for a similar measure today.

In the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court recognized an individual right to bear arms, but also opined in dicta that certain “longstanding prohibitions” and regulations remained good law. The Court specifically mentioned laws prohibiting felons or the mentally ill from carrying weapons.

The Heller majority, however, failed to explain the fount of federal authority for these prohibitions. Undoubtedly, the common law as received from Britain at the time of the ratification of the US Constitution recognized and permitted such reasonable restrictions on the right to bear arms. Such a historical understanding could support some modern circumscribing of the right to bear arms as constitutionally valid.

But nothing in the common law of the time supports an outright ban on certain weapons possessed by sane, law-abiding citizens as urged by Obama.

If anyone were asking, Congress and the president would likely point to the Commerce Clause as the source of constitutional authority for the current gun-control proposals. But the original purpose of the Commerce Clause is far removed from the sale and purchase of guns – and has little to do with today’s debate over gun control.

Under the Constitution, Congress may “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States.” Dictionaries in use during the Founding period defined commerce as “intercourse, exchange of one thing for another, interchange of anything; trade; traffick.”

From the ratification debates on the Constitution, we further glean that the Founders wanted the states to be united in the face of European protectionism. Britain, France, and other countries placed many restrictions on American trade, depriving the newly independent United States of America of lucrative markets. Because Congress did not have a commerce power under the Articles of Confederation, it could not effectively negotiate trade pacts or retaliate when European countries restricted American trade.

Moreover, states without deep-water ports were forced to import through states that had such ports. New York, for instance, placed high duties on items that consumers elsewhere ultimately would be forced to pay. This caused tension between the states. The Framers believed that a uniform system of commercial regulation would create a national free trade zone and remove the ability for certain states to exploit their neighbors.

With the Commerce Clause, Congress was given the power to make trade (i.e., trafficking) regular among the states and with foreign powers.

It’s hard to find anything in the record that indicates anyone ever contemplated that the Commerce Clause would encompass national laws that regulate manufacturing or ownership of guns – or anything else.

How the commerce power has been transformed is a long story. But in essence, Congress now claims the power to regulate any matter that affects the national economy. Such a reading of the Commerce Clause swallows up the Framers’ careful enumeration of powers, making the federal government omnipotent.

OPINION: Curbing gun violence after Newtown: Let’s arm teachers.

Unfortunately, many lawmakers are now bent on enacting national guncontrol laws, and too many of their opponents are debating the merits of these laws when they should be questioning their constitutionality.

They will continue to do so unless the American public asks them the fundamental questions about the source of their authority and demand a reasoned response

William J. Watkins, Jr. is a research fellow with The Independent Institute and author of the book, “Reclaiming the American Revolution.”

ALSO BY THIS WRITER: Obamacare, the Constitution, and the original meaning of the Commerce Clause

[Editor’s Note: The original version of this piece misidentified the kind of firearm covered in the 1994 “assault weapons ban” and in current proposals to reinstate it.]

Silvio Rodríguez to perform in Costa Rica, Bolivia and Perú

April 4, 2013

by the El Reportero’s news services

Silvio Rodríguez

Cuban singer Silvio Rodríguez will begin on April 12 in Costa Rica a tour that will also include Bolivia and Peru, the website www.zurrondelaprendiz.com reported.

The singer of popular songs such a El necio, Te doy una canción, Unicornio and La era esta pariendo un corazón, among others, will be accompanied by Trovarroco Trío, clarinetist and flutist Niurka González, and drummer and percussionist Oliver Valdés.

Rodríguez will perform on April 15 at the Central Urban Park of Santa Cruz, in Bolivia, and on April 19 in the southern esplanade of the Monumental stadium in Lima, Peru.

Colombian’s Vallenato Festival

Mexican Juan Gabriel and Guatemalan Ricardo Arjona are in the Schedule Guest of Honor List of the Colombian Festival of Vallenato Legend, that in its 46 Edition is dedicated to the late poet and composer Gustavo Gutierrez.

The event, from 27 to 30 April next, will bring together the cream of this musical gender, which will dance to the infectious beat of the accordion in Valledupar, capital of the northern province of El César.

Juan Gabriel with its classic theams encourage the gala of the 28th, while Arjona will be playing close to the Feast scammers some of his most well-known ballads.

Also joining them will be two of the exponents of the vallenato veterans in the Andean country, Egidio Cuadrado and Carlos Vives, who opened the first of the conference, which will be for free.

Special moment will be the gala tribute to Gustavo Gutiérrez, dubbed by critics as the poet skinny vellenato, creator of pieces like Without Measure Distances, Como and Confidences.

Uruguayan International Festival with 250 films

With 153 feature and 97 short films from 50 countries, the 31st International Film Festival, organized by the Uruguayan film making, will exhibit at seven movie theaters in Montevideo, which was named Culture Capital of Latin America.

The opening is planned for this Saturday with the showing of Javier Rebollo’s “El muerto y ser feliz” (The dead and being happy) played by Jose Sacristan and the Uruguayan actress Roxana Blanco.

The festival, that will end on April 6th, includes nine works in Latin American section: from Argentina Ulises Rosell’s El etnografo (The ethnographer) and Gustavo Fernandez’ “De martes a martes” (From Tuesday to Tuesday); from Brazil Bruno Safadi’s “Eden” and Cesar Oiticica Filho’s “Helio Oiticica”; from Venezuela Luis and Andres Rodriguez’ “Brecha en el silencio” (Breach in the silence), from Chile Dominga Sotomayor’s “ De jueves a domingo” (From Thursday to Sunday); from Mexico Mercedes Moncada’s Palabras magicas (Magic words); from Colombia Colbert Garcia’s “Silencio en el Paraiso” (Silence in Paradise) and from Spain Eterio Ortega Santillana’s “Al final del tunel”, (At the end of the tunnel).

During the festival, films from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal and Russia will compete.

In the section of international film making, the most recent films of Ken Loach, Terrence Davies, David Cronenberg, Raoul Ruiz, Marcelo Gomes, Hong Sansoo, Carlos Reygadas and a season of Pedro Costa, Manoel de Oliveira, Victor Erice and Aki Kaurismaki will be screened.

The festival will award nine films of “new film makers” from Argentina, Austria, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Uruguay that deal with human rights.

Reggae, Hip-Hop, Cumbia, Rock, Reggaeton at Casa Sánchez

April 4, 2013

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

La Gente

After out sold-out shows @ Elbo Room, Boom Boom Room and Cell Space, La Gente & Nikki Barodi return to the heart of La Mission for an underground dance party at the one and only San Francisco institution: Casa Sánchez.

Casa Sánchez was recently christened as a MAPP venue with amazing performances by Rupa & The April Fishes, La Gente and Sol Tevél. Also be sure to get some authentic Mexican food by Ayutla Restaurant.

This will be a great night to support local music as well as supporting local Latino entrepreneurs!

This Friday March 29, 7:30 to 10 p.m. Live @ Casa Sánchez, 2778 24th St. San Francisco. Only $6!

A Happy Spring art exhibition at Arc Gallery

Come and join Soad’s exhibition, and see her newest paintings explore repeating patterns, colors in nature and culture – a reminder of the power and beauty of our interconnected lives, and to celebrate Spring and the new Arc Studios Artists exhibit, Memento. Friday, March 29, 6-10 p.m. Arc Gallery, 1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco.

Richard Bean & Sapo – Celebrating 40 years of Suavecito

Continuing on with the 40-year anniversary, SAPO rolls bringing along Special guest from Santana and former Sapo member Raul Rekow with his fiery brand of conga playing which has graced the stage with Carlos Santana for over 35 years.

Also on the bill and back by popular demand after their appearance with Tierra will be Tortilla Soup, led by leader and trumpet player Robert Payne. This group out of San Jose is starting to spread its wings and get out across California.

With Raul Rekow, Special Guest from Santana & former Sapo member, plus Tortilla Soup.

On Saturday, April 6, 2013, 8 p.m., at Fulton 55, 875 Divisadero Street, Fresno, California. www.fulton55.com.

Tickets $12 adv. / $15 door at 559-412-7400 or visit: http://www.fulton55.com/event/235931-richard-bean-sapo-tortilla-fresno.

Afro-Peruvian Dance at the Library

Celebrate National Dance Month at the Berkeley Public Library with a free dance performance by Cunamacue, Local dance troupe Cunamacue combines Afro-Peruvian movement vocabulary, dances of the African diaspora and modern dance aesthetics. Their work communicates themes universal to the human experience.

On Saturday, April 6, at 3 p.m. The program takes place at the Central Berkeley Public Library, 5th Floor, 2090 Kittredge Street. Wheelchair accessible.

This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library (www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org). For more information, call 510-981-6139 or visit: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

Music for the soul and body

It will be a new repertoire in bossa, boleros, samba, cha cha and rumba flamenca. Guest artist Moises Goldszmidt will bring his sax and we’ll celebrate with mixed prosecco cocktails, pianist Francisco Rosales-piano percussionist Ami Molinelli and singer Rennea Couttenye.

At La Casa Rosada, 681 Victoria St. SF 94127, on Sunday April 7, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Boxing

April 2, 2013

The Sport of Gentlemen

Saturday, April 27, 2013 Argentina

Sergio Martínez (C, No. 4 P4P) vs. Martin Murray (No. 8) 12 rounds – Middleweight division (for Martínez’s RING, WBC titles).

Saturday, May 4, 2013 Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (No. 1, No. 1 P4P) vs. TBA 12 rounds – Welterweight division (for Mayweather’s WBC title).

Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (No. 1, No. 1 P4P) vs. TBA 12 rounds – Welterweight division (for Mayweather’s WBC title).

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