by the El Reportero’s news services

Daniel Ortega

Venezuela has promised to give Nicaragua $50 million to replace money that the United States said this week it would withhold from the Central American country, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra said Saturday.

Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega expressed disappointment in U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez promised the aid after Ortega learned that the United States was canceling $62 million of aid that was to have come from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S.-government-funded anti-poverty fund set up by former President George W. Bush.

Ortega expressed disappointment in President Barack Obama for the decision. “He expresses good will, but in practice, he has the same policies as President Reagan,” Ortega told a crowd of supporters in Managua’s Plaza of the Revolution.

In 1982, then-President Reagan supported funding the contras, the forces opposed to Ortega and his socialist Sandinista Party, which had come to power after overthrowing the U.S.- backed Anastasio Somoza in 1979.

Ortega called this week’s decision not to follow through on the payment “disrespectful.”

“The United States had given its word to the people of Nicaragua and in particular to the people of the cities involved in the program,” he said.

And he warned his U.S. counterpart that the world has changed since the United States funded the contras.

“He (Obama) is the first to know that the United States of today is not the United States of 20, 30, 40 years ago,” Ortega said. “Today, the United States cannot do whatever it wants in the world. It doesn’t have the moral force, even though it may have the material force to do it. They have even lost the support of the U.S. people.”

García’s development plans trigger bloody clashes in Peru’s Amazon

President Alan García is reeling from the worst outbreak of violence in Peru since he came to power in 2006. At least 33 people were killed on June 5, 24 of them police officers.

The death toll might suggest a violent clash between the police and Sendero Luminoso guerrillas, but in fact it was between police and indigenous protesters in the northern department of Amazonas. The government misjudged the strength of feeling against ten decrees opening up the area to private investment, which motivated the Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (Aidesep) to begin protest action two months ago.

Congress suspended the most controversial decree on June 10 in a bid to bring Aidesep to the negotiating table.

Jobim says Brazil must think big

Authorities prepared on July 11, to hand over wreckage from the crashed Air France fl ight 477 to French investigators in the north-­eastern city of Recife Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said that the rescue operation had provided useful lessons for the country, among which he cited the need for additional modernization of the Brazilian Air Force and a second large naval base in the north of the country. Jobim is a prominent supporter of President Lula da Silva’s aspirations to turn Brazil into a major actor on the world stage, not only economically and politically, but also in terms of acquiring “major power” status.

A key component of the government’s new defense strategy is to resurrect Brazil’s national defense industry, gain important technology transfers from partners like France and ultimately achieve autonomy in the supply of defense equipment. (CNN and Latin News contributed to this report.)

by Janet Murgula

The nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court was an historic and proud moment for 50 million Latinos spread across the United States and for the country as a whole. But as proud as our community is over her nomination, we have been stunned and disheartened by the visceral reaction it has generated among many in the Republican Party. Clearly, her ethnicity has proven to be too much of a temptation for those who give voice to hate and extremism.

Instead of looking at her judicial record, they have launched a vocal rampage that has reached new heights of absurdity.

Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies—the “think tank” of white supremacist John Tanton’s anti-immigrant groups—and his pals at the National Review online are just beside themselves that Judge Sotomayor had the temerity to pronounce her own name correctly. They basically said that if she were a real American, she would pronounce it differently.

In an article that appeared in The Hill newspaper, Republican insiders are quoted as being “concerned” that Sotomayor’s avowed love of arroz con gandules and other Puerto Rican delicacies will cloud her judicial decision-making. Conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel celled her “Judge J-Lo” and suggested that she was about as qualified to be on the Supreme Court as the well-known singer.

This one, however, took the cake: Former congressmen, failed presidential candidate, and anti-immigrant extremist Tom Tancredo, unable to provide a shred of evidence for his assertion that Judge Sotomayor is a “racist,” went off the deep end on CNN, saying Sotomayor belongs to “the Latino KKK.”

Tancredo was referring to my organization, the National Council of La Raza—a 40-year-old national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization that works with community organizations all over the country to help Latino families achieve the American Dream. Such a characterization is offe:nsive, shameful and a slap in the face to my predecessor who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to secure civil rights for all U.S. residents.

NCLR has been recognized as one of the ten best nonprofits in the country end leuded by members of Congress of both perties. Since our founding, we heve worked hand in hand with other national civil rights organizations in a bipartisan way to improve the lives of everyone.

Raising questions and concerns about Judge Sotomayor’s 17-year record on the bench is legitimate. Resorting to outdated stereotypes, defamation of character and outright falsehoods is not. It is reprehensible not only to Hispanics and communities of color.

The Hispanic community has always been diverse in its views and its politics. We have never hewed to one party over another. While we applaud Senator John Cornyn’s call for civility, the gross mischaracterizations of Judge Sotomayor and the deafening silence of Republican leadership are leaving many within our community with a disturbing picture of the Republican Party. Much hangs in the balance, including our votes.

As an organization that has hosted presidential candidates of both parties and has recognized the achievements of House and Senate members from both sides of the aisle, we appeal to Republican National Committee ­Chairmen Michael Steele, House Minority Leader John Boehner, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to denounce these statements and restore the nomination process for Judge Sotomayor to a more appropriate and civil discourse.

We all know Supreme Court nominations get political, even with nominees as qualified as Judge Sotomayor. That does not mean, however, that politicians get a free pass to attack nominees solely on the basis of race or ethnicity. Stand up to the bullies. Stand up for your party. Stand up for what is best for the nation. We are better than this. The Republican Party is better than this. Hispanic Link.

(Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza, writes a monthly commentary for /4ispanic Link News Service. Email her at opi@nc/r.org).

by Marvin Ramírez

Immigrants advocates protest in front of the federal building for the lack of a just immigration policy.

While Obama show is no longer playing to wildly enthusiastic audiences who have realized that he is merely the continuation of George W. Bush’s policies, and has faltered to many of his campaign promises, while some who were clapping a few months ago are now sitting on their hands, or even booing the star performer, there are still some who still keep some hope on him.

They are the nation’s immigrant community,­ most of who still have relatives in the country without an immigration status and living in the shadows while working for little to support their families, many of them U.S. citizens.

Approximately 20 people from a local immigration advocate group, called SFOP, which congregates religious, school, and community centers, held a National Day of Action for Immigrants Rights in front of the Federal Building on June 16, “to tell President Obama to keep his campaign promises for the creation of a comprehensive immigration reform this year.”

The event was held a day before President Obama would be meeting at the White House with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders on immigration reform, which has been delayed for a second time since he took office in January.

Under a blowing wind so strong that it looked like a huracan was coming on them, the men, women, and children held their skirts and hats tight, while praying and reading poems, including the reading of a story of 16-year-old Yvette Jimenez-Mota, who in the middle of a night in December 2008, thought she had heard voices of people in her house, but went back to sleep thinking she was only dreaming.

Actually, she was not dreaming.

When Jimenez-Mota woke up in the morning, her life had changed, like in the movie The Wizzard of Oz, where a hurricane sends Dorothy away in her sleep, and she finds herself in another – dreamy – world. The world she known previously, was gone.

When she woke up, Jimenez-Mota’s father was gone. He had been taken away by the immigration service for lack of immigration documents. Her mother, later on, was summoned up to the immigration center – under false pretense – to be booked and have placed an ankle bracelet, and theb released under strict supervision, like a criminal, according to the letter.

Working part-time, the 16-year-old, with her mother ‘officially’ unemployed, and the father in Mexico, Jimena-Mota is the sole provider for both of them.

“My dad isn’t here to support us; we are homeless and just eating rise and beans because we don’t have enough to make ends meet,” she says in the letter, which was shared during the vigil. The audience was asked to contribute with financial help for the mother and daughter.

The group also accused the city for confiscating cars from the undocumented, which is unconstitutional. And they were right, although the cop who everyday confiscates vehicles seems not to care so much about the Constitution.

The Amendment V to the Constitution of the United States, states it very clearly: “No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

Due process means that only after a party has been through a court process, and if the judge orders the car confiscated for a good cause, can a private property be taken away.

According to critics, Obama, as the President, has the power to stop immigration

raids immediately by decree, but has not done it because those behind him– the real power behind the power – do not let him.

During his first 100 days of his presidency, Obama has bailed out bankers PMand big corporations on the backs of the people – meaning that every penny that has been borrowed the taxpayers will foot the bill. The money he has given away, is borrowed from the private banking conglomerate, the Federal Reserve Bank, which prints the dollar (Federal Reserve Notes) and then lends it to the government.

For those who never watch alternative media, Obama’s critic recommend to watch a video called The Obama’s Deception, which was released in March. It brings to light who Obama really works for, and details his plans commanded by a corrupt banking elite. ­http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7886780711843120756.

by the El Reportero’s news services

Mauricio Fumes

Mauricio Funes was sworn in as President of El Salvador on June 1. He became the first left-wing president in the country’s history.

­In a well-crafted inaugural speech, Funes managed to make some pertinent gestures to the orthodox wing of the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN), which controls the deputies that make up his congressional support base, and assuage any fears that he might lurch violently to the Left upon assuming office.

Luiz Inácio Lula

He singled out Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and U.S. President Barack Obama, and not Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez, as his role models.

by Julio Urdaneta

Former Cuba President Fidel Castro considers “strange” the case against two U.S. residents arrested by the FBI on charges of spying for Cuba just 24 hours after the Organization for American States voted to open the way for the Caribbean country to regain membership in that group.

The comments from Castro came in a statement read on Cuban television. The Cuban leader called the OAS decision to open the doors for his country “a defeat of U.S. diplomacy.”

Walter Kendall Myers and his wife’ Gwendolyn were arrested June 4 in Washington’ D.C., on charges of spying for Cuba for decades’ the Department of State said.

The day prior, in an unprecedented decision, the OAS lifted the suspension that had prevented Cuba from becoming a full member of the organization.

The General Assembly, reunited in San Pedro Sula’ Honduras, agreed by consensus to lift the ban that reigned over the island nation since 1962, in response that year to the announcement by Fidel Castro that his revolution was Marxist-Leninist.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton applauded during the final OAS vote, which was by acclamation.

‘’I am pleased that everyone came to agree that Cuba cannot simply take its seat and that we must put Cuba’s participation to a determination down the road – if it ever chooses to seek reentry,” Clinton said in a statement.

“If and when the day comes to make that determination, the United States will continue to defend the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and other fundamental tenets of the organization,” she added.

The decision received strong criticism by foes of the Castro regime. “The fact that the OAS backed away from Cuba’s suspension is deplorable,” Sen. Mel Martínez (R-Fla.) said. “Nothing has changed in Cuba in the areas of human rights and democracy and in fact, conditions have only worsened.”

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) said in a statement “The recent decision by U.S. officials to encourage Cuba s reintegration into the OAS clearly contradicts current U.S. law. Long-standing U.S. policy, as enshrined in the LIBERTAD Act (Helms= Burton law), has been to oppose any efforts by the Cuban regime s sympathizers and enablers to terminate the dictatorship s suspension from OAS membership,” she said.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) noted that the resolution does not automatically allow Cuba to regain its seat in the OAS, but rather establishes a process for Cuba to take the steps’ if it so chooses, necessary to return in a manner consistent with the OAS’s democratic principles and respect for human rights.

“I sincerely hope that the Cuban government avails itself of this opportunity to take the steps necessary to return to the Inter-American family,” he added. Hispanic Link.­