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­por Marvin Ramírez

De Izq-der: Carlos Solórzano, Frank Ayala, Cónsul Denis Galeano, Embajador Francisco Campbell, su esposa Miriam Hooker y el Dr. Guillermo Uriarte. (photo by Marvin Ramírez)

The news that Daniel Ortega’s new number one diplomat, Francisco Campbell, was coming to San Francisco on Oct. 25 was received with mixed feelings in a city where most Nicaraguans tend to oppose left wing ideologies, especially the way President Ortega has monopolized the most powerful institutions in Nicaragua, including a recent electoral fraud and the bribing of members of the Assembly and opposition political parties with money coming from an oil business partnership with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

In Nicaragua, the Supreme Court and the Electoral Supreme Council are viewed as institutions serving to the pleasure of the President, and many have compared Ortega’s ruling style as worse than the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza, who ruled the country with iron fist and also controlled Nicaragua’s most powerful institutions, while becoming the riches man in the country, and holding complete control of the police and the army. Thanks to this control of the Supreme Court, Ortega has been able to circumvent the Constitution that prohibits the reelection, and now become a lawful candidate for a second term.

Ambassador Campbell is the first Ambassador of Nicaragua to Washington D.C. to come from the Autonomous Regions on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, which economically speaking, is considered the poorest region of a very poor country.

The Atlantic Coast has a distinctive history of conquest, colonization and resource exploitation that has left it underdeveloped and environmentally depleted, with high levels of unemployment and poverty, and low levels of schooling, health and other social services, and now invaded by drug cartels from Colombia.

In his previous diplomatic career, Campbell served as Nicaragua’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe from 1986-1990 when Zimbabwe held the Presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement.

He was concurrent Ambassador to Tanzania, Angola and Zambia. From 1982- 1986, he served during Ortega’s first administration in Nicaragua’s Embassy in Washington DC, overseeing outreach activities and congressional relations and was concurrent during this period to Nicaragua’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations.

But despite what the feeling toward Ortega was, during his first visit to San Francisco, Ambassador Campbell, who was named Ambassador to the U.S. in June, was greeted and liked by many of those same people who oppose Ortega in the Bay Area. He was viewed as a representative of Nicaragua, the country, and not Ortega’s.

“He captivated the audience, he spoke of the need to work together without distinction of political colors,” said Carlos Solórzano, president of the Nicaraguan- American Chamber of Commerce to El Reportero.

­“The Chamber organized this event to promote Nicaraguan businesses … and promote the opportunity to invest in Nicaragua,” Solórzano said, “and the Ambassador showed leadership in what he is doing in representing Nicaragua, leaving a feeling of being knowledgeable, while the audience heard personally that Nicaragua is a safe place with good opportunities for investment.”

The community welcomed Campbell well and had the opportunity to hear his as an expert about how he sees the progress of the country, according to Solórzano.

Those organizations present included, board members of the Nicaraguan- American Chamber of Commerce, Nicaraguan Unity for Friendship (UNA) and FraterNica, including representatives of the consulates of El Salvador and Perú and Nicaraguan people with Sandinista and Liberal tendencies.

During an exclusive interview coordinated by Consul General of Nicaragua in San Francisco Denis Galeano Cornejo, the Ambassador responded to questions of El Reportero newspaper about his position to the right of Nicaraguans to vote abroad, responding that “the government does not have a position on the topic, because it is a question of the Assembly, and not of the President.”

He said that there was nothing in the agenda indicating that Nicaraguans might vote in the near future outside of Nicaragua. His response was similar when he was asked on the status of the National Identification (Cédula) of Nicaraguans living abroad, and avoided a question directed at himself as Nicaraguan, on what was his personal position on whether Nicaraguans had the right to vote abroad.

by Angela Brosnan

The Latino community is facing a mental health crisis with 15 percent of the population suffering and dying at an alarming rate from treatable disorders, several experts including Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) highlighted Sept. 13 at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Public Policy conference.

Ten­ in every seven Hispanic persons interviewed in 2004 suffered from some sort of emotional or mental disorder, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Only a quarter of these individuals sought treatment, but many never completed it. Spanish-speaking men and women who do muster the courage to seek help must relay their innermost secrets not only to a doctor, but also to an interpreter.

Henry Acosta, chair of the National Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development, said African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be involuntarily admitted to psychiatric institutions, more likely to be restrained, and more likely to be given forceful treatments. These intimidating settings mean that 70 percent of Latinos who do seek treatment do not return after their first session, he said.

The multifaceted problem involves a lack of access to mental health facilities, bilingual and bicultural providers, health insurance, and information on mental health and quality of life matters in Latino communities.

There is a stigma associated with mental illness in Hispanic culture. Latino Behavioral Health Institute board member MaJosé Carrasco said there is a need to de-stigmatize mental health issues.

“Many of the individuals I’ve been involved with expressed their fear and humiliation in the decision to seek help,” she said. “Their neighbors and family believe that mental health is a punishment from God. They are worried their illness will reflect poorly on their parents and families. They believe they are at fault for their pain.” Napolitano said prominent members of the Latino community need to be frank about their experiences with mental illness. Celebrities such as Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball player Ron Artest have already begun to challenge the norms and stereotypes associated with mental health.

Among Hispanics, immigrants are also stigmatized as having the highest levels of mental disorder. It is the opposite. Second and third generation Latinos have the highest levels of anxiety and depression. Only three percent of hicirecent Hispanic immigrants have substance abuse problems, whereas 11 percent of the second and third generation have major problems.

Pressure to acculturate and stress associated with discrimination can also create mental issues. Researchers at the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Women in Psychology found that 40 percent of Latinos living in the United States do not have health insurance.

The committee also stated that young Latinas are 60 percent more likely to commit suicide than non-Hispanic females, and Latinas have the highest rates of depression in the country. Napolitano ended the summit on a hopeful note. “This is a critical issue for all of us,” she said, “but we are being heard. Things will be changed.” Hispanic Link.

­by the El Reportero’s news services

Bruno Ferrari

On Nov. 1 the president ­of the Mexican employers’ federation (Coparmex) declared that the gang violence in parts of Mexico had reached an “unbearable” level. Unprecedentedly, the government responded by admitting that Gerardo Gutiérrez Candiani, Coparmex’s president, had a point.

The economy and industrial development minister, Bruno Ferrari, admitted that the violence in some parts of the country was badly affecting small service-sector businesses, such as restaurants and bars. Ferrari said that the government would step up its programme of lending to help small businesses in places such as Ciudad Juárez. Hitherto, the government has accused businessmen who complain about the security situation of “talking down” Mexico.

­by Angela Brosnan

On Oct. 6, Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solís, announced a $2 million grant to Nicaragua to implement a Better Work program. The Better Work program will begin January. It will create more available information to the public about global companies that operate in Nicaragua such as Gap Inc., Columbia Sportswear, and Target Corp.

The implementers of the program, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will work with the country’s Ministry of Labor to monitor conditions in apparel factories.

They will make the records available to the public to promote transparency and assist suppliers in complying with labor standards. This will help protect worker’s rights. Company leaders and the Presidential Delegate for Investment in Nicaragua, General Álvaro Baltodano, attended a briefing at the Department of Labor with Solís, where all parties expressed optimism for the program.

The Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal rank Nicaragua 19th out of 29 South and Central American and Caribbean countries in terms of labor conditions. “Better Work is a highly successful strategy that was first developed in Cambodia ten years ago.” Solís said. “Its elements are worth replicating in other countries as a means of protecting workers’ rights while promoting development.” She mentioned the success of Better Work in Haiti, Cambodia and Jordan.

Though offered to several countries in the region including El Salvador, Nicaragua was the only country to accept the grant from the United States. Solís explained that the cooperation between companies, government and the public in the country made it possible for Nicaragua to accept the grant and the U.S. terms.

Solís mentioned her personal interest in Nicaragua’s prosperity, explaining it was the place of her mother’s birth and upbringing. Juana Sequeira raised Solís after she migrated to the United States in the 1950s and married Mexican-American factory worker Raúl Solís.

During the conference, Secretary Solís gave details of her trip last July to Nicaragua, and expressed her hope that the program will aid child-laborers both in the fields and in factories.

“With Better Work, factory workers will not have to toil long hours creating items they cannot afford. The people making the products will finally be able to buy them,” Solís explained. “This will give Nicaragua’s labor force an extra incentive.”

Baltodano expressed the hope of many that the program will halt migration to the United States of Nicaraguans seeking better labor conditions. He said the program would help with company credibility and consumer confidence issues. Solís called the program a “win-win” for both nations. Hispanic Link.

por Paul Joseph Watson, Infowars.com

Americans are acquiring guns, silver and food stamps at record levels in reaction to the crumbling economy, trends indicative of a fearful public who are struggling financially and preparing for potential mass civil unrest in the aftermath of a total economic collapse.

FBI records and Google Trends research shows that firearms purchases are still at record highs, but that ammunition sales have leveled off, suggesting that a flood of first-time gun owners have rushed to protect themselves from the potential of higher crime and even civil unrest in the event of a widespread financial meltdown.

That tells us that there are more first-time [gun] buyers coming in to buy firearms and that speaks to your worries about security. They buy a few rounds [of ammunition] first time, but they don’t buy more,” ConvergEx Group Chief Market Strategist Nicholas Colas told CNBC.

Interest in silver coins is also surging, with Americans looking for more affordable ways to protect their increasingly devalued dollar savings with many unable to afford soar away gold prices.

Just two years ago, silver coin sales were on the magnitude of 1 million units a month, now it’s 3 million units a month,” said Colas. Used car prices have also tailed off, a refl ection of shaky confi dence in the much heralded “recovery” of the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, Google searches for how to get food stamps have also skyrocketed.

However, the steady increase in gun sales is just as much a reaction to the political climate as it is economic uncertainties.

As we reported back in November 2008 just before Obama took office, the perceived anti-gun agenda of a President backed by a Democrat-controlled House and Senate prompted a record surge in firearms purchases.

With Obama’s White House still full of antisecond amendment fi gures like Attorney General Eric Holder and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the American people are loathe to become lackadaisical about their right to keep and bear arms, particularly when active duty combat troops are being brought back from Afghanistan and Iraq to ­train how to run local city governments and boss communities.

Troops are also being trained to deal with “civil unrest” and “crowd control” in the event of a national emergency.

During the last such national emergency, Hurricane Katrina, gun owners were told that “no one will be able to be armed Ð we will take all the weapons,” and even residents in high and dry areas had their fi rearms confiscated by US troops, police and mercenaries.

Given the fact that every forecaster worth his salt is predicting mass civil disobedience in America once austerity measures that are causing riots in Europe fully come into force, including the Obama administration’s move to seize private 401(k) pensions, it’s hardly surprising that Americans continue to stockpile weapons and precious metals in preparation for anarchy, chaos, and potentially martial law.

by the El Reportero’s news services

Daniel Ortega

On Oct. 13, all but one ­of the seven supreme court (CSJ) magistrates aligned with the opposition Partido Liberal Constitucionalista (PLC) agreed to return to work, after a two month absence. The judges’ return to work is a victory for President Daniel Ortega, confirming his control over the judiciary and ensuring his path to re-election in November 2011 general elections. It gives a semblance of legitimacy to two controversial legal moves to which seven judges (of a total 16) had been objecting.

Columbia and Ecuador unite against Farc

In the early hours of 19 Sept. 19, the Colombian armed forces led the largest military attack against the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) so far this year, killing 22 members of the leftwing guerrilla group in an assault on its 48th Front.

The offensive against the Farc took place in the municipality of San Miguel, near the eponymous border town attacked by the Farc last Sept. 10, which sits on the banks of the San Miguel River, the natural border between Ecuador and Colombia. The operation demonstrates the renewed diplomatic and military cooperation between Colombia and neighbouring Ecuador.

Editor’s Note: Can the State mandate that you be scanned by harmful technology? No!

­by David Gutiérrez Natural News

A llustración showing the reach of the radioactive x-rays that utilize in the airports today that cause cancer.

The new, full-body security scanners being introduced at airports pose a greater skin cancer risk than governments have previously acknowledged and are especially dangerous to children and pregnant women, a new study has found.

The devices, known officially as backscatter X-ray machines, were introduced after the “Christmas Day Bomber” successfully got an explosive device through conventional airport screening. They use up to eight seconds of Xrays over the entire body to create a three-dimensional, full-body image of anything that passengers might be carrying beneath their clothing. More than a hundred of the scanners have already been rolled out at 32 U.S. airports, and they are being introduced in other countries, as well.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to have 450 of the scanners deployed by the end of 2010. A new analysis of the radiation dose delivered by the machines, conducted by David Brenner and colleagues at Columbia University, found that because the beams concentrate X-rays on the body’s skin, the effective dose may be 20 times higher than previously estimated.

Because the skin is one of the body’s most radiation sensitive organs, the scanners significantly increase the risk that passengers will develop basal cell carcinoma, a kind of skin cancer. Children and the 5 percent of adult passengers with certain relatively common gene mutations are at significantly higher risk due to their reduced ability to repair DNA damage. If there are increases in cancers as a result of irradiation of children, they would most likely appear some decades in the future,” Brenner said.

Having A Supply Of Healthy Foods That Last Just Makes Sense (AD) Basal cell carcinoma normally occurs in the heads and necks of people between the ages of 50 and 70. For this reason, Brenner suggested that, at minimum, these areas of the body should not be scanned.

The individual risks associated with X-ray backscatter scanners are probably extremely small,” he said, “[but if] all 800 million people who use airports every year were screened with X-rays then the very small individual risk multiplied by the large number of screened people might imply a potential public health or societal risk. The population risk has the potential to be significant.”

Brenner was a member of the U.S. government government committee that originally set the safety guidelines for the devices, and was one of the members who endorsed their use. Brenner now says he never would have endorsed the scanners if he knew there were plans to use them on all passengers.

There really is no other technology around where we’re planning to X-ray such an enormous number of individuals,” he warned. “It’s really unprecedented in the radiation world.”

The British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) responded to the study by reiterating its position that the scans are safe.

The device has been approved for use within the United Kingdom by the Department for Transport and has been subjected to risk assessments from the Health Protection Agency,” the CAA said. “To put the issue in perspective, the radiation received from the scanning process is the equivalent to two minutes radiation received on a Transatlantic fl ight. Under current regulations, up to 5,000 scans per person per year can be conducted safely.”

The new study is not the first to raise concerns over the devices, however. In February, the Interagency Committee on Radiation Safety issued an internal report to groups including the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Health Organization warning that pregnant women and children should never be exposed to the devices.

The issue raised by the report is that even though doses from the systems are very low, they feel there is still a need for countries to justify exposures,” said Michael Clark of the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency.

The ability of the devices to produce naked images of passengers has also produced challenges on privacy grounds.