by Juliana Birnbaum Fox

A struggle without giving in:Mexican human rights activista Lydia Cacho Ribeiro takes a moment with the children of Mexican Ballet Folklórico Infantil at the Women’s Building in San Francisco after being honored by Amnesty International.

Addressing a crowd that filled the San Francisco Women’s Building on the evening of March 28, Lydia Cacho-Riveiro spoke passionately about her internationally recognized work as a leading defender of women and children in Mexico.

An investigative journalist and a specialist on gender-based violence, Cacho faces daily threats and danger in order to shelter women from abuse and challenge powerful government and business leaders who profit from child prostitution and pornography.

In recognition of her efforts, Amnesty International has chosen her for the 2007 Ginetta Sagan Human Rights Award, a $10,000 grant honoring a woman who protects the dignity, liberties and lives of women and children in crisis.

“Human rights work, especially when it challenges powerful individuals and institutions, remains extremely dangerous,” said Julianne Cartwright Traylor, co-chair of the award committee.

The Ginetta Sagan Award aims to recognize, honor and assist women who, often at great personal risk, commit themselves to protect and advance the rights of others.

The San Francisco speech was part of a nationwide speaking tour that Cacho has begun to publicize issues of child trafficking and sexual exploitation in Mexico. The U.S. Department of State cites Mexico as a source, transit, and destination country for trafficked persons for sexual exploitation and labor. A number of these victims are children who, exploited by organized crime, are forced into sex tourism and pornography. The Mexican government estimate of child victims is as high as 20,000, part of 1.2 million children trafficked worldwide.

Cacho founded and directs the Centro Integral de Atención a las Mujeres (CIAM) in Cancún, a crisis center and shelter for victims of sex crimes, gender-based violence, and trafficking. CIAM provides free services to anyone seeking assistance and protection. Since many women and girls who seek shelter are fleeing from violent criminals, protecting them endangers Cacho’s own life.

In 1999, she was raped at a bus station in an attempt to intimidate her and stop her work.

“When a man rapes a woman, he does it to invade her body and her soul,” Cacho said at the San Francisco event, recounting the advice her mother gave her that changed her life. “He may have invaded your body, but don’t let him invade your soul.” Instead of allowing the crime to silence her, Cacho became even more motivated in her efforts to protect women and children from violence.

Cacho’s 2004 book, Los Demonios del Eden: el poder detras de la pornografia infantile (The Demons of Eden: the power behind child pornography) prompted repeated threats against her life from powerful interests involved in the industry.

On December 16, 2005, she was arrested, repeatedly threatened, and denied access to her lawyer and medicine. She spent the night in prison and was then released on bail of US $9,900.

In response, Cacho filed a successful countersuit for corruption and for violation of her human rights, becoming the first woman in Mexico who has ever filed a federal suit against a Governor, a District Attorney, and a judge for corruption and attempted rape in prison. Furthermore, in May 2007, she will be the first woman in Mexican history to take a woman’s rights case to the Mexican Supreme Court.

“To expose the criminals who destroy the lives of women and children is not enough; it is imperative to challenge the powers that be in order to stop impunity and corruption in Mexico. We do not ask for revenge, but rather for accountability for the criminals and the politicians that manipulate the justice system for money, thus sacrificing human rights and human lives,” according to Cacho.

In addition to advocacy work and direct service for victims, Cacho believes that education is vital to healing and building a more peaceful society. She was part of the establishment of an innovative project called Escuelas para la Paz (Schools for Peace), a series of schools throughout Mexico dedicated to promoting non-violent conflict resolution methods to help stop the cycle of violence in society.

“Ginetta Sagan’s spirit is walking on my side with this award,” Cacho stated, referring to the woman whose lifetime of work freeing political prisoners inspired the Amnesty International prize. “Her presence strengthens me to stay near the victims and to keep telling them, ‘your life matters to us; recovering your safety and your happiness ­matters to us.’”

by the El Reporteroʼs wire services

Evo Morales

BOLIVIA: Both President Evo Morales and the governor of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, pulled back from the brink to try and find a negotiated settlement to violent protests that erupted in the second city last week leaving two dead and hundreds injured.

The legacy of Cochabamba, however, is that Morales does not have full control of the social movements that form the base of his Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) and that a civil conflict, without the involvement of the state security forces, could blow up in other areas of the country.

Morales returned from the investiture of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua on 12 January to find the most serious political violence of his presidency and, more disturbingly, the first deaths through political unrest since he came to power.

Protesters demanding the resignation of Reyes Villa, many of them “cocaleros” from Moralesʼ Chapare union who had occupied the central plaza for more than a week, clashed with largely middle class supporters, calling themselves “youths for democracy”, Saturof Reyes Villa. The police had to intervene to try and restore order.

Trouble brewing as Correa prepares to take office
ECUADOR: An energetic and charismatic campaigner, President-elect Rafael Correa has not let the winning of the presidential election keep him from holding rallies. On 3 January around 10,000 people gathered in the coastal city of Guayaquil to listen to Correa advocate, once again, the idea of a constituent assembly. “We will not allow the dictatorship of anyone,” he said. “Here we are a democracy, and this democracy is the property of 13 million Ecuadoreans, not just a few caudillos or political mafias. The people voted for a constituent assembly […] and that is precisely what we will do.” The newly sworn in congress, however, appears to have a different idea.

Calderónʼs first month

MEXICO CITY: The first month of President Felipe Calderón Hinojosaʼs administration has already shown that his will be a very different administration from his predecessorʼs. He has significantly less public support: a recent opinion poll in Reforma showed that Mexicans were more or less evenly divided over whether he would be a good president or not. When Fox took office over 80% of Mexicans said that they supported him.

Guatemala makes effort to employ deportees

GUATEMALA: The General Direction of Migration and the Department of Labor offered 900 jobs to deportees of the U.S.A.

“ We have 900 available monthly squares in our labour exchanges, to offer to the migrantes a labor possibility in his country ”, affirmed Cándida González, viceminister of Work.

The program, which arose from an initiative of Migration, will spread 628 deportees who have joined the country this year, included the yesterday 109.

Only in 2006 18 thousand Guatemalans were returned. “ Those who are already in his hearths will have to come to the offices of the department, in the different departments ”, added González.

For whom they are for coming, Migration installed an office with the target to include his information in the system of search of work.

Companies of call center, supermarkets or companies.refrigerators offered laying.

“We will try to adapt the employments to the capacity that the migrantes have ”, said Santos Cuc.

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by Marvin J. Ramírez

Sandinista commander Daniel Ortega Saavedra receives the presidential sash from Assambly President René Núñez, while out going President Enrique Bolaños (right, wearing suit) observes.

Managua, the capital of Nicaragua looked like a militarily-occupied city on Jan. 10. It had the resemblance of a street in Bagdad, with convoys full of military personnel ready for combat.

Most streets and boulevards showed soldiers armed head-to-toe in corners and strategic bridges, while the National Police presence was in full alert, and posted at almost every corner in the neighborhoods Most obviously this was more prominent in route to and from the airport at the Pan American Highway.

Large groups of Ortega sympathizers waved red and black flags along the highways and streets in  most low-income neighborhoods of the capital, were thousands hoped this would be a historic event that would bring them a new day in their lives. To them, this hope rested in the figure of the new president-elect, Daniel Ortega Saveedra, and his new friend, Hugo Chávez Frías, president of Venezuela, who has promised lots of financial help to Nicaragua.

“We have never seen something like this before,” said a young man to El Reportero, while a line of hundreds of buses carrying Sandinista sympathizers waving red-and-black flags, waited under a burning noon-sun. The miles-long line of packed buses, which were seen at different parts of Managua, and most likely had no air conditioning, were stuck on the highway in route to the Plaza John Paul II. There, after his swearing in ceremony, Ortega would be giving his first speech to the masses as president that eveing.

A traffic officer in Managua directs traffic during the presidential swearing in on Jan. 10. Hundreds of buses full of people going to John Paul II Square got stuck in traffic.

It would be the return to power of Comandante Ortega, 17 years after he lost the presidency to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, and probably the beginning of a new economic order in Latin America, as new pacts with Venezuela would be revealed that day.

Ortega Saavedra, born Nov. 11, 1945, has been the leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional or FSLN).

After a popular rebellion resulted in the overthrow and exile of then dictator Gral. Anastasio Somoza Debayle in 1979, Ortega became a member of the ruling multipartisan junta and was later elected president, serving from 1985 to 1990. His first period in office was controversial, and was characterized by socialist policies, internal dissent, hostility from the United States, and armed rebellion by U.S.-backed Contras.

Ortega was defeated by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in the 1990 presidential election, but he remained an important figure in Nicaraguan opposition politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1996 and 2001 before winning the 2006 presidential election.

This beginning, and his new term was about to start at the “Omar Torrijos Herrera” Non-Aligned Square (Plaza de los No Alineados “Omar Torrijos Herrera), where 15 heads of state and more than one score of international delegations, which were part of more than 2,000 international guests and 1,000 journalists in Nicaragua, would witness this historical swearing in.

The top guest of honor, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías was late, so delaying the ceremony. He arrived at 4:40 p.m., after having been sworn in as president in his country earlier in the morning that day.

Among the delegations present were the Organization of American States with its president José Miguel Insulza, as well as a special delegation of the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putín, South Korea, and the Vatican.

Also present were the Central American head of states of El Salvador, Elías Antonio Saca; of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya; of Guatemala, Oscar Berger; of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, including ex-presidents of the area Rodrigo Carazo Odio, Ernesto Balladares and Alejandro Toledo of Perú.

In representation of the Spanish Crown was Prince of Asturias Felipe de Borbón, whom with his 6.5” height was probably the tallest person in the event, making everyone else look short; and the Secretary General of the Organization of American States José Miguel Insulza.

Evo Morales and Hugo Chávez were the only heads of state who addressed the Nicaraguan people among the other 16 visiting presidents to the acts of investiture of Ortega. Both spoke words against “the North American imperialism “ and words of praise to the Cuban regime.

Among the national personalities stood out the presence of the ex-presidents Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, and, sitting on fi rst row, former President Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo, accompanied by his wife, María Fernanda Flores of Alemán.

Alemán was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption and money embasslement against the state. The Nicaraguan judiciary commuted his prison term for home arrest in the city of Managua, from which he cannot go out, but allows him to move freely. His presence at the Plaza, was a big surprise to the assistants. He was invited by the eventʼs Organizing Committee, according to the spokesman of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Leonel Téllez.

The event was a true exhibition of the best of Nicaraguan culture and heritage, with two ballet group performing two of most significant exponents of the Nicaraguan folkloric pieces.

As part of the presidential inauguration and organized by the First Lady Rosario Murillo de Ortega, the two dance ballet groups entertained the audience through out the event performing “La Mora Limpia” a composition of its own crossbreeding, which includes Nicaraguan music with Spanish guitar, and “El Güegüense,” a folkloric masterpiece combining music, dance and theater, which recreates a satire that ridicules the Spanish conqueror. In 2005, UNUSCO proclaimed this masterpiece as an intangible cultural heritage of mankind for its unique place in Latin Americaʼs folk heritage.

Following the heads of state and dignitaries of different countries, which were part of a contingent of more than 2,000 international guests and 1,000 journalists, Ortega entered the Non-Aligned Square while two culturallyrich Nicaraguan folkloric dance groups, entertained the audience.

At the beat of La Mora Limpia music, a newly created Medal of the Latin-American Unit was delivered in a ceremonial act by the folkloric ballerinas and granted to all the presidents who were present at the act.

However, when it came the turn of President Chávez to receive it, they ran out of medals. Like a theatrical piece, the foreign presidents and the audience looked at each other and murmured, while the First Lady walked around, back forth of the stage fi guring out how to solve what it seemed to be an embarrassment.

The ceremony of investiture had to wait, again, because of Chávez, while an extra medal was found for the Venezuelan president.

The investiture ceremony fi nally started, and when Ortega was receiving the presidential banner from Assembly President René Núñez, after receiving it from outgoing President Enrique Bolaños, a 21- cannon salute stormed the capital, adding excitement and emotion to the event.

As it got dark, outside, hundred of buses packed with people continued pouring into the Plaza Juan Pablo II, adding to a crowd of approximately 400,000, to hear their new president speak after the ceremony.

Since winning the election of Nov. 5 with 38 percent of the vote, Ortega, who lead the country from 1979 to 1990, has shown moderation in his government policies with the intention of eradicating poverty.

On his fi rst speech, Ortega began criticizing neoliberalism, while announcing a “a new road” for Nicaragua.

“Where is all this wealth going to stop,” he said about all the previous neoliberal policies applied in the past in Nicaragua.

“What are the results of those policies that Pope John Paul II called savage capitalism? We now have the challenge to open a new way that will allow the Nicaraguan family to live with dignity,” Ortega said.

Just one day after taking office, Ortega signed Chávezʼs ALBA (Alternative Bolivariana of the Americas (DAWN), a leftist alternative by Venezuela to the U.S. free trade agreement Area of Free Commerce for the Americas (AUK).

Attending the signing were Chávez, Boliviaʼs Morales and Cuban Vice Presi- dent José Ramón Machado Ventura.

Ortega also asked the United States to create “a just economic policy to­wards Latin America “to stop the immigration to this country.”

by Alex Meneses Miyashita

Rep. lleana Ros-Lehtinen

The Democratic-led 110th Congress got off to a quick start during its first week of session, moving forward on two piecesof legislation it says will benefit the Hispanic community: minimum wage and AgJOBS.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved Jan. 10 by a 315-116 vote an increase in the minimum hourly wage from $5.15 to $7.25. It consists of three increases of 70 cents each over a two-year period.

Senate Democrats have said they will take action on the minimum wage this month. Its version of the bill is expected to contain a provision that would cut taxes to small businesses to assuage opposition by Republicans and some business owners.

All 22 Latino Democrats of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and GOP members from Florida lleana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Díaz-Balartand Mario Díaz-Balart voted in favor of the raise.

The other voting member of the Republican Congressional Hispanic Conference, Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.) opposed it.

Janet Murguía, president of the National Council of La Raza, said, “A minimum wage increase to $7.25 an hour would improve the economic conditions for more than 1.3 million Latino workens and give them a better chance to provide for their families.

While hailing the raise, NCLR also called for renewal of the Workforce Investment Act, designed to improve the skills of the labor force, such as English literacy for workers with limited English proficiency.

The minimum wage has not been raised since 1997.

AgJOBS

Democratic and Republican members in both chambers of Congress introduced legislation Jan. 10 that would legalize the status of millions of undocumented farm workers in the United States. It would include a guest worker program.

The so-called AgJOBS bill was introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Mel Martínez (R-Fla.) and Larry Craig (R-ldaho). In the House, it was introduced by Reps. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Chris Cannon (R-Utah).

Its sponsors expressed optimism that it will pass this year as a stand-alone bill or as part of a comprehensive immigration reform proposal. The bill had been included as part of the Senateʼs comprehensive immigration reform package that passed the chamber in the 109th Congress.

“I think a comprehensive solution is the best solution,” Feinstein said, but added, “There is an emergency in this country. If we canʼt move a whole bill, we need to move this bill now.”

Senate Democrats have included comprehensive immigration reform in their list of the first ten bills they intend to tackle in this Congress.

Supportens say the bill will address a growing shortage of farm workers in the country. According to Feinsteinʼs office, California

growers reported a 20% decline in their harvesting workforce, adding that as many as 90 percent of the stateʼs agricultural workers are undocumented.

“Itʼs extremely important for agriculture workers to have the opportunity to stabilize their status in this country,- Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers, told Weekly Report.

He emphasized, “Weʼre working with farm workers throughout the United States, and with allies in labor and religious communities…to ensure that there is going to be immediate action taken this year.

AgJOBS in a snapshot:

• Undocumented farm workers who prove they have worked in the field for at least 150 hours in the previous two years could apply for a “blue card” for three to five years before becoming eligible for permanent residency.
• In addition, blue card agricultural workers would be required to pay a $500 fine and show a clean police record to be eligible for permanent residency.
• The blue card program would expire after five years, with a 1.5 million cap.
• Blue card holdersʼ spouses and children in the United States would be eligible for temporary legal residency. All blue card holders would be allowed to travel outside of the country.
• The guest-worker component would modify the H2-A program for seasonal workers to meet the needs of the agriculture industry.

Hispanic Link.­