This week there was a big scandal here on the town-center square. A vendor down on the corner sells a ton of shish-ka-bob type snacks seven days a week. He was serving exclusively caballo meat on his seasoned, sizzling sticks. Caballo is horse. (You can't make this stuff up)
But, that is not the expose, that is no scandal. Everybody knew he served caballo (except maybe the passing tourist). He was arrested not for cooking and serving horse meat, but for stealing horses. The have him dead-to-rights according to the news for rustling three of his neighbor's horses. Three different neighbors! Duh! Like they wouldn´t notice? (Told ya, you can't make this up)
In the Old West they strung up rustlers didn't they? Don't know what the penalty is here in Chirique Province of Panama.
The Long Arm (or Good Memory) Of The Law?
Panama's new president canceled the licenses of three of the country's big gambling corporations and ordered all their operations closed. President Martinelli noted that all three companies were awarded their licenses by then President Balladares without the competitive bidding process required by law. The companies, all of whom reportedly had links to President Balladares, also did not pay the normal license initiation fees to the government. The contracts were awarded in 1996. Yes, 1996!
Update On My Videos
My Chile video was shown on TV Chile last Saturday, albeit at 11:50 PM. But, the manager sent me an email and said they ¨got a good response.¨ So they are going to run it three more times and ¨take readings.¨ No, I don´t know what that means. For starters, ´responses´at midninght???
Here is my latest. New friends from the cruise keep sending me pictures, so .... Argentina looks fascinating (as you will see), so I have added that to my ´future visit´list!
Enjoy
You Think You Have Hear It All?
I had told you before about my Costa Rican friend, Willian (that is not a mis-spelling). He works for a big U.S.-based agricultural company that specializes in the dairy industry. Willian travels Central America serving as both a consultant to dairy farmers, and as a salesman specializing in milk cows.
Willian normally spends about a week here in the hotel every 5-6 weeks. In December, he brought his wife with him so she could do some Christmas shopping. A sweet lady indeed. At his request, I made his wife a CD with a bunch of my videos on it.
When Willian showed up this week on his scheduled business visit he brought me a 'thank you' gift from his wife. I am assuming that you, like me, are not familiar with Bananitos - en horno a la lena?
Well, the label also makes reference in English to "100% natural firewood dried bananas" Did I miss that day in Home Ec? As you might appreciate from the picture, I was not certain whether I was supposed to eat them or smoke them. I tried eating one last night. That obviously wasn't right. I'll let you know when I lite one up.
And, A Sad Note In Panama
I told you earlier about the big celebration planned for the anniversary day of Panama La Vieja (Old Panama), Panama's first city, which was founded 490 years ago - August 15, 1519.
Sadly, the celebration was suspended and replaced with a national period of mourning. The Thursday evening before the scheduled celebration there was a horrific traffic accident on one of the freeways in a Panama City suburb. The accident, which involved a bus, a large dump truck and a 4x4, claimed the lives of 25 people and seriously injured an additional 18 people.
A national period of mourning? Well, to put this tragedy in perspective, you have to get use to a difference in magnitude. It took me months to reprogram my mind to appreciate smaller numbers. Here is what I mean. The U.S. population is almost exactly 100 times that of Panama. So if you multiple the dead and injured figures above by 100 you get a feel for the magnitude of what a similar catastrophe in the U.S. would entail. Can you imagine the trauma of 2,500 dead and another 1,800 injured in a single incident in a suburb of, say Chicago. Yes, it sounds like a 9/11 type crises.
As a teenager in the mid-50s, I can remember my grandfather working himself into an emotional lather about only one subject. Even though it was 20 years after it had been signed into law, my grandfather would start frothing at the mouth at the mere mention of Social Security. He would launch into the speech that he had honed over the years, starting with the day in 1935 that Roosevelt signed the legislation.
My grandfather insisted that the very word 'social' said all one needed to know about the way the country was being led into socialism by the devil himself - Roosevelt. He insisted that, like all federal government programs, Social Security would grow into some kind of monster program much bigger than the "minimum safety net" originally envisioned by the legislation's authors. And even worse, just as he had predicted back in '35, the worker's monthly contribution of $5 or $6 a month, had grown to almost $20 a month. "I told you so, I told you," he would say.
Rest in peace, grandpa. In many ways, they still ain't listening.
Newest Video
This is #5 in my series ´The Women of Latin America.´ Enjoy.
Crises in Venezuela?
In my last posting (8/13 below) I discussed some of the amazing things Chilean President Bachelet had been accomplishing. I failed to mention that President Bachelet is a socialist, the leader of Chile’s Socialist Party. By contrast, Hugo Chavez's version of socialism continues on a downward slide. As the Venezuelan economy goes farther and farther into the tank, Chavez is, according to the Panamanian daily, La Prensa, "starting to thrash around, possibly in death throes."
In recent weeks, Chavez's actions have gotten more bizarre. For instance, he is now chiding Obama for not taking strong actions to re-seat former Honduran President Zeyela, a Chavez ally. Yes, that is the same Chavez that screams bloody murder about U.S. intrusion if Obama even comments on anything going on in Latin America.
Chavez has also now pulled his ambassador from Colombia. One of Colombia's major faults, according to Chavez, is there continuing cooperation with the U.S. in fighting the drug wars. Chavez and his tweedley-dumber buddy, President Morales in Bolivia, have both previously expelled the U.S. DEA insisting that their countries have no part in the drug problem. However, Interpol and the U.S. agencies both insist that evidence continues to show that flights out of both countries are a major source of illicit drugs movements to the north.
Chavez has also recently closed down two of the country's major independent news agencies. But, his reach into the Venezuelan’s daily lives is even more pervasive than that. For example, Jaime Requena, a Cambridge University-trained biologist at Venezuela's Institute of Advanced Studies, was forced into retirement and stripped of his government pension after he published an academic study. His paper documented that scientific research in the country was "at a 30-year low." It is interesting to note that a Washington-based oil industry think tank recently noted that the R&D center of the Venezuelan national oil company generated 20 to 30 new patents every year before the company was nationalized by Chavez. Last year it produced none, even though the R&D staff has doubled in recent years.
But, what are Chavez's real problems? Well, the biggest and most obvious continues to be oil. Most industry experts agree that Chavez crippled PDVSA, the national oil company merely by the manner in which he nationalized it. PDVSA was one of the top five energy companies in the world, but the company's top staff went on strike when Chavez took over the company and named a Marxist university professor with no industry experience to head it. Chavez responded by firing 22,000 people, including the country's leading experts. As many as 4,000 of PDVSA's former elite staff are now working overseas. And, this time last year when industry analysts warned that Chavez's spending initiatives would falter if oil prices fell below $90 a barrel, Chavez sluffed off the criticism with a response that he would just increase daily production. A year later, oil prices still hover around $60 and PDVSA's daily production continues to decline, now nearly a million barrels a day less than when Chavez took the company over.
But, possible even a bigger problem and an even a more insidious one has recently surfaced. An international research organization recently commented that "the chief export of Venezuela and its revolution allies seems to be the intelligentsia." Did you know that 9,000 Venezuelan scientist are currently living in the U.S.? (There are only 6,000 scientists employed in Venezuela.) And, since Venezuelans do not qualify as political refugee, they enjoy no special immigration advantages. Yet so many Venezuelans have flocked to Weston, a suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, that locals jokingly refer to it as Westonzulea.
Not to be outdone, Panama City (Panama), according to La Prensa, "glistens with new high-rises built by moneyed Venezuelan expatriates, who now number about 15,000, up from just a couple thousand in 2000." Latin American analysts say that out-migration from Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador has created sizable enclaves in Spain, Colombia and the rest of Central America as well. A recent survey conducted by Vanderbilt University showed that more than one in three Bolivians under 30 had active plans to emigrate, while 47% of 18 year-olds planned to leave.
This entire situation is really sad when you look at Venezuela's history. Through most of the last century, Venezuela was a haven for immigrants fleeing Old World repression and totalitarian governments in Spain, Italy, Germany and Eastern Europe. In the 70s and 80s, Venezuelans were the envy of Latin America - oil rich, educated and with a solid democratic tradition. The country's tragedy was recently summarized by Diego Arria, a former Venezuelan ambassador to the U.N. (who now lives in New York). "We had a relatively rich country that offered opportunities, with no insecurity. No one even thought of leaving. Now we have rampant crime, a repressive political system that borders on apartheid, and reverse migration. Venezuela is now a country of emigrants."
Why is any of this anything more than just a passing interest? 1. This entire Bolivarian Revolution is supposedly based on Simon Bolivar's idea that all of Latin America should be one big country.
2. For the size of the country and lacking any kind of realistic military threat, Chavez has built a huge military force, much of it modern weaponry.
3. Based on Chavez's personality and his history, when his house of cards actually starts collapsing he will not go quietly. His death knell will be dramatic, probably historic.
What ever comes of all this, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will involve the U.S. Chavez will need 'a bad guy’ and who better than Uncle Sam.
And, In Panama
- August 15th is anniversary day for Panama La Vieja (Old Panama). Panama City was the first city formally established in Panama. A big celebration is planned at the partially restored ruins of the original city which was founded 490 years ago - August 15, 1519.
- A coalition made up of Panama's Chamber of Commerce, the National Assembly and the Department of Industry has issued a strong censure of Chavez's latest closure of 34 radio stations in Venezuela. In part, the statement released said that "the government of Chavez breaks down democracy. We can not abandon the people of Venezuela as terrorist acts are being carried out against them."
- Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli announced that he intends to send the country's vice president to Guatemala to attend the next meeting of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), a coalition of Latin American governments. The VP's mission is to formally withdraw Panama from the Parlacen. Martinelli contends that the parliament "has been hijacked by a radical minority," and therefore no longer "serves any meaningful purpose for member nations." Martinelli minces no words in identifying the 'radical minority' as Chavez and his buddies who make up the Bolivarian Revolution.
In the late 1980s, Michelle Bachelet, a Chilean doctor, was treating children whose parents had been tortured or "disappeared" during the reign of dictator Pinochet. In March 2006, Bachelet, a single mother, took office as Chile's president. One of President Bachelet's first initiatives was a groundbreaking campaign called "Chile Grows With You." The program has evolved as one of her administration's defining projects, and has as its major goal to provide free access to health and education programs for all Chileans under the age of 4. Bachelet's initiative also seems to have triggered similar initiatives throughout much of Latin America.
The following year (October 2007), the Inter-American Development Bank brought together a panel of top economists and asked them, if they had $10 billion to solve Latin America's most pressing problems, how would they do it? After several days of study, the group decided that the most effective use of the cash would be to invest it in programs like day care, preschool, parenting and hygiene courses as well as early childhood health services. It is interesting to note that the group emphasized that their recommendations where not based on the obvious humanitarian implications, but on cost-benefit analysis of the long-term economic paybacks to the well being of the society.
A large coalition has also grown up in the last couple of years. The goal of ALAS, as it is known, is to help end poverty in the Western Hemisphere by ensuring that all kids under 6 have access to health care, education and proper nutrition. ALAS, whose founder and major spokesman is Colombian mega-star pop singer Shakira, is an acronym for the Spanish translation of "Latin American in Solidarity Action", as well as the word "wings". Due to Shakira's efforts huge benefit concerts have been organized throughout the region (think Bono in the non-Latin world), aided by a long list of celebrity artists, most notably Jennifer Lopez. Last year ALAS convinced Mexican millionaire Carlos Slim and philanthropist Howard Buffet (son of Warren Buffet) to pledge $185 million to what ALAS has termed these 'early programs'.
But meanwhile, what has been happening in Chile? Well over the last three years, Bachelet's initiative has resulted in Chile building new preschools at the astounding rate of 2.5 per day. That is not a typo - 2.5 new preschools PER DAY, increasing the country's total from 781 to 4,300 and still growing. The initiatives are also credited with a 3-year steady decline in the infant mortality rate, down more than 20% in just three years.
And, do you want an indication of the public's perceptions of the initiatives, what experts have called the indicator of a national consensus? In just the first half of 2009, the birthrate in the country is at the highest rate in a decade. Maria Ortiz, who heads the country's National Education Board says, "Chilean women see the social protections and they are emboldened to have children." Ortiz further notes that this is optimism conspicuously absent in many other parts of the world."
The world-wide economic downturn has impacted Chile, although it has not been drastic. However, President Bachelet insists that funding for "Chile Grows With You" will remain a #1 priority "in all economic climates. It is Chile's future."
A World Of Irony
This week Congressman Hand (Dem., Tx) established a new policy requiring citizens attending his Town Hall Meetings to show a picture ID before they would be admitted to the gathering. His rationale was that he wanted to insure that attendees where actually residents of that voting district, i.e., no ringers. Ok, I guess I can live with that. But, you ask, what is the irony?
Two years ago the congressman lobbied hard within the House (and voted against) proposed legislation that would have required people to present a picture ID to polling officials prior to being allowed to vote in elections.
Chile - Another Video
I have modified my video about Chile and submitted to TV Chile per their request. Had to remove links to my websites and blog. That made sense to me, and they let me add a credits slide. I will let you know if and when they actually air it.
I haven´t told them about this one - yet. This is Chile video #2. Enjoy
A Look At Numbers
The recent budget crisis in the U.S. has caused most Americans to be introduced to numbers they were not familiar with. The TV journalists have come up with all kinds of visual cues to help us understand the enormity of a trillion. Well, here are some other examples to put some realism on some numbers.
* Trying to visualize the difference in distance from the earth to the moon versus the earth to mars? A radio transmission from the surface of the moon takes 1 second to reach a receiver on the earth. The same radio transmission from Mars takes 40 minutes to reach the earth. How would you like to be in a space capsule and transmit, "Houston, we have a problem," knowing it will be an hour and 20 minutes before you heard Houston reply, "What?"
* I recently read a statement that proclaimed that, "The end of the world-wide recession will not come until the American consumer feels confident, because they are the single largest factor at play in the global economy." That is one of those concepts that is hard to visualize, hard to put in perspective. Later in the article, another expert put it in terms even I could understand. "U.S. consumption, consumer spending, is currently equal to the entire economies of China and India added together and then doubled." Yikes.
By the way, the thrust of this discussion was that recovery from this recession would be extremely prolonged. Their feeling is that, unlike previous recoveries, the American consumer will be very wary. All the middle class perceived stalwarts - banks, Wall Street, automakers, governments at all levels - have come tumbling down. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
* The president of the National Assembly in the new government has described the government body he inherited as "an administrative disorder and historically inexcusable failure." Ouch! Everyone suspected that President Martinelli's efforts to get people with business experience involved in government was going to create problems, but, hey easy! The new assembly leader, Jose Luis Varela, was especially upset at the 114 legal aid attorneys attached to the 93 member assembly. The annual cost of these legal aides is $3 million a year. This works out to about $28,000 a year in a country where the average annual lawyer's income is about $10,500. But wait, Senor Varela, how about if you just call them something else? Is there a Spanish word for 'Czar'? That seems to work.
* The Annual Flea Market in the Casco Viejo (Old Town) section of Panama City is the big event of this weekend. The market features the sale of everything from antiques to handicraft and everything in between. And, the live show agenda varies from a karate demonstration to a performance by the National Symphony. But, based on the advertising, it appears that the really big attraction is the National Lottery drawing scheduled to take place in the plaza at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Does one's physical presence at the lottery drawing increase your chances of winning?
* The 'Big Ticket' item on Friday is a reception celebrating a store opening. Tiffany and Co.'s first boutique in Latin America opened this week in the Multiplaza Mall in Panama City's Punta Pacifica area. Damn the luck, my tux was in the cleaners.
* I had told you before of the win-win situation surrounding last year's first cruising season by Royal Caribbean out of the Panamanian port of Colon. The government was really intent on insuring the success of the operation for all the obvious tourist industry reasons. Panama financed and constructed the pier and the terminal required as their part of the deal. And, at the end of the cruising season (April '09), Royal Caribbean proclaimed the first season a big success, a vote echoed by the Panamanian Tourism Bureau. The whole world is happy, including all the customers and potential customers!
Then, up jumped the devil! The mayor and city council of Colon, through their rep in the National Assembly, are pushing a bill requiring a 30% discount for seniors sailing on cruises out of Colon. Royal Caribbean issued a statement that said, in part, that the measure "would endanger the operation of the company in the country." Just proves it makes no difference where you live, just leave it to the politicians.
What Is Stranger Than Life?
I had mentioned before that I really enjoy the TV network feed out of Chile, TV Chile. What fascinates me are the breaks in programming. They run lots of short videos that are like mini National Geographic pieces covering a seemingly endless bunch of locations in Chile.
Well, you are not going to believe this! TV Chile has contacted me and wants a copy of my video on Chile, and permission to broadcast it. I am not kidding!! In case you missed it, here it is again. And, the autograph line forms here!
Some Grim News From Costa Rica
The Costa Rican economic decline is at least partially at the core of the nation's burgeoning crime rate. In the past couple of years, the rising crime rate had already begun to tarnish the country's tourism crown.
The crimes reported nationwide in the first four months of 2009 have already equaled the totals for the entire years of 2008. And in the areas considered major crimes (murder, assault and robbery), the figures already exceed by 10% the totals for last year. And, to add to your perspective, based on my personal experiences in Golfito,the vast majority of crime goes un-reported in Costa Rica. When (or if) the police respond to a call, it is common knowledge that nothing will come of it. Even if there are multiple eye witnesses, the police take the 'he says, he says' approach to investigating, which usually results in a conclusive 'shrug'. Why bother?
In Costa Rica there are no multiple levels of law enforcement organizations (national, state, county, and city police forces) - just the national police force. And, in the entire nation of Costa Rica there are less than 12,000 police officers. Should not surprise you, therefore, to find that there a 1,341 registered private security firms in Costa Rica that employ over 36,000 people. I emphasize the word 'registered' because the government's Security Ministry complains that only about 70% of operational security firms in the country are properly licensed and registered.
The international security firm ADT is big in Costa Rica (40,000 clients), and utilize all the modern security technology. However, they contract out responses to their security systems to a company called CSE. CSE employs highly trained people armed, and proficient with, modern police and military weaponry. CSE also has 20 other security company clients nationwide.
You got the picture? Most folks don't bother to report crimes, just reluctantly accept it as a way of life. And, for people who have security systems, when they have a problem, a private security firm responds, not the police. So, this all results in an environment where, if you don't have a contract with a security firm, home insurance that includes robbery losses is prohibitively expensive, if available at all. By the way, if you are employed as a private security guard of any variety, you are deemed 'un-insurable' by life insurance companies.
What is on the crime-fighting horizon, what's on the drawing board? Well, President Arias recently signed into law a measure to combat organized crime. At that bill signing ceremony, Arias also announced a new initiative in the works "to address the country's burgeoning security problems." No, the new measure does not provide more boats for the Coast Guard's drug interdiction efforts, or funds for hiring more police, or money to provide basic police coverage in rural areas of the country. But it does provide for additional soccer fields, basketball courts, more organized sports teams, and sports equipment. Hmm! Nobel prize what year? Wonder if there is a Spanish version of Kum By Yah?
Quite candidly, two years ago the crime situation in Costa Rica was a major factor in my decision to leave and move to Panama. I spent too many years, in too many places where I had to be constantly looking over my shoulder, always sitting facing the entrance, constantly staying focused on everything going on around me, and questioning the motives of every stranger that said hello. That is not my idea of the way to spend your 'golden years', or even the way to spend your vacation. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, wore it out, sold it at a yard sale, and wrote a song about it! No mas, gracias.
How Times Have Changed!
The recent celebration surrounding the U.S. lunar landing was kind of a shock. I was stunned, as I suspect many of you were, to realize it had been 40 years. And, I managed to get my hands on a magazine (Time, I think) that gave an overview of the astronauts and where they are now. But, there was one statistic that really stuck me. All of the 18 surviving lunar astronauts (six have died) are near or in their 80s now. When they were born (around 1930) the life expectancy for a white American male was only 59. So, obviously all of the major accomplishments in this country in the last 40 years were not in space.
Till Next Time. Pura Vida!
Some shots from Ecuador (just click on the thumbnails)
Recent Comments