New Policy Magazine 12

New Policy Magazine ENGLISH VERSION

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e are pleased to present this new edition of NUEVA POLÍTICA magazine. We completed the dozen editions, nine of them at this stage in 2012, and we have more than 170,000 readers. We are satisfied with the work done; we have an average of over ten thousand readers per month, between senior officials responsible for public decisions, analysts, leaders of social organizations and citizens engaged in the construction of a new policy for the new century.

We have exceeded all expectations with a publication without commercial support or “sponsors”, we remain and grow up. It’s been quite a chore. Thanks to the generous support of a group of friends and experts who have contributed with their lights and their intelligence, their writings and analysis. Some of them from the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy, Redlad and other friends of Thomas Moro School.

As a good friend noted: “It does not exist in the world of Latin American universities or study centers or NGOs in the region, another magazine like NUEVA POLÍTICA, with its coverage, depth and circulation. We do not waive remain virtual, as an act of responsibility to the planet. If any reader wants to read about physical format, you can download and print on your own.

We go ahead, convinced of the need to contribute to the discussion and debate of issues that usually do not address in depth the mass media, or who become locked in academia and do not transcend to the world of real politics, do not reach to the political or governmental actors We are saturated, jaded and tired because of the old politics. We need to deepen in the building of tools and models based on democracy and freedom, not on despotic authoritarianism, especially on the basis of a public management conducted with efficiency, transparency and responsibility, in the context of democracy and freedom.

We dedicate this issue to the impact of drug trafficking on the public item. Criminal business of drugs affecting representation mechanisms to influence campaigns and the justice to buy or threaten judges, the Rule of Law by imposing public policies on the basis of fear and corruption; It impacts that to solve the problems of citizenship, the public resources are devoting to the war against the narcos; affects society by imposing a culture of getting rich quickly, threat, and terror.

Drug trafficking and its direct or indirect agents impose a mafia culture in which life is simply a target to the service of crime, and therefore, they use the most cruel and unthinkable way to murder, so each death is itself a warning to the rest.

Neither politicians and rulers, or leaders, or academia, or thinkers, artists or athletes or entrepreneurs or workers in Latin America and the world, can be abstracted and ignore the terrible impact of this evil; and less with ideological pretexts or on behalf of “the people”, governments, leaders, political opponents and even guerrillas that can continue funding their actions with money from an increasingly uncontrollable pandemic.

It is not only the problem of the health of addicts, the problem of deaths from the mafias, the problem of corruption of judges, politicians and businessmen; but are also the untold amounts of money that moving in cash of extralegal way and those that are laundered through banks and other organizations. It is a cross-cutting problem that affects urban and global society, it affects the whole world.

We invite you to participate in the discussion. Each item comes now with a button that links to a forum space.

It is a new step; we want to advance to a magazine 2.0., with high interactivity component. Help us.

Similarly, we are pleased to announce that from October we will publish a version of the magazine in English for readers around the world who have access to the analysis of the realities of Latin America.

Thanks September 2012

Javier Loaiza, Carlos E. Ponce, Editors 3

New Policy - No. 12 International Digital Magazine for Political Analysis From the Americas to the World ISSN 2256-3172 Online Edition Free circulation Vol. 2 - No.12 September/2012 Bogotá, D.C., Colombia http://revista.nuevapolitica.net Publishers: Javier Loaiza:.

Carlos E. Ponce Editors Council: Francis Fukuyama Alejandro Toledo Jorge Quiroga Ronald Scheman Edmundo Jarquin Mariclaire Acosta Pablo Izquierdo Eva Gustavson Carlos March Santiago Cantón Drafting Committee: Ricardo Angoso Carlos Ponce Marta Gaba Javier Loaiza Diego Sueiras Oscar Alvarez

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Central America: crime´s logístic

Cover Interview

6 The global enemy

Global Vision Cyberactivism Regional Overview

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Peru: routes of cocaine

Special Tribute to Oswaldo Payà

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Ending war of drugs

“Traquetos” times in África

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Decriminalization of drugs

Origin and prosecution of drugs

Journalists Eliana Jaimes Milena Pérez Redlad Asistent: Pablo Innecken Translation Spanish to English: Patricia Romero Design: Tatiana Pardo Cruz Production: ETM Editors Revista NUEVA POLITICA (New Policy Magazine) is a project by Escuela Tomas Moro, ETM and REDLAD. This version in English is possible with the support of the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation redaccion@nuevapolitica.net The articles are only responsability of their authors

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If no need, please don´t print

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US: “Latinization” of politics

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US: November in the peephole

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Venezuela: Narco-State?

CAPRILES INTERVIEW

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Motives to vote

Right to hope

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“Chavezuela”

The Cuban farce

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Sexual diversity and democracy

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New routes against drugs

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Indigenous and new technologies

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Rusia: Cold war to Civil society

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Letter to the Colombians

“Yanomanis” to dissapear

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Chavez looks for impunity

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Venezuela: Presidential elections 5

COVER

Drugs Trafficking, the global enemy “Dark power and criminal” was the description that Luis Carlos Galán, presidential candidate of Colombia, gave to drug trafficking before being assassinated by order of who has been called the world´s most famous drug trafficker, Pablo Escobar.

But we can not speak of the drug business, and even less its influence in the world’s states, not to mention Colombia, where criminal actors enriched with the drug trade, have managed to permeate for nearly three decades most of society, without leave out the political power, and where even the same Escobar reached to parade

by Congress as a wealthy leader.

Drug trafficking is a global phenomenon that has become the Achilles heel of the most powerful nations in North America and Europe. According to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) of the 190 member countries of this organization, all are affected in one way or another by the drug trade.

The U.S. Department of State in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) argues in its 2011 report on money laundering from drug trafficking, that virtually in all nations of the world there is illegal money from the drug product.

Furthermore, according to the Office on Drugs and Crime United Nations, the amount of money raised annually by the drug continues to be excessive to the point of reaching in numbers about half of the defense budget of the United States, remaining above 300 billion dollars, equivalent to the size of fifth economy in Latin America, Venezuela, six times that of Guatemala and ten times the GDP of Panama.

Before the coffers of such lucrative business, have succumbed several times not only civil society, but even government agencies from different

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nate the rebels, who after the war of the state against the cartels of Medellin and Cali, took over the crops, the processing, even the delivery of the drug. Cocaine remains the drug that generates more revenue and traffic, so also it has originated the greatest economic impact in dozens of countries

nations among which the example to avoid is Colombia, where drug money bought not only the silence of police and judges, or even have financed political campaigns for the highest offices, but also has supported for decades armed groups in its criminal action, even against the government itself.

In addition to the narco-economy and the “underground money, product of drug trafficking and money laundering, in addition to other traffics as weapons, contraband, and even human trafficking, because of the huge volumes of cash handling, stimulate corruption within police and justice, then buy high officials and finance political campaigns, if not, the narcos present themselves as candidates, forming what is now called the Narco-State.

But Colombia is just one of the nations where drug trafficking has become a major player within the same state, even talk of narco-guerrillas, to desig-

In Mexico, some argue that drug traffickers’ money would equivalent to more than half of GDP, which would mean that only in that country, the drug business doubles the estimated global. The mass killings, corruption and armament are suh, that even they has created an icon named Jesus Malverde “The Holy of Narcos” to which they pay reverence in Sinaloa.

Currently, maritime controls and persecution in the Caribbean countries have made the Central American nations are the most affected in the drug trade to North America. Generally, in most of the states of the subcontinent there are allegations of against members of state agencies of corruption and bribery, linked to drug trafficking.

However, the most alarming situation is presented in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, where there is the highest murder rates in the world, certainly related to drug trafficking, and that along with Mexico are affected by the criminal activities of the cartels Mexicans, “the” maras “, and its impact on state institutions where, citing the 2011 report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB),” corruption, even among police officers and offi-

cials of other agencies repression, has affected the ability of the States of the region to promote development. “ South America and Asia are the major drug-producing continents. Colombia continues to be the largest producer of cocaine in the world-his sowing has been greatly reduced, closely followed in numbers by Peru and Bolivia, which have maintained or even increased their hectares of coca. Although these three countries Althou.gh these three countries, because of being the most productive, state agencies have been severely affected by economic and criminal influences of drug trafficking. It is estimated that the majority of Colombian cocaine is exported to Europe and North America, while that of Peru and Bolivia travels by the continent mainly for the consumption of the Southern Cone countries, and to Brazil, where drug trafficking accompanied by extreme poverty, have generated corruption by many years.

In addition, Venezuela has also been affected by corruption generated by the passage of the drug from Colombia toward the export routes to Europe, United States, via Central America and Africa, while in Bolivia President Evo Morales is an active promoter of legalization of the coca leaf, and according the critics, ends up favoring drug trafficking.

In Asia, Afghanistan remains the largest opium producer in the world, vital for the production of heroin, along with countries like Myanmar and Lao PDR. Alongside this, methamphetamine production has increased significantly not only in these countries but also in China and Thailand. In addition, drug trafficking to Europe and North America is affecting countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria and Pakistan, where as in other states influenced by drug trafficking, generate corrupt relationships with certain government agencies.

Countries like Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Nepal, have presented serious increases in drug use, mainly derived from opium, have also created a public health crisis related to HIV contagion.

Also drug production in Asia has raised concerns in the international community

for being an area with constant political changes, where is feasible that the new institutions and powers are corrupted by drugs trafficking and / or the continent´s armed groups take advantage of the drug business to increase its resources for the war.

Africa is perhaps the continent where is more alarming the influence of the drug trade in the states. Guinea-Bissau has become the benchmark of the current narco-states, being a country with high levels of poverty, that when used as a bridge for drug trafficking to Europe, has experienced the enrichment of certain sectors of the population and has permeate almost all of the minimum force of the state with a business which could easily repeatedly duplicate their economy.

But the case of Guinea-Bissau is not unique. The largest producer of cannabis in the world is Morocco, which along with countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Nigeria, serve as a bridge to bring drugs from South America and Asia to Europe, to distributed within the continent and carry it also to South Africa. Furthermore, as in Asia, there is a concern, that drug will finance civil wars in the world’s poorest countries, as has happened with the trade of mineral resources such as diamonds.

In developing countries, the drug money besides stimulate corruption, violence, organized crime and impunity, generate in new generations a culture of getting rich quickly and at any cost, affecting family life and coexistence.

Europe and North America do not escape from drug money. It is considered that a large majority of the money from the drug trade remains in consumer continents, which generates likewise, phenomena corrupters of society and even the state itself; in fact, studies have shown that growers and drug producers that sell at wholesale their criminal product to the distributors, “dealers” in Europe and the United States, are not left with 20% of the final price of the drug, so that more than 80% corresponds to the merchants of the countries rich.

In 2009 the director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, said that due to the economic crisis, many European and U.S. banks used drug money to save itself from bankruptcy; thus confirming the State Department report that it does not exclude the United States, Canada and the UK among other, as countries where drug money laundering occurs.

However although joint international efforts seeking to stop drug trafficking from producer countries and being mainly less developed countries those that have a higher incidence of drug trafficking in the highest circles of the state, the major consuming nations have not escaped the enrichment of certain sectors of society, thanks to the business which became global enemy.

Studies conducted by former presidents Cardoso of Brazil, Gaviria of Colombia and Zedillo of Mexico have stressed the need to regulate, creating conditions for imposing all sorts of restrictions and limitations on the marketing, advertising and consumption of the product, without actually legalizing; given the failure of police strategies and war, because instead of reducing traffic and consumption and its social, economic, political and health consecuences, its increase is increasingly alarming, until it turns into a real global and transversal enemy of all mankind.

Redacción

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New Policy Magazine

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COVER

CENTRAL AMERICA:

Logistical lines of development and crime

By Francisco BermĂşdez Amado Central American is the American region that joins the two ends, north and south, set in a geostrategic scenario that for their study can focus on what was known as Mesoamerica. Today is a region that is complemented in the insular Caribbean and in the isthmus of interaction. Due the different linguistic and cultural nuances and its colonial heritage, the Caribbean and the isthmus are consolidated as a region of intercontinental logistical connections of high growth, as well as a region of tremendous growth in tourism and natural resources.

With a growing population sustained and a development, in general terms slow, but of a general economic impact, with a projection of ecological tourism, beaches, culinary, and anthropological study, presents diverse facets in the cultural and ethnic as well as a strong tendency to its colonized past.

In the same way, focuses its position as an isthmus of interconnection

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between north and south, between the world’s largest market in the north and the emerging markets from south.

Logistics flows are important and the isthmus tends to be the obligatory path between north and south, east and west. This is a comparative advantage in international logistics development, however, God does not give two glories together, this advantage is also exploited for the deployment of organizLogistics of crimeed and trafficking of all kinds.

The vulnerability of the region is based on an unconsolidated state configuration, slightly strengthened institutions and a large scattering of resources in political patronage; a situation that has progressed, because of low vision and reducing the resources needed for strengthening of the security systems, justice, and interstate controls.

The incidence and strategic value to the criminals have been reflected in the construction of politicians´ networks,

officials and businessmen, to promote an organized crime scene, which over time has strengthened its positions in the country according to their specific target, some by their border situation of most criminal presence, others by the ease of washing resources, and others for their vulnerabilities for the transfer, planting and storage of different traffics. In specific cases, an incorporation of all facets of the crime.

The most important of the understanding is that the logistic lines have been studied, as sea routes, air and land, and sea, land and air ports, land and air, to identify or violate their limitations and regulations so as to facilitate the transfer.

The law of silver or lead is widespread by identifying the vital centers of operations to co-opt officials, businessmen, and especially justice operators, generating a climate of impunity alarming.

Meetings between states have abound-

ed, project initiatives and strategies were presented, but the fight is still not find a clear direction. Have been offered investments to reinforce the authorities, some countries more than others, but so far there is a great concern and we have begun to fall in the diatribe, about who are the guilty or responsible for the problem, becoming more effective the cocaine issue, migrants weapons. Who consumes it?

Who produces it? And the fallacy of who came first, the chicken or the egg. who is to blame, which sells or This non-acceptance of the state policy maturity, leads to an attitude of: “Or you help me or I do not make more effort”, and in the meantime, criminal organizations continue strengthening and overwhelming the authorities.

Organized crime is not in constant mutations and illicit drug producers are part of this mutation, generating new and varied options. Similarly, human trafficking has increased, both migrant workers, such as trafficking in women and children for corruptible purposes.

The paradox in this sense is the same, the business continues and profits are higher every day. Where are these utilities? What about the usufruct? And above all, ¿How they legalize them?

But the paradox remains about whether legalizing or decriminalizing drug use.

And the question arises. And the production? Of what drug we are talking about, of everyone, of some? And, What is the legal situation?

We see that organized crime is global and multidimensional, not confined to a product, its business activity is the illegal issue.

Associated to traffic, emerge new organizations that coexist with them, the “maras” or youth gangs, becoming in operators, drivers and distributors of this traffic. His influence continues to grow and its monopoly in businesses is becoming more, as well as its incidence on ordinary or common crime, constituting a strategy of distraction for the authorities through violence, crime, extortion and other collateral scourges.

In that sense we are in the region, with a state weakness because of its atomization of priorities and political

The paradox in this sense is the same, the business continues and profits are higher every day.

Where are these utilities? What about the usufruct? And above all, ¿How they legalize them?

But the paradox remains about whether legalizing or decriminalizing drug use. And the question arises. And the production? Of what drug we are talking about, of everyone, of some? And, What is the legal situation? patronage. A strong presence of crime due at strategic position of the region and their logistical lines vital for their development, and with impunity generated by the amounts of money that are mobilized, facilitate all this criminal logistics.

How do we face the challenge? It’s the question, and the answer is integral; must reform the states objectives, prioritizing initial targets, legal certainty, security and freedom. In the same way, boosting the economic growth to generate more and better jobs, and strengthening the law and order. Only a fierce combat strategy and prosecu-

tion of crime, it may face the threat of transnational crime.

These three strategic lines are integrals and convergent, should not be applied separately, it should consider that the problem belongs to everyone, and everyone harmonized can fight against the scourge

Comments

Francisco Bermúdez Amado General and Graduate.

Guatemala

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COVER

Traquetos times comes to Africa

By Kevin Howlett Just a decade ago the Colombian cartels came to the small and impoverished country of GuineaBissau, turning it in a few years, in the first narco-state in Africa.

While the hot money from narcobusiness is still a novelty in this former Portuguese colony, it has already become the star of major political force.

The past April, the drug cartels linked to military took control of the country through a coup. Since the operation of this power vacuum, drug trafficking has increased to levels that caused alarm in the Security Council of the UN. The transitional government is so weak against the reach of the cartels as previous governments, so that the UN has had to intervene by invoking “Drug Kingpin”, for freezing the accounts of the military involved and forbid foreign travels.

The borders of the war against drug trafficking are moving to Africa, where the state does not have how answer and where the U.S. government does not want to go. Without international aid is an “asymmetrical warfare”, in which no doubt the winners will be the narcos.

While Washington worries about the Central American routes, tons of cocaine reach European shores from Colombia to West Africa. More than a quarter of the drug consumed in Europe comes from Guinea-Bissau, a small nation of 1.6 million people, located in the fifth on the list of least developed countries.

The effect of drugs on society and political institutions in this region is devastating. Is for that reason that the fragility of the government, the institutions, the legal system against immediate wealth of drug trafficking, are factors that easily disintegrate the State,

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since the process of “traquetización” increases rapidly turning that country in the Colombia of the 80s and 90s.

While the narco-business today represent three percent of GDP in Colombia, the value of this trade in Guinea Bissau is above the total national income.

Although it is the gateway to the continent, this country is far from being the only one affected by the arrival of the cartels. The UN estimates that cocaine trafficking in West and Central Africa generates more than $ 900 million dollars a year. The region is a collection of “Failed States” extremely weak, and the pioneers who arrived in Guinea Bissau have been opening new sources in these countries, taking advantage of the extreme poverty and of devasted societies by civil wars.

The most affected nations are: Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria.

No missing the military and rulers who are willing to give the warm welcome to this hot money.

The fact is that the drug trafficking in this country is a business highly profitable and low risk. Consumption of drugs per capita is now greater in the UK and Spain than in the U.S., and Africa is the path to that European attractive market.

Besides offer to cartels ideal conditions within the country, is relatively easy to get to Guinea-Bissau. The transit of cargo from South America to the African coast by boat takes four nights or five hours by plane from Venezuela or Brazil approximately, because the African country is the closest to the exit of Colombian cocaine.

During the trip at sea, blue tents cover their boats during the day (because they move only at night), hiding from satellites and, upon arrival some customs patrols are patrolling the islands of the archipelago.

The situation on the west coast of

Africa has a crisis potentially worse than Mexico and Central American countries and international aid is scarce.

The UN established in 2009 the initiative of the West Coast of Africa, although the size of the aid does not compare to the Plan Colombia or the Merida Initiative.

All this shows that the drug war has been losing its way in front of the creativity of drug traffickers, who, continue to grow thanks to its inclusion in the international market. However, if the United States is ready to battle in their area, the coast of Africa is a forgotten border.

The UN General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon said this year: “There is fear that we may see a crisis of the magnitude of the Horn of Africa, in this region’. He was referring to one of the most troubled areas of the world.

It is time to act, before the ‘Kingpin’ take completely the control of this region, Leave it so, would be risky and negligent.

It is worth remembering that where there “traquetos”, there is money to fund terrorism. While drug trafficking in Colombia has financed the FARC over these five decades.

The evidence reveals that Hezbollah is already in Guinea-Bissau and other Middle Eastern groups have ties to the narcos of this and other countries.

If the war on drugs does not force to the West to take the required action, the threat of Islamicfundamentalist terrorists will surely do.

Comments

Kevin Howlett, Director Ejecutivo de www.colombia-politics.com

COVER

Ending the never-ending

war of drugs

SAO PAULO – The war on drugs is a lost war, and 2011 is the time to move away from a punitive approach in order to pursue a new set of policies based on public health, human rights, and common sense. These were the core findings of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy that I convened, together with former presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and César Gaviria of Colombia.

By Fernando H. Cardoso http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ending-the-never-ending-war-on-drugs#yYACt4vDJ8tblOvs.99

We became involved with this issue for a compelling reason: the violence and corruption associated with drug trafficking represents a major threat to democracy in our region. This sense of urgency led us to evaluate current policies and look for viable alternatives. The evidence is overwhelming. The prohibitionist approach, based on repression of production and criminalization of consumption, has clearly failed.

After 30 years of massive effort, all prohibitionism has achieved is to shift areas of cultivation and drug cartels from one country to another (the socalled balloon effect). Latin America remains the world’s largest exporter of cocaine and marijuana. Thousands of young people continue to lose their lives in gang wars. Drug lords rule by fear over entire communities.

We ended our report with a call for a paradigm shift. The illicit drug trade will continue as long as there is demand for drugs. Instead of sticking to failed policies that do not reduce the profitability of the drug trade – and thus its power – we must redirect our efforts to the harm caused by drugs to people and societies, and to reducing consumption.

existed throughout history in the most diverse cultures. Today, drug use occurs throughout society. All kinds of people use drugs for all kinds of reasons: to relieve pain or experience pleasure, to escape reality or enhance their perception of it.

But the approach recommended in the Commission’s statement does not imply complacency. Drugs are harmful to health. They undermine users’ decision-making capacity. Needle-sharing spreads HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

Addiction can lead to financial ruin and domestic abuse, especially of children.

Cutting consumption as much as possible must, therefore, be the main goal.

But this requires treating drug users not as criminals to be incarcerated, but as patients to be cared for. Several countries are pursuing policies that emphasize prevention and treatment rather than repression – and refocusing their repressive measures on fighting the real enemy: organized crime.

The crack in the global consensus around the prohibitionist approach is widening. A growing number of countries in Europe and Latin America are moving away from a purely repressive model.

Portugal and Switzerland are compelling examples of the positive impact of policies centered on prevention, treatment, and harm reduction. Both countries have decriminalized drug possession for personal use. Instead of leading to an explosion of drug consumption, as many feared, the number of people seeking treatment increased and overall drug use fell.

When the policy approach shifts from criminal repression to public health, drug users are more open to seeking treatment.

Decriminalization of consumption also reduces dealers’ power to influence and control consumers’ behavior.

In our report, we recommend evaluating from a public-health standpoint

Some kind of drug consumption has

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approaching drug use as a health problem and not as a matter for the criminal justice system.

– and on the basis of the most advanced medical science – the merits of decriminalizing possession of cannabis for personal use.

Marijuana is by far the most widely used drug. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the harm it causes is at worst similar to the harm caused by alcohol or tobacco.

Moreover, most of the damage associated with marijuana use – from the indiscriminate incarceration of consumers to the violence and corruption associated with the drug trade – is the result of current prohibitionist policies.

Decriminalization of cannabis would thus be an important step forward in

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To be credible and effective, decriminalization must be combined with robust prevention campaigns. The steep and sustained drop in tobacco consumption in recent decades shows that public information and prevention campaigns can work when based on messages that are consistent with the experience of those whom they target.

Tobacco was de-glamorized, taxed, and regulated; it has not been banned.

No country has devised a comprehensive solution to the drug problem. But a solution need not require a stark choice between prohibition and legalization. The worst prohibition is the prohibition to think. Now, at last, the taboo that prevented debate has been broken. Alternative approaches are being tested and must be carefully reviewed.

At the end of the day, the capacity of people to evaluate risks and make informed choices will be as impor-

tant to regulating the use of drugs as more humane and efficient laws and policies.

Yes, drugs erode people’s freedom. But it is time to recognize that repressive policies towards drug users, rooted as they are in prejudice, fear, and ideology, may be no less a threat to liberty.

Read more at http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ ending-the-never-ending-war-ondrugs#yYACt4vDJ8tblOvs.99

Comments

Fernando Henrique Cardoso Former President of Brazil (1995-2003)

COVER

Summary of drugs trafficking

Clans and routes of cocaine in Peru today

By Romina Mella

Throughout the seven installments of ‘The clans of cocaine’, IDL-Reporters has treated a topic much discussed but little known: current drug trafficking in Peru.

IDL-R has revealed the drug trafficking organizations, the production volumes of cocaine and the income generated in the production areas, as well as transport modes and drug routes to international consumer markets.

Here, we present a scheme of the literature available about this subject: • The VRAE is the basin that has the largest coca leaf production in the country, with 19,723 hectares of coca, representing 32.2 percent of the 61 thousand 200 hectares in the country.

• The Valley can potentially produce 200 tons of cocaine. In the beginning of his journey to international consumer markets, that quantity of cocaine will cost around $ 200 million (in quantities of 2010 and current prices) at a local level.

• There are approximately 16 family clans who control the drug business in the VRAE, mostly in Palmapampa and Llochegua districts.

• Each clan produces 300 to 500 kilos of cocaine a month or two months. The price of a kilo of gross coca paste is $ 400 to $ 600 in the Valley, the basic washed paste ranges from $ 600 to $ 800, and cocaine hydrochloride varies from $ 950 to $ 1100.

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In several cases, some family clans have established their bases in Bolivia, where they refined coca paste into cocaine hydrochloride. It is estimated that 70% of the VRAE drug goes to the south of Bolivia, and is transferred mainly by land.

Traffickers prefer to carry the drug in double cab pickups and trucks.

The drug transportation through backpackers or ‘cargachos’, however, has decreased.

VRAE Shining Path protects only 30 percent of the output of the Valle drug. Its revenues for the transfer of drug protection range from $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 U.S. dollars per month. VRAE Shining Path protects only 30 percent of the output of the Valle drug. Its revenues for the transfer of drug protection range from $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 U.S. dollars per month.

For transportation of cargo itself, Sendero earn up to $ 30,000 per trip than half a ton. For safety and traffic toll of ‘cargachos’, SL-VRAE receives income of $ 40 thousand dollars a month.

Until 2008, Path used cargachos and carriers through BidónVizcatán. Since the armed forces

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left Vizcatán´s bases , hikers have reopened two routes, one from Bidón and another from Unión Mantaro. Another route used by SL-VRAE is one that begins in Villa Virgen and ends at Huaccana, Apurimac.

The Huallaga has at least 16 drug trafficking organizations, with an output of 200 to 500 kilos of drugs per month per clan.

In one year, the main clans of Huallaga´s drug dealers exported about 96,000 kilos of cocaine. An average clan has an income of $ 6 million per year.

The price of a kilo of washed coca paste is between $ 600 and $ 800, and one of declorhidrato of cocaine ranges from $ 950 to $ 1,100.

The drugs value increases as they move away from their center of production and cross the border of the country. Arriving in Mexico, the price of Huallaga will be multiplied

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by eleven or twelve times. In Spain, it will cost 45 times more and 109 in Russia.

On the other hand, drugs are leaving the country partially and progressively again in light aircrafts, leading to the reopening of a land-air route: from the VRAE or the Huallaga to Palcazú, and from there by air to Bolivia and Brazil.

Palcazú has become a strategic hub for the distribution and export of cocaine in the jungle. Besides the VRAE and Huallaga clans who take out drugs from the Valley, there are at least eight drug trafficking organizations operating in Palcazú.

According to IDL-R’s sources, there are four airstrips in Palcazú.

Until recently, it was estimated an average of one flight every 10 days for every clandestine airstrip.

Now, according to recent data, it is estimated that there are days with up to three daily flights.

If using the most conservative data, based on what was reported months ago, and calculating only based on what comes out in light aircrafts from four airstrips with a flight a week in each of them, in a year organizations drugs have exported 86,400 kilos of cocaine from Palcazú. That would mean a local sale of 86 million 400 thousand U.S. dollars.

In every trip a single-engine plane can carry up to 450 kilos of drugs.

If a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride costs an average of $1000, each plane leaving the Valley carries $450,000 in cocaine hydrochloride.

If you do the calculation with washed plain paste, which costs on average $ 800 per kilo, the value of each shipment would be $360,000.

Note: IDL-Reporters interviewed police officers, agents, analysts and officials with expertise in the fight against drug

trafficking in Peru, over several weeks. At the same time, various documents were reviewed: findings and analysis of intelligence, police reports, pamphlets, reports from international organizations. Finally, we used all required reports on drug trafficking and Shining Path written by IDL-R in the past two years.

For security reasons, IDL-R will not mention the name of any of the sources that contributed to this report, except those explicitly agreed to be named. To all who contributed with their considerable knowledge in producing this report, IDLReporters is very grateful to them.

Drug traffickers in Peru Peru is now one of the two largest producers and exporters of cocaine in the world. The other one is Colombia, but there is no reliable data about it.

So you have to admit a reasonable uncertainty about which of the two countries is the largest producer.

But strangely we know less about Peruvian drug traffickers than of Mexicans and even Colombians.

Halfway between MSEs and mafias, the Peruvian drug traffickers do not have the predator style or plutocratic size of Mexican, Colombian or Central american drug traffickers. But they are growing, expanding and hence changing. Then there is the SL-VRAE, whose ties to drug trafficking are much talk and little known.

Over several weeks of research, Romina Mella, from the IDL-R has outlined the features and drew a first mapping of the dark territory that is now Peru drug trafficking.

Sendero Luminoso and drug trafficking in the VRAE 1. What are the drug revenues that SL-VRAE perceives in the region?

On January 5, 2011, the most important leader of the VRAE captured over the past decade revealed what he knew about the SL faction, led by Víctor Quispe Palomino.

It was Felix Huachaca Tincopa, ‘Roberto’, the Shining Path leader, who Quispe Palomino had sent in November 2009 to Alto Huallaga, with the mission of establishing a beachhead to make front and then shatter the Huallaga control to ‘Artemio’ group.

Aware of his presence, ‘Artemio’ looked for him to face him in combat, but

never found the elusive and deadly ‘Roberto’.

The police found him.

On December 23, 2010, ‘Robert’ was drugged by a double agent at his base in the Huallaga and captured soon after by a special operations patrol of the PNP. Roberto was shot in the hip while the patrol, transported by a helicopter, bursted into his camp. Despite that he was dazed by a soporific and was tied up, he woke up and tried to escape getting into the jungle.

Two weeks later, on the fourth floor of the Police Hospital in Lima, awake, alert and in healing process, ‘Robert’, Huachaca Tincopa, was questioned in the presence of the General Attorney Eneida Aguilar, the attorney Juan Rios, and his lawyer, Mario Flores.

It was an exceptional circumstance.

Since capturing ‘Feliciano’, in July 1999, a Shining Path leader of the VRAE of that level had not been interrogated. And ‘Roberto’ was willing to talk, as he did, with thoroughness and detail.

In 1987, Huachaca was forcibly recruited by the Shining Path, but soon joined actively in the organization and rose to positions and responsibilities evenly.

For four years (since 2003) the Path collected a ‘fee’ for the traffic of timber in the Vizcatán area. In 2007 he directed the attacks against the police station in Ocobamba and a police on the road Luricocha-Huanta.

Then he commanded a contingent in the bloody ambush Puncu Tintay and participated later, in 2009, in the ambush of Sanabamba (where 14 soldiers were killed ) and in the Sinaycocha action (where three members of the armed forces fell, and a helicopter MI-17 was shot down). In 2007 he was one of the seven main leaders of SL-VRAE. And in November 2009 was commissioned to prepare the conquest of Upper Huallaga through the defeat of ‘Artemis’.

Few had comprehensive knowledge of

Huachaca Tincopa on SL-VRAE. Knowledge shared with fluidity and detail in his interrogation at the police hospital.

According to ‘Roberto’, shipments of drugs “were performed up to four times a month.” Each hiker carried 10 kilos, but the mules could carry up to 50 kilos.

One of the biggest questions was how the SL-VRAE financed itself (“What are the sources of financing of the terrorist organization ‘Shining Path’, calling themselves ‘Communist Party of Peru - Marxist-Leninist-Maoist?’”).

The answer of ‘Roberto’ threw light not only on the performance of SL-VRAE but also about drug trafficking in the region. Unlike other interventions on the subject, that of Huachaca Tincopa was not propaganda and counterpropaganda, but a revealing description.

That summarizes like this: • Between 2003 and 2006 -says Huachaca Tincopa- “the main source of funding for the organization, was the collection of ‘odds of war’ to formal and informal loggers in the Vizcatán and Ene Valley”. Each formal company gave five thousand new soles to SL-VRAE monthly. Huachaca Tincopa himself was in charge of collecting fifty cents per mahogany foot to the informal loggers. Usually, he collected over five thousand nuevos soles per month.

• Beginning in 2006, says Huachaca Tincopa, the source of funding for the organization was the drugs. That does not mean they have stopped charging for the timber, but, as will be seen, the amount derived from drug trafficking was higher.

How the SL-VRAE took benefit from drug trafficking money? “First, from the free transit of backpackers who were traveling by Vizcatán... The leader of each group of backpackers had to give the sum of four dollars per kilo of drugs, either coca paste or

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cocaine hydrochloride, to the partner responsible of control”.

The Shining Path leader “Olga” (or “Andrea” or “Silvia”) was responsible of the traffic control and of the contributions of the backpackers who were passing through the BidónVizcatán route.

The route was heavily traveled, because the backpackers or cargachos felt safe of not being robbed.

Huachaca’s testimony is corroborated by others. In December 2007, Marco Antonio Espinoza, then chairman of the Defense Committee of Acon-Sivia, came to Bidón to “make a quinacho wood business “ and stayed a few days in what was then the administrative center of SL-VRAE. While he was there he was able to observe that “four or five groups of ten backpackers (or cargachos) passed every day” , each of them carried from ten to fifteen kilos of drugs. The Shining Path gave them lodging and food in Bidón, where backpackers had to surrender their weapons, while their cargo was left on deposit. Both of them were returned on departure. But the Shining Path earned a quota per kilo of drugs, as also did for each log cutted in its sector. “ A conservative estimate would show the following revenues for walkers protection and for the toll for backpackers: If every day four groups of ‘cargachos’, of 10 men each , carrying 10 kilos of drugs individually passed by, that means that the SL-VRAE charged tolls for the traffic of 400 kilos of drugs per day. This meant $ 1,600 a day

for Shining Path. Assuming that traffic has been given 25 days of each month, the toll revenue of ‘cargachos’ for Shining Path was $ 40 thousand dollars a month. It is likely that the traffic flow has not been as intense all year, but most.

That was not the only income in

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respect of drug trafficking for the Path.

As ‘Roberto’ says, “we, as members of the ‘party’, carried out drug shipments towards Huachocolpa or Tintay Puncu or Huanta. For each drug shipment, the sum of thirty dollars for each kilo of cocaine was received, either coca paste or cocaine hydrochloride.”

According to ‘Roberto’, shipments of drugs “were performed up to four times a month.” Each hiker carried 10 kilos, but the mules could carry up to 50 kilos.

If every caravan of ‘cargachos’ were made ​​of 15 or 20 backpackers, the Path’s revenue would have been of $4,500 or $6,000 per trip, and of $18,000 or $24,000 per month.

If we add both forms of drug transport, Path-VRAE would have own revenues, derived from transport of drugs and tolls, for approximately $ 60 thousand per month. A lot more than over money from loggers. And possibly less than assumed.

The route through Bidón-Vizcatán ended in 2008 with the intervention of the armed forces.

According to other sources, the route of drug transport moved to the north of the VRAE. According to these sources, SL-VRAE has the custody of shipments now over half a ton which generally have several owners who pool their cargo. The cost of protection has risen and now fluctuates between 50 and 60 dollars per kilo. Each trip of half-ton represents a maximum income of $ 30,000 for SL-VRAE. In addition, SL-VRAE has reopened cargachos and carriers routes that depart from Bidón and Unión Mantaro. This occurred after the evacuation of the armed forces of Bidón and Vizcatán.

Another route used by the Shining Path starts at Villa Virgen and ends in Huaccana, Apurimac.

What other drug-related income has Path?

As Roberto’ said, between 2005 and 2006 the SL-VRAE had four hectares of coca leaf in Nazangaro and Parhua [sic], and even a processing laboratory.

As indicated by ‘Roberto’ Huachaca, they were minor operations. “I have heard that on two occasions they managed to obtained five kilos of drugs in each process. The lab stopped

working by itself, because “at that time we made a bad investment by misapplying the dosage of medicine, and the management decided that it was more profitable the security and transfer of drugs”, said ‘Robert’, who announced names of drug dealers who negotiated with SL-VRAE, as we shall see in the next edition.

According to this information, which is corroborated by other witnesses and officers of the PNP, the SL-VRAE has had (and probably remains) drug revenues ranging between $50,000 and $100,000 U.S. dollars per month.

The difference between the higher and lower limits is in consideration of the many random factors that raise or lower the sum of one period to another.

A qualified source has told IDL-R that while a high percentage of the SL-VRAE revenues are based in drug trafficking, “not all the drugs coming out of the VRAE are controlled by Shining Path. [It just] controls 30 percent of the output of the drug. “Another source confirms this.

What is, then, the economic dimension of drug trafficking in the VRAE? Throughout the seven installments of ‘The clans of cocaine’, IDL-Reporters has treated a topic much discussed but little known: current drug trafficking in Peru.

IDL-R has revealed the drug trafficking organizations, the production volumes of cocaine and the income generated in the production areas, as well as transport modes and drug routes to international consumer markets.

Here, we present a scheme of the literature available about this subject: The VRAE is the basin that has the largest coca leaf production in the country, with 19,723 hectares of coca, representing 32.2 percent of the 61 thousand 200 hectares in the country.

The Valley can potentially produce 200 tons of cocaine. In the beginning of his journey to international consumer markets, that quantity of cocaine will cost around $ 200 million (in quantities of 2010 and current prices) at a local level.

There are approximately 16 family clans who control the drug business in the VRAE, mostly in Palmapampa and Llochegua districts.

Each clan produces 300 to 500 kilos of cocaine a month or two months.

The price of a kilo of gross coca paste is $ 400 to $ 600 in the Valley, the basic washed paste ranges from $ 600 to $ 800, and cocaine hydrochloride varies from $ 950 to $ 1100.

In several cases, some family clans have established their bases in Bolivia, where they refined coca paste into cocaine hydrochloride. It is estimated that 70% of the VRAE drug goes to the south of Bolivia, and is transferred mainly by land. Traffickers prefer to carry the drug in double cab pickups and trucks. The drug transportation through backpackers or ‘cargachos’, however, has decreased.

VRAE Shining Path protects only 30 percent of the output of the Valle drug. Its revenues for the transfer of drug protection range from $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 U.S. dollars per month.

VRAE Shining Path protects only 30 percent of the output of the Valle drug. Its revenues for the transfer of drug protection range from $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 U.S. dollars per month.

For transportation of cargo itself, Sen-

dero earn up to $ 30,000 per trip than half a ton. For safety and traffic toll of ‘cargachos’, SL-VRAE receives income of $ 40 thousand dollars a month.

Until 2008, Path used cargachos and carriers through Bidón-Vizcatán. Since the armed forces left Vizcatán´s bases , hikers have reopened two routes, one from Bidón and another from Unión Mantaro. Another route used by SL-VRAE is one that begins in Villa Virgen and ends at Huaccana, Apurimac.

The Huallaga has at least 16 drug trafficking organizations, with an output of 200 to 500 kilos of drugs per month per clan.

In one year, the main clans of Huallaga´s drug dealers exported about 96,000 kilos of cocaine. An average clan has an income of $ 6 million per year.

The price of a kilo of washed coca paste is between $ 600 and $ 800, and one of declorhidrato of cocaine ranges from $ 950 to $ 1,100.

The drugs value increases as they move away from their center of production and cross the border of the country. Arriving in Mexico, the price of Huallaga will be multiplied by eleven or twelve times. In Spain, it will cost 45 times more and 109 in Russia.

On the other hand, drugs are leaving the country partially and progressively

again in light aircrafts, leading to the reopening of a land-air route: from the VRAE or the Huallaga to Palcazú, and from there by air to Bolivia and Brazil.

Palcazú has become a strategic hub for the distribution and export of cocaine in the jungle. Besides the VRAE and Huallaga clans who take out drugs from the Valley, there are at least eight drug trafficking organizations operating in Palcazú.

According to IDL-R’s sources, there are four airstrips in Palcazú. Until recently, it was estimated an average of one flight every 10 days for every clandestine airstrip. Now, according to recent data, it is estimated that there are days with up to three daily flights.

If using the most conservative data, based on what was reported months ago, and calculating only based on what comes out in light aircrafts from four airstrips with a flight a week in each of them, in a year organizations drugs have exported 86,400 kilos of cocaine from Palcazú. That would mean a local sale of 86 million 400 thousand U.S. dollars.

In every trip a single-engine plane can carry up to 450 kilos of drugs.

If a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride costs an average of $1000, each plane leaving the Valley carries $450,000 in cocaine hydrochloride. If you do the calculation with washed plain paste, which costs on average $ 800 per kilo, the value of each shipment would be $360,000..

Comments

Romina Mella, Peru

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COVER

Notes to the debate on

decriminalization of drugs

By Miguel M. Benito In recent years the policy discussion on fight against drug trafficking is increasingly critical with the model of Drug War that has been applied in previous decades.

The roots of the debate Perhaps the report of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, founded by former presidents CĂŠsar Gaviria (Colombia), Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil) and Ernesto Zedillo (Mexico) marked a milestone for thinking about anti-drug policy, stating that the current model based on prohibition and reduction in offer, has failed and we have to consider alternatives like decriminalization.

Moreover, patterns of production and consumption of drugs, within the logic of the North-South relationship, have changed profoundly. The traditional distinction between producer and consumer is now useless. Synthetic drugs and marijuana are produced in European countries and the United States.

Consumers and addicts increase in Latin America. These facts do not allow maintaining policies anchored in paradigms of the past four decades and force to reformulate the terms of the reflection.

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Doubts about the possible effects of decriminalization In rethinking drugs policies, are becoming stronger and more numerous voices advocating decriminalization, arguing that there would be an automatic reduction in violence. But the truth is that this sequence is far from obvious and automatic.

In past decades, transnational criminal gangs have diversified their activities and mostly, they develop simultaneously various forms of crime (drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms trade, extortion, kidnapping, prostitution, gambling, etc.).Ending with one of those branches of the business, involves the possibility to see reduced the benefits, but not the cessation of other criminal activities of criminal organizations and well-established professionals. The most likely outcome would be the adaptation of the organized crime groups to the new reality.

In the absence of drug trafficking revenues, it would increase the income of their other activities. To optimize the benefit, could appeal to the concentration in oligopolies and / or monopolies, with the ability to set prices for

their services unilaterally. Weakening Automatic?

Where cooperation is not possible, criminal organizations come into violent competition. Each group would try to conquer the markets and activities of other groups and, at least in the short term, intracriminal violence would increase until it reached a new Status quo.

Those could be the framework in which the relationship would establish with the competing groups, while within each organization would begin a reorganization and realignment in the operation. The search for substitutes of drug traffic revenues, the increased in other crimes, increased pressure on the weakest links of criminal chain, would fall on smaller operators of these criminal structures with a consequent hardening of their already precarious survival conditions (for example, just think of the effect on the prostitution business).

Moreover, legalization or decriminalization would not be absolute, but respond to a controlled process. Thus, although diminished, would remain criminal spaces as those associated with illegal trade

of alcohol (sales to minors, illegal production and smuggling).

In conclusion, the reducing of the business of drug trafficking, not necessarily and automatically ends the violence associated with. Just we would attend to its umpteenth mutation and, perhaps, in the short term to its increase.

Only if the drugs debate incorporates these possible unwanted effects and it covers the global dynamics, local particularities and national challenges, it would be in a position to offer optimal recommendations An added concern to Colombian case The effect of the possible decriminalization in Colombia, should consider another specific element, which, to date, we have not heard anything: the effect of decriminalization on the land.

One of the stimulants of internal conflict has been the question of the distribution and ownership of lands. If until now the land dedicated to illegal crops has not been titled, nor its property explicitly recognized, the possibility of converting it into a legal and profitable activity, will stimulate the drug barons to formalize its domination over hectares of illegal crops. The result could degenerate into processes of land concentration by eliminating all those who, having participated in the illegal exploitation of these lands, they had a chance

to claim formal ownership of those lands. Displacements, murders or bribes have been the instruments of the concentration of lands in the past and could be again in the future if this factor is not considered. From a tax perspective should not neglect the possibilities of money laundering that a process of this type would imply.

Conclusion The debate on policies of drug traffic control seems to be moving mechanically, from prohibition to decriminalization without the public opinion has analyzed all the edges and complexities of

the process. For now, while the debate continues to incorporate elements, the only certainty is the need to combine treatment policies for addicts and the repressive measures against criminal gangs.

Comments

Miguel M. Benito Teacher Externado de Col. University Political Analyst - Internationalist

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COVER

From origin and prohibition of drugs

By Jose Theodoro Corrêa de Carvalho The habit of taking drugs is not new.

Always have consumed substances that alter the normal functioning of the central nervous system.

Alcohol and opiates were the first psychoactive used in 5000 BC. It is estimated that hemp (cannabis sativa) is cultivated in China for 4,000 years.

In America, the Inca Empire (Andean) drew three annual crops of coca (coca Lam erythroxilum) that was used as an analgesic and energizing of daily use, especially under the fatigue caused by the height. In Aztec society, was consumed the fungus named teonanacati and the peyote for religious purposes.

With magical-religious purposes, to escape reality, to address the problems or the inability to do so, for simple pleasure or medical purposes; people have used plants and chemicals now included in the concept of drugs. The most widespread are caffeine, snuff, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and opiates; probably alcohol is the oldest of all.

Fermentation of any fruit or honey is the remote origin of the first psychoactive. The vessels existed in 8000 B.C. and were used to store honey. Fermented and diluted honey in water (mead) could be the first wine drinking. Since then alcohol has been part of human life. Fermented beverages were prevalent in all communities and were important articles of colonial trade, after the great navigations.

During the twentieth century were globalized consumption patterns, especially after World War II, when the liquor was no longer associated

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with meals, became ingested in large amounts in a short space of time associated with leisure.

Opium, juice of one type of poppy is one of the most versatile known drugs. Thanks to its active ingredient, morphine, opium numbs the pain, produces joy, induces sleep and The poppy, known as sleepy, was used as food, forage and oil . Its psychotropic functions are known since 3000 BC, from Middle East spread to India and China. In Western Europe the opium became an important therapeutic in the sixteenth century, after the trips of the Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus, who spread the use of the “stone of immortality” for various purposes in the form of laudanum or tincture. In the seventeenth century, became popular in China smoked opium. It is estimated that in the nineteenth century there were 16.2 million of Chinese addicts to smoked opium (6% of the adult population).

The attempt to curb the opium trade generated two consecutive wars (18391842 and 1856-1858), between England and China, culminating in the defeat China and a number of privileges for England, as the complete legalization of the indium opium trade and the loss of administration Hong Kong.

Morphine, in honor of the god of dreams Morpheus, was isolated from opium in the early nineteenth century by the German Friedrich William Sertüner, and replaced (together with codeine) the opium for medical treatment. In 1874 was created the first semisynthetic opiate, diacetylmorphine,

known as heroin. Later it was marketed

by Bayer as antitussive substance and as a substitute for opium and morphine addiction treatments. Heroin achieved great commercial success for its high stimulating effect and became popular as a recreational drug in the United States and England.

The use and consumption of cannabis derivatives is also very old. Originally from Central Asia, the cannabis plant may have been cultivated for 10,000 years, used as a source of textile fiber (hemp), for making sandals, ropes, bags, clothes and sails of ships. Its hallucinogenic properties were discovered in the East. Chinese writings about the year 3000 B.C., indicate that “hemp taken in excess does see monsters, but if it used for a long time, can communicate with the spirits and lighten the body.”

In medieval Europe was used by witches and then the doctors took as a remedy. Hildegard von Binger (1150) recommended hemp in Germany for stomach problems and injuries.

For weak-minded people delivered to hemp is harmful. In the nine century it was used for recreational and medical. In the 60s of the

twentieth century, hippie culture of rock and reggae, generalized its recreational use, associated with the rebelliousness of youth.

Currently cannabinoids are consumed on a large scale in three principal forms: marijuana, hashish and hashish oil. The hashish is obtained from the resin extracted from the dried flowers and plants. The hashish oil is obtained from the distillation of the plant by organic solvents.

Cocaine as a stimulant in America is as old as alcohol, opium and cannabis in the old continent and Asia. Coca leaves were already chewed in the Andes from about 5,000 BC The coca plant (Erythroxilum coca) grew in the wild, but began to be cultivated in the tenth century BC, by chibchas of Colombia, which then spread to the south. In the Inca culture was used as a sacred plant in rituals, to make special gifts or as medicine. The coca leaf was chewed by the workers to mitigate the effects of the altitude, hunger and fatigue and used it as a medicine for gastrointestinal complaints, colds and bruises. When the Spanish arrived, they were surprised with the effects of chewed leaves; for religious reasons they tried to ban, but later they used it as a stimulant in the exploitation of the silver mines.

Consumption was not noticeable outside America, because the complicated sheet transport, generating the loss of the active effects, but in 1859, Albert Niemann isolated the cocaine from the coca leaf and improved product packaging. With the isolation of its active ingredient, cocaine won space among European consumers.

Laboratories (Merck and Parke Davis) isolated the cocaine in American and transported the crude product. In 1863, a French pharmacist, Angelo Mariani, created a preparation of coca extract and wine (Wine Mariano) that had great commercial success as fitness drink An imitation of Mariano wine, created

by American John Styth Pemberton, resulted in the Coke. Its original formula contained wine, cocaine and tail (African walnut containing caffeine). With the passage of time, the wine was extracted, after cocaine and, at present, the tail has been replaced by synthetic

caffeine. You can even buy the drink without caffeine and sugar.

The medical use of cocaine had a great development in the late nineteenth century. Sigmund Freud was one of the enthusiasts of its application to combat nervous weakness, indigestion, malnutrition, impotence, asthma, alcoholism and addiction to morphine, and said that cocaine was effective in treating addiction and morphine it does not generate any problem. After the German and Dutch factories increase the product offering, its price fell dramatically in 1914, what favored an epidemic of addiction from the U.S. to India.

From the 70s of the twentieth century, Colombia and Bolivia again dominated the global cocaine trade, with large-scale exports to Western Europe and the United States, generating an epidemic of consumption. Some countries have created dangerous mixtures of cocaine base paste with chemicals (crack, basuco, free base and merla), all with high content of toxic and low cost.

Today, cocaine remains the most worrying in Western countries, with billions in investments for drug treatment and drug prevention.

As to snuff, its better known origin is the American. The first culture to use leaves for smoking snuff was the Maya, since 2,000 BC. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World in 1492, they found on the island of Haiti (which was called Tobago) an Indian who were “inhaled with delight the smoke produced by a rolled leaves and fired by one of his ends.�

Despite some restrictions in some countries, its use spread rapidly in Europe. Then governments changed their attitude prohibitionist by control measures. With the invention of the cigarette rolling machine in 1855, snuff consumption grew at an alarming way and industrialization led the tobacco companies to wield a huge commercial power, especially in the U.S., Europe, Turkey and China. Currently, we have fully aware of the many health problems caused by the consumption of snuff, which have led the World Health Organization (WHO) to define smoking as the leading preventable cause of early death, nicotine is one of the substances

which generates more addiction.

Caffeine is the most consumed drug in the world. The plant has already existed for thousands of years in Ethiopia, its diffusion as a stimulant began in Arabia in the tenth century The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia, and legend has it that a monk to observe how the animals were agitated after eating its fruits, decided to try them. In the eighteenth century, coffee consumption exploded in Europe. Also was popularized start the day with a cafĂŠ au lait. Caffeine is also present in tea and chocolate.

The use of hallucinogenic nightshade as henbane, belladonna, the daturas, and mandrake goes back to old testimonies of Middle and Far East. In Europe they were traditionally linked with witchcraft, being used in ceremonial and therapeutic contexts. To these are attributed levitation phenomena, telepathy and fantastic physical prowess. In Eurasia was plentiful Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom used by the shamans of Siberia in their rituals.

In America the ancient Indian civilizations were in the habit of using hallucinogenic plants in their ceremonies. From the tenth century BCE no stones-fungus among cultural monuments of Izapa, in current Guatemala. In the region of Peru also found ceramic pipes fourth century BC with a peyote figure, a hallucinogenic cactus that contains mescaline.

LSD 25 was accidentally discovered by the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman

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in 1938. After the Second World War, theSandoz house was dedicated to spreading the discovery under the trade name of Delycid. It was used experimentally to facilitate psychotherapy and to combat some disorder such as chronic alcoholism, sexual abnormalities.

When it was tested that the effects were unpredictable, was banned.

The illegal use of this drug became widespread from the 60s and 70s associated with the “counterculture” by university intellectuals, artists and musicians in search of other states of consciousness. Today, are still used LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline, peyote, but are in fashion other synthetic hallucinogens.

Synthetic drugs are a new challenge for the authorities, as they are of easy to manufacturing and circulation, do not produce detectable odors easily, favoring their traffic.

Amphetamines are stimulants that increase levels of motor and cognitive activity, reinforce wakefulness, alertness and attention and often have euphoric potential. It is a chemical derivative of ephedrine, was first synthesized in 1887 by the Romanian chemist Edeleano L. The experimental medical use of amphetamines began in 1920 and since then would be used by the military, especially the air force, to combat fatigue and increase awareness among the militias.

The World War II led its administration to soldiers in a massively. Almost all armies used them. The U.S. Army distributed more than 180 million tablets to its fighters. Amphetamine has also been used as an agent to improve physical performance (leading to sport doping)

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and intellectual (cognitive doping). In 1971, amphetamine was subject to internalMethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as ecstasy, is an addictive stimulant, increases activity, reduces appetite, and a general feeling of wellbeing. In 1914 it was patented in Germany by Merck as an appetite suppressant and was synthesized in 1919 in Japan, where it was used for asthma. Its use was relegated to experimental interrogation purposes and psychotherapies. He also had a prominent role in the military to increase performance of the troops. It was used by fighters of the Spanish Civil War and then, in a very widespread way, in the Second World War. In Japan, has been attributed to reckless behavior of the kamikazes. It was part of the German infantry of the blitzkriegs, and wore the uniform of the Luftwaffe. In case of surviving an accident, the pilot could survive about 4 days without food and rest, he only should fetch water to avoid dehydration. In England was delivered during the war to Montgomery’s army and to air force.

The first illegal consumption were detected during the 60s and 70s in the western of U.S. Currently, they are manufactured in clandestine laboratories using simple procedures and relatively inexpensive ingredients, usually accessible. The Methamphetamine of street is also known, even in Spanishspeaking countries, such as speed, meth or crank. The smoked way of the drug is often called ice, crystal or glass.

World Crusade against drugs Drug use in the beginning had a magical-religious purpose or medical.

In Egypt a papyrus, dated 2000 BC, said “I, your superior, I forbid you to go to taverns, you are degraded like beasts. “ In another papyrus a father

tells his son: “They tell me you abandon studies, that vague from alley in alley.

Beer is the destruction of your soul. “ In ancient times in Europe, the use of medicinal substances was considered an affront to the powers of God and medicine was not sufficient to allow the development of new treatments experience. Life expectancy was not more than forty years -Around the eight century, Muhammad flogged a drunk for breaching their duties, it generated the future prohibition of alcohol in the entire Islamic world; because his brother Ali left after his death, the statement that: “He who drinks gets drunk, he who gets drunk. makes nonsense, he who makes nonsense forge lies, and he who forge lies, should be penalized. “Pope Innocent VIII forbidden the use of cannabis in the year 1484, claiming it was an unholy practice of satanic rituals.

The snuff also had its moments of absolute restriction, it was banned in England in 1604 by King James I, who defined it as “abominable spectacle for the eye, offense to smell, harmful habit to the brain and dangerous to the lungs. Alcohol consumption began to be considered alarming by physicians in the late eighteenth century, due to a change in behavior patterns toward drinking, by the most popular sectors of the population associated with the process of industrialization that arose in Europe. The negative impact that the environment of the taverns and the abuse of alcohol had on workers families and health, associated items, such as illness, ruin, aggression or crime, soon it associated to the tavern with scenes of vice and perversion of customs Opium and its derivatives (morphine

and heroin) and cocaine were also seen as a public health problem in the late nineteenth century, when its harmful effects were already of generally known.

Early reviews and prohibitions had religious or moral character. Emerged only after some punitive rules based on medical criteria. Con el abuso indiscriminado de las drogas para fines hedonistas a fines del siglo XIX, se inició a nivel mundial una intensa persecución. La movilización internacional prohibicionista ganó fuerza en Estados Unidos a principios del siglo veinte. Preocupado por el gran número de adictos a las opiáceas y a la morfina, el Congreso americano creó un Comité para estudiar el problema.

Sus conclusiones llevaron a desatar una legislación moralista y represiva.

With indiscriminate abuse of drugs for hedonistic purposes late nineteenth century, it began an intense worldwide persecution. The International prohibitionist movilization gained strength in the United States in the early twentieth century. Concerned about the large number of opiate addicts and morphine, the U.S. Congress created a committee to study the In 1909, the United States organized an international meeting in Shanghai about the opium trade, in order to regulate the global market of the substance. However, the most important recommendations only asked that “governments take measures for the gradual suppression of opium smoking” and that “nations do not export opium to nations whose laws prohibit the import”.

Between 1911 and 1914 successive Conferences of The Hague, led to 44 countries to sign the pledge to “strive” to control domestic trafficking of heroin and cocaine. After the first World War, joined the Hague Agreement on on the Treaty of Versailles (1919), signed by most countries.

During the first Assembly of the League of Nations on February 19, 1925, was suscribed the Second International Opium Convention in Vienna. In this agreement, in addition to restricting the opium, morphine and cocaine, cannabis was also included as a controlled substance. The snuff and alcohol were not banned. Subsequent

conventions held in Geneva (1931 and 1936), introduced the request to impose severe penalties for drug traffickers.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1946 it was contributed to the unification of the view of the topic. In order to modernize and unify international treaties on restricted substances, is signed in New York, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, which recognizes the need for the use of drugs for medical purposes and the need to control the use of these substances, due to the severity of addiction in the personal order of the consumer and its social danger for humanity. It is the first time they are listed prohibited substances and restricted. The Single Convention was aimed to limit exclusively to medical and scientific purposes the production, distribution, possession, use and sale of drugs, and to oblige the States parties to take special measures in relation to specific drugs, such as heroin.

In the 1972 Protocol of the Convention, emphasized the need for addicts of receive treatment and rehabilitation.

Today, there are 183 states participating in the convention.

In 1971 under the auspices of the UN and due to the sharp increase in world consumption, was held in Vienna the Conference on Psychotropic Substances.

The agreement signed at the meeting dictated rules to control and oversee the production and distribution of drugs, it regulated the international trade of substances, established measures to preventing the misuse, as well as its ilegal trafficking and included lists of prohibited substances or subject to a special control. In addition, it established a system of international control of psychotropic substances, and introduced controls on certain synthetic drugs.

In 1988, it was held in Vienna the United Nations Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Besides containing the lists of substances tough new guidelines with respect to the crime of drug trafficking, the new Convention innovates by including rules

regarding the monitoring of precursors substances and money laundering.

This Convention is the main framework of international cooperation in combating drug trafficking, foresee the tracing, freezing and confiscation of assets and property from drug trafficking, extradition of drug traffickers and enforcement abroad of proceedings in criminal matters. States parties undertake to eliminate or reduce drug demand.

The Extraordinary General Assembly of the UN, about drug, 1998, in New York, tried six main points: demand reduction, elimination of crops, money laundering, precursor chemicals, synthesis drugs, and judicial cooperation, besides allocating efforts to curb the rising demand for drugs, focusing government action also on prevention.

Due to international initiatives, many of the countries upgraded their domestic legislation in recent years to modernize their legal systems and adapt them to the new guidelines.

Comments

Short Versión -José Theodoro Corrêa de Carvalho. Attorney, Brasil

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Charting a new route against drugs trafficking

By Roxana Baldetti Guatemala is not a producer or consumer of drugs, as if they are unfortunately some South American nations. The Guatemala´s problem is that there are drug networks, but now their actions are isolated, because the government of President Otto Perez Molina is charting a new route against drug trafficking.

Today we are not a route else, we are the center of the problem for drug trafficking.

Daily we seize drugs and its derivatives from all the continents of the world. This is our reality.

At the beginning of our mandate and in a wise effort, the president raised, more that decriminalization of drugs, a new route to fight drug trafficking, but not just for Guatemala, but for all of Central America and all those countries that wish to join this effort. The proposal that generated mixed reviews also represented the support of the Old World nations and countries that have already implemented similar efforts with success, because they know that for more than 30 years have not produced the desired effect with the policies implemented.

Guatemala and Central America have put the dead in this war for a long time, where only we serve as a bridge, because the consumer is in North America. The geographical location of Guatemala and the Isthmus, is beneficial for trade, but the Change´s government will not allow it to be also for drug trafficking. So, having established that traditional strategies do not work, President Otto Perez Molina has had

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The drug prohibition and its release can take us by paths which still suppose the decline of a nation committed to the eradication of drug trafficking. the courage to speak out and put on the table, a new proposal.

During the time in which the current president, Otto Perez Molina led the intelligence services of the Guatemalan army, were captured “El Chapo” Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, who was imprisoned in a Mexican jail for eight years and who after his escape in 2001, is considered one of the world’s most influential drug traffickers.

Now that Otto Perez Molina is president and is surrounded by a capable Cabinet, we know that we can have great results, but a regional policy should be instituted, for new strategies transcend and results are reflected in the reduction of the levels of smuggling, money laundering and the same security.

More than twenty years after that effort, our president, aware of the recoil that means the drug problem in Central America, proposed to abandon any ideological position about its prohibition or release, to formulate an intergovernmental dialogue around the globe, based on a realistic approach of the regulation of drugs.

The drug destination countries assume that Guatemala can with this, becoming a heaven for drugs, but still do not understand that consumption should be legalized within certain limits and conditions. But our proposal goes beyond that, it consists of a series of tactics, and civilian and military intelligence, but especially will of governments.

Meanwhile and without sit idly by the indifference of some nations, Guatemala has

managed to seize a historic amount of drugs so far in 2012.

In addition, we identified 115 border routes, where special police forces and military assets have doubled the control to prevent these areas from becoming routes for drug trafficking.

In our first eight months as responsible for social development of the country, we detained a million 256 people linked to drug trafficking and seized 10 thousand 378 million in drugs, properties and drug trafficking money.

These national efforts show that Guatemala may have a weak economy, but it is a nation of honorable men and women who would never allow Guatemala to be a paradise for drugs.

Will go down in history that Guatemala was the nation that in 2012 proposed that the world’s governments elaborate new routes against drug trafficking, and at the same time, the world can rest easy, because Guatemala will fulfill with all international commitments in the fight against drugs and will not continue being a silent witness of a global problem.

Comments

Roxana Baldetti Vicepresident, Guatemala

COVER

Venezuela: Narco-State

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The government of President Chavez has been quite tolerant operations of the business -related groups of drugs in Venezuela. Since the presumption of guilt of many of heir relatives, to the decision to expel the DEA and suspend any anti narcotics coordinated process in 2005, everything points to an internal complicity in the multimillion dollar business of drug trafficking.

Venezuela by geographical location is perfect to reach and cater traditional narcotics markets in the U.S. and Europe, also to serve as a bridge towards Honduras and Africa to cater these markets indirectly, as well as to cater the growing Brazilian market and new markets in Asia. The suspension of agreements and cooperation with the DEA, gives wide operating margin to cartels and security of not being deported or investigated. Furthermore, the possibility of an oil country with fiscal mess opens a huge gap to money laundering, proceeds of the drug trade. The exchange controls operating for nine years, facilitates this forex market to official funding and for a number of businesses that exist in Venezuela. The executive control of all institutions and the militarization of borders, allows impunity and the possible complicity of government officials and armed forces in a windfall. Systematic complaints of Das in Colombia, of the DEA and various international organizations or agencies in charge

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What happens when a president names as defense minister a general who has been included in several international terrorist lists and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has included him in its blacklist because of its connection with drug cartels? Is there a presumption of guilt when a government has within its ministers and senior military, people identified as drug dealers and do not open investigations, What kind of government is still being mentioned by almost all serious reports on international drug trafficking as the largest producer, distributor, bridge of transit, and center of laundering

Image 1: drug trafficking routes originating from Venezuela airway of analyzing the issue of drug trafficking, agree on the importance of Venezuela in the business.

The DEA estimates that pass through Venezuela pass 270-290 metric tons of cocaine per year, which is produced in Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, and is shipped in Venezuela towards European destinations. This represents more than 30% of the cocaine produced and distributed in the region. The increasing from 20 to 270 metric tons at the beginning of the Chavez administration is a true sign of complicity.

Adam Szubin, director of the Office

of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S., a unit to assist in the fight against terrorism said in April this year that “There is a worrying trend for what is happening in Venezuela on drug trafficking ...”. In September 2008, the current defense minister of Venezuela, and close aide of Hugo Chavez, Henry Rangel Silva, was linked to drug trafficking in accordance with the Law for the Designation of Leaders of Drug Trafficking Abroad, along with Functional Director of PSUV, Ramón Rodriguezguez Chacin and the former Director of Military Intelligence Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios. Later in 2011 were added four officials more.

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President Chavez rather than investigating the veracity of the allegation decided to ascend to Rangel Silva and appointed him as Minister of Defense. There is a letter from the former Minister of Defense Raul Baduel to Chavez in 2007, denouncing that Rangel Silva was directly involved in the use of armed force for the export of a shipment of 2.2 tons of cocaine from the FARC, which is kept in an Army barracks, and exported in military aircrafts. In fact, according to Eladio Aponte, a magistrate who escaped from Venezuela and is currently collaborating with the DEA in the U.S., Chavez himself ordered him to plug the matter as soon as possible. Today Baduel is imprisoned, and Rangel was promoted and condecorated. Another favorite of Chavez, General Cliver Alcala, Armored Division commander, has been reported on several occasions, as directly responsible for the operation of drug shipments using armed force in coordination with the President of the National Anti-Drug Office, Colonel Nestor Reverol.

Moreover, ignoring, President Chavez assured the election of another suspected of drug trafficking ties, former vice president and governor of Miranda State, Captain Diosdado Cabello. Cabello is a former soldier who participated in conspiracies of ChĂĄvez, beginning with the guerrilla group Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement and some say it is the key element in the relationship between

Image 2: Routes of cocaine

the military and illegal business. -His post as chairman of parliament gives more power to the military faction of corrupt Chavez movement in the country. The Cabello´s position at the head of Chavez’s United Socialist Party (PSUV) consolidates military power of the elite linked to corrupt mafias. A report from ABC in Madrid in April 2012 said that President Hugo Chavez has received and has ignored numerous weekly reports and reports with evidence of drug

Image 3: drug trafficking routes originating from Venezuela sea (Source OAS)

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operations conducted in Venezuela and especially those carried out under the control of armed forces.

Similarly, there is a strange coincidence between the airplanes that achieve to seize on the outside and their routes, pointing mostly to Venezuela. In Mali landed a 747 from Venezuela when it discharged his load of cocaine in this country, indicating that a larger scale airport is being used to transport drugs. We often hear news about drugs seized in Africa, Europe and Central America coming from Venezuela, the use of the diplomatic bag in Nigeria for traffic, the use of oil tankers for traffic and uncertainly that seizures of drugs are real and actually are destroyed.

Another side of the coin is to use Venezuela as a safe country for laundering money from illegal businesses, from drug trafficking money to capital of the countries with international restrictions as the Iran or Syria. Hugo Chavez has been an active supporter of Syria and Iran in Latin America, hosting to Ahmadinejad like Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Rafael Correa of Ecuador, who represent ideological-authoritarian stance like Chavez. Because despite having fewer

resources than Chavez, They help triangular Iran’s banking operations, trading activities and energy operations worldwide, to counteract the effects of international economic sanctions against Ahmadinejad and the regime of Ali Khamenei; likewise occurs with the murderer regime of Bashar al Assad, whom they are helping to export diesel and at the same time to make triangular operations. There is increasing evidence that Venezuela is a Several Analysts and Institutions, Including OPEC itself indicate that oil production in Venezuela is in the order of 1.9 million barrels a day, but the figures showed by the Government of Venezuela are about 3 million barrels per day, a difference of more than 1.1 million barrels per day. In any serious government those numbers are not adjusted to reality and obviously are not suitable inflating the figures unless there is another business that requires justifies income. Use of

PDVSA (state oil company) to launder money coming from the drug and countries with bans (as in the case of Iran), has been the thesis most used by many analysts. Other businesses in the hands of the state can be the screen for washing other sources, in what appears to become the largest currently operating narco state.

If we add other countries to the equation, what we are seeing may be one of the largest cartels of the mafia in the world, helping not only the FARC and Hezbollah, but also Iran and the Russian and Chinese mafias. The friends governments of the ALBA seem less concerned about social justice and equality of power and money. Hugo Chavez has carefully created for himself the image of a great Latin American “Liberator”, but actually emerges from his “Bolivarian Revolution” as a threat to the democratic world. Too evidences and unanswered questions.

It is sad to see how democratic

countries become accomplices, by act or omission, of a serious crime against democracy and freedom, allowing criminals literally get away with it.

Comments

New Polícy Magazine

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INTERVIEW

Venezuela has a way Venezuela has a way: Exclusive Interview, Nueva Política (New Policy) with the Democratic Unity candidate for the presidency of Venezuela, Henrique Capriles Radonski Exclusive photo by Nueva Política

On October 7 will be held historic elections in Venezuela.

After 14 years of totalitarian control / abuse of power by Hugo Chavez and many errors of the opposition, it seems that the democratic Venezuela has matured and achieved a unity candidacy elected in primaries. The polls show contradictory trends, in some there are technical ties, others point to Hugo Chavez with an advantage and others to Henrique Capriles. Nueva Política and Redlad traveled to Venezuela to assess the pre-election situation and got an exclusive interview with Henrique Capriles.

Henrique Capriles Radonski was born in Caracas on July 11, 1972 and has held the positions of Vice President of the National Congress, Mayor of Baruta, and Miranda state governor, was elected in primaries of the opposition to be its candidate in February 2012. Capriles is the grandson of Holocaust survivors Jews and professed devout Catholic. Founding member of the party “Primero Justicia. With 40 years represents a new political generation in Venezuela in contrast to the authoritarianism of Hugo Chavez with 58 years of age.

1) A insight of the policy of Capriles I have always felt a strong vocation to serve, to serve my people. I have had the opportunity to represent the Venezuelans in various political positions throughout my career, I was President of the old Congress in 1998, I was mayor of Baruta for two periods and Governor of Miranda. The town has allowed me to deal with each of these responsibilities and I am committed seriously.

Today I represent an option in Venezuela, an option that calls for peace, unity and progress of all Venezuelans alike. I am convinced that there is a way to make things right, in which all Venezuelans

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can progress. On October 7, the people will express their opinion and I will become the next President of Venezuela.

2) Left or right?

I do not believe in political labels that try to divide the people. I’m progressive, I believe in freedom, justice, equality, responsibility, respect, peace, and commitment to serve the Venezuelans.

3) Five differences with Hugo Chavez, and five things I would do differently.

Five differences with Hugo Chavez - I will be the president of all Venezuelans, not of a group.

- I will work for all Venezuelans have opportunities for advancement.

- I will make Venezuela a country where justice prevails.

- For me the word has value, is a compromise.

- I will work hand in hand with all the governors and mayors.

4) Chavez: Autocrat or Democrat with “trends”?

He is fourteen years ruling from control, intimidation, concentrating power. He is a candidate who offers nothing new to the country. Venezuelans have long time waiting and Oct. 7 may express their opinion and express the change they want.

5) things I would do differently - I’m going to talk less and work more.

- I’m going to solve the problems of Venezuelans, not of other countries.

- I am committed to solving the problem of insecurity in Venezuela.

- I’m going to invest in education, because with a good education, the people can progress.

- I’m going to build trust and to work with the public and private sectors to provide quality jobs 6) Venezuela: a narco-state?

We categorically reject the presence and recognition of armed groups within the country. Drug trafficking, guerrillas, paramilitaries and armed groups outside the law are a threat and we can not let them become stronger.

7) How to reduce violence and insecurity in Venezuela?

We need a government that stop looking for someone to blame and takes this as a priority. We have a Safety Plan for All, which is based on prevention, counting with reliable police, the purification of the judicial system and the prison system transformation.

We will have zero tolerance to violence to achieve changes that our country needs.

8) First steps On Monday we will announce our plan for the first 100 days, we are committed to employment and security.

9) Nationalization or privatization?

We believe in working together with the public and private sectors. This government expropriates jobs. What Venezuelans need, are more opportunities and quality jobs to progress.

10) Will Hugo Chavez hand over the power if he loses? How do you ensure the transition?

We believe that the will of the people shall be respected.

We proposed a Transition Act to ensure the peace in the process of transfer of power.

11) In international matters: what will happen to the Alba, agreements with China, props to Cuba / Bolivia / Nicaragua / Argentina, alliances with Iran, Belarus and Russia?

Our north always will be to strengthen relationships to allow the progress in Venezuela; we will solve the problems of Venezuelans that is our priority.

12) Is there a way?

There is a path that includes us all. We invite all Venezuelans to be part of it, because together we are more. On October 7, we all have the responsibility to express through our vote our will.

Comments

New Polícy Magazine

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Regional overview

�A month before the elections ...

What motivates me to vote?�

By Jackeline Sandoval de Guevara Since 1999 in Venezuela I only see immorality and corruption, not leaving aside that we observe with indignation how are trampled rights of the people, besides being ignored the demands of millions of Venezuelans.

We have witnessed the decomposition process of the institutions, especially those relating to justice and the sense of community in society projects, that would not be negative if the current government would understand that the people is not just the one you saw red flannel.

At present, as a citizen, I note that the most troubling indicators in our country are corruption, impunity, abuse of power and overall the implementation of a series of state actions that can be enrolled as expressions of a climate of widespread violence in almost every corner of the country.

And worst, I see no solutions, at least not by the ruler of the last 13 years.

What would be the consequences of not going out to vote and / or continue with this model country?

We need a project where we have the possibility of supporting the coexistence and consensus on shared values, such as transparency, justice and democracy, hitherto little preserved or almost disappeared.

If we start from the premise that we are in the midst of a crisis of governance that it seems that the government does not see, but we believed it has been sponsored by the authorities, who have used social institutions for violence and cause a climate of social decomposition like future project; then we have to think that we have nothing to lose by exercising our right to vote and it is possible to imagine a way in the opposite direction, and also we owe it to ourselves after 13 years of misrule,

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where we have only seen the street light and darkness for our country.

I think the there is a opportunity to undertake a reflection, that with our vote opens a compass of possibilities and conditions to end violence, impunity, intolerance and corruption of the groups and the dominant social actors acting under the protection of state institutions.

Clearly many officials act in the shade, under the protection of government complicity, which results in impunity in all circles of power. Clearly many officials act in the shade, under the protection of government complicity, which results in impunity in all circles of power.

Tangible example of this is the existence, in the last 13 years of more than 172 political prisoners, and we have witnessed judicial repression that they have been the subject, of a series of abuses of power and violations of due process in every cases, in addition to the perversions of judicial decisions that are just some of the institutional violence that have strained the national scene in recent years, where the main protagonists of the acts of injustice enjoy the protection of law and even used it against those who question their honesty.

Many of us can not believe that sheltered under the slogan that their actions reflect the need to preserve a socialist and revolutionary state, commit crimes, human rights violations, are corrupt, and if someone denounces these situations, and as a result of kidnapping of many media, they only imposes his version of events. We also note that if the crimes committed by them are reported by some media or by civil society, the response of the authorities does not appear anywhere. Thus, impunity is reaffirmed as existing standard, imposing every day in our legal system.

The institutions responsible for dispensing justice pretend to pursue crimes while establishing the conditions to allow impunity. Before this situation, our response moves between the limits of disappointment, despair and resilience. But we must be clear about something, we can not continue to tolerate this situation indefinitely and is in us seeking change, although many believe that there are several scenarios, the answer must come from us, civil society willing to get through elections, endearing values of justice, democracy and freedom. It’s time to find a way out of this maze of misfortunes to which we have subjected in the last 13 years.

It is true that most of these problems can not be solved only with our vote, let alone believe that they will be resolved on 8 October, the day as expected by all, because too many think that some of them seem not have solutions, at least in the short term. However, it is inevitable undertake perhaps not as utopian task of imagine that we can collaborate on something to stop the deterioration of our political, social and law system of our country.

Although not all of us have gone through the path of injustice and impunity, I am sure many sympathize with a social project inclusive, tolerant and truly democratic.

Comments

Jackeline Sandoval de Guevara FUNDEPRO, Venezuela

Regional overview

Colombia:

With right to hope

By Martha Elena Perez Colombia faces again hope for a peace process, culminating in a civil war for over 50 years, a civil war, a war of parties, a war for land, a war to keep the cultivation of illegal drugs, which is makeup with a lost ideology for decades, a war for power. In this process appears hope, a elusive hope, which hopefully not diluted by the elapse of days.

For Fromm, hope implies a fuller life, liberation from “the eternal boredom.”

This conceptualization excludes hope as “to expect”, thus it would have in this way, a connotation of resignation. Hope implies a vision of the present (Fromm, 1982).

Eternal weariness of the cruelty of kidnapping, theft of children´s innocence, the right to family and love of women in the field. The tedium of the speeches timely, that beyond changing the course of 50 years of violence, seek to maintain privileges, for those who have become “war talkers.” Eternal boredom of spent money for war that could well have been invested in people and their needs.

From a perspective of positive psychology, hope is conceived as a way of thinking, feeling and acting in relation to somewhat expected in the future; implies expect that results are given and it is expected that the efforts and actions lead to these achievements.

To think of a now and in a different tomorrow, to think that all objectives are valid and possible, imagine that beyond economic interests and war-

References

mongers of the different parts, there is a person, who really thinks that you can live in the same space, with other human beings and that the dreams of both are achievable.

To feel that spoken from new discourses, clear, with truth, so it hurts everyone, from different corners of a country weary of violence.

Act accordingly and in line on the possibility of building peace. Act with truth, that face the country, and particularly in front of the millions of displaced people, men and women who lost their loved ones, their memories, steps of childhood, first love, the smell of the corners , the love of your pets, everything.

Colombians trust again (something difficult in these times), to trust in the state and its rulers, to trust that the speeches break through the words and manifest into reality.

On several occasions, the hope and optimism of Colombians have gone hand in hand, waiting for a new tomorrow. A tomorrow of hope, for these and the other generations. A morning for planting, for women and children.

Hope involves thinking and rethinking new scenarios for the future of a country that not only struggles in a war of more than half a century, but faces various fronts of violence from drug trafficking, common criminals, organized crime and corruption, mainly political.

To think that we can go through a country at peace is encouraging.

Fromm, E. (1970). The revolution of hope. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica.

Lira, E. (2010). Memory and democratic coexistence. Practices forgetfulness and memory. FLACSO I recommend watching this link. Book Revolution of Hope http://es.scribd.com/doc/37177095/Fromm-Erich-La-revolucion-de-la-esperanza-1968

Wearing a backpack and explore the impossible, it seems a utopia, a utopia, to which entitled present generations and future generations. My children and yours.

Hand in hand, thinking about a possible and a distant peace, appear drug trafficking problems, a business like any other that perhaps conflict actors are determined not to leave. Paramilitaries also appear, for those whose presence makes sense, to the extent that his opponent exists. Like the weapons business and everything that revolves around war.

Faced with the possibility of peace, hope is the only thing you can not loose.

All Colombian expect the “yoismo” and the leadership, that attracts our representatives, transcends to every one of the dead and the living of this war.

The Hope can not keep on forgiveness and forgetting, as conceived by governments and lawyers at the moment.

Forgive is a complex process of the soul, because the images, memories and pain are not buried with speeches or with policies of oblivion, because the memories, when are generated by the war, remain despite the time and therapies, if any.

“We should think...” says Professor Elizabeth Lira ,”put a date to the past to not forget the victims and the dead, create a resistance against oblivion based on loyalty to the dead.” (Lira, 2010).

Comments

Martha Elena Perez, Psychologist, Researcher. Master in Educational Development. Coolombia

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Regional overview

The Cuban farce, the exposed persecution against Cubans LETTERS FROM CUBA

By Walter Clavel Torres Santiago de Cuba, September 6, 2012 (www.aplopress.com) On day 22 August 2012, at about 5:30 a.m., surround my house state security agents, members of the Interior Ministry and the National Police revolutionary, who were accompanied by two residents of the neighborhood, which should serve as witness of something that neither they themselves knew what it was.

I already knew this scenario, because the Study Guide for Proactive Democracy illustrates it very well, but in these regimes the reality goes beyond fiction. And is not just a person who is at stake, but the whole family.

The first victim was my mother, Caridad Torres Soler. Someone knock on my door, she gets up scared, because it was very early. When he looked out the window, sees more than 40 people dressed in military uniform, more than five police cars and other vehicles of the Interior Ministry and State Security When tell my mother that they are going to carry out a search of the house, my mother informs me and I get up. Perhaps here was obviated some steps of the Guide, which could have neutralized a little the aggressive way of the search, but the psychological impact and surprise are difficult to control. It would be advisable to make tests or mock searches and arrests within the opposition.

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You just have to imagine hat when I leave my room, in the small space of the room, I find that there are more than 30 police officers and police policy.

The excessive deployment of its forces of repression is part of its strategy of intimidation and fear induced.

They treat me like a criminal, they try to humiliate me, they want me take out of the house in handcuffs, to which I object. I get on the stop bus and I tell them that if they want, that use brute force and take me dragging. Although afraid, by considering that this is like refusing to the arrest, the truth is that in Cuba, as there is no a rule of law and the legality, or not, of the acts are decided politically, before a possible greater social scandal, a security officer of the state gives the order to the police to take me without handcuff When the search of the house was to begin, they took me out of there, but before, the agent Julio of policy police requires me delivering me my phone, because according to him, they had to review it. It has become fashionable in Cuba by all police institutions, the requisition of cell phones, so it is advisable not to store sensitive information in them.

Around 6.00 a.m., they take me to the Operations Center in State Security on the Heights of Versailles, after leaving the car, they drive me for a long, dark hallway, that but because I knew of its existence during the study of the Guide, I did not caused a traumatic psychological impression, because that is its goal, deconcentrated and make you to lose

orientation. So, I passed the first test successfully, thanks to the Study Guide and lawlessness Democratic strategy.

Although it seems a little thorough and detailed, what follows is important, because it is part of psychological warfare for which we must be prepared.

Notice that after passing through the dark tunnel, they take me to a solitary office, there, they leave me for a while, and then they take me out of the place and put me in the patrol car for over an hour. After that time, they took me out of the car again, and they want me to sign a document for alleged “disturbing the peace”, I refuse to sign this document: then the cops come and leave me in charge of the officers of the Operations Unit of the State´s Security.

They take me to an office, again by dark corridors, then I go to another and then to another, and there on the floor they remove my belongings, as money, wallet, watch, bracelet, scarf and belt. While they were recording me and taking pictures, a nurse made ​​me a physical exam and asked me about my health and my diseases; to her question, I reply that I am addicted and when she was going to write, she asks me, what kind of drug. I tell her that my drug is called freedom, I’m addicted to freedom and that I will do everything in my power to help to achieve freedom and democracy in Cuba.

They take me to another office; two nurses tell me they are going to do the test of VIH (Aids). I refuse to do such analyzes, and nurses retire. I refused because there have been cases of

contamination with infected syringes, since there is not a good sterilization.

Soon comes an officer and passes through my whole body a metal detectors, to be negative, they pass me to the infirmary. There, they take blood pressure, weigh me, height measure me and ask me for my health. At the end, they take me to one walled cell and lock me for an hour or so, since there is no time-measuring device in such places. They take me out and take me back to an office, they leave me two cigarettes and a lighter (matchbox) above a table and say they are for me, as I do not smoke I ignore them, and the officer retires them. I sit in an uncomfortable chair fixed to the floor, that is in the office and then I step to another more comfortable, a swivel chair. Then a guard comes and tells me I can not sit in that chair, because that chair is for instructors, and take it out of the office, when he goes, I lie on the floor. Immediately the guard enters and lead me back to the walled cell, leaving the hall urges me to put my hands behind my back, but I say no, that if he wants he handcuff me. Again they leave me, because I am impossible.

Then they take me out and lead me to make a photo shoot, they took pictures at different angles and also fingerprints. They make a small interrogation of whether I practice a sport that includes martial arts. I say no, that only when I was a child I practiced GrecoRoman wrestling. From there, they take me back through dark hallways to my cell, and locked me for a while. After they lead me to an office with camera in the presence of the Security Officer of the state, known as the agent Julio.

Although he is very friendly and kind by offering his support, just reminded me that reference Martiana, of “neither favors nor heat of enemy´s hand”.

-The agent Julio tries to justify the register and the arrest they have made me as ​​ a result of my political activism.

According to him, I maintain a very high profile as opponent and I needed to

lower that profile because it affected directly to him, who was attending me in place of the agent Frank. .

Briefly, I let him know that I preferred jail to stop being opponent, and death to traitor. He said: “Do not be silly.

Don´t you see that they are using you and take advantage of you the insiders and outsider, who are enriched with your work,?” I argued that everything he did was for my own will and conscience, feelings that they unknown, unlike him, that has to serve as an agent of the political police, an employee of terror who receives a salary for repress the population.

He talked about the conditions and facilities, which according to him, they gave those who become agents (informants) in the service of the Castro government, and once arrives my departure by the refugee program of The Office of Interests of the United States, they would not object my departure from the country, that they decide who was going and who was staying in Cuba, that if ever there are any changes in immigration policy,

and no longer could leave so easily as now, opponents would face to the same government repression, therefore it was convenient for me, give them better collaboration.

Before such blackmail, I said that this was not a problem for me, because I had no interest in leaving the country in the short term, so that did not interest me negotiate anything. Simply, I made it clear to them that my principles were not negotiable, that they would not scare me with simple threats. That they were the ones to give a demonstration of changes, not just cosmetic changes announced by Raul, but changes in their actions with the people, changes in their

behavior with us, their opponents, in a civilized way as in most of the world.

The first would begin to respect our rights, because an example of this violation was the arbitrary abuse against me in those moments. He tried to convince me with crafty arguments, but failing to achieve its purpose with its supposed ‘negotiation’, called the guard to take me back to the cell.

Comentarios

Walter Clavel Torres, Deputy APLOPESS. Cuba

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Regional overview

The electoral farce in

“Chavezuela”

By Javier Loaiza On October 7, Venezuelans will vote to elect president for the next six years. According to the purpose of the current president, the only option is, Chavez wins or Chavez wins. He is a despot, and there is no sign that is willing to give up power. He just say: “Even for the rich, I think, is convenient that Chavez wins. Think about it, gentlemen.” “They do not have an interest in civil war? Not suit them”.

For Chavez, this is the electoral farce that lets him ratify and remain in the power. For Venezuelans is the opportunity to overcome peacefully a long night of fourteen marked by authoritarianism, schizophrenic verbiage, incompetence, violation of human rights, corruption, inflation, and food shortages, ongoing confrontation and fear.

Hugo Chavez has ruled the manner of the Chinese mandarins of 25 centuries ago, commanding as lord and master, amends absolutist and despotic, trying to turn citizens into subjects, imposing

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its will and whims. He runs over opponents, pursues his opponents, and restricts freedoms and guarantees and the constitution at will.

Thanks, inter alia, that the opponents had cleared it opened in December 2005 when they withdrew from the elections “for lack of guarantees”.

Chavez stayed with the Congress in 100%. After, seized the justice, the electoral tribunals, ordered persecutions, prosecutions, expropriations, harassment to opponents and retention of political prisoners, restricted the free movement of Venezuelans, he imposed candidates to regional and local elections, and recently, before the advance of the opposition to present itself to the legislative, he manipulated the voting districts and was left with two thirds (2/3) of the seats (98 of 165) despite that his party PSUV only won by less than 1 % to the opposition, which only got a third of the deputies (33 seats).

Sparked an arms race, has more than 100,000 members of the Bolivarian

militias armed with AK47 rifles purchased from Russia, he has shown as a supporter of the FARC and he has allowed to pay tribute to former guerrillas killed by the action of forces Armed Colombia. According to UN reports, Venezuela became a major drug trafficking corridors, and even it speaks of “the cartel of the stars” with senior generals involved, who control drug trafficking areas for their own benefit. Has given Venezuelan oil and money right to left, buying friends in neighboring countries.

Last year he had the country in suspense trying to generate feelings of solidarity between the people who benefited from their “missions” welfarist, and feelings of regret between the “nini” (neither Chavez nor against Chavez), supposedly affected by cancer , that today seems to have been all a farce, because suddenly all traces disappeared and he is in full campaign today; anyway, it was kept secret, and if he die or worsen his health, would be worse, because there is no a “Chosen” as succes-

sor, which could lead to clashes between Chavismo factions.

-Moreover, the opposition after 13 years was joined in past February to a primary with more than 2 million 900 thousand voters, in which won the current candidate Henrique Capriles Randonsky. Despite threats and warnings from the government, the people voted stimulated because it was not mandatory inked finger and Unity Table would not give the list of voters. Obviously, the government tried to get the lists, so they were forced to burn the records.

-Among many blunders, recently said that “whoever is not Chavista, is not Venezuelan” paradigmatic of what in his megalomania would like to be called the Bolivarian Republic of “Chavezuela”.

-What is at stake is not only the internal but the external. Inside is corrupt military, opportunists political, fanatics of Chavez, citizens who receive handouts, clientelism and populism; about a quarter of Venezuelans, approximately eight million-, consider that they do not need to work. Outside, there is great interest in the continuity of Chavez in power, represented by their friends of ALBA, Lula said that “his victory is our victory,” Castro, Correa, Ortega, Cristina, Evo, and the new ones “Muslim brothers “of Iran and even Putin who goes happily selling weapons to Chavez.

Chavez did not accept international election observers in these elections, inventing the figure of “escorts” only for their friends of Unasur.

The Carter Center said the support is to invite “foreign individuals to observe the activities on polling day through a political presence more symbolic”, while observation involves “assessing the electoral process as a whole.”

So, weeks before elections, there is four scenarios which could

be called the likely future, in which would lose Venezuelan democracy and would entrench more the despot and his minions. -In any of them, Chávez or Chavismo stays. He threatening to do whatever, even a civil war if he loses. It does not seem willing to give, in fact his brother Adan Chavez, governor of Barinas, publicly reported to Chavez that may be they are needed to defend the Bolivarian Revolution by means of arms.

Sin embargo, siempre ha habido reacciones de la sociedad que han superado los más criminales y autoritarios gobernantes, pasó en Europa del Este, en el norte de África, con la Primavera Árabe. Venezuela no será la excepción, los venezolanos van a reescribir el futuro, se van a sobreponer, ya perdieron el miedo; los indecisos ya tomaron partido, están cansados. Sólo les mueve el coraje, la decisión y la creatividad, y la fuerza Armada no va a disparar contra los venezolanos.

However, there have always been reactions of society, which have overcome to the most criminal and authoritarian rulers; it happened in Eastern Europe, in North Africa with the Arab Spring. Venezuela will not be the exception, Venezuelans will rewrite the future,

they will be overcome, they have just lost their fear, the undecided have already taken sides, and they are tired. Only moves them the courage, determination and creativity, and the armed forces will not fire on Venezuelans.

Chavez also passes. On October 7 Venezuelan dawn begins.

Scenario 1. Chavez wins

-Chavez will get a high and forceful voting; discarded scenario by government wear, his broken promises, and the systematic action of the opposition, highlighting the mistakes, blunders and abuses of the regime. Chavez has a hard vote based on welfarism that receives government handouts in exchange for loyalty, more the manipulations of the Election Day. He will not let them to take the just like that, and encourage his followers saying that it will reach “ten million votes.”

-”We’re heading to 70% of the vote!”

He says be prepared to avoid surprises as in the last election. However, not be ruled out that despite a draw, data may be surprising.

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2. Technical draw The voting with a slight advantage for Chavez, who seems quite likely according surveys and as the president himself recognizes it.

He said he will not win “comfortably” in spite of the huge advertising expenses, clientelism, threats by radio and television. It’s a scenario not very reliable, since in cases of repression and threats, in despotic regimes, people fear reveal their voting intentions to the pollsters.

However, the election official will be controlled by Chavez officers, there will be areas in which will insert fear in order the people can not vote, threats at closing and counting of votes, as did in Nicaragua, and votes are counted with the door closed without participation of the opposition and without international observers. Moreover, during the Chavez government, the electoral roll has increased in a 65% from 11 million voters in 1998 to nearly 18.9 million today; more than 7 million new voters in a population that has not grown to that level and rather has suffered with emigrations of people persecuted by the regime or burdened by violence.

3. Capriles wins Capriles gets a result in his favor with a difference for not more than 5%. Another scenario quite likely according the trends. The Capriles campaign goes from town to town, walking and meeting people, but just suspended a visit to a Caracas barrio claiming that the pro-government armed groups were waiting to

attack him. Chavez does not recognize or deliver the power, Chavez stays. He is already warning that accepts no excuse other than the official, or the results of surveys “exit of urn” (exit pool), that the opposition is going to put together a show for win credited for the victory. Government bands will avoid the vote of opponents, government officials monitor voting results in the voting tables, electronic counting operated by the government, plus the CNE pro- government, which will be ready to override voting tables where Capriles appears as winner.

-”Tensions are likely to increase if are certain some public suspicions that Chávez has used extra-constitutional means to prevent or invalidate a victory of the opposition with the purpose to maintain his regime in power”. Protests by such actions, which could turn violent, in turn, may lead to the imposition of martial law and the further reduction of democratic rights in Venezuela, as says Professor Patrick D. Duddy of Duke University, in a recent analysis in the Council on Foreign Relations.

4. Chavez loses Chavez would get in this scenario a vote bellow the opposition much higher than 5% overflowing any control of the electoral machinery, is the product of a reaction of citizens who overcame fear definitely, they do not want more authoritarianism, and the “ninis” react and vote.

So, Chavez stays.

After everything done and having commitments inside and out, he is not going to go so easily.

More

than 100,000 armed people are going out to defend the “revolution” against the claims of imperialism and its henchmen. “The country is at stake,” it is possible that according to the circumstances even can get to name a temporary governing board friend, which ends of consolidating the annulment process, in the practice, of the electoral process, of the Chavista farce. If the opposition reacts, they will to claim their victory, they will try to suppress and suspend all kinds of guarantees. Even, the FARC would come to support Chavez.

For Professor Duddy “Chavistas would be willing to provoke violence, civil unrest orchestrate or participate in various forms of armed resistance to avoid cede power.” Chavez himself has taught his followers the idea that “a victory for Capriles only be possible” through deception, collusion with the independent media remaining, and covert support from the U.S. “the victory that would end the “missions” Chavez and would return the power to traditional elites. He adds, “The instigated violence could be a creation of circumstances sufficient to justify the suspension of civil liberties, the postponement of the election, or after vote invalidating the results of the October 7”.

And Professor Duddy believes that there are only two factors to deter Venezuelans of violence: “The counting of the electoral process and a clear sense that the rest of the Western Hemisphere would not tolerate an attempt to subvert or ignore the result of a legitimate vote”.

None of two seems to be present.

So, it will dawn and we will see.

Comentarios

Javier Loaiza, Director ETM, Colombia

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Regional overview

DEMOCRACY AND SEXUAL DIVERSITY

AN OUTSTANDING DEBT

By Andres Rivera Duarte The unfortunate history of coups and dictatorships in Latin America, we call to mind the human rights violations, arbitrary arrests, missing prisoners, the brutal torture, pain episodes and abuse of those who should protect us.

The fall of dictatorships brought the joy of democracies, the libertarian waving of the flags and the human rights...

Did it really bring the libertarian waving of human rights? or only some of the human rights?

I am a 48 years old transsexual, I was a boy when the military coup in Chile, I grew up during dictatorship, feeling the brutality of the regime. During my youth I was part of the struggle against the dictator and celebrated the fall of Pinochet. The return to democracy was hailed as the great triumph of the citizenship, an organized and united citizenship that raised his voice against the dictator.

Through the years, democracies have

made ​​ efforts to find the missing, to compensate those who suffered the direct consequences of torture, prison, exempt, but there is an outstanding debt that is still making a difference of the “human rights”, for some “human”. During the dictatorship in Chile, the transsexuals, transgender and transvestites, were brutalized, tortured, discriminated against, and to date no government has recognized this truth.

According to Tomás Rivera González, alias “The Female Doctor”, former transvestite of legendary neighborhood San Camilo and The Aunt Carlina, to be homosexual or transvestite was very dangerous in the year 73. In the blog of Mr. Rivera describes various events that relate to the violation of human rights of LGBT people, during the dictatorship. http://banderahueca.blogspot.com/.

One of the main features that should

I share with you two cases:

1. PATRICIA´S CASE (trans-sexual) I remember that time with pain; it was when they destroyed my life, when I felt worthless, that I was rubbish that my life had gone forever.

I was walking down the street, I had to come to my house, the police patrol stopped, the first thing the one of the policeman said: “Stop this fagot”. They took me and beat me, I felt the combo in my face, and the sound of my teeth, I felt a lot of pain in my face and my head, I fell to the ground, hey kicked me, again and again, they did not stop, they kept doing it, I felt the blood on my face, I do not know how long they beat me; when they tired of beating me on the floor, one of them began to urinate on my body and face, the others laughed, I felt fear, disgust, I was paralyzed, and there came the worst, a policeman pulled down his pants, squats and defecates in my face ... ... I could hear the laughter...

When I heard the story of Patricia, my tears fell down my face, I could not understand how humans can act that way, but I asked myself. These policemen are human beings? ....

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2. VICTORIA´S CASE (Female Transsexual) We were walking down the road with a group of friends, police took us, climbing they do not beat us, but when we got to the police station in Avenida Spain, they all beat us, they made the dark alley in the courtyard of the police station, we were naked and wet; then they forced us to make oral sex and receive their urine in the mouth. I was raped by several policemen, they beat me with sticks and kicking, even, they ripped me two teeth during the beatings.

They forced us to see when they beat or raped a fellow. I heard people calling for help in the next cell, they asked us to tell their families that they were here. The policemen called each other by the last name. I remember to Morales who was in charge at the police station, he let others abusing us and was the most violent, he threatened us to kill our families if we told the judge what happened when they take us to courts. Several police raped me anally; they forced us to make oral sex. We were forced to kiss the tip of his boots saying that they were the most, and we had to apologize for existing. We were forced to insulting our fellows as they smote us.

They cut my hair with a machete, hurting my head with the knife, they left us all bald, and we walked through the city center so

These cases are striking, we know there are more, and many more and still do not even have the recognition of being considered human rights violations

THE ABUSES CONTINUE IN DEMOCRACY: We might think that with the consolidation of democracy, these acts of barbarism would be over, but no, this year only a month ago…

MARIA IGNACIA´S CASE (transsexual woman)

The incident occurred in Antofagasta, a city in northern Chile. María Ignacia transsexual woman aged 22, tells: “Yesterday morning while waiting for transportation to my house, a patrol police stopped and the policemen offered to take me to my house, as I refused and I continued, walking they insulted me, etc., they put me in his car and forced me to perform oral sex, also hit me pretty in my body and in my face ...I live in a suburb of Antofagasta, I am from a family of good standing, I have no police records. Then they took me arrested, they stripped me, wet me, took away my belongings (IPhone, jewelry and money) even my tacos. At 10 am, a police officer released me, I was in shock. “ This brutal abuse of power, alienation, humiliation and discrimination happened in the Third Precinct of Antofagasta, Calle San Martin 2450.

Maria Ignacia in shock got some money and manages to call her mother, who immediately goes to look for her to the police station door, where Maria Ignacia was waiting for her mother sat on the ground. The mother moved her daughter to the hospital for revising injuries, but there was the policeman on Duty of the hospital near the doctor to prevent confirmation of lesions, another doctor advised them that they were where the matron, who reviewed her and verified the blows, unfortunately was not carried out the test of fluids in her mouth

These cases impact. We know there are more, many more. And still do not even have the recognition of being human rights violations

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A MEDIOCRE ANTI DISCRIMINATION LAW have an anti-discrimination law is to focus your aim on effective non-discrimination of those who supposedly protects. To achieve such a goal is necessary to take measures that even if they seem inequitable, seek the establishment of the principle of equal opportunities. Clearly the law never considered equal opportunity, affirmative actions, public policies and less the reparation to the victims.

The Transsexuals Organization for Dignity of the Diversity TOD, from Chile, worked hard achieving the gender identity in the law, but unfortunately despite efforts, could not sensitize the authorities and legislators to obtain an anti-discrimination law that had as fundamental point the equality of opportunity. In his analysis TOD explains: Affirmative actions should fulfill three functions: First: to recognize the origin and mechanism of arbitrary discrimination, which involves, create a dialogue between civil society, government and research-

ers, because to eliminate any form of discrimination is need to understand where it come from discrimination and the effects it produce; a quality public policy and effective must define its purpose and what its origin.

Second: central axis of affirmative action, education and prevention, both actions go together, because we know that education is the cornerstone of prevention, for this, and this is directly related to the previous point, is to know what we are educating and preventing. It is extremely counterproductive to say discrimination, is wrong if the people do not understand neither the mechanism nor the role of arbitrary discrimination in social relations, such as maintaining the status quo on certain situations or the privilege of certain groups over others.

Third: And finally, affirmative actions that allow to give limited profits to certain groups or discriminated categories. We speak of immediate benefits, but only be established temporar-

ily; these benefits are generated mainly in the area of education, employment and political life.

Finally, they called for the integration of the concepts of direct and indirect discrimination, in order to give the judges a clear tool with little possibility of interpretation, that is to say, giving less room for arbitrariness. For this, it claimed that discrimination recognized as such, was not only frank and open or directly, that ultimately is easier to test and assume, but also the inclusion of indirect discrimination, that is, discrimination that does not measure intention, but measure results; no matter if it sought to discriminate, the important thing is that it was discriminate.

AN OUTSTANDING DEBT THAT PERPETUATES WITH TRANS PEOPLE (transsexual, transgender and transvestite) As a country, we are in constant change, from a dictatorship we passed to a democracy, from left governments to right governments, from an emerging country to a balanced economy, from the human rights violations against trans people in dictatorship, we passed to the human rights violations in democracy, For us there is no change, no progress, no rights, and no democracy. For us still continuing discrimination, torture and rapes.

What must happen for a government recognizes the rights and violations of trans people? What must happen for recognition of trans people as human beings?

When was declared centuries ago that all men are born free and equal, and that this premise is established in the

constitutions of democratic republics as the central axis, we give to freedom and equality a supreme value. But this in itself fails, that is why the democrats states should, after cruel historical facts, promote human rights. What we, trans people want is nothing more or less than those rights corresponding to every human person. We hope that the principle of equal opportunities is respected and protected, that our human rights are effective and not remain sleeping in ratification.

Comentarios

Andres Rivera Duarte Transgender Activist, Human Rights Defender, Chilean

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CyberActivism

Indigenous communities and new technologies

By Marta Gaba Indigenous communities suffer from two limitations in the use of technologies, 2.0 shared with other groups: - The limited or no connectivity access in rural areas, - The high cost of technology To these two constraints, we add one of their own collective, the limited training in the use of technologies according to their culture and native language. The world of electronic devices and the Internet is a world in English; Some words have been hispanicized and we continue using the others without realizing it, but often we do not think as it should be this cyber world seen from a different cultural logic, in which not only influences the language. There is a barrier related to the concept of time that produces some discomfort with the logic of Western velocity-time which entails the ICT. In the case of indigenous women, Nidia Bustillos says that: “They live the digital divide in their own way. Different factors were identified as limiting; one of them has to do with access. The cost of the equipment and internet connection is still prohibitive for many of them, just as the little or improper training. With respect to the sociocultural, was talked of machismo and disinterest of some women in new technologies. And of linguistic uniformity that ignores the languages ​​of the communities. “ It is important to reflect on ICT and how indigenous peoples are inserted in the new context of the information society, from their own socio-cultural perspectives. A priority is alphabetize in their own language, developing software and translators in all native languages ​​and recognize their own forms of communication.

In one of the workshops I was this year

in Guatemala, a young indigenous woman lingered a little more than the rest of his teammates to complete some data to her account on a social network. When I went to inquire what the trouble was, she said, she was translating into Spanish (and then into English) her date of birth (who knew according to their linguistic community K’iche ‘). This is further evidence that the digital divide often is not given by the existence or not of computers, but for something deeper and more basic: the cultural belonging.

However, some operating systems have begun to launch their versions in languages​​ such as Quechua or Guaraní and Microsoft has translations into several indigenous languages of ​​ its most important programs.

In Canada, Web Networks has created free software that provides the ability to create pages online in Inuktitut (aboriginal language of Canada). In August this year, Wikimedia, Mozilla and Google made an ​​ intensive day (the Translatón) seeking to bring the Mayan language to electronic platforms. Since 2011 Mozilla has been doing projects in Zapotec, Purepecha and Wirrarika On April of this year, Nahuatl became the first Mexican indigenous language as an option to use Firefox and there are also downloadable versions in the languages​​ Maya, Nahuatl of the Sierra Norte, Tzeltal, Chol, Tarahumara and Zapoteca.

Today, many young Indians who attend the workshops that we conduct with RedLad and local organizations in different countries come with their mobile phones.

They connect to Facebook without having no computer or internet connection at home; according to a report last year, the ten countries worldwide with the largest

share in terms of use of Blackberry devices for mobile Internet traffic, are: Dominican Republic (57.1%).

And not only they can connect with their mobile phones, they are working to that shortly in Guatemala, the Kaqchikel indigenous can use Facebook in their own language (the page will be available at http:// washwuj.com/).

An interesting phenomenon is occurring in Mexico: huave language that is spoken in four regions of Oaxaca, had not had the need to be written ... until young people started using social networks and were motivated to translate into characters what they were talking. This was detected by researchers from the Institute of Anthropological Research of the UNAM. They say that in the last 30 years, the community was interested in proposing a system of writing, and even started a policy of regularization through bilingual classes, but did not advance too much. However, with the use of Facebook by the younger generation, it is normalizing the use of writing, because of the internal need of young people to express.

Like all things related to ICT, we are in a process of construction and with input from all sectors, we can have a more democratic and accessible Internet for all, taking into account its contexts. -

Comments

Marta Gaba Trainning REDLAD, Argentina

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GLOBAL VISION

Russian government

declares “cold war” to civil society The draconian laws introduced by President Putin during his first 100 days continue to inflame the hearts and minds. “Some people have been afraid, but others are determined to continue the fight”, says Yury Dzhibladze

By Yury Dzhibladze

The denial of democracy Author’s note: in the months of June and July 2012 there was a change in the relationship between government and Russian civil society, a change hitherto unknown in the post-Soviet period. This is primarily a radical change in the law that governing civil and political rights, ie relative to the very essence of the state organization and the principles established in the Constitution. In no more than a few weeks, the laws which determine the relationship between the state and society have changed so drastically, systematic way and effectively in mass, that could be considered ... constitutional coup.

In a very short space of time, three freedoms - of assembly, association and expression - were subjected to a fierce legal restriction. Parliamentary procedures and many protests were completely ignored, many experts believe, not without reason, that new laws governing demonstrations, NGOs, defamation and legal regulation of the Internet, are proof that these three rights are not only been restricted, but effectively abolished.. This ‘bouquet’ could also say that includes medieval laws (in spirit) approved in several regions and prohibiting the “promotion

of homosexuality”, which openly introduces legal discrimination on grounds of sexual identity. There is a substantial risk that a similarly homophobic law, which has already been introduced in the “Duma” and is federally approved.

These three fundamental rights speech, assembly and association - are defined in international law as “fundamental freedoms”, serving as the basis for a democratic society. The principle of “informing them” is pretty clear. If people are not able to express their opinions freely, to associate in groups to defend their interests, to give their views publicly in a demonstration without fear of being beaten by police, to be fined huge sums of money or to be behind bars for a long period of time, then the State can not be considered democratic. Despite the existence of democratic institutions as regular elections, separation of powers and an independent judiciary, do not change this.

In the last ten years have seen as Russia’s democratic institutions have weakened. The rule of law does not exist, the laws are applied arbitrarily and most citizens are convinced that there

is no justice in the courts. However, the existence in the Russian legislation until recently of laws that guarantee, but only on paper, these three fundamental rights and constitutional freedoms, allowed the political regime is classified as “hybrid”, to be called as a “imitation of democracy “.

In the months of June and July 2012 an important line was crossed. The new laws passed by the Russian government were a conformism of what had been highlighted for many years. Russia is no longer a democratic state - not only in essence but formally. Those who initiated these changes, introduced the bills in Parliament, voted in favor of them and have publicly supported them; indeed, signed the report made by the demonstrators in dozens of towns and cities. The authoritarian nature of the current political system is recognized as a negation of democracy These new laws are unconstitutional in spirit and do not meet international legal obligations of Russia (although astutely the government claims that these laws are based on the laws of democratic countries). There is another feature

example. There is another feature they have in common: their vague wording is typical of the “ideological” legislation we’ve seen over the era of Vladimir Putin. The “political activities” in the NGO law on “foreign agents” or “pro-

motion of homosexuality ‘, for example.

It is no coincidence that the laws are made in this way. The writing makes it possible to apply the law selectively, even for political or ideological reasons.

It is the negation of the supremacy of

A ‘bouquet’ of illegal laws they have in common: their vague wording is typical of the “ideological” legislation we’ve seen over the era of Vladimir Putin. The “political activities” in the NGO law on “foreign agents” or “promotion of homosexuality ‘, for

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the law and equality before the law, and the selective application of the law that are at the heart of the authoritarian system.

Almost all the new laws that involve the introduction of fines, the severity of which is unparalleled in Russian legislation. This effectively serves as a brake to the exercise of the rights and freedoms.

Criminal liability has been extended to cover defamation, and “flagrant violation” of the law of “foreign agents” by managers of NGOs is likely to attract a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment. This means that what is meant by serious violation is not.

This is but one example of discrimination as a legal principle in this set of repressive laws. The NGO law, for example, is aimed at certain types of NGO activity, This is but one example of discrimination as a legal principle in this set of repressive laws. The NGO law, for example, is aimed at certain types of NGO activity, landing with an intolerable burden of financial reporting and inspections, and demanding this information to organizations involved in human rights advocacy and education, to which they describe as “foreign agents”, which translates in Russian as “spies”.

In the case of homophobic laws, the government’s motives are clear: to mobilize the support of the most conservative sector of Russian society. Putin’s obsession with the supposedly more important role played by non-governmental human rights organizations in organizing protests (with foreign money) and his legendary “unacceptable interference in politics” remains a complete mystery. The analogy with the “colors revolutions” might have something to do with it. Whatever the case, the NGOs were not really involved in organizing the winter protests of 2011 and spring of 2012 and there has been no “orange threat” for some years, either with NGOs or without them. Times have changed and civil society leaders - or at least that part of civil society that protest strongly against the existing order - are no longer the traditional NGOs, they are informal movements, public and citizen groups joined by disgruntled social networks.

The vague wording of the law leads to another major problem; it is very difficult to obtain from the text of the law, which activities will mean that you are breaking the law, so it is impossible to predict the legal consequences of any behavior. In jurisprudence is known as the “violation of the principle of legal certainty.” This, together with unsubstantiated amorphous definitions in the

law, gives a good reason for that these laws can be classified as illegal.

Characteristically, the government eased the concerns of civil society, ensuring that the law of “foreign agents” would not apply to all NGOs, only for any organization or person to be harmful to the state. The government does not want, after all, pull the whole entire Colored Revolutions: name given to the wave of political mobilizations in the former Soviet Union, against leaders accused of dictatorial practices opposition behind bars or closing all independent organizations. Its purpose is something different; frighten the unhappy with severe penalties, through some highly publicized retaliation.

Interestingly, the ruling class is trying to scare society, because they themselves have been afraid. New laws were passed clearly in a hurry to calm the waves of protest, which were on the rise from December to June. Caused by the massive election fraud, no less than 250,000 participated in the unprecedented protests across the country, and the government obviously took this very seriously.

leaders has also changed; the form and content have become much harder and derogatory. Indeed, the Russian government has declared the “cold war” to civil society. Many have noted that the environment in Russia has changed a course of a few weeks: is requesting restoration of the death penalty, there is a new wave of Stalinist apologetics, and medieval bigotry disguised as religious principles, suggest that suddenly everything possible.

But the Russian government no longer has available the contract of the social functioning of the first two mandates of Putin; people have lost interest in politics and are more concerned about improving their standard of living supported by foreign loans and high oil prices. They’re tired of the same old faces in the government, and the

popularity´s qualifications of the president Putin are the lowest since 2001 With levels of dissatisfaction, with rampant corruption and lack of increased social justice, the government has to resort to its ultimate weapon: fear. The ruling class is not prepared to take the path of real democratic change, as they make these changes to increase their ability to hold on to their positions of power, regardless of the property and, for some, freedom itself, are extremely dubious. .What good tighten the screws? What might be the consequences of these extraordinary measures to “tighten the screws”?

Well, a part of society has been possessed by fear. The option of emigration has become more popular.

According to data from the Levada

Basing on fear The change in relations between the state and society dating from the first day of Putin as president. One need only recall the police attack, on May 6, during the demonstration on Bolotnaya Square, the arrest of protesters, the investigation of the opposition leaders, the pressure on human rights organizations, such as “Golos” [Rn. Voice] and the Committee against Torture and, finally, the Inquisition and the inquisitorial trial against the girls of the group punk-rock Pussy Riot. The three young men have just been sentenced to two years in prison for his extravagant and nonviolent political protest at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior; a clear signal that the government can not stand criticism and it is difficult to imagine that this is reduced greatly.

The tone of statements by political

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.What good tighten the screws? What might be the consequences of these extraordinary measures to “tighten the screws”?

Center, in mid-August 2012, people were significantly less likely to participate in demonstrations. Some NGOs have announced that they have felt compelled to reject foreign funds There is, however, also the opposite reaction. Active participants in the concentrations of the protest on the one hand, and human rights organizations on the other hand, who have dedicated themselves to discuss reaction strategies in the last month. They do not hide the fact that they believe that the new laws are unconstitutional and illegal and, in the case of the right of “foreign agents” also are so absurd.

Several activities are planned: from the legal, material and moral defense of certain activists and organizations (a strategy for the conservation and survival) to a campaign to boycott openly illegal laws (a strategy to defend the supremacy of law).

For these actions to be successful, a greater degree of self-organization

and social solidarity that the currently obtained, of course, will be essential.

100 or 500 NGOs, rather than 5, must announce that they will not comply with an unconstitutional law, and thousands more, must support them publicly. Hundreds, rather than the scores of brave people, will be needed to go outside without permission in defense of their constitutional right of peaceful assembly. Many passionate supporters and activists of the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender] will be necessary to contribute their own money to a fund for defending activists and organizations processed and lawyers willing to defend from a pro bono basis. In the case of a leap forward in the civil life of self-organization, government will be very difficult to enforce the new laws as they had planned - selectively and in order to instill fear.

The “constitutional coup” of the summer of 2012 might suppose unexpect-

edly to its promoters, the awakening of powerful forces of resistance. The scenario is not by no means as hopeless as it seems.

Comments

Yuri Dzhibladze. Founder and president Center for Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Moscow

This article was originally published in English for OpenDemocracy, and was spanish translated for New Policy with permission of the author by Paul Innecken.

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Special

The US Elections:

“Latinization” of Amerian Politics”

By Dr. Carlos E. S. Ponce Two months before the U.S. elections, the picture is quite complicated in electoral matters. On one side are investing billions of dollars in a very dirty campaign with little programmatic content, and the other, does not seem that the result will be a positive thing for the country or to the need for political coherence to exit the crisis.

The presidency in the United States is for sale, or rather “on rent”. Until August Republicans spent $ 1.35 billion dollars in the presidential campaign (that does not include the cost of internal campaign) and Democrats $ 1.16 billion. To this we must add the cost of the Republican and Democratic conventions, the Republican in Florida has had a cost of US$ 77,746,270. Moreover, The Democrat in North Carolina about US$ 50. It is estimated that this campaign will be a minimum of $ 5.8 million dollars. Many resources are being invested in states where the election is very tight in order to win the necessary votes to the electoral colleges.

All this at a time when the country callable debt is 16 trillion and deficits in health systems, pension funds and official pension programs of civil and military, medi-

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cine program, social security and debts reaches 121.5 trillion dollars to the delivery date of this article All this happen in one of the dirtiest campaigns and with less content in the history of the United States. In fact common citizen is going to have to settle for voting for the lesser evil in a campaign without ideas or proposals. A country in which is virtually paralyzed parliament and just concentrate on personal quarrels and struggles for power, some parties that have lost their legitimacy, the use of some radical ideologies obsolete in the speech that avoids commitment to overcome crisis, a lack of leadership, systematic abuses, and exploitation of various sectors (business and Union) of the economy via connections in the government, something called “rentseeking” that is more like Latin America than the United States.

The elector has two options: to

vote for the Republican Party, which has become the “NO” party, that it would be the good for knowing; and on the other side, a ruler who has not shown much effectiveness, which is the bad known. Romney, from centrist nature, to whom the radical groups of Tea Party have forced him to move to the far right conservative, which worries many sectors of the population, but gives to him the chance to move in other sectors that are not identified with the current government.

On the subject of budget, he proposes a uniform reduction in the percentage of taxes collected, which really benefits the wealthy, because they lower your taxes (disguised in many offshore corporate profits) from 35% to 28% and eliminates tax credits, which hurts middle class; on the other hand, what he proposes on immigration, is a selective entry of people with high educational levels and deportation of illegal, and building an even bigger wall on the border. Job creation based on the elimination of control measures against Wall Street, tax cuts for small businesses and education for work.

He bases job creation on the elimination of control measures

against Wall Street, tax cuts for small businesses and education for work. There is a whole Conservative government strategy between Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

In case of Obama, we already know what he has been done and the mistakes he has made, as well as fulfilled promises of change. With unemployment above 8% (without taking into account the people who stopped looking for work, those who got to study because they are unemployed or who have assembled some form of survival), with the mortgage crisis still alive, with a runaway debt in an unbalanced budget and in deficit, the growth of inefficient bureaucracy, the public spending, a negative perception of international with the mortgage crisis still alive, with a runaway debt in an unbalanced budget and in deficit, the growth of inefficient bureaucracy, the public spending, a negative perception of international, oil prices triggered, the stagnant economy and impunity from banks and sectors of Wall Street that led to the crisis by their greed, is very difficult for Obama sell his message of hope again (“Hope”).

Obama benefits himself of fear generated by irrational conservative factors close to Republican candidate.

It is sad that the United States lives this leadership crisis. It seems that the country is doomed to suffer from the mistakes of the party machines and blocking false ideologies.

Both Republicans and Democrats have given great presidents to the United States, which can serve as a reference for the current campaign.

Unfortunately for the Republicans, Reagan administration ended 23 years ago, whereby the memory tends to fail, and the disaster of the administration of George W. Bush weighs on the conscience of the country. The last good government Republican, Ronald Reagan, not useful for the current campaign.

But for Barack Obama, Bill Clinton’s image is a lifeguard before the bad image of the government and its

ineffective management. Internal attacks on Democratic campaign of Obama´s team against Clinton in 2008, Obama’s attempt to break away from the image of Clinton, and Barack’s stubbornness to not to seek advice from one of the most successful political minds, as is the case Bill Clinton, left some marks on the relationship between the former President and the current President.

However for Obama one of the officials most successful and brilliant in his cabinet has been Hillary Rodman Clinton and many of the officials who have worked and done really positive things, are those who worked in the Clinton administration, therefore, Obama has not had anything else to do but hiring them, to gradually replace his friends of Harvard and Chicago. Obama knows he needs

to Clinton because in the minds of many Americans, despite his personal problems, Clinton has been one of the great presidents of the United States and its image is still present in all the center people and middle class. Obama asks Clinton that makes campaign for him, that presents him to the Democratic Convention and makes similarities between his administration and that of Obama Unlike Obama, Clinton has a real center personal mark, that is a mixture of liberalism with a social conscience, respecting the market, while are serving inclusive social policies, balancing the budget and expenditure control with effective public policies and capacity of negotiation. While Obama’s speech goes to the poorest and to the minori-

ties, Clinton’s speech also included the American middle class, so it was more inclusive, and rather of a nonsense class confrontation, Clinton’s vision was inclusive . Clinton supported business and investment, while Obama has been quite gray in that aspect and prefers protectionism.

The triangulation that Bill achieved in all sectors has been impossible for Barack. While Republicans have fallen in the game of right conservatives, Obama has fallen into the pressures of many left-wing groups which keep you from being a president of all, as was Clinton.

Instead of the nonsense of the class struggle and incremental taxes on the rich, Clinton simply implemented fiscal discipline and prudence. Love for Clinton policy led him to the direct play and to be involved in decision-making with personal commitments, Obama is a more a planner who prefer to watch the game from the stands. Hopefully Obama moves away from his pride and can see through the mirror of one of the great presidents that has had the United States.

Even in this election, where the Republican candidate is not the best they could have chosen, and enjoying the preferential position of acting president, Obama is in a very tight election and are require that he looks towards the middle and there seek help from Bill Clinton.

In last surveys conducted by Real Clear Politics, give a slight edge to Obama on Romney 3.3% (48.5 to 45.2) after the conventions, Which is not good for Either candidate. In an electoral system based on electoral colleges, this is a big problem, because the choice is up at the end of a few people, including 10 states.

The electoral system of the United States is unique, the most important is that the people do not vote directly for the president, voters in each state elect representative to the electoral colleges of each state and wins one who most representatives have on Election Day. Each state has a certain number of elected

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representatives, but the other peculiarity is that the winner takes all, meaning that the candidate who wins the election in that state takes all electoral college representatives of that state. In fact, as has happened before, you may lose the election by popular vote, but win them by the number of representatives of electoral colleges. It’s a matter of votes, but also of math. Whoever gets the states with the highest number of representatives and he achieves to get 270 representatives needed to be president, will win.

The triumph of George W. Bush in 2000 would not have happened in a country with direct vote, Bush actually lost the election but won

The truth is that there is a very close election with few proposals on the table and the election is looking more and more to elections in Latin America, because of having few ideas and little content.

Whatever the outcome of the elections, congress will remain divided and will be very difficult to govern.

The artificial and speculative rise in oil prices will continue to affect the capacity for growth; the social security system remains a major problem, the bureaucracy and public spending have increased , the housing crisis has not disappeared and the financial system will remain

cating to the major reforms that are needed in the health system, fiscal, economic and immigration. Obama should learn from the example of Clinton and seek greater order in the finances and be pragmatic with fiscal balance. He must reduce the size of State and bureaucracy and focus on innovation support and development of new sources of employment through work balanced economic groups. If Obama wants to go down in history, should stop seeing the country since up, and get off to work directly on effective solutions. Both candidates and parties should seek a formula of governance that allows

at risk for the amount of interest that are managed as well as the inability to curb abuses. Interest groups continue carrying the flag in public policies and ideological discourse seems to be increased.

If Romney wins, he must overcome the ghosts of economic groups and the conservative ultra right and turn to the center, respecting social progress and promoting the creation of jobs and investment.

Attempts to implement a conservative model could bring a clash of powers and avoid governability.

Inside his party will be difficult to control the factions of the Tea Party.

Obama by his side must show that he learned the lesson during the first four years and also he should rotate to the center, abandoning the discourse of class confrontation, dedi-

bipartisan strategic and multisectorial agreements to exit the crisis and boost the country towards ensure sustained growth and the reforms needed to prevent the economy and the political / social / environmental / of infrastructure and education continue deteriorating.

Other sources such as Real Clear Politics, an expert in election (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ epolls/2012/president/2012_elections_electoral_college_map.html) mark the difference of Obama to 221, and Romney to 191, with 126 to be defined after convention.

more electoral colleges. The winner of the popular vote in that election was Democrat Al Gore who won 48.4% of votes (50,999,897) against 47.9% for Bush (50.456.002), a difference of more than 500,000 votes.

And yet, the elected president was George Bush, simply by a court decision questionable that handed him the electoral college in Florida (after some allegations of fraud) and then allowed him to reach the magic number of 271 representatives.

Thus we see that the campaigns focus on winning some states in particular and in a war of electoral colleges.

As you will see in an electoral map developed by CNN (CNN authored and published on its website and various blogs) (16 August 2012), the scenarios are quite difficult for both candidates and what we will have a Cinematographer end:

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Comentarios

Dr.Carlos E. Ponce Coordinator REDLAD

Special

November in the peephole

By Clara Dominguez

“Are we better now than four years ago?” President Barack Obama promised to stem the tide and clean up the planet. “My promise is to help you and your families,” said Mitt Romney to accept the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. “The truth is that we are going to take much more time than a few years to resolve the difficulties we have accumulated over decades,” warned Obama on receiving the Democratic nomination to run for another four years in the White House.

Tampa, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have hosted the party conventions. The Republican from 27 to 30 August and the Democrat from 3 to 7 September. It’s a tradition since 1832 that both Parties use these meetings to present their government programs. And through speeches highlighting the political principles, it sets the tone and profile the human face of the candidates. Tampa and Charlotte have not been the exception.

For Republicans the message focused on rescuing the economy. The Florida Senator Marco Rubio, one of the new stars of the party, presented the candidacy of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. His speech had as a main item the American dream.

Rubio, one of a Republican letters to win the Hispanic vote, said: “We are special, because dreams that are impossible elsewhere, here become reality.” “Mitt Romney understands that prosperity in America is not created because the government spends more, but because it opens new business to create jobs.”

Rubio was in charge projecting to Mitt Romney as an entrepreneur able to pull the economy out of its lethargy.

One of the best received speeches by the people, was that of former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, wherein mentioned challenges in foreign policy, the Middle East, Iran, China and Russia. Rice stressed the need for strong leadership. “Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan understand we have to

earn the trust of our allies. When the world looks at us, looks at an America in debt, and when a country loses control of its finances loses control of his destiny. “ Also spoke about the need for reform in education and to have immigration laws that protect the security of U.S. borders, which meet the economic needs of the country and that also reflect that America is a compassionate nation with immigrants.

The candidate to vice presidency, Paul Ryan, banner of the conservative wing of the party, sent a message to Barack Obama: “We can not continue to spend what we do not have.” Ryan, chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, believes that deficit reduction should be a priority. “We have a plan to generate 12 million jobs. We have a choice between limiting the growth or limit the role of government; we bet on economic growth. Obama’s policy is synonymous with failure, a boring way, a life planned by the government.

“The young politician also talked about the Romney entrepreneur, the former governor used to working with fellow Democrats, able to achieve consensus.

Mitt Romney used the U.S. unemployment to attack his opponent. His argument is that Obama failed to fulfill its promises. “The hope and change of which Obama

spoke in 2004, have become failure; President Obama can not say that today we are better than four years ago,” stressed the Republican; also blamed Obama for the rising budget deficits and accused him of dividing the country. Romney’s promises are to strengthen the middle class, create 12 million jobs, reduce oil

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imports, train workers, make trade agreements with other countries for economic growth in the United States, reduce government spending, balance the budget and encourage small business. In the party meeting, he referred to his humble origins, his family, religion and its success as an entrepreneur, in an attempt to communicate with voters.

As usual, since the 1950s the ruling party organized the second Convention. Democrats chose Charlotte to relaunch Barack Obama and respond to Republican attacks.

The first was the mayors´ night. There was the mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro, who recalled that at the beginning the Obama Presidency the country was on the brink of depression. Thanks to the efforts of the President, have been created over four million jobs.”

The choice for Americans…”… saying Castro, “is among a country where the middle class pay more taxes for millionaires pay less, or a country where everyone contributes equally.”

Eventually, the first lady, Michelle Obama, also played a role. Making use the humble origins of her husband, asserted that such condition gave her the ability to understand American families and the challenges they face.

That’s why the President has lowered taxes, has supported the auto industry, promoted the reform of the health system and has facilitated student loans.

“For President Obama...” said, “these issues are more personal than political.

But was former President Bill Clinton who was in charge of responding to opposition attacks and present exhaustively reasons for the re-election of Barack Obama. In a speech said: In Tampa the argument against the reelection of the president, was very simple: We let a disaster-(in reference to the administration of George W. Bush) and still he has not been able to fix it, we have to fire him.” “President Obama inherited an economic crisis and has begun the road to recovery, creating the basis for development and jobs creation”, he emphasized.

According to Clinton, there are two ways: the Republican, where everyone has to deal individually with challenges, and the Democrat, where prosperity is shared among all. “Are we’re better

50

now than four years ago?” Bill Clinton asked, and he answered: “Yes.” With a message focused on job creation and betting to middle class, Barack Obama called for confidence in its management for achieving a second term. “These are concrete projects, achievable, which will translate into growth. That’s what we can do in the next four years. “The plan includes: doubling exports by 2014, reduce the deficit, create jobs in the manufacturing sector, reduce oil imports by half by 2020 and down in the same measure the cost of a college education.

Emphasized foreign policy achievements and mentioned the death of Osama Bin Laden. At the same time warned, especially those who remember their promises when he ran for President in 2008, that the road is long. “I recognize that much has changed since I first went to this Convention. “Times have changed and so am I.” “As for the role of the executive: “We do not believe that government can solve all our problems, and we do not believe that the government is responsible for all our problems.” The President tried to define the choice of the electorate between your program to boost the middle class and a Republican program focused on the welfare of the wealthy class.

El proceso electoral en Estados Unidos está en su punto álgido. Las últimas dos encuentas –al cierre de esta edición- Gallup y Rasmusen indicaban que las intenciones de voto estaban 49 por ciento a favor de Obama y 45 por ciento para Romney. Esto podría cambiar y aún se desconoce el impacto que ha tenido en la campaña de Barack Obama el informe poco alentador sobre el desempleo en el mes de agosto, que ubica la tasa en el 8,1 por ciento. Si bien el índice se redujo respecto al 8,3 por ciento de julio, esto se debe al número de personas que simplemente han optado por no buscar trabajo. El hecho es que en el sistema estadounidense la victoria se la lleva quien obtenga 270 votos electorales –cada estado tiene un número determinado de estos votos-. Muchos expertos opinan que la contienda se decidirá en estados donde todavía no se perfila un ganador: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Nueva Hampshire, Carolina del

Norte, Ohio, Wisconsin y Virginia. En octubre los electores tendrán la oportunidad de ver a los candidatos cara a cara en tres debates, dos dedicados a política interna y uno a política exterior.

El consenso entre los observadores es que en esta eleccion la economía prima. De ahora en adelante la tarea principal -y el desafío mayor- de ambos candidatos es convencer a los votantes de que el suyo es el camino a la prosperidad, al sueño americano.

The electoral process in America is at its peak. The last two counts (the-press time) Gallup and Rasmusen, indicated that voting was 49 percent for Obama and 45 percent for Romney. This could change and still unknown the impact it has had on the campaign of Barack Obama the bleak report on unemployment in the month of August that places the rate at 8.1 percent. Although the index fell compared to 8.3% of July, this is due the number of people who have simply chosen not to seek work. The fact is that in the U.S. system, v Victory goes to whoever gets 270 electoral votes; each state has a certain number of these votes. Many experts believe that the elections will be decided in states where have not yet outlined winners: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia. In October, voters will have the opportunity to see the candidates face to face in three debates, one dedicated to foreign policy and two to domestic politics. The consensus among observers is that in this election the premium economy. From now on the main task, and the biggest challenge, of both candidates, is to convince voters that theirs is the path to prosperity, to the American dream.

Comentarios

Clara Dominguez. Executive Editor of Latin American Service of the Voice of America

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OBSERVATORIO DEMOCRACI VIEW ON DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Open letter to the Colombian people

and the parties involved in the peace process

September 6, 2012.

By this letter, the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (Redlad) push platform for democracy and human rights, composed for more than 450 organizations, Official Member of the Civil Society Forum of the Organization of American States (OAS ) and Regional Chapter of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD), expresses the best wishes to the people of Colombia for the new peace process that is being managed.

It calls on the involved parties to consolidate a peace process based on serious commitments that allow a Colombian society unified, democratic, active and that generates the necessary elements to encourage and deepen a culture of peace.

It believes that social peace, public safety and the cessation of harassment by warring groups, guerrillas and paramilitaries, it is essential to strengthen comprehensive development schemes Colombia. The social, economic development, cultural and Colombian human can not be achieved without peace process. We hope to achieve a cessation of violence for the consolidation of lasting peace.

The Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy want to make a mention of Colombian women, that along the historical processes that have rocked the country, have been present as protagonists and victims of conflict. By the above, we see with great concern, the lack of them in the negotiating team.

The Network hopes that there is still time to achieve gender balance within the committee.

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IA Y DERECHOS HUMANOS Doomed to disappear The Yanomami ethnic group is in danger of extinction, due to inasion of goldminers and deforestation of their ancestral lands Myopia and contempt have relegated indianas to the back room of the states

By Edgar Cherubini Lecuna In the world there are two types of people, the Yanomamo and those who are not. We are the second ones, the NABES: intruders or just outside the forest. Yanomamö or Yanomami, means “our people”, although the monema yano “home” accompanied by the suffix ma,

means “who makes his own house” in order to differentiate themselves from animals. Centuries ago the Yanomami from the Sierra Parima, on the border of Venezuela and Brazil, is scattered throughout the upper Orinoco and its tributaries, splitting into several lineages.

Some went north and called themselves Sanema, others were expanded to the northeast and are known as Ninam.

The shamatari occupied the riverbanks Siapa, these latter have never seen a Nabe. Inhabitants originating of the jungle live in virtual boundaries between

OBSERVATORIO DEMOCRACI VIEW ON DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Brazil and Venezuela, in an area of 250,000 km ². Its current population is less than 15,000 individuals in Brazil and about 11,000 in Venezuela. The Yanomami are in danger of extinction due to the invasion of goldminers and deforestation of their ancestral lands.

Children of the Moon In their mythology, the shirishanas say come from the stars. The Sanemas called themselves “children of the moon”.

In its circular shabonos or communal houses, live several families responding to a Community system established for thousands of years, with their own codes and values. Just to cite a fragment from their network of beliefs; each of the inhabitants of shabono has its non-Eshi, alter ego, or a spiritual double, dwelling in the bowels of the jungle, so when a Yanomami becomes sick, is because somewhere of the jungle, a breeding has fallen from its nest, or an animal is hurt or is suffering.

Hence, the whole community is dedicated to search the forest intricate the cause of suffering. The Yanomami Children have their school in nature helped by worldview of the parents, where myths play a vital role in understanding the world. For a Yanomami, each individual and all beings, whether animal or vegetable, whether they carriers of energy that is part of a universal life force.

A Yanomami knows that the universe is eternal and the moon, the sun, the waters of the rivers, the mountains and all things that exist have a “story” that they can read and listen. A Yanomami can distinguish in its territory about 1,500 different species of flowering plants and about 750 species of trees (30,000 in all Amazonia), with nutritional or medicinal properties. Of the 1,800 different species of birds, they call by its name to 400 of them and have classified its various plumages and songs. Also they can identify 150 of the 300 species of mammals and 100 kinds of reptiles. Of the 2,500 species of fish, 50 are familiar for them, also many types of butterflies, 10 million arthropod species in Amazonia.

They find this diversity in its path, while walks around with an irreducible gesture of freedom, his vast country vegetable

An ethnic in danger of extinction The Brazilian government plans to reduce the Amazon forest to 50% of its size. Hundreds of square miles of rainforest are destroyed each year for the benefit of corporate logging, oil, mining and biofuels, regardless of the destruction of the biosphere, the global warming, the disappearance of thousands of species of animals and plants, as well as the extinction of ethnic groups that are the reservoirs of the ancient wisdom of humanity.

The Venezuelan Amazon and territory of 184,000 square kilometers, is part of the “green lungs of the planet” and is one of the most prodigious reserves of natural resources in the world. Its rainforests are older than 75 million years and, along with other identical ecosystems along the equatorial belt green globe, interacts with the polar climate balancing to produce clouds, rain, water and oxygen for the entire planet. The Yanomami are the oldest inhabitants of that ecosystem and there have survived for thousands of years.

However, it’s pathetic the status of ungovernability of these territories.

The garimpeiros or illegal miners, indiscriminately ravage the forest and they use mercury in gold extraction process, damaging the soil and poisoning the rivers. They are backed by investors who provide them with weapons, the logistics and helicopters.

They use Indians as guides, enslave them in mines, harass and rape their women. They are backed by investors who provide them with weapons, the logistics and helicopters. They use Indians as guides, enslave them in mines, harass and rape their women.

The white man changes his mental and social structure, also takes them away from their natural survival system. The only contact with the Nabe unleashes between them epidemics caused by viruses to which the immune system has no defense. Most of the

11,000 Yanomami who live in the Upper Orinoco suffer from malaria, onchocerciasis, or river blindness, tuberculosis, helminthiasis, asthma, anemia and viral hepatitis, and other diseases. To date, there are not coherent actions, or permanent programs from Brazil or Venezuela to prevent and control such situations, myopia and contempt for the Indians has come to relegate them to the back of the States.

In Venezuela, for several centuries, the State delegated to the Catholic Church and evangelical missions “care” of the Indians as if they were disabled, for then allow that radical ideologies penetrate or be the spokespersons of their claims.

Currently, the Venezuelan Amazon is the scene of a power struggles for control of these territories by the military, and Catholic missions, NGOs, various government bodies, mining multinationals, radical leftist groups, utopians newly minted, and a new player in this drama, the Colombian guerrillas allied with drug trafficking and gold business All this threatens the survival of this ancient human group, suffered for five hundred years of systematic ethnocide.

There are two types of people, those who can read the body of the world and understand the voices of the forest, and those that blind of power, greed and ignorance, exploit it and destroy.

The first ones are doomed to disappear edgar.cherubini@gmail.com

Comentarios

Edgar Cherubini Lecuna, Francia

IA Y DERECHOS HUMANOS Hugo Chávez looks for impunity of his crimes and violations against Human Rights.

Venezuela formalized his retirement from Interamerican Human Rights System, but this is unconstitutional in this country Redlad Observatory “We say that it violates the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, since the denunciation of the Convention should be automatically product of the derogation in Venezuela of The Approving Law by another law, and is only the legislature (National Assembly) who has that power” What had been a threat in the last eight years, has become a reality, President Hugo Chavez without making any consultation at his country, without any involvement of parliament or the civil society or politics, just ordered the withdrawal of Venezuela from Inter-American System of Human Rights through On September 10, 2012, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela informed the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, by official letter, that he denounces to the American Convention on Human Rights, thereby opens the process to formally withdraw from the system. This is the retirement of law, because in fact Venezuela has not accepted the Commission’s visit to the country for nearly a decade, has not complied with the judgments of the Court and has been ignoring the Commission, also violates the Convention at will At the regional level this is the third country that initiates actions to withdraw from the system. The first Trinidad and Tobago, that was effective in that

role by denouncing the Convention, because the second Peru, during Alberto Fujimori’s authoritarian government, simply stopped participating thinking that so would not be responsible for human rights violations and facts that will come later, but forgot the formality of withdraw, so is not really retired from system. But Chávez’s decision if it appears to be well presented and denounces the Convention as such.

According to the Convention, Article 78: “1. States Parties may denounce this Convention (...) by one year’s notice, notifying the Secretary General of the Organization, who shall inform the other parties. 2. Said denunciation shall not have the effect of releasing the State party concerned from the obligations contained in this Convention, in respect of any act which may constitute a violation of these obligations, have been fulfilled by him prior to the date on which the denunciation takes effect. “ In terms of impacts in Venezuela about its possible withdrawal of from Inter

American system, it really what can to do, is to increase the violations, because of lack of the fear of regional observation, but

in practice the government comes ignoring the decisions of the Court or Commission for nearly a decade. -In the case of Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, are already nine years denouncing his alleged bias and conspiring against the system. The Chavez government even acknowledges that negotiated with José Miguel Insulza your vote and support to the Secretary General of the OAS with the proviso of controlling the IACHR. The excuse of Venezuela not to allow the visit of the Inter American Commission to its country was: Santiago Canton, now there is a new Executive Secretary and now allege a conspiracy between the Court and the Commission against the “poor government of Venezuela.”

Venezuela also announced that it is evaluating the retired of the International Criminal Court, so that it is

OBSERVATORIO DEMOCRACI VIEW ON DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

clear that there is a strategy of impunity. Venezuela withdraws progressively from any international agreement in the economic, in human rights or, trading, involving the performance of obligations or monitoring mechanisms or possibility for any person or entity to be protected against government abuses.

Venezuela’s withdrawal of the inter lays bare an openly authoritarian government and a violation of the democratic provisions of Mercosur, UNASUR and CELAC. The problem is that the authoritarian governments of Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua will continue, but in the attempt to destroy the Andean Community, Chávez failed.

From the High Commissioner for Human Rights, passing by the Secretary General of the OAS and diverse NGOs of Venezuela, have regretted the decision by the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to denounce this legal instrument, leaving the country isolated in terms of regional observance and takes it out of the only mechanism available, moderately controllable While the complaint is the procedure by which a sovereign state notifies the decision to terminate certain international obligations and is part of international law, Venezuela ratified the American Convention on June 23, 1977, this brings legal effects in Venezuela, the flagrant violation of the Constitution, and internationally the violation of all democratic provisions of all treaties signed by Venezuela and a violation of international custom progresist of human rights. An extraordinary friend and jurist makes me the following comment “From a strictly formal point of view, being the

President who leads international relations, is arguable whether, to denounce the Convention is necessary that previously a law repeal the law approving the Convention Because there is a law approving, but the ratification by the President of the Republic, which brings into force the treaty to Venezuela “, but really at that point in a legal limbo, although it was accepted in the case of Trinidad and Tobago, there was a contradiction between the Constitution and the Convention, and Venezuela’s

constitution is very clear about the hierarchy of international human rights instruments. In the humble opinion of our Observatory, in the case of the American Convention, we do not speak of any international agreement, we talk about a legislation imposing obligations to the State about general human rights with general and individual effects.

Really the Chavez government is demonstrating its nature of human rights violator but also simultaneously has violated Venezuela’s internal regulations, because the American Convention on Human Rights is a law in Venezuela formally approved by Congress in 1977, Gazette No. 31256 of June 14, 1977, so it is our opinion that President Chavez and his Chancellor are violat-

ing the Constitution of Venezuela assuming legislative powers without law and without consultation mechanisms at other institutions. Despite the various opinions, it is our opinion that for Venezuela’s withdrawal from the Convention requires the amendment of the Act approving of the Convention.

The Congress of the Republic of Venezuela decrees the following Act approving of the American Convention on Human Rights “Pact of San José, Costa Rica”. Article 1.: It is approved the American Convention on Human Rights “Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica, signed at the Inter-American Specialized Conference on Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica, on November 22, 1969, which reads as follows “Although the Constitutional Court requested the Executive denouncing the American Convention, in our view this is not possible without amending or repealing the Act approving, and this has not happened; whereupon the government has violated the Constitution of Venezuela and the introduced demand against the Convention, is unconstitutional and void. The Venezuela Constitution is very clear on the powers of the Court which merely “Knowing of interpretation resources on the content and scope of the legal texts, on the terms contemplated in the law” (Section 266), which does not give powers derogatory of all the legal text and is not empowered to amend an international human rights instrument.

We say that it violates the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela since the complaint of the Convention

IA Y DERECHOS HUMANOS should be automatically product. In Venezuela the approving law was repealed by another law and is only the legislature (National Assembly) who has that power, as we see in Article 218 of the said Constitution: “the laws are repealed by other laws and are abrogated by referendum, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution ...”. Even with the complaint, the law continues in Venezuela until repeal the Act approving.

The National Government (Executive) violates directly the Constitution and international human rights treaties, discriminating to Venezuelans in the use of the Inter-American system and automatic reduction of their rights with the denunciation of the Convention, in particular violates the Article 19 of Venezuela’s Constitution: “The State shall guarantee to every person, according to the principle of progressivity and without discrimination, the enjoyment and exercise inalienable, indivisible and interdependent of human rights. Its Respect for and guarantees are mandatory for public bodies in accordance with the Constitution, treaties on human rights signed and ratified by the Republic and the laws that implement them. “ If the OAS accepted, as indeed it seems that it is doing, the denunciation of the Convention by Venezuela or rather, the Chavez government, the OAS is simply accepting and guarantee a violation of the rule of law in Venezuela, which is difficult to implement, because it can be taken as interference in domestic law, but mostly leaves defenseless to Venezuelans / as. If they repeal the law in Venezuela and present again the request, the system should continue to exercise jurisdiction on the part of the Inter American Court for all complaints in progress inside of The Inter American system and all those which are presented one year after the notification. Whereupon, it will no be out of System as soon as it would want, because precisely this clause will ensure that political conjunctures decrease or avoid the protection of the people of the states parties.

Again a suggestion of a good friend of mine says that “It is true that there is a

problem of unconstitutionality of this measure, if taking into accounts particulary Articles 19, 23, 31, and 339 of the Constitution. However, this is an internal problem, “but it is also true that there is an issue about when there are reasonable doubts and we talk about a topic of fundamental rights, the OAS must operate with caution. We believe that the OAS can not accept the withdrawal until not occur internal conditions in Venezuela for the withdrawal, in particular, repeal the law approving by the National Assembly. While it is clear the point that tells me that “ For more evident that is its incompatibility with a constitutional provision, neither the OAS nor any other international has competent to rule on the constitutionality of a measure taken by an body of a State”, but in my judgment, in this case it requires this State body acts legitimately and not usurping other body functions, unconsult and also in violation of the Constitution.

We have serious doubts, the first is that the ratification of the President is impossible without being empowered by the Act approving, without them there can be no ratification and deposit of the instrument (as in 1977).

The Constitution in Venezuela clearly states a supremacy of international human rights instruments, which leaves me some doubt about the powers of the president to repeal its application in Venezuela through the complaint of the Convention, even with the possibility that the same establish the complaint. While, the power of the president is clear at international level, but my point is that not only is unconsult, but it exceeds its powers, and a doubt assails me; Venezuela denounces the Convention and withdraws of it, but this is still the Act of the Republic, thanks to Act Approving; there is a clear problem between foreign policy and domestic legislation. By denouncing the Convention, automatically repealing Act approving?, Can a President who could be acting without legitimacy, directly take an action that violates human rights without in-depth review the legality and validity of its mandate? For this particular point, does not apply a principle of guarantees in

favor of human rights of Venezuelans?

Are several questions that arise.

The compliance deterioration of the obligations of Venezuela faced to the Inter-American System of Human Rights, has attracted the attention of the international community, like the Universal periodic review, where the country fared badly, and now with the denunciation of the Convention makes clear there is not democratic will and that the impunity for human rights violations is the norm in Venezuela.

No government lasts forever and precisely destroys or get out of the Inter American System, can go against those which now are the Government in Venezuela, because it will be the best mechanism for protecting their rights when they cease to be government and the persecuted become persecutors.

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Observatorio Redlad

OBSERVATORIO DEMOCRACI VIEW ON DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Presidential Elections Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela September 14, 2012 The Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (RedLad) platform of push for democracy and human rights, comprising more than 440 organizations in the region, official member of the Civil Society Forum of the Organization of American States (OAS) and regional chapter of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD), issued the following preliminary report on Venezuela’s presidential election of next October 7, 2012: At the eve of the 2012 Presidential Elections in Venezuela, the environment in which people live is a mixture of what would seem to be a competitive choice between two electoral options and an element of bewilderment before the indicators of official opportunism and reasonable doubts of independence of the electoral umpire, National Electoral Council (CNE).

The independence of the CNE has been seriously questioned when 4 of the 5 members of its board are openly sympathetic to the President of the Republic; have fought or are active in their party, have held high public office of trust during the government of Hugo Chavez and manifest his preferences openly. The initial formation of this entity did not comply fully with the provisions of the Constitution.

It notes with concern that the ruling party, using vast resources of public funds, has been forming, through royalties and bribes, a wide clientele of political class, ascribing to this clientele, a particular role in its broad political theater; the lack of indepen-

dence in the institutions and government control in the media, prevent us talking about a balanced campaign.

It has been observed using government programs for propaganda for the candidate-president, and presidential chains and other control means used to promote the image of the ruler.

The opportunism in advertising is a worrying factor in the upcoming elections. At the start of the campaign, logos and images of the ministries and public agencies changed to make them similar to the logo and images of the propaganda of the candidate-president, a situation which was later changed and was removed this similarity.

We observe with concern, such as violence and intimidation also have been a constant factor in the months before the election. Increased levels of political violence, threats to public officials and employees are public, and the direct threat from President Chavez of “civil war” if he were defeated.

The Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy has been denouncing for several years the loss of democratic spaces in Venezuela, the persecution to civil society, media closure and orientation authoritarian government of Hugo Chavez, who is candidate and President in this election.

Despite our reservations about the possibility of fair elections in a country where the President has systematically violated the Constitution and democratic principles, and there are no conditions for a transparent election, our Network formally requested to National electoral Council (electoral),

following the procedures and timelines for the “accompaniment” electoral, registration of the Network as an observer or companion in the elections of October 7, 2012. Unfortunately before a few days the election and after making several requests to the government authorities of Venezuela, our Red never received authorization to “accompany” the election process officially. Neither will participate the European Union nor the Organization of American States, nor the Carter Center.

The only authorized companion seems to be UNASUR, whose Executive Secretary is the Ex Minister and active collaborator of Hugo Chavez, Ali Rodriguez Araque, whereupon lacks any seriousness or professionalism this accompaniment. Being the first choice this organization “accompanies” or observes, does not have any technical skills or experience, their conformation is completely political, the most funding comes from the government of Venezuela and lacks independence.

The reservations that exist regarding the Electoral observation International is a concern factor; if there is full transparency in the electoral body, they would not oppose to that there be an international observation of level. Our organization, like many international organizations were not accredited, and national groups with tradition and experience in election observation were not accredited by the whim of the government of Venezuela, which raises suspicions and reduces the transparency of the process.

Despite the limitations because of threats of violence, it has been

IA Y DERECHOS HUMANOS

observed freedom of opposition candidate to do campaign. Likewise, to date there has been a relatively peaceful campaign, except some unfortunate incidents, but overall there has been a peaceful election.

In terms of voter registration, our network does not have access to them.

Worryingly the increased of this to an exponentially level, passing from 11 million to 18 million of voters during the current government without any correlation with population growth.

Despite this, there is a demographic consistency analysis of the Catholic University Andres Bello, in which it claims that the logging behavior corresponds to the characteristics and changes that, in demographic terms, is experiencing the Venezuelan population.

A level of secret of voting, both the opposition technicians as the ruling technicians certify an audit that

guarantee the secret voting by the electors. Similarly, the various records and receipts that are issued along the voting chain allow voting control in the tables. Worryingly some tables Itinerant, tables in ministries and other unconventional voting formulas.

The absence of witnesses is a constant in the electoral system; the polls are open until unusual hours and are spreading their opening depending on the needs of official votes, thus facilitating the intimidation of voters, especially those who are beneficiaries direct of social plans of the Executive. They spoke with people from the opposition and they said that will have observers in all tables.

The transmission system has not been fully audited and notes with concern that only the CNE officials have access to the aggregation center.

Our Redlad, although is not officially

accredited, has been invited by the Bureau of Unit to observe the election at distance. In this sense a Redlad Mission will take care in Venezuela, and we will maintain our receiving national and international information

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Electoral Observatory Redlad First prior report

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