Always Free
Issue no. 10 // November
El Independiente What Happened While You Were Procrastinating IEU has a elected a new student government, voting in List One with 39.9% of the 558 votes. The team consists of Luka Djordjevic as Head Representative, Jorgen Sten Anderson asVice Representative Madrid and Santiago Menéndez in the same position in Segovia. Beatriz Fritz will be the Treasurer in Madrid and Tomas Knapp likewise in Segovia. The team wanted to “thank the community... for voting us into power” stating that “we wouldn’t be where we are now without your support!” On 31st of October, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador gathered to discuss the amendments proposed by the assembly members of Alianza Pais, President Correa’s party. Among these amendments there is the proposal for an indefinite reelection. This proposal which should need a referendum will be treated by the National Assembly as an amendment and not as a possible constitutional reform. This decision has raised suspision of the government which claims that a referendum is only necessary in 2017 when the people will wisely choose their new president.
Brazilian elections
A turning point in the America’s geopolitics? Brazil experienced a slow-down of its
Emil Papaterra On October 27th, Brazilians re-elected current president Dilma Rousseff to a second term. Rousseff’s election continues the rule of the Workers’ Party (PT), which has been in power since Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva’s election to the presidency in 2003. For most Brazilians, this election was the most contentious and heated than any other in recent memory—even the most depoliticized citizens were aware of the importance of this elections. Ultimately, Dilma won by a razor-thin majority with 51.6 percent of the vote while her opponent, Aécio Neves received 48.4 percent. However, Dilma’s second administration will face demands for change in the midst of a polarized country — demands that were evident in last year’s widespread protests. Her greatest challenge will be in unifying a completely divided country, where the north and north-east (the poorest area) voted for Dilma’s cash transfers and social programs, whereas the south (the richer areas) voted for Neves’s economically conservative policies. Even in the midst of the financial crisis, the Brazilian economy was booming in the last decade. Moreover, it has played an important role in geopolitics by leading the BRICS bloc and has positioned itself as the seventh largest world economy. However, during Dilma’s first term,
GDP, a rising cost of living, shabby public services, corruption scandals, and high inflation. In the last economic report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Brazilian economy has stalled, raising questions about its socialeconomic development model. Now, what will Dilma’s victory mean for Latin America and the United States? In principle, Brazil continues to become a more visible player on the global stage by taking on a leadership role in South America. Thus, Dilma’s approach to the region will be based on prioritizing its closest neighbors over other parts of the world. This means that Mercosur —the free-trade bloc among Brazil and other South American countries — will likely be the primary focus, and it entails becoming increasingly independent from the United States. Doing so separates Brazil from from US politics and defines its role as the leader of Latin America, deepening its ties with the BRICS bloc. Although Brazilian development model has been sustainable for at least a decade, the region has recently shown that social policies in favor of the most vulnerable citizens can create wealth as in Morales’ Bolivia, Correa’s Ecuador and Medina’s Dominican Republic. These social programs, especially Brazil’s Bolsa Familia have fed 36 million people and have lifted millions out of extreme poverty. Nevertheless, Brazil’s new challenges are not to feed people; people are now hungry for education, hungry for health, hungry for infrastructure, and hungry to end corruption.
Pinkhassov:
Lighting up the darkroom Xenia Rakovshik
In a discreet production studio, vivid hues accent whitewashed walls. Reflections delicately flicker from the peripheries of glass ornaments within frames and, as you turn your head, a rooster’s crimson-topped head startles your eye. It is here that the fleeting dynamism of life stands still, becoming art through the perspective of a camera lens. On the other side is Georgui Pinkhassov – journalist, photographer, and cinematographer. No matter the medium, there is clarity in his focus. Featuring some of the highlights of his career from the early 1990s to present day, Pinkhassov’s first commercial exhibition in London reveals the photographer’s identity both as a sensible artist and an audacious documentarian, derived from his experience in photo-journalism.
The formative years
Many of Pinkhassov’s earlier photos on display show indelible traces of Tarkovsky’s style. “My first pieces of work were greatly influenced by Tarkovsky. I was enamoured, infected even, with his world,” recalls Pinkhassov in his interview “He managed to infuse a sense of melancholy and anguish with the sorrow and beauty of an ephemeral world in his films […that] struck a chord with me.”
The Tarkovsky gene The photographer’s aesthetic reflects the same amalgamation of European influences and Russian philosophy that Tarkovsky had drawn upon to colour his own productions. “[...E]ven his perspective was the product of a deeply engrained understanding of European culture,” says Pinkhassov. “This gene was passed on to me and bore fruit of its own. Those photographs that you see
during the years of 1989 are the result of my own preoccupations and reflections.” Pinkhassov expertly manipulates scenes by crafting shadows to accentuate contrast in his compositions. Whether the product of intention or the expression of an unconscious awareness of the drama it adds, his style paradoxically illuminates a sense of wonder and mystique in everyday scenes that characterises that very world that so inspired Tarkovsky and many artists before him. From the sun-kissed red and yellow reflections of a Spanish hotel balcony back in 1993 to a more recent photograph of young Russian woman obscured in a shroud of her own cigarette smoke, his photographs brim with a cacophony of perspectives and experiences that transcend age, ethnicity and language. What Pinkhassov proves is that what’s important is not necessarily where the light comes from, but the angle of the camera lens.
Born in Moscow during the 1950s, by the time he reached adolescence, Pinkhassov had already begun pursuing his fascination with visual expression and documentation, enrolling in the Moscow Institute of Cinematography in 1969. After a two-year hiatus from the lens of visual arts with the army, the young artist joined the cinematic team at the legendary film studio Mosfilm, where he was spotted by one of Russia’s best-known filmmakers – Andrei Tarkovsky, who employed him to work on the set of Stalker.
Georgui Pinkhassov reveals how historical and cultural ties add colour to photographs
“I have a dream, that one day…” Feli Dammertz
Daniél, 20, is from Honduras and probably lives in Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula and is in search of work. He is one of many young Hondurans who stays and won’t leave the country, but are likely to dream about a better life in the USA, even as he locks himself in his home to escape the violence on the street. Daniél probably doesn’t have more than US $2 a day to live on and, I imagine, was somehow involved in a crime in the past. He probably dropped out of primary school by the age of 11; if he’s lucky, he learned how to read and write. If he is even luckier, he isn’t forced to join one of the powerful street gangs until now, and isn’t shot while going to the supermarket. Daniel could be Ernesto, Luis or Javier as well: he is not a real person. I invented him (looking at Honduras’ demographic profile) in order to represent the quality of life and expectations of an average Honduran civilian. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and possesses the world’s highest murder rate. Poverty, drugs and violence characterize everyday life. Every 74 minutes, a person dies because of violent death. The two most powerful gangs, Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 rule the streets and determine the law. Citizens don’t have a choice: “You become one of us, you go, or you die”. The educational system is the most backward in all of Central America – more than 46% of students never finish primary school. More than half of the population lives in poverty - every second Honduran has to live with less than US$ 1.25 day. Only 250,000 Hondurans pay taxes. It’s popular for Honduran politicians to try gaining their voters’ affection and trust by financing funerals, as most Hondurans can’t even afford proper
coffins and funeral service for their deceased family members. With increasing violence and a highly unstable economy and political landscape, life in their home country appears not to be worth living anymore. Many Hondurans try to immigrate illegally to the USA, hoping for a better future: they exchange certain death in their home country for a vague chance of a better life in the distance. Many of them don’t even make it to the border; in 2013, border officers found more than 450 dead refugees – many of them children. If Honduras were a person, I would tell him: “Try a fresh start” – but a country can’t start over again with such ease. Daniél has a dream that one day life in Honduras will be safe and worth living in, that one day violence and gang fights are a distant memory, and that one day, he can stop dreaming about a better life far away from home. In that dream, he lives in the present – in the country he was born in and is proud of.
Argentina’s Falklands secretary Daniel Filmus is a man on a mission - a mission to promote world peace. The disputed islands, in the South Pacific, are claimed to be Argentinian, but have had a British claim to sovereignty over them since 1833. But, as Argentina’s Falklands secretary tells Harriet Alexander, it’s a message of peace he won’t actually be taking to the disputed islands. Daniel Filmus is responsible for a territory his country does not own, and which he has not yet visited and may never do so. As far as Britain is concerned, that means Mr Filmus will have a long wait on his hands: the sovereignty question, as David Cameron has repeatedly made clear, is not up for discussion. But that is not stopping Mr Filmus, a former education minister, from having a very good try.
We all know that Spain has had very rough go as of late. From 50% youth unemployment, to American financial oligarchs Goldman Sachs and Blackstone entering the nation’s depressed real estate market, it seems Spaniards simply can’t get a break. As is always the case, at some point all populations snap under the relentless weight of fraud and corruption and demand an end to the status quo. It appears that moment may be near for the Spanish population, as evidenced by the incredible rise of the brand new political party “Podemos,” which translates into “We Can.” ”El Pais newspaper yesterday showed Podemos doubled its support in a month to a record 28 percent.”
Argentina
Culture and Society Gio Topuria Among other things, Latin America is known for its drug cartels and high crime rates. The media mostly focuses on this negative aspect of the region. For example, in most American films, we see that the ‘villain’ is an evil South American drug lord who is trying to smuggle bags of drugs through the border into the U.S. This article intends to bring you the positive (but mostly ignored) side of Latin America, which is diverse, multicultural, beautiful, and possesses its own unique character. By no means is it possible to include all the nuances of the whole of South America (or even one country) in one article. Therefore, I have decided to journey deep into the south of the region to bring you a basic overview of Argentinian culture. Country Overview: • Population - 43 mivllion • Capital City - Buenos Aires • Currency - Peso ($) • Ethnic groups - 97% European; 3% Mestizo, Amerindian and Asian • GDP - $930 Billion ($22,000 Per Capita) As varied as Argentina’s geography is, so is its culture. It is composed of an ethnic mix of foreigners from Europe, including people from Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Basque, and Ireland. Because of the strong European migration, this influenced the demise of pre-Columbian cultures, resulting in a lack of dominant indigenous populations. Each culture established their own roles throughout the country—the Basque and Irish controlled sheep farming, Germans and Italians established farms, and the British predominantly invested in developing the country’s infrastructure. Small populations of Japanese, Chileans, Bolivians, Paraguayans, and Uruguayans are also found scattered throughout the country. Due to the array of cultural diversity, a particularly diverse arts, crafts, and
music scene exists. There are many cinemas and galleries-- status symbols-in major urban centers that are popular with the elite. Argentinian cinema is widely respected throughout the world and is used as a vehicle to manifest the horrors of the Dirty War. Tango is the medium of dance and is believed to be one of the most amorous ways of expressing love in Argentina. Folk music is also popular, containing Amerindian influence. The cities are modern, complete with colonial influences from throughout Europe and provide each city with a unique character. Out of the 43 million residents, 3 million live in Buenos Aires, the capital. A small population of natives still live in the country, mainly the Quechua in the northwest region and the Mapuche in Patagonia. Other marginal groups include Matacos and Tobas in Chaco and northeastern cities. Soccer is the pastime of choice; after all, Argentina has won the World Cup twice, once in 1978 and again in 1986. Diego Maradona is a national hero due to his great soccer skills. Roman Catholicism is the official religion of the country, whereby spiritualism and devotion to the dead are
deeply engrained in society. Pilgrimages are not uncommon to the grave sites of relations and famous people who have passed away. Judaism also makes up of a percentage of the religions found in Argentina. The official language of the country is Spanish; in addition, Italian is widely spoken as well, with pockets of Anglo societies of English-speaking citizens. 17 native languages include Quechua, Mapuche, Guarani, Tobas, and Matacus. Typical food in Argentina is meat— predominantly beef, which is cooked on mixed grills known as “parrilladas.” Vegetarian food is not uncommon either. Ice cream is popular due to the Italian influence, as well as Paraguayan tea, which is offered as a special expression of acceptance. The leaves are related to holly and are elaborately prepared in a mixture that is drunk from a shared gourd. In summary, Argentina is one of the most wonderful and culturally-diverse places to visit. I view this as an opportunity to discover a new culture. Like most of us, I’ve lived in Europe for the most of my life, so a visit to Argentina would be a great change.
Music from Brasil:
Bossa Nova: not so elevator music American jazz musicians, and became an international craze by the early 1960s.
Carmo Braga da Costa A few things make me feel nostalgic to the point of getting that tingly feeling on the tip of my nose and a burning sensation in my throat. Looking down at Lisbon during landing, watching Back to The Future part III, reading Beatrix Potter, and - for completely different reasons - my Grandma’s leftovers soup, these are a few of those things. But Bossa Nova is probably at the top of that list. There is no one more biased than me to write an article about Bossa, it’s like a third parent. It cradled me since the day I was born and still does today. Bossa Nova has one of the most complex rhythm patterns and chord progressions of all song genres. Its history dates back to the 1950s and its contemporaneous style influences artists until this day – Kings of Convenience in Declaration of Dependence, for instance – and yet, it is labeled “elevator music”. Great. Bossa Nova is from Brasil. It began in the chic beach neighborhood of Ipanema by day, moved to the Copacabana clubs by night where it was quickly discovered by
Much like the birth of The Powerpuff Girls, Bossa has three essential ingredients: Jobim, Gilberto, and Vinicius. The three musicians are known as the fathers of the genre. Antonio Carlos Jobim: The composer, João Gilberto: The Interpreter, and Vinicius de Moraes: The Poet, “O Poetinha”. Vinicius’ poetry is genius; my parents used to quote him (and still do) when giving me advice. “Sadness has no end, happiness does,” helped me to get through those years of teenage angst. Even if you don’t understand the language, the meaning of the songs can be transmitted, not only through the tone of voice, but also through its rhythm, the guitar (violão), and the emotion in the swing. Just a few years ago, Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes teamed up with a few other artists – amongst them John Legend, The Black Eyed Peas and Stevie Wonder-- creating the collaboration masterpiece album, “Timeless”. He proved that Bossa Nova is more than just elevator music. Bossa Nova is to Brazilian culture what howling “Mr. Worldwide” is to Pitbull songs - it just wouldn’t be the same without it, and when it comes to life advice, nobody does it better than Vinicius, who said that whisky is man’s best friend, it’s like a bottled puppy.
Chico Buarque, Tom Jobim e Vinicius de Moraes on a table. Rio de Janeiro, 1979. Photo by: Evandro Teixeira
Oil companies fall as crude prices slide: Saudi Arabia, while raising its prices for customers in Asia due to stronger demand, cut its prices to the US to prop up declining exports. These price cuts have provoked a fall in oil companies’ shares, including giants Shell, BP or BG Group, among others.
Argentina accuses Procter & Gamble, the world’s number one household product maker, of tax fraud and said it has suspended the company’s operations in the South American country. However, it was unclear what the government meant by suspended, and P&G declined to comment on whether its operations have been halted. Argentina claims that the company has been overbilling $138m in imports to get money out of the country.
Four Years into the Arab Spring. Haizam Amirah a Senior Analyst for Mediterranean and the Arab World at El Cano Royal Institute in Madrid and a Professor of IR at IE Business School spoke of the driveers of change in the Arab World and questioned whether these trends are reversible. He was joined by Madter and Bachelors students from both Madrid and Segovia.
El Salvador
Police Officers Declare War on Local Gangs Maria Emilia Mancero
On Tuesday, October 28th, police officers in El Salvador declared war on local gangs. Raged by a fast increase in the number of police assassinations and the unstoppable clashes against gangs, police are determined to do what is necessary to end the violence.
Matías Viotti Barbalatto
El Salvador is a Central American country considered to be one of the most dangerous in Latin America due to the establishment of gangs in the country. The Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 are two of the biggest criminal gangs in the country and the majority of civilian murders are linked to them. Authorities in El Salvador have been working to improve domestic security, but it has become increasingly difficult. The gangs are more powerful in number than the police and have access to advanced, sophisticated technology. Their strength lies in numbers; from their local members and from the thousands of members who operate in countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Moreover, these dangerous organizations receive support from other powerful syndicates like the Zetas, a drug cartel that controls a majority of the outskirts of the Mexican main cities and towns where government does not involve itself.
Mauricio Ramirez, Police Director in El Salvador, stated that “any criminal group who is determined to attack against our members, our goods, and property, will be persecuted”. But the threats do not come only from the police. The Heroes Azules (Blue Heros), a gang that claims to be a “police” organization, has ordered, via social networks, that police officers be assassinated to avenge for the death of their peers.
The apparent power they claim from violent threats and international support has only led to greater domestic insecurity and acts of violence snowballing at a rate that has not been witnessed recently. Concerns have been mounting since October with the deaths of six police officers within the month. Moreover, police authorities have had more than 130 clashes with gangs throughout the year.
Matías Viotti Barbalatto
With this constant fear, police officers have been authorized to carry their guns even if they are not in uniform in order to avoid their sudden death. In the 10 months of the year 2014, El Salvador has lost 33 police members in such cold and meditated ways. Assassinations by Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha of other civil members has reached an average of ten deaths per day.
A Single Heart Mario Jose Cobo
Being so far from Latin America, the static and emotional perspective of that world stretches far and wide with me. The feeling of nostalgia for a home that stays behind elevates the finite pulse of the heart into believing that, in life, the most important thing is found in the skin of oneself, which in turn is coated with the country’s land where we are born. But no matter the distance, no matter the adversity, the only thing that really matters is the intensity of a single heart that beats to the sound of the thousand and one beats that the South American continent possesses and offers
to those looking for a place in which to nest and to admire. South America is not only a place full of existential conflicts and emotional mafias; it is a place where the most amazing landscapes on earth are combined with the sweetness of its people, with the history that shouts freedom and with the magic dances of a continent without borders because its people will remain its people anywhere in the world, a cosmopolitan citizen, a brother of all. “You feel truly Latin American, when you are outside of Latin America,” said Mario Vargas Llosa, the recognized Peruvian writer, in a conference last month. His words indicate that we are tied emotionally to the infinite responsibility of being part of this place and support it, filling it with colours and happiness.
Life is an explosion of senses that are shaken with the immense vibration of a world without limits; therefore, the imaginary stereotypes of Latin countries living in the most immense poverty and consumed in the infinite longing of pain and death are nothing but the sempiternal fallacies that hide the absolute truth about a place where the most beautiful lights share place with the flavors and smiles of its people. Latin America is and will remain the continent where dreams, love and hope are combined, where the intensity of the purest desire to move forward and reach the sky in order to move it and fill it with expectations, making the breeze fall in love, and making the moon dance, creating the illusion of an overwhelming continent that pursues a desired utopia.
Venezuela
huge potential, deplorable institutions Gracia Pujadas
Venezuela ended October by pricing its barrels of oil at $76 each, which is the lowest price for oil since 2010. Some experts have argued that Venezuela should price its barrels at $121 each so as to be sustainable. The economic implications of this fall in oil prices are considerable. After all, 96% of Venezuela’s export revenue comes from oil. Bloomberg claims that Venezuela’s revenues are down by $10 billion. Inflation is soaring. To cope with this, tough measures will have to be adopted, such as devaluing the currency and increasing prices. However, Mr. Maduro’s government is trying to delay these policies for as long as possible because of its negative implications. Furthermore, there is also a scarcity of goods in the Venezuelan market. The Economist argues that Venezuela’s economy is the worst-managed one. From experience, we know that poor economic performance easily leads to
political instability. Earlier this year, Venezuela witnessed wild and violent protests that resulted in several deaths and fights between citizens and the police and government forces. Venezuela has been immersed in an economic and political crisis for awhile now, and this recent fall in oil prices may aggravate the situation considerably, turning it into the most complicated crisis Venezuela had in its recent past. Maduro’s popularity is falling like a plane whose engine has stopped working. Actually, surveys showed that 60% of the population want Mr. Maduro to resign, as some believe that he is not being a worthy heir of Hugo Chávez’s legacy, and others deem his administration and governance as disastrous. When we consider the current situation, some questions arise. Is this an opportunity for Mr. Capriles, who led a determined opposition in the past elections? Or will this drive the required political change?
Venezuela is a country with enormous reserves of natural resources and breathtaking natural beauty because of its biodiversity and geology. Were its economy well managed, Venezuela would become a country full of real opportunities. If its political system were less corrupted, Venezuela would become a prime location for business and a key target for investors. As such, it is crucial for Venezuela to improve its institutions. Better institutions will alter the current political system for the better and consequently, result in a better management of the economy. With adequate policies, Venezuela can become the best country it can be; a richer country with political and social stability that promotes tourism and in general, produces better economic outcomes. Venezuela can strive for excellence with this change, or Venezuela can remain as it is, wasting its incredible potential due to its corrupted political system.
Photo of the Week Natalie Lama
español
El Independiente version part 2
Giorgi Topuria
Fresa
1) Strawberry (Castellano) 2) Rich kid (Mex.) 3) Relax (Col.)
Pitillo
1) Cigarette (Castellano) 2) Straw (Ven.)
Pana
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Cucho
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