Venezuela leaves human rights organisation ♦ Colombia: Constitutional court says no Uribe re-election ♦ Telefónica increases profits ♦ Uruguay and the ethical house
Venezuela leaves human rights organisation
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President Hugo Chávez announced that his country will leave the Inter American Commission of Human Rights (CIDH), after the organisation issued a report criticising the Venezuelan government for alleged violations of civil liberties.
“We are preparing to pull out of an organisation that Venezuela was a part of, that terrible organisation called Inter American Commission of Human Rights. We are leaving. What’s the point of staying? It is a mafia”, said Chávez.
He also expressed his desire for the Organisation of American States, the OAS, to disappear one day.
According to the CIDH report, the Venezuelan government has tried to prevent the opposition from gaining access to political power by banning some candidates and reducing the terms of opposition mayors and governors. The report also accused the government of violating “individual liberties”, through “discrimination and lack of equality”.
This new confrontation between the Chavez government and the Inter-American institution (the commission is part of the OAS) dates back to 2002, when Chavez was arrested by the military and replaced by the main business organisation’s then head, Pedro Carmona. The coup lasted less that 48 hours, for a popular demonstration and action by army officers loyal to Chavez put him back in power. To Chávez’s great annoyance, the CIDH did nothing to protest against the coup.
Because the CIDH refused to apologise for its behaviour at that time, relations have not improved. The team in charge of the investigation that resulted in the newly published report was not allowed to enter Venezuela.
Hugo Chávez has never been restrained in his criticisms of the OAS. On more one of one occasion, he has demanded that Cuba be allowed back as a member, but to no avail. His Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA) has been seen as attempt to replace part of the Inter-American system. The OAS’s failure to take a stronger stance on the military coup in Honduras that deposed Manuel Zelaya in July last year did nothing to improve Chávez’s view of the organisation.
The General Secretary of the OAS, former Chilean Foreign Minister Miguel Insulza, has urged Venezuela to read the report and to give it due consideration. “A direct dialogue would be the best way to clarify doubts and differences [of opinion] so that what needs to be improved can be improved in the crucial issues of democracy and human rights”, said Insulza.
The head of the OAS has rejected Venezuela’s criticism and has insisted that the Commission’s members are “seven independent [people] elected by the General Assembly [of the OAS] who enjoy total autonomy to produce their verdicts and reports”.
Venezuela, however, is still insisting that it will not let the commission visit the country until it apologises for its silence in 2002.
LAB
El Nacional (Venezuela, Spanish)
http://www.el-nacional.com/www/site/p_contenido.php?q=nodo/124706/Nacional/Venezuela-abandonar%C3%A1-el-sistema-interamericano-de-derechos-humanos
El Universal (Venezuela, Spanish)
http://www.eluniversal.com/2010/02/25/pol_ava_insulza-defiende-a-l_25A3491611.shtml
Colombia: Constitutional says no to Uribe re-election
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The Colombian Constitutional Court decided againts a referendum on the re-election of President Alvaro Uribe. Seven magistrates voted againts it and two in favour of the referendum.
For a long time, Uribe’s supporters have been pushing for a change in the constitution, to allow the President to stand as a candidate for a third mandate. The opposition has criticised the campaign, saying that Colombia is en route to a constitutional dictatorship. Uribe himself had been reluctant to get involved, and many believe that he was not keen on the idea of standing again. At least, until now.
Over the last two days, Uribe has let it be known that he is in favour of a referendum to let people decide whether or not they want him to be a candidate again. In a conference at the Javeriana University, he criticised the position of Humberto Sierra, a member of the court, who opposes the idea of a referendum.
“I want to be prudent in relation to magistrate [Sierra] who presented a report on this case. [This is the case] even though I believe it is wrong to make proposals that have nothing to do with reality”, said Uribe.
Sierra believes that the way Uribistas have been collecting signatures and funding the campaign is unconstitutional and goes against basic electoral principles.
Bogotá has been rife with rumours. Many Uribistas fear that the Constitutional Court will rule against the referendum and are holding meetings to decide how to proceed, if this is the case. Former Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos, who has been tipped as a possible Uribista candidate if the current president is not allowed to stand, said earlier in the week that the campaign for “the referendum has lost strength after the report by Judge Humberto Sierra”.
If Uribe is allowed to stand, Santos would give up his candidacy and allow Uribe to stand in his place. The law appears to allow a change of candidate in the middle of the process, but the Constitutional Court may decide otherwise.
Despite Uribe’s undoubted popularity, the long delays in a decision about the referendum have taken their toll on Colombians. A Gallup poll conducted in November 2009 found that support for the referendum had dropped to 52%, from 58% two months earlier.
Alvaro Uribe is considered a “Teflon” President. Many of his associates and even his own cousin, former Senator Mario Uribe Escobar, have been arrested for their alleged links with far-right paramilitary organisations, and yet this has not tarnished the President’s image. Many believe that he would be easily re-elected if he were allowed to stand.
LAB
El Tiempo (Colombia, Spanish)
http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/politica/votacion-de-la-corte-sobre-referendo-reeleccionista_7301970-1
El Espectador (Colombia, Spanish)
http://www.elespectador.com/impreso/judicial/articuloimpreso189912-fin-de-encrucijada
La Silla Vacia (Colombia, Spanish)
http://www.lasillavacia.com/historia/7221
ECONOMY
Telefónica increases profits
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Telefónica, the Spanish-based communication company and one of the biggest companies in this sector in Europe, has achieved a 22% increase in returns from the profitable Latin American markets. The economic recovery experienced by most countries in the region has helped to boost sales of landlines and mobile phones.
The company made profits of US$3.1 billion last year, with sales increasing by 1.2% in the same period. Telefonica is one of the biggest providers of phone services in the region, and the profits are helping it to increase its stake in other European companies.
Telefónica’s revenues in Spain and Europe have gone down as a result of the recession and the dire state of Spanish economy, but its market in Latin America has grown by 8% in the last few years.
Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aWQvzxZU4jaQ
ECOLOGY
Uruguay and the ethical house
Many Uruguayans are fighting climate change and saving money by rejecting conventional construction techniques and replacing them with traditional methods.
The so-called “bio-buildings” are constructions made from mud and straw, called quincha in some countries, which are part of an ancient system used in the countryside and many old urban neighbourhoods. And, of course, they are cheaper: a square metre of quincha costs US$500–600, compared with US$1,000 for a standard building.
These constructions are energy-saving because they require less heating in winter and, therefore, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The only problem is a lack of available expertise in building them. But even this has been a blessing in disguise, because people have taught themselves to build attractive, comfortable, ethical homes.
Inter Press Service
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50460
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