Archive for February, 2007
Peru wants to erradicate lateness
1:39 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Culture|Peru · Comments Off
19 Feb 2007
The Peruvian government is launching a campaign to do away with lateness, which, according to many Peruvians, is the social ill that holds this South American country back. 91% of Lima residents support the initiative, called Perú: La hora sin demora, which will launch on March 1st by having the entire country synchronize its clocks with the official time of the Peruvian Marines.
The idea of encouraging punctuality — which the government is calling “a civic virtue that represents respect for the other person’s time and there for respect for the other person” — was proposed by a group within Peru’s Consejo de Ministros and made up of luminaries and intellectuals called “El Grupo del Deber” which, according to their website, looks to promote “the return of civic values” in Peruvian society.
BofA under fire for offering credit to undocumented immigrants
3:03 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Immigration|Money · 3 Comments
16 Feb 2007
Bank of America is taking some serious heat from anti-immigration activists who say that the financial entity is extending credit card offers to undocumented immigrants. BofA, however, says that the card isn’t being marketed specifically to undocumented immigrants, but rather to “no credit history and a checking account in good standing”. The card can also be applied for by using a consular ID or a passport, instead of a Social Security number.
An organization calling itself The National Illegal Immigration Boycott Coalition has set up a web site (www.bankofamericaboycott.com) to boycott Bank of America because, according to the site:
Illegal immigration is tearing America apart and leading to the death of 12-25 Americans per day from the criminal acts of illegals. That is over 4,000 killed per year. Does Bank of America plan to reimburse the grieving families that suffer due to the illegal aliens BOA helps to stay in America?
Democrats Say Bush Budget Anti-Latino
3:00 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Education|Politics · Comments Off
16 Feb 2007
President Bush may have ushered in No Child Left Behind, but according to some Democrats, his budget has left and continues to leave Latinos behind.
New Jersey Democratic Senator Robert Menéndez presented a study that analyzed the impact of the national budget on programs for Latinos from 2001 on. When Bush came into office in 2001, he addressed a group of Latinos and stated that their education and health would be a priority of his administration. Menendez points to the fact that Bush eliminated literacy programs for “minority” children and higher education scholarships,both which are utilized by a large number of Latinos in the country as examples of Bush making empty promises.
Seems like Latinos have more than one reason to give Bush the finger.
Via / Univision
Chile Pushing for Gender Quotas
12:54 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Chile|Politics|Women · Comments Off
16 Feb 2007
Here in the U.S. “quotas” has become a dirty word especially with affirmative action being challenged in both the academic world and in the job market. Today I was surprised to read that countries around the world have gender quota laws on the books to ensure parity within their governments.
50 countries have adopted quota laws.
Eleven of those are in Latin America. Roughly half of those countries, she said, have passed measures to ensure that women not only make up a guaranteed percentage of candidates, but that women are not placed at the ends of electoral lists.
The countries with the most progressive laws include Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Colombia, which is the only country with a quota law for the executive branch and requires 30 percent female representation in high-ranking, decision-making posts in all state agencies.
Beginning in 1991 with Argentina, 11 Latin American countries adopted quota laws during the 1990s.
Colombia adopted a quota law in 2000. That same year Venezuela revoked its 1997 law, after the nation’s high court declared it unconstitutional. Venezuela’s quota law had applied only to the 1998 election, during which the presence of women in Congress increased to 12 percent from 6 percent. Following the court decision, female representation dropped to around 10 percent.
Most quota laws in the region set their minimum at 30 percent overall representation, combining upper and lower houses. Paraguay calls for 20 percent, Costa Rica for 40 percent.
Ricky Martin: No regrets about “sticking it” to Bush
12:39 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Controversia|Politics · Comments Off
16 Feb 2007
While I wrote Ricky Martin off for pulling a much too late Dixie Chicks move by giving Dubya the middle finger on a stage in Puerto Rico, the little hip shaker must be commended for standing his ground and not apologizing for this action. Ricky was quoted as saying yesterday:
“My convictions of peace and life go beyond any government and political agenda and as long as I have a voice onstage and offstage, I will always condemn war and those who promulgate it,” Martin said about his action in an e-mail statement sent to The Associated Press via a spokesman.
As proud as we can be of Ricky not backpedaling, I insist that now is the perfect time to gain a little limelight by being critical of this government, when everyone — even Republicans — is turning on this president.
While Ricky’s sexuality remains “ambiguous”, many also question why, pre-war, he would support a president who had already declared himself an enemy of gay rights.
Via / Yahoo! News
Venezuela: Al Qaeda threats “illogical”
7:07 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Politics|Venezuela · 1 Comment
15 Feb 2007
The Venezuelan government is scratching its head as to why Al Qaeda — which has threatened to attack U.S.-destined oil supplies in that country — would want to harm a nation that is itself anti-imperialist and fighting against the U.S.
Rear admiral Luis Cabrera, one of the members of President Hugo Chávez’ Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thursday asked for verification of the “illogical” threat Al Qaeda allegedly launched against Venezuela, as this country is fighting US imperialism too, but using other methods.“We should confirm the authenticity of these reports. It seems illogical that Al-Qaeda, which is against the US imperialism, is going after a State that is precisely fighting this hegemony, this imperialism, yet using other methods,” Cabrera told official TV channel VTV.
Venezuela Lending Bolivia a Hand for Coca
4:45 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bolivia|Venezuela · Comments Off
15 Feb 2007
The cultivation of the coca plant in Bolivia and President Evo Morales‘s defense of it has caused controversy and strain in relations between Bolivia and other countries, especially the United States. The coca plant is the raw ingredient in cocaine, but its leaves are also chewed and used to make completely legal tea. Other countries, especially those fellow South American ones led by fellow left leaning presidentes, support Bolivia and its coca cultivation. Take Venezuela who last week agreed to spot Bolivia about $250,000 to build two coca processing plants in Chapare and Las Yungas.
The plants will specifically manufacture a tea called trimate (pronounced tree ma te not try mate), a blend of coca, aniseed, and chamomile.
Via / Fox News
Image Via / Illegal Economy
Hershey Goes Mexican
1:04 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · business|Labor|mexico · 1 Comment
15 Feb 2007
This day after Valentine’s Day, many of us may be indulging in chocolate sweetness given to us by our sweetie. 1,500 employees of Hershey Co. are likely cursing the confection since today the company announced that their jobs will be cut. In addition to the cuts, The largest U.S. chocolate maker also said it was planning to build a manufacturing plant in Monterrey, Mexico and outsource some jobs to that plant.
The moves come as the company looks to free up more money to spend on marketing as it tries to regain lost market share from archrival Mars Inc. The overhaul is expected to reduce annual costs by $170 million to $190 million by 2010, it said.
Salma Hayek and Pedro Infante perfect mates
11:38 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|mexico|Newspapers · Comments Off
15 Feb 2007
Salma Hayek and the late, great Pedro Infante were the answers to the question “like what famous person would you like your partner to be?” asked by Mexican newspaper Reforma.
22 percent of Mexican men ranked Salma as their first choice, followed by actress Ana Claudia Talancón and Angelina Jolie.
25 percent of women said the legendary Pedro Infante (which seems strange to me, since he’s been dead for 50 years…it goes to show how much his image is imbedded in the Mexican psyche) was the best model for a mate, followed by Brad Pitt, then Gael García Bernal.
The Valentine’s Day survey also revealed some age-old truths about men and women:
For 85% of women, the ideal mate must be the same age or older. Only 5% of women prefer younger men.On the contrary, only 8% of men want an older mate. 19% want a younger woman and 58% the same age.
Via / AZ Central
Eliana: Second model in the family to die
6:22 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Fashion|Health|Uruguay|Women · Comments Off
14 Feb 2007
A sad twist in sad case of Luisel Ramos, the Uruguayan model we told you about last summer, who died on a catwalk in Montevideo. Uruguayan press reports that Luisel’s sister, Eliana, 18 and also a model, has died the same way her sibling did: from cardiac arrest.
Doctors are saying that Eliana was a “normal sized girl” who was “healthy”. Her rep, Argentine agent Pancho Dotto, calls the speculation that her death might have been brought on by malnutrition “absurd” and says that she didn’t suffer from anorexia or bulimia (read the whole report in Spanish).
Curiously, these are the same things that were said about Luisel, though her father initially said that his daughter had not eaten for days.
So, what is it? Eating disorders shared by two sisters who happen to be involved in the industry most associated with the illness, or a genetic heart problem?
Via / Espectador.com
Image via El Nuevo Día
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