Archive for May 30th, 2007
Ethanol to lead to tequila shortage?
5:17 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Environment|Lifestyle|mexico · Comments Off
30 May 2007
While some have criticized a boom in ethanol production might lead to deforestation in Brazil, it might have yet another ugly effect on a country a little closer to home: Mexico. Please say it ain’t so:
Mexican farmers are setting ablaze fields of blue agave, the cactus-like plant used to make the fiery spirit tequila, and resowing the land with corn as soaring U.S. ethanol demand pushes up prices.The switch to corn will contribute to an expected scarcity of agave in coming years, with officials predicting that farmers will plant between 25 percent and 35 percent less agave this year to turn the land over to corn.
According to Reuters, the abundance of Mexico’s beloved agave led to an oversupply of tequila and agave prices so low it wasn’t worth it to farmers to stick with the plant. As the demand for ethanol increases, corn prices soar, so it’s bye-bye agave. Get ready to pay $50 a bottle for some crappy Cuervo.
Via / MSNBC
Bloggers strike out against Spain
2:51 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Blogs|Controversia|Cuba|Spain · 1 Comment
30 May 2007
Last week we told you about a controversial ad for Spain’s Iberia airlines which had a Spanish consumer group up in arms over its depiction of Cuba. The ad was pulled due to pressure by the group, and has been covered by quite a few bloggers. On a related note, a group of conservative Cuban bloggers have announced their condemnation of the Spanish government for its relationship with Cuba. Calling themselves the “Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty” (BUCL), they’ve launched a multimedia campaign against Spain:
“This effort marks the first of several coordinated activities aimed at exposing those countries, companies and institutions that aid and abet the Castro regime in oppressing the Cuban people,” said Henry Gomez, the spokesman for Bloggers United for Cuban Freedom. Gomez continues:
As if Immigration Didn’t Have Enough Problems, It Raises Rates
2:42 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Immigration · Comments Off
30 May 2007
Yesterday, Emilio González, the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced a total of 39 rate hikes for various services. The hikes, he explained, are needed to ensure efficient service. Beginning July 30, application fees to become a U.S. citizen will nearly double while those seeking legal permanent residency will have to pay triple the current fee for a green card. The application fees for U.S. citizenship will rise from $330 to $595, with an additional required fee of $80 for electronic fingerprints. The fees for a “green card,” or a legal permanent resident visa, will rise from $325 to $1,010.The fees for filing for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or work permit, also went up, from $185 to $340.
Via / El Diario / la Prensa
Dead Prez’s Can’t Vote in DR Anymore
2:06 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Dominican Republic · Comments Off
30 May 2007
What do Juan Bosch and Joaquin Balaguer have in common? If you answered that they were both presidents of the Dominican Republic and died in 2002 you’d be partially correct. Up until recently they were also eligible voters. How recently? Up until last week. Their names along with thousands of other Dominicans who are deceased, have emigrated or are otherwise ineligible to vote in next year’s elections were purged from the official record.
Via / CBS
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