Following up on the Carnival Magic story, my latest, Whatever happened to the Carnival Magic with the ebola scare? is up at Da Tech Guy Blog.
The return of the Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
After skipping a week because of unpacking, the Carnival’s back, while the unpacking’s not finished.
Brazil and Uruguay held presidential elections yesterday. Voters went for the same old, same old.
BRAZIL
Why is Dilma Hiding Business Deals With Cuba?
Brazil poll shows Neves leading election, at odds with major surveys
In Brazil’s Election, a Stark Vote on the Nation’s Economy
CHILE
Bomb That Killed Man in Chile Meant to Blow Up Prison Guard Building
COLOMBIA
Alexander Beltran Herrera, US judge sentences Farc commander
A US judge has sentenced an ex-Colombian rebel to 27 years in prison for his role in the kidnapping of three American citizens in 2003.
Marcos de Jesus Figueroa, alias “Maquitos Figueroa,” Colombian Drug Lord Captured in Brazil Wanted for 100 Murders
CUBA
Religious persecution disguised by Castro regime as a crackdown on “criminal” activities
Cuban Ladies In White, other activists arrested as they support political prisoner Sonia Garro
Must-Read: Are Cuba and Brazil Partners in Human Trafficking?
Cuban Docs Should be Banned from Ebola Fight, Restrict US-Cuba Flights
Quote of the day: “I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile.”
ECUADOR
HRW Criticizes Correa for Applauding Police Abuse During Protests
HONDURAS
Just Say No to Presidential Reelection in Honduras
Too Many “Necessary” Men in Latin America
MEXICO
Amado Yáñez shows up at the burn-out unit (in Spanish):
PANAMA
If Panama’s Anti-Corruption Hunt Continues, Miami Should Watch Out
PARAGUAY
Report Oil Found in Paraguay; Gov’t Cautious
PERU
Health Care Workers in Peru Go on Strike
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico needs a financial control board
URUGUAY
POLL NUMBERS!!! Uruguay election this weekend
VENEZUELA
Dakazo 2 and Technocrats
How Bad Are Things In Venezuela? It’s Rationing Food – And Importing Oil
Venezuela seizes warehouses packed with medical goods, food
The 61% Devaluation That Venezuela Told No One About
The week’s posts and podcast:
Elections: No change in Brazil, Uruguay
Friday afternoon tap dancing priests
Argentina: Creeping to the edge
Venezuela: Mileposts on the highway to hell
Cuba: NYT goes Duranty on ebola
Venezuela: Happy Halloween! Hugo Chavez M&Ms
Immigration: Obama to allow in 100,000 Haitians with no visas
At Da Tech Guy’s blog:
What may be the most consequential election of the decade
The curious incident of the Carnival Magic in Belize UPDATED
In Silvio Canto’s podcast:
The elections in Brazil with Monica Showalter of Investor’s Business Daily.
Posts from the prior week:
In transit, again
Venezuela and the falling oil price UPDATED
Venezuela wins U.N. Council seat
Mexico: #Ayotzinapa backlash in Mexico Bronco
Could Mexico become the next Russia?
Cuba: NYT goes Duranty on ebola
Walter Duranty, arguably the New York Times’s most [in]famous correspondent, earned his reputation as Stalin’s apologist. In keeping with this tradition, the NYT editorial board is touting Cuba’s Impressive Role on Ebola, actually parroting Cuba’s Communist propaganda (from the mouth of José Luis Di Fabio, the World Health Organization’s man in Havana), ignoring the fact that the embargo does not apply to medical supplies and equipment:
José Luis Di Fabio, the World Health Organization’s representative in Havana, said Cuban medics were uniquely suited for the mission because many had already worked in Africa. “Cuba has very competent medical professionals,” said Mr. Di Fabio, who is Uruguayan. Mr. Di Fabio said Cuba’s efforts to aid in health emergencies abroad are stymied by the embargo the United States imposes on the island, which struggles to acquire modern equipment and keep medical shelves adequately stocked.
In for a penny, in for a pound, the NYT rolls right along, exhorting the USA to
As a matter of good sense and compassion, the American military, which now has about 550 troops in West Africa, should commit to giving any sick Cuban access to the treatment center the Pentagon built in Monrovia and to assisting with evacuation.
Governments, China’s included, complain they simply don’t have enough experience with Ebola to send in large numbers: “This is a big challenge for our scientists,” said Qian Jun, team leader for the China Center for Disease Control Mobile Laboratory Team in Sierra Leone.
So the question is, Is Cuba Sending Unqualified Health Workers to West Africa?
The Cuban dictatorship is willing to sacrifice anything — or anyone — for the sake of propaganda.
This appears to be the case of the health workers it has sent to West Africa to work on the Ebola virus.
The details that have been filtering out of Cuba regarding the terms and conditions that the Castro regime has given to these health workers are very concerning.
For example, the Cuban health workers have been compelled to agree that if they contract the Ebola virus, they will not be repatriated to the island.
Moreover, they have been warned of a 90% chance of no return.
As such, there has been a life insurance policy taken out for these health workers with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Surely the families are the beneficiaries of the policies, right?
Nope — the Cuban state is.
(It remains unclear whether the WHO is further paying the Castro regime for these health workers.)
In theory, the deal is that
Those fortunate enough to return have been “promised” nearly $10,000 per month — to be deposited in a Cuban state bank account during their absence — as well as a house and car.
Now, in practice, IF any are allowed to return, would the Cuban government actually pay, because no one outside the regime’s inner circle is allowed to collect.
The curious incident of the Carnival Magic in Belize UPDATED
#Ebola, a cruise ship, an international incident; my latest article, The curious incident of the Carnival Magic in Belize is up at Da Tech Guy Blog.
The curious incident will probably put the kibosh on Caribbean holiday tourism for a long time.
UPDATE
MUST-READ:
An Outbreak of Epidemiological Hysteria.
As Tyler Durden said, It’s almost as if the administration is doing everything in its power to spread a panic.
The Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
ARGENTINA
Argentine Government Blasts “Speculation” by Grain Exporters
Bolivia’s election
Happily Evo after
A third term for a “non-stick” leader
Brazil’s Election Shows How The Left Thrives On Welfare Dependency
The Key Proposals Of Brazil Presidential Hopeful Aécio Neves
CAYMAN ISLANDS
Former Cayman Premier Acquitted
CHILE
Experts Lower Chile’s Growth Forecast to 1.9%
COLOMBIA
Colombia Authorized Guerrilla Leader’s Trips to Cuba
Hours later, President Juan Manuel Santos said that he personally signed off on the trips, which he described as “part of the process, normal.”
Washington Post reporter: White House spin on Cartegena is “demonstrably false”
CUBA
CASTRO’S MOMUMENT
The Castro Legacy: Untold Thousands of Watery Graves
Cuban: I’d Rather Die Trying to Reach Freedom, Than Live on My Knees Living in Tyranny
Estamos en desacuerdo que se levante el embargo a #Cuba de manera unilateral http://t.co/QUtHNTIeJu
— Coco Farinas (@cocofarinas) October 9, 2014
ECUADOR
El escándalo uruguayo
A Raúl Sendic, candidato vicepresidencial de Uruguay, junto a Tabaré Vásquez, por el movimiento izquierdista Frente Amplio, del presidente José Mujica, le salpicó la “maldición“ del petróleo. Un cuestionado convenio de canje de crudo por derivados entre Ancap/Trafigura/Petroecuador que involucra USD 6.400 millones, empezó a pasar las primeras facturas, en medio de la campaña electoral. El escándalo ampliamente cubierto por la prensa uruguaya, hace referencia al libro Ecuador Made in China, y a una carta remitida al gobierno uruguayo y a varios legisladores de ese país.
. . .
La referida cláusula del Convenio señala que Ecuador proveerá hasta 36000 barriles diarios de crudo, sin embargo en el contrato firmado el mismo día en Montevideo, se estableció la entrega de hasta 100000 barriles diarios, con lo que se violó el Convenio. Incluir un volumen de 100000 barriles día notificaba al más ingenuo que el crudo no estaba destinado a la refinería uruguaya, cuya capacidad máxima, cuando está operativa, es de 50000 barriles día, y de un crudo diferente al ecuatoriano. Al respecto, la Contraloría abona con conclusiones que dejan sin respuesta a los autores del Acuerdo: “se contrató con Ancap, sin que existan estudios técnicos que demuestren los beneficios para el país de una contratación directa”, señala en organismo.
Feminists Weigh In for Chevron in Racketeering-Oil Pollution Case
The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund urged the appeals court to rule for Chevron on a highly technical but critical issue. You read that correctly: The nation’s oldest women’s-rights legal advocacy organization, a left-leaning group that helped enact the landmark 1994 Violence Against Women Act and represents victims of sexual harassment and spousal brutality, supports the multinational oil company in its struggle against a crusading lawyer who claims to represent the impoverished and oppressed.
O’Reilly Discusses WFB’s Reporting On Ecuador PR Firm Paying Liberal US Celebrities
EL SALVADOR
El Salvador tries to rein in crime with community policing
IMMIGRATION
FUSION TV LAMENTS ‘UNDOCUMENTED’ WOMEN HAVING HARD TIME GETTING ABORTIONS IN TEXAS
MEXICO
Mexico Arrests Alleged Head of Juárez Drug Cartel
Federal police arrested alleged Juárez drug cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes in the northern city of Torreón on Thursday, Mexican officials said. His Arrest Is Seen as Symbolic Amid Police Scandal
Iguala, Mexico and police crimes
NICARAGUA
Russia ban opens opportunities to Iran, Nicaragua
PANAMA
Panama’s National Assembly Ratifies Trade Pact with Mexico
Divide and bribe
Corruption and political fragmentation threaten Peru’s democracy
PUERTO RICO
No More Dunkin’ Donuts for Puerto Rico
Island’s Franchisee Fails to Make Payments, 18 Stores to Close
TRINIDAD TOBAGO
Trinidad and Tobago Mulls Postponing Carnival over Ebola Fears
URUGUAY
Uruguay Welcomes First Group of 42 Syrian Refugees
VENEZUELA
Wouldn’t it be better if they had done this while Maduro was speakinVenezuela: Exxon wins $1.6 billion settlementg at the UN? UN urges Venezuela to release dissenter leader Leopoldo López
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations (UN) described as illegal the actions of the Venezuelan authorities in the proceedings against the political opposition leader for the events of February 12
Miami Venezuelans vs. Mary Landrieu
The week’s posts and podcast:
Why Venezuela should not have a seat at the UN Security Council
Could capitalism save the Arabs?
Mexico: Government paying its citizens to avoid deportation from U.S.
Venezuela: Exxon wins $1.6 billion settlement
4 ISIS Terrorists Arrested in Texas
Mexico: 43 students missing since September 26
Brazil: Aécio’s plan is the economy
At Da Tech Guy Blog:
Why bother covering up the Cartagena, Colombia, prostitution scandal?
The Top Gear Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
The Top Gear lads got ‘chased by thousands and ordered out of country’
“When we saw people on Twitter getting upset we took the plate off. But they still attacked us so we made a break for it to our hotel in Ushuaia.
“The mob just descended on the hotel and encircled us. State representatives came and ordered us out of the country.”
Here’s the car that caused the fracas,
This is my car on its last day in Argentina. Note the plates that everyone says caused offence. pic.twitter.com/mCfncbMa6F
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 4, 2014
Video of the police escorting them.
BOLIVIA
Bolivian Couple Arrested in Argentina Accused of Killing Their Daughter
They include corruption, political machinations with the state-controlled oil company, and delays and overspending on a multibillion-dollar oil refinery that Brazil needs desperately.
CARIBBEAN
PetroCaribe and the Caribbean
Single point of failure
Venezuela’s financing programme leaves many Caribbean countries vulnerable
COLOMBIA
Colombian Attorney General Says Conflict Cases Could Be Shelved
Prince Charles and Camilla to Visit Colombia and Mexico
CUBA
Keep Cuba out of hemispheric summits
Prosecutors seek 5-year prison term for Cuban opposition activist Ciro Alexis Casanova
Fraternal Relations, Part III
ECUADOR
The Dark Side of Green Justice
Review: ‘Law of the Jungle’ by Paul Barrett
JAMAICA
Jamaica Gets Help Preparing for Possible Ebola Cases
Indeed, How Dare We Leave Andrew Tahmooressi Behind?
PANAMA
Is Panama’s President Being Coerced by Cuba’s Regime?
1,400 Cops Occupy Unruly Panamanian Prison
Panama President Demands That Judge Explain Growing Wealth
PARAGUAY
Rutherford B. Hayes: An OK President but a hero in Paraguay
Hayes agreed to negotiate a long-held border dispute between Argentina and Paraguay, and the decision gave the nation 60 percent of its land.
PERU
Spanish Speleologist in Hospital after 12 Days in Peruvian Cave
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico Offers Itself as a Gateway to U.S. Market, Official Says
The week’s posts and podcasts:
Brazil: Aécio goes to the runoff
En español: El Alcalde de Iguala en la UdQ
Argentina: Hoping it’s hit rock bottom
En español: Últimas noticias del idiota iberoamericano
Venezuela: Why the military won’t rise up
At Da Tech Guy Blog:
I’m a tax exile, and proud of it
And now for something completely different: A book on Cuban history
The week’s podcast:
Let’s chat with Alina Garcia-Lapuerta, author of “La Belle Creole”
Today’s Capt. Louis Renault moment: Illegals don’t show for court hearings
Apparently 41,000 or so:
DHS secret revealed: Tens of thousands of illegals released during the border crisis didn’t show up for their immigration hearings,
Of course they didn’t. Who thought they would? This is precisely what amnesty shills have in mind when they demand “due process” for illegals. You’re detained, you’re given a date to meet with immigration agents or appear before an immigration judge to decide whether you’ll be deported, and then you’re sent on your merry way into the United States — never to be seen by the state again. The point of “due process” is to give illegals an easy way to avoid the process. DHS understands this.
. . .
Give me a reason why the appropriate House committee shouldn’t return to D.C. next month and hold a hearing on why these numbers weren’t publicly released but rather reserved for the White House’s amnesty allies.
This is an outrage. But there doesn’t seem to be any intent to remedy it.
On the other hand it’s big news, or should be. It means that our immigration laws are not just broken, they are a joke. What’s more, everyone knows it, including and perhaps especially the illegal immigrants entering our country, who plan at the outset to take full advantage of the situation.
What do you mean, perhaps?
ICE to Open Largest-Ever Detention Facility for Familes of Illegal Immigrants
After the number of families arriving and being apprehended at the southern border surged this year to levels never seen before, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are opening a fourth detention facility for illegal-immigrant families apprehended in the area, and its capacity will dwarf the three existing family detention centers.
As you, gentle reader, enjoy a staycation at your humble abode, for which you bust a gut to pay and maintain, ponder this,
ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok did offer a statement emphasizing that the center will feature ease of access to the detainees and a high quality of living for detainees.
“Individuals can move freely throughout the facility from their living quarters to playrooms, communal areas with snacks and drinks, a library, exercise rooms, visitation rooms, the outdoors, etc. Children will receive instruction from state-certified teachers. The open plan has features that protect the safety and security of detainees and staff, who can move about, unescorted, availing themselves of educational and recreational opportunities, including contact visitation from friends, relatives, attorneys and others,” Rusnok said. “ICE ensures that these residential centers operate in an open environment, which includes medical care, play rooms, social workers, educational services, and access to legal counsel.”
Meanwhile, 1 in 4 Americans 25-54 Not Working
In other news,
Illegals wash ashore in San Diego…
American Citizen Beaten to Death by Cartel Members Near Border…
At least 40,000 aliens vanish into USA…
EBOLA AMNESTY: Feds won’t deport Liberian immigrants….
UPDATE
Linked to by The Pirate’s Cove. Thank you!
The celebrity junket Carnival of Latin America and the Caribbean
I had another Capt. Louis Renault moment this week, provoked by Mia Farrow, of all people. The ex-Mrs Sinatra apparently received from PR firm MCSquared $180,000 for visiting Lago Agrio in Ecuador. Then Ecuador hired another PR firm, Ketchum (Putin’s American flack), to go after Paul M. Barrett for writing a book. Do read Barrett’s book Law of the Jungle, and Judge Kaplan’s 497-page decision, if you haven’t already.
I was hoping for a bakery,
CHILE
Suspect in Chile Bombings Was on Parole
COLOMBIA
Colombia Tightens Borders to Keep Out Ebola
CUBA
It’s official: Raul Castro invited to Latrine Summit
ECUADOR
China and Ecuador Agree to Strengthen Military Ties
Where’s Preet? The unasked question in Chevron v. Donziger
JAMAICA
Jamaica on US drug list
Named among 22 major producing, transit countries by President Obama
PANAMA
Panama’s Supreme Court Confirms New Trial Against Noriega
PERU
Peru’s economy
Replacing the pilot, as Alonso Segura replaced for his long-serving boss, Luis Miguel Castilla, on September 14th.
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico’s main barrier for Caribbean trade and exports is logistics
VENEZUELA
Venezuelan cartoonist ‘fired’ over healthcare satire
Rayma Suprani says she was axed after representing Chávez’s signature as a flatline heartbeat in protest over health system
Venezuela’s economy
Of oil and coconut water
Probably the world’s worst-managed economy
S&P Downgrade Of Venezuela’s Debt To Add To The Noise
Venezuela’s Criminal Gangs: Warriors of Cultural Revolution
The ongoing Damage to the Venezuelan Economy
The week’s posts:
Venezuela: Beyond-the-grave nepotism
Venezuela: What hemorrhagic fever? UPDATED
Argentina: Cristina’s vultures
En español: Guillermo Padrés en la Unidad de Quemados
Ecuador: If Correa ain’t happy . . .
Is ISIS at the border? UPDATED
Venezuela: What do El Puma & Ricardo Hausmann have in common?
At Da Tech Guy Blog:
And now for something completely different
Why the game should stand tall, a review of When the Game Stands Tall