The Latinamericanist

Video From Santiago

2006-08-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

The Jones

2005-11-17T01:40:00.000-05:00

I was looking at Trek Earth tonight, and the feeling came over me like a buen aguacero. I need to get back to Latin America, and soon. I've been questioning lately whether or not I'll be able to find the kind of job I planned and dreamed of (yes, my sites were never set all that high) stringing stories from somewhere and everywhere in Latin America. I don't quite know how to explain it, but that feeling rolls out heavy from somewhere deep. I don't know why I have it, but I can't deny it. My reaction to the prospect of remaining in the states and working for some org or paper isn't one of fear. It's a flat grey bland failure that paves over hope efficiently and meticulously.

How to do what you want to do--that is the question.

Happy Day of the Dead!!!

2005-10-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

Anti-Americanism

2005-10-20T12:51:00.000-04:00

If you've ever wondered why so many people today identify or are identified as anti-American, here's a fine example. When only two countries oppose something that 150+ approve of, it looks bad.

The Dream

2005-10-13T14:43:00.000-04:00

Since I started this Globalization and Culture class I've been doing a lot of thinking about the American Dream AKA Capitalist Utopia. The Communists had theirs, and I think it's important not to overlook the Yanqui version or forget that that's what it is.

This article that's caught fire around the internet news sites I frequent makes, I believe, the perfect example of what the American dream amounts to.

Here's a clip from the longer version at wired.com.

When Barbara Wheaton, culinary historian and honorary curator at Radcliffe's Schlesinger Library, told Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers that she longed for durable dishes that didn't need to be washed and could be thrown away after a meal, she was surprised when they took her seriously.

MIT Media Lab's Counter Intelligence Group, which develops innovative kitchen designs, has created a machine that makes dishes on demand and recycles them after diners have finished a meal. The dishes are made from food-grade, nontoxic acrylic wafers, which are shaped into cups, bowls and plates when heated, then resume their original wafer shape when they are reheated and pressed.

I suppose that's the heart of the dream--ultra convenience and infinte variety. People want to be able to use thousand kinds of toothpaste, and not have to lift a finger to apply them. Washing dishes was too hard. We want to be able to have a million songs on a box the size of an ant. TVs the size of walls in every room with a channel showing everything we've ever found more entertaining than watching paint dry.

Is this as good as it gets?

Bolivian Election

2005-09-23T11:54:00.000-04:00

This is the best put-togather piece on the upcoming election that I've seen so far, and I thought I'd share.

A Look Ahead at Bolivia's Three Presidential Elections

The melody of medley

2005-09-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

When I saw this this morning, I thought I had to throw up a blog on the topic, but now that I'm here looking at the blank page, I'm at a loss for words. I suppose that's when you fill in with a quote, ay?

Nicaragua's left-wing opposition party (Sandinistas) has announced an agreement to buy Venezuelan oil at preferential rates.
Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega said councils governed by the party would be able to buy oil at a 40% discount.

The rise of global oil prices has caused an energy crisis in Nicaragua which has led to power rationing.

But the government, which did not take part in the deal, is questioning the Sandinistas' access to the proper infrastructure to carry it out.

I can just imagine the outrage if only the blue states got cheaper gas from Venezuela or if the red states got it from the House of Saud. To me, one of the ugliest aspects of politics is when people--left or right--try to pretend that they don't meddle in other countries' business. I'm convinced that at a bare minimum 30% of American college students would say that the US never meddles in any country's political or economic affairs. And that's college kids. I haven't done a poll, but you can trust me on that one. Russia these days isn't even bothering with the facade of neutrality for the former Soviet states, are they?

I'm no utopian, but couldn't we just dispense with the guise, like the corporations do, and just lie and say we're doing it for "their" good or "the greater good," instead? It's still it's still a steaming pile of bull refuse, but it would improve the stench a little. And that's something, isn't it?

-J

History 911

2005-09-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

Karen Hughes wants us to remember that 9-11 is about more than the US. So do I.

Here's a little history lesson. I wonder if Hughes has ever heard of a man named Salvador Allende. Yeah, probably not. Maybe she's heard of Chile. Probably. I know she's heard of democracy. I wonder if she knows about the other September 11 tragedy.

I bet Pat Robertson remembers it ...Fondly.

Here's some quotes to think about.

About Salvador Allende:
"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves." - Henry Kissinger

"Make the economy scream [in Chile to] prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him"
- Richard Nixon

"It is firm and continuing policy that Allende be overthrown by a coup. It would be much preferable to have this transpire prior to 24 October but efforts in this regard will continue vigorously beyond this date. We are to continue to generate maximum pressure toward this end, utilizing every appropriate resource. It is imperative that these actions be implemented clandestinely and securely so that the USG and American hand be well hidden..."
- A communique to the CIA base in Chile, issued on October 16, 1970

"Not a nut or bolt shall reach Chile under Allende. Once Allende comes to power we shall do all within our power to condemn Chile and all Chileans to utmost deprivation and poverty."
- Edward M. Korry, U.S. Ambassador to Chile, upon hearing of Allende's election.

"Of all of the leaders in the region, we considered Allende the most inimical to our interests. He was vocally pro-Castro and opposed to the United States. His internal policies were a threat to Chilean democratic liberties and human rights."
- Henry Kissinger, Years of Renewal.

From Wikipedia

Update

2005-08-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Well I've made it back and I'm digging in to my last semester at GMU. I've gone from chasing down interviews to waiting in eternal lines for parking passes. I still plan to keep the blog going. Once I get settled in to some kind of routene, I'm going to start trying to do the neighborhood briefs here. I've still got the name Latinamericanist.com, and I need to see about putting a new news site togather on it.

-J

Can't Win for Losing

2005-08-18T11:31:00.000-04:00

Well, Panama lost again last night. There were some shady penalties, but the bottom line is the Red Tide (Marea Roja) probably won't be heading to Germany next year. There's always baseball!

Gas just went up drastically. An extra 25 cents per is no small jolt. The government is going to present it's new energy plan for the next 15 years on Monday. One of the things on the table is an oil refinery for the whole region. This government loves big plans. Let's hope that Mendez is wrong, and that the oil refinery thing works, too (we going pro-Chavez?). Three strikes would seriously hurt the country, and 2 to 1 is still a huge step backwards. The CSS, of course, is looking like a clear and ugly strike no matter how you slice it.

And, for those that don't know, this is my last blog from Panama. Unless I can't sleep and head over to Via Veneto in the middle of the night to impart some grand epiphany, I guess this is farewell. I plan to expand the blog to cover more of Latin America, but I can't imagine I'll be ignoring all the issues I've addicted myself to following these past three months. If this was a TV program, I suppose this is where I'd run a highlight reel of all the highs and lows etc...

But I'm not out of the game just yet. I've got a couple of fluffier pieces and (fingers crossed) an interview with Luis Chen Gonzalez of FEDAP, who've just been temporarily booted from the CSS dialog. Julio Zúñiga was elected as their representative at the dialog table, but some people suspect shady stuff. I'm awaiting a reply from Chen, working on an e-mail to Zúñiga and (never hurts to try) somebody from the PRD side.

In other news, my fish story is finally up! I had another one of those little fellows in that picture for dinner last night. One of the many things I'll be missing profoundly.It will be nice toget back to the states for a bit and see everybody. If anybody down here needs a story, interview, or photo from the DC area just let me know. As of Monday or so I'm a free agent that, yes, works for free ...for now.

I have zero hope for a career in Panama as a journalist, but maybe I can cover things from time to time or just visit. Who knows where I'll land next January in the job hunt. Hopefully it will be in January that I'll find something, too. I think I'm going to walk down to Cinco de Mayo and drink $5 worth of 25 cent cups of coconut water and then hit the fish market for a Ceviche de Pulpo lunch. Ah, the good times.

¡Hasta Siempre, Panamá!

-Joel D. Inwood

Everybody Loves Journalists

2005-08-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

The whole world over, they're madly in love. Look at Nuevo Laredo on the Mexican/US boarder. Journalists are dying of popularity. And here in Panama we're getting love letters from the courts. Our old pal Spadafora, who's had a long courtship with Marcel Chéry and Gustavo Aparicio of El Panamá América, is getting hitched to their paychecks.

Spadafora is going to take a chunk off their salaries until he's been repaid for his tragic loss of popularity from their factual reporting. It just makes me so happy to see love blooming as the Panamanian Spring nears.

Well the Blog Ratings are in, and, alas, we (royal we, you know, the editorial...) didn't place. There's always next time. The North Korea News Archive is up and running. It's always a pleasure to see the other side of the Fox News coin.

-J

Rainy Morning Roundup

2005-08-15T21:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I realize that a lot of folks out there have no idea who these guys are, but this story about Borges not liking to read Marquez caught me off guard. You'd think it would have been right up his alley, but there's no accounting for taste. It was interesting to read that Borges was a big fan of Juan Rulfo, also. Anyway, back to the newsier news.

In Panama news we just had a big bank robbery in the Colón Free Zone. These guys or gals made out with $2M. It looks like they just walked in like they were there for a pick up. They had a van that was made out to look like a money transport vehicle.

Two big headlines in one: Maradona Gets TV Show and Pele Is First Guest.

Pele, revered everywhere apart from Argentina as the greatest footballer of all time, also played in the fabled number 10 shirt.

At a news conference after the show, Maradona neatly side-stepped the question of who was the better footballer.

"My mother says it was me and Pele's mother says it was him," the Argentine said.

Everwhere everywhere apart from Argentina? Nonsense.

Three members of Panamax died in an anti-terror drill. Noriegaville brings up the fact that Panama can't have a military. I think that if you either have to have some line of defence for the Canal, or you have to let somebody else do it all for you, I'd prefer the former. Considering the neighbors and the variety of people Panama has to do business with, I think you want a Panamanian force there. If you call them cops that's fine with me. They're protecting the peace. Which doesn't mean give them any blank checks or vague directives, either.

Here's an older terror related story. Innocent victems: monkeys. In the words of The Big Lebowski's Walter Sobchak, "this effects all of us, man."

-Joel

Happy 486th!!!

2005-08-15T10:24:00.000-04:00

...And many moooore.

Panama City turns 486 today and the Canal turns 91. Post offices are closed. Everything else looks open. And the mobile command center of the Latinamericanist is fully operational.

La Prensa published a Dichter & Neira/Latin Research Network poll that shows that confidence in the Dialog over CSS dropped from 62.3% to 38.1%. Last Friday's session was shut down over a dispute for the Federación de Profesionales de Panamá representative. Their regular guy was voted out in exchange for a more PRD friendly type, then this morning the old guy was voted back in. FRENADESSO has lost some public support, too. It looks to me like the whole thing is going right where the president wanted it - right back to square one, except everybody's tired and hopeless.

Looks like Chavez is willing to pull the plug on the US economy if he's pushed too hard. Let's see just how Cowboy the Cowboy in Chief is. Castro is celebrating a birthday. Another year in charge. Look how well the US plan is working in Cuba.

After the UN came out for the Cuban Five, the US has had a change of heart on the matter. I'd like to close this rant with a little quote from the
Organization of American States Charter.

Article 11

Every American State has the duty to respect the rights enjoyed by every other State in accordance with international law.

Article 12

The fundamental rights of States may not be impaired in any manner whatsoever.

Article 15

The right of each State to protect itself and to live its own life does not authorize it to commit unjust acts against another State.

Article 19

No State or group of States has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other State. The foregoing principle prohibits not only armed force but also any other form of interference or attempted threat against the personality of the State or against its political, economic, and cultural elements.

Last Lazy Pana-Sunday

2005-08-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I believe that yesterday was the last blog I was required to have for the internship course credit. So, now I'm free to take where ever I want. I've been thinking for a long time about trying to turn this into a mini news source that links to important stories and translates from Spanish into blerbs like you find here on the Huffington Post for instance.

I don't want to get into stealing news, of course. There are plenty of other experts in that field on the internet already. I'd like to take on the role of a real Latinamericanist. If you guys have any ideas drop me a comment, or shoot me an e-mail.

I saw today that it looks like everything is set for Hunter S. Thompson's big send off. This interesting bit about his last words poped up on a news group I'm in, too.

I have no idea what to say about it, but it looks like Christopher Walken is running for President. I thought he made a great King of New York.

The Panama News neighborhood briefs are up, as well as the Panama briefs. An interesting overview of what the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has been up to lately is up also.

Speaking of up, so is my time,
-J

Colón Trip Reflections

2005-08-13T14:41:00.000-04:00

For my last field trip I got to go see Colón yesterday. It reminded me of something I've wanted to write about, but keep putting off. The old Canal Zone housing. there are hundreds of perfectly good houses the the US left behind, and they're just rotting. I realize all my readers in Panama are all to aware of this, but the folks up north, I think, aren't aware. The first is a picture of typical working-poor house. Then we have pictures of places in Zone. You'll notice that it doesn't look like the rest of Panama at all. Military/Urban planning at it's blandest, but it's a lot better than what a lot of people have now.

Going through the whole 55 mile long Zone there a hundreds if not a couple of thusand unused buildings. Many of them homes, and a whole bunch of offices or other buildings. Going to waste. It belongs to the government, and they're not using it. Maybe to keep real estate prices up. Maybe for "national security." But I'd bet the bank it's just a sheer failure to step up and do something right.

Colón is a mess. A tourist book I read before I came said "do not go there (period)." It's like the worst of Panama City, only there is a lot less middle class style living. Which is not to suggest that the middle class is too huge in Panama City, either. Then there's all this stuff just a few minutes away in the old Canal Zone rotting away. There a good bit in use. It seems like more is in use on that side than this one, but the chief tells me that a lot got torn down. He showed us where there had been all kinds of wooden houses - had been.

My internet cafe time's up once again.
Hasta Mañana,

-J

Transportation, Finance and Oil

2005-08-11T12:15:00.000-04:00

Pinochet claims lone responsibility for the presumed ill-gotten $13M in his secret bank accounts, but the judge didn't buy it. It looks like his son, Marco Antonio Pinochet, is going down and his wife, Lucía Hiriart got off easy based on her age. I realize that his wife and kid had a lot less, if anything, to do with the massacres, rapes, murders and disapearances of his brutal military dictatorship (US caused and US/UK sponsored, let's not forget). Wealthy Latin American families and friends of those in power too often have their hands in the cookie jar, and all parties who it's reasonable to believe knew what they were doing and did it anyway should serve time right next to whatever rapists and murderers the most dank and overcrowded prisons in their country have to offer. And I think any citizen of any other country that participates should get the same.

It looks like the Transportistas are going to raise their prices here in Panama. They brought a proposal before the Autoridad de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre (ATTT) today. This means buses and taxis would get more expensive. With the price of a barrel of oil up to $66 I think it may be inevitable, and I wonder if the protests that came with the last price change are inevitable as well. And if there is a protest or other friction, will it get the same lackluster international attention as the CSS issue? We'll see.

El Panama America reports that Panama and Venezuela are getting closer to agreements on energy (the big one), health, finance and air transport. This is a continuation of an agreement they signed in 2000 over energy. The amazing part, however, is that a right leaning news paper managed to print an article that mentions Venezuela without mentioning Chavez. I'm not sure what this means. I'm so shocked that I can't think straight. So, I better sign off before I find a mainstream news article about Pinochet that actually mentions his friends in the US and/or UK's involvement, and I pass out.

-J

More Than Meets the Eye

2005-08-10T14:15:00.000-04:00

I think that one of the most important components of being a good critical news reader is the ability to be suspicious of every tidbit of information presented to you and to suspect what might be going on that the reporter and or his paper can't tell you directly, but want to help you figure out. Let's start with this Noriegaville piece.

On the surface we have: that there is this beast loose on the island, that a guy who owns several businesses may have actually brought the animal to the island, we have a link to this story in Spanish, which is about a large quantity of illegal immigrants found on the island, and that locals say that guy may have "different ideas about his commercial interests."

Now, given that I've heard a lot about this guy and this island that most anyone else who reads it couldn't possibly know, there are still some hints that plant the seed of curiosity. But that's all they are - hints. He's almost connected the dots for you on the idea that this guy might be smuggling people, hence the croc. It looks like the reporter has heard some of the same things I've heard, and has scratched the surface here, albeit vaguely. I couldn't print most of what I've heard, and neither, I imagine, could Noriegaville.

Now take my story about Bocas. The story never says anyone is not telling the truth except in quoting someone else, but someone obviously isn't. The story quotes Parks using vague terms like “suspicion surrounding the way things are being handled.” What does he mean, and why would he have to word it that way? I've got to leave it up to you to figure out.

Passive readers probably buy a lot of newspapers, but active readers make them worth while.

-J

Non-Self-Promoting News Highlights

2005-08-09T13:37:00.000-04:00

I just realized that it's pretty selfish to only highlight the stuff I did. that, and the other stuff is cool, too. The following are my favorites, but I reccomend checking out the whole thing and pickig your own. Cut and paste the link into the comments below.

Whale watching sounds like a fun way to kill time.

At this moment, this one's not up, but here's an update on that dam from one of the first issues I was here for.

CSS still a very big deal.

I wish I hadn't missed this one or its sister piece.

How much do you know about Henry Ford?

And Leis: a pain to translate, but worth it every time.

Noriegaville did a highlight page, that makes a good read, too.

Whose Bee's Wax?

2005-08-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

Mick Jagger has an interesting point. Besides the Bush bashing, I mean. He says:

Jagger once vowed not to comment on the political process in the United States.

"I feel very much at home in America. I've spent half my adult life here. I have many personal feelings. But I'm from the school that considers it impolite to comment on other people's elections. Now if I had the vote - and I should have, as I pay so much in taxes - I would have a lot to say."

Now with the elections long over, the tongue is unleashed!

I wonder how many other people think it's impolite to comment on "other peoples" elections. With the kind of tax money Jagger puts in, I'd say it his election to, whether he can personally vote or not. I have the feeling most Americans, myself included, have no problem commenting all over other peoples elections. The CIA does a whole lot more than comment ha ha ho ho.

On the other hand of our culture, when the Chinese put some money in the Clinton campaign chest a little too obveously for comfort, people went nuts. I guess it's just another double standard. I guess that since I'll be spending a chunk of my life in "other people's" countries talking about "their" politicans to the world, I can't object to people pushing things up north. Although if the pushing came in a direction I don't like, I suppose I'd have to consider before I changed my tune. I suppose the same rules apply as with domestic influence peddling.

-J

Another Issue Out

2005-08-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

I'd like to start by paying tribute to Cuban music legend Ibrahim Ferrer, who passed away yesterday. This guy was one of the greats in the Cuban son tradition.

The new new issue is out. Here's the self-promo round up. Kind of slim pickins this time. I was working on my paper for the internship most of the time this issue.

Here's what I've been referring to as my swan song. I really think it came out good, although I could have been happier with the introduction. This is the one I've been playing 007 with, and mentioning without getting specific about. Despite the Surgeons being so hard to communicate with, I think I got the story out there without tilting it too overtly in either direction.

The Neighborhood Briefs should be up soon.

Here's some photos.

I was here, but didn't write or photo anything.

I've got one that's not up yet, which will be somewhere in the dining section. It's a little fishy history and some info.

And I think that's it.

This is my last production cycle here in Panama. I've learned a lot about dealing with multiple works for the same deadline. I've also gained a supreme appreciation for the kind of stuff Eric does on a bi-monthly basis. That really is brain melting work, and I've never tasted it in its pure form with: layout, page design, ad design, Panama briefs, calendar, and all that in addition to writing a huge portion of the total content. Hats off to the man in the middle taking notes ---------------------------------->

Get It Right!

2005-08-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Time Magazine doesn't have anyone on the staff that speaks Spanish?

Writer's Block

2005-08-06T12:44:00.000-04:00

Yep, I'm suffering from a particularly nasty case of blogger's block. I've got the new issue and what I'm putting in it on the brain, and it's lined up in a nickel package across the 20 yard line of my mind. So, I've decided to share some of the interesting things my fellow bloggers are saying with ya'll.

George Mason's Russ Roberts takes a shot at Tom Friedman here that's worth sharing. I'm strongly for keeping the government out of the internet business as much as possible. When even Hillary is talking about censorship, there's nobody I trust in that department. Nobody.

In Bolivia a leader in the polls has emerged, and Bolivia Blog sets us up with some background information. It's interesting that you really never see this kind of homework from the larger papers. Bolivia Blog single handidly knocked my faith in The Economist down 50%.

Here's a classic Noriegaville take-down aimed at Panama's "free press" - La Prensa. He gives them a nice little anniversary present.

The Presbyterian Church is putting pressure on Israel. And, right on cue, one Rabbi Abraham Cooper is quoted in the New York times' story calling them "anti-Semitic," though prefaced with "functionally." Right. And not supporting the war in Iraq is anti-American, and so on and so forth.

-J

Reverse Mass Psych

2005-08-05T12:17:00.000-04:00

You know, I seldom mention all the corruption scandals that break every day in the local papers. Today I saw I found this story about an official from the Judicial Technical Police (PTJ) that was demanding sexual favors from the mother of one of the prisoners in exchange for helping her son. There are things like this that come out every day in the local papers, but I don't think I've mentioned them much at all. So, I got to thinking about why that is, and I think I've figured it out.

I've been desensitized. All these things are clearly News (capital "N" proper name). And if I were in charge of a papers content I don't think I could justify leaving one of these things out of the next edition. But the effect I think it has is to completely desensitize the public. I suppose if it's your neighbor or family member who appears in the headline, it would change the scenario, but if that's not the case it's hard to maintain concern.

These stories are hard to follow. They break big, but the follow ups are small and buried on into the paper. And that's natural, I suppose. The follow up are just developments, but the initial break of the story is the shocker. The problem here is that it takes the attention off what happens to those who commit these crimes, and puts it on the crimes. So daily paper readers learn about the wide world of opportunities to get over, as my friend Ed used to say, but have little or no idea about what happens if you get caught.

Then there's another interesting thing in the same vein, or vaina more appropriately. On this Heavy Metal discussion board I check out from time to time I found this Fox "news" video. They interview a guy who I believe thinks the soldiers in Iraq are overpaid. I say 'believe' because the Fox anchors don't let the guy finish anything more than a three word sentence without interrupting with some vital information such as calling him an "idiot." So, to get the whole story I went to the guys web site - forsakeourtroops.com I think it was - and someone had purchased the web site from him in order to shut it down.

So, here we have the America Über Alles "News" Channel giving this guy national exposure. I imagine he didn't give the web site away, either. He's at least more rich and famous than he would have been without fox. They made the guy. And how much news value did that story have? Please. For those of you who weren't able or willing (can't blame you) to view that video, it will be hard to present the worthlessness of the content without giving the illusion of exaggeration.

And, here's the rub: I've just helped that guy and Fox News, by sharing that video with whoever reads this page. You clearly can't ignore these things. I believe you have to point them out. But how do you avoid the under current?

-J

Overtime

2005-08-04T14:16:00.000-04:00

Looks like the dialog will now run from 1 to 9 PM Monday through Saturday. FRENADESSO claims that there have only been cosmetic changes, and various groups taking advantage of their position in the table to secure positions in the CSS for some of their members. FRENADESSO is still at the table, and the same facilitator is still "facilitating." I imagine there was some kind of compromise there, behind the scenes.

I got to talk to Okke from Noriegaville yesterday in a last minute interview before my paper went in. I learned a lot, and, unfortunetly, it didn't leave me with much hope for a future in journalism in Panama. The country doesn't even issue work permits for journalists period. But you can come into cover stuff on a regular tourist visa from the States, so I can always visit. Of course, if I put $100,000 in the bank I'm an instant citizen.

A six digit bank account is not something us journalists can usually look forward to, but a six or seven digit readership would make me fell better than a hundred grand any day. Looks like there's a big audience that just got harder to get to than they already were. Good thing things are picking up down south.

OK back to work. We've got a paper coming out monday, and it's my last production cycle in the country. I'll be home before the issue after next comes out. Tomorrow makes two weeks, I think. Time flys when your getting work done.

-J

Too Busy To Blog

2005-08-03T12:01:00.000-04:00

I decided I'd throw a couple of things your way, just the same. Let me start of with a classic I-have-got-to-get-me-one-of-these.

It's environmentally friendly, and it looks slightly cooler than any object to have passed before mine eyes in, lo, these many years.

FRENADESSO is at the dialog table, still. The Electoral Tribunal is under investigation in the Panamanians born abroad department. Mexico threatened to take Panama to the WTO court over powdered milk restrictions, and Panama made a compromise.

Castro presided over a Venezuelan military academy graduation. Of course the press was so shocked they had to press the story. Bush signed CAFTA. Banana farmers won a big one. Latin America is growing as a student destination, though 90% of the Spanish students I know are still fixated on crossing the pond. I wish I had time to get into this.

Jolie - out

Global Communications Day

2005-08-01T15:21:00.000-04:00

Tell me, brave captain, why are the wicked so strong?
How do the angels get to sleep, when the devil leaves the porchlight on?
-Tom Waits

Telesur is now on the air. The UN is considering taking charge of the internet. Rupe Dogg's empire is being shaken like a Polaroid picture. I'm writing a paper about the media. Why not call this one Global Media Day.

"[A] U.N. taskforce report suggests that in addition to terminating the U.S.'s leadership role, the authority and functions of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization overseen by the U.S. Department of Commerce, should be transferred as well," says The Drudge Report.

US Senator Norm Coleman objects based on recent UN scandals and the "politicized [...] UN bureaucracy." Good thing there are no scandals or problems with overly politicized bureaucracy in the US. Lord only knows what might have happened then. It seems to me that this is shaped exactly like one of those sovereignty issues, except it's inside out because the power claiming control belongs to them is doing so based on an implicit notion that the territory should be nobody's to control, and so the US Government shouldn't give up control. If the issue is just the present state of the UN, as the Drudge Report article hints, then reform first and relinquish later. If the issue is keeping the internet relatively unrestrained, then why not cut an iron clad deal that guarantees it stays that way. But if the issue is simple US control, then...

Telesur just went live. It's being touted as the Al Jazeera of Latin America, whom it may even link up with to some extent. I'd go see a Control Room II.And the problems that go with it are mounting. Colombia is blocking the signal. The US State Department says they're soft on the FARC guerrillas. Of course they were planning to launch a campaign against it before it even got off the ground. Everybody from Newsweek to the Economist have been taking shots at it, and calling it a tool of Hugo Chavez. This is another one to watch.

Their idea is to let "Latin America see itself through its own eyes." Seems harmless enough, until you realize that all the news you get here in Panama in Spanish is directly from CNN or a couple of brief clips in the 6 o'clock news. That can be interesting, but the most important stuff doesn't often make it.

The vast dark wings of Rupert's giant vulture darkened the landscape of most of Latin America. It's easy to forget that they're global. Trust me, they are.

Time's up.
-J

Dr. HST Once Said...

2005-08-01T11:54:00.000-04:00

In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upward mobile.

See this is why you don't want a Bolton at the table. FRENADESSO is going to condition their participation in the dialog over social security reform on Team Martín firing Salvador Rodríguez, the dialog "facilitator."They say he's trying to "tangle up" the dialog with procedure and nonsense. He hasn't said anything in self-defense to the press that I've seen so far. And I've been looking.

It's a lot like a filibuster, this technique. Except that in a filibuster you're not really trying to fool anyone into thinking it's something that it's not.In the case of Mr. Rodríguez, if he's guilty as charged, then he's both stalling and trying to make FRENADESSO look bad for leaving the table. There's the 90 day time limit, too. After that the law is back in effect. So if he can clog up the drain, he can keep all the crud from going out with the bath watter.

Now, immagine Bolton being in charge of some committee. Get the picture? This could be a total stretch, and the two be nothing alike, but I don't think so.

If oil stays at $61 a barrel there's going to be a lot more protest going down, too, I bet. Not just here, either. When bus fairs go up, taxi fairs go up - picket signs go up. That's almost a guarantee in Panama, I believe. And I don't think it's just Panama.

Some good news to part with.

-J

P.S. Central America: we got some bad neighbors

Ack!

2005-07-31T17:59:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been waiting all day for FRRENADESSO to make an announcement about the future of the dialog. They're having a meeting, presumably as I type. When the meeting is over they're to make a big announcement. Since I've spent over my internet cafe budget waiting on these folks, I'm just going to drop you guys a link to this interesting site about journalism.

Enjoy... State of the News Media.org

Down Hill Slalom

2005-07-29T16:29:00.000-04:00

What a way to start a career. And I imagine it only goes down hill from here. I suppose that if Bolton's ideology is already being pushed through round about means by this government, then it won't be that much worse to let him take the seat. Or will it?

Is this vengeance? Are they sending in an obstructionist for payback, like exposing a CIA agent? Why send an angry teenage atheist to a meeting of bishops? At this point it looks like he doesn't care what people think. Have they ever?

-J

They're Baaaack

2005-07-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, they're rescuing the "hijacked" dialog -- in the streets. Yesterday about 4:30 I got to pack the camera and put myself in March Mode. The idea is pretty simple; the media are screwing up our message, President Torrijos has taken us to the dialog table to offer nothing and make it look like we're the ones to blame, so we're taking it to the streets.

They're offering a Law of Life to take the place of the PRD's Law of Death.

Keep the retirement age at 62 for men and 57 for women.

Keep the number of work time quotas at 180.

Raise the pensions.

Offer decent pensions to retirees who worked in high risk jobs.

Strengthen the autonomy of the CSS, and make it run efficiently.

Guarantee the public and solidary character of the CSS, and efficient medical service.

I'm telling ya, I really like covering this sort of stuff. I wonder if I couldn't specialize in covering this kind of thing. Certainly more exciting than the crafts fair it looks like I'll be doing today or tomorrow.

I got to meet Okke from Noriegaville and his daughter. They were out covering the protest. Got an interview for the Internship Paper lined up for next week. I wish I was farther along on that one, but that's just the way I work. I suppose if I ever take the leap to writing a book, I'll have to do something about that.

Looks like La Prensa got a make over. They may have changed their colors and fonts, but I see their recent policy of burying CSS protest stuff is intact. All the better for the rest of us in the bring-news-to-all'a-youse business.

-J

Sad but True

2005-07-27T18:12:00.000-04:00

I saw this yesterday, and decided I had to bring it to your attention, too. This is from the New York Times piece, which you will have to pay to read in a few days I think.

Last month, CNN, Fox News, NBC, MSNBC, ABC and CBS collectively ran 55 times as many stories about Michael Jackson as they ran about genocide in Darfur.

Looks like the War on Terror is over, ha ha ho ho. I guess that's a good thing. It involves global mass-comm, so I guess I should "report" on it, but my heart isn't in it today. My head's in the Plaza 5 de Mayo, and the protest this afternoon. I'm wondering what's next. What's the score here? Is FRENADESSO making a measured show of resistance, or are they testing the watter in the engine to see if they've run out of steam.

Torrijos can hold out for years, but can anyone else? The other party can, of course, but they're not likely to come up with anything better. The unions are definitely in it for the long run, but they can't strike without a fund. And, for my Globalization Moment (tm), would the attention of the world help? I want to say that that's unpredictable.

I'm sure Tom Friedman would say it will help, and Sam Huntington would say stay out. There's a whole host of other voices that would say different things, which doesn't leave any kind of rational middle or this-or-that/either-or scenarios. I guess that's the crazy thing about the shrinking of the world. I can talk to my friends every day, and let them distract me from Blogging just like normal on MSN Messenger, but trying to make reasonable predictions is like betting on a race with 6,000 horses before any of them are born.

Back to it,
-J

Just when you thought...

2005-07-26T15:02:00.000-04:00

They're back.

Looks like FRENADESSO is going to have to give it another go-round to convince the PRD and their head of state that the support is still there. Interestingly, La Prensa doesn't even mention this. El Panamá América had it, which means the other Epasa papers probably had it. Why no La Prensa story? I guess they really aren't afraid to show their political colors, and what an ugly display it is.

I always heard that papers like the New York Post tried to make the news, as opposed to just covering the news, but I admit I didn't see news-evasion coming. And these guys at La Prensa consider themselves the cream of the crop -- competing with international papers and laughing at the locals. It'd be really interesting to see exactly how the strings were pulled, because why and who is clear as day.

I concede, though, that it's possible that no strings need be pulled considering who's at the top of the advertising cartel in the country. Maybe I've been made naive by too many cheap drugstore novels and Hollywood stereotypes, in fact I guess there's no maybe to it, but I like to think of the good guy fighting to report the news - regardless of the political consequences - just because it's news, and the bad guy saying...

I threw on a new link today. When you have time, be sure to check out RealPanama.org. It's a bilingual page about the prison system here in Panama. It's easy to think well, they're criminals getting what they deserve, but if you take into account the relatively low price of renting yourself a judge or buying yourself a político - the picture changes.

-J

P.S. Here's a good one from one of my old ECON Professors http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2005/07/m_is_for_manage.html

Compare and Contrast

2005-07-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

Let's do a little comparison. Here we have the American Secret Police and the 70s and 80s Latin American Version.

Operation Condor (Spanish:Operación Cóndor) was a campaign of assassination and intelligence-gathering, dubbed counter-terrorism, conducted jointly by the security services of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in the mid-1970s.

The right-wing military governments of these countries, led by dictators such as Videla, Pinochet and Stroessner agreed to cooperate in sending teams into other countries, including France, Portugal and the United States to locate, observe and assassinate political opponents. They also exchanged torture techniques, like near drowning and playing the sound recordings of victims who were being tortured to their family. Many people disappeared and were killed without trial. Their targets were leftist guerrilla terrorists but many are thought to be political opponents, family and other innocent people.

It has been alleged that Operation Condor was given at least tacit approval by the United States, due to fear of violent Marxist revolution in the region. It appears that Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State in the Nixon administration, was closely involved diplomatically with the Southern Cone governments at the time and well-aware of the Condor plan. From Wikipedia

...and then...

(CNN) -- An Italian court issued six new arrest warrants Monday for suspected CIA agents alleged to have kidnapped an Egyptian-born radical Muslim cleric in Milan.

Italian prosecutors allege the cleric was spirited to Egypt for interrogation and torture.

Milan Judge Chiara Nobile in June issued arrest warrants for 13 suspected CIA agents, all accused of kidnapping Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan, also known as Abu Omar, in February 2003, a source close to the investigation said. from CNN

...let's look at...

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are seeking to establish an independent commission to investigate alleged torture of foreign detainees by U.S. military interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay prison for enemy combatants.

(...)

"Congress has a duty to uncover the truth, as these actions violate our values, threaten our national security, and put our own troops at risk if captured on the battlefield," (Sen. Edward) Kennedy said. "The stain of torture hurts America's image around the world and makes the war on terror more difficult."
From the Sentinel and Enterprise

It's not too hard to see the similarities, not too hard at all. Instead of preaching to you folks, I think I'll let this one stand as-is. For a little dark humor one could ask: Is Kennedy pushing it with some old friends of the family, here? That's all we need.

Too me this is a big black hole on the dark side of globalization. In a time when we have unprecedented technological abilities to stop real and violent terrorists, are the people in charge going to use them to make examples out of loud mouths? Or, the real worse case scenario, are the people in charge just torturing, murdering, kidnapping first and asking questions later?

The black hole metaphor works nicely here, because at least a few of these things get sucked out into the light of global media and public scrutiny. The challenge is to keep people thinking critically about everything, including and especially the media. I think that as a good reporter I shouldn't expect people to take my word for it. Actually, I'd prefer that they not do so, that they go out and get more information and evaluate it critically as well. For example, I've just evaluated this post as a bit rambling.

A couple of interesting stories here: Honda Workers and Libertarians both struggling against injustice, or at least I think so. But you think for yourself.

It looks like we're going to get another round of protests. The Social Security Dialog has nearly ground to a halt. The government is refusing to open their books to independent auditors. Though they won't say so directly. Looks like they cooked the books, but they're not very well done, so there's some bloody rare mathematics in the middle.

-J

Split

2005-07-25T10:32:00.000-04:00

The AFL-CIO is breaking up. When I saw this I thought about talking about the history and this historical value of a new split in the AFL-CIO, but I bet there's already a thousand good analysis already done on that. I think the meat of this one is really the movement towards the service industry. And this is an international phenomenon, folks, let's not forget.

In Panama, right before Torrijos caved in on the Social Security Law, who joined the battle? Salaried Professionals. What do these folks have to do with a Service Union for people like Starbucks Baristas (which, btw, is part of the IWW and has an interesting history, too)? These folks are your bank receptionists, number crunchers, copy machine jockeys, etc...

A number of these jobs belong to the level just above international poverty standards, just like your Barista who gets $8 an hour plus tips. I think that if there's going to b a new labor movement it's going to have to come from this level. That's why, in a round-about way, I think the AFL-CIO split may have been in order -- to allow growth in a new direction.

...and I'm looking forward to providing total coverage.

In other news, the chief did a nice write up of yesterday's game and what's in the immediate future for the Marea Roja (Red Tide in English).

Telesur just made it's debut. Everybody from Newsweek to the US State Department is out to get them, so they must be doing something right heheheh.

Well, I've got research to do. Journalists never sleep, we just compose with out eyes closed.

-J

No joy in Canalville tonight

2005-07-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

High Hopes vs Complete Indifference is the story of the day. Panama lost after holding out through an entire normal game and thirty minutes of extra time, before losing on penalty kicks. There is no joy in Canalville tonight. The mighty Selección Nacional has struck out.

I'd be willing to bet a small fortune that the majority of Americans won't even bother to read the story in the paper. If anyone knows if the game showed up on ESPN highlights let me know via comment below. This is one of the interesting parts about globalization. Why has soccer never caught on in the states? The stereotypical US soccer announcer mumbling and not getting excited is, I guess, partially true.Andd the national teams are horrible compared to European leagues.

I was going to go out and cover the celebration if Panama would have won. Although there's not much noise now, there are still cars going by honking their horns with Panamanian flags hanging out the windows. There was a horrible foul that the ref missed in the last five minutes of overtime. If that would have been called properly, the score might have been different. A US guy kneed this Panamanian in the stomach and pushed his head with a hard right, I think it was.

Eh, such is life. There's slightly more justice in sports than politics, and that's something, isn't it.

-J

Gooooooooooolllllllllll PANAMA!!!!

2005-07-21T23:16:00.000-04:00

Panama is going to the Copa de Oro Finals!!!! Last night the whole city erupted like a volcano of enthusiasm. I wish people would have stopped honking their horns and driving through my neighborhood screaming out the windows before 1:00 AM, but I guess that's just a sign that either I'm getting old or I'm not Panamanian enough. It really was a great game: red cards, last minute goals, weird stuff,the whole nine yards.

Venezuela is standing up to the old Voice of America. Between the Bush Administration and Fox News, the Us has lost all credibility for this sort of project -- All credibility.

I have to admit that this one blows my mind. I guess it's a temporary solution. Maybe it's preferable to letting MI5 in, for some reason. This is another great Global Affairs story, and, like with many of those, it seems to me one to note more than one to comment on without more info.

Looks like another conspiracy may have gained some creadibility. This one is interesting to me because it takes the bullet-proof vest off WWII. It seems like Vietnam and Korea are fair game, but WWII was off limits. We'll see how (and if) this one develops. As enamorado as I am with the international arms trade, this one just melts my heart like butter.

Here's another one I'd like to go cover. It strikes me as another brilliant way to endear the US to the people of the world. Even Monty Burns would be jealous of anti-PR of this magnitude.

It's interesting the way that Sudan treats reporters as well as Rice. I wonder if you couldn't make a measure of overall regime quality based on their treatment of the press.

I can't wait to get back to DC and take the sub way. But I've got promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, as Robert Frost once said.

Adieu,
-J

News News News

2005-07-21T10:06:00.000-04:00

Folks in the States, let's stay on point with this one. I think it would be adding tragedy to tragedy.

Since early reports show that there was only one person injured in London, I'd like to talk about some news that for a Global Affairs Major such as yours truly was even more shocking.

China Dropped The Currency Peg!!!

BEIJING - China dropped its politically volatile policy of linking its currency to the U.S. dollar but retained controls on its exchange rate, switching the link to a basket of foreign currencies in a move that could push up the price of Chinese exports to the United States and Europe.

China strengthened the state-set exchange rate of the yuan currency to 8.11 to the U.S. dollar from 8.277, where it had been fixed for more than a decade, the government said in a surprise announcement on state television's evening news. That raised the value of one yuan by about one-quarter of one U.S. cent to 12.33 cents.

I knew this was going to happen eventually, but I was starting to wonder. I wonder if this means they've got themselves a gas company. We'll see. It's interesting that my Boss, who in his "hippy radical" days was an expert in Mao, looks at China as just another empire builder, and prefers Taiwan.

Panama has traditionally been pro-Taiwan, along with most of Central America, but the pressure's on to recognize One China. In traditional Panamanian fashion, this may be just another bargaining tool; actually, I'd have a heart attack if it wasn't. But who knows.

The National Bank is getting involved in the luxury car scandal. An Assembly member called on one of the morning debate shows today, and said that he uses his privilege to buy cars that he uses, and that he needs a good car to commute back and forth across the country. Then a lady on the show hit him with a super comeback. It went something like "with people in this country that can't even afford a ham sandwich, you can't afford to pay taxes on your Land Cruzer?"

-J

Stormy Morning in

2005-07-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

Correction: the Assembly members are't buyig cars with gov't money, they're lifting luxury taxes off the vehicles and getting $5,000 per car for their trouble. The president politely asking them to stop, however, is, as funny as it sounds, the extent of his efforts to end the practice.

Woke up about 5:00 this morning. you know it's a real storm when it gets loud enough to wake me up. When it storms here the winds don't cool you down. It's like filling a squirt bottle with water for hot tea and...

There's a good story about the Canal in Noriegaville today. Makes me feel like a slacker for not sharing it with you guys when La Prensa first mentioned the issue.

Also, don't forget that The Panama News is still putting up more articles, slowly but surely, better late than never, all's fair in Supreme Court nomination battles and Social Security Dialogs.

Until next time,
-J

Another day another... [you name it]

2005-07-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

Today started off real well. I dropped $10 somewhere in the street. It's a sign, I think. Of what? I don't know, but I'm sure it's ominous.

President Torrijos was quoted in the paper this morning politely asking National Assembly members to stop buying things like cars with government money - politely. In the mean time, the CSS dialog is going sour. Apparently the governemtn people held things up for two hours in debate trying to keep bus drivers from speaking for 10 min. At the end of the meeting the bus drivers, who had taken the whole day off at this point (just to speak for 10 min and go back to work), rushed into the meeting room, and chaos broke loose.

This morning the Gov't reps were on the channel 4 debate show calling FRENADESSO anarchists, and blaming them for what happened. FRENADESSO are going back to the streets to protest, but no strike this time. We'll see where this goes.

I've got more to say, but I've got work to do, too. So, I'll leave you guys hanging.

-J

Two Month Mark

2005-07-18T14:23:00.000-04:00

well, folks, I've reached my two month mark. I've only got one month left to win that pulitzer. I've got a big paper due on August 3rd. I've got my biggest story on simmer, and I'm adding spices, testing the flavor ever now and then. Cooking up a few other things things for next time, too.

This time all I contributed were condiments, but they're nice all the same, I hope. In Issue 14 I did the neighborhood briefs, a restaurant review, a science story, a concert review, a translation and a travel story. The whole issue is pretty good, if I do say so myself, and I'd recommend give it all a once over if you have time.

Noriegaville ran a story about an old friend of us Panamanian journalists, as you'll see as you read on. This kind of stuff is what you have to deal with as a Latin American reporter, and more as a publisher, I suppose.

This computer is starting to act crazy, so I'd better get while the gettin' is good.

-J

News is...

2005-07-17T14:17:00.000-04:00

According to Dan Rather, news is something someone somewhere doesn't want you to know. I've always liked to add that the know part includes that knowledge is true justified belief - a little leftover from my philosophy obsession - and each of those three things represents a necessary condition for knowing something. So, you're wrong if you say "I know there's someone in the other room," and you believe they're there, and in reality they are there, but you have absolutely no reason other than naked intuition to believe that they're in there.

I think that's important, because if you take out the justification part, knowledge becomes a bet. And that's where journalism comes in. If you report something and people trust you, then that is their justification for the belief in what you've told them, BUT is doesn't make it true. And, following Dan Rather, for something to be news there has to be a reason to report it. In other words, there are a lot of facts - the existence of a speck of dirt on the floor is a fact - but why bother to share that information?

Now, here is the rub; say someone tells you something that would change peoples lives that don't know about it, but your justification for presuming it's true is only that this person said it. That solid justification isn't there for you to believe they're lying to you, nor is it there to believe they're telling the truth. Your instincts can tell you they're telling the truth, but that's not the same as justification. It's true that they said it, so you can print that, but then you've spread the information with your name on the by-line and your news outlet's name on the masthead. The rule my highschool Journalism teacher, Mrs. Carol P. Skeen, taught me is that you need a minimum of two sources.

Now, what if that second source is only circumstantial evidence? What if you talk to someone else that says person A is lying? What if persons A and B have conflicting interests surrounding the contested versions of events? What happens when there's three or more - an A, B, C, D, etc... - all telling you something different? And your interest is singular - the truth. Remember deep throat was a single anonymous source, but so are a great many other people that have stakes in what you print about controversial issue.

Heavy, huh. Yep. And it's a load that I'm really feeling right about now. I got the feeling I'll be carrying this one for the long haul.

-J

Couple Pals in Bocas

2005-07-16T14:39:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo of a couple of friends of mine from Bocas. I've got so much to do, and so little time to do it, that I'm going to be doing all my reflecting while eating or sleeping this weekend heheheh. Seriously though, I have a whole lot to do, and I'd better get to it.

Bocas was great. I got a bunch of human interest stories for this issue, and I'm going to persue the big story for next time, which will also bew when my big paper is due at GMU.

-J

Slow Reggae Breakfast in the Sun...

2005-07-15T10:29:00.000-04:00

...campesino roads that fade into loose sandy ruts along the beach through a broken motorcycle helmet visor, playing kids and friendly stray dogs meandering through a one-horse paradise. I see why they're fighting, and this place is definitely worth fighting for.

The plot is thick as pea soup - frozen pea soup. It seems like everybody is either suspicious of, or downright hostile to everybody else. Everyone is, apparently, one of the few goodguys, it's the others... People here have all been really friendly, and I haven't met one single person who seemed to be up to anything devious, which makes me nervous.

I've been told about a foreigner-hating lawyer, who claims to have been involved in chasing the gringos out in the 70s and wants to give it another go round. There are land developers who help the community, there are developers who develop the community, and I've been told there are developers who have nice check collections in their banks from "investors" who wait in something less than patience or silence for theirs.

The smell of Bull feces isn't as thick as it could be, which also makes me nervous because instinct isn't helping me dig up anything here.

Eh, I've said it before and I'll say it again - Asi es la vida del periodista,
-J

Broken blog Program

2005-07-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

I have no idea if this is even going to work, so I'm just going to say I made it to Bocas and I'm starting work. Yesterday I wrote a nice blog that this %?"$!%$ program destroyed (I presume) just as my time expired at the internet cafe and the whole thing shut down. I was furious, still am actually. Hope this works.

-J

2005-07-13T14:05:00.001-04:00

2005-07-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

Panama now has an anti-terror squad.

The Canal is a huge part of international trade, and it would cost the world a fortune and this small country it's livelyhood if there were a terrorist attack. The danger, however, is theold Latin American death squad tradition having a revival. The School of the Americas was in Panama for a long time, and take a look at all the wonderful human beings that came out of that little summer camp!

I'm headed out to Bull's Mouths, as I like to call it, in a few minutes. I know I'm going to get ripped off on cab fare. Nobody can tell me exactly what it costs to go to Albrook Airport, which means it's open season on tourists and those with foreign accents. I think that one of the major problems with a great many things down here in the Global South is that everybody from bureaucrats to street snow cone vendors are trying to rip you off. It's a major part of the culture. Of course there are honest people - a lot of them. But the massive machine of daily life is simply built to need constang greesing to work properly.

time's up,
-J

2005-07-13T14:04:00.000-04:00

2005-07-13T13:34:00.000-04:00

Típico Breakfast

2005-07-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

I remember you guys always wanted to know about the food, so I decided to shoot my breakfast. This costs about $6, including a tip, at Tripache (I think I spelled that right) where the local políticos go have coffee and discuss what's wrong with the country.

The eggs and coffee, I suppose, are self explanatory. The sausage is a chorrizo; it's not really spicy, and not very peppery. It tastes kind of like fried pickled pigs feat, if you can imagine that. It's better than that sounds, I swear :D The bread is made of cornmeal. It tastes a lot like a ho cake, for those of you reading this that know what that is (all both of ya).The white stuff is Panamanian cheese. It's kind of bland. Think of swiss, but less flavor and more dry, which isn't to say it tastes bad. It's really good when you get a fork full of those black beans before try it. Nothing fancy with the beans, either. Just plain old black beans.

For my Globalization Moment (TM), although that is what a purist would call a típico (typical) breakfast, these days it almost always comes with rice, which, as you know, does not grow in Panama, nor too near by. In fact I don't think I've ever been to any Panamanian buffet that didn't have one or two different kinds of fried rice - the seafood fried rich is seriously good.

All kinds of interesting news here in Panama today. A radio station got vandalized. A poll from La Prensa showed that 70%+ of Panamanians think the president isn't fighting corruption, and he fired back today with "...eh...eh...yes, I am." Then a couple of big money scandals broke, which I'll have to explain when I have more time.

Until then,
-J

Bad Vibes from the Bull's Mouths

2005-07-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

So, one of the things I'll be investigating in Bocas del Toro (which means mouths of the bull) is this scandal that Noriegaville broke. Well, I just read this on the Viviendo in Panama Yahoo group. Here's the contents...

Hi everyone-

Neat group!

I am looking into the Bocas area as a place to buy. Does anyone here
have any experience with a guy named Shepard Johnson? He is selling
property on Isla Solarte in the Bocas area. Any info, good or bad,
would be very welcome.

Thanks,

Leah

Doesn't that look fishy? Maybe it's nothing. In any case, I don't like the looks of this whole Bocas business. That's ok, though. I'm not going to say anything that can get me sued for libel and stuck in Panama until a 3rd-world-speed court date. Nope, not this reportero.

Speaking of bad vibes, The voodoo story is coming along.I was telling Tim that I wouldn't be surprised to find a connection between the two stories. Santería witch doctors, land scams, rich angry gringos and a cluster of little tropical islands - sounds like the makings for a great mystery novel.

The Kuna tribe has decided to prosecute anyone caught mining for gold without permission, which drastically pollutes their water supply. Also, Ruben Blades just went out to set up a plan to boost tourism in the various indigenous group's comarcas. Maybe some of their new friends in high places can help Panama's indigenous groups fend off the greed heads. Which, for my Globalization Moment (registered trademark of Joel Inwood heheheh), are very global-exploitation-oriented.

-J

Camino de Cruces

2005-07-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

The Panamanian Supreme Court has put a stop to the construction projectthat was to take place over top the Camino de Cruces (Road of the Crosses). This makes for a nice little victory for environmentalists and historians alike. My public may remember that first translation I did.

Looks like my next trip is out to Bocas del Toro. I hear it's a magnificently beautiyful spot. In fact, that little collection of islands could be the most beautiful spot in all of Panama, but it comes with the tourists, retired ex-patriots, and prices to match. I'll be working on a story about all the ridiculousness that the Bocas Boom is causing.

Land titles are being called into question, and all kinds of hell raising ensues. Apparently this has been going on for years in this area, and I'm going right into the middle of it, talking to people on all sides of each other, trying not to say anything that gets me sued. Joy.

But the islands are pretty, and the scenery might take the edge off dealing with angry wealthy gringos. Let's hope. I'm sure I'll be able to get some swimming in, and maybe I'll get to break a story. I suppose this place is another face of globalization - a bundle of tropical islands where you can snorkel up to a grocery store that has $900 cheese, or whatever it is these people eat *grin* Actually, by Norteamericano standards, this place is full of real bargans, which, as you may expect, is what's causing all the fuss.

-Gilligan

G8 and Winds

2005-07-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

I noticed how lovely it is outside today. I was thinking of renting a bike and trekking across the Amador Causeway this afternoon, if I get some work done. Two great days in a row in the rainy season, what gives? Then I saw it. When ever there is a hurricane it kind of sucks up all the clouds from over Panama, and all we get is great weather. Another interesting Panama fact for ya.

Well, it looks like the G8 managed to get a little accomplished. Not as much as could have been hoped for, but considering whose at the table I suppose yesterday was a good day. Pessimist that I am, I was seriously surprised that Bush didn't use the London attacks as an excuse to run away as fast as Airforce One could carry him.

The chief wants to write an editorial saying that when yo go to war over a lie, you bring this sort of thing onto your country. I think that if you remove the aesthetic, that's not a logical argument. The issue is, I believe, what is the primary cause. When the US got attacked on September 11 wasn't the issue that we had troupes in the middle east and supported Israel, but not for any particular military action? Therefor the burden of proof is a lot heavier, because you have to show that Al-Q would not have attacked despite support of Israel and having troupes on "Muslim soil," were the UK not to have been involved in, or were there not to have been an invasion of Iraq.

To be clear, that doesn't mean I support the invasion, the lies, or the circumvention of the UN, nor that I believe we should be supporting Israel without some of those uber-tough "conditions" that we're to attach to aid in general.

Apparently the British Ambassador to Panama doesn't speak much Spanish, according to the chief. He heard him give a statement yesterday after the bombings, and said it was truly horrible Spanish. Though this does reflect rather badly on both the British and the world opinion of Panama's importance, it does make me feel better about my not-quite-perfect accent. Lately I've been getting people ask me if I'm Brazilian, which, I suppose, does beat Norteamericano. In that spirit...

Adeus,
-Joel

Not Again

2005-07-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

I suppose I don't have to put up a link for you folks to know what I'm talking about this time around. All I hope is that this doesn't rob the potencial from what's going on in Scotland. If you want to give Bush a way out of anything, all you need to do is give him more "terror."

President Doing Graph? Now that's Hip Hop

2005-07-06T17:46:00.000-04:00

Ex-President Endara has accused President Torrijos of vandalizing his law offices. In reply to the accusations Prsident Torrijos said, "those types of accusations don't deserve a reply." Panama's VP is heading to Venezuela. Time to give up on the whole middle left, and just dive in? Doubtful, but we'll see.

The whole thing reminds me of the soliloquy of Segismundo from Calderon de la Barca. For those of you that speak Spanish ...enjoy. If you don't speak Spanish you can get the idea by translating that whole page with Altavista World.

I think my next project will be trying to do something about the practice of Santería here in Panama. Some of you may remember that Noriega was supposed to have been into Voodoo type stuff. I thought I'd take a look at what the practice is like today. So far, though, it's slow going finding anything. Here on the Pacific (less Afro-Antillean influenced)coast it's a pretty taboo subject.

Well, I'm about out of time again,
-J

July Fourth, 2005

2005-07-05T00:26:00.000-04:00

Sitting out here on my 4th floor balcony there’s a nice cool breeze blowing in from the south. No fireworks down here. No more college kids with bandanas covering their faces shooting modified bottle rockets at riot police through clouds of teargas and Central American humidity. The government here suspended their social security law; after a month of the pueblo in the street they couldn’t hold on. In Bolivia, up in La Paz, there’s no more ex-tin miners throwing dynamite and burning brush lined up in front of indíginas blocking the road to neo-liberal reforms. Evo Morales has made some friends in high places, El Alto is way up there, and they’re running an election campaign. The Zapatistas have put down their arms, too. They’re taking their fight out of Chiapas, out to the world – armed with their “simple word.”

That breeze feels pretty good right about now. Any break from the heat is nice, but this one has a sweet air to it. I got a feeling it’s blowing up a storm. Up north the minute men are trying to close the boarder vigilante style, and I just heard they’ve got a new chapter in east Tennessee in a little town near my Dad’s place. Sam Huntington says "they" bring their culture with ‘em, and that that’s a bigger threat than the Soviets he made a career out of “studying.” Clash of civilizations, he says. I bet the minute men think so, too.

Our civilization, following Sam’s distinction (for rhetorical purposes), has a pretty big presence down here, as well. Whenever people have to throw a parade to celebrate their “traditions,” and call it that, like the one I went to last week, something tells me there’s a reason deeper than an excuse to celebrate working there. After all, the beer commercials and billboards I see everywhere I go say “es happy hour todo el tiempo,” and therefore “no importa.”

Well, I’ve got a long day ahead of me tomorrow; don’t we all. And I think I’m going to call it a night. I’m going to leave my windows open, and see if this cool breeze brings me some sweet dreams, and if there’s a storm tomorrow morning I definitely want to be awake to see it. Although, sometimes the big ones happen in the middle of the night, and we all get up to a new days sun in it’s wake.

Happy Fourth of July, ya’ll!
-J

Happy 4th!

2005-07-04T01:06:00.000-04:00

Though I'm still working, I'm going to take a blog holliday todayafter waking up (it's 12:10 and I'm going home). For those with a computer on their 4th of July, or those interesting in what I've done so far this time, here we go...

*Almost forgot, the Salaried Profs

More to come,
-J

Got one!

2005-07-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

I finally captured one on film in my apartment! This little fellow was crawling across my door last night as I dragged my tired bones home from the internet cafe. Isn't it neat the way he matches the yellowish caulking.

I'm going to keep this one short, sweet and sweat-free, the later of which is no easy task down here. My former Economics Professor, Dr. Boudreaux, has this interesting piece on the Cafe Hayek blog. He takes the example of old Spain, and makes a pretty good case. I believe that without a doubt the act of removing a debt or giving aid to a country is going to help someone in that country, but I think it's vital not to forget that throwing money at a complicated situation like that isn't always the best course.

There is a lot of protest against the pre-conditions for receiving aid, and certainly not without good reason in some cases, but we have to consider that without asking for much in return from some of these governments how much are we really helping.

And speaking of giving and taking and governments, why on earth after the Enron scandal would we fear the Chinese taking over an American oil company? If you think anyone could be more anti-social than the boys in the boardroom - how?

Argentina won their fifth world youth soccer title. I think it would be really interesting to do something about just what is it that makes Argentina such a soccer powerhouse. Money? Climate? Culture? Something.

-J

Journalistic Integrity

2005-07-02T11:23:00.000-04:00

When I first punched up the Drudge Report this morning, I almost had a heart attack. It looks like Karl Rove is the CIA busting deep throat. Normally when a swine of that caliber appears to be in for a long dark night I like to celebrate, but so far it's just the word of one guy. As we say in the biz, developing...

The ethical question is, I believe, if it were me would I give up Karl Rove? Would I go to jail for a cheating, lying, manipulating, agent of evil such as Rove? I guess that doesn't make the question sound serious enough in two ways, one is that a few bad names don't really capture the kind of horrendous things Rove does as habitually as I wipe sweat of my brow here in Panama, and the second is that if it weren't for a bond between secret sources and journalists Watergate would have never seen the light of public scrutiny. It's a question that I can't take lightly.

Well, speaking of journalistic ethics, it's not just that I blab to much on the blog with so much to do in 48 hours.

-J

Back from Vacation

2005-07-01T14:14:00.000-04:00

I missed an earthquake, Torrijos taking foot-in-mouth lessons from Mexico's President Fox and Noriegaville reports that something went down in Honduras. I think one of the hardest parts of working in journalism is that two days off puts you so far behind that you have two work like crazy to get caught up. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I could specialize, but it can be just as bad with that, if your specialty is in something that's developing quickly. Así es la vida del periodista.

Speaking of work, I've got mountain to overcome by Sunday night, as usual. Back to it.
-Joel

Tomorrow Today

2005-06-28T18:11:00.000-04:00

Since I will hopefully be relaxing away on the pristine white sanded beaches of the island of Taboga tomorrow, I've decided to update all my loyal readers early this go-round - all both of ya.

Torrijos, looking for some support from somewhere, has made the announcement that the phone company will be giving out rebates and the electric company is not going to raise prices. Panama is being sanctioned by FIFA for fan violence at soccer games.

Noriegaville has this story today, extracted from this from El Panamá América. I guess they're right - Washington is watching. This is just great for us yanqui journalists, of course. With our government's record not letting anything be in Latin America, we're all presumed CIA until proven innocent, as it is. This just goes to show that just because the main stream English language media don't pick up on something, doesn't mean they haven't. In all seriousness, I don't believe there is too much reason for concern. As long as FRENADESSO doesn't come after the Canal, no problem.

There is a small army if parakeets outside the internet cafe right now. They're churping so loud that they've had to turn the evening news up full blast. There's a slight drizzle. Nice night to hang out on the balcony. Hide out from the mold. Relax. Prepare for tomorrow. A day of photos and more relaxing :D

Hasta pronto,
-J

Sometimes you just have to say...

2005-06-28T11:45:00.000-04:00

WHAT!?!?!?

This blows my mind. You want to talk about over-doing it! Nuclear weapon over the Faulklands/Malvinas. You have got to be kidding me. I'm not saying that the Argentine military dictatorship weren't some nasty customers. We can't forget that they murdered, tortured and dissapeared thousands more people than Pinochet's Chile, but nukes? And if they had their own nukes shouldn't they have been recieving the North Korea treatment?

La Prensa ran a story today about the dissapearing forests of Volcanoe Baru (right click doesn't work on the mouse here, so I can't direct link, but it's only in Spanish anyway). You guys may remember that this is where I have a scoop about a guy that plowed under a good chunk of forest with hopes of building a hotel. The story is looking more and more interesting.

Well, I've still got a research topic proposal paper to write. Of course I know exactly what I'm going to do, and it's just a matter of filling in the blanks - two blank pages. Ha ha ho ho.

All work and no play makes Joel a Journalist of steel.

-Total Coverage

First Day of Normality

2005-06-27T12:53:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning, made coffee, then hopped in the shower. When I got out I noticed something very strange. Cold. I actually felt cold. I take cold showers every day, in the sense that I don't have hot watter, but in that sense alone. Today, however, I got a little chilly. The morning temperature may have even slipped so far as to drop below 90. I was shocked.

Today all SUNTRACS workers went back to their jobs. The dialogue starts tomorrow. Bernal was on a TV show this morning talking about the future. He got into the Canal expansion and the university problems. He gave a little talk about how the 90 day dialogue only provides us with 24 dialogue sessions, and that the period may need to be extended before a deal is reached.

One thing is clear - my work is going to be different. I covered a parade yesterday. Four hours of folk customs in motion nearly boored me to tears. I took about 128 photos before my batteries died, and that's after deleting bad ones on the spot during pauses in the march. The Reuters people were there as well as the locals. I suppose it's easy work, if you factor out having to stand up so long, but good lord is it booring.

For those of you who're feeling down without your conflict fix, Noriegaville just put up four new stories, and they're all pretty interesting.

Well, I've got a topic proposal to write for the internship grade and some stories to dig into. Blogger has apparently removed their spellcheck function. I feel so naked, heheheheh. Until next time...

-J

Too Early to Celebrate & Too Late to Be Pessamistic

2005-06-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

Well, all the respective groups are having meetings about whether or not to call off their individual strikes, which will then inform the democratic choice of the larger FRENADESSO about whether or not officially send everybody back to work. They made a couple of final demands.

Release all the remaining prisoners taken during the protests.

Don't press charges againt anybody.

And then, Panama goes back to normal... A normal that I've never actually seen. I arrived a day after the law was first proposed. I suppose that the Panama I come into contact with will only move a little quicker and be less exciting. Although, I do have a feeling that this discussion won't go as smoothly as many would like.

In other news, president Chavez is building Venezuela's poor plastic houses. If anybody finds a picture, e-mail me. This I got'a see.

In Equador prison protests have turned very nasty. I suppose when you can't take to the streets, you have to do something. And I believe this is undoubtedly grabbing more international attention than a hunger strike. It's interesting the way globalization works in situations like this with the media. Bringing in the global civil society can effect serious change in your local situation, but to get the CNN camera's off Michael Jackson and missing persons cases you really have to do something different. This certainly qulaifies.

-J

NEWS FLASH

2005-06-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

This just in...

President Torrijos backs down!!!

Blink! Yes, President Martín Torrijos has asked his party controled National Assembly to suspend Law 17 - the Social Security Fund law and so called "Law of Death" - for 90 days.

Frenadesso has yet to announce if they'll be joining the table of discussion for changes to the newly suspended law now that their principal demand appears to have been met. Also, no word on whether or not this will end the General Strike by teachers, medical workers and members of numerous unions.

Developing...

Heatwave

2005-06-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

No rain this morning. The mold on my books is frying in the mid-morning sun, and baking itself onto my pants and shirts in the closet. I took out the trash at 7:30 this morning. By 8:30 when I went out to get some fruit for breakfast a rumager had already strewn my garbage all over the sidewalk. Sizzling. Under one hour. I believe the heat drives them into an especially violent search for cans and bottles and hopefully not credit card reciepts. The heat has brought out another kind of Panamanian scavenger, as well.

Enter the strike breakers. Businesses have decided to traverse the jungle of Panamanian labor laws, and bring in the scabs. A press conference was canceled at the last minute yesterday, due to an "urgent meeting." Details of the reaction plan have yet to surface, but when I asked a SUNTRACS worker who was collecting money in the intersection in front of my apartment a few feet from my sizzling garbage about what was going on, he smiles real big and says "yes, they're working." What that means, I don't know, but we will see Monday. Total Coverage, my new middle names.

The boss threw up a teaser of my pictures from the march last week on Up Size This. Here is a shot from another paper of the Salaried Professionals. It looks like I'm on that beat for the duration. Speaking of beats...

It's time to beat the street with my feet and go get something to eat.
-J

Bad News

2005-06-24T11:51:00.000-04:00

It looks like my favorite news shows might be going off the air. Here in Panama the best tv news actually comes from the Catholic Church's FeTV. The boss just told me that in a deal that somehow involves the Church's request that Torrijos suspend the CSS law, the church will now stop funding the chanel 5 news programs, among which you have Debate Libre that I watch every day.

Debate Libre is the only morning show that gives FRENADESSO a serious voice. This makes for a very interesting turn in events down here. This is a major TV channel, and apparently they're going to cut out all their news programming - which is no small portion of their programming - from now on over this thing. I suppose they don't have any party backing them, and that makes business here in Panama a lot harder to take care of.

The major papers don't have the story up yet; the boss got it from a personal source. La Prensa is running a piece about 50 protesters who were freed by the government early this morning. There seems to be some sort of give-and-take going on, but nobody is not announcing it as such. Maybe we can organize a drive like the Moveon.org thing for NPR and PBS.

In other news, the Panama Canal has made Panama more money in the few years it's been theirs than it made the US since day one. Back in DC Mr. Rove says we're "soft on terror" for opposing ~~treasure~~torture island. The Onion got a face lift. So did Noriegaville. My favorite Japanese seafood is safe, for now.

Last night I covered another huge protest march. I'm getting to be a pro. I think I could cover Latin American protests for the next 20 years, and be happy if I was making a living at it. There seems to be no shortage of 'em. A guy from RPC News bought him and myself an apple from a street vendor while we were marching along. That may have been a diminutive display in front of my "peers," but it was a good apple and I'm broke-ish.

The march went down to Casco Viejo, which is really beautiful at night. If it wasn't for the crime, I'd love to have lived there instead. Here's a couple of my photos from the protest last night that I don't think the boss will use because they're too dark: kids watching the march and the march coming down the street.

Adieu,
-Jolibrán

Violent Mold

2005-06-23T11:46:00.000-04:00

The moldy season is upon us. Everything in my apartment is covered in a layer of bluish fuzzy mold. My books have made for a particularly fertile breeding ground for the foul fungus, as did my t-shirts and even some dishes. The torrential rains are more frequent now, and the effects are multiplying.

Outside this internet cafe window SUNTRACS workers are waiving bright red flags and asking for donations. The Doctor says , "take five grand and call a march in the morning." The FRENADESSO has declined to participate in negotiations, in which there is no real possibility for changing Law 17 of Death. The people are getting angrier.

Smokers can't smoke no more. Hurricane force winds are blowing roofs off. Priests accused of sexual assault not 24 hours after a call for the president to suspend the law. Student protesters have a new weapons. Back in the States we're getting sci-fi food. The fun has just begun.

Stay tuned,
-J

Red Alert Chiapas & Small Victory in Panama

2005-06-22T13:39:00.000-04:00

Well, the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) has called for a red alert for the first time since 1995. The full details haven't come out, but the gist is that it's for "self-defense." Since 1995 they've founded their own governing bodies, health clinics, schools, and all the things one expects of the state in what they call the Autonomous Zone in the mountainous jungles of far southern Mexico. This should definitely be one to follow.

Here in Panama Torrijos has agreed to suspend "regulation" of law 17 (social security), and promises that all the changes negotiated with the various groups will be retroactive, meaning that they'll work backward from the point they're agreed on, too. This is not what the Bishops, FRENADESSO, or anybody else, for that matter, were asking for, but I suppose it's something. Even the big PRD supporters, La Prensa are throwing pretty clear messages into their editorial comics now.

I've been thinking of writing something on the bootleg DVDs you can get in this country. As soon as, if not sooner than a new movie comes out, you can get it on the street around the Plaza 5 de Mayo for two or three bucks. I was talking to one of my flatmates, and he says he never goes to movies, because he has a friend at work that always has everything first. I was looking at the new Batman bootleg, and the thing looks really professional. The disc has a clear and sharp printed image of Batman on top. They've got music, too. Might be interesting.

Looks like Peru is going to join some of their neighbors in an open rejection of the old Yanqui anti-coca line. Yo Augusto might just live to be tried in some way or another yet. Nicaragua seems to be moving along in a stable condition for the time being.

Not a bad day in the Global South-West. All things considered, not bad at all. I put up another link over there on the right to Noriegaville, another good site about Panama. They don't pull any punches over there, that's for sure. Some of you might enjoy the protest karaoke :D

-J

A Very Interesting Meeting

2005-06-21T11:45:00.000-04:00

So, last night I had to go cover a meeting of the "Salary-receiving Professionals Movement." Here's a bunch of upper-middle-class yuppies planning a march and protest against the new social security law. They wanted to have a "caravan" march. Imagine a mile long string of BMWs blocking traffic with people in suits waiving flags out windows, and the airconditioned cold rushing out into the sweltering Panama afternoon.

They're also being invited to sit down at the quasi-negotiation table the President is trying to create. Torrijos wants to have a "negotiation" without FRENADESSO the huge super-organization (more popular than either political party on this issue) for the Defense of Social Security. He wants to sit down with unorganized representatives from various sectors, and only talk about implementation (for you long term readers - no, he still hasn't backed down).

Recycling is generally a good thing, but when it pays well it can cause some problems. Yesterday in the wee hours of the morning some people stole the pipes that bring water to a little town in the interior of the country, leaving them without water. One can't walk three blocks down the street without seeing missing manhole covers down here, but this seems like a new low heheheh. Yesterday I only bout one of the main national papers, and, just my luck, the other one had that story, which is my excuse for not giving you folks more specific details.

For the globalization moment, the reason that there is such a high price here for metals - stolen or otherwise - is that China wants 'em.

-J

Another Issue Done

2005-06-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

The New Panama News is up again. I've got a piece about Esmeralda special. I also did this one about the broca. Last but not least, my Bolivia story.

-J

One Month Anniversary

2005-06-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

Well, here's an interesting alternative to all of our social security woes to start off this anniversary edition. Yes one month ago today my plane landed down here in Good ole Panama. I believe this was the rather uneventful entry from that day.

Not much happening in the Americas today, which should make the briefs - my next (and last) task for this issue - pretty easy. Aside from Bolivia, Mexico, and Nicaragua, things are moving normally in Nuestras Americas. As long as my head is in it, I think I'd better get to it.

-J

Pressure Builds

2005-06-18T16:21:00.000-04:00

As my work load gets heavier to tote around, so to the social security situation deepens. At a protest yesterday that I almost went to, the police opened fire with rubber bullets on doctors, nurses and medical secretaries. I believe a few were wounded. The police were actually boarder cops brought away from protecting us from Colombian death squads to protect us from these folks.

My coffee stories are done, but need to be edited. Now I'm working on a piece about Bolivia, and, of course, the Latin America Briefs (those are from last time). They should come out a lot better this time.

For my Globalization Minute today... I was thinking as I was sorting through my Boquete pictures about how much it looks like my 'ol Southern Appalachia home. I find it interesting that we don't have flocks of yankees flocking to our mountain paradise. I guess it's coffee vs bacr, and nobody is picking our poison any more.

Time's up!
-Joel

Resfriado

2005-06-17T12:49:00.000-04:00

The SUNTRACS workers are now out of strike money. There was a big march yesterday, which this time included a fund raising drive. On my way back from Boquete the bus got diverted to avoid a huge crowd blocking the highway. People still aren't giving up.

On the midnight bus ride over to David I picked up a little cold. They run the air conditioners full blast the whole way. It's not that cold anywhere in Central America, so why on earth would they do that to their passengers? I wasn't the only one sneezing, either. And now I'm sniffling, sneezing, and whining on my blog, etc...

I think I can buy antibiotics over the counter here, but instead I just went for the name I recognized - Tylenol Cold. I suppose I'm not much of a Latinamericanist for not looking for something better or cheaper, but when you're sick... Well, I'm not too sick to work, and I've got a lot of writing to do.

-J

Briefing from Boquete

2005-06-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

We're going short today, because I've only got 5 min left. First off some good news from Argentina. It seems that justice moves like a snail, but it's there and that's something, I suppose.

Boquete is half, as in nearly 50% Gringo. I haven't heard so much English in forever. It seems the basic M.O. is that the old retire and open a coffee shop dream is extended to retire and open a coffee farm, roaster and then shop. Great coffee.

Ah! There went my time. Guess I'll splerge for another 15 min. So far I've only talked to a couple of coffee shop owners, and they don't seem terribly concerned with la broca. They say it's concentrated in the far boarder region with Costa Rica. As for the Hacienda Ezmerelda story, everything's on track. Got a ton of research on the history of the guy's family in the region, but I'm not sure if it's newsworthy.

I've been talking to one of my flatmates, and next month were supposed to rent a car and go to his family farm at the foot of the Barú Volcano. They grow, among other things, coffee, which they roast, grind, make and drink every day! Guadalupe's Grandfather was a German soldier in WWI, and fled to Mexico after the war. Then, he rode a mule all the way from Mexico to Panama. For those that don't know, it took me more than 6 hours to get from Panama city to here on a bus! See the map again.

Time's up,
-J

Bugs, Rats and Swine

2005-06-14T12:44:00.000-04:00

Looks like the government isn't going to give in on the CSS, but that doesn't mean they don't want to appear to be doing so. They're holding discussions every day, but the only thing on the table is implementation. FRENADESSO is reacting accordingly. I can't post any links because in this apparently bourgeois internet cafe, which costs twice as much per hour as the cheapest cafes, the genius management team has somehow disabled the right click on every single shiny new expensive computer they have (I've tried 3), rendering them useless to me. Swine!

Looks like I may have another big story coming up. In the national park shared by Costa Rica and Panama some guy cut down 300 hectares of protected forest, and buried the trees (?) in order to build a hotel, which, of course, he couldn't do because it violates all sorts of laws, just as his clearing of the land did. According to my source, the guy paved a road into the park (illegal) to the spot he cleared (illegal) near the source of a major river the supplies water for town down stream (illegal), and he payed workers less than the minimum (illegal) to use government equipment that he bribed a bureaucrat to let him use (illegal and illegal). My source says he drew up some fake contracts (illegal) and took hundreds of thousands of dollars from local and international investors to pay for the whole thing (very illegal). There, I suppose, is the globalization angle; my source says he had investors from Japan, Holland, the States and more. At the moment I've only got the one source, but it looks like there is more to come.

Tomorrow I'm headed out for Boquete. I'm hoping I'll be able to talk to the people from Café Sittón and Café Suárez, along with some other farmers, about the www.sica.gov.ec/cadenas/cafe/docs/broca.htm Coffee Weevle (You can auto-translate that here) that's threatening this years crops.

Sorry about that broken link. These computers are driving me crazy and wasting my money.

Well, back to my research.
-J

Paralización

2005-06-13T10:48:00.000-04:00

In the third session of deal making between FRENADESSO and the government people were treated to a knock-down drag-out shouting and insult match, but zero productivity. FRENADESSO says they're going to paralyze the country, and the government says they will not let that happen. A poll just came out that shows 55% of the country support FRENADESSO, which puts them to the left of both major political parties, I believe. Economists are starting to give bleak projections for the future as members of FRENADESSO are pushing more clearly and frequently for the rejection of the new addition to the Canal. The government says it will be necessary to accommodate increased trade from Asia crossing over into the Atlantic in larger and larger ships, and to keep them from just sailing under Argentina and up.

Things are approaching back-to-normal in Bolivia. Ex-president Lozada is now blaming Bolivia's problems on Colombian druglords. Right. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blames the Washington consensus neo-liberal economic policies for Bolivias troubles. Whether or not you like the guy, in this instance he's being dramatically more realistic than Lozada. Chavez calls uber-capitalist liberalization the "medicine of death," which fits right in with the FRENADESSO's image of the "law of death."

For my globalization connection, I'd like to draw your attention to the big shift in the G8 over debt relief. Their "golden straightjacket," as Thomas Friedman calls them, policies are precisely the medicine of death Chavez is referring to. It seems that in order to sell them to the developing world, they've had to resort to extreme methods.

Alas, out of time again.
-J

Summer of Unrest

2005-06-11T11:42:00.000-04:00

Although things are calming down some in Bolivia, El Alto is still giving the president a major headache and the issue of hydrocarbon nationalization is far from over. People are starting to say Evo Morales, of the M.A.S. Party (movement Towards Socialism) --supporter of Bolivia's right to grow and use the coca plant (main ingredient in cocaine, but mild stimulant in its natural form and used by indigenous peoples of the Andes for thousands of years before the Spanish arrived) -- might just be the next president.

Here in Panama the interior of the country is heating up with stronger protests and more violent police responses. The members of FRENASESSO are meeting with government people today to try and make a deal. It looks as if they're going to iorn something out.

The Alabama girl in Aruba is making headlines here in some of the local papers. I suppose that's globalization in the raw. Why that's a news here, considering all the kidnappings and murders that happen to our southern neighbors is beyond me (just read through the headlines there on any given day).

This may go a long way towards explaining how their situation continues the way it's going. Big media players can sell that story about one poor girl from Alabama to millions of concerned Panamanians and Latin Americans in general. It's an interesting story, much like a soap opera, and it draws people in. And the plight of their own neighbors fades into the background. Which one could the average Panamanian do more about? It's a serious question. I remember my Environmental Policy-making in Developing Countries professor, Dr. Mishra, telling the class at the beginning of last semester that he hadn't heard about the tsunami back in Katmandu until he got to the states.

Well, I'm out of time again.
-Joel

The SS Connection

2005-06-10T10:33:00.000-04:00

Looks like us norteamericanos might get a Law of Death of our very own. In other CSS news, I've got a correction to make. It's not 33%, it was a 33% drop. I am not exaggerating when I say that President Torrijos is now less popular, about 35% less popular, than General Manuel Noriega, and he says "I'm not surprised." Wow. I'm ~~speechless~~ typeless.

The National Front for the Defense of Social Security (FRENADESSO) is meeting with government people to try and make a deal. President Torrijos may have record breaking unpopularity, but the strike funds are running out at the same time. SUNTRACS won't say when they'll run out, of course, which leaves a lot of room for speculation. The could have said that money is not an issue, but didn't. Hence it's got to be an issue.

I got an e-mail from my advisor, Dr. Bockman, complementing my blog (!), but advising me to talk more about globalization. She also mentioned that the CSS issue isn't getting very much coverage internationally at all. I suspect that if the political cost to the Torrijos administration includes a no vote in the referendum for the proposed Canal Expansion, that the issue might see a little more daylight around the world.

So, I decided to investigate what exposure we've gotten so far. BBC? I didn't find anything in English, but a reasonable selection in Spanish. CNN? Nothing and nada. Reuters had some coverage, as well as, of course, the AP, but how many US papers actually picked up the story(s)? New York Times? Nope. Washington Post? Nope. Maybe the Miami Herald? Nil. The Angola Press thought it was newsworthyy. Ireland's Sunday Business Post threw it in there. The New Zealand Herald found some space for it. The Epoch Times had it in their English edition.

Some countries are just more inward looking. That's a complaint that some Argentine friends and I shared about our respective countries, although papers like Clarín do a lot more international stuff than the majority of US papers. The interesting part, to me, is that the BBC doesn't cover Panama, considering their reputation it comes as a bit of a surprise. Of course one has to consider the case of Bolivia. I suppose that's where you put lead Latin American story, but nothing, nil, nada about Panama's situation in English?

Time's up in the internet cafe.
Until next time,
-Joel "Total Coverage" Inwood

Soccer "Nightmare" for Panama

2005-06-09T11:19:00.000-04:00

Ugh! What an ugly ugly game last night. The USA scored three goals in the first half against Panama, and half the fans had gone home before the second half started. Panama also took a sound thrashing against Trinidad a few days ago. I went to my first casino last night to try and watch the game. The place was so packed that some guys from the building and I had to leave. They had some game that cost one cent to play, so the tacaño gringo gave it a shot. As popular as soccer is here, I think it might have been been better off not being in a public place for that slaughter by my countrymen. Argentina beat Brazil.

La Presna, the paper that backs the guy's party, reported that President Torrijos' poll numbers are down to the 33% core (the chief says that 1/3rd of Panamanians would vote for Noriega again). Looks like this social security thing is really taking its toll. The rhetoric is heating up to match the cops vs the protesters.

Looks like I'll be going to Boquete next week. The eight hour round-bus-trip isn't something I'm looking forward to, but if they let me taste the $21 per/pound coffee, it will be worth it.

-J

2005-06-08T13:04:00.000-04:00

The Police are stepping up their moves against protesters, and the protesters are doing the same. Note that in the last photo the officer is carrying a SUNTRACS flag beneath his arm, which suggests there might be more than meets the eye.

The Canal expansion might just be a done deal. The chief says that people tend to treat it as a separate thing. The monster debt Panama will have to take on, on the other hand, looks like it could produce some more CSS type situations down the road. You can only borrow so much before you have to tighten the budget, even in the "advanced" western countries, though that's not everybody's philosophy.

The chief's Magnum Opus about the CSS is out. It's not a quick read, but I believe it may be more educational than some of the other things I've linked up for you folks, by far.

Hasta mañana,
-J

P.S. Check out our stats!!!

2005-06-07T11:09:00.000-04:00

Looks like Bolivia might be out another president. The second in as many years. The interesting part is that the Bolivian congress has to actually vote on whether or not he can quite. I wonder what that would have done to 'ol Tricky Dickey.

In other news, the boss just told me about how kids in the Hollywood housing projects (more pistoltown than tinsltown) used to clog drains in the rainy season in order to rob the cars that get stuck.

More streets are being blocked today. The pace does seem to have slowed down, at least for the moment. This has given some commentators time to start talking about the way the law was passed. The fact that the government didn't share it's data or plans with the people before hand, then rushed the whole thing through the Assembly in about a week, is starting to get its own proper debate. Now the President is saying that the measure are "painful" but "necessary," which is fine, but was the rush treatment and were the midnight-oil legislative sessions necessary?

The next big issue coming down the block, I think, will be the Canal expansion. Some people are connecting the two as a singularity in fiscal policy. Will there be a singularity of protest?

I'll write it as it comes,
-J

Rain, Wrecks, and Writing

2005-06-06T15:48:00.000-04:00

This morning I awoke to the sound of rain. Pitter patter, it wasn't. This rushing sound like swimming under Niagara Falls with a stethoscope felt like it was vibrating the walls of my apartment. And in Panama the drainage isn't exactly up to par. I got some good shots of my own, which I'll throw on here when I get a chance.

The big story today is that last night one of the big red busses they call "red devils" hit and killed an elderly Panamanian just a few blocks from our office. All the Papers ran gory photos, except La Prensa.

People are still talking about the Assembly member who had all the liquor and cigarettes, too. The guy claimed he was going to donate it to a needy village. Cartoonists are having a field day. The caption reads, "what do you mean Â´what kind of assistance is this?' This is first class stuff!" :D

The new issue is coming along nicely. I translated this cool but wordy manifesto from the MLN-29. I wrote a piece about the Channel 5 National Debate program -- not too in depth, but I think I got the gist. We did a nice photo piece about the protests, and my one decent photo contribution appears there. I also did the Latin America Briefs. I've thought about doing Latin Amerrica briefs on here, since, after all, it is in the name. What do ya'll think?

-J

All Work and No Play Today

2005-06-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

Production continues. Throughout Monday and Tuesday be sure to keep checking The Panama News for updates. I hope we have everything finished up soon.

The National Front for the Defense of Social Security has now called for, in addition to the strike, a national boycott on the lottery, bars, restaurants and a few other things. More street-blocking protests tomorrow. There has been a few problems with the strike pay for the SUNTRACS union, but, according to their leadership, 90% of their members are being subsidized.

Tuesday the Assembly is going to be debating something to do with the University of Panama. Though not related to the storm The Panama News columnist Bernal is raising over the scandal the University "selling diplomas." I'll fill you in when I have more time. As for now, back to work.
-J

Another Day Another Scandal

2005-06-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like SUNTRACS isn't giving up anytime too soon. Now they've been shot at and run over. Another member of the National Assembly got busted, this time for bringing contraband out of the Colón tax-free zone. You're welcome to buy all the tax-free liquor and cigarettes you want, but you have to ship them outside Panama for use.

This morning I discovered that mosquitoes aren't opposed to breeding in my coffee maker. The extra minutes it took me to clean it seemed like an eternity, since I'd been up late working on a translation from the MLN-29,whome you may remember from here. It was a better read than I thought it would be. I'll link it up once the chief finishes with production.

Back to work. No rest for the Latinamericanist today, tonight, tomorrow and on...
-J

Busted!

2005-06-03T20:50:00.000-04:00

A quick update for all you Friday night mouse-potatoes...
Where can you pick up a few kilos of cocaine in this country?
Try The National legislature!

Some guys got caught selling cocaine, massive amounts of cocaine, out of The National Assembly. If you'll allow me the cheap shot, so that's how they stayed up to do all those late night Social Security sessions. Want to pass a law in a week, just... Ah, it's too easy.

Jumped the gun on that one

2005-06-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

Looks like it's no retreat no surrender for the Front for the Defense of Social Security. El Siglo reports that the strikes a have cost the country $3 Million so far, and counting.

The FDSS asked for a meeting with President Torrijos this morning, and they're going to get it. Today at 2PM they'll meet up. The president assures us that his program won't be derailed.

*Ah! I just saw on La Prensa that some guy in an SUV pulled up to where some SUNTRACS workers were blocking the street, rolled down his window and fired three shots. Two of the union members were wounded, one inthe leg and no report yet on the other one, and taken to a nearby hospital.

Just when you think things have calmed down... Well, there's certanly no shortage of work for a journalist in this country.

-J

The Biggest, the Most Peaceful, and the Last ...?

2005-06-02T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well, it was definitely the biggest march, no question. The chief and I wandered into the Plaza 5 de Mayo about 30 minutes early, and you could hear them coming then. Groups from every province in the country marched down Via España, past the little mini-supers and copy centers, beneath 4 - 10 floors of balconies filled with pot banging supporters cheering their way. They shouted chants ranging from, "If the pueblo unites, they won't defeat us," to "Martin Torrijos sells his mother!" The made their way all the way down through Chorrillo into one of the oldest parts of the city, where I could smell the salt water long before the buildings parted into a view of the horizon in front of the Presidential Palace.

Walking back at dusk, everyone around me was cheerful. Occasionally practicing their chants to cheers from kids in the streets and their parents still vigilant from the balconies. "No nos vencerá;" they won't beat us. But it was perhaps already too late.

The law was passed and signed. Some papers had already shifted their headlines back to auto accidents and Lindsay Lohan. The sun went down, and came up behind a wall of Panamanian morning rain. Business as usual. I'm off to cover a story about a very expensive Panamanian Specialty Coffee. Sells for almost $21 per pound, not too shabby. I've got a translation to do, and a few more articles to write. I wonder if last night was the high point, the crescendo of this journalistic experience. Hope not.

Hasta Mañana,
-J

CSS Approved & The Mother of All Protests

2005-06-01T10:50:00.000-04:00

"The Law of Doom," the Caja de Seguro Social, finally passed in the assembly, and as of this moment they're only waiting on President Torrijos, who proposed it, to sign it into law. The tension is so thick the tropical rain is oozing instead of falling, and the United Front for the defense of Social Security has called for the "mother of all marchas!" In just the one block between my apartment and Café Global , where I've never seen anything more menacing than a traffic jam, there were already construction workers in the streetscarryingg boards with nails in them, staring malevolently at screaming drivers making hand gestures from their Datsun windows. On the other side of the hill there´s a huge garbage fire, yellow flames rising above the red union flags.

And darker forces are lurking in the shadows of the university auditoriums and union hallways, according to this morning's Estrella. A group known as MLN-29, whose signs reading "Vencer o Morir," 'conquer or die,' I've seen across the city, painted on the sides of the arms of American Corporations -- Blockbuster, McDonald's, KFC -- are a clandestine organization within the university underground and close to the unions, according to the article. They're the ones pulling the strings, it says. Plotting to overthrow the government with funds the article says they've receiveded from Colombian guerrilla communist druglords. It says they've been trained somewhere. According to the article, they even have ties within the Catholic Church!

Meanwhile; here I sit, waiting anxiously for the revolution in a silence punctuated by the insect-like clicking of my keyboard, waiting for the swarms of violent locust-like maleantes to overthrow the construction workers and medical students -- people with families trying to protect their pensions -- and sack the capital with old Chinesese pistols and Soviet shoulder-launched rockets, and swarm down upon me, upon us all, like the falling night. A little girl just said to her mother, "la policía, mamá." That's the sign.

HERE IT COMES.
-J

See, I'm not the only one

2005-05-31T10:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it could have been worse. Although there's a world of difference between a molotov cocktail and a stick or two of dynamite, there's no shortage of similarities between the situation in La Paz (which means "The Peace") and Panama. Observe-->

All week I have had a front-row seat to the action. On Tuesday, as the columns circled around the police, who had barracaded Plaza Murillo, marchers smashed minibuses and cars that they found in their path, tossed rocks at journalists (...) As the canisters popped around us the and rubber pellets ricocheted off the walls we ran, protesters and press alike, sucking in the burning fumes as we sprinted through the curtains of gas that floated like thick walls of stage smoke (...) and more gas--always more gas. From Christian Parenti at The Nation. (Maybe they'll be hiring next fall)

I covered a presentation by the country's left on their proposal to fix the CSS last night. They sound a lot more reasonable than their detractors would want us to believe. Unfortunately, although the odds have definitely changed, a softened version of the original government proposal looks like a clear favorite to win implementation. I think the interesting thing to see will be whether or not the government will come out of this still being able to dip into the fund to pay debts and finance things that have nothing to do with health.

It's funny to see that the shock and awe papers are running out of crazy photos since things have calmed down some.

Well, I'm off to go cover a science presentation by the Smithsonian. Maybe they'll venture to explain why spacebars on internet cafe keyboards down here never seem to work right!

-J

Back in the PC groove

2005-05-30T11:30:00.000-04:00

An air-conditioned bus ride all the way across the country, from coast to coast, $2.50. All the mangos the chief and I could carry out of a wheelbarrow on his sister's beach front property -- priceless. I guess I should note that the country is only 50 miles wide in the area where the canal crosses.

It seems that the political class underestimated the power of the Pueblo. All weekend long there were more protests, which will continue into today along with the general strike. President Martin Torrijos has announced that he's going to reduce the age requirement for women by two years, and the National Assembly has thrown in over 140 changes to the law. Among those, however, some people are saying that they've done the privitization that they promised they wouldn't by putting the huge fund, the "Caja" into private banks. The problem is these changes have been passing without any public reading or explanation. They go "and now amendment number 126, four in favor three against, passed. Next amendment..." That's the extent of the debate on many of these things.

The unions are not backing down, however, and you can see that the government is nervous. This thing is getting less popular in spite of their efforts. The Assembly is debating the project in a second round, since 4 AM today. After the third round the thing is passed. Many, on the other hand, had predicted that this would be over Friday or Saturday. It seems like that even if the law passes, so to a good deal over power will have passed to other hands.

Like the several year old Piquetero movement in Argentina, these street manifestaciones seem to be gaining steam. The strength of today's march will be the test. On the other hand I've been told that this sort of thing is a tradition here.

My pay-per-hour time is almost up. There's a big thing on TV tonight after the protest, where the labor groups will debate the law. I'll try and update either then or tomorrow morning.

-J

Beach weekend

2005-05-29T10:26:00.000-04:00

This weekend the boss took me to his sister's place on the Atlantic coast. We found a story about a huge dam construction project, which has the potential to ruin one of the most popular beaches to surf in Panama. We got a bunch of pictures, and had some brief conversations with workers.

I got my first hot shower in a while this morning, simple pleasures... Their beach house is beautiful. I also saw my first monkey in it's natural habitat. It's nice and relaxing over here. Also, interestingly, the sun rises over the Pacific. "Land of contradictions," says the Chief's brother-in-law, "land of contradictions."

-J

Day... day... what's today?

2005-05-27T23:22:00.000-04:00

Well, the protests today went off much more peacefully. There is a huge general strike now. The computer they stuck me with in this internet cafe keeps putting a huge row of spaces in everything I type, so I'll pick this up tomorrow . -J

A bit of reflection

2005-05-26T14:45:00.000-04:00

In any given city in the world… give me any city in the world and I’ll find you a million stories. That’s what I’m starting to learn. While I was running from shotgun blasts, tear gas and beatdowns down the street from the Plaza de Cinco de Mayo, where one of the largest masses of people I’ve ever seen had gathered to protest the restructuring of the Panamanian social security fund, I looked over and there was the student that gave the chief and I an interview during the previous day’s peaceful blockade of the Transístmica in front of the University of Panama. He was part of a group of social work students carrying blue flags and covering their faces with bandanas.

At the time I thought they looked menacing, but when a kid, six or seven years old, came walking up from the housing projects on the other side of the highway carrying a rock one of guys from the Bolivarian Students Association and our interviewee asked him “what are you doing?” They told him “this is a peaceful demonstration.” The kid put the rock down and hung around to watch what was happening with a newfound curiosity, which we shared.

On down the Transístmica the main blockade was being set up; the chief started talking with people and I just took pictures with the yet to be stolen camera. I noticed a lady from one of Panama’s oldest leftist groups, FER 29, was eying the chief and I with what was either the sun in her eyes or suspicion. It was the latter. She came up to the chief and asked for press identification, a press card, the chief was wearing a Panama News shirt, but she wasn’t convinced, I guess. She said that without a proper press pass, which we didn’t have with us, as this had been impromptu coverage on the way to an internet café, she couldn’t protect us from “golpes,” meaning violent confrontation. She wasn’t wearing a mask, but she was carrying a flag of her own. We left.

Later I learned that a leader of the University Popular Block , the group that was behind the barricade with FER 29, had come to blows with a leader from the Bolivarian Students who were up the road with the social workers. Hence, I suppose, the 30 yard distance between contingents.

They marched down Via España to the plaza the next day with roughly the same distance between them, in more than one sense of the word. Along with hundreds if not thousands (I’ve no eye for this sort of thing) from the huge all-inclusive construction workers union, SUNTRACKS, everyone marched into the Plaza up against a wall of armed and armored riot police separating them from the Legislative Palace. They were chanting in unison to a level that almost drowned out the helicopter overhead. The message was loud and clear.

People from all walks of life had gathered for this one, large banner-carrying groups of nurses, doctors, construction workers, service industry workers, the elderly, political parties, students and, perhaps most importantly, throngs of people just on their own. The rhetoric was fiery, but there were smiles all around. The size of the crowd seemed to cheerfully surprise everyone except, of course, the police and supporters of the proposal.

I took a break from taking photos after the last contingents marched in, and I bought a cup of coconut water from an elderly street vendor, remembering that he was part of the “informal sector” my Economics professors always mention in conjunction with Latin America. As is, if this gentleman had not contributed to the social security fund for 25 years, and of course the informal sector doesn’t count, he would have to keep selling drinks on the street indefinitely to support himself. He didn’t take a break from work to protest, but his presence definitely contributed. He pointed to the ground behind me and yelled over the crowd “sir, your five dollars,” in English. When I pulled out the 25 cents he grosses from each Styrofoam cupful, I had dropped a five dollar bill. Several other people pointed to it, but nobody picked it up.

I noticed that there was a rush of SUNTRACKS workers away from the main police line to the side of a nearby building, and I jogged behind them to see what was up. Some masked students were throwing rocks at the secondary police line, and at that moment a guy about my age, but a good bit skinnier, grabbed my camera right out of my hands as I was aiming it at what was happening. I started chasing him, but just about then the police began to fire tear gas into the crowd, and, what I would later learn was birdshot from riot shotguns. Among those hit was a journalist, and in an earlier misfire a 13 year old girl was hit in the leg.

I was thinking about the last time I had to run. I can’t even remember the last time since I was a kid where the survival instinct rushed me away. There I was kicking pavement with the acrid burn of the gas and the adrenaline rush of Mother Nature. I looked over and there he was. The Social Work Student from the previous day’s rally running right next to me. I tapped him on the shoulder and tried to get his attention, I guess just to say “hi.”

As I was smoking a cigar on the balcony of the second story apartment I share with two Panamanian university students and their spouses everything seemed a little bit clearer. Earlier when I tried to tell the story in excited Yanqui Spanish, I got looks of amused curiosity and a couple of laughs. Then I retired to my room.

A few days ago I was trying to explain my apartment to one of my friends back home and I used the phrase "third world charm" to describe the way lots of little things and a few major things didn’t work right or at all, but that was part of the draw of the place. I plan to be working in the Sur for the next decade or two of my life, and today I feel the draw, the charm, the allure a little more profoundly.

Shots from other media, who didn't have their camera's stolen

2005-05-26T10:57:00.000-04:00

Here's a good shot of the gas cloud.
Here's one of only a portion of the crowd heading toward the plaza, and a better one from the crowd.

These are from La Prensa, La Estrella, El Siglo, and La Critica respectivly.

It's a true shame that they stole my camera, because none of the papers had shots from inside. I'm confident that at least some of my photos would have shown a side of what happened that you just don't get from that distance.

Oh well, back to work.
-J

Be careful what you wish for, indeed!

2005-05-25T21:30:00.000-04:00

You might just get a taste of teargas. I just did. There were thousands of people at the city's main plaza. Once student threw a rock at one of the small --but not that small -- army of riot cops, and, as they say in Spanish, ciao.

Teargas rifles started firing into the crowd. A few thousand people and myself start running, but not faster than the gas. The acrid taste and burning sensation is truly a nasty sensation, but I had to keep running. In the chaos my camera was stolen, the incredibly nice one Dad got me. The swine was running faster than me, and I lost him in the crown and the rush to get away.

I'm fine, knock on wood. I fell over once, and bruised up my knees, but that's the extent of the non-financial damage. Tomorrow I'll throw up an update and give you folks all the details that are still coming in as I'm writing. As of now, the rumor has just been confirmed that the police had taken some construction workers in large busses out to the middle of nowhere and dropped them off. There's more. As we say in the business, developing...

Protests day 2

2005-05-24T14:01:00.000-04:00

It hasn't rained today, and they're out in force. The boss and I went out to the autopista where a good 400 yards was blocked off by a few hundred students and workers from various organizations from left to center.

It was interesting that the ones in masks were willing to give masks-off interviews, but another group's plain clothes jefa made a vague quasi-threat that since we didn't have "ID" we were't "protected." This despite the fact that Eric was wearing a shirt that reads "THE PANAMA NEWS" in huge print. Fortunetly only one person of one group out of the six or seven groups seemed to be anything other than welcoming to the press, or to us, at least.

I've been meeting my flat-mates. They're all students from the various universities in el congrejo. The first person I met was this guy's mother who, upon discovering that I was single, mentioned me getting married and looking for a wife four or five times in a five minute conversation. Her son didn't say three words, but she didn't leave me much conversational room to do more than briefly answer questions, either.

Well, off to get more coverage and, if I'm lucky, a cheap coffee pot.

-J

Start with a bang

2005-05-23T16:11:00.000-04:00

When I left my hotel in Perejil headed toward my new apartment in el congrejo the traffic cops were out in full force, and so was the traffic. The students at a the vocational school were blocking the main highway around the city, for you washingtonians think beltway. This afternoon at four things are supposed to really heat up, and yours truly will be there with camera in hand -- Anxious, hot, soaked in the tropical rain, and maybe teargas.

The first issue I helped with is up. We still lack a bunch of stuff, partly my fault. I've got two cameras and a laptop, and I never remember where I've stored files last. Actually, right now I should be sending stuff I don't have ha ha ho ho.

For the new issue I did a short and not exactly great restaurant review. I wanted to do something. I also went to a "norte americano" football game. I got there late due to me giving poor directions to a cabbie. So, all I got was the aforementioned photo files.

Well, off to the protest.
-J

*Update 9:50PM

Well things didn't get so bad, after all. Still working on production. I'll be a lot more useful when I learn the web design program we use. Back to work.

Getting Started

2005-05-21T15:54:00.000-04:00

Today I got a chance to dig in. Until I adapt my Spanish, it looks like I'll be doing some basic stuff. Did a restaurant review and translated a piece by someone else. I may get into the wide world of Panamanian Sports by doing some highlights about Panamanian Major leaguers in the States.

I'm starting to adapt myself, albeit slowly. Got a cell phone, too. Drop me an e-mail if you'd like the number. It costs a small fortune to place even a local call here because of the oligopoly that utilities have going.

Well, I'm about to morir from hunger so...

Ciao,
-J

Bienvenido a Panama

2005-05-20T09:56:00.000-04:00

It's hot. It's Latina America. It feels like home away from home.

I hopped up out of bed at 6:30. It was too cool to sleep with the AC that I couldn't adjust. Turned on the news, and saw that people are having a bit of a reaction to the new Social Security proposal down here. Should make for interesting news coverage.

I'm not sure how much I'm going to get to contribute to the next issue, but I'll definetly be involved.

Off to surf my 50 centavos worth,
-J

Last Cup of Coffee

2005-05-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

Well, I can see the bottom of my last cup of joe and I'm heading out in 15 minutes. My grades came in this morning. Not bad. Not great. Eh.

See ya'll in August!

-Joel