Hemispheric Social Alliance Bulletin November 25, 2008
1. The Struggle against the European Union-CAN Association Agreements has begun.
With pronouncements against the negotiation of Association Agreement between the EU and the Andean Community of Nations, in the middle of meetings and official declarations focused on accelerating the negotiations, the Social Organizations of Europe and the Andean countries began their public campaign highlighting problems in the Agreement. They have also spoken out against the processes which could lead to a fracturing of the Andean Community and favoring the position of the governments of Peru and Colombia, the primary promoters of this ‘Free Trade' model.
Last week Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador had to deny that his government had the same negotiating position of Peru and Colombia and declare that he was not interested in an Agreement similar to an FTA. The attitude of the governments of Peru and Colombia and that of the ex-minister of foreign relations of the EU, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, that the negotiations should begin with just Peru and Colombia, has provoked reactions from the social movements of both continents and even the European Parliament.
What followed were news articles from the EU, declarations from a coalition of social movements, indigenous organizations and country specific organizations
More information in Spanish:
-Noticia EFE Correa sobre AdA:
http://www.soitu.es/soitu/2008/11/15/info/1226775929_559226.html <http://www.soitu.es/soitu/2008/11/15/info/1226775929_559226.html>
2. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela won 17 of 22 local governments but lost in Caracas.
Some analysts described the triumph of the pro-government party in Venezuela at the elections of last Sunday as bittersweet. The party of government prevailed in most states, but it lost important mayoralties like the one of the capital Caracas, as well as the governorships of the states of Zulia and Nueva Esparta. International electoral observers emphasized the broad participation in the election, nearly 17 million people, in the districts that elected 22 state governors, 330 mayoralties and 200 legislators.
For more information in Spanish:
News: http://www.rin-feyalegria.net/
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/article.asp?ID=%7B3D311E37-2119-482E-9A8C-0EE7D68DE01F%7D)
http://www.rfi.fr/actues/articles/107/article_9900.asp
Analysis: http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=76439
3. Women commemorate the Day against Machista Violence
Throughout the world on 25 November the Day of Nonviolence against Women was celebrated. In Mexico from Monday 24 to Monday 1 December, Mexican women marched against violence, headed by the REMTE and the World-wide March of Women, MMM, to demand an end to the feminicides and to militarization, freedom for political prisoners, an end to the repression of the social movements and the Declaration of alert against sexual violence as contemplated in the Mexican legislation. The Mexican women will culminate their campaign of gathering a million signatures to demand the security of the life of women.
The Network of "We in the World" of Argentina, will carry out a radio marathon on Tuesday 25 November against the violence towards women. The day begins at 6:30 (GMT - 2) and is the starting point for the 16 days of world-wide activism against sexual violence that will culminate on 11 December with the presentation of the report of the Commission on Woman and Armed Conflict in Colombia. In Venezuela, the Second Encounter of Campesinas will be held with the attendance of delegates of various countries of Latin America.
Also in the rest of the continent beginning yesterday booths, marches, and days of consciousness raising and denunciations are planned. In a declaration made in Geneva on 24 November the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights Navy Pillay demanded that violence against women be effectively punished sanctioned.
More information in Spanish:
High Commissioner: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/11/25/index.php?section=sociedad&article=044n3soc
March in Mexico: http://www.oem.com.mx/elmexicano/notas/n943956.htm
Videos : http://mmmchiapas.wordpress.com/cartel-de-convocatoria-a-la-marcha-caravana/
Meeting of Campesinas in Venezuela:
http://www.prensadefrente.org/pdfb2/index.php/a/2008/11/20/p4170
Radio Marathon:
http://actualidad.terra.es/sociedad/articulo/radio-vallekas-organiza-maraton-radiofonica-2910018.htm
4. The issue of Water Seizes Political Agenda in Latin America
While the water caravan is making its way through Central America, representatives of governments and social organizations of Latin America are meeting in Mexico City from 26 to 28 Nov ember to discuss water management policies in the region. How do "populist" governments promote the democratic management of water? How to guarantee that water will be a right and not a privilege? - These are some of the questions on the agenda for the discussion.
The Caravan of Water has already passed through Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador promoting the recognition of water as a human right and the rejection of privatization processes.
More information in Spanish:
News: http://alainet.org/active/27536&lang=es
Notes with audio: http://www.agenciapulsar.org/nota.php?id=13972
http://www.ecoportal.net/content/view/full/82784
News of the Forum:
5. Social movements outline an agenda to combat the financial crisis
Social and political organizations and leaders of Latin America met parallel to the G20 summit in Washington, to demonstrate that not only twenty but all countries of the world must participate in the discussion of the financial crisis, and that is necessary to reframe the neoliberal economic model in the face of the ideological defeat that it has suffered. The G20 Summit in Washington ended without proposing major changes in the global financial architecture and, on the contrary, with a decision to invest more capital in the international financial institutions that already concentrate global economic power. Although the governments of the so-called "emerging" countries were pleased by their inclusion in the debate on the resolution of the crisis and even indicated that the G20 will replace to the G8, skeptical voices persist about democratization of economic decisions in the planet.
More information in Spanish:
Declaration of the HSA: http://www.asc-hsa.org/node/663.
-Noticias: http://lta.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idLTASIE4AH1YE20081118
-Análisis: http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=75986
6. The Minga of the Peoples Lives On, after passing through Bogota
After its crowded and warm reception on arriving in Bogota, the Indigenous Minga has begun its return to Cauca, announcing that the Minga will continue. Negotiations with government officials lasting 14 hours resulted in no significant progress. Five points of the Minga's agenda were discussed: an end to violations of life and human rights, territorial aggression and occupation, the legislation of despoilation that puts into risk the survival of the poeples, as well as the demand that the Colombia state adopt the UN resolution on indigenous peoples and fulfills all of the agreements signed with indigenous people.
More information in Spanish:
News and declaration: http://www.nasaacin.org/noticias.htm?x=9231
http://www.nasaacin.org/noticias.htm?x=9230
Video of the talk in the Plaza de Bolívar: http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=BFa1VeBMIQM
7. Ecuador has already paid its External Debt
The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, announced on 20 November that his government "will seek not to pay the illegitimate, the corrupt and the illegal debt", while demanding sanctions on those guilty of a series of irregularities in contracting the Ecuadorian external debt.
He said that "its weight must be shifted on an equal basis to the people responsible for acquiring it with shady schemes, blackmail and treason. Everyone will have to assume responsibility and to pay with his assets to which it corresponds ". President Correa informed that he will promote the creation of an International Court for the Arbitration of Sovereign Debts in the United Nations and the reform of international financial architecture, with which to reach an integral solution to the problem of the external debt.
More information in Spanish:
http://www.auditoriadeuda.org.ec/images/stories/documentos/informe_final_CAIC.pdf
8. Asia Pacific FTA announced at APEC Summit.
The meeting of the presidents of Asia Pacific APEC, whose central axis was the discussion of the financial crisis, ended this past weekend. Previously, the ministers of the economies of APEC decided to work to explore possibilities for a free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific area, in agreement with Principles de Bogor, adopted in 1994 in Indonesia by the leaders of the forum. Those principals sought open and free trade and investments in 2010 for the industrialized economies, a term that extends until 2020 for the developing economies.
More information in Spanish:
News: http://about.reuters.com/dynamic/countrypages/peru/1227229427nN20420569.ASP
http://www.rpp.com.pe/detalle_147035.html
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/article.asp?ID=%7B2877B065-5C70-42E3-951D-0E12261D4F2D%7D)
[1] http://www.comunidadandina.org/prensa/articulos/larazon6-12-06.htm