Ecuador draft constitution passed

Thu, 25 Jul 2008 07:02:14 GMT

posted by argh2xxx

Posted by god 55 minutes ago (http://news.bbc.co.uk)
Category: Miscellaneous

Ecuador's constituent assembly overwhelmingly approves a draft constitution sought by President Rafael Correa.
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The President's League Table

Tue, 2 Jul 2008 00:25:00 GMT

posted by u09th2
Nothing beats the clarity of good old-fashioned list...

So here's an interesting one I stumbled across recently - by means of Greg Week's Latin American blog, 'Two Weeks Notice'. It lists the current popularity ratings amongst Latin American Presidents.

84% Álvaro Uribe, Colombia (3/08)

61% Felipe Calderón, Mexico (5/08)

55% Antonio Saca, El Salvador (5/08)

55% Evo Morales, Bolivia (5/08)

55% Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil (3/08)

54% Hugo Chávez, Venezuela (4/08)

53% Rafael Correa, Ecuador (6/08)

51% Martín Torrijos, Panama (4/08)

49% Álvaro Colom, Guatemala (3/08)

45% Tabaré Vázquez, Uruguay (3/08)

44% Oscar Arias, Costa Rica (4/08)

44% Michelle Bachelet, Chile (6/08)

38% Manuel Zelaya, Honduras (2/08)

34% Stephen Harper, Canada (3/08)

32% Alan García, Peru (6/08)

30% George W. Bush, United States (6/08)

26% Cristina Fernández, Argentina (5/08)

21% Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua (2/08)
5% Nicanor Duarte, Paraguay (3/08)

I'm not too sure as to how much we can read into this. I guess it's no surprise that Colombia's Uribe tops the list. I was chatting with a Colombian guy the other week, and having asked him whether he thought Uribe was good or bad for the country he responded, "he's neither good nor bad...he's AMAZING!" His effectiveness in tackling the FARC guerillas, keeping the economy relatively stable and taking hed-on the likes of Chavez and Correa, no doubt playing a part in his popularity. Still I'm not to sure international human right's groups will be to keen in praising his presidency.

Other than that, the Presidents of the "New Left" (Chavez, Correa, Lula, Morales) all seem to be doing alright, though I'm sure they must be done from where they would have been this time last year. And then there's poor old Cristina Fernandez who really is making a dog's dinner out of the popularity she had inherited over from her husband, Nestor Kirchner.

Chavez’s Latin Union UNASUR to keep Yanks out

Fri, 24 May 2008 13:46:04 GMT

posted by moinansari

What Fidel Castro and Che Guevara tried to do with the force of arms, Huga Chavez and a gang of new and native born Latin leaders are attempting to forge in South America. This new union is the largest conglomeraton of South American states. Most of the countries are left leaning and anti-

BRASILIA, May 23 (Xinhua) — Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said here Friday that the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) will boost programs to help realize financial self-sufficiency in the region.

After signing the bloc’s constitutive agreement in the Brazilian capital, Correa said it was “a historical day for South America, which brings great expectation and hope.”

”We can do like the European Union (EU). As the EU has to explain why they united, we will have to explain to our children and grandchildren why we took so long to do it,” he told a press conference.

The Ecuadorian president said the integration will bring about fast and concrete results.

”We can no longer be rhetorical, and Unasur must develop itself with concrete improvements in living standard of our peoples,” he said.

In addition, Correa mentioned the project of financial integration through the Bank of the South as “fundamental.”

”We can be self-sufficient in financial terms,” said Correa, adding that, if member states keep their money “together,” they will avoid having to “kneel down to get a small loan here and there.”

Correa also spoke of the importance of cooperation in energy and transportation in the region, saying that it “would safeguard our sovereignty and enhance our capacity to make our own decisions.”

He also agreed with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on the harmonization of social and educational policies in the region.

For example, Correa said certificates are to be recognized in all Unasur countries.

Referring to Brazil’s proposal to create a South American defense council, Correa said he approved of it, although it was not his country’s priority and that it would be necessary to reach true regional consensus before turning words into action in that matter.

He called on all countries to “permanently commit to following international law,” in reference to Colombia’s military incursion into Ecuadorian territory on March 1.

Editor: Feng Tao

Union of S.A. Nations born amid controversies

The South American Union of Nations was officially born Friday in Brasilia as leaders of the region’s 12 nations signed the constitutional charter, the latest of the region’s integration mechanisms. Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, invited other Latin American and Caribbean nations to join the venture.

“Unasur is born, open to the entire region, born under the signs of diversity and pluralism,” he said. However Unasur was born with serious controversies.

Unasur’s first secretary-general, Rodrigo Borja, resigned Thursday before the organization formally met. He complained that some leaders had balked at his vision of putting other regional trade blocs, including Mercosur and the Andean Community, under Unasur. Borja said these sub-regional trade groups are loosing their original vigor and enthusiasm.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Perú, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela make up Unasur.

Leaders were also split over plans for a South American Defense Council that would help prevent and solve regional conflicts and among other purposes includes the exchange of military experience; participation in UN peace keeping missions; coordinating aid to disaster areas; joint military exercises and integration of the regional military defense industries for the possible manufacture of weapons.

Colombia is the only nation that opposes joining such a council, saying “the terrorist threat” it faces at home, amid 40 years of civil conflict, precludes military cooperation. Even so, a government statement added, “Colombia does not oppose the creation of a working group to study the theme”.

“We’re not concerned about the Defence Council in this meeting, since the issue is to be debated in the second half of the year”, said Lula da Silva’s main political advisor Marco Aurelio García, who admitted that tensions in the continent remain as the main challenge to the integration project of Unasur.

Lula da Silva used his speech at the summit to urge wealthier nations to cut farm subsidies and import tariffs, and he defended bio-fuels, including ethanol, which critics blame for rising food prices.

“We should not be fooled one bit by the arguments of those, who for protectionist or geopolitical motives feel uncomfortable with our industry, our agriculture and with the realization of our energy potential” Lula da Silva told the leaders.

Unasur could ease future political tensions, promoting development on a continent where intra-regional trade topped 72 billion US dollars in 2006. South America’s economy is expected grow by 4.7% this year, according to the U.N.’s Economic Commission on Latin America. It expanded 5.7% in 2007, when foreign direct investment reached a record 106 billion US dollars as global demand for the region’s natural resources soared.

Rafael Correa - Articles - Zimbio

Ecuador draft constitution passed

The President's League Table

Chavez’s Latin Union UNASUR to keep Yanks out