JMCana has left 347 comments

JMCana comments on Vice-President Francisco Santos a real Mompirri

Monprirri - and the FTA is good for the majority of Colombians why? Perhaps I missed something in the reading of the entire thing.

JMCana comments on

Rikito said, "looked all over and found Tabio and Cota to be the nicest" I know a little bit about Tabio. There is a reason that one past mayor of Tabio got written up in El Tiempo for corruption. And another one got written about in Semana for corruption. Many residents complain that frequently when they call the police no one ever answers. By 9 AM in the morning there is frequently insufficient water pressure to take a shower. Young adults get away with getting drunk and playing loud music from massive car speaker systems in the town square until early morning hours with impunity. And that aerobics registering over 80 decibels blast through town on Sunday mornings at 9 AM. A couple weeks ago a man got his throat slit for saying a lady looked nice. On Tuesday evening one truck hit and killed a lady. Another truck hit and severely damaged a small car. Last night a drunk driver hit a car with his truck and sent the car through the metal garage doors of a house. Don't know much about Cota, but have not heard that many good things.

JMCana comments on In Chia, Bogota

It is great for tourists to visit one time. But if you enjoy good Argentinian tango then you need to go to Carambola in Tabio (maybe 10 to 15 minutes from Chia) on Friday or Saturday night. Not as big and not as crowded and a little less expensive.

JMCana comments on LOOKING FOR A BIG HOME FOR SALE IN ZONA ROSA, ZONA T, PARQUE LA 93 TO BUY!!

This might help you. I got help from Jorge at a company in Bogota. There are both a father and son there both named Jorge. The younger speaks excellent English. Contact numbers can be found on their web site. http://www.micasaencolombia.org/contactos.htm

JMCana comments on Buying real estate and foreign investment

Don't know if they can help your specific instance, but I got help from Jorge Oligastri at the company of Mi Casa en Colombia with a main office in Bogota. http://www.micasaencolombia.org/index.htm They seem to be more geared toward helping people through the entire process of finding and purchasing homes in Colombia, but in my case did offer other services as well. The younger Jorge speaks excellent English.

JMCana comments on Do Mail Order Husbands Exist? A question over farewell ice-cream.

CA did I miss it? Did you say where you are going next?

JMCana comments on Bogotá or Bust

Rikito,
Welcome to my neck of the woods. Here is photo taken this past weekend of what you can expect to see taken from the town square where I live.

[IMG]http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p118/JMCana/300townview.jpg[/IMG]

And in less than a year we will have Rubito to include in the gringo Bogotá area gatherings.

JMCana comments on The struggle for Colombia

Confused Juanalejo -
Not trying to start an argument with you with my comment here, just looking for clarification backed by details.
Are you saying that the high death rate of union members with little prosecution is something people should not be concerned with, should not be taken into consideration with regards to the FTA or that it should be addressed in another manner? If the latter, then what manner that would have the most impact on having things change? Are you also saying that passing the the FTA as currently written would have absolutely no negative repercussions on the USA, especially the union labor force? Is it the USA who is a friend of Colombia, or is Colombia who is a friend of the USA because of all the money they receive? Are you also saying that the over $5 billion dollars given over several years for Plan Colombia can be considered "care less about what happens south of the border until it is too late."?

JMCana comments on The struggle for Colombia

Part of a game Timeforachange – logical thought and questioning. You are part of the 23% in America that research says does that.

The editorial is very similar to one published not too long ago in the Washington Post. In that one, none of the editorial staff has taken credit for writing it. And in this one there is no name attached to it. The writing employs a common technique of admitting a fault then putting a spin on it and making a conclusion statement that does not necessarily address all the factors affecting it. A one-sided conclusion, but plausible without thought.

One of my favorites in the article is: “It's impossible for Democrats to argue that shutting our markets to Colombia will lead to positive and constructive change.�

I can think of a couple reasons why it is possible to argue that and I am sure juancegomez could throw a few in there as well.

Both of the editorials came out shortly after Colombia hired the PR firm of Burson-Marsteller. That group is headed by Mark Penn, who happens to be Hillary’s Clinton’s chief strategist. Both editorials have his and the groups fingerprints all over it IMO. Mr. Penn is good at what he does. IMO he is one of the best. Consequently he gets paid the big bucks.

And this whole beginning is only slightly different than what Colombia paid the PR firm of Sawyer/Miller $3.1 in commissions for a few years back.

The very very simplistic scenario might go something like this. Burson-Marsteller already knows that 10% of the American population will endorse Plan Colombia and the FTA no matter what is said about Colombia. 10% will not endorse it even if Uribe was the 2nd coming of Christ. That leaves 80% of the population to convince. Research has shown that anywhere from two-thirds to three-quarters of Americans can be swayed by the same tactics used in the editorial. What is hoped for now is that some lazy journalist with a good name or editor for an impressive publication needing to fill space quickly will publish an article saying all these positive things (something very similar to what John Negropointe, 2nd in the State Department, wrote in the Miami Herald). Colombia or the PR firm will then purchase the re-print writes to the story and pass it like the “word of God� to congress members and others.

Congressmen are hit with many issues and it is difficult to really research everything and ask pertinent questions. Iraq is also kind of big on their minds at the moment. True, they have staff that is there to investigate and advise, but the staff frequently takes the easy way out as well or accepts help from lobbyists. (these people are not always the sharpest pencils in the box) And there are other considerations influencing the congressman’s decision (yes, it is a big political game with favors). But what the congressman needs is a very plausible explanation for voting the way he does that will be accepted by the majority of those in his district. One of plausible explantaion he has just been given by the PR firm and lobbyist. (Heck the article even gave a good one for labor-intensive states. They basically state that Free Trade has nothing to do with killing labor union members. And besides Colombia has been doing it for a long time anyway.

So, the congressman gives his reasoning. The general public has read the same thing (even tough it was an editorial) in the newspaper that they have come to trust, and bingo – it must be the right because my congressman and my newspaper agree. (again research has shown this works for most Americans)

So with the first 10% of the population accepting it and now with at least two-thirds of the 80% accepting it you now have at least 63% and possibly 70% population seeing it your way.

However, in this case, we have the Unions and Dems working a little of their spinning. And we have all read the articles crucifying Colombia without presentation of the safer roads, reduced kidnappings and economic increase.

The truth most likely lies somewhere in the middle. And it depends on whether you believe what is good for the rich and elite is best for Colombia or if you believe what is good for the common working person is best for Colombia. And of course how it affects you personally.

JMCana comments on Why don't gringos learn Spanish?

Spanish in America Midwest Ekdog - thought you might enjoy this article.
H.J. Cummins: New literacy training means smarter kids in any language
A popular class that trains child care providers goes Spanish. Learning in their native tongue helps them become better teachers.
By H.J. Cummins, Star Tribune
Last update: June 13, 2007 – 9:41 PM
t's like a pint-sized United Nations at Mari Carmen Ramirez's Bright Kids Child Care Center, a converted, gray-clapboard house in a quiet Bloomington neighborhood.
On any given day, parents originally from France, Germany, Nigeria, Vietnam, the Philippines, Colombia and Mexico drop off their youngsters on the way to work.
A big part of the appeal, they say, are the children's trilingual days, as conversations move around through English, Spanish and sign language.
Ramirez just got some encouragement from the Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network, a statewide network of 18 local nonprofits that help families find child care, and provide training and support programs to child-care providers.
She is one of 14 metro Twin Cities child care providers who graduated Wednesday night from the network's first early literacy training in Spanish. It's a translation of the original Seeds of Early Literacy course created four years ago in English, which has graduated more than 2,300 Minnesota child care providers.
It's part of helping those caretakers prepare their young charges for kindergarten. With school readiness a big concern -- half the children enter kindergarten in the Minneapolis Public Schools without knowing their numbers, letters or colors, the district has said -- child care centers are seen as a good place to foster language and a love of reading in preschoolers.
The Seeds of Early Literacy course teaches providers the importance of starting with work so basic it's often overlooked. Just as you teach bicycle riding by pointing out the seat, the pedals, and the brakes, you teach reading by pointing out the basics of a book -- its cover, its author, even the customary practice of starting at Page One.
Other lessons cover the importance of having books around, of making story times engaging -- asking, maybe, "What do you think happens next" as you turn a page -- and always, always, showing great enthusiasm for reading, said Mary Wynne, the network's professional development director.
They are concepts that apply to all languages, but they are best understood when taught in a person's first language, which is why it was important for Ramirez to be able to take the course in Spanish, Wynne said.
"I understand probably 90 percent of English," said Ramirez, who grew up in Mexico and Texas. "But in my own language, of course, I will learn better."
Ramirez also found out about flash cards, for example, and what to look for in children's books beyond big, colorful pictures.
"My way of teaching was natural, but I wanted to learn the United States way," she said.
At Ramirez's center, the international parents believe in her special attention to language.
"The care is so good, the children love it here, and the Spanish is an added benefit," said Helen Adah, a native of Nigeria now living in Shakopee.
She and her husband, Anthony, take their three children, ages 4 years to 5 months, to Ramirez.
"I know reading is one of the most important things for all kids," Adah said. "It's good to start at an early age so they have a love of it when they grow up."

JMCana comments on Big cities and small towns

Tough decision I live in a small town. I am not the only gringo, but close enough to it that after 6 months I still get stares. I actually feel safer here because everyone knows who I am and watches. My Colombian wife and I enjoy friendly people and good food at a number of very reasonable priced restaurants. The bad side is that local corruption within the political structure causing problems with law enforcemtn. Entertainment is here, but in limited amounts. I prefer the peace and beauty of the mountains offered in the nearby fincas of friends to the loud city apartments and malls. But there are times when what the city has to offer is needed. Fortunately we are only 20 minutes from a centro commercial with a movie theater and a 45 minute bus ride from Bogota. In that respect I feel to have the best of both worlds.

JMCana comments on Why don't gringos learn Spanish?

Ekdog - who to blame? Ekdog – well, thanks for your compliment. Let me see if I can shed some light on why there is “anti-Hispanic rhetoric�. Your experience as noted is in two high concentration areas of Hispanics, mostly Mexicans. From my years in California I realized the prejudice from some who spouted the rhetoric. Most often those people had bad experiences with a Mexican. For example one had lost a job because the company decided to use outside contractors that happened to be almost all Spanish speaking only people. Another had one family of Mexicans rent the house next door, then 4 families eventually moved in. Only one person in the group spoke any English and then the guys uncle broke into my friends house and raped her daughter. Consequently such acts get spread quickly among the non Spanish speaking community quickly with that being their only context to judge the group by. Then in the Central Valley of California you have the large farmers still upset with Ceasar Chavez starting the farm workers union. And many people recall those days and the violence.

I was raised in the Midwest of the USA. There we had very few Spanish speaking people (in fact I never met one until very late in life). But it is a large union area. There the politicians played on the lack of personal experience of the people to say, “the Mexicans are taking away American jobs.�

Since there was no exposure to the Spanish speaking community the schools concentrated on the old accepted norm languages and those good for business such as French and German. And they were offered only in high school. I would like to say that as a member of the strategic planning committee of the local school in the Midwest, we were able to institute Spanish starting in 3rd grade. But what a fight that was with the community. My neice wanted to take Spanish in her high school, but they did not offer it. She was told they could not find a qualified Spanish teacher.

I would not blame the individuals who have not had the opportunity to be exposed to good Spanish speaking people. Like the general Colombian population, they are good people. As you may know, when someone visits Colombia they usually come away with a good and completely different idea than they came with. Blame TV and film producer Jerry Buckheimer for always having Colombians shown in his productions as drug dealers. Blame the politicians who use the platform to advance their cause and blame those Spanish speakers who have displayed a less than ethical or legal behavior.

But I believe that most who go to live in a Spanish speaking country try to learn the language and believe in respect for those living there. There are the exceptions like the American community in Costa Rica and the small enclave in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Then there are the American tourists – well that is a whole different story.

JMCana comments on Great Article: Colombia deserves U.S. support

Penn's fingerprints Read all the over-flowering articles about Uribe's Colombia, especially those in the Miami Herald, then compare them to past work of Mark Penn, the ceo of Burson-Marsteller who Colombia has hired to change their image. Also note great similarities in what Candolezza Rice and John Negroponte wrote.

Colombia has made good strides in some areas and they need to be commended for that. However, that does not mean the work is done. That does not mean there are not other areas to improve.

The Democrats have given a pretty clear idea of what they want to see to continue contributing money to Colombia. I do not see their demands as adverse for Colombian citizens or impossible to meet. It is now up to Uribe to decide if they want to meet those objectives and get the money or to rest on past accomplishments.

JMCana comments on Why don't gringos learn Spanish?

On the other side I can vouch for Rubito's Spanish. My Colombia wife says it is excellent. Of course I also believe the guy has a mind that does not forget anything as he keeps the lyrics in his head to more songs than a jukebox holds.

JMCana comments on Why don't gringos learn Spanish?

Generalizing Ekdog I believe you are generalizing way too much and not taking into consideration numerous factors. First, I can find in the USA groups of people whose first language is Spanish with some groups being fluent in English and others speaking very few if any words. So, it happens to be where you are at and what group you are associating with.

Next, the people are correct, there are those people who can pick up a language easily and those who can't. It has been proven through research that the the older the person, the more difficult it is to learn a language. The majority of Spanish speakers coming to the USA to live are younger. The majority of the English Speakers going to a Spanish speaking country to live are older. It has also been shown that some people are audio oriented and some are visually oriented. For example, my ex-gf is audio oriented. Her first language is Spanish and she picked up English easily as well as Hmong just from working with people who spoke it. But she did not graduate from high school because if she read it, she could not remember it. She finally got her GED because I read the books to her. Then she could remember the material. I am visually oriented. You can tell me anything and I can't grasp it. Even with Spanish I have to actually see the word written first. Until something rolls off my tongue, I have to first visualize the word in my head.

Those Norte Americanos who complain about people in the USA not speaking English and those Norte Americanos in Spanish speaking countries who speak little Spanish are NOT THE SAME PEOPLE.

I try to speak Spanish in Colombia as a matter of respect. I study every single day, but my Spanish is still below the ability to really carry on a conversation the way I want. Like others here, I speak Spanish to my wife whenever I can. However she speaks English back to me, especially if she wants to make sure that I understand. Just because I or others do not speak Spanish all the time fluently does not mean a disrespect for the country. But one of my peeves is that some Colombians I speak with know that I am trying to learn Spanish, but when I ask them to speak more slowly, they actually speed up. Now, that to me is disrespectful. I always slowed down and helped anyone in the USA trying to learn English. IMO anyone trying to learn a second language deserves much credit for trying.

Now let's go one step further. Go to any mall in Bogota and look at the number of stores who put their names in English. I was in Centro Chia this weekend and one store actually had "Happy Father's Day" in English on the window instead of having it in Spanish. And why do all the bars in Bogota advertise "Happy Hour" instead of Feliz Hora? Don't blame those things on the Gringos, the Colombian business people did that.

Now Ekdog tells us what incident prompted your rage?

JMCana comments on A gringo pick up line

Examples OK, Desideria, this is interesting from a social point of view. There are all kinds of web sites for pick-up lines in English, some are flattering but many are just down right raunchy. But give me an idea of good piropos and bad piropos. And I can only assume that because some of them use little twists with the language, they probably sound good in Spanish, but make little sense in English?

JMCana comments on

Depends where you get your advice A habit I seemed to have acquired from one of my early jobs is eavesdropping on conversations in restaurants. Drives my wife crazy as I don't seem to hear what she is saying directly across the table from me. The other day I heard an interesting one from people at a table who apparently worked for a government institution dealing with monetary policy in Colombia. One of their comments was, "We have been telling the President about the peso problem and what to do for some time now, but he instead decided to listen to his friends in Medellin."

I am not an economist either, but perhaps that could explain why he has taken the position that he has.

Of course one of the other people at their table added, "They just want to go to Disneyworld for little money."

JMCana comments on

Legislation first - enforcement second Juancegomez wrote:
"The reason I've mentioned legislation is primarily that, if I recall correctly, the modification of some labor/union-related laws was also mentioned or alluded to by some Democrats/critics."

Yes, you are entirely correct. This comes especially from the AFL-CIO. They want wording that meets with that of the ILO. Sadly Colombia is deficient in many of those areas. But more important the Dems are looking for enforcement.

Well Tinto, can we say that the Dems have said to Uribe in a more politically correct nice way, "Put up or shut up?"

JMCana comments on

Actions not words "It's probable that, if the government tried and wanted to, it could pass legislation improving the legal conditions of unions and so forth. I would welcome that as well, so in that sense I'd agree with this kind of pressure." ..... JG

Yes, that would be a step in the right direction. IMO though the Dems are looking for some action instead of more legislation. The weak justice and peace law and demobilized paras forming new groups does not sit well with them. That is one of the reasons they want to put more money from Washington toward the justice process. The recent announcement of victims suing chiquita is not boding well. They want action as well against the political entities who benefited from para murders (not just having them sit in a jail with talk of being released) They want to see more about the other side of the coin and the prosecution of those who have accepted the millions of dollars in bribes from the para's and FARC. They are not stupid they know that to give money out of fear is one thing. To accept money is a completely different thing. And that is coming to the forefront of the world now with a Chinese government official being executed for accepting bribes, an American congressman arrested for accepting bribes and the Bangladesh army going after bribe accepting corrupt politicians.

Indeed Colombia has been making progress in certain areas with and without Uribe's help. But now they have to change the system or whatever to figure out a way to not do too little too late. The country has much to offer it's people and the world, I hope they can do it.

JMCana comments on

Colombia has assets to compete with Asia Waterdawg – You have a point about competing with Asia. Much of Colombia’s current business is because they have an advantage over manufacturing in the USA. Coal is an obvious one. Glass bottles is a more little known one. (Owens Illinois shut down the Godfrey plant in 2006 eliminating 348 union jobs – the company has a 58% ownership in a Colombian glass company) But in this day and age all countries seem to have to compete with each other. The USA especially needs to because of the lower wages almost everywhere else. If Colombia or any country tries to compete strictly upon price then they are doomed in the long run. Colombia needs to use their assets as well as eliminate as much corruption as possible out of the equation. The Asian market is indeed a serious contention. But I can think of several advantages Colombia has over them. Cheaper transportation costs comes to mind immediately. That is why the Chinese flower industry is trying to figure out a way to make their roses last longer.

The government can also help. For instance when Korea first entered the market mass export to the USA, their products were of low quality. They surveyed their market and found that higher quality would not only sell more, but actually bring a larger profit margin. The Korean government monetarily supported think tanks manned by the best minds from many companies. All companies then had access to the information. The idea was to make Korea competitive, not just companies. Japan has done similar things. China is going after corruption now with one government official being sentenced to death for accepting bribes. The USA still competes by using economies of scale and niche markets, government subsidized industries as well as other ways.

Right now Colombia has initiated a plan to help subsidize some companies hurt by the strong peso. Another possibility could be government subsidized shipping or even government transportation so that an American or German or Italian shipping or airline company does not cost more because they have to make a profit. Just making the Colombian postal system less corrupt, more reliable and competitive would be a big help. And like India, Colombia can compete on the intellectual level. Some very intelligent people graduate from their universities (and unfortunately many have to seek jobs in other countries)

I believe that Colombia has much to offer to fend off competitors, but it will most likely take cooperation from the government in ways that helps more than just the rich.

And as my old pappy use to tell me, “Work smarter not harder.�

JMCana comments on The strength of Colombia

Do not believe he wrote it. In the last couple weeks, I have noticed that many of the publications and actions coming from Colombia have taken on the tactic of admitting the problem, then putting tyheir spin on it. It is a very good debate tactic. I also note how quickly the writing has made it to the Colombian Embassy web site in Washington. http://www.colombiaemb.org/opencms/opencms/extras/news_item.html?id=2210
as well as its timing with the visit of President Uribe.

Now compare that with some of the past PR stunts by Mark Penn, who just happens to work for the Public Relations company of Burson-Marsteller a PR firm recently hired by Colombia to "educate the American Congress and others about Colombia." And factor in a similar tactic done by the American PR firm of Sawyer/Miller a few years back when they were hired by Colombian (and received $3.1 million in commissions) the change the countries image in the eyes of Americans.

Frank Rizzo - interesting comment above - member for just over a day - welcome to the blog site. Do you happen to be the Frank Rizzo who works for The Quixote Center/Quest for Peace and in April signed a letter to the American Democratic leaders asking them not pass the FTA?

JMCana comments on

Kids and Unions Cayita - I have the same image in my mind of kids. The kid with a bigger allowance than others in his school, he keeps skipping out on some of his chores, parties with his friends and does minimum school work, then gets upset when his allowance gets cut until he becomes more responsible.

I am sure the Democrats have some political means to what they are doing. However their main focus seems to be unions much more so than the displaced and the drugs. With over 50% of Colombians living below the poverty level and the country having one of the world's largest disparities between rich and poor, a sharp decline of union members in recent years, one of the highest murder rates of union members in the world, high impunity for perpetrators of those murders, and demobilized paras forming new gangs with some targeting union members, the Democrats seem to focus on helping the average Colombia citizen through better distribution of wealth, (i.e. unions in their minds)rather than just throwing money at the problem where much might go for corruption and enhancing the rich even more.

IMO, Colombia actively pursuing and prosecuting abuses against union members as well supporting more collective bargaining and maybe even raising the minimum wage would do more toward securing the FTA and Plan Colombia money than Uribe flying to Washington every month.

Like saying to the kid, you make sure the garbage gets out to the curb on time every week for a month and you can get all of your allowance back.

Ok, maybe not the best analogy, but you get the idea.

JMCana comments on Thanks Colombia for a memorable trip!

gained weight? Glad you enjoyed Colombia. I would always loose weight when I came to visit. Mosquera - interesting - my wife does not like the place to live - so where were you in the town? When I pass through I see mostly just factories. I guess every visitor has to go to Carne de Res, but I hope you also got to enjoy some of the small nice restaurants.

So, when are you coming back?

JMCana comments on Help Colombia

fish in a barrel Juancegomez - finding one of those to pick a fight with would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Fortunately or unfortunately the two main Colombian blog sites are not the only places where people get to make comments about the country. Knowing what others think and believe can be useful. Calling the para's Chain Saw Lords makes me smile at the graphic. But I still would like to know who wrote it, especially since none of the editorial staff own up to it. Was it someone in the government, like in the case with Negroponte in the Miami Herald recently?

JMCana comments on Help Colombia

When and Who I think we need to keep in mind that the editorial was written on March 15 before much of the happenings in April and May.

I also hate it when I cannot find who the author is. Just went through the entire Washington Post editorial staff as listed on their web site and could not find any of them owning up to writing the editorial.

I had fun reading the comments in the WP about the article. There were both those praising the editorial and those greatly disagreeing with it. The later seemed to overshadow the former.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/comments/display?contentID=AR2007031402196

Here are a few quotes from the comments that I found interesting.

One person called the paramilitary:
Chain Saw Lords

The editorialist is a brave man. It is very rare indeed that some one speaks up for president Uribes achievements abroad. As a colombian resident in Colombia I must say that the article is very accurate.

PLEASE!!!... You really know our president... It is necessary to see the origins of the paramilitarismo in Antioch and they have to see that Alvaro Uribes family is inmiscuida in Nacotráfico and in Paramilitarismo ... they should investigate more

Sadly this president Uribe is not good at all. Peace process with paramilitares is just a joke. The drugs are not decreasing the people are dying in the country side Which clearly is not a problem for the government or the elite the country is just going bad.

The military and political alliances of the paramilitary network in Colombia are being exposed and uprooted despite Uribe, not because of Uribe.

President Uribe, colombians both inside and outside Colombia, support and believe in you.

Colombia is a beautiful country that would be a major tourist destination, creating thousands of jobs for its citizens and reducing illegal immigration to the US if its government funcionaries were truly and honestly committed to its people, not to their personal wealth and self-interest. Most Latinos prefer their own countries and their own culture rather than the U.S. They are driven from their country because they must work for the survival of their familes. If you want to hear the truth, talk with the Colombians on the street not the ones who have the wealth.

Im agree with your opinion about our President since he was reelected the security and the investment are grow up every day. Thanks.

With all respect to the editor, but I could not believe that we are speaking of the same Alvaro Uribe. The only one that I know is cold blood, immoral, vindictive, ruthless, corrupt, to which doesnt move it neither the vile murder of a little baby cut in pieces with chainsaws.

of a list of the 140 Colombian criminals with strong ties to the drug Cartels, Alvaro Uribe appears in this list as collaborating politician with drug dealers

Sorry but you have to know a lots more about the colombian situation. The colombian people knoes verywell that the links between Paramilitaries and Politicians has been public for the last 5 years. Most of them belong to the Uribe campaing and Uribe cover them whit the help of his complice Luis Camilo Osorio. As a prove of this you can google the interview made by revista semana one year ago and see how Uribe defend them and blame the press for make such and acusations

I read all the comments in in this editorial, and all I can say is that Colombia is very lucky to have the president like Alvaro Uribe a person who is making the difference.

This is simple, the Colombian government and the WP official diplomatic strategic are saying that: Thanks to the demobilization of paramilitaries and the Justice and Peace Law, the recent para-political scandals have been disclosed...... The reality: All the corruption scandals in the last year, months and weeks have been disclosed by the attorney generals office and the supreme court, and this only happened after years of work from the Senator Gustavo Petro, the opposition, and NGOs who have been insisting, revealing and exposing all these infiltrations and the ties between the current government and paras.

JMCana comments on President Alvaro Uribe:Production of coca in Colombia rises

Have I been reading correctly? Many of you are more of an expert on this than I am. So verify that I have been reading reports correctly and reading reliable reports. In the beginning it was the FARC and ELN who grew or controlled most of the cocaine and were the major shippers to the USA. Now the paramilitary and associates seem to control and ship the majority of cocaine to the USA? Estimates range from 60% top 80% depending upon what article you read.

It was discovered that the paramilitary leaders Le Ceja prison were still conducting drug business. Many were moved to Itagüí prison where recent phone taps reveled they still continued with drug business?

JMCana comments on Paypal now offers accounts for Colombia

Good and bad Morphus, I have had my credit cards locked for being used in Colombia. I have had my ATM account locked for using it in Colombia. But never my paypal account. Now, my address is in Colombia. But they did once notify me of suspicious activity that indeed was someone trying to get money from my account unlawfully.

Well, I can't say the company has not had problems with others, just that I have never had any problems with them and they have always been helpful to me.

JMCana comments on Paypal now offers accounts for Colombia

No problems I have been using Paypal for about 3 years now (though my account is in the USA) In that time I have well over 1,000 transactions with never a problem. So, Juancegomez, I hope you end up getting the good service. And their interest rate on money with them is better than most USA banks.

JMCana comments on FARC prisoners reject early release offer - jailed para politicians may be freed

New to me This stuck in the article is new news to me. And I don't see what it has to do with the article.

Quote from article:
"Uribe's government is considering freeing a number of politicians, the majority of whom back the administration, currently in jail on charges of collaborating with the right-wing paramilitaries."

JMCana comments on Colombia Plans To Honor Bill Clinton next Month In NYC

More ties to Hillary These two articles revealow some interesting things about the PR stunt.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070529/cm_thenation/15200102;_ylt=A0WTUd_zfl1GJRgB9BD9wxIF

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070604/berman

Various quotes:
"They're shelling out $40,000 a month to the Glover Park Group, a PR and lobbying firm packed with Clintonites, to push for a US-Colombia free trade agreement that has been widely criticized by Democratic members of Congress."

"And President Alvaro Uribe has also brought on board the PR firm Burson-Marsteller, run by Hillary's chief strategist, Mark Penn, to "educate members of the US Congress""

"Not only is Hillary more reliant on large donations and corporate money than her Democratic rivals, but advisers in her inner circle are closely affiliated with unionbusters, GOP operatives, conservative media and other Democratic Party antagonists."

JMCana comments on Wounaan Indians face exile and extinction due to cocaine

Tribe gets refuge in Panama Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Date: 30 May 2007
Colombian indigenous culture flourishes again in Panama


VISTA ALLEGRE, Panama, May 30 (UNHCR) – A year after they fled Colombia, 11 families of the Wounaan indigenous group are beginning to feel safe again in Panama.

After months of wandering, the 47 individuals last December became the first indigenous group to be granted refugee status in Panama. They have found a home in the small Vista Allegre river settlement in the Darien Gap – a large swath of undeveloped swampland and jungle separating Panama and Colombia.

"We will always remember the day we arrived in Vista Allegre. It was half–past seven in the evening and everyone was waiting for us by the river. They had prepared a welcome feast for us," says Jose*, one of seven Wounaan leaders who had received death threats in Colombia.

Reachable only by small boats, Vista Allegre consists of a few wooden huts built on stilts, one school and a tiny shop that sells tinned food and soft drinks. Home to some 150 people before the Wounaans' arrival, the community is now going through a population boom.

There are signs of activity everywhere. The school has two new teachers, and pirogues carrying fish and bananas downriver stop frequently to sell or barter in Vista Allegre. Many of the wooden huts are shared between three or four families: local people have moved out of their own houses to make room for the newcomers.

The men are busy with building work. The UN refugee agency has trained them in carpentry skills and given them the tools and equipment to set up a workshop. The community badly needs more homes and UNHCR, along with the International Organization for Migration, is providing kits for 11 new houses, which the men will build themselves in the local style.

The refugee agency has also reached an agreement with UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, to install a water system in the community. There is water in abundance from the rivers in the Darien, but Vista Allegre – like many other settlements – lacks any sanitation or even tanks to collect rainwater.

"We are seeing in Vista Allegre how a whole community can benefit from the arrival of refugees when everyone joins forces to help," explains Jose Euceda, UNHCR's representative in Panama. "The lack of housing and the strain on basic resources are very real problems. If left unaddressed, they can create tensions and jeopardize refugee integration. Everyone stands to win if these problems are dealt with jointly and as early on as possible."

The Wounaan odyssey began in April last year, when they fled their ancestral land in Colombia after an irregular armed group killed two of the community's members. They wandered for weeks across the Darien Gap, before risking the dangerous crossing by sea to reach safety in Panama.

"We had the little ones on our shoulders during the whole trip because we were scared that the waves would carry them away," recalls 22–year–old Dana*, whose son was less than two at the time.

The 11 families reached the small Panamanian port of Jaque in May last year. But the Wounaans are river people and felt they could not thrive in a seaport. They asked to move further inside the Darien and in November the government agreed. A month later, it granted refugee status to the entire group.

"It was a landmark decision, the first time that Panama granted refugee status to an indigenous group," said Philippe Lavanchy, UNHCR's director for the Americas, who met the Wounaan group several times, both in Colombia and Panama. He added that most other Colombians in the Darien region are living under a temporary regime that imposes a number of restrictions, notably on freedom of movement.

Many of the Colombians who have sought a haven in Panama from the armed conflict in their homeland belong to indigenous groups. UNHCR has repeatedly expressed concern about the impact of forced displacement on these communities, whose culture and traditions are closely linked to the land.

In Vista Allegre, the Wounaan culture is beginning to flourish again. Dana is now selling her traditional woven handcrafts through a cooperative system UNHCR helped set up. The refugee agency has also given the community two sewing machines and runs workshops to help the women learn new skills. It is not much of an income yet for Dana, but enough to give her hope.

* Names have been changed for protection reasons

By Marie–Helene Verney
In Vista Allegre, Panama

JMCana comments on postobon or colobiana la nuestra kola champagne

Natural fruit drinks Both are good, but I still prefer the natural fruit drinks in Colombia.

JMCana comments on shipping times to colombia

2 weeks to 4 months Over a period of two years I sent through the United States Postal Service approximately 200 letters and 50 packages. The shortest time was 2 weeks. The longest time was 4 months. At one time I kept track of 100 of the letters using numbered envelopes. Only 77% arrived.

JMCana comments on Why does the Great Gabriel Garcia Marquez...

Where they can write Writing is something that can be done from almost any place. Those writers who can afford it frequently move to where the energy is there for them to write. James Michener kept a house in Pennsylvania but lived in the country he was writing the novel about. Hemmingway lived in Paris as a struggling writer. Lived in Key West where he enjoyed things and lived in Havana where he not only could fish but received gasoline from the American government under pretense that he was watching for foreign submarines. And some say he kept a illegal booze smuggling going with the help of Joseph Kennedy. In his book, "A moveable Feast" he mentions that it is easier to write about one place by living in another. As he wrote about living in Michigan while being in Paris.

There are other authors I could ay pretty much the same about, but this is about Gabo and for him, I do not know for sure. OMO I would say he probably chooses to live where he feels best and where the energy is there for him. That energy might come from the area, the people, the climate or other things. We might not feel the same about the place as he does. He can now afford to live pretty much where he wants to. Many writers are driven by that writing energy and follow where it leads them.

JMCana comments on Calling experts on Colombian building

I see your thought process medefockinllin Yes, I see your thought process medefockinllin and it makes sense, but when I took the switch box apart, the wires went down instead of up. But if indeed they were trying to use less wire that would explain why Tinto found wall fixtures instead of ceiling fixtures.

Well you have me thinking, now I need to go back to that apartment and really take a look and see how the wires get to the light fixtures from the switches.

JMCana comments on Calling experts on Colombian building

Seems to be working for the Japanese. Miss Japan was named Miss Universe. I do not think Colombia has had a Miss Universe since 1959. But I am not sure about that. This time she did not finish in the top 15 but Miss Venezuela was, hmm what 3rd I think and Miss Brazil was up there too. Sorry I am not a beauty pageant expert.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

JMCana comments on Bogota Businessman; Comments on how rising Peso hurts export flower business

The worker gets the shaft I just spoke with a person who works for a Colombian company that manufactures sells products both locally and to the USA. They said that the company has ceased all shipments to the USA because they do not get enough money for them and that they have cut the normal company bonuses in half.

JMCana comments on Bogota Businessman; Comments on how rising Peso hurts export flower business

It loaded for me The downside of a higher Colombian peso
BY CHRIS KRAUL
The Colombian peso is on a hot streak, and that's good for national pride, consumers of luxury imports and tourists heading to Disney World. But it's a bouquet of trouble for Bogotá flower grower Carlos Borrero and the rest of this nation's export-centered rose industry.

Like most growers who sell abroad, Borrero is paid in dollars but absorbs his costs in pesos. That means the revenue he's taking in buys about 40 percent less locally than four years ago. Meanwhile, the cost of his labor and materials has risen 40 percent in the same period.

''It's like I lost a full year of income because of the exchange fluctuation since 2004. How the hell can a small business survive that?'' asked Borrero, who has an engineering doctorate from Michigan State University and whose 75-acre farm in the Bogotá suburb of La Punta ships $2 million worth of roses and carnations to the United States a year.

Nearly all world currencies have gained against the dollar in recent years; the dollar has slid 30 percent in value since 2002 against an index of world currencies, according to the International Monetary Fund. But the greenback's decline has been steeper against the currencies of Third World countries whose economies have been lifted by booming demand for commodities such as copper, sugar and soybeans, and the incoming floods of dollars chasing them.

BIG DECLINE

The dollar buys 20 percent fewer Colombian pesos than it did a year ago and 30 percent fewer than it did four years ago.

But there is more to the peso's appreciation than demand for Colombia's oil, coal, bananas, coffee and other commodities. As never before, foreign investors are here buying up banks, factories and real estate.

Total annual investment equates to 27 percent of the nation's annual economic output, reflecting growing confidence in Colombia and the policies of President Alvaro Uribe, said Standard & Poor's analyst Richard Francis in New York.

The rise in the peso's value is visible even on the streets: Sales of new cars, most of them imported, are up 50 percent in the first four months of this year, said economist Mauricio Cardenas of the Fedesarrollo think tank in Bogotá. The peso's increased purchasing power means more imports, which are growing at a 23 percent annual rate, he added.

The number of construction permits grew 26.5 percent over the 12 months ended in March, a reflection of a real-estate market frenzy. The boom has sparked concerns about inflation at Colombia's central bank, which raised the benchmark loan rate by a quarter percentage point to 8.75 percent Friday.

Many Colombian exports haven't suffered even though a strong peso makes them more expensive. But that's not the case with flowers.

After years of strong business fueled by Americans' appreciation of big-budded Colombian roses, the industry is fighting for survival amid stiff competition from Ecuador, China, Kenya and Mexico -- relative newcomers to rose exporting.

Although Colombia shipped almost $800 million in flowers to the United States last year, the industry has cut margins to maintain its market share. Investment in new varieties and technology has shrunk, according to the grower industry association, Asocolflores.

Borrero, whose family has been in the flower business since 1969, said his company, Rosas Sabanillas, will chalk up its first annual loss this year, after barely breaking even last year. He worries about having to let some of his 230 employees go, many of whom are single mothers who took out mortgages to buy houses.

WILTED FLOWERS

Other companies are faring far worse. Five major flower growers either have scaled back operations or gone bankrupt over the past year. Total jobs in the cut-flower industry have fallen by 12,000 since 2005, a 10 percent loss.

The industry is screaming for relief, going so far as to propose that Uribe stop letting the peso float freely and instead establish a fixed ''exchange rate platform'' of 2,500 pesos to the dollar. That would immediately strengthen the dollar by 20 percent over its current value of about 1,987 pesos and make flower exports more competitive.

''We are saying for the first time that we are in serious difficulties and at risk of extinction,'' Borrero said.

Fedesarrollo's Cardenas said the peso's high relative value was cyclical, and it eventually would devalue back to an ''equilibrium'' of 2,500 pesos to the dollar.

For Borrero, it can't come too soon.

''The revaluation of the peso is definitely cyclical,'' he said. ``What we don't know is: Will we, the flower growers, still be around for the turnaround?''

JMCana comments on Calling experts on Colombian building

6 foot level And as long as you guys are talking about lights, all the lights in my house were originally in the center of the wall (bare bulb in fake porcelain socket) at the 6 foot level, right where you would hang a picture. When I inquired why so low, the 5 foot 2 inch guy who had originally re-modeled the house said, "It was as far as I could comfortably reach."

JMCana comments on Calling experts on Colombian building

one light per room Tinto - yes, this place had only one light fixture per room and only one wall plug.
Ceiling heights also bother me here. In many of the apartments I can reach up and touch the ceiling, sometimes with the palm of my hand. Frequently explaining to someone that ceilings in the USA are at least 240 CM, they respond with, "Why waste that much room?" Or "the room will be too cold."

JMCana comments on Calling experts on Colombian building

Rubito better ask Rubito you might want to ask how high they are putting the switches in your apartment. You could mess up your back just turning on the light.

JMCana comments on Interesting site put up by colombian government

ETB The ip address that domain resolves to is owned by Lacnic who handles much of the IP's in South America. They say that that specific address is allocated to ETB - Colombia.
inetnum: 190.24/16
status: allocated
owner: ETB - Colombia
ownerid: CO-ETBE-LACNIC
responsible: Coordinacion de Redes Internet
address: Calle 22 F, 39, 16
address: 9999 - Bogota - Cu
country: CO

It will not return a ownership for the domain name of sharedresponsibility.gov.co

JMCana comments on Colombia Plans To Honor Bill Clinton next Month In NYC

Don't forget Hillary Being in NYC can't hurt Hillary and her run for President. And who would the elite of Colombia like to see elected of the democratic hopefuls? After GWB has screwed things up so bad a democrat almost is a shoe-in for the next presidency. Colombia is hedging their bets with this political publicity stunt.

JMCana comments on thief picks wrong victim

Where did you witness the incident?

JMCana comments on Helping Colombia is in our national interest

no byline Aztec -the article is similar in many ways to the original post. Interesting that there is no byline.

Hmmm - not one word about the paramilitary in it. Appears that only the "Marxist" are narcoterrorists.

IMO - whoever wrote it sounds like a myopic, frustrated cheap detective novel writer. Quote from the article - ("...from a terrifying hellhole wracked by civil war, drugs, corruption and refugees into a true success story.")

The opening two sentences left me with the impression that his/her wall is covered with framed photos of Uribe. Quote from the article: "President Alvaro Uribe is Colombia's greatest leader since its 1824 independence. His achievements in diminishing a 44-year war and turning Colombia into a free-market garden spot are on a par with Lincoln's and Reagan's."

Ok, who wrote the article?

JMCana comments on Helping Colombia is in our national interest

John and GWB

JMCana comments on Helping Colombia is in our national interest

They need to give PBH'ers a job Tinto, thanks for the update about Jeb. Guess I have been in Colombia too long. But at least I am sure the man has some influence still.

If the government is paying people to write one-sided opinions then they should probably give many of the people on PBH a job. At least the writing would be more floral and interesting, so to say. And to think all of you people are doing it for free.

JMCana comments on Helping Colombia is in our national interest

Tainted I would not put much faith in what the guys says. His history seems to be clouded.

The following I found on the internet:

"His first diplomatic assignment was to the U.S. embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. From 1971 to 1973, he was the officer-in-charge for Vietnam at the National Security Council"

hmmm - that seemed to be a disaster for the USA.

Next:
"Negroponte's service in Honduras is controversial due to the allegations that he had a vital role in the U.S. effort to overthrow the Marxist Sandinista government Honduras' neighbor, Nicaragua."

Do I see a slight pattern developing?

Then let's see what allegiance he owes Bush:
"President Bush appointed Negroponte as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a position he held from 2001 to 2004, when the president nominated him as the first U.S. Ambassador to Iraq in the post-Saddam era.

On April 19, 2004, President George W. Bush nominated Negroponte to be the U.S. Ambassador to the new Iraqi government after the scheduled June 30, 2004 handover of sovereignty from the Coalition Provisional Authority"
and
"Negroponte served as the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq from June 2004 to March 2005. On February 17, 2005, President Bush nominated Ambassador Negroponte as the first Director of National Intelligence."

Somehow I believe his credentials show him to not possibly be the most objective. And then it was published in the Miami Herald and not elsewhere. Hmmm - but whose brother is governor of Florida with possible influences in the paper?

Any bets on whether he wrote it on U.S. Taxpayers time?

JMCana comments on Helping Colombia is in our national interest

Just does not read correctly The whole thing reads too much like a Press Release by Bush Buddies. The writing and rhetoric is too close to things the state department has put out.
So, who is JOHN D. NEGROPONTE? Does he owe anything to GWB?

JMCana comments on I'll be in Colombia Sunday night!

Where CaptainHowdy - what city are you staying in?