miamimike has written 195 posts
Canadian Engineer & Colombian Kidnapped near Tolua, Colombia
Posted on Fri, Jul. 04, 2008reprint print email Yahoo! BuzzFacebook Digg del.icio.us AIM Associated Press BOGOTA -- A Canadian electrical engineer and a Colombian man have been kidnapped by armed men in rural Colombia. Col. Ruben Alzate says 46-year-old Thomas Orland MacLean and 48-year-old Jesus Salvador Aristizabal were intercepted by two gunmen as they traveled on a highway near Tulua, a town 150 miles southwest of the capital, Bogota. Alzate says the abduction took place on June ...
ABCNEWS.COM On Colombia Rescue Mission--Why such a lack of Interest??
This is a pretty large and Active forum on all things Political here in the USA. I assumed(bad word I know) that this Board would be smoking Hot with news of the Rescue but not so. Saw one small thread on Colombia and the poster mispelled it at that! Especially with McCain in Colombia at the same time and not a post. They are Brutal on this website! Maybe today more posts on the matter will take place. Lots on the news and blogs locally in Miami however,,, http://forums.abcnews.go.com/n/pfx/ ...
Panama Overturns Cuban Terrorist Luis Carriles Posada's Pardon
Fitting it happened here around our 4th of July. Freedom loving people everywhere should celebrate the fact this Terrorist may finally be brought to justice! Celebrate!http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/589558.html ...
Probe Into Colombian Songwriter Estefano Shooting Looks Into Miami Santeria Church/Religion
Miami detectives and prosecutors have begun their own probe of a Santería church leader and a music business manager's role in the shooting of Latin songwriter Estefano, according to newly released court documents. The investigation centers on the mysterious motive behind the 2007 near-murder of Fabio ''Estefano'' Salgado, who was shot in the chest and head inside his waterfront Miami mansion in May 2007. One has to ask themselves why an otherwise Talented Guy like this Estefano would hav ...
Former Drug Lord Pablo Escobar's Ranch Now a Colombian Theme Park
In a land that has served as the setting for the surrealistic novels of Gabriel García Márquez, it doesn't get much weirder in Colombia today than the Hacienda Napoles. What was once the weekend hangout of the world's most notorious outlaw has become a strange, fledgling tourist attraction in central Colombia. A private company now manages Hacienda Napoles and in December opened it as a rustic theme park. ''It was a symbol of Escobar's limitless wealth and power -- of the opulence that h ...
Iran To Build $200 Million USD Hydroelectric Dam For Nicaragua; Bush Adm Alarmed
Opponents of Iran's deepening ties to Latin America are suspicious of its plans to build Nicaragua a new dam. RIO BLANCO, Nicaragua -- Iran's plan to build a $200 million hydroelectric dam in this energy-starved country is raising concerns here and in Washington about its mounting influence in Latin America. The plant proposal is part of a push to wean this oil-addicted country -- 80 percent of electricity is supplied by fuel-burning plants -- off increasingly expensive crude and help st ...
Check This Botched Miami Building Implosion! Half the Project Remains Standing! LOL
Only in Miami! The Cubans must have been in charge of this Job! LOL I can't recall another miscalaculated implosion such as this one! "Gables Mayor Donald Slesnick, who came to the morning implosion with his wife, said before the first implosion that the development was good for the community since it was actually making progress, and that safety was a concern. ''I've even said a prayer,'' he said. After the implosion, he watched the structure with folded arms. ''I'm still praying ...
Nice Series of Photos of Larger Buildings in Medellin
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=633270
Surprise:Zogby Poll has Obama With 16 Point Lead In South Florida Over McCain
Surprise is because he is polling well amongst younger Miami Cuban Americans who in the past were counted solidly in the Republican Column pre-election! If Obama takes the Cuban Vote, its all over but the shouting,,, In a sign that Democrat Barack Obama will be competitive in the nation's largest swing state, he is beating Republican John McCain comfortably in South Florida and has a slight edge among Hispanics, according to a new Miami Herald poll. Obama is ahead 46-30 percent over McCain i ...
UN Study; Good & Bad News On War On Drugs.
WASHINGTON -- Bush administration officials hailed a United Nations report released Wednesday showing that world cocaine production remained flat in 2007 compared with 2006, even though cultivation of the coca leaf in Colombia alone showed a ''shocking'' increase. http://www.miamiherald.com/884/story/575380.html ...
Mexicans Ask Their New Prez Calderon: Where Did The Oil Money Go?
Where did all the oil money go? Mexico, many here believed, would be swimming in petrodollars by now thanks to record global oil prices that are nearly double what they were a year ago. Some experts pegged the potential windfall for Mexico at more than $20 billion this year if prices stay high. Click here for full story http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/570527.html" ...
Nicaraguan Government Land Dispute Has Worried American Investors; Caveat Emptor
MANAGUA -- After years of not quite living up to its billing as Latin America's next real estate hotspot, Nicaragua is approaching a crossroads that could determine whether this impoverished country is ready to take off or to remain bogged down in underdevelopment. Estrada instructed municipal property registrars to refer all such cases to the Attorney General's Office -- a move that has affected property transactions in about 70 percent of Granada and virtually all of San Juan del Sur, Nicarag ...
NBC Political Commentator Tim Russert Dead At Age 58 of Heart Attack
Tim Russert, the longtime host of NBC's Meet the Press and a best-selling author, has died of a heart attack at age 58. Russert often moderated presidential debates and interviewed top govenment and political leaders on his Sunday morning show. He collapsed on the job Friday at the network's Washington bureau, NBC said. He hosted the long-running Sunday morning staple longer than anyone else. "Tim had this incredible personallity that made people feel comfortable," said Wolf Blitzer ...
Poll: Many In The World Look to Big Change Post Election USA
WASHINGTON -" People around the globe widely expect the next American president to improve the country's policies toward the rest of the world, especially if Barack Obama is elected, yet they retain a persistently poor image of the U.S., according to a poll released Thursday" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/ap_on_el_pr/us_global_poll ...
PBH Golden Oldies--Gomezman5's Philsophical Musings on the "Art Of a PBH Arguement"
http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/gomezman5/
Miami;Cuban Marriage Fraud; Cuban Family members marry 29 different partners)Walmart Efficiency-LOL
At a tally of 29, collecting extra spouses is a family affair. That's what prosecutors say of the Rodriguez clan -- this week three members were charged with bigamy. A fourth was charged last year. One by one, the family has been marrying undocumented immigrants for cash, authorities say. Eurice Rodriguez, 46, who entered three marriages without ever divorcing her first husband, was arrested this week and posted bond Tuesday. Her daughter, Eunice Lopez, 26, was arrested last year on nin ...
Interesting Twist; Growing Number Of Miami Cuban Emigrants Heading Home To Cuba
And evidently they have lost, if they even had any, fear of Political Persecution by Castro. The Old Far Right Wing Miami Guajiros will have a hard time putting "Spin" on this one! LOL http://www.miamiherald.com/581/story/565667.html ...
Miami Cuban Bride&Family Members Go To Jail for 20+ Fradulent Marriages for Citizenship
One by one, a family of swindlers marrying undocumented immigrants for cash is facing criminal charges, investigators say. Prosecutors this week arrested Eurice Rodriguez, 46, for bigamy. She is accused of marrying three men without ever divorcing the first. Her daughter, Eunice Lopez, 26, was arrested last year on nine counts of the same. Eurice Rodriguez's brother and sister are on the lam. Agents say Loida Rodriguez and Jesus Ruben Rodriguez are wanted on multiple counts of bigamy, too. ...
YouTube-- "These Glutes Are made For walking" Gonna Walk all Over You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlw05WKTmc
Miami Herald Says: Colombian City, Once Violent, Now Very Liveable
MEDELLIN, Colombia -- The Santo Domingo Savio barrio here was once considered perhaps the most violent neighborhood in all of Latin America. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/564227.html
Interesting Twist: Colombians To Produce First Ethanol In US Plants(La)from Sugar Cane
Colombian business group operating in Louisiana hopes to produce the first sugar cane-based ethanol in the United States. If everything goes as planned, by the middle of next year, Colombian industry will celebrate a landmark moment in southern Louisiana: production of the first gallon of ethanol made from sugar cane in the United States. For the past two years, and in a very discrete manner, the Inverandino business group, controlled by the Santacoloma family of Colombia, has taken over t ...
US Immigration Debate has Shifted From Reform to Enforcement
Immigration was going to be one of the issues of the 2008 presidential election season. It has not so far turned out to be the potboiler many expected. But it's still simmering away below the surface. Last year's collapse of immigration reform in Congress made legalization -- and those who supported it -- politically radioactive, even as several presidential candidates competed to float the most unsparing of crackdowns on illegal immigrants. Every one of those tough-on-illegals candidat ...
In Miami: Salesman's Sunny Isles Murder/Death Has Ramifications All The Way To Hawaii
Spruiell, Dead, the owner of various door-to-door magazine subscription sales companies in Arizona, was killed May 18 at the Golden Nugget Hotel, 18555 Collins Ave. He and another employee, Jeremy Johnson, 22, had gone to confront a guest who they believed had been selling drugs to their salespeople staying in the hotel. DEATH IN MIAMI In the confrontation, Jesus Cisneros, 42, stabbed Spruiell to death and slashed Johnson about seven times. Because Spruiell and Johnson committed kid ...
Colombian Jails Like This? Inmate had $173K Cash, Plasma TV, Guns, Fridge,,,
This guy was in a Brazilian Jail but some say the Col Cartel jefes live large like this jailbird was also,,, SAO PAULO, Brazil -- The luxurious lifestyle of a convict in northeastern Brazil has come to an abrupt end after police confiscated a plasma TV set, gym equipment, two pistols and cash worth $173,000 from his cell, officials said Tuesday. Bahia's Prison Affairs Department head Jose Francisco Leite said police raided the cell Monday in a statewide crackdown on drug trafficking. ...
Pawns In Colombia's Jungle; 3 Americans Abandoned By Own Government Saying, Hasta La Vista Boys
Miami Herald(6/2/08) "The State Department and U.S. Southern Command routinely say that obtaining the men's release is a top priority. In practice not much has been done over the years, largely because any action would be difficult or contrary to larger U.S. interests. The Americans are among the most prized of the more than 700 hostages held by the FARC; they are heavily guarded and nearly impossible to find in Colombia's vast, triple-canopy jungle. "" "Even worse, from the perspective of t ...
Bush Supporters Abandoning the Fold;Giving $$$$ To Obama campaign
Lavoie, 55, of Birmingham, Mich., said he's been ''very disappointed in George Bush's policy with the Iraq War and very disappointed with his economic policies that added $3 trillion to the national debt.'' Remembering the horrors of Vietnam, he expressed dismay that ``the Republican party engages in the spin, the propaganda, the selling of the war.'' Katherine Merck, 84, of Lexington, Mass., preferred not to recall her donations of $2,000 to Bush in 1999 and $2,000 in 2004. ''I just can't ...
Don' Wait 'Til Retirement To Enjoy Life; Florida Teacher Dies Minutes After Retirement,Sad
Reminds me of a Neighbor in my Hometown many years ago. He worked at the local GE Locomotive Factory and on his last day(fri) before starting retirement(mon) the Foreman asked him to work 4 hours OT. He puched out on the timeclock at 8pm after doing his 4 hr OT(had to grab that last bit of $$$) and upon arriving at his home and sitting down to eat Supper, he suffered a Massive Heart Attack and died at the Supper table. He slaved 40 years as a Welder doing Hard Work and never enjoyed one day of ...
More Immigrants saying "Hasta La Vista USA" & Going Back Home
"Sociology professor Sueli Siqueira, who interviewed hundreds of the returnees, found that 43 percent left the United States because they weren't satisfied with their earnings. About 28 percent had been deported. ''The cost-benefit of this experience of migration stopped being positive,'' Siqueira said, ``and they began thinking about coming back.'' The departures are evidence that the Bush administration's decision to tighten the screws on enforcement is paying off, say proponents of stricte ...
Andres Oppenheimer Lites Fire With Illegal Immigration Column
http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/550303.html He takes on Bill O'reilly and Lou Dobbs. Check out some of the Comments at the bottom of the Article. that they are using the old Nazi tactic of telling a big enough lie often enough and there will be people who actually believe the lie is true. George (Sieg Heil) Bush had mastered this art but now I believe that most people have caught on to him. Posted by: pmmarion 5/29/2008 1:57 AM 45820.1 Report as Violation Avg 2.50, 32 ...
Bush WH Extremely Unhappy With Former WH Spokesman McCelland's Tell All Book
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/549311.html And who is in a more knowldegeable position to know then former WH Scott McClelland the daily detailed Business of the Bush WH?? "WASHINGTON -- Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that President Bush relied on an aggressive "political propaganda campaign" instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, and that the decision to invade pushed Bush's presidency "terribly off course.' The Bush White House made " ...
8 Deaths Reported in Yesterday's Earthquake; Quake Epicenter in Villavicencio
Its epicentre was located about 55km (34 miles) from the capital Bogota, near the town of Villavicencio, the US Geological Survey reports. Bogota residents ran outside fearing buildings would fall, then stood around dazed in the rain, correspondents say. The victims are reported to have been killed when rocks from a landslide hit the cars they were travelling in. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7418876.stm http://www.eltiempo.com/nacion/2008-05-24/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-42 ...
YouTube Video Terremoto/Earthquake En Bogota por Starcom Tunes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhzR8XfLOA
US Congress Cuts Meridia Ininiative(mexico equal of Plan Colombia)
Maybe the Mexican President could Tap his Buddy, Mexican Carlos Slim, one of the richest men in the world for some of the funding the US Congress cut. Wisely IMO. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/544332.html ...
World Oil Closed in on a Record $133.90 Today; How is this affecting Colombian Consumers?
as far as everyday purchases, unnecessary trips ect. BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7412327.stm I posted 133.17 by mistake, in reality it closed at 133.90,,,This will get the attention of these SUV Owners who are flipping out $80+ for a Fillup! I picked up a Yamaha Razz Scooter (50cc) 4 months ago for $275-runs like a Top! Today I could sell it for $600 easily but why sell when it gets 75+ MPG?? I have a Honda Helix 250cc Scoot also but that one only gets 60 mpg :>( The Owner(col ...
Former Farc Captive Campaigns in USA For Those Still In Captivity
--TEST-- Since his release, Perez has criticized the low-profile manner in which the Bush administration has dealt with the three American hostages. Neither President Bush nor Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mentioned the hostages on recent trips to Colombia. That's partly because U.S. officials do not want to raise the value of the hostages in the eyes of the guerrillas. Talking liberation But Perez says the official silence shows confusion about what the Americans were really doin ...
Avianca Customer Satisfaction/Disatisfaction Rating By Skytrax
http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/avianca.htm Leave your comments if it moves you,,,
Macho Latin Culture Stymies Help For Mexican Women
Mexico City's Commission on Human Rights recently reported that complaints by women against Mexico City law enforcement agencies for failing to respond to complaints increased more than 12 percent after the law's passage. ''We are enormously concerned about complaints that the justice system isn't working,'' Emilio Alvarez Icaza, the president of the commission, told Mexico City's legislators during his April 24 presentation of the report. ***But progress is hard to come by in a country wh ...
New Colombian Drug Gangs Wreak Havoc
The killing of a farm leader who opposed growing coca suggests the emergence of former right-wing paramilitary fighters. By Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer May 4, 2008 SANTA ROSA, COLOMBIA -- In the end, getting his picture taken with President Bush and attaining a modicum of local fame was no help to Miguel Daza. In fact, his high profile may have been the death of him. The young farmer was killed in a roadside ambush in February near this mining and drug trafficking hub in ...
Spain Enforces Coastal Property Laws; Owners Fear Loss of Homes
VALENCIA, Spain -- BY CIARAN GILES Associated Press It's been the dream of millions -- a home by the sea in sunny Spain. People from all over Europe have invested hard-earned savings in coastal villas and apartments. Now a government drive to clean up Spain's concrete-filled coastline after decades of abuse may wash away many of those dreams like castles of sand. Enforcing a much-neglected 1988 law, the Socialist government is getting tough about what constitutes coastal public domai ...
Miami:South Beach Becoming BackPaker's Paradise due to Hostels
With its Art Deco buildings, bikini-clad women and late-night party scene, experts say South Beach is becoming a hot tourist destination for young travelers looking to spend less money on where they are going to sleep and more on sightseeing. Anywhere between three to 14 travelers are cramped in one room at a hostel, sleeping on bunk beds. A room with 12 beds can run for $18 a night per person; an eight-bed room is $18; $30-$40 for smaller rooms. http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/529050 ...
Feds Bust 83 in Florida Marriage Fraud Scam
"Operation Knot So Fast" Gotta love the Pun "Knot so Fast" LOL. These Guys marrying the Visa Overstayers sure work cheap. Here In Miami the Price tag on the street in weston, Kendall, Miami beach is rumored to be minimally $15K. Get caught up in these scams a Good Attorney to extract your A$$ legally will set you back at least $10K. These Guys worked for chump change considering the legal downside,,, "Ender Rodriguez, 52, of Kissimmee, is accused of conspiring and arranging at least 14 sham ...
Bush Touts His Record(?) On Latin America--Serious,,,LOL
Reading that Claim at 6:30 am woke me up! LOL Like What Record?? "Joy Olson, who heads the advocacy group Washington Office on Latin America, said Latin Americans ``criticize Bush for having only three things to say about Latin America: Cuba, free trade, and drugs'' ''Everyone recognizes that poverty and inequality are the central problems in Latin America today,'' she said. ``He mentions social justice, but has solutions like sending U.S. military doctors to treat the sick while on a ...
Here's a Smart Guy: Attempts to Cash 360 Billion Dollar Check...LOL
How dumb can ya get?? OTH, if you are going to do a crime, make it worthwhile, guess that was his idea,,,LOL http://miamiherald.typepad.com/crime_scene/2008/05/man-tries-to-ca.html
Hydrophonic Labs; A Growth Industry In Miami-Run By Cuban American Crime Family Syndicates--Huge Federal Bust
No surprise to many of us who live here in Miami. Many of these Grow Houses were located in some pretty decent neighborhoods like Kendall, Westchester, Weston ect. These Grow House Busts have become, at the least, a monthly News Stories in Miami dade. In a single day, law agencies across South Florida raided dozens of homes and confiscated an estimated $15 million of marijuana being grown indoors. A law enforcement officer counts marijuana plants inside a grow house during a raid Wednesda ...
Exiled Witness In Colombia Paramilitray Scandal Life is Threatened
BOGOTA, Colombia -- An exiled Colombian paramilitary who is a key witness in the prosecution of politicians - including President Alvaro Uribe's second cousin - said Saturday that he has been warned of a planned attempt on his life. Jairo Castillo said he received a call and faxed letter from Colombia's witness protection program on Monday cautioning that two gunmen posing as tourists had been dispatched to kill him. The letter, a copy of which was published online Saturday by Colombia's l ...
Feds Want Fingerprints Of Visitors Exiting USA
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration would require commercial airlines and cruise-line operators to collect information such as fingerprints from international travelers and send the information to the Homeland Security Department soon after the travelers leave the country, according to a proposed rule. The proposal, which will be announced Tuesday, will close a security gap identified after the 9/11 attacks and identify which visitors have overstayed their visas http://news.yahoo.com/ ...
Miami Herald; Condo Boom Moves To Latin America
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/502791.html
Dominican Republic Call Centers Cashing In On US Connections
The Dominican Republic has embarked on an aggressive campaign to ditch its tropical tourism image in favor of one that's a bit more technological. The country is banking on both its proximity and family ties to the United States to snatch up growing call center commerce as more and more industries seek business operations closer to home -- and more Americans are frustrated with customer service operators with accents from Asia. The government in Santo Domingo is offering incentives, sending t ...
Ex-Colombian Congreswoman Claims She Was Bribed,,,
In Colombia of all places, Imagine that, is it even possible,,, former Colombian congresswoman whose vote was key to approving a constitutional reform that cleared the way for President Alvaro Uribe's reelection bid in 2006 claims she was offered certain benefits for her ballot, in apparent violation of Colombian law. Yidis Medina said in a previously unseen 2004 video that Uribe, then-Interior Minister Sabas Pretelt and Alberto Velásquez, then secretary general of the presidency, offere ...
Oppenhiemer Report; Latin America Scores Badly in Internet Ranking
''Information technology is today's general-purpose technology,'' Irene Mia, co-author of the report, told me in a telephone interview. ``It's the infrastructure for all other industries.'' The report, a massive study of 127 countries, not only measures nations' Internet access but also the government regulations, bureaucracy and the business climate that allow them to be technologically competitive. Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and Singapore, in that order, topped the r ...
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