The latest on Latin American affairs, U.S.-Latin American ties, U.S. Hispanics and immigration
Monday, October 29, 2007
ARGENTINA'S PRESIDENT-ELECT IS NO HILLARY CLINTON
Argentina's first lady Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who according to most polls will win Sunday's presidential elections, has been repeatedly described as ``Argentina's Hillary Clinton.'' She's not. Read here why she's no "Hillary," and let us know what you think.
La primera dama Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, que según todo parece indicar será la próxima presidenta de Argentina, ha sido descrita repetidamente en los medios como ''la Hillary Clinton argentina.'' Sin embargo, la descripción es algo engañosa. Lee aqui por que, y comparte tu opinion con nosotros.
BUSH'S SPEECH ON CUBA - DOES IT HELP OR HURT DEMOCRACY?
Should President Bush be making major policy speeches on Cuba, as he did Wednesday? Or does that backfire, giving Cuba's dictatorship much-needed ammunition to claim it's a victim of U.S. aggression? Read my answer here, and let us know what you think.
Debe el presidente hacer importantes discursos de política sobre Cuba como hizo el miércoles? ¿O es contraproducente, dándole a la dictadura de Cuba la muy necesaria munición para alegar que es víctima de la agresión de Estados Unidos? Lee mi calumna aqui, y dinos que opinas al respecto.
One of the things that struck me the most during a recent visit to India was that amid growing competition for educational excellence children have to pass rigorous admission tests starting at kindergarten. What a difference with what's happening in Latin America! Read the whole column here, and let us know what you think.
Una de las cosas que más me impactaron en un viaje reciente a India fue que, como parte de una creciente competencia por la excelencia educativa, los niños deben someterse a rigurosos exámenes de ingreso partir del jardín de infantes. !Qué diferencia con lo que está sucediendo en América latina¡, pensé para mis adentros. Lee la columna entera aqui, y di tu opinion al respecto.
There is no mystery about Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's intent on destabilizing U.S.-backed Latin American democracies: he says so on his own government's website. Find out what Chavez is doing with U.S. $$$ reading the full column here, and let us know what you think.
No hay ningún misterio sobre las especulaciones de que el presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez quiere desestabilizar los países latinoamericanos que tienen buenas relaciones con Washington: Chávez lo dice abiertamente en el sitio de internet de su Ministerio de Comunicaciones. Lee todLa la columna aqui, y expresa tu opinion al respecto.
BUSH'S SPEECH ON TRADE WAS GOOD -- TOO BAD HE MADE IT IN MIAMI
The good news is that President Bush on Friday devoted an entire speech to supporting U.S. free-trade deals with Peru, Colombia and Panama. The bad news is that he did it in pro-free-trade Miami. Read here why I'm somewhat skeptical about Bush's campaign to ratify the pending treaties, and send us your opinion about it.
?SE JUGARA BUSH POR PERU, COLOMBIA Y PANAMA, O SU DISCURSO FUE TEATRO POLITICO?
La buena noticia es que el presidente George W. Bush dedicó un discurso entero la semana pasada a apoyar los tratados de libre comercio pendientes con Perú, Colombia y Panamá. La mala noticia es que lo hizo en Miami, donde casi todo el mundo está de acuerdo en aprobar los tratados. Lee aqui por que tengo dudas sobre la campana de la Casa Blanca por la aprobacion de los tratados, y dinos que opinas.
IT'S NOT JUST CHINA -- MANY LATIN AMERICAN COUNRIES NOW CHALLENGED BY VIETNAM, CAMBODIA
Now that Costa Rica has voted to ratify a much-needed free-trade agreement with the United States, the big question for Central American countries -- and much of the rest of Latin America -- is whether that will be enough for them to effectively compete with Asia. I'm afraid it won't. Read here why, and let us know what you think.
ADEMAS DE CHINA, AHORA HAY QUE COMPETIR CON VIETNAM Y CAMBOYA
Ahora que Costa Rica ha aprobado su muy necesario Tratado de Libre Comercio con Estados Unidos, la gran pregunta para los países centroamericanos -y la mayoría del resto de América Latina- es si eso será suficiente para poder competir exitosamente con los países asiáticos. Me temo que no lo será. Lee aqui por que, y dinos que piensas.
CHERTOFF'S COMMENT ON BORDER FENCE IS PURE NONSENSE
HERMOSILLO, Mexico -- The people in this northern Mexico city are still shaking their heads in disbelief at Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's assertion that undocumented immigrants are ''degrading'' the environment on the U.S. border. Look who's talking, they say. Read here what they say and what I think about it, and let us know your opinion.
HERMOSILLO, México -- La gente en esta ciudad del norte de México todavía no sale de su asombro ante las declaraciones del Secretario de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, Michael Chertoff, en el sentido de que los inmigrantes indocumentados están ''degradando'' el medio ambiente en la frontera norteamericana. ''!Que descaro!,'' afirman. Lee aqui por que, lo que pienso sobre las afirmaciones de Chertoff, y dinos que piensas al respecto.
Lo que era impensable hasta hace poco está empezando a ser considerando en círculos diplomáticos norteamericanos como un escenario muy probable: que el presidente colombiano Alvaro Uribe se acerque cada vez más a su vecino venezolano Hugo Chávez. Enterate de los motivos de este acercamiento en esta columna, y dinos si estas de acuerdo.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, URIBE WILL MOVE CLOSER TO CHAVEZ
What was unthinkable until recently is beginning to be considered a likely scenario in U.S. foreign policy circles -- that Colombia's U.S.-backed President Alvaro Uribe will move increasingly closer to Venezuela's anti-American strongman Hugo Chávez. Read the reasons why this is likely to happen in this report, and let is know what you think.
Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald columnist Andres Oppenheimer, author of five best-sellers on Latin American affairs and whose syndicated column appears in 55 major U.S. and Latin American newspapers, comments on the latest events in Latin America and U.S.- Latin American affairs. He is a member of The Miami Herald team that won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize. He also won the 1999 Maria Moors Cabot Award, the 2001 King of Spain prize, and the 2005 Emmy Suncoast award. He is the author of Castro's Final Hour; Bordering on Chaos, on Mexico's crisis; Cronicas de heroes y bandidos and Ojos vendados, and most recently of "Cuentos Chinos" (Plaza & Janes, Mexico.) A new Oppenheimer Report appears every Sunday and Thursday.