NACLA Update 11/04/10 - Latino Politics in the 21st Century / Plan Central America



Dear Subscribers,

We apologize for the delay in printing the November/December issue, devoted to Latino politics and taking into account the results of the midterm election. We will make the issue available to you online as soon as possible. As for the print edition, it should be available in early December. Thank you for your patience and for supporting NACLA.

Sincerely,
NACLA Staff


New on nacla.org

Power, Justice, and Survival: Latino Politics in the 21st Century
by Alfonso Gonzales
It was predicted that few Latinos would participate in the U.S. mid-term elections. This seemed plausible: After all, the economy has left millions of Latinos unemployed, the foreclosure crisis hit millions of Latino families, and not only have the Democrats failed to deliver on immigration reform, the Obama administration has increased deportations. However this prediction was wrong, and such an assumption underestimates the political sophistication of Latinos, who could simultaneously be disappointed with Democrats but also vote for them as a defensive measure against the virulently anti-immigrant Republicans. It is this grass-roots and sophisticated organizing power of Latinos in the United States that this newest edition of NACLA Report on the Americas will explore.
Read More

The Drug War: Towards a 'Plan Central America'
by Kevin Alvarez
Drug-trafficking has been on the rise in Central America since 2008, justifying the expansion of the U.S.-led drug war into the region. In a place where Washington has historically wielded tremendous power, the United States plans to continue using the same failed drug war strategy as it has in Colombia and Mexico. 7,000 U.S. Marines have already been approved for Costa Rica, and other countries, such as Honduras, are asking for an increased U.S. military presence. There is a broader geopolitical strategy, critics say, for the United States to tighten its hegemonic grip in the region.
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Sweatshops Over Homes in Haiti
by Kevin Edmonds
On September 20, Haitian prime minister Jean-Marc Bellerive, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the World Bank announced their partnership with a South Korean garment firm to establish an industrial park that will create 10,000 garment assembly jobs in Haiti. Without a doubt, earthquake-ravaged Haiti needs jobs, mainly to provide the country's 1.3 million homeless with the means necessary to rebuild their destroyed homes. However, rather than solve the housing problem, the factories will depend on the vast pool of low-wage labor present in the homeless camps. Haiti's meager minimum wage of $3.09 per day will be barely enough to cover the worker's food expenses.
Read More

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