Articles by Upside Down World
Fear, Suspicion as US Military En Route to Costa Rica
Tensions are high in Costa Rica following the announcement of the impending arrival of US military vessels. In the past year alone, a sudden expansion of United States military presence around Latin America has alarmed many in the region. Now it is spreading to the one nation which had previously been known for the absence of any standing permanent army, foreign or national.
[…]
A New Wave of Criminalization Against Social Movements in Ecuador
Ecuador’s anti-mining and indigenous movements are denouncing renewed attempts by the Correa Administration to criminalize dissent. Over thirty people, including top leaders of the national indigenous movement, are being investigated for allegations including terrorism and sabotage as a result of their participation in protests related to controversies over gold and copper mining, as well as water and indigenous rights.
Land Ownership at the Crux of Haiti’s Stalled Reconstruction
Source: Haiti Liberte At a UN Conference on Mar. 31, about 60 countries and multilateral banks promised $5.3 billion for Haiti’s reconstruction over the next 18 months. Only about 10% of those promises have been […]
Peruvian Government Draft Report Buries the Truth about Bagua, Resurrects Racist Stereotypes
One year since the tragic events at Bagua in northern Peru, when armed police attacked indigenous Awajún and Wampis protesters, it is clear Peru’s government has no intent to change its hostile relationship with the country’s indigenous population. In a move that has provoked outrage in many quarters, President Alan Garcia recently blocked a law, voted by Congress, that would have recognized indigenous people’s right to consultation about projects affecting their land – precisely one of their demands when protesting the year before. […]
United Nations: Time to Value Women’s Unpaid Work in Latin America
(IPS) – The time has come for Latin American countries to put an economic value on the work that women do as they take care of households, children and the elderly, says ECLAC, the United […]
Ecuador’s Economy Under Rafael Correa: Twenty-First Century Socialism or the New-Extractivism? – An Inteview with Alberto Acosta
“There has been a series of very interesting processes in Latin America – in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. However, none of these new processes have managed to overcome the economic structures of extractivism,” said Alberto Acosta, ex-President of Ecuador’s Constituent Assembly.
Looking Ahead to 2012 Presidential Race in Mexico
Results of the July 4 election in Mexico for state governors, mayors and legislators could be regarded as a tiny seismic shift looking ahead to the national presidential election of 2012. Elections were held in […]
“Latin America Faces an Environmental Emergency”
Milagros Salazar interviews Uruguayan ecologist EDUARDO GUDYNAS (Tierramérica) – The Latin American economy based on exploitation of natural resources does not create social well-being and is unsustainable in the context of climate change, says Uruguayan […]
Oil Spill Devastates Amazon Region in Peru
On June 19 hundreds of barrels of oil were spilled in a remote part of the Peruvian Amazon, leading to calls for a ‘state of emergency’ to be declared and an appeal to the United Nations to intervene. Tragically, this is nothing new in northern Peru where oil has devastated indigenous land and lives for decades.