Alan Gross supporters in the U.S. pursue the same old useless "strategy"

Two days ago I got an e-mail from Ron Halber, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, D.C. It was a mass mailing announcing a prayer vigil in the Alan Gross case (see my many posts below), to be held this Friday, September 23. In fact, two vigils will simultaneously take place: one in front of the Cuban Interests Sections in Washington, and the other at Cuba´s U.N. Mission in New York. Halber says that petitions signed by more than 10,000 people will be presented to Cuban diplomatic officials, seeking Gross' release on humanitarian grounds. As those following the case already know, Alan Gross has been in custody in Havana since December 2009. In March he was convicted of state security offenses and sentenced to 15 years. Gross, as well as two of his family members in the U.S., are said to be in poor health.
This is a worthy cause and Alan Gross certainly deserves his freedom immediately. So do Cuba's Miami Five, who have been incarcerated in the States for over 13 years. Now would be a perfect time to swap them. The problem is, a rabid community of Cuban Castro-haters lives in south Florida -- literally hundreds of thousands of them. I don´t blame them one bit for detesting the Castro brothers, but they´re living in fairy-tale land. They think that one of these days the ancien regime is going to topple, and when it does, they'll just cruise on back to the island and recover homes, businesses and real estate seized by the Cuban government 50 years ago. If you believe that, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. But politicians -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- are terrified of that very vocal Cuban voting block in Florida, which is always a critical state in presidential elections (remember the "hanging 'chads'" horror from a decade ago?) Barack Obama began his administration as a potential breath of fresh air on Cuban matters, but he faded quickly, proving at heart he too is far more pragmatic than principled.
Friday's prayer vigil for Alan Gross will accomplish nothing. Jimmy Carter couldn't get anything done when he traveled to Havana in March. Bill Richardson's visit last week was also a spectacular failure; if anything he irritated the Cubans, and they gave him a bit of a public tongue lashing as his plane departed José Martí airport. The Cuban leadership wants dinner, not more appetizers and drinks. The U.S. offer to remove the island from its State Sponsored Terror list was not enough. Nor was its pledge to release one of the Miami Five, who was just paroled and is now on conditional release. The Cubans want all of their men back in exchange for Alan Gross' freedom. Here's why they should get them: http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2011/08/alan-gross-y-los-cinco-de-miami/.
In the meantime, Alan Gross' supporters would be wiser to hold their vigils on Capitol Hill and at the White House. It is long past time for the United States to bury the 50 year old Cold War hatchet and get on with the important business of normalizing relations with our neighbor 100 miles to the south.

Calderon to U.S: Get your money-hungry arms merchants under control!

Felipe Calderon always speaks from the heart,and he did so again this morning before the United Nations General Assembly. He pointed out once more what Thinking People have known for a long time: that weapons of war stamped "made in the U.S.A." are directly raising the level of daily terror here in Mexico. And why does the United States remain one of the largest purveyors of arms to the world, including to organized crime forces in this country? "MONEY," said Calderon. Of course, the Republican front-runners in the U.S. will dismiss it all with a wave of the hand. "Guns don´t kill people, people kill people," they´re so fond of saying. Try telling that to someone looking down the barrel of an AK-47 in the last seconds of his/her life.

The United States is a full-fledged participant in Mexico's drug war. Why? Because we're directly helping the enemy: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/mexicos-continuing-agony.html.

And on top of that, our own government -- the Drug Enforcement Agency -- sold arms to the cartels, "to track their 'use'." The three chowder heads behind that program just got promoted by their DEA bosses. Read the details here: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/two-us-officials-quit-over-fast-and.html.

Will Felipe Calderón stay the course? - absolutely

News analysis - Calderón hint at drug legalization is a carefully designed teaser

Some Calderón-watchers - the press among them - have been fooled into suggesting that Mexico´s president himself may be having second thoughts about his now five year old war against the drug cartels. While making an appearance on morning television in New York yesterday, Calderon continued to express his extreme disappointment with the U.S. failure to do its part in the war by curbing its own insatiable appetite for drugs. (Bolivian president Evo Morales said just the same thing in Havana on Monday). Calderon then added that if U.S. drug consumption is not reined in, perhaps we will have to consider "market alternatives" for supplying the demand - buzzwords for drug legalization.

But the nay-sayers, "peace talk" promoters and disciples of appeasement are all wrong. Felipe Calderón will fight until and including his last day in office to destroy the narco terrorism which threatens every single Mexican. Why? Because he is a principled leader, not just another flag waving politician (which abound here). Calderon's teaser comments yesterday were expressly designed to put the finger of partial responsibility right smack in the collective eye of the American public - and also to shut down those Republican fanatics who are forever talking about building bigger and more expensive security walls between the United States and Mexico.

Some commentators were naively drawn in by Calderón´s clever strategic ploy. One suggested yesterday that Calderón may be about to fold, given the increasing daily horrors in Mexico. Many in the press - both within and without Mexico - have rather openly become "peace and love" advocates. "No more blood!" they say. Great advice -now go meet with your local drug cartel leaders and see if you can get them to sign on. One commentator in this country even suggested yesterday in a public posting that perhaps Calderon himself should be charged with crimes. Disgusting.

Appeasement advocates should open their history books and read about a once popular British prime minister named Neville Chamberlain. In 1938 he got on a plane and flew to Berlin, "hat in hand," to meet with a little German corporal. The corporal suckered the P.M. into signing a "non-aggression" pact, and Chamberlain flew proudly back to London. At the airport press conference he waved the document around as if it were a trophy, smiling and proclaiming, "I believe this is peace in our time." Less than 12 months later that same corporal - Adolf Hitler - unleashed his Blitzkrieg against Europe.

Appeasement with monsters never works. The press in particular should know better.

Postscript 11:00 a.m. A few minutes ago I watched President Caldeorn's live remarks to today's opening session of the United Nations in New York. He touched upon a number of topics, but of course the primary one was the drug war here and the severe internal security challenges which Mexico is facing. He pointed out to the assembled diplomats that the drug cartels are not just ordinary criminals. Rather, they are true international terrorists who pose a very real threat to the world community. But Calderón´s comments will be like water off a duck's back with some. The appeasement crew would prefer to make an "arrangement" with the narcos, and let them run their businesses just below the radar (with a silent wink and nod from the government). In other words, the way it was done for decades before Calderón was elected in 2006. Some of the main spokesmen for this approach are in the press and academia. If the Mexican people are as smart as I think they are, they'll trash-can that advice.

Horror on Veracruz street - 35 bodies dumped downtown in broad daylight

Veracruz, a once hugely popular tourist port of call on Mexico's Gulf coast, is now as dangerous as Ciudad Juárez in the north and Acapulco on the west - in fact, probably more so, since many people have simply fled Juárez. Locals reported that yesterday about 5:00 p.m., just as afternoon rush hour traffic was peaking on a main downtown thoroughfare, a group of "luxury" SUVs pulled up and suddenly stopped all traffic, blocking the road. Such vehicles are commonly driven by drug cartel operatives. Following close behind the SUVs were a couple of livestock trucks, which parked in the middle of the street. The drivers got out, casually walked to the rear of the trucks, and abruptly dropped the gates. Thirty-five human corpses toppled to the pavement - a human slaughterhouse for the whole world to see, on one of the city´s most famous avenues. Blood, gore and body parts littered the road for hours while law enforcement officials did their thing. The disgusting photos are all over the world today.

Police say the victims - 23 men and 12 women - were involved in criminal activities themselves, and likely were killed by a rival cartel. Security in Veracruz is a joke, and the prosecution of those responsible for the almost daily atrocities there is a bigger joke. If you´re a journalist, it´s also a very good place to die. Read here for details on both.

According to updated press accounts, preliminary forensic examinations indicate most of the 35 victims were strangled or asphyxiated.

Bolivia's Evo Morales condemns United States at Havana ceremony

As I reported Saturday (Sept. 17) Bolivian president Evo Morales flew to Havana over the weekend, accompanied by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Chavez is getting what he says will likely be his last chemotherapy treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, while Morales was scheduled to receive an honorary degree in political science from the University of Havana.

The latter event went off today as planned, and Morales used his acceptance speech to opine that the United States is the root cause of the international drug trade, since it´s a major consumer of cocaine. Echoes, perhaps, of Mexican president Felipe Calderon's often repeated observation that his country's geographical proximity to the States is "like living next door to the biggest drug addict in town."

Why Europe - and the United States - stand at the Edge of the Precipice

Europe is more than a stone´s throw from Mexico, but the fact is we live in a world wide economy. Some experts say the European Union - and its mercurial currency, the Euro - may not survive. That would have consequences for everybody.

It all has to do with debt vs. GDP (Gross Domestic Product), or debt vs. PIB (Producto Interno Bruto) if you´re in the Latin world. When the ratio approaches 100% - just about where it is in the United States today - the economic engine seizes up, growth slows dramatically and liquidity evaporates quickly. That´s why Apple Inc. (the maker of the iPod, etc.) has more cash on hand than the U.S. government does on any given day. Read the brutal details here.

Sept. 19, 2011: Standard & Poor's today cut Italy's long-term credit rating by one notch, just as it did to the United States on August 5. S&P said that the financial outlook for Italy was "negative".

Sept. 20, 2011: This just published article by an international political economist confirms the impossibility of maintaining (over the long term) an economy with a 90% or above debt to GDP ratio such as the United States has today. Many, many experts have already told us this, but the politicians refuse to heed their warnings. The author warns that not only can the U.S. never repay its public debt, eventually it won´t even be able to service it - that is, pay the interest on it.

Rising U.S. Dollar continues pushing Peso

I reported on this subject just last week, but the news is still good for holders of U.S. dollars who want to spend them in Mexico. As markets closed for the day the dollar brought a low of 12.85 and a high of 13.43 pesos in some institutions around the country. The lower number represents the exchange rate for sellers, and the higher number for those wishing to buy dollars. The explanation for today´s sustained upward movement is the same as last week -- a falling Euro brought on by lack of confidence in the ability of European nations to restructure sovereign debt, especially Greece and Italy.

School teachers ambushed in Mexico - three executed by Guerrero hit squad

I´ve reported twice about the shutdown of hundreds of schools in Acapulco due to extortion demands by the narco terrorists. And that's exactly what they are -- terrorists. Calling them "criminals" gives a bad name to the ordinary street delinquent. The extortion targets in Acapulco are public school teachers at all levels, who have been told to hand over 50% of their paychecks. Thousands of students and teachers have been idled since August, and the educator´s union says its members won´t be returning to classes anytime soon. Here's my original story: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/schools-close-in-acapulco-over-narco.html.

Yesterday morning (September 18), in the western state of Guerrero where Acapulco is located, three teachers were ambushed by a hit squad and executed in their van. They included two men, 31 and 33, and a woman, 20. Another teacher riding with them was injured but survived. Guerrero´s chief prosecutor, Alberto Lopez Rosas, emphasized this morning that the investigation is in it´s early stages and thus far there is no evidence of extortion demands against these particular teachers. But that will provide little solace to their co-workers in the area.

In Acapulco this morning the teachers' union demanded a meeting with the governor, and said it will proceed with public marches and demonstrations scheduled for later this week.

The Daily Obscenities of Mexico: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.mx/2011/11/daily-obscenities-of-mexico.html.

Identity of PRI deputy Moisés Villanueva confirmed in Guerrero

Saturday evening (September 17) I reported on the discovery of bodies in a remote area of Mexico´s Guerrero state, one of which was presumed to be federal deputy Moisés Villanueva. Today the identify was confirmed by state prosecutors, based upon fingerprints. The other remains were those of his driver. Both disappeared on the afternoon of September 4 after Villanueva attended a social function. The car in which they were travelling was located September 14. Forensic examiners said the two men had been dead for at least eight days.
The normally speculative Mexican press has not ventured an opinion on who may be responsible for the kidnappings and murders, although it´s of course a given that organized crime [read: a drug cartel] is behind the events. The only question is "Why?"
PRI functionaries issued a public statement which said, "These events oblige us to reflect seriously on how we can deal with the scourge of insecurity in this country, using all legal means at our disposition."
Here´s an interesting footnote to the story. Last week Mexico´s national network Milenio Television reported that it had dispatched an investigative team to an area where if suspected Villanueva might be found. On an isolated road they suddenly found themselves surrounded by masked and heavily armed highwaymen, who allegedly told the team, "Turn around and go back by the way you came." They did so immediately, no questions asked.
No one is immune in Mexico. While the story is not being ignored here, it's certainly not the lead of the day. That's because it´s almost commonplace. Imagine the coverage if a U.S. Member of Congress were kidnapped and executed. A guaranteed front-pager for days.

Mexico´s first female president?

Mexico has never had a female candidate for president, but increasingly women have expressed interest in the job. Several weeks ago the Yucatan´s governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco said the time is ripe (http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/governor-ortega-for-president.html). But Ortega won't be seeking the presidency herself. Early indications are that she may support a leading male candidate, with the hope of eventually serving in his administration.

Josefina Vázquez Mota is a woman who has expressed interest in the job. She belongs to PAN, the somewhat right-of-center National Action Party headed by Mexico´s current president, Felipe Calderon. She is a former Secretary of Public Education under president Felipe Calderón, and before that Secretary of Social Development under former president Vicente Fox. Mota is probably a long shot candidate.

In Mexico there are no formal primary elections. Candidates are chosen by the internal party machinery and by power-brokers. Call it politics Chicago-style, as in the days of the Richard Daley machine. But Mota is urging her fellow party functionaries to abandon the old system, and to replace it with a very public and open selection of a party standard bearer. ¨We should put our democratic values to the test" in this primary process, said Mota in a press conference yesterday (September 18).

"I believe that an open (primary) process will modernize our party, rebuild it so that it´s more in tune with the citizenry and enable us to select a candidate with powerful leadership skills who is ready for the road ahead in 2012," added Mota. "An open election will give voice to citizens."

PAN´s president has already formally asked the party´s Executive Committee to consider changes which would open primaries to greater "public input." In her press conference Mota said that she has been invited by several PAN leaders to make a political tour of the country, which she plans to do. Mota said she will not be deterred by security risks.

Immigration and the U.S. Republican presidential candidates

Yesterday (Sunday, September 18) the New York Times took three Republican candidates to task for their positions on illegal immigration. More accurately, their lack of positions. All three of them have refused to say much of anything on the subject, for fear of alienating the most conservative of voters. The only thing they publicly agree on is the urgent need to "seal the border." But as the Times pointed out in a lead editorial, that "solution" hardly addresses the issue of what to do with the 11 million undocumented Mexicans already living and working in the United States. More to the point, it ignores the fact that illegal border crossings are at an historic low. In fact, most of the traffic is going the other way these days, due to the poor state of the U.S. economy and improved opportunities in Mexico. That, coupled with new laws (such as Arizona´s) specifically targeting Latinos for arrest and/or deportation, has caused record numbers of undocumented persons to give up and return home voluntarily.
The candidates´ proposals, such as we have them, are:

The Mitt Romney "Hold that Line" Plan: No amnesty and no special treatment for undocumenteds. Build a multi-million dollar high tech wall across the desert frontier ASAP.

The Rick Perry "Boots on the Ground" Plan: Forget the wall, it´s too expensive. Load the board with troops, and patrol it with both manned aircraft and unmanned drones.

The John Hunstman "Where There´s a Will There´s a Way Plan may be the most reasonable of the three. He too would build the wall, but with respect to the undocumenteds already in the U.S., he would support something which "leads to eventual legalization." Just what that plan might look like, Hunstman offers not a clue.

Any suggestion of reasonable, comprehensive immigration reform appears to be almost heretical with these three Republican front runners. But sooner or later they will have to confront the issue of what to do with 11 million people living just below the radar. No one can be elected president in the United States today without winning a substantial portion of the Hispanic vote -- about 43% of it according to one expert. Talk about high tech walls and unmanned drones is unlikely to seduce that voting block into any candidate´s corner.

[Photo: Mexican laborers in Texas, circa 1938. In those days their work was desperately sought, with no questions asked]

The real face of U.S. poverty: "I didn't realize it could get so bad so fast"

A few days ago I posted an article called "What impoverished country is this?" This morning AP National Writer David Crary offers us wonderful insight into the brutal reality of the latest economic news. It's entitled "Behind the poverty numbers: real lives, real pain." Pour another cup of coffee, sit down and take 10 or 15 minutes to read it carefully. Then forward it to a friend or colleague. This is the stuff that U.S. politicians don't want to talk about much. Here's the link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/18/3150189/behind-the-poverty-numbers-real.html.
The photo, by the way, is Dorthea Lange's iconic "Migrant Mother." Taken in California's Central Valley in 1936 as the Great Depression lingered, bringing hardship and displacement for millions, Lange had been hired by the United States Farm Security Administration to document suffering in the most troubled areas. She traveled about the country for several years, earning a reputation as an early social commentator photojournalist. Lange died in 1965.

Kidnapped Mexican politician found murdered - Hallan sin vida el cuerpo de Moisés Villanueva

Thirteen days after being kidnapped, prominent PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) leader and federal deputy Moisés Villanueva has been found dead. Villanueva was seized by unknown persons the afternoon of September 4 after attending a party. His remains were discovered about 2:30 this afternoon in a remote area of his home state of Guerrero, in an advanced state of decomposition. Two other bodies were found nearby, one of which may be his driver. A federal deputy is the equivalent of a U.S. Member of Congress. Watch for further details and updates.

Texas governor Rick Perry's Big Threat to Mexico: "Boots on the ground"

Last month in Waterloo, Iowa a man who would like to be President had this to say:
"When I become the President of the United States we will have our military, our National Guard, our Border Patrol . . . enough boots on the ground to secure that border. We will have aviation assets being flown up and down that border. We will sit and talk with the new Mexican President in 2013, they're electing a new president in 2012, and together in a spirit of cooperation, because frankly if they don't work with us, Mexico has the potential to be a very very big problem."

Sounds to me like the governor, a consummate politician who would make a disastrous president, is outright threatening Mexico. "Do it our way or hit the highway," tough guy Perry appears to say.

But what is his plan for quenching the thirst for drugs of millions of his fellow Americans on the north side of the border? And what about those military assault weapons every self-respecting Texan likes to carry around in the gun rack in the back of his pickup? What's Perry's plan for shutting down the endless stream of weapons of war south, where they're used to murder thousands of innocent Mexicans every year?

The good news is the Rick Perry will never spend one day in the White House -- unless he takes the Grey Line visitor's tour.

What about this, Governor? http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/mexicos-continuing-agony.html.

Half of this Nuevo Leon police department may work with the drug cartels

Santa Catarina is a suburban community outside of Monterrey, Mexico in Nuevo Leon state. Monterrey, of course, was the scene of a deadly August 25 arson attack against the Casino Royale, which left 52 customers and employees dead. The casino was the victim of extortionists, and when it failed to pay up a hit team from the Los Zetas stopped by for a friendly reminder.

Today comes word from state authorities in NL that 113 police officers on Santa Catarina's force are being investigated for possible connections with the drug cartels, and 44 of them are already under arraigo. Arraigo is an oppressive Mexican criminal procedure (probably unconstitutional) which allows a suspect to be held for an extended period without being charged, presented before a judicial officer or allowed bail. The preventive detention, as it's called here, gives investigators time to check things out.

Since Santa Catarina's "Finest" totals 250 officers, 45% of the force may be corrupt. Two cartels, Los Zetas and the Cartel Golfo, are engaged in a vicious, take-no-prisoners war to gain control of the lucrative drug routes north towards the U.S. border, 100 miles away. Extortion of businesses is also rampant in the area.

Nuevo Leon's state government says that it's going to clean from stem to stern dozens of little police departments like that of Santa Catarina to rid them of crooked cops. The plan is to replace local and suburban forces with a state-wide agency known as the Fuerza Civil, or Civil Force.