Sunday, July 27, 2008
colombia: trade deal, a positive for both america and colombia
“Someone’s going to lose a job, but many more will gain one so, in the aggregate, the world is economically better off.” — Professor Kevin C. KennedyFree trade is a system in which the trade of goods and services between or within countries flows unhindered by government-imposed restrictions. Such government interventions generally increase costs of goods and services to both consumers and producers. Interventions include taxes and tariffs, non-tariff barriers, such as regulatory legislation and quotas.
The Colombian trade deal with the United States is at a stalemate. Even though it would benefit Americans more than Colombians, it will not be passed anytime soon due to silly politics and to the simple fact that politicians are doing anything they can to win over voters.
Below are some facts
- In the recent months, nearly 100 newspapers in the U.S. have endorsed the Colombian trade agreement. So have many top democrats, including Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago.
- At least 55 members of Congress, including two Democrats from the Senate and 25 from the House, have traveled to Colombia, in trips usually led by an indefatigable cheerleader for the trade pact, either Ms. Schwab or the commerce secretary, Carlos M. Gutierrez.
- The White House says Mr. Bush has called for passage of the deal 40 times, and Ms. Schwab and other cabinet members have given 145 speeches on it.
- The administration has lined up the support of Democratic mayors and members of the Clinton administration, and obtained endorsements from trade associations with ties to Democrats, including those for the movie, music and consumer electronics industries.
- By itself, trade with Colombia represents barely 1 percent of total United States trade volume. Imports from Colombia totaled $9.4 billion in 2007, mostly oil, spices, coffee and tea. Exports, of machinery, chemicals, plastics, corn and other goods, were $8.6 billion.
Some important links
Sunday, July 20, 2008
independence day
Today is Colombian's independence day. People around the world celebrated the birth of our nation with concerts, marches, and a united cry for freedom. I couldn't be prouder of how far my beautiful country has come.
President Uribe was accompanied by the President of Peru and Brazil during Colombian's celebration. The three of them united with Shakira and Carlos Vives in Leticia to ask the FARC for the liberty of all the Colombians that remain in the jungle. Leticia is the capital of of the department of Amazonas, Colombia's southernmost town. Click here to watch.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
shakira and ingrid: in paris
Shakira and Ingrid met in Paris to prepare for the march of freedom. It will take place on July 20th in Paris, France. source: El Tiempo
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
legion of honor: ingrid betancourt
President Nicolas Sarkozy pinned the Legion of Honor — France’s highest award — on former hostage Ingrid Betancourt today, praising her courage and saying: "We love you." The award was presented on Bastille day [July 14th] at a garden party at the presidential Elysee Palace, marking France's national day. President Nicolas Sarkozy was full of praise for Ingrid, saying "we're happy to have found you again, we love you." "You are a symbol of hope," continued Sarkozy, pinning the medal to Betancourt’s purple dress.
She responded humbly, saying she was "moved," and that "little by little, she was becoming herself again." She dedicated the award to the hostages that still remain in captivity.
The Légion d'honneur is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It is a world-renowned Order and the highest decoration in France . It is divided into five degrees: Knight, Officer, Commander, Grand Officer, and Grand Cross. Its motto is to Honour the Fatherland and its seat is the Palais de la Legion d'Honneur on the left bank of the River Seine in Paris.
Ingrid joins the ranks of Clint Eastwood, Vladimir Putin, Valentino, Steven Spielberg, Celine Dion, who have also received this honorable decoration from France.
miss universe: second place
Taliana Vargas was born in 1987. She is Miss Colombia 2007 and Miss Universe first runner-up 2008. She isn't the first Colombian to win the Miss Universe first runner-up title. Paola Turbay [1992], Paula Andrea Betancourt [1993] and Carolina Gomez [1994] precede her. She was awarded 9.829 when she posed in her wavy gown. In Swimsuit, she was awarded 9.433.
This year was big for Latin American beauties at Miss Universe, held in Vietnam. The five finalists were from Mexico, The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, and Russia. Ms. Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela took home the 2008 Miss Universe title.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Betancourt's liberation made history. Besides restoring a family, her liberation did so much for Colombia. It made it safer; it showed the world the strong ties between Colombia and USA; it brought Colombian closer to Ingrid's other country, France. It showed Chavez, our neighbor, that his guerrilla antics have no say and no power in Colombia. It showed the world that our President's stance works when it comes to violence and narcotics. It showed so much - and that is what matters most.Below are some stories that I enjoyed and that hopefully, you will too.
Friday, July 4, 2008
free at last: ingrid betancourt
After six and a half years of captivity, Ingrid Betancourt was freed. The operation was codenamed "Jaque." The Colombian government's bloodless rescue of the hostages was the product of a perfectly executed ruse that depended on old-school spy games rather than high-tech gadgetry. The Colombian military successfully infiltrated the local FARC squads and the secretariat of the FARC. Agents spent months worming their way into the FARC's ranks. They gained the rebel's trust and rose to the top of the FARC's leadership council as well as a team assigned to guard the hostages. When the time was ripe, the moles used the authority they'd gained within the group to order the 15 hostages moved from three separate locations to one central area. The rebel in charge of the hostages was duped into accepting a supposed request from headquarters to gather the hostages together to fly them to guerilla commander, Alfonso Cano. Instead, Ingrid Betancourt and fourteen other hostages were flown by government personnel, dressed as FARC, to San Jose del Guaviare. Among the fifteen hostages, were American citizens, Marc Gonsalvez, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes.On July 2, 2008, Minister of Deference Juan Manuel Santos announced to the world the rescue of the 15 hostages.
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