South America News Roundup May 11, 2012: Dignified Death in Argentina, Quinoa in the Andes, Floods in Paraguay, Water Cannons in Chile

article from May 11, 2012

by Julie R Butler

Argentina: Dignified death law

The Argentine Senate has approved a “dignified death” law by a vote of 55-0, with 17 abstentions. The law was already passed in the Lower House last year. It eliminates the need for family members to find a judge who would sign a court order to refuse treatment or put an end to life-support.

Medical ethicists assure that removing feeding tubes is more humane than force-feeding the dying because the human body naturally shuts down its systems and can even induce feelings of euphoria that make the passing more calm and comfortable. Euthanasia is expressly prohibited by the new law, and the patient or representative must have signed document stating their wishes before a notary and two witnesses.

The Andes: Quinoa exports soar

Quinoa, a grain-like member of the spinach family, has been grown for food in the Andean regions of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia for thousands of years. It is high in protein and has an excellent amino acid profile and good amounts of calcium, iron, and phosphorous. Like many indigenous foods, it was once looked down upon as “Indian food,” fit only for the poorest of the poor. But now, it has become a profitable cash crop for Peru and Bolivia, with a growing market in industrialized nations.

While this is good news for the farmers of these countries, it also raises several concerns. Suitable land is scarce in regions of Bolivia, causing violence over land claims. Another issue is that all of this nutritious food will be exported, leaving none left for the poorest of the poor.

Paraguay: Widespread flooding

Devastating floods began to hit the Chaco region of western Paraguay in mid-April. Some areas could not even accommodate emergency helicopters because of a lack of dry land.

The Paraguayan Chaco is nicknamed “Infierno Verde” (Green Hell), due to its extreme weather. The heat in the summer is intense, and the agriculture in the region has been plagued by extended droughts in recent years.

Heavy rains there continued through the end of the month, causing the affected area to spread to the capital city of Asunción, the latest region to have been declared a “state of emergency” due to flooding along the banks of the Río Paraguay.

As of April 29, 1,000 people had to be evacuated in Asunción and about 500 in Concepción, 570 km from the capital, while some 70,000 have been displaced in the Chaco.

Chile: Piñera, polls, and police

Recent news out of Chile serves as the perfect follow-up to the point I made recently in my article about the "Red Diaper Baby."

First, there is the recent polling that has Piñera’s approval rating dipping lower than it has ever been since he became president of Chile in 2010. This, despite the healthy economy, as food and fuel prices have fallen over the past few weeks. Political scientist Jose Viacava says that Chileans want more than good economic indicators; they are pushing for deeper reform in the country’s political and economic model. At least the president can take solace in the fact that the Concertación, the center-left opposition party, fares even worse in the polls. Perhaps part of the reason for so much discontent is that the carabineros spent US$6.7 million on 10 new riot control vehicles equipped with water cannons, feeding directly into the point that education reform activist, Camila Vallejo, was making in her response, as reported by The New York Times, to Piñera’s comment that “nothing in life is free. Someone has to pay”:

“Obviously someone has to pay, but there’s no reason why it must be families financing between 80 and 100 percent of it.” Why not the state — through taxes on large corporations, the nationalization of resources, a reduction in financing for the military? When yet another march ended in violence, Vallejo and her fellow students collected hundreds of tear-gas shells and brought them to La Moneda. “Here are more than 50 million pesos worth of tear-gas bombs,” announced Vallejo, money, she said, that could have been spent on education. Students formed the shells into a peace sign on the plaza, and Vallejo crouched in the center. The resulting image was published all over the world.

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

Camila, the Red-Diaper Baby

article from May 4, 2012

by Julie R Butler

The fact that The Wall Street Journal’s Mary Anastasia O’Grady called Chilean student activist Camila Vallejo “bebe de pañal rojo” or “red-diaper baby,” has made headlines throughout the Latin American media, to which the young communist responded via Twitter, “How it hurts them that Chile is becoming conscious! This is a sign of us advancing.”

The full title of the WSJ article is “Chile’s Cautionary Lesson for Americans: A free economy is at risk when a demand for equality is not answered by a defense of liberty,” and it begins like so:

“Communists are not taking over Chile. But you wouldn't know it from watching the media frenzy surrounding 23-year-old student leader and avowed communist Camila Vallejo in Santiago.”

O’Grady goes on to express amazement that this charismatic young woman, who was raised by communist supporters of Salvador Allende, could be so effective at putting the center-right government of Sebastian Piñera on the defensive. Whereas the material benefits of the market economy have been piling up for decades, she laments, the leftist ideas that have “intellectually swamped” the country seem to be blind to “the morality of the market and the sanctity of individual rights.”

“Chileans aren’t interested in communism,” she states, citing a dip in Camila’s popularity upon her return from Cuba recently. Chile is on the right track, she points out, having raised its ranking from 53rd to 39th in the World Bank’s Doing Business survey in the past two years. But President Piñeras is not a very good defender of freedom and liberty, and this has O’Grady worried.

The “freedom” she is talking about is that of a corporation to build a coal-fired power plant in an environmentally-sensitive location. And the tax cuts that have been proposed to offset the rise in what was supposed to be a temporary corporate tax increase, instigated to ensure funding after the massive earthquake in 2010, which will probably not pass because Piñera’s coalition is not the majority party in Congress, are, no doubt, the “tyranny” that the leftist ideas are inviting with their insistence on making the education system equally accessible to all Chileans.

Now, I am not arguing that Ms. O’Grady is wrong to state that communists are not taking over Chile. However, I would just like to point out the inconsistencies in her argument, beginning with the observation that there are, indeed, many Chileans who are interested in communism (other than red-diaper girl and her parents). These are not large percentages, but according to Wikipedia, in the 1999/2000 presidential elections, the president of the Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Gladys Marín, won 3.2% of the vote in the first round; in the December 11, 2005, legislative elections, the PCCh won 5.1% of the popular vote; and the support of the PCCh aided in the electoral victories of the two socialist presidents who preceded Piñera, Ricardo Lagos in 2000 and Michelle Bachelet in 2006.

Since she brings up the topic of popularity ratings... Well, she shouldn’t, really, because the activist known throughout the world simply as “Camila” is far and away more popular than the president, despite any dip she might have encountered. In the Chilean democracy, his party is the minority, so that doesn’t exactly point to most Chileans being on the political right. And after having promised that, under his watch, Chile would be governed in a whole new way, the Aysén Dam project and the attempts to further privatize Chile’s educational system have shined the light on the backroom business as usual. As of March 2012, Piñera’s approval ratings had dropped back down to 29% from 33% in February – and that was up from 22% in September 2011, during the thick of the educational reform movement, which, at that same time, had a nation approval rating of 72%.

Camila’s pretty face began appearing as the leader of the movement in major international media such as Die Zeit and The Guardian during the “Chilean Winter,” and since then, she has become a media darling, designated by Time Magazine as the 2011 “Time Person of the Year.” Just recently, The New York Times ran a lengthy profile on her, and now even WSJ is acknowledging her.

Camila defended her trip to Cuba by pointing out that Neither is Cuba perfect nor does Chile have to follow in its path [Spanish]. She also noted that she did not observe there any of the water cannons or tear gas guns that have been used to disperse crowds in her own country.

So, O’Grady can downplay the popularity of this young woman and the movement that she represents all she wants, but Francisco Goldman, the author of above mentioned article in The New York Times, who actually spent time in Chile and interviewed people involved in the education reform movement, has a very different take. He states,

“I was struck, on my return in March, by the widespread admiration and affection for her among so many Chileans, men and women alike. Her political capital and power, at the national level, seems only to have only grown.”

[Image of Camila Vallejo via Flickr]

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking.

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

South America News Roundup Dec 2, 2011: Chilean Justice, Brazilian Interest Rates, Argentinean Inflation

article from December 2, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Chilean justice

Chile has been involved in a long-running trial, going back to the years of the shameful overthrow of President Salvador Allende. Judge Jorge Zepeda has just issued an indictment request for US Captain Raymond E. Davis for his alleged involvement in the extrajudicial execution of two US citizens, Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi. Horman was a 31-year-old filmmaker while Teruggi was a 23-year-old student.

Captain Davis was commander of the US Military Group in Chile, answerable directly to the CIA, which, at the time, had their dirty hands in most countries in Latin America under the guise of “preserving democracy,” an effort that ultimately ended up costing tens of thousands of lives in the region and, in fact, helping to pave the way for brutal dictatorships to take the place of democracy.

Captain Davis at last stands accused today, 38 years later, of bearing responsibility for ratting the two US citizens out to the Chilean Secret Police while collaborating with the now-imprisoned Chilean Army Brigadier General Pedro Espinoza Bravo. He was a leader of DINA, the feared secret police, who, in 1976, planned the execution by car bomb in Washington DC of Chilean Diplomat Orlando Letelier, a former member of Salavador Allende’s cabinet.

The bullet-riddled bodies of both of the US citizens were found on a street in Santiago de Chile after they had been executed along with many others in the capital’s National Stadium. The United States did nothing for their citizens, except help to cover up their murder.

Documents declassified in 1999 clearly showed the involvement and contribution of intelligence by Captain Davis that led to the death of the two US citizens. The whereabouts of Captain Davis are currently unknown, and it is very unlikely that the FBI or any other US law-enforcement agency will assist in the detention and deportation of this highly decorated war criminal.

Brazilian interest rates

Brazil has led the world with the highest interest rates for the last 23 months and still does so, in spite of dropping the base rate by 0.5% to 11% recently. Financing any purchase in Brazil is a costly affair, and, like in Argentina, many merchants selling consumer goods are offering interest-free installment credit to anyone with a national ID card. It must be noted that not making payments is a criminal offense, where you get locked up without a trial until the debt is satisfied.

Brazil leads the world with the highest rates, followed by Hungary, Indonesia, Chile, Mexico, China, Russia, Australia, Colombia and Taiwan.

Argentinean inflation

Argentina has been less than forthcoming with their official inflation rate, since former President Néstor Kirchner† replaced all the INDEC technocrats with his handpicked political cronies. The figures that have been released to the public since that time have been rather disingenuous, rarely approaching even one-half of what is taken for reality.

For a while, private consulting firms have issued their own highly academic figures. They arrived at their data with good old scientific methods: Sending hordes of people to all kinds of commercial establishments to ascertain the cost of consumer goods across a wide spectrum of items. Their figures, unlike those of the government-appointed cronies, do not lie.

So to combat the contrariness of those darn truth-sayers, the government of President Christina Fernández de Kirchner had her secretariat of domestic trade file a lawsuit against the private consulting firms. These same firms had already paid heavy fines for the audacity of speaking the truth against the official fiction created by the government lackeys.

Judge Alejandro Catania, a friend of the Kirchners’ who was assigned this case, tried to get the International Monetary Fund involved in this, to show that the wayward Melconian & Santangelo private consulting agency were indeed at fault. The government of Presidenta Cristina is on a collision course with the IMF over the false information disseminated by INDEC, and an agreement signed with the IMF will have to be fulfilled by January 10, 2012. The Argentinean government apparently prefers to be a financial rogue state.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

A Big “Thank You” to Chilean President Sebastián Piñera

article from October 21, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

…for making my life easier by continuously providing material to write about.

For many months now, the student protests all up and down Chile have disrupted President Piñera’s plans to privatize Chile. The protests have shut down almost all educational institutions in Chile’s cities and larger towns. At issue is something going back to the days of the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, the slow but steady strangulation of public education by starving it of public funds. Taxpayers’ monies are supporting private and parochial schools, where the children of the elite are being educated to be the next elite leaders, keeping it all in the inner circle of the rich and powerful who have ruled this nation since its founding in 1818. The children of a lesser God’s parents have to get loans, at way-above-normal interest rates, to send their children to better schools, hoping to give them an equal chance at a bright future by assuming crippling debts that will paralyze them financially for years to come. And this is where the president’s stubborn refusal to even talk about increasing public funding for free education comes in.

First a little background on Piñera: He was born into extremely privileged circumstances, with his father having been in bed with every dictator Chile has had, getting appointed as Ambassador to Belgium and later the United Nations. Sebastián was a smart boy, excelling in school and receiving a partial Fulbright scholarship to attend Harvard University for his postgraduate studies in economics. In 1971, he became a professor of economic political theory at the University of Chile, and in 1972, he became a professor at the Valparaiso Business School. He was a quite but ardent supporter of the murderous regime of the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, even running the campaign for Hernán Büchi, one of Pinochet’s former finance ministers.

With all of his connections, he became a major player in the Chilean financial sector, acquiring ChileVision and 27% of the Airline LAN Chile, along with many other enterprises. In 1982, he used his position as general manager of the Bank of Talca to illegally enrich himself. An arrest warrant was issued, and he promptly went into hiding, leaving little doubt as to his culpability. The Chilean Supreme Court acquitted him 24 days later (Surprise!). In 2007 he paid a fine in the amount of US$680,000 for insider trading, a fraction of what he had gained by it.

Since coming into office March 11, 2010, his personal fortune has increased by $200 million. His net worth is estimated to be around $2.5 billion. He brought Visa to Chile, helping to make his country a debtor nation, and he is heavily invested in the very banks that make the high-interest educational loans to the middle class.

And so it all becomes crystal clear. He has no interest in making education a taxpayer-funded privilege of all citizens, from kindergarten to university, as it can be found in Uruguay, where education is not a consumer good to be exploited by neocons.

Now comes the most astonishing development of all: While the Chilean Burro has hardened his stance, two of the most influential business organization in the country – the Society for the Promotion of Manufacturing (SPM) and the Chilean Export Manufacturer’s Association (CEMA) – have urged the “No new taxes during my administration” president to “Please raise our taxes!” in order to help pay for social demands such as education. Says Felipe Lamarca, head of the influential SPM, “Once and for all we have to do something. Our country has grown a lot, and now we must address the problem of inequality. For that we need a tax reform to help solve the lack of fairness.” And CEMA head Roberto Fantuzzi added, “Nobody likes to have taxes increased, but when you face serious problems and anguish, you must do it.”

Piñera’s response was not unexpected: “There are those who believe that the only education that matters is higher education.” This coming from a man who, as a highly privileged youth, was sent to the finest educational institution money and influence could buy. His Finance Minister, Felipe Larraìn, who vehemently opposes any increase in taxes, backed him up: “Social demands should not be allowed to destroy all that we have managed to achieve in this country.”

Ninety percent of Chileans support the students’ demands and want the system to be changed. And what is their government’s response? Screw the people – let them eat medialunas!

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

[Official Government Photograph of Chilean President Sebastián Piñera]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Volcanoes, Sheep and Airlines: The Argentinean Ash Problem

article from October 4, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

Those of us living in the Southern Hemisphere are well aware of the effects of the Chilean volcanic eruption of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle. Flights in a large swath of South America had to be cancelled for weeks, and after the initial ash cloud had made its way around the world, flights in Australia and New Zealand had to be cancelled as well, causing massive disruption to peoples' travel plans and large losses for the air carriers.

The initial eruption from the Cordón-Caulle fissure occurred June 4, 2011, and by June 18, exactly two weeks later, the ash cloud had completed is circling of the globe. No human lives were lost. The dimensions of this natural disaster, however, keep growing. The economic impact of the Argentinean winter-sports tourist industry has been devastating, with almost the entire season lost due to the ash fall, closure of the airspace and the associated bad publicity.

The effect on livestock has been tragic, with thousands of cattle and horses having died because of lack of food and water as well as from ingestion of the fallen ashes. And in Argentine Patagonia, it is estimated that half a million sheep have perished. The ashes have not just contributed to the deaths of many of these sheep by way of ingestion of ash-covered forage, but have also diminished the amount of their available pasture. An additional complication has been the added weight of the volcanic emissions, which, when combined with rain, has created so much additional bulk that the poor creatures have been having difficulties moving about, and when they lie down, many simply cannot get back up.

Of course, the steady deposit of more ashes has complicated lives for the human population, as well. Aside from being harmful when inhaled, there is a constant struggle to keep roofs from collapsing under the weight of accumulated deposits, with traveling and routine trips to the store having become very hazardous. In some areas of the province of Chubut, the accumulations on roads are up to 1 meter, costing the Public Works Department a fortune to clear and maintain.

This is also a minor contributor to the hemorrhaging of cash that the government-owned Aerolineas Argentinas is suffering from. While the national airline enjoys a near-monopoly on domestic flights, it did not help things that, for a large portion of the winter season, the Patagonian ski areas were unreachable by air. For weeks, all flights from Buenos Aires south were cancelled, and on many days, no flights out of Buenos Aires operated at all. While sitting idly on the ground, the leasing fees, along with everything else involved, such as insurance, continued to accumulate.

The Argentinean flag carrier, sadly, has the distinction of being the third-most money-losing carrier in the world, with a loss of US$486 million in the past year. While that is serious money for the nation, consider Air India, which lost $1.2 billion over the same period. Government ownership always means that there need not be too much worry about efficiency, and of course, there is a lot that is allowed to fall between the cracks. But it all adds up in the end.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

I was introduced to that Fine Malbec Wine on an intercontinental flight on Aerolineas!

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

South America News Roundup Sept 5, 2011: Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Colombia

article from September 5, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

A lot has happened since my last news roundup.

Chile

Tragedy has struck in Chile, where a Chilean Air Force CASA-212 aircraft was lost with 21 people aboard while attempting to land in deteriorating conditions on Juan Fernandez Island, 400 miles off the Chilean coast. On board were several employees of Chile’s TVN, including Felipe Camiroaga, a beloved on-air personality. They were on the way to the island to do a follow-up report on the earthquake and tsunami damage and recovery from the February 2010 disaster that hit Chile. We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the people of Chile.

The last few weeks have brought a great deal of unrest to Chile in connection with President Piñera’s attempt to make education a “consumer good,” further entrenching the status quo by removing the state from any responsibility to educate the masses of poor Chileans and making quality education something only obtainable by the wealthy. Massive street demonstrations by all classes have shown their disapproval of his position, with the labor unions joining in the protests and calling for a two-day national strike. In the midst of all the chaos, a young boy was shot to death by the carabineros while he was pushing his brother in a wheel chair.

Meanwhile, the general director of the Chilean carabineros was forced to resign, after it was disclosed that he personally covered up his son’s culpability in a hit-and-run accident in Providencia. In his resignation letter, he claims to be stepping aside for health reasons while, of course, denying the allegations raised against him by the investigative group CIPER.

Uruguay

In good news from Uruguay, it was reported that consumer inflation has fallen slightly to 0.56%, or an annual rate of 7.57%, down from 8.25%. But one must keep in mind that these are “official figures” compiled by government technocrats. I am sure my correspondent, Guy in Uruguay, would take issue with these figures. While they no doubt represent a slight improvement over the previous month, they are still well below the targeted rate of 4-6%.

Unfortunately, Uruguay’s economy has been affected by the double-dip recession hitting the “developed” countries in the Northern Hemisphere. In July, the nation’s fiscal deficit ballooned to US$40 million, while in July 2010 there was a sizeable $55 million surplus.

The Uruguayan national oil company, ANCAP, announced that it will start exploring for oil in the inland regions of Tacuarembó and Salto, where the discovery of oil-eating bacteria, in higher concentration than in Argentina’s Neuquén Province, has led to speculation that there may be crude oil in them thar hills. Uruguay could certainly use natural resources of this type, as most of its energy sources originate from outside the country, fanning the flames of inflation and national deficit.

Brazil

Brazil’s Presidenta Dilma Rousseff has just been anointed for a second term by her mentor, former President Lula da Silva, when he announced that he will step down from seeking a third term as president of that economic powerhouse, paving the way for her succession. President Rousseff has been challenged by the same entrenched corruption that plagued her predecessor, which ultimately brought her to the political forefront when she became Lula’s chief of staff before resigning that position to run for president, herself. But Brazil being Brazil, there is no telling what will happen there politically or fiscally in the next three years. The country is not isolated anymore from outside economic calamities, and the huge spending programs in progress now for the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup may yet end up draining the treasury. The infrastructure improvements that are necessary to make for a success of the games will have to be analyzed in terms of how much good they will bring to the country’s poor and undereducated. I personally would have liked to see this trillion dollars put into education, housing and sanitation projects in the rural areas that have so long been neglected. In the long run, that would provide security to the nation by allowing more of its citizens to climb the steep socio-economic ladder and eliminating the gap between the lowest class and the middle class.

Peru

In Peru, where the election of Ollanta Humala brought about a collapse of the Lima Stock Exchange because of fears that he would destroy the mining industry and drive investors away, things are going very well indeed. Ollanta Humala has become the darling of Wall Street and big investors. The mining companies that were so worried were happy to go along with his proposals to pay slightly higher royalties for minerals extracted in exchange for long-term commitments. This, in turn, will lead to more equal distribution of the wealth in a country that, like Brazil, suffers from abject poverty and lack of infrastructure in rural areas. We wish him and the good people of Peru much success in this new endeavor.

Colombia

And poor Colombia: Whenever that cocaine-cursed nation seems to be coming out of one crisis, it enters the next. The gold mining industry, an enterprise with the potential to eclipse the drug trade, is being plagued by all the usual suspects with terrorism, extortion, kidnappings and violence. I am rooting for Colombia to be able to leave the legacy of the cocaine cowboys behind. Colombia’s citizens are hard working, aspiring to be more than what they have been limited to by circumstances beyond their control; but through no fault of their own, they have repeatedly been victimized by the crime lords, the paramilitaries and fear of the dark. The current administration came into office on the heels of some great gains, but it seems that for every step forward, they slide back two. Large portions of the country are considered unsafe and unstable, so much so that not even the military is established there. Nobody seems to have a solution to these peculiar problems plaguing Colombia, but the time has come for a renewal.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

Where the Malbec grape vines are starting to sprout!

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Chile’s Education Protests

article from August 15, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

This past week has been very hard on Chile’s own version of Ayn Rand’s “capitalism without a conscience” philosophy, also known as “Chicago School of Economics-think,” “Uncle Miltonism” or just plain “neoliberalism.” I guess there are still a few isolated outposts in the world of those completely ignorant of the causes for what happened to Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the UK and, of course, the good ol’  “it can’t happen here” USA.

Of all the arrogant statements I ever have heard a national leader speak, this one takes the cake. It would have made Ronald Reagan and Howard Jarvis (remember California’s Proposition 13, which ruined the greatest educational system in the Americas?) very proud. It would have been their wet dream to have a president just come out and say what they were feeling: “Education is a consumer good.” This was recently uttered by Chile’s neoliberal billionaire President Sebastian Piñera.

Chile, after suffering through those long years of the military dictatorship of Generalissimo Augusto Pinochet, found itself without an education ministry, as that had been abolished, turning all those responsibilities over to the municipalities. Education had been removed as a responsibility of the state (to save money and keep those hotbeds of dissent, universities and high schools, under control). Pinochet’s harsh rule also rolled back social progress gained over several decades of enlightenment that sought to address the great social inequalities present in that narrow strip of land along the southern Pacific coastline of South America.

Chile is a developed-world economy in almost all aspect, except for the taking care of its less fortunate citizens. While Chile has one of the highest per capita income levels in Latin America, at the same time, it also sustains one of the region’s greatest income gaps. One visit to Santiago de Chile will convince you of that quickly, if you happen to visit between massive protests in the city center. It has all the conveniences of modern life, except a fair and equitable educational system. Remember the voucher program that the Republicans in the USA began to advocate a few years ago, along with privatizing Social Security? Well, Chile has done that with their educational system, and the rest of the world can learn from it.

Those who are wealthy enough never have to send their kids to public schools with vouchers. Instead, the vouchers are used to subsidize private education for the elite, creating a whole new elite which, in turn, will become the ruling class, using the good-old-boy network to fill all-important positions in government and private industry while creating another generation of under-educated laborers, a constant ready supply of cheap labor for the mines and industry.

Having run on a platform similar to that of George W. Bush, an “I’m super rich, but I’m really just one of you” sort of populist platform, he was able to defeat the socialist candidate who was handpicked by his predecessor, Michelle Bachelet, a moderate leftist, by assuring the people of Chile that he represented “change.” Sound familiar? He represented change all right! He moved more than to the center-right when he advocated education reform that would penalize the children of the poor even more by cutting funding for the education that is their birthright as Chileans.

He had no idea what a can of worms he was opening for himself (buen provecho). Working class Chileans have had enough of being treated as second-class citizens and being excluded from the wealth that circulates among the upper crust of the country. Tens of thousands of students took to the streets last week, demanding equal education for all, to which Piñera responded by making it illegal to protest and sending the riot police to bash heads and hose people down with high-pressure cold water in the cold winter temperatures in Santiago. Of course, that served as a catalyst for not only the lower classes, but also the children of the wealthy elite to come out and march in the streets and in front of La Moneda, the presidential palace.

Unfortunately, the carabineros overreacted, quite possibly on orders from higher ups, and then of course, the hooliganism ensued, started by a few looking to cause trouble. Stores were damaged with some looting and a few cars were burned. Overall, there were very large numbers of arrests of many peaceful protesters, but the majority of the injuries were sustained by the police. I watched live television coverage on TV Chile and was taken aback by the indiscriminate attacks on peaceful protesters by the carabineros.

The bottom line: the protest is ongoing, as students and an ever-growing number of supporters insist that there should be no profiteering allowed in public education and that higher education should be equitable and available to all.

President Piñera’s approval rating has hit rock bottom, reaching the lowest level of any Chilean President since the military dictatorship of Pinochet. But there is one good thing: The people of Chile are not imbued with short-term memories, where they quickly forget how badly they got screwed by their leaders. My bet is on Michelle Bachelet coming back to run against the aspiring Ronald Reagan of Chile, and she will beat him handily!

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

I still have some of that Fine Malbec Wine!

[Image: Chilean protest sign, No Selling of Education, via Wikipedia]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Volcanic Eruption in Southern Chile

article from June 6, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

On Friday, June 3, 2011, Southern Chile's Puyehue Volcano started erupting again. It threw an ash cloud 10km (6.25 mi) into the air and is accompanied by hundreds of temblors in the range of 4-5.5 on the Richter scale. The Chilean civil defense authorities called for an immediate evacuation of about 3,500 people living in the shadow of Puyehue.

By midday on Saturday, the debris started falling in nearby San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, where pebbles of 1- 2 cm were raining onto this Andean ski resort and the bordering Nahuel Huapi National Park. Civil defense authorities are urging all to stay indoors and not use automobiles or other motorized equipment, due to the possibility of severe damage from the ash fall. The ground is shaking.

Here is a list of some of the seismic activity yesterday:

M 4.9      2011/06/04 17:54     Depth 20.3 km    

M 4.7      2011/06/04 17:00     Depth 23.5 km     

M 4.8      2011/06/04 16:28     Depth 19.6 km     

M 4.6      2011/06/04 15:19     Depth 35.6 km     

M 4.6      2011/06/04 15:05     Depth 46.2 km     

M 4.7      2011/06/04 13:48     Depth 46.8 km     

M 4.7      2011/06/04 13:20     Depth 35.8 km     

M 4.8      2011/06/04 12:24     Depth 58.9 km     

Chile’s 1960 seismic event

In 1960, this same volcano erupted after Chile suffered the most intense earthquake in recorded history, a temblor of magnitude 9.5, which caused widespread destruction in the region as well as causing much death and destruction across the Pacific Basin. Sixty-one people in Hawaii were killed and the east-facing port of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii was wiped out. Waves as high as 35 feet were observed. Waves of 18-20 feet slammed into Northern Honshu in Japan, killing another 185 people and damaging or destroying several thousand homes. The Philippine Islands counted 32 dead and suffered severe localized destruction, while damages to Samoa and Easter Island were moderate and fortunately without any loss of life.

Along the Chilean coast from the southern tip of the Arauco Peninsula all the way to Quellon on Chiloe Island, the ground sank as much as 3-5 feet, while on Isla Guafo, the  surface rose a whopping 10 feet! Chile has experienced many seismic events of this and lesser magnitude, but it was the first time scientists were able to document a seismic event of this size. Two days later, Puyehue erupted in grandiose style, but not as severely as the current eruption.

The wisdom the Chilean dam projects (or lack thereof)

Now, the Chilean neoliberal government, led by Sebastián Piñera Echenique, a billionaire who bought himself the presidency, has approved the damming of the Baker and Pascua rivers in this highly active seismic zone, virtually endangering the entire population living downstream from the projected dams. I am all for hydroelectricity, as I grew up surrounded by it in Switzerland, and aside from the construction debris, it is very clean energy. The mountains in Switzerland, however, have been very stable for millennia, and the electricity does not have to be transported 2,000 miles away, which will result in a very large consequent line loss of what was initially put into the system. Considering that the electricity is destined to be used most heavily at the very northern end of the country, the players involved in the construction of the dams, and the subsequent destruction of thousands of acres of Valdivian forests, it is very easy to see how corruption within the Chilean government has made this possible.

Ash-fall from Puyehue Volcano

In Bariloche, the airport was closed on Saturday and Sunday, and a continuing eruption with the prevailing westerlies will bring major problems to this area that is world-renowned for its great skiing in the austral winter. The main winter sport season here starts on June 15, and continued lack of air service will deviate a lot of the aficionados to resorts further north in Mendoza province. Right now, the area looks as if it had a serious snowfall, with the entire landscape covered with a light-gray layer of volcanic ash. By Sunday afternoon, the ash-fall in Bariloche has subsided, and a shift in the wind is dropping most of the ashes in Chile, but Bariloche has a bear of a cleanup ahead of itself, and the winds may shift again. “Experts” are forecasting this event to last anywhere from days to weeks to months. I have taken the precaution of putting a couple of pillows and a comforter into our car that is parked in the open, instead of the carport, in case of seismic activity, at least for now.

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

Where the Malbec wine is Always Fine!

[Image via Wikipedia]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Focus on Chile

article from March 23, 2011

by Julie R Butler

Far-away, stable, modern, with excellent wines and plenty of natural splendor, Chile is the focus for many a wandering expat eye.

Geography of Chile

Chile is defined by its 6435 km (4,000 mi) of Pacific coastline and the Andes mountain range, which isolate it from its neighbors to the east, Argentina and Bolivia. It is easy to see how these features account for the Mapuche’s word, chilli, “where the land ends,” having stuck. Chile extends from about 27 degrees south, which is north of the Tropic of Capricorn, to Cape Horn, nearly 56 degrees south, with some 80% of its landmass occupied by mountainous terrain – all of which makes for an enormous diversity in geography.

In the far north is the fascinating Atacama Desert, the world’s driest.

To the south of that is the semiarid Norte Chico region, where pisco, Chile’s famous grape brandy, is produced in deep valleys between towering volcanoes.

The Central Zone is home to Chile’s population center, where the major cities of Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción enjoy temperate Mediterranean-type climates. The Central Valley, where Santiago is located, is the country’s most important wine and fruit region, while the southern portion of this zone is home to much of Chile’s lumber industry. Sadly, many old growth forests in the region were unwisely cleared long ago for agriculture that turned out not to be sustainable, but there are still some large tracts in the high Andes that have been protected as national parks. The coast here is lined with long beaches. The Humboldt Current keeps all of Chile’s coastal waters, well, chilly.

The Zona Sur, or simply the South, is Chile’s scenic Lake District. One of the world’s rainiest areas, it is home to the amazing Valdivian temperate rainforests.

The Extreme South, known as the Zona Austral, features a dramatic combination of fjords, channels that wind through archipelagos made up of thousands of islands, and snow-capped mountains.

Chile also includes the islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.

History of Chile

Several 10,000-year-old settlements that have been discovered in the fertile valleys and coastal areas of Chile give rise to speculation that the original peoples of the Americas were not the migrants who came over the Bering Strait from Asia. The semi-nomadic Mapuche peoples, who inhabited Chile by the time the first Europeans, moving south out of Peru, began their conquest for riches, had already resisted the Incan attempts to subjugate them, and for 300 years, they also successfully resisted the Spanish in the south. Hemmed in by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes to the east, the Mapuches to the south, and the desert to the north, the Spaniards who settled Chile were a highly centralized, homogeneous, and militarized bunch who were fiercely loyal to the Spanish Crown.

The movement for independence from Spain did not get going until 1808, when Napoleon’s brother usurped power in Europe. Chile was proclaimed to be an autonomous republic in 1810, but it took ten years to gain independence from Spain, and even then, the old social order was conserved. The brutal campaign to suppress the Mapuches, in addition to both interregional and civil wars, mired the nascent nation in military conflict up until the end of the nineteenth century, when a parliamentary-type democracy was finally established. However, the country continued to be plagued by its social and political polarization, as instability alternated with military dictatorships that attempted to establish order throughout the twentieth century.

Chile today

Given this history, the fact that Chile is now considered to be the most stable nation in South America is a testament to just how far the Chilean people have come. The country is not without daunting problems that are steeped in its past, and many believe that its image as a model of democracy for the region is undeserved. Yet there is no doubt that Chile is making significant progress toward finding ways to address its ongoing social issues, and Chileans are generally hopeful that they may be moving on a path to win the future.

Julie R Butler is a writer, journalist, editor, and author of several books, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). She is a contributor to Speakout at Truthout.org, and her current blog is Connectively Speaking

email: julierbutler [at] yahoo [dot] com, Twitter: @JulieRButler

What do Frogs Know about Plate Tectonics that Humans are Missing?

article from February 17, 2011

By Jamie Douglas

The Ring of Fire starts in Antarctica with Mount Erebus, works its way up the west coast of the Americas, from Chile to Alaska, and thence wraps itself around past the Kamchatka Peninsula, Japan, south to the Pacific Islands and New Zealand, circling right back to Mt Erebus, encompassing thousands of dead, dormant and active volcanoes, any of which could erupt with little notice – yes even the ones that are considered inactive.

A great part of the Caribbean islands are also of volcanic origin, with several that are still very active, and the plate tectonic activity below the surface leads to disastrous events like last year’s Haitian disaster that killed hundreds of thousands.

So, about the frogs...

Last week, on the fateful night of 11/12 February, when Egypt was rocking the world with its own seismic events, something very unusual happened at our house. At about 9 pm (21:00), my wife saw a little frog under my desk. I gently picked him up and put him outside. Now please be aware that during the year that we have been at this house, I have only seen a very rare frog outside.

Then there was another, and another, and another. We became literally overrun with these cute little frogs, to the point that we had to watch where we walked and, interrupting our Daily Show with Jon Stewart watching, we set about liberating the frogs, one by one. All this time my accumulated trivial knowledge in my soft drive (brain) did not recall my having once upon a time read about how, in the orient, particularly, in Japan, they had carefully observed animal behavior to predict earthquakes. I never put the two together. We don’t even have any idea how or why they came in the house. I suspected that they wanted to watch the Daily Show with us, but my wife Julie is somewhat squeamish about creatures in the house [Editor’s Note: only because I startle easily, not because I fear cute little frogs], so it was best they go. We finished watching a couple of more episodes, and then Julie went to sleep while I set to writing an article for my expat blog.

Much later, after I had joined her in bed, I heard noises, like the roof creaking and some plaster hitting the ground. It was a minor temblor, of which we get quite a few. Then it occurred to me that the frogs, in their haste to escape from underground, should have been a warning sign to us, and indeed, we live only 6 km from the place in the Chilean Andes where, at that time, an aftershock of 6.8 hit.

The Earth has continued to rumble after the big 8.8 quake last February 27, where over 500 people tragically lost their lives. To see just how active this region is, check out the USGS seismic activity map of Chile.

All this, of course, is the natural course of evolution of a planet with a liquid core, upon which floats what is known as “the surface.” There is sure to be more to come, large and small, so pay attention to our amphibian friends.

Be good to the frogs, maybe occasionally kiss one – you never know which one is the right one!

Jamie Douglas

Chacra Ushuaia, Patagonia

[Photo by Jamie Douglas]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Haiti Earthquake vs. Chile Earthquake and Recovery

article from December 13, 2010

By Jamie Douglas

This year has brought two major natural disasters in the form of the massively destructive earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Haiti, being the poorest nation in the hemisphere, never mind its decades-long political instability, seems to have suffered the most, as the infrastructure was not in place for dealing with a catastrophe of this scale.

After a natural disaster such as the ones that befall these two nations, it is only normal that people start “looting.” But it must be understood that the people who were raiding the supermarkets for water and food were not looters; rather, they were looking to survive and take care of their families, as social order had broken down. However, when you see people coming out of stores with flat-screen TVs, washing machines and domestic appliances, I think you can apply the term “looter” without reservation.

Earthquake in Haiti

After the earthquake in Haiti, all hell broke loose. The prison collapsed, the Presidential Palace collapsed like a wedding cake, and the harbor was damaged to the point where it was not possible for the first rescuers to land. The international community rallied, promising billions of US$ in aid and sending emissaries, including two former US presidents, Bush and Clinton, to the scene, in a show of moral support. It was during that ex-presidential visit where one could really see that Kanye West’s statement that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” had some truth to it.

While President Clinton and President Bush were in the crowd, after someone shook Bush’s hand, he actually wiped his hand on President Clinton’s shirtsleeve, as if he had touched something toxic. Rebuilding in Haiti really is stalled, and now the cholera outbreak, torrential rains and passing hurricanes have made things even worse for the populace there. Rumors were spread that the cholera bacillus was being spread by Nepalese UN soldiers, which turned out to be true, although it was the result of leakage from one of Haiti’s own sewage pipes.

No real rebuilding is going on there, with the exception of a few luxury properties, and most of the billions that have been promised have not materialized. There is no “Operation Bootstrap,” where those who help themselves get help. Instead, the victims are living in tents and under tarps, on top of the ruins of their country. Very few are making an effort to try to rebuild their homes and businesses. Commerce is done in the open, crime is rampant, and they are still waiting for help that will never arrive. Reconstruction will have to be accomplished somehow by the citizens of Haiti themselves.

Earthquake in Chile

I was watching live pictures from the earthquake zone in Chile on TV just after it happened, and there was some looting there as well, but within 48 hours, the Army and Carabineris had established curfews and were guarding properties. Then came the heavy equipment that started demolishing properties that were unsafe. People were sleeping in the streets and helping each other out as well as they could. There were a few bad incidents as well, which should not be overlooked, but within a few days, repairs and rebuilding had begun. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived, hugged people, shook hands, promised aid and did not wipe her hand on anyone. And today, Chile is way ahead in the recovery phase compared to Haiti. Aid was quick in being delivered to Chile from all of its neighbors, and no Christian aid groups tried to steal children and smuggle them to a neighboring country. In fact, because Chile is overwhelmingly Catholic, there was very little aid offered from the American evangelicals.

Haiti just can´t catch a break

Haiti is a lot closer to the USA than Chile, but Haiti has had so much bad press in the USA that people just did not really care that much. Could it be because they are all poor and black? Or could it be that they are not just the poorest, but also the most corrupt country in the hemisphere? Ever since the French left their former colony impoverished and in ruins, things have just been going downhill for the regular Haitians. When they do make a desperate attempt to reach the shores of the USA, they are incarcerated by the Home of the Free, while Cubans benefit from the “wet foot, dry foot” policy, which gives them automatic asylum if they manage to crawl onto a beach in the Florida Keys.

What Haiti needs is not money – nor missionaries. They need rebar, cement, building blocks, pipes, water treatment plants and lineman, just to mention a few items. Any monetary donations will be abused by agencies all over the world as overhead and salaries, and the little that will trickle down to Haiti surely will be absconded with and end up in corrupt officials’ bank accounts in the Cayman Islands and Panama.

And now, the recent rigged elections and riots that followed ...and Sarah Palin?

Jamie Douglas in Patagonia

[Image of Haitian Presidential Palace via Wikipedia]

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.

Trout Fishing in the Americas

article from November 25, 2010
Not by Richard Brautigan

Lago Epuyén (photo by Jamie Douglas)

North America’s rivers offer some of the best trout fishing in the world! But did you know that Argentina’s rivers and lakes also have some fabulous opportunities for sportsmen and women to catch the big ones? I am talking trout of 9-15 pounds that put up a valiant fight. Patagonia’s many lakes and rivers are full of trout, and there are many guides and outfitters that will gladly take you to their favorite spots. The best viewing we had recently was on the shores of Lago Epuyén, just an hour or so south of El Bolsón.

We went to the shore last fall to take pictures and pick mushrooms. As soon as we arrived, the caretaker of the rustic campground came out to greet us ( but not to hustle us for anything), inviting us out to the pier. He had a bucket of “slop” – mostly bread and water – with him. First, he stood on the dock and clapped his hands a few times. Within a few minutes, he pointed out the fish in the crystal clear waters, and my jaw dropped. I had never seen trout of this size.

Our new friend started throwing handfuls of the slop into the water, and the feeding frenzy that ensued reminded me very much of Amazonia, where the vaqueros sacrificed the weakest in the herd to the voracious Piranhas a little downriver from where they intended to ford with their cattle and horses. As soon as the cow was herded into the water, hundreds of piranhas attacked, and within 10-15 minutes there was literally just a skeleton on a sandbank picked so clean, you would have thought that it had been there for months. Strangely enough, attacks on humans are rare, as are attacks by trout on humans in Patagonia.

From northern Patagonia all the way to Tierra del Fuego, on both the Argentine and Chilean side of the border, there are hundreds of lakes and streams where one can enjoy a peaceful and undisturbed day or week practicing the fine art of fly-fishing. The rivers run year round, and unless there has just been a major period of bad weather, the streams are crystal clear. For those who are adventurous, camping is a great option, as long as good care is taken with the fire built for cooking your delicious dinner. The best time is from late November until April. For those wanting a little more comfort, there are cabins available in many places, and no area is ever over-occupied. Accommodations range from the frugal to the luxurious, with or without meals, and most places will be happy to prepare your catch.

Fishing licenses are obligatory and can be obtained in many places at a very reasonable price.

One thing to remember is that if you go to Chile, you have to buy the reciprocal visa to that which the US charges Chileans, about $135 at this writing (November 2010). Once you pay for that, it is good for as long as your passport is valid. Argentina just recently adopted the same requirements for US citizens arriving at the Ezeiza International Airport. These rules apply to US citizens and Canadians. Citizens of the EU and Switzerland are exempt.

Happy fishing!

Find information on the ArgentinaTouristica.com website's "Sporting Fishing" page. This is from the English page on El Bolsón: “It is embedded in a picturesque and colourful mountain valley that ends up in the Puelo lake.”

Jack Trout, Fly Fishing International operates out of Chile.

Jamie Douglas
At large in South America

I encourage you to write me at cruzansailor [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions or suggestions you may have. Disclaimer: I am not in any travel-related business. My advice is based on my own experiences and is free of charge (Donations welcome). It is always my pleasure to act as a beneficial counselor to those who are seekers of the next adventure.