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Molirena: Una defensa de nada

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Los cambios en el Código Electoral que Molirena apoyó fueron infames y esto es lo que su incongruente diputada religiosa derechista, Corina Cano, le dijo a la gente al respecto. A continuación tenemos la declaración del líder del partido Pancho Alemán, en respuesta a una denuncia penal presentada por un militante disidente sobre el uso de fondos públicos que recibe Molirena.
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Center for Economic & Policy Research, Gabriel Boric’s victory

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was moose and squorrel who put him over top
Gabriel Boric, the legislator from Chile’s far south, salutes the nation that has just chosen him as its next president. Photo by Paulo Slachevsky.

On Gabriel Boric’s historic victory in Chile

by the Center for Economic and Policy Research — CEPR

With 99.9 percent of votes counted, the progressive candidate Gabriel Boric has won a resounding victory in Sunday’s presidential election in Chile, with almost 12 points separating him from his far right rival José Antonio Kast. This is the biggest margin of victory of any presidential election since voting became voluntary in 2012. The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) responds with this analysis:

This overwhelming victory signifies, first of all, that Boric and the broad left-wing coalition that support him, now have a clear popular mandate for their agenda to transform Chile. While Kast promised to deepen the neoliberal economic agenda initiated under the late dictator Augusto Pinochet, along with hard right social and political measures; Boric is committed to pursuing strong social reforms funded by increased taxes on the rich and large corporations. Among other things he has called for a universal healthcare program, a major increase of the minimum wage and the reversal of the privatization of the pension system.

While the financial press has often praised Chile’s neoliberal model for bringing stability and economic growth to Chile, the Chilean “miracle” resulted in high levels of inequality and ever-decreasing access to quality healthcare and education for millions of Chileans. In 2019, massive nationwide protests erupted and, despite fierce repression, continued for several months. The government was finally forced to yield to the rising call for a referendum, which was held in 2020, on whether to replace Pinochet’s constitution with a new one. A constituent assembly was finally elected in 2021 to draft Chile’s new charter.

Boric’s victory is thus a reaffirmation of Chileans’ support for the drafting of a new, progressive constitution that is being carried out by a majority progressive constituent assembly. Boric and his allies in the Approve Dignity coalition strongly support the work of the constituent assembly – which, among other things, is expected to enshrine new economic, social and cultural rights for Chileans. By contrast, Kast opposed the drafting of a new charter to replace Chile’s dictatorship-era constitution. The election of Boric therefore signifies the consolidation of a new political phase, in rupture with the post-Pinochet neoliberal phase of government and with institutions that still carried some of the right-wing marks of the dictatorship.

Finally, Boric’s landslide win would appear to confirm a broader regional shift to the left, following the victory of Xiomara Castro in Honduras last month, that of Pedro Castillo in Peru in June, and Luis Arce in Bolivia in October 2020. Under the right-wing administration of Sebastián Piñera, Chile had played a leading role in the creation of Prosur, a rightwing bloc of South American governments, which was strongly aligned with the US administration. Boric’s victory has been applauded by many left leaders in the region, including Lula da Silva, who may soon return to the presidency in Brazil. It is likely that Boric will seek to join other left-of-center governments in Latin America in pushing for a more assertive, sovereign and democratic region and for the consolidation of regional organizations who support that agenda.

 

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Editorials: We mourn; and The Democrats’ primary season gets underway

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bandera
The president’s late-arriving decree. The legislators were too concerned with other things.

We mourn

But do we pick and choose among the fallen to decide who was worthy, and if so, by which criterion? 

We remember. Nobody, not even the best historian, will have perfect recall. But do we license certain points of view, and prohibit others? Do we allow those who have vandalized our historical sites to tell us which narratives are legal and which are not?

For political reasons, or for purported politeness amidst certain sorts of company, do we throw out all sense of shame — whoever we are — or filter our recognition of infamy to let shameful things go without notice?

There was plenty of infamy to go around in the 21-year dictatorship, and in the long history that led up to it, and in its more than three decades of aftermath. Do we erase the bits about the close collaboration between the US forces and generals Torrijos and Noriega, and about how and why those relationships went sour? Do we swallow the Civilista narrative whole, when it gets neither into the horrors of US intervention nor the still unfolding disaster of post-invasion Panamanian government under the dictatorship’s constitution? Do we accept the triumphalist “Just Cause” narrative that’s liberally sprinkled with lies, and which for “national security reasons” to this day conceals the bodies of some of the people who were killed? Or do we erect a legend of the glorious lost cause, a version that neglects to condemn the crime of a strongman and commanding general who deserted his post under fire?

Let’s everyone, of every nationality and of every persuasion, be humble, honest and holistic. Panama needs to recognize the whole truth about what happened back then to improve our prospects for the future.

   

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Yes, Dems were betrayed. But don’t put it all on one guy

Should Joe Biden feel betrayed? After being strung along by Joe Manchin for all these months, to hear the guy say that he’ll vote down Build Back Better? We might question how Biden handled the situation but it would be unreasonable to deny that Manchin betrayed him.

Congress goes home having passed an infrastructure bill that didn’t come close to meeting the needs, and in particular cut out the needs of the neediest, and without any version of Build Back Better? The trio of octogenarians who are the House Democratic leadership engineered that situation, notwithstanding the warnings of the young octet that is the growing progressive Squad, who predicted rather precisely? Schumer couldn’t get VOTING RIGHTS past the Senate, despite all those years of “clearing the primary field” to fashion a Democratic caucus that he supposedly could manage to deliver?

So what next?

There may be some votes in January, but meanwhile forces are gathering for a Democratic primary season. Key allies and operatives of the Pelosi-Hoyer-Clyburn leadership are leaving the House at the end of this term. The progressive side of the party hasn’t been giving much money to the official campaign committees or the Democratic National Committee, and Joe Manchin’s and Kyrsten Sinema’s defections on key issues will make it worse. There are now parallel, alternative campaign and funding organizations, with rival strategists, ad people, pollsters and so on. 

It’s no use for the old guard to invoke old customary rules. They shattered those themselves, in a 2020 Senate race when they supported a challenger who had nothing much more than a dynastic surname against incumbent Ed Markey — and the old guard lost.

As the primary season begins to shape up, the Justice Democrats have their slate of 10 challengers whom they hope to add to the Squad next year, the first big rumble scheduled for Texas, where Jessica Cisneros is into a rematch with blue dog Henry Cisneros, whom she nearly beat last time. MoveOn, Democracy for America and other group will have their own anti-establishment target lists.

Yes, Democrats have been betrayed. Yes, centrists who went out and lost all by themselves are blaming the progressives for the centrists’ own failures. It’s not just the party, nor the left side of the party, that has been let down. The American People have been let down.

There will need to be some intra-Democratic peace talks once the primaries are over. Perhaps before the right time for those conversations comes around, the Democratic House and Senate leaders will have announced their intentions to step aside from their offices within their respective chambers of Congress.

It’s primary season, and it will be a rough one.

 

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Salvador Allende. Photo from Chile’s Biblioteca Nacional del Congreso.

Only an organized and conscious people can bring about a different kind of society.

Salvador Allende

Bear in mind…

What is done cannot be undone but one can prevent it happening again.

Anne Frank

The public does not like you to mislead or represent yourself to be something you’re not. And the other thing that the public really does like is the self-examination to say, you know, I’m not perfect. I’m just like you. They don’t ask their public officials to be perfect. They just ask them to be smart, truthful, honest, and show a modicum of good sense.

Ann Richards

Every person shines with her own light among all the others. No two flames are the same. There are big flames and little flames, and flames of all the colors.

Eduardo Galeano

 

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¿Wappin? Los sonidos afrolatinos de David Young

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tamales

El Caribe también canta en español

Celia Cruz – La Ceiba Y La Siguaraya
https://youtu.be/HrWJXTsL_q4

Luis Perico Ortiz – Tin Marin
https://youtu.be/BC7jz6_nu-4

La Lupe & Mongo Santamaría – Canto bajo
https://youtu.be/VAecY2CyjK8

Rudy Calzado – El Manisero
https://youtu.be/FWXClyKZAdA

Grupo Madera Tambores
https://youtu.be/u1XGzovhNcs

AfroCuba de Matanzas Rumba
https://youtu.be/A7LuHZ-_tn4

Grupo Yoruba Andabo
https://youtu.be/x7LMR2iCRok

 

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Dinero

¿Wappin? Memorias tristes / Sad memories

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invasion
December 20, 1989. Hundreds die as Panama City burns.

A day of mourning approaches
Se acerca un día de duelo

Rómulo Castro y El Grupo Tuira – La Rosa de los Vientos
https://youtu.be/QUoV65mVgss

Victor Jara – Manifiesto
https://youtu.be/2xLyLKsfDuE

Coven – One Tin Soldier
https://youtu.be/mASbP3Eq1VE

Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
https://youtu.be/t2wB3lYoKRM

Violeta Parra – Paloma Ausente
https://youtu.be/XU888HiQcJE

Buffy Sainte-Marie – Universal Soldier
https://youtu.be/devgkHzK9c8

The Cranberries – Zombie
https://youtu.be/Tggyy1XojXI

Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun
https://youtu.be/qc2gZmcCAEk

Roger Waters – The Gunner’s Dream
https://youtu.be/aC9rY4HeN6A

Jefferson Airplane – Wooden Ships
https://youtu.be/hIccZsURyLc

Rubén Blades – Prohibido Olvidar
https://youtu.be/KJmAB6jPRAg

 

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Dinero

The Panama News blog links, December 17, 2021

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Panamanian composer Roque Cordero gained international acclaim, but like so many talented Panamanians, he had to leave Panama to do it. In this country he taught at and later directed the Instituto Nacional de Música, and also directed Panama’s national symphony, but got his formal higher education at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota and was a music professor at Indiana University and Illinois State University. He died at the age of 88 in Dayton, Ohio.

The Panama News blog links

a bilingual Panama-centric selection of other people’s work
una selección bilingüe Panamá-céntrica de las obras de otras personas
If you are not bilingual Google Translate usually works
Si no eres bilingüe, el traductor de Google generalmente funciona

Canal, Maritime & Transport / Canal, Marítima & Transporte

TVN, Reactivarán vuelos desde Panamá hacia Pedasí a partir del 30 de diciembre

Mundo Marítimo, Vacunación a toda la gente de mar en los puertos de Panamá

Seatrade, Growing reluctance to finance oil transport

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Economy / Economía

AP, Panamá busca dinamizar relación comercial con China

de León, Financiamiento para la transición energética Latinoamericana

La Estrella, Personas que viajen al extranjero dejarán de recibir el Vale Digital

Coyle, GDP’s days are numbered

Metro Libre, La confianza del consumidor panameño disminuyó en noviembre

Science & Technology / Ciencia & Tecnología

La Estrella, Extractos de plantas contra la mosca blanca

MIT Technology Review, Rising groundwater could threaten coastal communities

El País, Hallado en La Rioja el rastro de uno de los dinosaurios más rápidos

BBC, A family’s search for answers on links between concussion and suicide

NPR, How COVID threatens the brain

La Prensa, Movimiento Ciencia Panamá reacciona a acoso en el STRI

Popular Science, Pseudoscience movement wants to wipe germs from existence

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News / Noticias

EFE, Martinelli niega recibir de la española FCCdinero

AFP, Panamá busca recuperar en EEUU el dinero de coimas de los Martinelli

TVN, Cambio Democrático continúa con proceso de expulsión de 15 diputados

Radio Tembor, Derogan Decreto 141 sobre uso de suelo en áreas protegidas

El Siglo, Tribunal Electoral demanda las reformas electorales

Pulzo, Embajador de EEUU en Ecuador: en ese país hay “narcogenerales”

Democracy Now!, Donziger released to serve rest of prison sentence from home

CBC: DC sues Proud Boys, Oath Keepers over Capitol attack

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Opinion / Opiniones

Sachs, Avoiding the worst in Ukraine and Taiwan

Ben-Ami, Tolerating a nuclear Iran

Heydarian, The resurgence of the Marcos dynasty

Blanchet, Niños se enfrentan a una crisis de una magnitud sin precedente

Saldaña, Opacidad, impunidad y vasallaje

Turner, ¿Áreas protegidas o desprotegidas?

Villalobos, Voto pendejo

Vega Abad, Erosión democrática y descentralización

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Culture / Cultura

EFE, Ratifican sanción a Panamá por cantos homófobos

PEN America, Longlists for 2022 literary awards

BBC, Five stars for Spider-Man: No Way Home

El País, Marilyn Manson: the descent into hell of metal’s provocateur

Metro Libre, Erika Ender pide alto a las letras vulgares

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Jackson, Martinelli threatens to seize journalists’ assets

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oink! grunt!
“Given the restart of the political and dirty campaigns against me, I want to announce that I will not waste my time with criminal complaints. The processes that I will initiate in defense of my honor will be civil and will be accompanied by seizures of property.”

Talking about property seizures…

by Eric Jackson

This billionaire thug is threatening to seize the assets of those who criticize him and are not billionaires. This, right after his two sons confessed in an open US federal district court that they conspired with him to launder $28 million in Odebrecht bribes.

He would scream ‘fruit of the poisoned tree’ because the attorney general at the time had improper communications with his successor. HOWEVER, it’s alleged that Don Ricky laundered money stolen from Panamanians to buy EPASA, in part via US banks:

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Notice, on the right-hand side of this chart published several years ago by prosecutors, the allegation that bribe money used for the purchase of EPASA (El Panama America, La Critica, Dia a Dia) was laundered through 13 banks in four countries, including banks in the USA.

Let’s cut out the fake “national security secrets” routine in the USA. The National Security Agency (NSA) would have electronic records of the transactions involving US banks and probably those in China, Switzerland and Panama. There would be no reliance on authorities here to prove money laundering.

The ex-president is trying to intimidate the press here in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy that is presently before the US courts and for which there are already findings of guilt that implicate himself.

I don’t see much reason why the US Department of Justice should not move to sequester EPASA. It has never been done and may be difficult to impossible to enforce? Perhaps. But look what the Treasury Department did to the Waked family’s business holdings here.

If Martinelli wants to further a criminal conspiracy about which the USA has already taken cognizance of a part, and cover crimes that used US banks, AND threaten freedom of the press, what better way for Biden to crack down on international corruption?

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Greeting the judge’s husband at the club. Click here to see the video, the narration of which is in Spanish. Video and still graphic taken from the FOCO Panama Twitter feed.

 

 

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Lerner & Zavis, Strategy for our times

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Our Strategy

by Rabbi Michael Lerner & Cat Zavis

What Rabbi Lerner discovered as principal investigator of an NIMH research grant to the Institute for Labor and Mental Health on the psychodynamics work and family life is this: most middle income people carry either consciously or unconsciously a painful self-blaming story about how they screwed up or failed in ways that have made them fail to achieve what they hoped for in their lives. Yet what ILMH research showed was that most of these self-blaming stories were rooted in the central self-justification of the capitalist order: that capitalism creates the illusion that we live in a meritocracy. A meritocracy is one in which everyone can create the life they want and if they have failed to do so, it is their own fault and thus only have themself to blame. This story leaves out the roles of inherited wealth, limits on class mobility, unequal distribution of wealth, systemic discrimination, and the resulting unequal access to education, health, and longevity.

Most people go to great lengths to hide their self-blaming story, not only to friends and family but even to themselves. They soothe their pain through various addictive behaviors. Or they find right-wing churches that tell them that the source of their pain is the demeaned other of their society (in the US that has been African Americans and Native Amercans, and more recently homosexuals, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, LGBTQ people, liberals, progressives, and the list keeps growing).

Now can you see how destructive it is when many people on the Left talk about everyone not yet with us as “stupid”, or all white people as racist, or all men as sexist? That kind of talk just drives more and more people to the Right.

Tikkun and the Network of Spiritual Progressives help people understand these tendencies of self-blaming or blaming demeaned others and then dislodge them with prophetic empathy and a critique of the phony meritocracy. We need tens of millions of people to join this consciousness-raising campaign. 

If our analysis speaks to you, we encourage you to share these ideas with your friends, family, elected officials, social change activists, and on social media. Just as consciousness-raising was central to the growth of the second wave of feminism in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, our strategy is to take this way of thinking about the pain people feel and bring it to millions of people. You can participate in this consciousness-raising effort by sharing this analysis and talking about it with others. Most people are unaware of the link between the fallacy of meritocracy and their pain of self-blaming. The more people internalize this message, the more likely they will have inner resources to reject reactionary politics that blames the ‘other’ for their pain. 

(We’re all starved for financing in this difficult year, but if you can, click here to help Tikkun and the NSP with this project.)

 

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La Universidad crea Grupo de Estudios Africanos y Afrodescendientes

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U
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El Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Humanidades (CIFHU) de la Universidad de Panamá crea Grupo de Estudios Africanos y Afrodescendientes

En cumplimiento de un reto lanzado por el Dr. Gerardo Maloney, el Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Humanidades (CIFHU) de la Universidad de Panamá, crea un Grupo de Estudios Africanos y Afrodescendientes, que coordinará la joven estudiante de nuestra facultad, Naschelly Beitia Mercado.

Como expresa el manifiesto inicial del Grupo de Estudios Africanos y Afrodescendientes, éste no constituye un “observatorio”, sino un espacio de diálogos, debates, círculos de lectura, que permita expresar nuestras experiencias, investigaciones, publicaciones, y demás actividades, favoreciendo el pensamiento crítico esperando que esto genere el deseo y la acción hacia la transformación social.

A partir de este momento invitamos a las personas interesadas en promover reflexiones sobre las problemáticas que afectan a las poblaciones afrodescendientes a coordinar actividades con este Grupo de Estudios Africanos y Afrodescendientes.

Olmedo Beluche
Director
CIFHU

 

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17 US governors on voting rights

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