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As Donald Trump and his delusional followers spun conspiracy theories and the Electoral College voted to confirm Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election, US Southern Command chief Admiral Craig Faller was on a tour of Latin America, which included ceremonies and high level meetings with Panamanian officials.
We know what was published about Faller’s visit, but not everything that was discussed. There are surely specific details that should not be public knowledge. There are also covert foreign policies that should not be concealed from the people of the countries involved. We don’t know if the US visit broached the subjects of which Latin American or Caribbean nations Donald Trump intends to attack, blockade or harass next.
Panama has since its independence from Colombia placed upon the United States a great deal of reliance for its security. We approach the anniversary of an appallingly bloody invasion that resulted in large part from Panamanians depending on Uncle Sam to remove an obnoxious dictator. We are still in the grip of an epidemic from which Donald Trump was unwilling and unable to protect the people of the United States, let alone Panama.
If Donald Trump was an aberration, let’s look at his tens of millions of delusional followers and not make the mistake of considering his presidency an interregnum, after which relations will “get back to normal.” Things have changed, Panama has to look out for itself, and the change ought to begin with the Panamanian government telling its US counterpart about Panamanian decisions taken by Panama in Panama’s interests.
The “War on Drugs?” Threats against Panama and Panamanians to prevent economic dealings with China? The expectation that Panama will honor and enforce unilateral US sanctions and boycotts? Demands for US use of Panamanian territory as a launching pad for attacks against sister Latin American nations, or as a place from whence a US thumb is placed on the scales of other countries’ internal political rivalries? Panama ought to tell Joe Biden and his people that those days are over, even if we may want to talk about underlying issues and perhaps come to new agreements.
Will Joe Biden be able to act against a Trump tax cut for the ultra-rich that has been ruinous for the United States? Nito Cortizo may want to see how that goes, but certainly Panama needs to increase its tax revenues and should not hear any assertion of a purported US veto power about taxing wealth in Panama or legalizing and taxing marijuana. Both countries need to move on in their domestic affairs and in their bilateral relationship, because times have changed.
Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the mandate of US voters, and the violent extremism of many of his supporters, creates some security and foreign policy issues for Panama to address. On the eve of the Electoral College vote, the Proud Boys engaged in violent confrontations in Washington DC, including by attacking black churches. Panama should consider them a terrorist organization whose members may not come to Panama, nor conduct any financial dealings that involve Panama.
Are there followers of a serial fraud artist — including shady stuff Trump’s businesses have done here — who say that they will escape the horrors of a Biden administration by fleeing to Panama? This country needs to take care that nobody brings scams or the proceeds of such to our territory, and that nobody uses Panama as a platform for international fraud.
The Southern Command delegation talked with countries in the region about illegal fishing. Panama certainly shares that concern, but Donald Trump is more concerned about bashing China, whose giant fishing fleet is a major offender. Joint action to protect the nation’s, region’s and world fishery would be an important subject of US and Panamanian relations, as would bilateral cooperation among scientists and environmental agencies to rebuild fisheries even in the face a changing ocean climate. We should not, however, become a pawn in a US-Chinese cold war.
Let’s not end an old friendship, but let’s put past abuses behind us. Both countries have legitimate interests, and both are sovereign states.
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?
Ursula K. LeGuin
We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over.
Aneurin Bevan
I can’t understand it. I can’t even understand the people who can understand it.
Queen Juliana
First make yourself unpopular, then people will take you seriously.
Konrad Adenauer
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The Front for an Originating Constitutional Convention rejects the “Bicentennial Dialogue” convened by the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, on November 26.
We consider that it is not aimed at solving the main problems that plague the Panamanian people, despite its motto: “Closing Gaps” and the 11 predefined topics to develop it, which leave out the issues of social security and constitutional changes.
On the contrary, through a bombastic and demagogic title and millions spent on misleading publicity, the government of the day seeks to distract the attention of fellow citizens. They don’t want us to reengage in the exercise of political power, after a year of accelerated wear and tear as a result of the corruption scandals in which it has been involved, despite the fact that these are the most critical moments in terms of health and unemployment in the last 100 years.
It is intended to demobilize a population that has taken to the streets, for various reasons, to claim their rights, either spontaneously or through organized sectors. Since the rejection of the constitutional reforms proposed by the government, a few days after his inauguration; all the protests carried out in a pandemic have fallen on deaf ears. These include demands for a more equitable distribution of food bags and solidarity vouchers, for their sufficient increase to cover basic needs; for the payment of salaries and provision of health supplies for health personnel; for various labor claims.
Likewise, the government’s strategy is aimed at muffling the call for a widely representative Originating Constituent Assembly that guarantees real citizen participation, as a mechanism to attack the main evils that we suffer as a society and to move towards a social pact that consolidates the republic. The call for an originating constitutional convention is an approach that vast sectors and many personalities in this country have been echoing.
The methodology and participation in the supposed Dialogue were designed by the executive, from top to bottom, according to the interests of economic sectors protected by the executive, favoring manipulation through the Ágora virtual platform and through supposed regional tables and another table for national discussion, all of which, from the start, detract from any credibility or authenticity.
Participation in Ágora is exclusive and illusory, since it is designed so that each person who wishes to enter the platform presents “their proposal” in a “suggestion box,” weakening and diluting the voices and the legitimacy of the organized sectors of this country, then subjecting “proposals” to selection by a commission – also chosen unilaterally – which evaluates their “scientific-technical viability.”
Technology is a tool that should promote the inclusion of the entire population, not nullify it. In addition to that, Ágora excludes the participation of those who do not have Internet access. This aggravates the great technological gap in this country, especially in the indigenous areas.
On the other hand, the Consultative Council, which is the governing body for compliance with the methodology and dialogue agreements, is made up of 21 people, who mainly represent traditional political parties and business sectors. It’s also 81% male, ignoring the universally recognized principle of parity.
The celebration of the bicentennial of our independence from the Spanish crown should not leave us with that bitter taste of having perpetuated, through a “dialogue between me and myself,” an unequal system with maximum concentration of wealth and political power, privatization of public services, legitimation of the status-quo and an increasingly exclusion of the population. This is what happened in slave-owning Greece and Rome, where the minority of “free” citizens chatted in the “Agora” or “Roman Forum” and enjoyed “democracies” built upon slave sweat.
Signed, December 10, 2020
Raúl González, Defensor de los Universitarios de la Universidad de Panamá
Asociación de Educadores Veraguenses (AEVE)
Asociación de Empleados de la Caja de Seguro Social
Asociación de Estudiantes Ngäbe de la Universidad de Panamá
Asociación de Profesores de la República de Panamá (ASOPROF)
Ciudadanos Unidos por la Constituyente (CUCO)
Confederación Nacional de Unidad Sindical Independiente (CONUSI)
Congreso General Ngäbe-Buglé y Campesinos
Coordinadora Victoriano Lorenzo (CVL)
Evolución Ciudadana
Frente Amplio por la Democracia (FAD)
Frente Nacional por la Defensa de los Derechos Económicos y Sociales (FRENADESO)
Juventudes Revolucionarias de Panamá
Movimiento Panamá Anticorrupción
Movimiento Comunal Nacional Federico Britton (MOCONA-FB)
Movimiento de la Juventud Popular (MJP)
Movimiento Político Patria
Partido del Pueblo
Pensamiento y Acción Transformadora (PAT)
Propuesta Socialista
Servicio de Paz y Justicia en Panamá (SERPAJ-Panamá)
Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Coca Cola y Cervecería Nacional (SITRAFCOREBGASCELIS)
Sindicato Unico de Trabajadores de la Construcción y SImilares (SUNTRACSS)
Sociedad Civil Ngäbe-Buglé y Campesino
Unión Nacional de Mujeres Panameñas (UNAMUP)
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Reuters, ILO seeks help for seafarers stranded by COVID
Seatrade: Containers spend 45 days stuck in depots, shortage continues
BBC, Boeing 737 Max: Brazilian airline resumes passenger flights
La Estrella, Desempleo afecta al 31.8% de panameños entre 20 y 29
Xinhua, Panamanian specialty coffee producers look to Asia
Democracy Now!, Indian farmers’ historic strike
AP, US government and states file antitrust suits against Facebook
BBC, El litio geotérmico y por qué puede revolucionar las energías limpias
The Fish Site, Culturing marine ornamentals
Metro Ecuador, Eclipse total de Sol el 14 de diciembre: dónde se podrá ver
Xinhua, Coral reef fish domesticate other animals
FOCO, Personal de Salud del Nicolás Solano tiene tres meses sin cobrar
Prensa Latina, Celebran en Panamá creación de comarca indígena
La Estrella, Bocas del Toro tiene 10 nuevos corregimientos
The Guardian, Latin America’s COVID crisis lurches from bad to worse
Metro Libre, Diecisiete policías han fallecido por COVID-19
La Estrella, Así distribuirá Panamá a su población las vacunas
Haaretz, Leading Mexican journalist targeted by Israeli NSO’s spyware
El Nuevo Herald, Miles de cubanos están en caravanas camino a la frontera de EEUU
Common Dreams, US Muslims put on no-fly list can sue the FBI about it
The Intercept, “Environmentalist” billionaire building resort on protected wetlands
Willems, Preventing the death of independent journalism
Pope Francis, People with disabilities
Boff: Lo cotidiano, la fantasía, el carisma
Feffer, Biden won’t reset US foreign policy on his own
O’Neil, Biden can’t pick up in Latin America where Obama left off
Sánchez: El contrato de Petaquilla, SA
Sagel, Combatiendo el confinamiento
Guevara Mann, Cortizo y la dinámica de la corrupción
La Estrella: Iván Gómez, la despedida de un símbolo en la mesa afropanameña
EFE, Bunbury dibuja un cambio de ciclo
Remezcla, Musical benefit for Central American moms in search of disappeared kids
BBC, “Mis padres adoptivos pensaron que habían hecho un acto de amor. Resultó ser un secuestro”
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The agreement between Israel and Morocco announced today by President Trump at the very last moment of his term, is a cynical and despicable deal worthy of all condemnation. It is an alliance between Israeli oppression on the West Bank and Moroccan oppression in the Western Sahara, a criminal handshake between two oppressors.
Already for many years, the Moroccan government has been imitating the Israeli occupation policies, oppressing the inhabitants of Western Sahara and flooding their country with settlers. The State of Israel is now becoming an official and public partner to the oppression of the inhabitants of Western Sahara, people who have never harmed Israel or threatened it in any way.
This agreement has nothing to do with peace. We are an Israeli peace movement striving for peace based on ending Israeli occupation and oppression and giving Palestinians the opportunity to establish their independent state alongside the State of Israel. We are opposed to all occupation and oppression, anywhere on Earth. As an Israeli peace movement, we strongly oppose this “peace” with Morocco.
It is very that the “matchmaker” announcing this dark deal is Donald Trump, a President who refuses to recognize the democratic decision of the citizens of the United States and who on this very day is trying in effect to carry out a coup and asks the US Supreme Court to help him retain power against the voters’ decision at the polls.
We call on the Knesset Members to reject with disgust the abominable agreement with Morocco and to vote against it when it comes to a vote in the Knesset plenum.
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Found from Guatemala to Bolivia, this species is one of four motmots found in Panama. It measures 12.5 inches from its head down to its racquet-like tail. It’s a lowlands and foothills forest bird all along the Atlantic Side, especially in the Canal area. On the Pacific Side it’s only in Eastern Chiriqui and parts of Veraguas (Santa Fe, Chitra), around El Valle and Cerro Campana in Cocle and Panama Oeste, and in Darien.
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Encontrada desde Guatemala hasta Bolivia, esta especie es una de las cuatro momotos que se encuentran en Panamá. Mide 12,5 pulgadas desde la cabeza hasta la cola en forma de raqueta. Es un ave forestal de tierras bajas y estribaciones a lo largo del lado atlántico, especialmente en el área del Canal. En el lado del Pacífico está solo en el este de Chiriquí y partes de Veraguas (Santa Fe, Chitra), alrededor de El Valle y Cerro Campana en Coclé y Panamá Oeste, y en Darién.
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I just want to thank everyone who purchased a painting during my October Paint sale. I posted a painting each day between October 15 and November 15 and from the sales donated $3500 each to FeedingAmerica.org and the Lafoodbank.org.
My thanks for all your support. It was for a good cause.
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I have paintings available on my site at the following link. Canvas prints of my paintings are also available. Just contact me for more information and pricing.
https://www.scribnerart.com/studies-for-sale
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I now have a YouTube channel with a few painting tutorials.
I’ve been meaning to do this for years and took advantage of the time I’ve been spending at home to film and edit a few tutorials. I break my classes down into three steps – Drawing then Values (light and darks) then finally Color. I posted the first one on Drawing and the other two (Value and Color) are on the way. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/user/gorgona1
Happy holidays and here’s to a better 2021!
Take care,
George
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The United Nations’ top official on torture Tuesday called for British authorities to release or place under house arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, citing the risk of Covid-19 infection in London’s notorious Belmarsh Prison and condemning a decade of “arbitrary deprivation of liberty” that has “severely violated” the jailed journalist’s human rights.
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer’s comments came in a statement noting reports that some 65 of the 165 inmates at Belmarsh, including numerous prisoners in the wing where Assange is jailed, have tested positive for coronavirus.
Assange’s legal team has repeatedly called for his release, citing pre-existing health conditions — including heart problems and respiratory infections — that place the 49-year-old journalist and publisher at elevated risk for potentially deadly Covid-19 complications.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention previously found that Assange had been arbitrarily deprived of his freedom since his arrest on December 7, 2010, including house arrest, imprisonment in London, and seven years spent receiving political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in the British capital.
Assange has been imprisoned in Belmarsh in conditions described by Melzer as “near total isolation” since April 2019 as he awaits a UK court’s decision on whether he will be extradited to the United States to face charges of violating the 1917 Espionage Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for publishing classified US military documents and files on WikiLeaks a decade ago.
Among the materials published by WikiLeaks are the Afghanistan and Iraq War Logs, which revealed US and coalition war crimes, many of them leaked by Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Perhaps the most infamous of the leaks is the so-called “Collateral Murder” video, which shows US Army attack helicopter crews laughing as they gunned down a group of Iraqi civilians that included journalists and children.
While the soldiers and commanders implicated in the materials published by WikiLeaks have largely enjoyed impunity, Manning served seven years in prison before her sentence was commuted by outgoing President Barack Obama in 2017. Meanwhile, Assange faces up to 175 years behind bars if found guilty of all charges against him.
“The British authorities initially detained Mr. Assange on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by Sweden in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct that have since been formally dropped due to lack of evidence,” Melzer said in his statement. “Today, he is detained for exclusively preventative purposes, to ensure his presence during the ongoing US extradition trial, a proceeding which may well last several years.”
“Mr. Assange is not a criminal convict and poses no threat to anyone, so his prolonged solitary confinement in a high security prison is neither necessary nor proportionate and clearly lacks any legal basis,” Melzer continued.
There have been growing calls for President Donald Trump to pardon Assange during his last weeks in office, including by exiled former National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, filmmaker Oliver Stone, actress and activist Pamela Anderson, and musician Roger Waters.
Melzer — who has repeatedly called Assange’s treatment “torture” — added that the whistleblower’s “rights have been severely violated for more than a decade.”
Additionally, Melzer advised British authorities to decline the US extradition request, citing serious human rights concerns in a nation whose prisons are rife with torture, rape, and other abuses.
“He must now be allowed to live a normal family, social and professional life, to recover his health, and to adequately prepare his defense against the US extradition request pending against him,” he said.
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