Pubdate: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 Source: Deseret News (UT) Copyright: 2002 Deseret News Publishing Corp. Contact: http://www.desnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124 Author: Mike Martinez Note: Utah native Mike Martinez, an attorney in private practice, is active in Hispanic affairs. He has previously worked in the Utah Attorney General's Office, the Salt Lake County Attorney's Office and for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington D.C. AT RISK IN LATIN AMERICA Reading local and national newspapers, I notice that there is very little information about the countries south of our border. In light of our generous foreign aid and the impact its migrants have on American industry and budgets, it is curious we hear so little about the area. Latin American countries are often in turmoil, and it's difficult to believe what transpires in those countries, given our stable democracy. But it is understandable why so many leave their homes and journey north to uncertainty when the unknown is often less risky than the known. Some examples of the turmoil: Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo has started an investigation into the slaying of an opposition candidate. The candidate was gunned down after calling for the ouster of Portillo. The president and his vice president have been accused of embezzling millions in public funds. Guatemala is in the midst of a severe drought, as are El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. The World Food Program says it will take $4.9 million to feed 155,000 starving people. Right now, it is estimated that 6,000 children are at risk of starvation. Colombia, the drug capital of the world, will soon hold national elections. Colombia is second only to Afghanistan in terrorist activity, and candidates always promise to get tough on the drug- dealing rebels. Most candidates have been threatened or shot at by drug-dealing rebels who have survived by bribing politicians and military leaders and by killing nosy citizens. Colombian presidential frontrunner Alvaro Uribe was kidnapped by the Medellin drug cartel in 1990. Uribe's father was killed by terrorists in 1983. Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign chief were kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia two months ago and are still missing. Her mother is running a surrogate campaign. Colombians are replacing former President Ernesto Samper. The United States stripped Samper of his visa when it was discovered he took money from drug traffickers. Not only are politicians at risk, anyone who speaks against terrorism and drugs is. Recently, prominent Catholic Archbishop Isais Duarte was gunned down outside his Bogata church. He had been a vocal critic of the government's inattention to the poor and shallow anti-terrorism platforms. President Bush is asking Congress to send Colombia $133 million to protect an oil pipeline that rebels regularly blow up. An additional $439 million in long-term aid is expected for Colombia. Argentina has been in a severe four-year recession. The World Bank and the United States refuse to lend any more money to prop up the inevitable financial system collapse. Argentines cannot access their bank accounts and have resorted to suing the banks. The banking system is losing about $1 billion a month. Right now cash withdrawals are limited to $500 a month. Do they really expect the courts to be more efficient than the banks? Venezuela provides the United States with 14 percent of its oil supply. Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez reduced oil production and drew the ire of the country's oil cartel and the United States. He was then ousted by the military, who replaced him with the president of the oil cartel, who immediately increased the oil supply north. After severe international condemnation of the overthrow of a democratically elected government, he was reinstated by the military. Chavez says he now realizes the error of his ways, and oil production flows smoothly north, again. Too bad the country's economy is still down the tubes. - --- MAP posted-by: Ariel