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S E P T E M B E R
 2 0 0 9Issue 32
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BRITAIN TAKES CONTROL OF TURKS AND CAICOS
Britain suspended the constitution of the Turks and Caicos islands Friday, imposing direct rule for two years, the Foreign Office announced. The move came after a British court rejected an appeal by former Turks and Caicos Prime Minister Michael "Iron Mike" Misick, who had been trying to block the takeover, the Financial Times reported. Misick resigned in March after the British government announced plans for direct rule. Turks and Caicos comprise a British dependency 500 miles south of Miami and north of Hispaniola. There are eight major islands and 20 smaller ones, which served as pirate bases in the past, and a population of 30,000.  Galmo Williams, who replaced Misick as prime minister, opposes direct rule. "Our country is being invaded and re-colonized by the United Kingdom, dismantling a duly elected government and legislature and replacing it with a one-man dictatorship, akin to that of the old Red China, all in the name of good governance," he said. A British investigation found longstanding corruption, including large loans to Misick by a Slovak developer.  President Hugo Chavez foes say education laws will lead to indoctrination Police dispersed opponents of President Hugo Chavez's government on Saturday as thousands demonstrated both for and against an education law that critics fear will lead to political indoctrination in schools. Officers fired tear gas, a water cannon and rubber bullets to scatter opposition marchers as they tried to break through a police barrier. Protesters including Miguel Rivero, a 43-year-old lawyer, said they requested but did not receive permission to march to the National Assembly. "It's totally unjust," Rivero said, wiping tear gas from his eyes. "This repression is totally unnecessary."
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami accused the protesters of "inciting violence" by throwing rocks and other objects at police. Health authorities said they treated dozens of people for tear gas inhalation and at least 14 who were hit by rubber bullets or displayed other minor injuries. Interior Vice Minister Juan Francisco Romero said at least a dozen police were mildly injured. 'The Bolivarian Doctrine' The law approved by the largely pro-Chavez National Assembly last week orders schools to base curricula on "the Bolivarian Doctrine" — a reference to ideals espoused by 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar, such as national self-determination and Latin American unity.  Critics are quick to note that Chavez uses the term "Bolivarian" to describe his political movement, and some believe his socialist government intends to win over hearts and minds through classroom indoctrination. Chavez says the law is necessary to change Venezuela's "bourgeois" educational system. "This is political, nothing more," said Nancy Gonzalez, a 54-year-old retired education professor, adding that the law's vague language leaves many articles open to interpretation. Pro-government legislators deny the law aims at political indoctrination. Government supporter Adriana Lombardi — one of thousands who marched peacefully across town in favor of the measure — said she believes the law will mean her 3-year-old son will gain an improved understanding of Venezuelan history. "This is our identity, where we come from," she said. "It's important, it's fundamental." In what looks to be another step by President Obama to engage the communist nation in ‘steps forward’, the U.S. and Cuba will start talks this month on resuming direct mail service between the two countries for the first time in nearly half a century, U.S. officials said Tuesday.  The negotiations, set for Sept. 17, will follow the resumption in July of talks on the legal immigration of Cubans to the U.S., according to the officials. The two sides agreed on the two sets of discussions in late May, a month after President Barack Obama eased travel and financial restrictions on Americans with family members in Cuba. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the negotiations are not yet completed. Direct postal service between the United States and Cuba was terminated in 1963 and since then mail has had to go through third countries. Previous attempts to restore the link have failed and experts believe Cuba's communist government remains sensitive about what kind of material might be sent to the island from the United States.
Trying to improve relations
Obama wants to improve relations with Cuba and has taken several steps to gauge the Cuban leaderships' interest in doing so, including supporting a recent decision by the Organization of American States to revoke Cuba's 1962 suspension from the 34-country group. But he has also said the U.S. embargo on the country enacted in 1960 will not be lifted until Cuba enacts democratic and economic reforms, such as freeing political prisoners and allowing freedom of speech. Several U.S. lawmakers have proposed intermediate measures, such as ending the ban on travel to Cuba by all Americans. "The idea of postal service is in keeping with what appears to be an administration policy of moving ahead in a measured way and to try to engage with the government of Cuba," said Peter DeShazo, a former senior State Department official who dealt with Cuba and Latin American officials until his retirement in 2004. "It is a careful, measured outreach to Cuba," said DeShazo, who is now the Americas program director for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "No one has any expectation that these kinds of steps will lead to (reform in Cuba), but they could improve the relationship and the environment for cooperation between the U.S. and Cuba that eventually could open doors." Cuba has responded warily to the overtures, insisting on the removal of the embargo. However, when it agreed to restart the immigration talks and the postal negotiations, Cuba also expressed a willingness to cooperate with the U.S. on fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, and on hurricane disaster preparedness. Talks suspended by Bush in 2003 Before the U.S.-Cuban immigration talks were suspended by the Bush administration in 2003, the twice-yearly meetings in alternating countries had been the highest level contacts between the two countries. The talks were created so the countries could track adherence to 1994 and 1995 accords designed to promote legal, orderly migration between the two countries. The aim was to avoid a repeat of the summer of 1994, when tens of thousands of Cubans took to the sea in flimsy boats. On July 14, U.S. and Cuban officials met in New York to resume the immigration negotiations in what the State Department said at the time was a sign of "our interest in pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba to advance U.S. interests on issues of mutual concern." |
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ANTIGUA NAMES NEW REGULATOR AFTER STANFORD SCANDAL
Antigua and Barbuda has appointed an experienced banker to head the tiny Caribbean nation's financial regulatory body, replacing Leroy King, who faces US charges of abetting accused swindler Allen Stanford.
A government statement released late on Monday said John Benjamin, a banker with more than 40 years of experience, was named administrator and chief executive officer of Antigua and Barbuda's Financial Services Regulatory Commission. He replaces King, who is under house arrest and awaiting US extradition proceedings for his role in the alleged $7 billion fraud that US prosecutors say was operated by Texas billionaire Stanford and his associates using certificates of deposit issued by Stanford International Bank in Antigua. US prosecutors say King received regular bribes from Stanford over several years to keep U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigators from probing the operations of the Antigua-based bank. Stanford, 59, has denied any wrongdoing and was taken to the hospital with a racing pulse last week hours before he was due to appear in a federal court in Houston for a hearing. His lawyer says he will undergo heart tests.  Stanford, a flamboyant sports entrepreneur who backed Caribbean cricket tournaments, was granted a knighthood by Antigua and Barbuda and was once its biggest investor. Former Stanford clients from the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Peru are suing the tiny Caribbean state for up to $24 billion in damages, alleging it was a "partner in crime" with Stanford. Antigua and Barbuda's government denies this. It says the Stanford scandal badly hurt the economy of the small state of around 85,000 people, causing losses and layoffs and damaging the nation's image as an offshore finance destination. The Antiguan government statement said Benjamin, the new Financial Services Regulatory Commission chief, had previously worked with Barclays Bank Plc and the Antigua Commercial Bank and more recently had been managing director at TCI Bank Ltd of the Turks and Caicos Islands. His appointment will run for a period of six months. IN VENEZUELA BEAUTY IS A MATTER OF PRIDE AND SCALPELS!
Venezuela's afterglow of winning yet another Miss Universe crown, its sixth, has not only illuminated national pride in its Latin beauties -- but also its women's widespread recourse to cosmetic surgery. Surgical enhancement to the body has become such a norm in the South American nation that it has emerged as a top destination for "scalpel tourism" by foreigners looking for a lift or new contours at a cheaper price. "There are patients who come from Colombia, the United States, Ecuador, the Caribbean islands... They have surgery and then spend a few days on vacation," explained Rosi Oyon, head of a French subsidiary selling silicone breast implants. The passing of the Miss Universe crown from one Venezuelan to another, from 2008 winner Dayana Mendoza to Stefania Fernandez a week ago, could spur an uptick in a sector already booming, several participants in the industry said. It was Venezuela's sixth Miss Universe crown in the 59-year history of the pageant, and the first time the same nation has claimed the title twice in a row. The win puts Venezuela just one spot behind the United States in terms of overall Miss Universe victories -- although with only 26 million people it has less than one tenth of America's 300 million population. Denials their beauty is anything but natural is par for the course in the beauty pageant world, but for plastic surgeons there was no doubt that Fernandez had a little help. "I didn't operate on her, but I am sure that she has had work. They all have," said Daniel Slobodianik, a plastic surgeon who has helped several Venezuelan celebrities better fill out a bikini. Vanessa Brito, a 27-year-old Caracas resident who added breast implants fitted five years ago, explained that surgery was common for women from all walks of life. "I think there's a social pressure in Venezuela, a beauty ideal that can be seen in contests like the one for Miss Universe. And seeing that, everyone wants to look the same," she said. Laura Gonzalez, a 19-year-old student, agreed. Over the past four years she has had a nose job and breast enlargement. "This goes beyond the Miss Universe contest. Venezuelan women love to look good. We love to get our hair done, to dress well. A woman needs to feel good about herself, and it's something that has really influenced me," she said. Arturo Rojas, the head of another breast implant supplier in Venezuela, said: "Venezuelan woman are among the vainest in the world. Beauty is considered a basic necessity." Girls barely in their teens sometimes receive surgery as a gift from their parents, as in the case of Yudnara, a 13-year-old who made a pre-op trip to a doctor's office accompanied by her mother. "I think women have the right to get these kinds of operations. We are all beautiful, but sometimes we want to be even more beautiful. Not just on the inside, on the outside too," she said. Even the risk of infection, which can lead to a mastectomy in the case of silicone breast implants, does little to dissuade adolescents -- though that has generated a sideline industry for malpractice lawyers. "They don't heal quickly, because such young girls, at 15, 16 or 17 years-old, are not ready for this kind of surgery," said one lawyer, Emilia de Leon. Breast surgery is by far the most popular procedure in Venezuela, with an estimated 30,000 procedures carried out each year, according to specialists. "Mammary prostheses are the backbone of Venezuela's beauty market," Oyon said. In that section of the market, French-made silicon sacs -- considered more reliable and smoother -- dominate over rival US, Chinese and Brazilian products, accounting for around 80 percent of the enhanced busts created. For non-Venezuelans visiting to improve their neckline, the difference in cost can be significant. In Caracas, breast enlargement goes for around 2,500 dollars, compared to several thousand more in other countries. |
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A secure, residential community of 1700 acres set on rolling hillsides and dramatic cliffs rising away from the water, providing amazing ocean, mountain and valley views. Nicaragua is only 3 hours by air from Miami and Houston is in the heart if Central America, and is exposed to both major oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic. The Estate home sites are about a kilometer from the beach. The latest section has properties that range in size from an acre to almost 3 acres, starting at just $32,800.
PHENION ON THE RIDGE - JAMAICA
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| Related Articles | ||
| August 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press August 2009 | ||
| The latest news on the political scene happening in Honduras…Stanford wants an air conditioned cell as news of his trial delay is reported….The Havana news ticker that so angered Cuba is finally turned off…A tenuous honeymoon with Venezuela’s Chavez may soon be over…and a boat with about 200 Haitians capsizes near Turks and Caicos. ---> Read More | ||
| July 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press July 2009 | ||
| Nicaraguan coastal zones laws approved, adding additional security for the Seaside Mariana Spa and Golf Resort….Billionaire Stanford Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud Charges… President Obama says Cuba Must Free Political Prisoners…French President tells Martinique that Status Quo is not possible… El Salvador Elects a Leftist President...Venezuela’s Chavez Commissions a US$ 35 Million Petrocaribe Project in Dominica. ---> Read More | ||
| May 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press May 2009 | ||
| Trump has sued the developers of the Trump Ocean Resort in Baja, Mexico…and the swine flu is now impacting land, air and sea travel in to Mexico. Several Caribbean nations have new tourism executives. The EU has advanced aid to the developing nations in the Caribbean and the UN is urging generosity at Haiti’s Donor Conference. Two Caribbean islands are to come test beds for a $35M climate change project. ---> Read More | ||
| April 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press April 2009 | ||
| President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will attend the fifth Summit of the Americas held in April in Trinidad and Tobago…a group of leading Caribbean intellects is preparing for this Summit…a report from the World Bank describes the finance gaps facing developing nations such as those of the Caribbean…and the Caribbean countries are called on to safeguard free trade and stimulate their economies….the Haiti Education Foundation has initiated a fundraising campaign to further help feed and educate the children of Haiti… ---> Read More | ||
| March 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press March 2009 | ||
| The Caribbean has its own bank scare as the Sanford case causes a run on Antigua banks…meanwhile history is in the making at the 29th Annual Heineken Regatta in St Marten… after years of hosting the legends of the music industry as they recorded their albums, Montserrat has established a Wall of Fame to honor those musicians…and speaking of music, the legendary reggae band the Wailers plays again in March at St Maarten… ---> Read More | ||
| February 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press February 2009 | ||
| Caribbean foreign affairs ministers will be meeting soon in Haiti for a summit on tourism, natural disasters and climate change… The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival is estimated to have stimulated economic activity to the tune of J$1 billion (US $10.2 million) in three days…Antigua is ready to inaugurate Mount Obama….and there is still some hope toward repairing the Cuba – America political relationship. ---> Read More | ||
| January 2009 | ||
| Hot Off The Press | ||
| The fabulous Montecristo development in Nicaragua invites you to a special event in January; Caribbean nations are urging U.S. President Elect Barack Obama to end the decades long American trade embargo on Cuba.; Caribbean nations are trying to blunt the impact of the U.S. recession on their small economies with various stimulation plans; Caribbean Local Government Ministers have approved the final draft of the Regional Policy and Co-operation Framework on Local Governance; Dominica has secured US$9.16 million from the Caribbean Development Bank to be used for the rehabilitation of its sea defenses and roads; the leaders of the Caribbean to work together to take steps to sustain their economies, in the face of the global economic turmoil. ---> Read More | ||
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