Colombia and its Green Wave

Since it became clear that Colombia’s president Álvaro Uribe cannot be reelected for a second time, elections for presidency have become exciting. It is not at all certain that his heir Juan Manuel Santos is going to win. All kinds of explanations can be given for this, but one is the Green Wave.

Berlin Wall in Cuba

When the new president Funes was inaugurated in El Salvador, Cuba was an important item. Access to the Organisation of American States was discussed. The New York Times mentioned a ‘New Sign of Thaw’ in the relation between the United States of Obama and Cuba. In the meantime Cuba’s blogger Yoani Sánchez wrote a sad post on her blog.

Open veins of Latin America is bestseller

Since Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez gave as a present Eduardo Galeano’s The Open Veins of Latin America to Barack Obama, this book has become a beststeller in the United States. The book is already 36 years old and the question is if mr. Galeano would write it the same way if he had to do it now, in 2009.

Protest with pots and pans in Cuba

That is the proposal of Cuba’s famous blogger Yoani Sánchez on Twitter for the First of May, Labour Day. The protest is meant against migration restrictions on the island.

Chávez gives Galeano’s ‘Open veins’ to Obama

The implicit message was clear when Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez gave the book The open Veins of Latin America, written by the Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano, to the United States president Barack Obama.  Latin America has been plundered by the rich countries and the United States are one of those.

Che Guevara’s grandson can’t go to Cuba

Today I was struck by an interview in Venezuela’s daily El Nacional with Che Guevara‘s grandson Canek Sánchez Guevara. Firstly because I didn’t know he existed. He said he didn’t agree with the Castro regime in Cuba, which ‘has behaved like a monarchy’. But  Canek (1974) wouldn’t like being called Che Guevara’s grandson, because he hasn’t ever known his grandfather, who already had died when he was born. In an interview he said “Che means less to me than my other grandfather with whom I could play and laugh.”

How to save Plan Colombia

Colombia’s vice-President’s Francisco Santos’ words to pull out of Plan Colombia should not be taken as literally as he said them. The man is not as childish as he seems. Santos is after the opposite: saving Plan Colombia.

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Lula is going to meet Obama

Interesting the news today that Brasil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the first Latin American leader who is going to talk with Barack Obama, president of the Unitd States.

Obama embraces Bin Laden in Barranquilla

On the picture you see me with Obama and Bin Laden

It is February and in Barranquilla in the Caribbean part of Colombia the period of Carnival has begun. At the moment the Carnaval de las artes – the Arts Carnival – is going on.

Obama in bulletproof clothes from Colombia

And now the latest Obama inauguration day news. The new president of the United States was dressed in bulletproof clothes made by the Colombian designer Miguel Caballero.