Collazo Projects

The Case of Honduras/El Caso Honduras

julie — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:51:36 +0000

Text: Francisco Collazo
Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo
[vease abajo para la version en espanol]
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Photo of Tegucigalpa by Fellowship of the Rich

Latin America has a long history of military coups, and Honduras is also a Latin American country.

To understand the events that recently occurred in Tegucigalpa, one must understand the history of Latin America, a history that shaped and made possible this seizure of power by force and the establishment of a military government. That history is easier to understand if we take a close look at how power is distributed in an agrarian, almost feudal, society in this region of Central America.

Spain’s conquests in the Americas was an epoch of genocide and mass brutality. In addition, the social, economic, and labor systems the Spanish set up in the Americas produced a mix of Europeans, Blacks, and natives (or indigenous people), which, in turn, led to the establishment of strict ethnic and social hierarchies that would shape social organization for the rest of the colonial period and even until the present day.

Photo by Lon&Queta

Honduras’s independence, won in 1821, was important; however, the country would continue spending many more years struggling to establish itself as a new nation and nurturing unity in Central America. The invasion of Central America by William Walker and his soldiers was a move to try to seize the region as an American colony. Walker and his forces were booted out of Nicaragua in 1857, but in 1860 the unit invaded Honduras, where they were finally defeated and executed by firing squad.

Following the wars of independence with Spain, Honduras was divided into two groups: one that maintained the status quo of the country’s social and political norms that had been established during the colonial period, and the other that expressed a desire to make a clean, complete break with that period and all it represented. Although Honduras has had multiple political parties since that time, they have all adhered, more or less, to one or other of these ideologies.

Significant political, economic, and social problems exist in Honduras, which reactionaries characterize as stemming from a lack of order and control; historically, the dominant classes have called upon the armed forces to exert their authority and establish “normality.” But perhaps it’s this “order” and “normality” that have been the underlying problems in Honduras and in all of Latin America for the past 500 years, for they have led to the use of brutal force, violence, and repression. In Honduras, the memory of Batallion 316, a secret paramilitary group in charge of physically eliminating political opposition and dissident voices during the government of General Policarpo Paz Garcia, is still very much alive.

Latin American courts have traditionally played a passive role in these dramas, though they are typically allied with the dominant classes. In fact, the language of the law is often used to do away with the people’s rights. They’re not courts that must or even wish to apply a strict interpretation of the nation’s constitution to the legal business of the nation. There’s not a tradition of democracy nor a respect for rights. It’s the point of the pistol that talks. We saw that in Chile in 1973 and again in Venezuela not so long ago. Of the 30 countries that comprise Latin America, at least 25 have gone through a period of dictatorship. And when a civil politician is elected as president, he is often as corrupt and violent as the military dictatorships; Alberto Fujimori of Peru, Joaquin Balaguer of the Dominican Republic, and Juan Maria Bordaberry of Uruguay are just a few examples.

Photo by Lon&Queta

The government of deposed president José Manuel Zelaya, then, is marked by these historical burdens in a region that has been overwhelmingly poor, under-educated, and exploited for centuries. We should remember, after all, that Spain didn’t come to the Americas to establish schools and universities or to free people. President Zelaya is simply the latest victim of an entrenched violence that is both physical and psychological in Latin America, a violence which is often justified with a patriotic fervor and in the name of “liberty,” individual rights, equality and peace.

In Honduras, the oligarchy considers itself to be the absolute, uncontested bearer of truth and justice. They invest themselves with the right to take an elected President out of his home by force, dressed only in his pajamas, and then try to manipulate the masses through radio and TV, where they lay out emotional, partisan rationales to assert that the military coup was indeed justified.

Not too long ago, the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, all but forced the City Council to accept his proposal to extend the city’s term limits law so he could serve a third term. It was a controversial power grab, but New Yorkers didn’t call upon the National Guard or military general to solve this political problem. Why? Well, although we’re comparing two distinct societies–one that historically has not had military coups and is far from having one–the comparison raises the question about the role that the institutions of law play in situations like these. At present, we don’t know exactly what the position of the Honduran court is. So far, we’ve only been exposed to reactionary opinions that reflect emotions and personal interests of a very specific segment of the Honduran population. Where are the courts? Where are the best minds of Honduras?

The wholesale robbery of liberties, the practice of slavery, and the tendency toward looting have all characterized the foundation of our nations in Latin America. More than 500 years after the arrival of the Spanish, the fruits of conquest are still being harvested.

It’s impossible to explain what’s going on in Honduras without taking time to examine the past. State-sponsored terror is latent and is by no means passe. It’s impossible to overlook the historical relations between the Garifunas (Honduran descendants of slaves and freedmen who came to Honduras from the British Caribbean), the “Turcos” (the Christian Arab immigrants who came to the Americas fleeing Muslim persecution during the Ottoman era), who control many businesses in Honduras, and the indigenous groups, who lost almost all of their lands.

If Hondurans lack access to health care, pensions, adequate education, and social mobility, we must acknowledge that the situation is not one borne solely out of today’s realities, but the result of hundreds of years of unfair policies. If we call servants “domestic workers” and still give orphaned children to rich families so their children will have company, this isn’t a contemporary phenomenon either; it has historical roots.

The military junta installed Roberto Micheletti as president and challenges any attempt to restore Zelaya to power. From the Rio Grande to Patagonia this story plays itself out again and again. Today it’s Honduras. Who will it be tomorrow?

[To see a photo essay of protests in Honduras following the coup, please click here. And to learn more about what a coup is, exactly, check out this article.

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No es extraño en la americalatina los golpes de estado y Honduras es tambien un pais de la americalatina.

Photo by rbreve

Para entender los sucesos recientes en Tegucigalpa hay que entender la historia que determina y hace posible la toma del poder por la fuerza y el establecimiento de gobiernos militares. La razon es simple si miramos de cerca como se ditribuye el poder en una sociedad agraria y casi feudal de esta region de Centro America.

La conquista de España en las Americas fue un episodio de genocidio y de brutalidad masiva. Esta produjo ademas una mezcla de europeos, negros, y nativos o indigenas como aqui se le llama que trajo como consecuensias jerarquias etnicas y sociales, dejando establecida asi la linea a seguir por esta nacion por el resto de sus dias hasta el presente.

La independencia de 1821 trajo por si mismo mucho mas anos de lucha para la nueva nacion Hondureña para tratar de mantener la union en la America Central. La invasion a Centro America por parte de William Walker y sus soldados de fortuna trataron de convertir a esa region en una colonia americana. Estos fueron sacados de Nicaragua en 1857 pero en 1860 invadieron a Honduras donde finalmente fue derrotado y puesto frente al peloton de fusilamiento.

Despues de las guerras de independencia de España la nacion quedo dividida en dos grupos, el uno que sigue la linea antes existente en el pais durante la colonia y el otro que desea romper con todo lo del pasado. Aunque a traves de su historia Honduras ha contado con mas de un partido dentro de las dos divisiones, todos ellos siguen una u otra linea ideologica.

Photo: venstresida

Existen enormes problemas politicos, economicos, y sociales en Honduras que apelan a la derecha reaccionaria como falta de orden y descontrol que historicamente las clases dominantes han llamado a las fuerzas armadas para re-establecer el orden y la normalidad. Y que quizas esta misma orden y normalidad ha sido el problema de los ultimos 500 anos en Honduras y en toda la americalatina. Fuerza, violencia y represion son los resultados de esta crisis. Todavia se respira en Honduras los recuerdos de Batallon 316, grupo secreto de paramilitares encargado de eliminar fisicamente a los opositores politicos y a voces desidentes durante el gobierno del General Policarpo Paz Garcia.

Photo by Lon&Queta

Las cortes en americalatina juegan un papel pasivo de aliado a la clase historicamente dominante. De hecho muchas veces utiliza su lenguaje para despojarles los derechos a la mayoria y mantener el status quo. No es una corte que tiene y quiere aplicar con firmeza las leyes constitucionales de su nacion. No hay una tradicion democratica, ni respeto por el derecho ajeno. Es a punta de pistola que se habla. Esta situacion se vivio en Chile en 1973 y en Venezuela hasta hace muy poco. De los 30 paises que conforman latinoamerica, al menos 25 ha vivido con dictadura en un momento u otro. Y cuando elijen a un president civil es muchas veces tan corrupto y violento como los militares: Alberto Fujimori (Peru), Joaquin Balaguer (Republica Dominicana), y Juan Maria Bordaberry (Uruguay), para mencionar unos pocos.

El gobierno de José Manuel Zelaya esta recojiendo los escombros historico de una America pobre, analfabeta, y explotada por siglos. Despues de todo debemos recordarnos que España no llego a las Americas para fundar escuelas, universidades y hacer a los hombres libres. Presidente Zelaya esta siendo testigo de una violencia engranada en lo mas profundo de americalatina, sin pudor y justificada por la reaccion con fervor patriotico y en nombre de la libertad, el derecho individual ,la igualdad y la paz.

En Honduras las clases oligarcas se sienten los duenos absolutos de la verdad y la justicia. Tienen el derecho de sacar an piyamas al nuevo presidente electo y ofrecen por la radio y la television comunicados de prensa que ponen en su vision partidaria y emocional las razones y causa para este golpe militar bien justificados.

En hechos reciente el el mayor de la ciudad de Nueva York Michael Bloomberg trabajo durante su mandato para extender su termino por mas tiempo. Sin embargo los nuevayorkinos no emplearon la Guardia Nacional ni sus generales para solucionar este cambio politico. Por qué? Bueno, aunque estamos hablando y comparando dos sociedades distintas– una que historicamente no ha tenido golpes militares y esta muy lejos de producir uno– refleja cual es el papel historico que juega en la sociedad sus instituciones legales en todo esto. Hasta el momento no hemos sabido cual es la posicion de la corte hondureña que regula y controla las funciones legales del gobierno en el dia a dia. Solo hemos estado expuestos a reacciones y opiniones que van unidos a sentimientos y a intereses personales. Donde estan las cortes? Donde estan las mejores mentes de Honduras?

Robo masivo de libertades, esclavitud, y saqueo han sido los elementos que nuestras naciones se fundaron. A mas de 500 años de la llegada de los españoles todavia se esta recojiendo el fruto de esta conquista. Todo esto en la americalatina refleja el dicho “De tal palo tal astilla”.

Photo of Hondurans by junebug6467

Es imposible explicar los hechos de la Honduras de hoy sin detenerme en el pasado porque me dejaria desnudo y sin palabras. El terror del estado está latente y de ninguna manera moribundo. Sería imposible explicar Honduras sin detenerme en la historia de las relaciones entre Garífunas (personas decendientes de negros esclavos y de libertos venidos a Honduras del caribe Britanico), Turcos (nombre que se le dio a los inmigrantes arabes de religion cristiana perseguidos por los Musulmanes durante el reinado Otoman) y que controlan una gran parte de los negocios en Honduras e indigenas que perdieron casi todas sus tierras.

Si en Honduras las personas andan sin asceso a la salud, beneficios de retiros, derecho a educacion y no es posible la mobilidad social, puedo decir con toda honestidad que no ha sido un invento de un dia. Si a las sirvientas les llaman hoy “trabajadoras domesticas” y todavia se le regalan niños huerfanos a los ricos para que le sirvan de entretenimientos a sus hijos para que tengan compañia, tampoco ha sido invento de un dia.

Photo by Nathan T. Baker

La junta militar establece a Roberto Micheletti como presidente y desafia con sus declaraciones cualquier intento de instalar al presidente constitucional electo Jose Manuel Zelaya. Desde el Rio Bravo hasta La Patagonia esta historia se repite una y otra vez, hoy es Honduras y mañana quien será?

Summer in (& outside) the City: Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

julie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:11 +0000

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
Photos: Francisco Collazo
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Perhaps it wasn’t coincidence that I spent the past two summers away from New York City.

I’d become disenchanted with summer in the city, cranky with crowds and disgusted by the fetid smell of the subway between June and August. Even the summer activities I’d once loved here and waited all year to enjoy–the free movies, concerts, and performances–had lost their appeal.

Summer’s been slow to arrive this year; it seems like it just showed up this week. For this reason, it’s been easier to be here, and at seven months pregnant, it’s probably not smart to stray too far from home.

Fortunately, this summer also offers a few new activities and escapes, both in the city and out. We’ll be featuring several of them on Collazo Projects over the next few weeks, outlining an itinerary for those of you who live in or near the city, and posting photos and reviews of the experiences for those of you who can only enjoy them from afar. Today we bring you the first one in our series: the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

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What It Is:
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival is one of the country’s many summer Shakespeare events. Held outside at the Boscobel estate in Garrison, New York, the festival dates back to 1987. The 2009 season kicked off on June 16 and runs through September 6, with shows offered every day except Monday. This year’s productions include “Pericles,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and “The Complete Works of Shakespeare {Abridged}.” The full calendar can be found here.

Why You’ll Enjoy It:
If the weather’s right, the outdoor setting at Boscobel allows for enjoyment of much more than the play itself. Get to the town of Cold Spring early and wander up Main Street, which is lined with antique shops and boutiques.

If you’re coming up after work, be sure to get to Boscobel by 6 PM at the latest– you’ll have just enough time to walk around the grounds of the estate. Be sure to bring your camera- Boscobel is perched high on a hill overlooking the Hudson River.

If you can get there earlier, so much the better. Boscobel’s grounds open at 5 PM. You’ll have time to spread a picnic blanket on the soft grass and relax before show time.

Festival staff start requesting picnic clean-up around 6:30 PM. “Curtain” time is at 7.

The show is outdoors under a tent; the setting is intimate. After adjusting yourself to the outdoor acoustics, you’ll enjoy the spirited acting of the company, many of whose members are making their second, third, or fourth festival appearance. We saw “Much Ado About Nothing,” which was packed with laughs.

How to Go:
You could drive–a good option if you’re going up on the weekend and want to do some more leisurely exploring of the Hudson Valley region. It’s a mostly straight shot up Route 9.

You’d be better off, though, taking Metro North’s Hudson Line train from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan to the Cold Spring depot just a couple miles away from Boscobel. You won’t be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour; instead, snag a window seat and enjoy the scenery as the train heads north with river views the whole way.

The ride is about 70 minutes. Be sure you choose a train to Poughkeepsie that makes a stop in Cold Spring!

If you take the train, make an advance reservation for the Festival’s shuttle bus (”Bard Bus”) service, which will pick you up at the depot, take you to Boscobel, and bring you back again afterward.

You can make a Bard Bus reservation by calling 845-265-9575. The cost per person is $6.00. When you exit the Metro North train, continue walking down the platform in the same direction the train is heading. At the far end of the platform, you’ll exit at the depot, which is on the corner of Depot and Main Streets. The shuttle will pick you up right there, and is clearly identifiable.

Travel tip: If you do take Metro North, be aware that peak hour ticket prices differ from off-peak prices. PM peak prices going north go into effect on the 4:01 train; if you catch the 3:50 train, your ticket will be a few dollars cheaper. Go ahead and buy a round trip ticket to avoid any problems on your return journey.

What to Know:

If you don’t want to pack your own picnic, the Festival offers a concession stand with pre-made wraps (featuring, among others, the Twelfth Night Turkey and Hamlet Ham and Cheese), chips, cookies, popcorn, ice cream, beer, wine, water, and soda. If you plan ahead, you can also order a gourmet picnic, choosing among these six options: sliced chicken breast, pear, blue cheese and walnut salad; vegetarian salad trio, assorted cheeses with prosciutto, fresh fruit, hummus, and pita chips; grilled tandoori chicken breast served with Asian noodles and cole slaw; Thai beef salad with sesame noodles; or roasted salmon with dill sauce and a summer salad. If you prefer this option visit the Festival’s website to pre-order your picnic, which can be picked up at the concession stand upon your arrival.

You can photograph and video the grounds, but no photography or video is allowed during the show.

Tickets can be ordered online or by calling the box office at 845-265-9575. Prices range from $30-$46, depending on the day of the show. Discounts are offered to seniors and students; children 12 and under get a half-price ticket any night except Saturday. No children under 5 are admitted to performances, however. If you’re planning to take the family, you might want to visit on July 7, 14, or 22, when the Festival offers a family night special: $80 for a family of four.

June is Puerto Rican Pride Month/Junio: Mes de Orgullo Puertorriqueno

julie — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:44:39 +0000

Text & Photos: Francisco Collazo
Translation: Julie Schwietert Collazo
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Each June, New York City is host to the Puerto Rican Day Parade, a celebration of grand scale. But there are lots of other events highlighting Puerto Rican culture, too, including a boxing match that pitted Puerto Rico’s welter weight champ, Miguel Cotto, against Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden.

Then there was a neighborhood party on 116th Street, the heart of Spanish Harlem, on Saturday the 13th, followed by the parade on the 14th, which proceeded along Fifth Avenue between 44th and 86th Streets.

Flags and other symbols of Puerto Rican identity were evident on every corner in Spanish Harlem, as were music and typical food, both giving a festive touch to the celebration. Old folks gathered on the corners of the “Barrio” (as this section of Harlem is called) to tell stories. “All this started in a park on 116th Street,” Juan, a Vietnam vet and Barrio resident since the 60s told me. “A group of us Puerto Ricans would get together to sing and drink on the weekends.” The men ask each other “Do you remember this person or that one?” while younger people gather around to listen, full of curiosity and intensity, as if they want to learn and memorize these stories to tell future generations.

It’s here where Puerto Ricans first settled in New York, the majority of them single men and from rural parts of the island. Later, they’d send for their families, making life more pleasant and creating a better future for their kids. Over the years, their community branched out to other neighborhoods in New York and throughout other cities in the Northeast, including Boston, parts of New Jersey, and Philadelphia, among others.

The Puerto Rican presence in the US is strong. Approximately 4 million people identified themselves as Puerto Rican in the 2000 Census, making them the largest Hispanic group living in the US after Mexicans (18 million).

But while all these festivities are taking place to celebrate Puerto Rican pride in New York, Puerto Rico itself is undergoing an economic crisis of epic proportions.

The island’s government threatens more cuts in the services it offers: cuts to pensions, the closure of community programs, decreased salaries for government employees, obligatory early retirements. Unemployment and inflation are increasingly problematic and the daily news is full of stories about worker demonstrations. The gravity of the situation becomes evident when one considers that the government is the biggest employer and a significant economic motor of the island. Almost a third of the jobs in Puerto Rico are affiliated in one way or another with the government. The diminishing funds, considered alongside corruption scandals, dim the light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s been an intense month full of ups and downs for Puerto Ricans, whether on the island or off it. President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as the next justice of the US Supreme Court filled Puerto Ricans with pride. But political posturing in New York’s state legislature involving Senators Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr. were distracting factors. Cotto eked out a victory in his fight against Clottey in New York, giving Puerto Ricans cause to celebrate. The Puerto Rican Tourism Board launched a series of new initiatives intended to increase tourism to the island, while hospitality industry insiders secretly worried that the possible “opening” of Cuba would mean declines in tourism for Puerto Rico.

Perhaps 2009 is the year of the Puerto Rican, both on the island and off. Who knows?

Cada Junio la ciudad de Nueva York es escenario para el Dia de la Parada Puertorriqueña, una celebracion de gran escala y significancia a la misma vez. De la misma manera hay otros eventos culturales, incluyendo una cartelera boxistica que puso al campeon puertorriqueno de los pesos medianos Miguel Cotto, frente a su retador Joshua Clottey en la arena del Madison Square Garden.

De la misma manera hubo fiestas en la calle 116, en el corazon del Harlem Español el dia 13 de Junio, precidiendo la Gran Parada oficial del siguiente dia a lo largo de la 5ta. Avenida desde la calle 44 hasta la calle 86.

Banderas y otros simbolos de la identidad puertorriqueña eran evidentes en cada esquina el el Harlem Español, como tambien lo fue su musica y sus comidas tipicas, ambas dandole un toque especial a las celebraciones.

Los mayores se reunian en las esquinas del “Barrio”(como tambien es llamado este sector de Harlem) para contar historias. “Todo esto empezo en un parque de la calle 116,” Juan, un veterano de la guerra de Vietnam y residente del barrio desde los anos 60s me dice. “Un grupo de nosotros nos reuniamos a beber y a cantar los fines de semanas.” Los hombres se preguntan los unos a los otros “Te acuerdas de esta persona o la otra?” mientras un grupo de personas los rodean para escuchar sus historia llenos de curiosidad, como queriendo aprender de memoria estas historias para luego contarlas a las generaciones futuras.

Es en el Barrio donde primero llegaron los puertorriqueños a Nueva York, la mayoria de ellos hombres solos y de zonas rurales que luego mandaron a buscar a sus familias para hacer la vida mas amena y pasajera, y crear asi un mejor futuro para sus hijos ya nacido en tierras lejana. Desde aqui, expandieron con el pasar de los años a otras comunidades en Nueva York y en la zona del noreste del pais: Boston, Nueva Jersey, Filadelfia y otros estados.

La presencia puertorriqueña en los EEUU es muy fuerte. Aproximadamente 4 millones de personas han declarado su decendencia puertorriqueña, siendo asi el segundo grupo de latinos mas numerosos que reside en los EEUU despues de los mexicanos (18 millones de personas), segun el censo del año 2000.

Sin embargo, mientras estas celebraciones tienen lugar, Puerto Rico esta pasando por una crisis economica de magnitud enorme. El gobierno de la isla esta amenazando por mas recortes en los servicios que ofrece a la poblacion: pensiones recortadas, cierre de programas comunitarios, deminucion de salarios a los empleados del gobierno, retiros obligatorios o forzados.

El desempleo y la inflacion estan en escala gigante y las demostraciones obreras dominan las noticias diarias de los periodicos. La situacion es grave si se considera que el gobierno es el mayor empleador y la arteria vital para la economia de la isla. Casi una tercera parte de los empleos en Puerto Rico estan ligados de una manera u otra a servicios gubernamentales. Estos recortes de los fondos unidos a los escandalos de corrupcion y robo no le brinda a la isla una luz a la salida del tunel.

Para los puertorriqueños, Junio ha sido un mes lleno de altas y bajas, ya sea dentro o fuera de la isla. La nominacion de Sonia Sotomayor por parte del presidente Obama para proxima jueza de la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos ha llenado de orgullo a los puertorriquenos, pero la postura politica de los Senadores Hiram Monserrate y Pedro Espada Jr. fueron factores que distrayeron la significancia de estos eventos.

Cotto salio victorioso de su combate contra Clottey en Nueva York, dandole algo mas a los puertorriqueños para celebrar. El buro de Turismo de Puerto Rico lanzo una nueva serie de iniciativas para incrementar el turismo de la isla, mientras que los conocedores de la industria hospitalaria secretamente se preocupan por lo que una posible apertura de Cuba podria significar para su turismo. Quizas 2009 es el año de los puertorriqueños, dentro y fuera de la isla. Quien sabe?

Museo de Chocolate de La Habana/Havana’s Chocolate Museum

julie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:23:09 +0000

Text: Martin Pei de la Paz
Photos: Brayan Collazo; Indrani Soemardjan
Translated by: Julie Schwietert Collazo
[vease abajo para la version en espanol]
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Every day, millions of people around the world consume chocolate in some form. Chocolate can be found in candies, drinks, and toiletries; it’s even been used in clothing designs and in the manufacture of exotic objects. If you’re a chocolate aficcionado and you happen to be in Havana, be sure to stop by the Chocolate Museum.

With a name like “Chocolate Museum,” perhaps you imagine a museum like any other, full of items with historical value, rare objects, antiques, precious artifcats, and an extensive collection of books, photos, and documents on display.

This museum isn’t exactly like that. This museum is for the display of the ordinary and the common, not just from Cuba, but also from Spain, Belgium, and Mexico… but what is true is that all the items in this “collection” are somehow related to the culture of cacao and chocolate.

Master chocolate makers from Belgium came to Havana to train an elite group in artisanal chocolate-making so they could open a store in Havana where chocolate truffles, bon bons, and bars would be made in front of visitors.

Bears and tobacco leaves are some of the whimsical figures this new generation of Cuban chocolate artists is turning out. The chocolates also run the gamut with respect to the percentage of cacao and sugar each piece contains; there’s bitter, dark, milk, and white chocolate on display here.

The museum is climatized and well furnished, offering several tables from which guests can enjoy the museum’s collection and watch the chocolate makers at work.

And remember– the chocolate museum isn’t really a museum at all, but a cafe where you can enjoy this delicious aphrodisiac hot or cold.

Besides the candies, the Chocolate Museum has an extensive variety of tempting drinks, like the Aztec hot chocolate, mixed with black pepper and nutmeg. It really is a drink for the gods.

Ironically, the museum is located on “Bitter Street” (Calle Amargura), which gives it a special touch! It’s open to the public each day from 10 AM until 7:30 PM. Stop by for a visit– just be careful to keep your temptation and weight under control!

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Millones de personas en el mundo consumen a diario chocolate o los derivados de el mismo. Este se encuentra en golosina, bebidas, lociones, e inclusive se ha utilizado para la construccion de piezas de vestir y en objetos exoticos. Si es usted uno de estos consumidores que esta en La Habana con confianza acérquese y visitelo.

Al escuchar Museo de Chocolate quizas su mente asocie e imagine un museo como cualquier otro, lleno de piezas de gran valor historico, objetos raros, colecciones antiguas y preciosas con extensa coleccion de libros, fotos, y documentos. Bueno, no exactamente. El museo del cual les hablo a decir verdad tiene piezas ordinarias y comunes, no solo de Cuba, sino tambien España, Bélgica y Mexico. Todos relacionados con la cultura del cacao y del chocolate.

Maestros chocolateros Belgas con mucha experiencia en el tema llegaron a La Habana para entrenar y formar un grupo de elite que tendría la tarea de encaminarse en el arte de la chocolatería y abrir en La Habana un lugar donde elaborar frente al cliente, bombones y tabletas de una manera diferente, artística y artesanal.

Desde un oso a un tabaco se mueven las caprichosas figuras que nos presentan los artistas de nueva generación de chocolateros cubanos. No solo se diferencian de la forma sino de la cantidad de cacao y azúcar en cada mezcla, dando lugar a los amargos, oscuros, con leche y blanco.

Climatizado y bien amueblado cuenta el museo con varias mesas desde donde se puede apreciar la colección del museo y a la vez a los chocolateros trabajando. De hecho el museo de chocolate no es un museo, sino una cafeteria donde se puede consumir este delicioso afrodiciaco frio o caliente.

Una gama de ofertas de bebidas que exhibe el museo es extensa y tentadora, como la taza de chocolate azteca mezclada con pimienta y nuez moscada es deleite para dioses para decir verdad.

Ironicamente este museo se encuentra hubicado en la calle “Amargura” la cual le da un toque especial! El mismo abre sus puertas al publico todos los días de 10:00 am a 7:30 pm. Y mi unica sugerencia es cuidado con las tentaciones y su peso.

NYC Demonstration in Solidarity with Peru’s Indigenous Populations

julie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:25:30 +0000

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
Photos: Francisco Collazo
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Since June 7 I’ve been following the developments of the June 6 assault on peaceful protesters in the Peruvian region of Bagua by federal police forces. You can read the background of this story here.

To learn more about the Peruvian situation, please visit AmazonWatch,an organization that has a staff member on the ground to provide firsthand accounts and testimonies of what has occurred. AmazonWatch also has a list of action steps you can take if you’d like to get involved.

Today, New York was one of several cities around the US and the world that held a demonstration to express solidarity with Peru. Francisco was there, and captured these photos:

Cambio Monetario en Cuba/Changing Money in Cuba

julie — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:42:04 +0000

Text: Martin Pei de la Paz
Photos: Francisco Collazo and Brayan Collazo
[vease abajo para la version en espanol]

*
Traveling to another country presents a number of logistical challenges: finding accommodation, learning the local transportation system, making sure you’re safe, and learning local customs, to name just a few. Visiting Cuba presents even more challenges, such as exchanging money, and then, learning about the different types of currency, how items are priced, and forms of payment.

Cuba, with its CUC (shorthand for the “Cuban convertible”, as it’s called), turns money exchange into a science that’s not easy to decipher in one or two weeks. Figuring out the maze of transactions is a task that’s utterly Cuban–and tough, to boot.

Recently, some German friends of mine wanted to have the experience of buying fresh fruit and vegetables at a local market. A chalkboard indicated that guavas were 5 pesos a pound. They paid 10 CUC for two pounds of these delicious, aromatic fruit.

In reality, they paid $240 Cuban pesos, the equivalent of a Cuban’s monthly salary.

Every CUC is equivalent to 24 Cuban pesos. Every CUC is divisible into $0.25, $0.10 and $0.05 coins, facilitating small transactions, quite similar to the US dollar.

Although they were aware of the equivalency, my friends never thought that the national markets would charge in national currency (the peso) and not in CUC (the convertible).

The Cuban national currency (the peso) generates confusion among tourists, particularly as the coins look similar to those of the CUC. Complicating this scenario is the fact that we have a complex system of payment, which one can really only learn through his or her experiences of living in Cuba.

The peso is the currency used by the government to pay its workers. It’s also the currency that’s used to pay for daily expenses, such as transportation, as well as telephone and electric bills.

Oftentimes, tourists pay for services in CUC when they should be paying in Cuban pesos. Many Cubans take advantage of tourists’ lack of knowledge about the currency for motives of personal gain. It’s a common situation in markets that are designated for national consumption.

The system of money exchange gets more complicated and darker still, even for Cubans. For example, if you stop at a store designated for national consumption and you only have CUC, the exchange value of that CUC will only be 20 Cuban pesos instead of 24 Cuban pesos… complex, right? Yes, it is. Returning to our example of the German tourists buying guavas, having paid with one CUC, they would have only received 10 Cuban pesos, instead of 14, the official rate.

To get a better sense of this internal exchange rate, here’s a conversion table used by the Currency Exchange Bureaus in Cuba (CADECAs):

1 CUC= $24.00 Cuban Pesos
0.25= $6.00
0.10= $2.40
0.05= $1.20

The rate of exchange described in the market scenario, which I’ll refer to as an illicit exchange rate, are reflected in the following table:

1CUC= $20.00 Cuban Pesos
0.25= $5.00
0.10= $2.00
0.05= $1.00

Who knows what the reason is for this difference in the exchange rate in markets compared to the official exchange rate, but perhaps it can be explained by two possibilities: one, the ease with which this modified exchange rate facilitates transactions for vendors, who can work with round numbers instead of fractions: 1, 2, 5 and 20, for example, instead of 1.20, 2.40, etc. Perhaps the other reason is that this unofficial yet sanctioned exchange rate allows the vendors to earn a bit more. Nevertheless, I believe that once the embargo is lifted, the system of currency in Cuba will become more simplified.

The incentive for dishonesty and deception with respect to currency exchange is clear: just a few CUCs represent the monthly salary of an entire family. A good salary for a Cuban is 450 Cuban pesos– the equivalent of 19 CUC. It’s not hard to understand, then, why the driver of a private car for hire might take advantage of the ignorance of his passengers– and the perceived depth of their pockets–when charging them more for a trip from Point A to Point B than he’d charge from Point B to Point A when the distance is exactly the same.

The ideal place to change money is in banks or in authorized exchange bureaus, known in Cuba as CADECAS. CADECAs can be found throughout Havana and other provinces, as well as in hotels.

As incredible as it may seem, it’s not uncommon for tourists in Havana to be approached by a local who offers to change their money for them. I’d recommend, however, that you not take them up on the offer; money exchange outside of banks and CADECAs is not an authorized activity, and can end up causing you and the local problems. On more than one occasion, the tourist will receive one Cuban peso for every CUC he changes. In such cases, your money is lost and you’ll have no right or recourse to reclaim it. For this reason, I strongly suggest that you change your money in small denominations at CADECAs, being sure to ask for both currencies (CUC and Cuban pesos), as both are acceptable forms of payment throughout Cuba.

Although traveling in Cuba is safe compared to many other places in Latin America, it’s preferable if you travel with people you know or trusted friends until you’re confident enough to get around on your own.

Good luck!

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Llegar de un pais a otro presenta un sin numero de problemas logisticos: acomodacion, transportacion, seguridad, costumbres, etc. Llegar a La Habana, Cuba especialmente envuelve algo mas que esto como por ejemplo, el cambio de monedas, precios, y formas de pago. Cuba, con su CUC (Cuba Unidad Convertible) como se le denomina por sus siglas o simplemente “convertibles,” envuelve una ciencia aparte no muy facil de decifrar en una semana o dos. Navegar por este laberinto de transaciones es de por si una tarea muy cubana y ardua a la vez.

Recientemente unos amigos mios Alemanes querian tener esa experiencia de viajeros primerisos de comprar en el mercado de frutas y vegetales frescos. En la pizarra aparecia “guayabas 5 pesos por libra.” Ellos compraron 2 libras de estas deliciosas y aromaticas frutas, pagando 10 CUC por este producto. En realidad pagaron $240 pesos cubanos, el equivalente a mas de un sueldo mensual para un Cubano.

Cada moneda de 1 CUC equivale a $24 pesos cubanos. Cada CUC se divide en monedas de $0.25, $0.10 y $0.05 para facilitar su cambio en transaciones pequenas, muy parecido al dolar en su unidad fraccionaria de cambio. Mis amigos aunque sabian su equivalencia en el cambio no se imaginaron nunca que en los mercados nacionales el pago es en moneda nacional (peso) y no en CUC (Moneda Convertible).

La moneda nacional Cubana (el peso) genera en sentido general confusión para los turistas ya que se parecen al CUC al cambiarse en monedas pequenas. Todo esto sin tomar en cuenta que tenemos un complicado sistema de pago que solo se aprenderá con la experiencia de vivir en Cuba. El peso es la moneda con la cual el gobierno paga a los trabajadores. Esta se utiliza para los pagos de actividades diarias: servicios telefónicos, eléctrico, transportes, etc.

Los turistas muchas veces pagan los servicios en CUC cuando deberían pagarlos en pesos cubanos. Muchos cubanos se aprovechan de este desconocimiento para sacar provecho. Esta situación se da mucho en los mercados para consumo nacional.

Este sistema de cambio en el mercado negro tiene otro valor, inclusive para los cubanos. Por ejemplo si te detienes a comprar en un establecimiento para el consumo nacional y solo tienes dinero CUC, el equivalente de este CUC sera de solo $20 pesos cubanos en vez de $24. Complejo verdad? Si, lo es. Ese mismo turista por ejemplo podria pagar por sus guayabas con 1 CUC y le devolverian $10 pesos cubano, en vez de $14 que es el cambio oficial.

Para una mejor idea de este cambio y su equivalencia, aqui esta la tabla de conversiones de CUC a peso cubano en casa de cambio oficia (CADECAS):

1 CUC= $24.00 pesos cubanos
0.25= $6.00
0.10= $2.40
0.05= $1.20

El mercado negro tiene una diferente tarifa de cambio en los mercados de frutas y vegetales. Estos se reflejan en la siguiente tabla de cambio de CUC a peso cubano:

1CUC= $20.00 pesos cubanos
0.25= $5.00
0.10= $2.00
0.05= $1.00

No se cual es la razona para esta diferencia en las tarifas en el mercado negro, pero quizas esta sea por dos razones especificas: una es la facilidad que esta presenta para los vendedores al trabajar con unidades de cambio completa: 1, 2, 5 y 20, en vez de: 1.20, 2.40, etc. Y la otras es por las ganancias que este cambio representa para ellos. Sin embargo creo que una vez las restricciones del bloqueo se levanten se podria simplificar este sistema monetario de cambio.

El incentivo para la deshonestidad van marcado por el hecho de que unos pocos convertibles representa el salario mensual de una familia. Un buen salario llegaria a $450 pesos Cubanos o $19 CUC. Muchas veces una misma carrera en un auto de alquiler privado te cuesta mas en la ida que en la venida, estimando el precio no por la distancia sino por la ignorancia de sus pasajeros y por la profundidad de tu bolsillo.

El lugar ideal para cambiar la moneda a CUC, pesos cubanos, o monedas extranjeras es en los bancos o en las casas de cambio, conocidas por sus siglas como “CADECAS.” Estas se encuentran en diferentes localidades en La Habana y en las provincias, pero mayormente dentro de hoteles.

Por insólito que parezca en La Habana es muy frecuente que alguna persona se le acerque con la intención de cambiarle la moneda. Le recomendaría no hacerlo ya que eso es una actividad delictiva que terminara perjudicandole. En mas de una ocasion el cambio que le harán será de un peso cubano por cada CUC que cambie, robandole de esa manera su dinero sin derecho a reclamo. Mi criterio es que cambie en la CADECA una pequeña cantidad de CUC a pesos cubanos de esa manera ya tienes las dos formas de pagos aceptables para Cuba.

Aunque viajar en Cuba es seguro comparado a otros lugares en latinoamerica, es preferible que lo hagan con personas conocidas o amigos de un amigo hasta que puedas navegar por si solo.

Buena suerte!

En Blanco & Negro/In Black & White

julie — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:33:37 +0000

Text & Photo: Francisco Collazo
[Vease abajo para la version en espanol]
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The weekends are our favorite time in New York.

Lectures, museums, music, or a simple stroll through the parks or along the city’s streets, free of cost. Today is one of those days, warm and perfect for just those types of activities. Sunday. People coming and going. The air is heavy with the scent of spring. Couples pass without hurrying, kids play in the parks, and sidewalk cafes are full. The city has an inimitable energy. It smells of coffee, of fruit, of pastries.

Robert Kalman and his wife offer something different this Sunday. They’re hunting interracial couples, and the site they’ve picked along Sixth Avenue is perfect. Robert is collecting photos of couples for his next book, which will contain these spontaneous photographs of strangers who share something common: all are interracial. They’re different ages, from different countries or continents. Their photos are taken with an old camera, the accordion style that was common and popular long ago. It’s a black and white camera. Robert covers his head with a sheet in order to focus the camera; meanwhile, his wife observes, coaching the subjects about the perfect pose. “Julie, take off your glasses. Francisco, don’t move. Don’t smile, but relax.” Snap, snap, snap. We’re the next couple in Robert’s net!

“Okay, Robert, now it’s time for me to take a photo of you for my article.” Click, click, click. Finishing the session, we thank Robert and his wife and exchange cards. They continue their hunt for couples and we continue walking the streets of New York, with one of Robert’s photos tucked into a notebook and a smile on our faces.

To see Robert Kalman’s work, visit his website. And to see photos from his Black & White project, click here.
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Los fines de semana son nuestros dias favoritos en la ciudad de Nueva York. Lecturas, museos, musica, o un simple paseo por los parques y avenidas de la ciudad libre de costo o por casi nada. Hoy es uno de esos dias calido y perfecto para todo esto. Domingo. Las gentes van y vienen de todas partes. El aire esta cargado de olor de primavera. Las parejas pasean sin prisa, los ninos juegan en los parques, los cafes llenos en las aceras. La ciudad tiene una energia sin igual, huele a cafe, frutas, y a bunuelos polvoreados de canela.

Robert Kalman y su esposa ofrecen algo diferente este domingo. Ambos estan a la caza de parejas de razas diferentes, y la 6ta Avenida es un sitio perfecto para esto. Robert esta coleccionando fotos de parejas para su proximo libro basado en fotos espontaneas de parejas desconocidas, pero con algo muy comun entre todas ellas. Son multiraciales, de diferentes edades, paises o continentes. Sus retratos son tomados con una camara antigua, esas que fueron muy populares y comunes en tiempos pasados. Blanco y negro es su formato. Robert se tapa su cabeza para el enfoque mientras que su esposa lo observa todo desde un angulo perfecto-a ver, Julie remuevete los lentes y tu Francisco no te muevas y no te rias, pero relajate-nos dice- Plash, plash, plash! Somos nosotros la otra pareja en el jamo!

O.k Robert ahora me toca a mi tomarte una foto para mi articulo-Click, click, click. Terminada la seccion les damos gracias, intercambiamos cartas de presentacion. Ellos continuan en su caza de parejas y nosotros continuamos caminando las calles de Nueva York con una copia para nosotros y una sonrisa en nuestros rostros!

Carta Abierta a los Estados Unidos/Open Letter to America

julie — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:41:30 +0000

Text: Emergildo Criollo Quenama
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Watch

[Editor's Note: This week, I've been writing about big oil's human rights and environmental abuses in Latin America and Africa on MatadorChange. Today, we ran the English version of the letter that appears below in Spanish. Written by Emergildo Criollo Quenama, an indigenous leader of the Cofan, who live in the Ecuadorean Amazon, the letter recounts Mr. Criollo's first hand experiences of Chevron's egregious corporate practices. You can read the English version of the letter here. To learn more about what you can do, please visit ChevronToxico.]

[Nota de la Editora: Esta semana, estoy escribiendo sobre los abusos de los derechos humanos y del medio ambiente en America Latina y Africa por la parte de las companias petroleras. Hoy, publicabamos una carta escrita a los Estados Unidos por Emergildo Criollo Quenama, un lider del grupo indigeno de los Cofanes, quienes viven en las Amazonas de Ecuador. La carta cuenta las experiencias propias de Sr. Criollo y su sufrimiento por Chevron. Si quiere aprender como Ud. puede contribuir a la lucha contra las companias petroleras, visita: ChevronToxico.]

Avujathse gi ke’ima chiga’bian puiyi’ccu EE.UU suma. Nanda gi Emergildo Criollo pui aindeccu kankhene a fasu. Va tsu a’ingae. Ja’nu gi va San Francisco kanjen tui gi cundaseya mingae amazonia’su a’indeccu Chevron tson’jen’chune.

Les envío un saludo cordial a los ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos en mi idioma nativo. Me llamo Emergildo Criollo y soy representante del pueblo Cofán. Hoy estoy aquí en San Francisco para asistir a la reunión anual de la compañía Chevron, y dar a conocer a la opinión pública la verdad de lo que pasó en mi territorio cuando operó Texaco en la amazonía ecuatoriana, y la demanda histórica que estamos llevando para logra justicia después de 15 años.

El pueblo Cofan estaba ubicado en las riberas del río Aguarico. Cuando yo era niño tomábamos agua limpia y casábamos animales de la selva. Pescábamos peces en el río, sin contaminación. Antes vivíamos libres de contaminación. Teníamos suficiente alimentación para la familia, y también teníamos suficiente medicina natural de la selva. Con esas medicinas curábamos a los enfermos como hemos hecho siempre en nuestra manera tradicional. Pero con la llegada de la compañía Texaco en 1964 no pudimos curar con esas medicinas porque aparecieron nuevas enfermedades por la contaminación.

En 1969 vi por primera vez lo que es un derrame de petróleo en los esteros y que después pasó al río Aguarico. Viendo eso, nosotros los Cofanes no podíamos estar allí porque no había donde coger agua limpia. Y nos trasladamos más adentro en la selva a lo que hoy es la comunidad Cofán Dureno.

La compañía entró más y más al bosque, perforaba más pozos de petróleo. Teníamos un pozo, Dureno 1, que está al dentro de la comunidad. Ese pozo afectó mucho a nuestra gente. Hubo derrames de petróleo, botaron agua de formación, había mecheros prendidos día y noche, ahuyentaron animales de la selva y peces del río.

Por ese motivo mis dos hijos murieron tomando agua contaminada. Y también mi tía murió con enfermedad de cáncer en el paladar. Ella tomaba agua contaminada.

La compañía es culpable de toda esa contaminación . Tiene que responsabilizarse y realizar la limpieza de la contaminación que todavía existe. Las cinco nacionalidades—Siona, Secoya, Kichwa, Huaorani, y Cofán, más los colonos, estamos organizados.

Hasta hoy en día la gente de cada unos de las nacionalidades va muriendo con la enfermedad de cáncer. Por eso escribo esta carta para que la gente se entere cómo afectó Texaco (ahora Chevron) con su operación petrolera.

La compañía entró en la amazonía sin permiso de nadie para destruir la selva y dejar contaminación y enfermedades desconocidas. Hoy en día la compañía está ocultando la verdad diciendo que los derrames de petróleo y el agua de formación no son contaminantes, no es cancerígeno. Yo sé que es contaminante porque antes de que sucediera esto no había enfermedad de cáncer, y estuvieran con vida todavía mis dos hijos y mi tía.

Por este motivo la compañía tiene que responsabilizarse de la limpieza de las piscinas abiertas y sedimentos en los esteros para que mis hijos puedan tomar agua limpia y respirar aire limpio. Chevron llevó recursos naturales de la selva ecuatoriana pero los que habitamos en la amazonía hemos recibido sólo contaminación, enfermedad y la muerte.

Todo lo que dice la compañía es totalmente falso, porque yo con mi experiencia he vivido, he visto y sé en carne propia lo que pasó. La compañía Texaco, hoy Chevron, quiere quedar con su imagen limpia. Pero para mí la imagen de esa compañía tiene mancha de petróleo.

Invito a todos Uds. que visiten la amazonía donde operó Texaco. Allá podrán ver cómo quedaron las piscinas. Verán directamente la contaminación existente para que Uds. puedan informarle a Chevron, y exigir que se responsabilice.

Hoy voy a entrar a la oficina para asistir a la reunión anual de accionistas de Chevron. Voy a hablar frente a frente con la compañía. Voy a defender a mi pueblo y exigir justicia.

Por eso pido a los cuidadanos de los EE.UU para que se solidaricen con todos los afectados de la amazonía ecuatoriana, que somos más del 30 mil.

Llevamos una lucha de 15 años para que la compañía limpie el daño ambiental. Y lucharemos hasta las últimas consecuencias.

Memorial Day… Thoughts

julie — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:43:39 +0000

Text & Photo: Julie Schwietert Collazo
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There’s the temptation to see Memorial Day as a sale day. As the day the pool opens for the summer season. As a day for a backyard BBQ.

If you’re not directly affected by the war–and by that, I mean, if you don’t have a loved one or close friend serving in the military or living with the physical or psychological wounds of a past war– it’s easy to see Memorial Day just as a much-needed day off of work.

It’s preferable, perhaps, to avoid thinking about the war, especially if you (like me) are liberal. And it’s easier still not to think about the people serving when you don’t know them personally, easier to think of service members as a group, and not as unique individuals with diverse backgrounds, political opinions, and aspirations.

Today, I’m thinking about the men I met last October when I visited the US naval base and joint task force detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Far from the gaze of Americans, isolated on an island that doesn’t want them and where most of them don’t want to be, beyond the reach of ordinary Americans to know, see, and talk with them, the service members who are at Guantanamo have largely been cast as a group of bad guys and have little–if any–opportunity to contest that characterization publicly.

Yet as I sat with the men at meals and interviewed them at length, what struck me–and humbled me–over and over again, was how unique each person was. This one wanted to visit “Cuba proper.” That one thought the US immigration policy is unfair and inadequate. This one was a poet. That one wanted to be a professor. Few, if any, of the men I met fit any of the stereotypes we like to foist upon service members.

You can read more about the men’s stories on my travel blog. And while you’re BBQ’ing or swimming, or just enjoying the day off, take a second to think about the people who serve in the military. Whether we agree with the war or we don’t (and I don’t), every man and woman fighting is someone with a dream, a political opinion, and a past that might surprise you.

Police Line: Do Not Cross

julie — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:07:59 +0000

Photo: Julie Schwietert Collazo

Shot in Manhattan on May 17, 2009.