News

US ambassador to Peru says priorities are trade, fighting narco-trafficking

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:48:00 +0000

US ambassador to Peru says priorities are trade, fighting narco-trafficking
Living in Peru (blog)
Many US companies are already here, and the ones that aren't here want to come here. It's a hot moment, and Peru is perfectly positioned to take advantage ...

By Nathan Paluck

Rose M. Likins officially began as new U.S. ambassador to Peru on Sept. 30. "It's really exciting," she said in a recent interview with LivinginPeru.com. "I don't think there's been a better moment to arrive in Peru and be the U.S. ambassador in Peru."

Her time in the U.S. Foreign Service has focused on Latin America. From 2000-2003 she was ambassador to El Salvador, and other posts abroad include Paraguay, Mexico and Bulgaria. Born into the Air Force, where both parents served, her two brothers also served in the military and her son, 23, is beginning a second tour of Afghanistan as a marine.

Peru seems to be receiving attention like never before, in the U.S. also.
Our tourism numbers are phenomenal. Three hundred and seventy thousand Americans a year are visiting Peru. That's more than 1,000 a day. That's just Americans — it's not counting the rest of the world. As I say to people, Peru is very in fashion in the U.S. now, for good reasons: great cultural resources that people want to come and see, everything from Machu Picchu to the Amazons and ecotourism. And obviously the business environment. Many U.S. companies are already here, and the ones that aren't here want to come here. It's a hot moment, and Peru is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the attention and the spotlight.

You'll be here for three years. Can you mention a few of the U.S.'s top priorities looking ahead?
The free trade agreement between Peru and the United States is an important foundational piece for our relationship. It's been good so far for both countries. Trade is up in both directions: Americans are selling more to Peru and Peru is selling more to the United States. That makes us Peru's number one trade partner, so that's an important relationship for us. Implementation of the free trade agreement is going to continue to be very important to both sides. I will spend a lot of my time and energy, and the Embassy, to help make that treaty successful. It has a lot of moving parts, from the fulfillment of the environmental provisions of the accord, the labor provisions. But also protection of intellectual property. Those are vital things for our country.

The fight against narcotics trafficking is going to continue to be a high policy priority for the United States. Not just because it's about an illegal activity, but because it is dangerous to Peru's institutions. The corruption, the violence, the implications of a society with increasing abuse problems. As a friend of Peru, we don't want to see those toxic affects that narcotics trafficking brings to a society.

Recently both the president of Peru and the foreign minister hinted at wanting more support [fighting narcotics trafficking]. Is that something you'll be going through with them the next few years?
It's a tough environment for everybody. Our counter-narcotics assistance this year [FY 2010] to Peru is $71 million and our overall assistance program for Peru is $160 million. Our embassy has prepared a great chart about where all that goes — it's on the embassy website. Obviously, they are right to be concerned that the success we've had in Colombia has in fact pushed people who want to look at Peru as an alternative. I think the comments they made are a reflection of that concern. Because we have a terrific relationship, a great working relationship with the police, the military, the prosecutors. We have decades working on this problem together, and we have a strong relationship. I think the comments stem from their worry about a push from the trafficking organizations to find a new space in Peru. … We'd all like to have an infinite amount of resources, but that's not the real world. And they recognize that. But we'll continue to do the very best job we can.

Read more

U.S. ambassador talks about Noche de Arte

Ambassador says goodbye to Peru during Fourth of July celebration

How often does the U.S. ambassador typically meet with the president of the host country?
Every country is different – as I just arrived here, I don't really know. I've seen the president a few times. I had my courtesy call and we've been at other events together: the inauguration of the HONLEA conference and the ceremony for Admiral Grau in Callao.

Are there any plans for a visit from President Obama to Peru?
We'd certainly all love that, but there's nothing on the calendar yet. President García was very nice to invite President Obama to come when President García was in Washington. … It would be fabulous; my experience with those kinds of visits is that whenever they happen, it does great things for the relationship. It is a driving event. Anything that is pending, a presidential visit is an action-producing event. For us professionals, it is a lot of work but also a time of results.

Does the U.S. has any official position in regards to the museum El Lugar de la Memoria, the museum proposed for the memory of the violent Shining Path years?
We don't have an official position on the museum per se. I will say that in any society, remembering history, putting it in context and helping future generations be aware of what happened and the damage that can be done by extremism and violence — I think is important. So, I certainly support the concept. ... In every society when you experience a trauma like that, it is important to give people a way to think about it, to have a frame of reference about it, to keep the facts in front of people for future generations.

Chamber/Americas appreciates the conftinued support of the Canadian National Railway Company/Illinois Central

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Chamber/Americas appreciates the conftinued support of the Canadian National Railway Company/Illinois Central

Contact:

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY/ILLINOIS CENTRAL:
Karen Borlaug Phillips
Vice President, U. S. Government Affairs
601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 500
North Building
Washington, D. C., 20004
202.347.7196

Chamber/Americas appreciates the conftinued support of Western Union.

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:25:00 +0000

CONTACT:

WESTERN UNION:
Mario Hernandez
Director/Public affairs
720.332.4758
mario.hemandez@westernunion.com

Chamber/Americas appreciates the conftinued support of Western Union.

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:25:00 +0000

CONTACT:

WESTERN UNION:
Mario Hernandez
Director/Public affairs
720.332.4758
mario.hemandez@westernunion.com

US Senate confirms Ambassador in Dominican Republic

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:26:00 +0000

WASHINGTON.- The U.S. Senate yesterday confirmed Raul H. Yzaguirre as United States Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, the Consulate of that nation said in a statement.

Yzaguirre, who is currently a professor in Arizona State University, was also a senior executive of the Latino movement “La Raza," among other posts.

"As we work to bolster our relations in the global community and place our nation on the path to prosperity once again, I’m confident that these people will be able to represent our nation with dignity. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you in the next months and years," president Barack Obama said during designation of Yzaguirre and his team.

The designation fills the vacancy left by former U.S. Ambassador Hans Hertell more than two years ago.

Benavides Takes Reins of Peru Economy as Araoz Exits

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:22:00 +0000

Benavides Takes Reins of Peru Economy as Araoz Exits

Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Peruvian President Alan Garcia named Ismael Benavides finance minister, charging the former banker with keeping Latin America’s fastest-growing economy from overheating as investment surges.

Benavides, a former agriculture minister and banker, replaces Mercedes Araoz, who resigned yesterday after eight months in the post. Benavides becomes the fourth finance minister since Garcia took office in 2006. Araoz will serve as economy and finance adviser to the president, Garcia told reporters today.

The new finance chief needs to rein in government spending to cool economic growth and keep a lid on inflation as private investment rebounds, said Pablo Secada, chief economist at the Peruvian Institute of Economics in Lima. Government investment may rise 32 percent this year, the central bank says.

Benavides “must ensure the ministry doesn’t lose its grip on spending,” said Secada, who was debt director at the Finance Ministry in 2008. If the expansion in outlays doesn’t slow, inflation may accelerate beyond the government’s target, forcing the central bank to raise borrowing costs, Secada said.

The pace of expansion slowed in July, lessening the chances that growth will spur above-target inflation. Gross domestic product rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier, down from 11.9 percent in June, as fishing output declined and the increase in public-works spending slowed, the national statistics agency said today.

Domestic Demand

Rebounding domestic demand led the central bank to increase its benchmark lending rate for a fifth straight month last week. Policy makers have also raised bank reserve requirements four times as private credit grew 16 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier. Consumer prices rose 2.31 percent in August, the fastest annual pace in a year.

Rising interest rates have led to a surge in capital inflows, driving the sol to its strongest level in more than two years this week. The central bank has purchased $7.7 billion this year to temper gains in the currency, which was little changed at 2.7875 per dollar at 2:34 p.m. New York time.

The Lima General Index advanced 0.2 percent today and has gained 17 percent this year.

The fishing industry contracted 14.6 percent in July after expanding 9.5 percent in June. Spending on public works rose 5.9 percent in July, compared with 53 percent the month before.

South America’s sixth-biggest economy may expand as much as 8 percent this year, boosting gross domestic product to $150 billion, central bank President Julio Velarde said yesterday.

Policy Outlook

“The appointment of a new finance minister is unlikely to change the country’s economic policies,” Carola Sandy, an analyst with Credit Suisse AG in New York, said in a note today. “We do not think that this should be negative news for the market.”

Benavides is a senior adviser to Deerfield, Illinois-based CF Industries Holdings Inc., the world’s second-largest producer of nitrogen fertilizer, and previously headed Banco Internacional del Peru, the country’s fourth-largest bank, for 12 years from 1995 to 2007.

Benavides served as fisheries minister during the second term of President Fernando Belaunde in the early 1980s. He has an undergraduate degree in engineering and a master’s in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley.

Araoz Career

Araoz spent four years in Garcia’s Cabinet, leading the trade and production ministries before becoming finance minister in December.

“It’s a good moment to take a break and return to my academic and professional world,” Araoz told reporters yesterday.

Araoz, Peru’s first female finance minister, was one of eight ministers who left Garcia’s Cabinet yesterday ahead of April’s elections, allowing some to run for congress or other public offices.

Education Minister Jose Antonio Chang became Cabinet chief after Javier Velasquez resigned to run for president. Deputy Trade Minister Eduardo Ferreyros will replace Martin Perez as head of the agency.

COTA cancels Trade Mission to Montevideo due to a lack of participants:

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:19:00 +0000

COTA cancels Trade Mission to Montevideo due to a lack of participants:

The Chamber of the Americas has decided to cancel their planned Trade Mission to Montevideo, Uruguay. Over the past several months we struggled to receive enough interest in the mission from the organizations whose attendance we targeted. We believe a few factors played a part in the need for cancellation, those being the current state of the economy, the timing of the event and the current cost of airfare. Though having to cancel the mission is unfortunate, COTA does plan to hold a mission there in the near future.

Honduras -- A Star Performer at Raising People Out of Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:10:00 +0000

Marcela Sanchez: Honduras -- A Star Performer at Raising People Out of Poverty
In 1998, the second deadliest hurricane from the Atlantic, Hurricane Mitch, leveled much of Honduras and left at least 6,500 people for dead and 1 million homeless. As Honduran President Carlos Flores observed at the time, “In 72 hours we lost what we had built little by little over 50 years.” "What has happened since seems almost unfathomable," writes Latin expert Marcela Sanchez. "Honduras has raised nearly 850,000 people out of extreme poverty and cut hunger by more than one third."

In 1998, the second deadliest hurricane from the Atlantic, Hurricane Mitch, leveled much of Honduras and left at least 6,500 people for dead and 1 million homeless. As Honduran President Carlos Flores observed at the time, “In 72 hours we lost what we had built little by little over 50 years.”

What has happened since seems almost unfathomable: Honduras has raised nearly 850,000 people out of extreme poverty and cut hunger by more than one third.

Honduras is turning out to be Latin America's over-achiever in poverty reduction and development gains and one of the nations most likely to meet the Millennium Development Goals, a set of anti-poverty targets that members of the United Nations committed to reach by 2015. Later this month world leaders will gather in New York to review progress toward these goals and push to accelerate it as the deadline approaches.

According to a new report by Ben Leo, research fellow at the Washington-based Center for Global Development, Honduras has been the top scorer in the world, either meeting or surpassing six out of eight top goals. In terms of the number one goal, reducing extreme poverty by half, Honduras has exceeded expectations with a 58 percent reduction -- nine years ahead of schedule.

Development experts pinpoint that some of the top achievers of the Millennium Development Goals have been some of the poorest. “Sub-Saharan Africa accounts (for) the largest number of star performers with five countries,” Leo noted in his report. There are only two other Latin American countries among the top 15 performers, Nicaragua and Bolivia, the only two countries in the region with lower gross domestic product per capita than Honduras.

The London-based Overseas Development Institute also lists Honduras at the top of Latin America in terms of progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. In their June analysis, the ODI found that the best performers displayed consistent leadership and commitment to poverty reduction, adopted sound macro-economic policies including open trade, encouraged active community participation, and received international support.

Most data for these evaluations dates to 2008, so it is still unclear what effect the global economic crisis has had on overall poverty reduction. For the same reason, it is also difficult to know how Honduras’s military coup of June 28, 2009, may have negatively affected its efforts.

But for development workers such as Jonathan Brooks who have been deeply engaged in Honduras, even political upheaval has not been enough to disrupt the country’s progress.

Brooks is country director in Honduras for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the U.S. aid program that seeks to reward good governance and encourage local participation in development projects. In 2005, MCC signed an agreement or “compact” with Honduras worth $215 million, making it the first Latin American country and only the second in the world to receive MCC funds.

“Through the political crisis … the commitment of the country and the government to the objectives of the compact has remained strong," said Brooks. As a consequence of the coup, the MCC’s board, headed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, voted to cut $10 million of the plan. Still, said Brooks, the Honduran government has sought its own financing -- evidence of what aid workers call the country’s ownership of the program.

Brooks also attributed continued progress in Honduras to the MCC's focus on results, tracking and clear deadlines. The MCC compact in Honduras is scheduled to end this month having reached important benchmarks such as increasing incomes in rural areas. More than 6000 farmers have received training on crop production and are now earning at least $2,000 per hectare as opposed to $700 before the compact.

Honduras' impressive numbers have been made possible by the participation of the people most directly affected. In the remote and poverty-stricken community of San Francisco de Opalaca, citizens banded together to make their case for development. In cooperation with the United Nations Development Program, they collected data, identified their priorities and linked them to the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals. Eventually the government improved road conditions that connected Opalaca to the rest of the country. Other donors provided funding for a pediatric and maternal health clinic.

Opalaca like Honduras has achieved perhaps more than it could have imagined in the face of natural and political turmoil. The work is clearly not finished, but Honduras has demonstrated that even among the poorest nations, adversity does not trump progress.

Marcela Sanchez is one of the most respected journalists writing about Latin America, as evidenced by her work for the most important papers in the United States -- including both the New York Times and The Washington Post -- as well as the two most important newspapers in Colombia -- El Espectador and El Tiempo -- Colombia's En Vivo and QAP TV channels, and Venezuela's Daily Journal. We welcome her back to the Latin American Herald Tribune, where her hemispheric wisdom appears every Friday.

U.S.-Latin America Trade Rebounds

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:05:00 +0000

U.S.-Latin America Trade Rebounds

STRONG RECOVERY US-Mexico trade grew 36 percent in the first half of the year.
Mexico and Costa Rica lead Latin America's growth in U.S. trade in the first half of 2010.

BY CHRONICLE STAFF

U.S. trade with Latin America grew 33 percent in the first half of the year thanks to both exports and imports showing strong growth, according to a Latin Business Chronicle analysis of new data from the US Census Bureau.

The first half results mark a contrast to 2009, when trade fell 21 percent. And while all but one Latin American country saw U.S. trade growth in the first half, all countries posted declines last year.

Ambassadors Say Mexico Is Not a Failed State

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Along the Texas-Mexico border, the beheadings and bombings carried out by drug cartels are drawing comparisons to murders by Muslim extremists — not surprising, given the war-like death toll of 8,100 so far this year in Mexico. And that's just a guess; the news is sporadically reported these days — a consequence of the explosives being hurled at newsrooms and the reporters brutalized in broad daylight. Fear pervades Ciudad Juárez, the epicenter of the violence, where masked soldiers roam busy streets and once-thriving tourist commercial districts have disappeared.

Yet diplomats from both sides of the border reject the notion raised regularly by government officials and media outlets that Mexico has become a "failed state," and they call comparisons to Muslim extremists misguided. The horrors of some border communities, they say, overshadow the fact that parts of Mexico remain stable and are thriving economically. Daily trade between the U.S. and Mexico nears $1 billion; elections go on, and so has life in general, as unsettling as it may be in border hot spots.

That was the message reiterated last week by the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, and the Mexican ambassador the U.S., Arturo Sarukhan, and other experts appearing at a Border Security Conference — "Re-Envisioning the Border Community to Foster a U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Prosperity, Progress, and Socio-Economic Development" — at the University of Texas at El Paso. Despite the violence (and, to some degree, because of it), cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico has in many ways grown to unprecedented levels, the two men say.

From UTEP's hilltop campus, a message painted in white on a mountainside, just across the Rio Grande, reminds residents that the Bible, above all else, is the truth. And notables at the conference all spoke of a border community that would inevitably triumph over terror. But on the streets of Juárez, the murders continued unabated: About 50 people would die violent deaths in the days that followed.

"A difficult period of time"

The atrocities have led some to question the future stability of a nation reeling from years of civil war between rival cartels, and between those gangs and Mexican law enforcement. But Pascual said the "failed state" label belies the reality of stability in much of Mexico, where the hallmarks of any modern nation remain present despite chaos in some corners of the country.

“Mexico had a difficult period of time" over the last two months, he said. "A candidate was killed before the elections, it went through extreme floods, and it still went ahead and had an election process on July 4. [There were] 12 gubernatorial elections, two local elections." A failed state, he said, "wouldn’t have been able to do that and handle that kind of stress.”

Following a fatal car bomb — detonated remotely in Juárez less than two weeks after the “successful” election Pascual referenced — comparisons abounded between the violence traffickers and their enforcers and that of Middle Eastern terrorists with extreme agendas. He does not minimize the horrors wrought by traffickers but argues that their brand of terror lacks a key ingredient.

“Cartels have undertaken ruthless behavior, and it should be condemned," Pascual said. "But what we also have not seen from the cartels is a political ideology or a religious ideology, and we need to make that distinction." Those tactics could warrant a shift in certain strategies, he said, but the lines should not be blurred to link the cartels with “terrorist activities with an ideology.”

A tale of two borders

Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador, says that despite mounting tensions over immigration and border security, cooperation between the U.S. and his country has risen to a level not seen since the negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Invoking a classic line from Dickens, he said it's “the best of times and the worst of times” for relations between the two nations.

“Despite the naysayers and the cable TV pundits out there, it behooves Mexico to make sure the border is secure in both directions," he said. "And we’ve been working together since 9/11, but even more forcefully since President Calderón and President Obama have been working together." Sarukhan said this joint effort to realize the symbiotic relationship has led to an unprecedented number of security forces along the border.

“I am going to continue to bang my drum on this issue," he said of the international cooperation. "There are individuals out there … seeking to decouple the United States and Mexico. [T]here could be nothing more dangerous and more problematic to what we’ve been doing together.”

But the worst of times, he said, can be seen in the lack of confidence that many, if not most, citizens from both countries have in their leaders. Another sign: state governments in the U.S. taking it upon themselves to pass draconian immigration laws and deploy troops to the border, reacting to a perceived federal failure to act.

“This extremely healthy, strong, forward-moving formal and diplomatic bilateral relationship is witnessing a paradoxical movement in the other direction," he said. "Public opinion on both sides of the border feels completely alienated." He cited bitter reaction on the Mexican side to the passage of Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 and the anger that reverberated in Ciudad Juárez after the shooting death of teenager Sergio Adrían Hernández Güereca — at the hands of a U.S. Border Patrol agent — following an alleged rock-throwing incident on the concrete banks of the Rio Grande. “These public perceptions are poisoning the well of this bilateral relationship,” he said.

Also on the “worst” list is the failure of Congress to craft comprehensive immigration reform, which he termed a bipartisan failure. “There is no issue more important to the future of this bilateral relationship," he said. “We both have responsibilities.”

As opposed to the negotiation of NAFTA two decades ago, he added, the private sectors of both countries are today completely absent in the debate over how to reform immigration policy in a mutually agreeable fashion agreeable.

“It’s not surprising," he said. "All human beings are goal-oriented, and NAFTA was a big, juicy carrot. Both private sectors had a very clear objective. But we need the private sectors on both sides of the border to re-engage with one another — with politicians from Washington, D.C., and politicians from Mexico City — and move this agenda forward."

"Save the Dates" Chamber/Americas trade mission to Veracruz, Mexico: January 17-21, 2011. We will be visiting the cities of:

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:37:00 +0000

Veracruz-Boca de Rio, Xalapa (Capital), and Cordoba-Orizaba. More
details to follow. Weather should be exceptional in Veracruz during
our visit. We will be based out the historic Hotel Mocambo in
Boco de Rio.

US Warns Americans About Traveling to Bolivia

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:46:00 +0000

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert for U.S. citizens to be advised of unstable "social and security situations" in several areas in Bolivia.

A U.S. statement Thursday said local groups and other factions in the regions of Potosi, Oruro and Uyuni have been protesting against the Bolivian government about a border dispute, as well as accusations that officials have not carried out development projects in those regions.

The statement said protesters have erected roadblocks that have trapped thousands of people, including several hundred tourists, for up to 16 days. It said food, water and medical supplies in Potosi, Oruro and Uyuni are limited.

The State Department urged U.S. citizens in Bolivia to avoid traveling to those three regions until the situation is revolved.

News Release: TRADE BETWEEN THE US AND PERU GETS A BOOST WITH NEW COTA AGREEMENT

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:34:00 +0000

NEWS
Date: August 9, 2010 Contact: Gil Cisneros
For release immediately 303-462-1275

TRADE BETWEEN THE US AND PERU GETS A BOOST WITH NEW COTA AGREEMENT

An agreement between Denver’s Chamber of the Americas (COTA) and Exportadores USA – Peru S.A.C. opens up opportunities for local businesses that are looking for ways to expand into foreign markets.

In making the announcement, COTA’s president/CEO Gil Cisneros said, “It’s time to maximize the benefits provided under the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA)” which entered into force Feb. 1, 2009.

Most of Peru’s tariffs on U.S. exports were eliminated with the implementation of the PTPA; tariffs that still remain are to be phased out over defined periods of time. Peru was the United States’ 36th largest goods export market in 2009, according to the U.S. Trade Representative.

Companies in the central area of the US – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana – and Peru’s small and medium enterprises located in Lima, La Libertad, Cajamarca, Arequipa and Cusco, are the focus of the COTA–Exportadores agreement.

“Our goal is to promote trade and investment opportunities between the two countries; to facilitate the marketing of goods and services; and to provide distribution facilities in proximity to the target markets,” said Cisneros, adding that advice on imports, exports and contract negotiations will also be available.

Headquartered in Denver, the mission of the Chamber of the Americas is to facilitate commerce and understanding among the businesses and governments of the Western Hemisphere. For more information about COTA and markets in the Americas, contact Gil Cisneros at 303-462-1275, or gil@chamberoftheamericas.com.

Chamber/Americas is seeking your assistance without you spending a cent! Continental Airlines Reward One Program, it's simple, see below

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:35:00 +0000

The Chamber of the Americas is now participating in Continental’s Reward One Program. It works by helping Chamber of the Americas earn mileage for our business trips.

For example, if you fly anywhere with Continental
Airlines, they would automatically give the Chamber/Americas points. You will NOT forfeit any of your personal miles! Chamber/Americas will earn 10% of one point for every $100.00 you spend on airfare with Continental. We earn one ticket for every 16 points.

All I need is your one pass number. If you are not a one pass member, simply go to

www.continental.com

and enroll for your one pass number and send to me.

Any questions call me. Gracias!

Just return this email and we will do the rest. Thank you!

Gilberto (Gil) Cisneros
President/CEO
Chamber of the Americas
720 Kipling, Suite 13
Denver, Colorado, 80215. USA
Tel: 303.462.1275
Fax: 303.462.1560
Cel: 720.309.7686
gil@chamberoftheamericas.com
www.chamberoftheamericas.com

Chamber/Americas is proud to introduce their new member: Esso Standard Oil, S. A. ltd, ExxonMobil

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:37:00 +0000

Daniel Mencia
General Manager
Esso Standard Oil, S. A. Ltd.
EXXONMOBIL
Costado Sur Aeropuerto Toncontin
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Apdo. Postal 3452
504.234.5864, X-101
daniel.f.mencia@exxonmobil.com

Chamber/Americas is proud to introduce their newest strategic partner, Office of Ministry of Foregin Affairs, Honduras

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:58:00 +0000

CONTACT:

Eny Bautista
Director General
Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Investment Promotion
eny.bautista@sre.gob.hn
ebautista@cancilleriahn.com

Honduras is open for business: Gamesa, Iberdrola Ingenieria To Build 102MW Wind Farm In Honduras

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:54:00 +0000

Gamesa, Iberdrola Ingenieria To Build 102MW Wind Farm In Honduras
Published: 03-Aug-2010

A consortium made up of Spanish companies Gamesa and Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion has received a contract to build a 102MW wind farm, known as Cerro de Hula, in Honduras.
Gamesa controls 76% of the venture, while Iberdrola Ingenieria controls the remaining 24%. The customer of the wind farm is Mesoamerica Energy, a developer of renewable energy projects in Central America and neighbouring countries via its local subsidiary.

The wind project has a 20-year PPA contract with Honduras' Empresa Nacional de Energía Electrica, and will be financed with funds from the US Export-Import Bank and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. The contract to build the wind farm calls for a turnkey project with scheduled completion in 18 months. The new wind farm will consist of 51 Gamesa G87-2MW wind turbines.

The contract includes electricity grid interconnection, land accesses to the site, civil works, transport and electromechanical erection of the wind turbines. In addition, it includes maintenance services for a period of two years from the date the wind farm begins operating.

For Gamesa, the scope of the contract encompasses the manufacture, supply, transport and erection of the wind turbines, including supervision and start-up of the turbines. Meanwhile, Iberdrola Ingenieria will design and build the wind turbine foundations, access roads and erection platforms.

Iberdrola Ingenieria will also be responsible for construction of the site's operation and maintenance building and the design and execution of a system for exporting the wind farm's energy to the grid.

Panama and Obama’s Latin America Policy: Time to Close Ranks and Support A Friend

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:05:00 +0000

Panama and Obama’s Latin America Policy: Time to Close Ranks and Support A Friend

Abstract: Panama, like its neighbor Colombia, is waiting for the U.S. Congress to approve the pending free trade agreement and to increase security cooperation. Panama is a strong democracy and trade partner often ignored in Washington, despite decades of fruitful ties. The cornerstone of the U.S.–Panama relationship remains the path-breaking 1970s treaties that granted Panama sovereignty over the U.S.-built Panama Canal, a historic milestone in the peaceful evolution of hemispheric diplomacy. The Panama Canal plays a prominent and growing role in U.S. trade. Panama is ready to deepen its long cooperation and friendship with the U.S.—it is time that Washington embrace this opportunity to strengthen a vital alliance.

Panama today is a strong, vibrant democracy and ready trade partner that is little discussed in Washington. Like its southern neighbor Colombia, Panama stands in the antechambers of U.S. policymakers, waiting to move ahead with a free trade agreement and enhanced security cooperation. While Washington policymakers fret about a growing list of nations— from Turkey and Brazil to Russia and China—that are ready to undercut U.S. interests abroad, Panama is ready to deepen its decades-long cooperation and friendship with the U.S.

U.S. national interests in Central and South America are broad in scope. They include combating the drug trade, stopping the spread of terrorism, building strong, representative democracies with sound institutions, advancing broad-based prosperity, and countering the ideological and geopolitical challenges posed by a range of anti-American actors from Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela to geostrategic interlopers like Russia and Iran. China, Canada, and the European Union are aggressively pursuing mutually beneficial trade relations with Panama while the U.S. endlessly debates approval of an already-negotiated free trade agreement (FTA).

The time has come for the Obama Administration to push earnestly for immediate legislative approval of the Panama FTA. It must make the case that trade union and taxation issues will be addressed through active partnership with a shared review process rather than by denying the much- needed free-trade deal and demanding perfection on the labor and tax fronts. The U.S. should be an active partner as the expansion of the Panama Canal moves into high gear. Additionally, the Obama Administration should develop a long-term showcase program with robust objectives such as a Panama Canal centennial project with a 2014 target date that will demonstrate how a century of intimate connections and friendship have benefited both nations. History, trade and security interests, democratic ideals, and geopolitical common sense make it imperative that the U.S. shore up its challenged global leadership position with enduring ties to allies and friends like Panama, which can stand with the U.S. for the long haul.

Panama: A Century of Ties, Decades of Democratic Progress

Since the days of the Spanish Empire, Panama has occupied a central geopolitical position at the crossroads of international commerce, licit and illicit.[1] It is a close neighbor, historic partner, and enduring friend of the U.S. Panama was born as a nation under the aegis of the United States in 1902.[2] Since the Panama Canal opened in 1914, it has been an object of global strategic and maritime interest, and with its three sets of gravity-fed locks is one of the greatest feats of U.S. engineering to this day. Due to the canal, democracy, and trade, the U.S. and Panama are bonded in a unique relationship.

The cornerstone of the U.S.–Panama relationship remains the path-breaking 1970s treaties that granted Panama sovereignty over the U.S.-built canal and former Canal Zone, a historic milestone in the peaceful evolution of hemispheric diplomacy.[3] Despite fierce partisan debate in the 1970s, the successful transition of the canal to Panama’s sovereign control was completed on December 31, 1999. Critics of Panama’s stewardship of the canal have been silenced by its transparent management and continued success in improving volume and lowering transit times.[4]

An often-overlooked feature of the treaties is the fact that the U.S. retains a permanent right to defend the canal from threats to its operations. Under the agreement, U.S. warships are guaranteed front-of-the-line privileges in emergencies. This security promise gives permanence to the uniqueness of the U.S.–Panama relationship. Closure of the canal by an act of domestic or international terrorism would devastate Panama and seriously harm U.S. commercial interests.

Canal operations account for 6 percent of Panama’s gross domestic product (GDP). In a 2006 referendum, Panamanians overwhelmingly backed a $5.25 billion canal expansion project to construct a third set of larger, more efficient, and environmentally sound locks. When completed in 2014, the enlarged canal will break a significant global bottleneck and allow transit by super-container ships (post-Panamax), capable of carrying as many as 12,000 containers in a single load (versus the current 4,000-container Panamax capacity). The enlarged canal is expected to generate a substantial increase in the volume of traffic, raising the amount of freight from 280 million tons in 2005 to 510 million tons by 2025.[5]

The Panama Canal plays a prominent and growing role in U.S. trade. The U.S. East Coast-to-Asia trade route generates one-third of all cargo passing through the canal. Routing Asia-to-U.S. commerce through the canal rather than by truck or train will save energy and cut down on transportation congestion. The increased ability of the U.S. Navy to pass larger warships through the enlarged canal will also help keep it an active global force and enhance U.S. force projection in the future. Mindful of the continued importance of the canal, U.S. Southern Command annually conducts Panamax exercises, joint naval exercises with fleets from the Americas, designed to remind cooperating hemispheric partners of their shared responsibility to protect the canal from traditional and emerging threats.

Panama is bounded by Colombia and Costa Rica. To the north, democratic, peaceful Costa Rica shares Panama’s ambition to curb the harm caused by localized and transnational crime. Like Panama, Costa Rica relies on a civilian security force to protect the nation from harm. Both Panama and Costa Rica are increasingly concerned about inroads by Mexican drug cartels and look to the U.S. for continued support.

To the south lies the Colombian border area— the Darien Gap—often described as the most dangerous place in the Americas. The presence of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and criminal elements in this largely ungoverned space is a source of long-standing concern. Beginning in March 2009, Panamanian security forces have killed or captured numerous elements of FARC’s 57th Front, an organized unit of FARC’s northwestern bloc, demonstrating that Panama is also ready to act against illegally armed actors.[6] In May 2010, Colombia and Panama concluded an agreement tightening immigration controls and promising to share intelligence in order to combat transnational crime. Joint U.S.–Panamanian– Colombian operations can reduce the number of safe havens for FARC and criminal gangs. The region of the Darien is also an area of sensitive ecological and ethnic interest to the U.S. and the international community, meriting closer U.S. attention.

Democracy, Trade, and Prosperity

The second pillar of the U.S.–Panama relationship is the preservation and advancement of democratic governance. During the 1980s, General Manuel Noriega, a corrupt strongman or caudillo, usurped power from elected civilians, repressed freedom, and began converting Panama into a narco-state. In 1989, Operation Just Cause employed U.S. military forces to remove Noriega from power and restore electoral democracy. This pro-democracy operation was the last U.S. military operation involving casualties in the Western Hemisphere.[7] Since Noriega’s fall, Panama’s democratic process has flourished with competitive elections and government institutions that have become stronger. Successive governments led by Presidents Endara, Perez Balladares, Moscoso, and Torrijos have stressed anti-corruption efforts, social security reform, macroeconomic stability, and prudent management of the canal.

In 1994, Panama took a major step to prevent the return of a military strongman. It constitutionally abolished the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF) as a standing military force, replacing it with the Panamanian Public Forces that includes civilian-controlled and -staffed border, maritime, air, police, and protective services. Panama spends a modest $132 million, roughly 1 percent of GDP, on its security forces each year. It relies on international and regional order and the protective mantle of U.S. power to safeguard its security.

In May 2009, Panamanians elected Ricardo Martinelli as president. A prominent businessman and entrepreneur, Martinelli promised to promote free trade, establish a Panama City urban transport system, overhaul the health care system, and rapidly execute Panama Canal expansion. He emphasized the need to transform Panama into a “safer, modern and supportive” nation devoted to improving the living conditions through efficient and accountable governance. In foreign policy, he was among the first to recognize the legitimacy of the November 2009 Honduran elections and acknowledges the threat that Hugo Chávez’s authoritarian populism poses to representative democracy. Washington has, nevertheless, done little to enhance its relationship with Panama’s new president.

The third U.S.–Panama pillar is a vigorous trade and investment relationship. As interest declined in the Clinton-era creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the Administration of George W. Bush launched negotiations for bilateral and smaller regional agreements, leading to free trade agreements with Chile (September 2003), Central America and the Dominican Republic (CAFTA–DR, August 2005), and Peru (January 2009). The Bush Administration also signed agreements with Panama and Colombia in 2006. Forgotten is the fact that with passage of the proposed Colombia and Panama FTAs, the U.S. would enjoy privileged free-trade relations with every Pacific Rim nation in the Americas except Ecuador.

Panama’s imports from the U.S. exceed its exports to the U.S. by a ratio of 10 to one. Currently the U.S. exports $4.9 billion in goods and services to Panama; Panama’s exports to the U.S. come to $379 million, primarily in seafood and merchandise that has been sent to Panama for repair. Panama has no significant agricultural or manufacturing sector to take jobs from U.S. workers. Seafood exports help create U.S. jobs in food markets and restaurants. Passage of the FTA will strengthen a beneficial trade link. It will, for example, allow U.S. heavy equipment giant and global manufacturing leader Caterpillar of Peoria, Illinois, to escape higher import duties and compete more aggressively for sales to Panama as canal expansion moves into high gear.

The two most significant differences between the U.S. and Panamanian positions, according to trade specialists, are concerns that Panama might become an offshore “tax haven,” and objections to Panama’s labor laws that require a total of 40 individuals in order to form a trade union. The International Labour Organization (ILO) specifies a minimum of 20. Labor laws also prevent unions from striking against companies less than two years old. These are issues that Panamanian negotiators say they are eager to resolve with a tax information exchange treaty and potential labor reforms.[8]

In the long run, Panama sees itself evolving as a Singapore-like nation in the Americas, becoming a dynamic financial and service center for the region and a hub for international business operations. Computer giants Dell and Hewlett Packard, along with Caterpillar, currently operate regional hubs in Panama and more companies will likely operate in Panama in the future. The unjustified U.S. failure to connect the commercial, political, and strategic dots is costing the U.S. jobs, market share, and the friendship of the Panamanian public.

What the U.S. Should Do

Approve Free Trade in 2010. The time is overdue for the White House and Congress to move to approve the pending free trade agreement with Panama. In order to preserve its credibility in the region, this process should be completed before the end of 2010.
Conduct Presidential Visits. President Obama should reinforce U.S. commitment to Panama with an early visit to meet with President Martinelli. Such a visit would demonstrate the importance the Obama Administration attaches to strong ties with friends.
Establish a Panama–Colombia–U.S. Security Commission. The U.S. State and Defense Departments should join forces to develop a framework for a security commission that shares intelligence, organizes missions, and coordinates cooperative security action in the Darien Gap and in the maritime approaches to Colombia and Panama.
Open the Door for Panama to Join the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Excellent relations, a low visa refusal rate, and strong law enforcement and security cooperation make for a compelling case for Congress and the Administration to help bring Panama into the VWP.
Panama Canal Centennial Project. The U.S. and Panama should establish a major bilateral, public–private project focused on education, health care, or ecological preservation to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal in August 2014. The purpose of such an undertaking is to demonstrate the enduring relationship between the two nations as well as the promise of future cooperation and friendship.
Conclusion

After 18 months in control, the Obama Administration is still searching for a signal accomplishment or victory in the Americas. The Administration has encountered the unforeseen and the horrific in the catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and responded generously. It stumbled in its management of the Honduran constitutional crisis of mid-2009, but is working to promote democracy and normal relations with Honduras. Efforts to overcome Cuban and Venezuelan hostility have faltered because of the immense gap between free and unfree societies. Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, emerging champion of a more responsible Brazil, severely disappointed Washington after breaking ranks with fellow U.N. Security Council members to side with Iran on grave nuclear proliferation issues.

At this juncture, the Obama Administration needs to examine its ties with friends, especially in such an ally as Panama, more closely. The Administration and Congress should recognize that bonds of friendship and association are not the outcomes of good intentions or fine speeches, but of patient, consistent actions. The U.S., according to the U.S. Southern Command, wants to remain the “enduring partner of choice” in the Americas. [9] This can only be accomplished with deeds.

—Ray Walser, Ph.D., is Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.

Send this report to a friendYour Information Yes, I'd like to receive news about Heritage via email Your Friend's Information Your Message
Show references in this report
[1] A key pillar of U.S. national security strategy is the ability to access the “commons” of sea, air, and space. See Barry Posen, “Command of the Commons: The Military Foundation of U.S. Hegemony,” International Security, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Summer 2003), pp. 5–46, at http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/international_security/v028/28.1posen.pdf (July 13, 2010); Michelle Flournoy and Shawn Brimley, “The Contested Commons,” United States Naval Institute Proceedings Magazine, Vol. 135, No. 7 (July 2009), at http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1950 (July 13, 2010); Saul Bernard Cohen, The Geopolitics of the World System (Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003); and John A. Cope, “A Prescription for Protecting the Southern Approach,” Joint Forces Quarterly, Issue 42, No. 3 (2006), pp. 17–21, at http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/jfq_pubs/4210.pdf (July 13, 2010).

[2] Panama separated from Colombia in 1902 following the active involvement of President Theodore Roosevelt and the U.S. Navy. Matthew Parker, Panama Fever: The Epic Story of One of the Greatest Human Achievements of All Time—The Building of the Panama Canal (New York: Doubleday, 2007); Walter LaFeber, The Panama Canal: The Crisis in Historical Perspective (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989); and David G. McCullough, The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1977).

[3] The treaties negotiated by the Carter Administration include the “Panama Canal Treaty” (no copy is available online) and the “Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal,” at http://www.pancanal.com/eng/legal/neutrality-treaty.pdf (July 14, 2010). The second treaty commits the U.S., Panama, and other signatories to preserve the canal’s neutrality and to engage in the mutual defense of the canal.

[4] “A Plan to Unlock Prosperity,” The Economist, December 3, 2009, at http://www.pancanal.com/eng/pr/articles/pdf/A-Plan-to-Unlock-Prosperity.pdf (July 13, 2010)

[5] Ibid.

[6] Don Winner, “Five Colombian FARC Guerillas Captured in the Darién,” Panama-Guide.com, May 14, 2010, at
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/2010051415453365 (July 13, 2010). FARC operates several fronts within its seven geographical blocs.

[7] Lawrence A. Yates, “The U.S. Military Intervention in Panama: Origins, Planning, and Crisis Management, June 1987– December 1989,” U.S. Army Center of Military History, 2008, at http://www.history.army.mil//html/books/just_cause/CMH_55-1-1_Just_%20Cause_opt.pdf (July 14, 2010).

[8] J. F. Hornbeck, “The Proposed U.S.–Panama Free Trade Agreement,” Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, November 1, 2005, at http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/57846.pdf (July 13, 2010). See also Kim R. Holmes, “Free Trade as a Stimulus Strategy,” The Washington Times, May 14, 2009, at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/14/free-trade-as-a-stimulus-strategy (July 13, 2010).

[9] “Posture Statement of General Douglas M. Fraser, United States Air Force, Commander, United States Southern Command,” testimony before the Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senate, March 11, 2010, at http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/files/634038960550937500.pdf (July 14, 2010).

SEN PERDOMO, VICEPRESIDENT COTA MEXICO AT CONFEDERACIÓN PARLAMENTARIA DE LAS AMÉRICAS (COPA)

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Dear Friends of COTA:
I hope you´re doing great!

I am at ANNUAL ASSEMBLY OF CONFEDERACIÓN PARLAMENTARIA DE LAS AMÉRICAS (COPA) at QEURÉTARO, where 160 representatives of 14 countries of our Hemisphere are working together for strength our ties and make some legislation comparation to learn more from each other.

I had the opportunity to make a VERY SPECIAL PRESENTATION at the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of COPA, yesterday afternoon, to let them know what COTA is, and invite to sign a STRATEGY ALLIANCE between our two organizations.

The idea is to find the issues we both organizations are interested in, to foster our visions.

I will provide later the video of my presentation at the COMITTE.

Best regards and remember we will have our trade mission to HONDURAS the next week. SEE YOU THERE!!

513 Power Projects Under Development in Latin America

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:46:00 +0000

513 Power Projects Under Development in Latin America
Breakbulk Staff | Fri, 07/16/2010 - 19:01
Breakbulk Online - News Story
Project Cargo + Heavy-Lift| South America| Central America
Latin American utilities and municipalities are currently developing 513 power generation projects that will cost a total of US$230 billion, according to the latest Power Tracker report published by Industrial Info Resources, a market research group.

Latin America's vast natural resources and growing GDP are driving the next phase of development in the region, says the report. With Brazil, the leading economy in Latin America, growing at a pace of 9 percent in the first quarter of 2010, the demand for new and updated sources of electricity “will be astounding.”

In all, more than 183 gigawatts of new power generation units are currently being evaluated in Latin America to meet the growing power requirements of the region, all the way from Mexico through Central and South America.

Because of South America's vast river systems, hydroelectric generation will be a major source for new power generation on that continent. More than 800 hydroelectric power units are currently under development, representing about 85 gigawatts of power, says the report. In a notable example,
Brazil intends to construct the Tapajós hydropower complex as part of the country's 2019 Energy Expansion Decennial Plan. That project alone would require investments of US$53.9 billion in hydropower generation projects.

Trailing hydroelectric power, the second most important energy source for Latin America will be natural gas, where almost 300 units are planned, contributing a total of 27 gigawatts of power. Coal ranks third as a power source, with 75 units planned, totaling almost 20 gigawatts. Other important projects will develop wind, solar and other sources of energy.

Export Tech

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:06:00 +0000

Just wanted to provide you with the flyer for the next session of Export Tech, starting August 19th. A great way for "new to export" companies to interactively learn the process of marketing their product, exporting it and getting paid.

Our deadline to have everyone signed on is August 1st. We are limiting this to six companies, so if you have any good candidate companies, please share this flyer with them.

Many thanks!
Amy

Your feedback is Important! Please click here to tell us how we're doing .

Amy Thomson
Senior International Trade Specialist
Columbia U.S. Export Assistance Center
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office: 803-777-2563, Mobile: 803-920-9049
Email: Amy.Thomson@mail.doc.gov
www.BuyUSA.gov/southcarolina

Mexico Names New Telecommunications Commissioner

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:05:00 +0000

Mexico Names New Telecommunications Commissioner

MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexican President Felipe Calderon appointed a new telecoms commissioner Wednesday, a week after the agency's president stepped down.

Communications and Transport Minister Juan Molinar said at a press conference that Mony de Swaan was named to the Federal Telecommunications Commission, or Cofetel.

De Swaan will join Cofetel after its former president, Hector Osuna, resigned for personal reasons after four years at the head of the commission.

Cofetel's five commissioners are responsible for electing a president from within their ranks, and SCT officials said an election could take place in coming weeks.

De Swaan has served since March 2009 as a top adviser to Molinar. Before that, he worked under Molinar at the Mexican Social Security Institute, after spending two years as an executive for Mexico and Central America at pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. (PFE).

Cofetel is responsible for regulating telecommunications in Mexico, where a handful of companies dominate fixed-line and mobile telephony and television broadcasting.

Telecoms policy is largely decided, however, by the communications and transport ministry SCT, which has the final say in most regulatory matters, such as issuing new licenses and auctioning wireless spectrum.

-By Paul Kiernan, Dow Jones Newswires; (5255)5980-5178, paul.kiernan@ dowjones.com

US President Barack Obama appoints new ambassador to Caracas

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:54:00 +0000

Published: Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Bylined to: El Universal
US President Barack Obama appoints new ambassador to Caracas
• Larry Palmer also worked at the US Embassies in the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as in South Korea and Sierra Leone
El Universal: US President Barack Obama has appointed an experienced diplomat, Larry Palmer, as the new US Ambassador to Venezuela, the White House reported.
Obama nominated Palmer, who was previously responsible for the US Embassies at Honduras and Ecuador and presently runs a US-Latin America cooperation agency, to replace Patrick Duddy, at the US diplomatic mission in Caracas, a communiqué reported, as quoted by AFP.
Palmer, who should be ratified by the US Senate, also worked at the US Embassies to the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as in South Korea and Sierra Leone.
The news came the same day when Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela conceded that for the United States, relationship with Venezuela is the toughest in Latin America, as Washington cannot see any willingness to talk from the government of President Hugo Chavez.
Duddy, the US Ambassador since August 2007, left the embassy in September 2008, when the United States and Venezuela recalled their ambassadors at a stalemate of the bilateral relations.
Later, in June 2009, both Washington and Caracas replaced their ambassadors and Duddy came back again. However, bilateral relations have not made much progress.

COTA Member requires access to the following products:

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:40:00 +0000

COTA Member requires access to the following products:

Blackberry'S

9700 bold
9000bold
8520curve
8900
storm2

need as many of each model as you can get (atleast 500-1000/week of each model would be great). Depending on price and quality (brand new, OEM, no chineese knockoffs).

iphone's
3G
3GS
4G

If interested contact: COTA Member:
Jack Kahan @ jackkahan@gmail.com

Mexico's Envoy to the USA Excels in Bilateral Affairs

noreply@blogger.com (COTA) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:33:00 +0000

Monday, June 28, 2010
Mexico's Envoy to the USA Excels in Bilateral Affairs
By George W. Grayson
Insiders at Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) compare choice ambassadorial appointments to cosmetic brands. The plum assignments—Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome—form part of the “Ruta Revlon.” Needless to say that Washington is both the most difficult post and also the most prestigious. Since 20007, Arturo Sarukhán has presided over the embassy at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue—just a stone’s throw from the White House.
Despite an agenda that would test the patience of the biblical Job, Sarukhán wins high praise—from the Left, Right, and Center in Washington—for his performance as Mexico’s envoy.
Several factors account for his success, not the least of which is his impeccable English, which is all the more beguiling because he sounds more like an upper-class Londoner than an American.
Facility in language is only the beginning. Sarukhán knows the United States better than any recent Mexican envoy. He received a Masters’ degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s prestigious School of Advanced International Studies; he served as chief of staff to Mexico's ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s; and President Vicente Fox named him Consul General in New York in 2003.
He has developed or renewed contacts on Capitol Hill and the White House. This gives him entrée to policymakers at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Although he meets regularly with key senators and representatives, he also invites their staff members to monthly luncheons at the chancery—a practice questioned by other envoys. What Sarukhán realizes, however, is that lawmakers, who are too busy to do their own homework, rely on these bright anonymous men and women to render advice, write speeches, and prepare position papers.
Roderic Ai Camp, a professor and top mexicólogo at Claremont McKenna College in California, praises the 46-year-old diplomat for his “encyclopedic knowledge of both the United States and the bilateral agenda.” The academic super star also noted that, like Camp, Sarukhán boasts Armenian ancestors, which may have contributed to his “international savoir-faire.”
Sarukhán also boasts close ties to President Felipe Calderón. Indeed, he took a leave of absence from the SRE to work in the PAN [National Action Party] candidate’s war room. Among his achievements there was helping to craft the famous “chachalaca” political spot, which linked Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was then leading the race, to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez inasmuch as both men had taken cheap, demeaning shots at Fox. It’s no secret that some SRE veterans resent being bypassed as the ambassador goes directly to número uno.
Sidney Weintraub, a leading economic expert on Mexico, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and recipient of the Aztec Eagle Award, lauds Sarukhán for his “tireless work on and profound knowledge of” the Mérida Initiative through which the U.S. gave $1.4 billion to its southern neighbor in equipment and technical training.
Decision-makers in Los Pinos [the presidential compound in Mexico City] can decipher poll results as well as anyone. Bereft of attractive candidates, the PAN obviously faces an uphill struggle to retain the presidency in 2012. Just as Carlos Salinas wanted to integrate Mexico into the global economy via NAFTA before his successor might reverse the economic opening, Calderón is striving to so comingle U.S.-Mexican cooperation on the drug war so that the next chief executive will have no choice but to continue the momentum. In other words, he wants to make a security omelet that neither Enrique Peña Nieto [PRI, the Institutional Revolutionary Party] nor any other opposition figure can unscramble.
Sarukhán never dreamed that his journey on the Ruta Revlon would entail becoming an adroit security chef.
——————————
George Grayson is the Class of 1938 Professor of Government at the College of William & Mary. This commentary, in Spanish, first appeared in the Mexico City weekly Milenio Semanal, on June 20, 2010. Dr. Grayson is also a senior associate at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) published his monograph, Mexico’s Struggle with Drugs and Thugs (2009). Transaction Publishers has recently brought out his Mexico: Narco Violence and a Failed State?