Five More Cubans Escape:

By Candia Dames -
Nassau, Bahamas:

The ongoing security problems at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre were underscored on Thursday after five Cuban men escaped from the facility in the wee hours of the morning.

It was the third escape of Cubans from the centre for the year, but Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt said the situation could have been more serious as more than 20 Cuban men were trying to escape but most of them were blocked by Defence Force officers.

"The [officers] sounded the alarm and they were able to create a stir [and] some five of them escaped [instead of the 20 or so]. We noticed that in doing our surveillance that there was a number of fences that were cut. The double fence was cut that’s hidden behind the buses that are parked here," Mrs. Pratt said.

The escape came less than a week after immigration authorities said two Cuban women who broke out in late May had been recaptured by the US Coast Guard attempting to make it to Florida on a boat.

Anet Savia Gainza and Karina Reyes Labra were recently sent back to the centre.

In early April, three Cuban men, Jose Alvarez Garcia, Victor Brito Senea, and Lazaro Acosta Ortiz, also escaped from the centre. They were never recaptured. According to immigration authorities, all the Cuban escapees this year cut through the fences to break out.

Thursday’s incident drew a team of National Security officials, including Defence Force Commodore Davey Rolle, who inspected the fences that the Cubans allegedly cut to escape.

After the tour led by immigration authorities, the deputy prime minister told reporters that she was deeply concerned by what had happened, but when asked whether the latest incident signaled a failure in security, she said, "No. I don’t view it as a failure."

She added, "Things happen. We just have to try to work and try to move as we go along. All around the world people escape. The Bahamas is not new to this. Other countries that have the resources they have escapes, and so we are not perfect. We don’t have the kind of resources to do what we need to do. Certainly, we’re working at it and we’re doing the best that we can."

When he contributed to debate on the 2006/2007 budget in the House of Assembly earlier this month, Immigration Minister Shane Gibson announced that major security upgrades were taking place at the Carmichael Road facility.

These included fortifying the perimeter and bringing in attack dogs.

The attack dogs were at the facility during the latest escape, the deputy prime minister confirmed and she said the security upgrades were ongoing.

"Today we were just informed that the cameras will be installed," she said. "We are just waiting for the apparatus and screening device. [They have] not arrived yet. Other than that we will be able to screen persons for what they have on the body."

Mrs. Pratt said authorities want to know at all times what people are brining in to the Detention Centre compound.

She assured, "Whatever the problem is we’ll correct the problem."

The deputy prime minister said there were no Haitians involved in the escape attempt and added, "We know that most of our problems are from the Cuban refugees."

She said because the Cubans tend to be at the centre longer than the Haitians, they tend to become more aggressive and they have a longer time to think about how to escape.

Off the record, some of the officials on the scene told the Bahama Journal that it was clear that there is some corruption involved, a claim they also made during earlier escapes.

Defence Force officers are responsible for security at the centre, and immigration authorities are responsible for the centre’s management.

A year ago, government officials appointed former Acting Superintendent of Her Majesty’s Prison Edwin Culmer director of the Detention Centre, but Mr. Culmer recently told The Bahama Journal that he does not work at the facility and has no idea about the goings on there.

In fact, he was attending the consecration of Anglican coadjutor bishop Laish Boyd while National Security and Immigration authorities were at the facility investigating the breakout.

30 June 2006

bahamas

Guana Cay Victory:

By Candia Dames -
Nassau, Bahamas:

The developers of the Baker’s Bay project at Guana Cay in the Abacos scored a victory on Wednesday when the Court of Appeal dismissed an application filed by the Save Guana Cay Reef Association seeking leave to appeal to the Privy Council against a recent ruling of the lower court.

The Association has been trying to get a court order to stop the multimillion-dollar development, which has been at the centre of controversy for more than a year now.

Last November, Discovery Land Company agreed to stop work on the project until the Supreme Court rules on the substantive case.

But the Court of Appeal said in a ruling last month that as of May 31, the developers were cleared of that undertaking and could get back to work, which they did.

It was that ruling that the Association wanted to appeal to the high court in London.

"We feel satisfied that justice has been served and will be served in the future," Steve Adelson, an executive at Baker’s Bay, said on Wednesday. "Baker’s Bay will be a model development for The Bahamas from an economical and environmental perspective."

He added, "Since our voluntary undertaking has been lifted the spirit of our staff has been inspiring to everyone. We are excited about what the future will hold. The 120 Bahamians we employ are back to work with a renewed and restored confidence."

After filing the application several weeks ago seeking leave to appeal to the Privy Council, Association attorney Fred Smith told the Bahama Journal, "The Save Guana Cay Association is afraid that if the development proceeds, particularly [clearing of] the crown and treasury land which the developers don’t even have a lease of, the damage to the environment is going to be irreparable.

"You can’t put back virgin forests once you cut them down. You can’t put back the mangrove and wetlands once they’ve been dredged out."

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal also refused an application by the Association for an injunction against the government and the developers. The Court of Appeal determined that the application was without merit and ordered the Association to pay costs totaling $18,000.

Michael Barnett, attorney for Discovery Land Company, said after the determination from the Court of Appeal on Wednesday that, "There is no legal impediment to the developers continuing with their development, which is based upon the principle of utmost respect to the environment."

The substantive case in the Supreme Court wrapped up on February 23, but Acting Justice Norris Carrol has yet to deliver a judgment.

The Save Guana Cay Reef Association wants the judge to rule that the government had no legal authority to approve such a project, which Association members insist is already damaging the environment.

Weeks ago, Mr. Smith had asked the Court of Appeal for an order saying that until the judgment is delivered by Acting Justice Carrol in the Supreme Court the developers be prohibited from continuing their project, which would have included the blocking of any further clearing of land, or extension of roads.

But the high court dismissed that request in May, saying it was "misconceived".

The court noted at the time that it had heard extensive arguments from Mr. Smith as to why it should not relieve the developers from their undertaking given last year.

The Association had claimed that the developers had caused damage to the environment since the undertaking was given, and that this damage could be irreparable, but the Court of Appeal said there was no evidence to support this.

The Association had also said that an Environmental Impact Assessment study needed to be done, but the Court of Appeal also said in the May ruling that it was not dealing with the material facts of the case before the Supreme Court.

Mr. Smith could not be reached on Wednesday to comment on the latest development in the Guana Cay matter, although he and the Association have vowed to pursue every conceivable legal avenue in their attempt to stop the project.

29 June 2006

environment

Petrocaribe Could Lead To “Substantial” Infrastructure Costs:

By Candia Dames -
Nassau, Bahamas:

The Bahamas could face "substantial" infrastructure costs should it join the Venezuela-sponsored Petrocaribe initiative, Minister of Energy and Environment Dr. Marcus Bethel said the senate on Monday.

The oil alliance, launched a year ago, allows Caribbean countries that have signed on to purchase oil on conditions of preferential payment.

Under the plan, nations can purchase oil at market value, but are only required to pay a certain amount up front. The remainder can be paid through a 25-year financing agreement on 1 percent interest.

"Whereas such a line of credit would benefit the Bahamas in short term outlay of capital and infrastructural development programmes, there exists some operational infrastructure challenges that would prohibit early implementation of such an agreement," explained Dr. Bethel, while contributing to debate on the 2006/2007 budget.

"The cost of transport facilities and liability insurance during transportation, also the absence of state-owned docking, pumping and storage capacity in the Bahamas, and the cost of transportation and distribution of fuel to the Family Islands, these costs must be quantified and could be substantial. Hence, further analysis is being undertaken to address these issues."

Dr. Bethel also pointed to the work of the Petroleum Usage Committee, which has completed its report. He said the report is expected to be made public after a cabinet briefing.

The report addresses issues relative to the petroleum industry in the Bahamas and makes recommendations on the way forward in lowering the cost of fuel supplies to the Bahamas.

During debate on the budget in the House of Assembly on July 12, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Leslie Miller, who had responsibility for the Petrocaribe issue before the February cabinet reshuffle, pointed to the benefits of joining the agreement.

He told members of the House of Assembly that motorists would be able to save $1,200 per year under Petrocaribe.

The minister added that the Bahamian people could have saved anywhere between 25 cents and $1 per gallon of gasoline and diesel, which could have translated into savings for the country of up to $85 million per year.

He said that in 2005, expenditure on petroleum products surpassed the half billion-dollar mark for the first time in the country’s history, when expenditure reached $525.2 million. This represented an increase of $159.8 million or 44 percent over 2004.

"Many persons have said that Petrocaribe was not going to save money," Minister Miller said. "However, everyone should know that buying directly from the producer always creates savings as you cut out the middle man."

At the time, Minister Miller also pointed to what he said would be benefits of establishing liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the Bahamas.

Dr. Bethel did the same in the senate on Monday.

"I remain committed to the belief that the environmental risk is minimal and sustainable, the economic benefits are substantial and the safety and security components are manageable," the energy and environment minister said.

27 June 2006


caribbean

Region Forges Ahead With CSME:

By Darrin Culmer -
Nassau, Bahamas:


Although The Bahamas remains outside of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), with Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell announcing last year that the government will not be signing on to the agreement in its first term in office, the majority of the rest of the region is continuing to make strides toward implementing all of the elements of that arrangement.

The CARICOM Secretariat announced last week that regional ministers of finance concluded an important step in the process of creating a CARICOM-wide Development Fund.

Article 158 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas explains that the purpose of the Development Fund is to provide financial or technical assistance to disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors.

Article 1 of the Revised Treaty defines disadvantaged countries as "member states that may require special support measures of a transitional or temporary nature by reason of: impairment of resources resulting from natural disasters, the adverse impact of the operation of the CSME on their economies, temporary low levels of economic development, or being a Highly-Indebted Poor Country designated as such by the competent inter-governmental organisation."

"The establishment of the regional Development Fund has now been assured with the general acceptance by participating Member States of a contribution formula put forward by the Caribbean Development Bank and endorsed by CARICOM ministers of finance," a statement from the CARICOM Secretariat said.

The statement reported that on Tuesday June 20 CARICOM’s Assistant Secretary General for Regional Trade and Economic Integration, Irwin La Rocque, indicated that the formula had been finalised by the CARICOM Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP) at a recent meeting held in Jamaica.

Mr. La Rocque reportedly stated that the finance ministers also decided that the Development Fund would be a separate legal entity with its own personality.

The Fund is expected to be capitalised at US$250 million of which US$100 million would be contributed by CARICOM Member States. Twenty million dollars is to be derived from the Petroleum Fund which is operated by Trinidad and Tobago, and the remainder is to come from donor contributions.

"The CARICOM assistant secretary general noted too that the ministers of finance have also recommended to heads (of government) the setting up of two task forces, one of which will be looking at the implementation of the Development Fund with a view to getting it implemented as quickly as possible, while the other will look at mobilising additional resources from the donor community," the statement said.

The CARICOM Secretariat statement indicated that the CARICOM secretary general along with the lead head of government with responsibility for the CSME, Prime Minister Owen Arthur of Barbados, have already approached a number of donors and received "encouraging" responses.

26 June 2006

caribbean

Some of the most advanced and earliest civilizations in the
Western Hemisphere were in what is now Mexico. Historians
note that hunters lived in the area in 21000 BC or perhaps
even before that. Cultivation of crops started in 8000 BC,
with squash as the probable first crop. The Olmecs
established the first primary Mesoamerican civilization
somewhere between 1500 and 600 BC. Mayans were at the peak
in the Mexican area around the 700's AD. Toltecs, a warring
people, migrated down to Mexico from the north and
established their empire in the Valley of Mexico in the
900's. Tula and Talncingo were cities north of present day
Mexico City that they founded. Here a great civilization
grew that can be seen today in the ruins of what were
monuments and building of magnificence.

The Toltecs left the region in the 12th century, pushed out
by the Chichimeca, and dispersed all over. The next century
seven Nahuatlan tribes came from what was thought to be the
area of present day Arizona and New Mexico. The Aztecs were
the leading tribe among the Nahuatlan and in 1325 the Aztec
established the city of Tenochtitlan. A causeway was built
as a dam and a fortress for their island town. Itzcoatl, the
first Aztec emperor, spread his civilization's influence
throughout nearly all of Mexico in the 15th century.

The Aztecs were a very developed and cultured people,
advanced in art, intellect and agriculture, growing corn and
depending on it extensively. Rich and strong, they build
tremendous Aztec cities and banded together for social,
political and spiritual strength. The explorer de Cordoba
came to Mexico from Europe, finding Mayan civilization
traces in Yucatan in 1517. The Cuban de Grijalva discovered
the Aztecs along Mexico's east coast and took his tale back
to his homeland. The governor of Cuba promptly sent the soon
to be conqueror Cortes and a large complement of warriors to
the region.

What happened to the Aztecs was that they had divided
themselves into 38 scattered and independent tribes who
didn't get along well. This played right into the hands of
Cortes and his soldiers. As did the Aztec emperor
Montezuma's belief that Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl.

The Aztecs has three classes of society. There were slaves,
commoners and nobles. The slaves were like indentured
servants. The poor could sell their children into this
servitude for a specific period of time. Slaves were also
able to buy their way out of slavery and if they somehow
managed to escape and reach the royal palace they were freed
immediately. Commoners were known by the Aztec name of
Maceaultin. All but the lowest group of commoners known as
tlalmaitl could own land and could build their houses on
that land. The tlalmaitl were tenant farmers, however. The
nobles were priests, warriors and those born into nobility.

The Aztecs of that time worshiped many gods, among them the
sun god Uitzilopochtli, the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, the
rain god Tlaloc, and the writing and calendar inventor
Quetzalcoatl. The Aztecs believed that their sun god
murdered his sister the moon goddess. Aztech writing was
recorded, often threw pictures, on animal hides or papers.
Called codices, some of these writing still exist. The Aztec
calendar, which was designed during Mayan early years had
365 days, 18 months with 20 days each and then five days
they called hollow. These five days were supposed to be days
of bad luck. There are more than one million Aztecs living
today in and around Mexico City, primarily illiterate
farmers who barely subsist, take little part in modern
Mexican culture and who practice a blend of Aztec religion
and Roman Catholicism.


Jenni Reker is the owner of
MG Mexico
which is an excellent place to find
mexico links, resources
and articles. For more information on this article,
please visit: http://www.mgmexico.com/

mexico