Multinational corporations can override the domestic laws of countries through the international tribunals.
Multinationals Use International Tribunals to Overpower Nation-States
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Latin America & Caribbean
Time to Recall the Land Grabbers
On 5 December 2011, GRAIN received the 2011 Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, at the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm. GRAIN was awarded “for its worldwide work to protect the livelihoods and rights of farming communities and to expose the massive purchases of farmland in developing countries by foreign financial interests”. GRAIN seized on the opportunity to demand an immediate end to land grabbing and a restitution of lands to local communities. The following speech was delivered to the Swedish Parliament by GRAIN during the Awards Ceremony.
The Failure of the Summit of the Americas VI
Dilma Rousseff interrupted the speech of Barack Obama. The President of the United States was speaking about the advances of various countries in Latin America, commenting that now there exists “a prosperous middle class” that represents a business opportunity for companies from his country. “Suddenly, they are interested in buying iPads, interested in buying planes from Boeing.” “Or Embraer,” interjected Dilma, yielding applause.
Rocky Road to Gender Equality in Latin America
The increased participation of women in traditional politics in Latin America has made headlines for several years now. Last month, The New York Times published an analysis of the 2012 Women in Politics Survey of UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union by Luisita Lopez Torregrosa. Torresgrosa highlighted the rising percentage of women in parliament and female heads of state in the region, including Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina. She and other experts attribute some of the advances to electoral quotas adopted in many countries and more general factors such as democratization, education, and public policies.
Honduras Coup Delivering a Bloody Return on Washington’s Military Investment
The United States has significantly scaled up its military presence in Honduras in recent months.
Mexicans Romanticizing Drug Kingpins Reflects Lack of Confidence in the Rule of Law
The loyalty citizens profess to this violent syndicate or that has nothing to do with actual support, and everything to do with survival in an uncertain social terrain where law enforcement is often a perpetrator.
Free Trade Agreement Ignores Colombian History of Violence Against Trade Unions
Anti-union crimes are widespread and remain a tremendous concern for people who object to the U.S.-Colombia FTA.
Fighting Drug Cartels Exposes Mexican Military to Corruption
The more exposure the military has to the drug war, the greater the risk that it will succumb to corruption.
Free-Trade Deal May Prove Greater Obstacle to Colombian Peace Than FARC
If FARC profits from the drug trade again, it may confront the government rather than work with it.
Foreign Policy Magazine Analyst Stokes Fears About Mexican-style Drug War in Venezuela
Foreign Policy magazine publishes fear-mongering accusations that Venezuela is becoming a narco-state.