Michael Jacobs explored the length of the Andes from the lush jungles in northern Colombia to the snow-covered peaks of Argentina’s southernmost tip.
Travel Writer Michael Jacobs Does Justice to the Andes
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Latin America & Caribbean
Cuba’s Culture of Dissent
When the Cuban government released a number of dissidents earlier this year, human rights groups applauded the decision. But critics also took the occasion to paint Cuba once again as a society where a single word of criticism gets you shipped off to a dungeon, from which you will never return, reduced to being a statistic in an Amnesty International report. This belief may contain a kernel of truth. But in many ways it provides a cartoon version of Cuba, one that misses altogether the texture and reality of Cuban life, particularly its politics and its culture of dissent. And there is a culture of dissent.
The Extraterrestrial Atomic Energy Agency
In Europe and South America, UFO investigation is taken seriously — not debunked and stigmatized as in the United States.
Panama: Free-Trade Tax Haven
Negotiated by President Bush in 2004-2006, the U.S.-Panama free-trade agreement has since stalled in the face of congressional opposition. However, recent House votes have suggested a renewed interest in ratifying the agreement, which would normalize Panama’s status as a notorious tax haven for U.S.-based corporations, along with other, seedier entities.
Peru’s Leftist Student Revival
In July, students, political activists, human rights workers, and average citizens in Lima, Peru, joined a march entitled “Ni indulto ni impunidad, asesinos a prisión,” or “No pardons or impunity, murderers to prison.” The event occurred just two weeks before the presidential inauguration of leftist Ollanta Humala Tasso. Humala’s victory has led countless activists across Peru to herald a new era of democracy, freedom of expression, and most of all victory over Fujimorismo.
Drug War Madness
In 1936, a church group commissioned a film “to strike fear in the hearts of young people tempted to smoke marijuana.” But it was not until the 1970s that Reefer Madness — billed as “the original classic that was not afraid to make up the truth” due to its grotesque portrayal of the supposed dangers of marijuana — obtained cult status.
“War Follows Child Abuse as Night Day”
Contrary to what international relations types may think, leaders seldom do a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of the results before waging war.
An Easy Way to Improve U.S.-Latin American Relations
During his attendance at a recent African Union summit, former Brazilian president Lula da Silva critiqued the structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC): “it isn’t possible that Latin America, with its 400 million inhabitants, does not have permanent representation. Five countries decide what to do and how to do it, regardless of the rest of the humans living on this planet.”
U.S. and Mexican Governments Continue to Brush Aside Perspectives of Drug War Victims
Public confidence in the Mexican army and judiciary has declined considerably. Meanwhile, 73 percent of Latin Americans perceive corruption among public officials as a widespread problem.
Haiti’s Recovery Ultimately Contingent on Education
If education were made more of a priority, Haiti’s future would look much brighter.