| LATIN AMERICA needs brotherly love and support. They have come
a long way, they have eliminated all dictatorships and military juntas down
there. But their economies are hurting due in part to the vestiges of
previous regimes. |
| Their economic problems are also aggravated by the huge population growth they have
suffered during the past three decades. They need to do something about that,
of course, and
we must help them as much as we can on that goal. |
| We would all benefit -in this
hemisphere- having larger markets (for their products here, and for
ours down there), and healthier trading partners. |
| We
would also have a lot less Immigrants trying to settle illegally
in America, because
-unless we do that something effective to help our Latin American
neighbors- the immigration pressure will continue unrelenting. |
| A more focused effort should be made to help the economy of
ARGENTINA, as well as those ones of BRAZIL, CHILE, VENEZUELA,
COLOMBIA, PERU, and the rest. |
| MOST
IMPORTANT: As with the bridge across the
Bering sea (benefiting the USA, Canada,
MEXICO, Russia, Europe, China and others), Latin America needs
to finish its network of
interstate highways. |
| Due to our concern with the environment, and
with the
future of the Amazon region, impediments have been put to the development
of the Pan-American highway. |
| I feel that there are very few people on this
planet who are more concerned -than I am- with the health of the Planet.
Yet, I do not believe that the solution is not to allow
Latin America to be properly
developed. |
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How would you feel if,
in order to avoid affecting the lifestyle of the American Indians (who
were decimated
anyway), or the
depletion of buffalos (that
where brought close to extinction anyway), our Inter-State network of highways
-or the railroad across the US- had not
been developed ? |
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Commerce between Latin American countries is often done in serpentine
roads meandering through jungles and mountains, or by slow moving boats on
the Amazon river and its tributaries. |
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It is unfair that we do not
treat these countries with the same respect and concern we treat our American States.
It is a double standard !! |
From my human perspective, I do not
see much difference between a Minnesotan and a Mexican, or between a Coloradoan
and a Colombian or Brazilian.
The problem might be over-population, or the
medieval flavor of
Christian religion that is espoused by some of the countries on that continent.
However, I do not see why these countries
-all having eliminated
dictatorial regimes and having brought democracies- can not be trusted to
be capable of signing environmental treaties. And in doing so, be
helped with the development of their national lands and resources.
We have to be foresighted, or we will be flooded with Immigrants for
many years to come.
If I am
elected, I will be the friendlier
Congressman -environmentally strict though- that Latin
America has ever had in Washington.
That will be my most irrevocable campaign
commitment!
Those who
know me, know this fact: Juan Xuna has never lied in his life
.. not bragging. Just ask them! |
There is a small
unfinished segment of the Pan American Highway (called the Darien
gap) in the thick rain forest of Panama, and across the border
into Colombia. It is not even 100 miles in length. It is
swampy no question, but it not because of engineering problems that
has not been finished. It is because of fear
of damage to the flora and fauna of Central and South America that
there was an stoppage. There was concern with the impact of
modern traffic in the culture and lives of the Darien Indians who
inhabit that area. If safeguards are not put
in place, there is not question in my mind that they will be subjected
to abuse and possible extinction as race and culture. My
Panaminian business acquaintance -Mr. Alfredo Motta- tells me these
Indians live primitive lives, and wear nothing. They are mostly naked. |
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Colombia.
We need to help the Colombians get rid of the FARC guerrillas
gang. Otherwise there
will not be an end to the inhumane kidnappings, the human misery, and
the constant flow of Colombian immigrants to the USA.
If we are serious in our plans of promoting NAFTA and trade and
commerce with our Southern neighbors, then we need to help them finish
the Pan-American Highway. But
before we do that, it is imperative we help them clean up Colombia of
drug traffickers and FARC rebels.
If we fail to do so,
I have no doubt that the Pan-American
Highway will soon be nicknamed “kidnaper’s alley”.
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Mercosur.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay need our
support. For many years
these countries welcomed with open arms millions of immigrants from
Europe: Spaniards, Italians, Jewish,...
Now they are the ones in serious difficulties.
We have to reach out and understand the root of their economic
and social problems. We
should help them overcome those problems. Immigration quotas for those
countries, especially for Argentina, should be raised somewhat as to
alleviate their temporary economic predicaments.
A mother begging for her children in Buenos Aires, Argentina. |
This picture -dating back to the
inauguration of the Panamá canal in 1912- was scanned from a decades old
issue of National Geographic magazine.
America finished the Panama canal, and it brought
tremendous increase in commerce to our Pacific coast. California
would not be what it is today if this canal had not been built.
On the map above, you can see that if this Pan
American highway were to be finished, then traffic could flow from
Fairbanks in Alaska to Tierra de Fuego in Argentina. |
Can
you foresee the impact in progress for the Latin region? And in the increase of international
trade with our southern neighbors? |
ECOLOGICAL IMPACT.-
Unless:
| serious -21st century responsible commitments- are
made, and |
| compliance strictly supervised by UN supervisors |
The impact to
the ecology of Latin America can be disastrous.
And this is an under-statement!
The Brazilians built a Trans-Amazon highway that
crisscross their country, and this highway -of course- connects to the
Pan-American highway. Garimpeiros (furtive miners) moved from all
over Brazil to the Amazon to exploit the incredibly abundant mineral
resources of the area. With laws very lax in Brazil, you can imagine
what is going on over there. Huge portions of the Amazon rain forest
were burned to the ground to make room for cows and ranchers (Rondonia).
Garimpeiros throw all kinds of chemicals in the once pristine springs and
rivers. Entire groups of species of animal are being driven to
extinction: in the Brazilian Amazon region, and in the Venezuelan region
of the Orinoco .
Unless Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Brazil -and
others- cooperate all in an effective way, I would say, forget
about finishing the Darien gap. They have a lot to lose .. so
they better do it right! |
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We have to recognized -though- that great
progress has been done during the last decade. More can be done
if not only them, but if the international community gives a helpful hand.
Progress will bring education, population control,
better utilization of resources, and prosperity to the whole Latin
Region. The
benefits to North America are not less important, less poor uneducated
Immigrants, and more commerce.
But if the rate of deforestation has slowed, let's not
give total credit to the Government of Brazil or its citizens, although credit
might have been earned. That is for somebody else to say, I have
not been much of a watchdog lately (I have been trying to live a happier
life ignoring what is going on, as many other people do).
There are many skeptics out there who believe the damage
slowed, but only because the Trans-Amazónica goes really nowhere.
The link between Brasilia and Caracas is also broken somewhere in the
Orinoco. Many segments are almost impassable due to lack of funds
for maintenance and for infra-structure. Perhaps the Brazilian
Government -aware that it does not have the resources to closely watch the
region- purposely discourages development of the highway to avoid the
wrath of the international community. Where -fortunately- there is
more and more individuals concerned with the environment.
Many do not care much for the ecologic devastation in
progress around the world. But worry on the health ailments that all
of us all may have confront soon. If we burn the jungles that
produce oxygen, and we burn of the fossils that have trapped the carbon
dioxide for millions of years, then it will not be far that day when we
will return to a primitive atmosphere (which was not breathable to
animals, and only good to plants and bacteria).
It will take even less time for all of us to get blinded
with UV rays, and scorched with X-rays (consequence of ozone-layer
depletion). Do you think I am kidding? |
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Editor: JX |
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