http://www.naturalnews.com/028843_Bolivia_coca.html
Bolivia launches "Coca-Colla" drink made from medicinal coca plant
Saturday, May 22, 2010
David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) The Bolivian government has announced plans to launch a carbonated soft drink called Coca-Colla, to be made with actual coca leaves.
The name (pronounced koka koya) is an allusion to Colla suyu, the quadrant of the Inca empire that contained the modern territory of Bolivia.
The plan for the beverage was submitted by coca farmers from the country's Chapare region as part of a wider initiative to increase production of the plant. President Evo Morales, a former coca grower and head of the Chapare cocalero union, has made increased commercialization of the plant a key part of his plan for the country's economic development.
Coca leaves, chewed or brewed into tea, have been a part of Andean cultures for thousands of years. The plant is considered sacred by indigenous people and is also prized for its nutritional and medicinal benefits. According to Morales, an estimated 10 million people chew the leaves throughout the Andes.
Morales has promised to increase coca cultivation by 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres), and his government has already approved production of coca-based tea, flour, toothpaste and liquor. Bolivian law, which bans cocaine production, currently allows only 12,000 hectares of coca to be cultivated, although the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that 30,500 hectares are actually in cultivation.
In a deliberate allusion to Coca-Cola, Coca-Colla will also feature a red label with a black swoosh. Coca-Cola still uses coca leaves in its formula, and is the only company authorized to import the leaves under U.S. law.
Because coca leaves are an essential ingredient in the highly industrialized process needed to make cocaine, some governments classify them as narcotics. The official U.S. position is that the plant should be driven extinct, and the International Narcotics Control Board advocates a ban on the traditional religious practice of chewing the leaves.
It is impossible to get a cocaine "high" off of coca leaves, and traditional practitioners and Western scientists have both confirmed that chewing the leaves is not addictive and carries no negative health effects.
Sources for this story include: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/.
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Bolivia holds key to electric car future
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7707847.stm
Bolivia holds key to electric car future
By Damian Kahya
BBC News, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Bolivia's lithium reserves could bring wealth to the country
High in the Andes, in a remote corner of Bolivia, lies more than half the world's reserves of a mineral that could radically reduce our reliance on dwindling fossil fuels.
Lithium carries a great promise. It could help power the fuel efficient electric or petrol-electric hybrid vehicles of the future.
But, as is the case with fossil fuels, it is a limited resource.
Lithium carbonate is already in the batteries of laptop computers and mobile phones.
It is used because it allows more energy to be stored in a lighter, smaller space than most alternatives.
And as the auto industry rushes to produce new fuel efficient and electric cars, it too is turning to lithium batteries as its first choice to boost the power of their new models.
GM has one in its new hybrid Volt, Toyota is testing one in its next generation hybrid Prius. Mercedes is testing an electric version of its Smart, while BMW is doing the same with its Mini.
And Nissan-Renault, Mitsubishi and VW are all rushing to buy or produce enough of the batteries to power their future models.
The best of the pure electric cars can reach ranges of more than 150 kilometres per charge.
More is needed
But there is a problem.
Mitsubishi, which plans to release its own electric car soon, estimates that the demand for lithium will outstrip supply in less than 10 years unless new sources are found.
And they have ended up in Bolivia.
"The demand for lithium won't double but increase by five times," according to Eichi Maeyama Mitsubishi's general manager in La Paz.
"We will need more lithium sources - and 50% of the world's reserves of lithium exist in Bolivia, in the Salar de Uyuni," he adds, pointing out that without new production, the price of lithium will rise prohibitively.
Locals fear the benefits will not be passed on
But almost all the commercially exploitable reserves are found in the brine under salt flats.
The world's largest reserves lie in Bolivia at the Salar de Uyuni - in the remote southern Andean plane.
But Bolivia is not a country known to be friendly to foreign industry.
Its socialist president, Evo Morales, is keen to expand state control over its natural resources, a task carried out by Bolivia's minister for mining, Luis Alberto Echazu.
"We want to send a message to the industrialized countries and their companies," Mr Echazu says.
"We will not repeat the historical experience since the fifteenth century: raw materials exported for the industrialisation of the west that has left us poor."
Modest ambitions
Gold, silver, tin, oil and gas have all been found and exported from here whilst the country remains the poorest in the region.
For President Morales' supporters, that is reason enough not to allow in foreign mining companies to extract the lithium.
Across the flats, freelance miners work to break up the surface salt selling it to passing trucks for just a few dollars.
Indigenous and poor, they are core supporters of the president.
A grizzled old miner, giving his name only as Alfredo, says he does not believe that lithium will ever be extracted.
"We don't want to see foreign companies here," he says.
"It would be very bad, as the government says."
Alfredo's hopes for the future are modest.
"I just want to work until I die" he says, a smile across his face. It is not an uncommon sentiment here.
Sharing the benefits
In spite of the grinding poverty here, attempts in the 1980's and 1990's by foreign companies to extract the lithium met with resistance from the community.
They say the money would go elsewhere.
Francisco Quisbert is a local activist with President Morales' party who took part in the resistance.
Now he is working with the president to hammer out a new plan for a state-owned pilot plant on the flats.
"We don't want international involvement," he says.
"This plan has raised the hopes of the region.
"Before our grandparents lived on the salt. They arrived from the valleys in caravans of llamas, but the market forced them to leave.
"We want to return to live on the salar [and] improve our living conditions and to participate in the project."
To begin with the pilot plant will produce no more than 1.2 kilotonnes a year.
If an industrial plant is then built it may increase to around 30 kilotonnes by 2012, - thats just under a third of current production.
But most lithium now goes to small batteries for electronic goods.
Car batteries are far larger and Mitsubishi estimates the world will need 500 kilotonnes a year just to service a niche market. For electric cars to become the norm, it could need far more.
Mitsubishi predicts that there will be a supply shortage by 2015.
Pollution nevertheless
Analysts suspect that Bolivia's government can produce this much.
"Governments in South America have had a very successful history of mining," explains Charles Kernot, a mining analyst at Evolution Securities.
But the question is how fast.
"They probably don't have a lot of experience of doing this sort of thing themselves so they'll have to bring in expertise and technology," Mr Kernot adds.
"That whole process may take a lot longer than people are anticipating."
Consequently, he continues, "the car manufacturers will have to strike a balance between how quickly they manufacture with the supply of metal because they don't want to drive the price up to such an extent that the cars get priced out of the market".
Long-term, Bolivia's government is wary of the environmental damage mass extraction could cause.
The mining minister, Mr Eschazu, has a stark message for Western firms.
"The capitalist leaders have to change," he says.
"If all the world had consumers like North America, everyone with a car, it would grind to a halt.
"It is also going to generate pollution, not just from fossil fuels but also from lithium plants, which produce sulphur dioxide. This isn't a magic solution."
It is not a view likely to go down well in the offices of Toyota and General Motors.
Bolivia holds key to electric car future
By Damian Kahya
BBC News, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Bolivia's lithium reserves could bring wealth to the country
High in the Andes, in a remote corner of Bolivia, lies more than half the world's reserves of a mineral that could radically reduce our reliance on dwindling fossil fuels.
Lithium carries a great promise. It could help power the fuel efficient electric or petrol-electric hybrid vehicles of the future.
But, as is the case with fossil fuels, it is a limited resource.
Lithium carbonate is already in the batteries of laptop computers and mobile phones.
It is used because it allows more energy to be stored in a lighter, smaller space than most alternatives.
And as the auto industry rushes to produce new fuel efficient and electric cars, it too is turning to lithium batteries as its first choice to boost the power of their new models.
GM has one in its new hybrid Volt, Toyota is testing one in its next generation hybrid Prius. Mercedes is testing an electric version of its Smart, while BMW is doing the same with its Mini.
And Nissan-Renault, Mitsubishi and VW are all rushing to buy or produce enough of the batteries to power their future models.
The best of the pure electric cars can reach ranges of more than 150 kilometres per charge.
More is needed
But there is a problem.
Mitsubishi, which plans to release its own electric car soon, estimates that the demand for lithium will outstrip supply in less than 10 years unless new sources are found.
And they have ended up in Bolivia.
"The demand for lithium won't double but increase by five times," according to Eichi Maeyama Mitsubishi's general manager in La Paz.
"We will need more lithium sources - and 50% of the world's reserves of lithium exist in Bolivia, in the Salar de Uyuni," he adds, pointing out that without new production, the price of lithium will rise prohibitively.
Locals fear the benefits will not be passed on
But almost all the commercially exploitable reserves are found in the brine under salt flats.
The world's largest reserves lie in Bolivia at the Salar de Uyuni - in the remote southern Andean plane.
But Bolivia is not a country known to be friendly to foreign industry.
Its socialist president, Evo Morales, is keen to expand state control over its natural resources, a task carried out by Bolivia's minister for mining, Luis Alberto Echazu.
"We want to send a message to the industrialized countries and their companies," Mr Echazu says.
"We will not repeat the historical experience since the fifteenth century: raw materials exported for the industrialisation of the west that has left us poor."
Modest ambitions
Gold, silver, tin, oil and gas have all been found and exported from here whilst the country remains the poorest in the region.
For President Morales' supporters, that is reason enough not to allow in foreign mining companies to extract the lithium.
Across the flats, freelance miners work to break up the surface salt selling it to passing trucks for just a few dollars.
Indigenous and poor, they are core supporters of the president.
A grizzled old miner, giving his name only as Alfredo, says he does not believe that lithium will ever be extracted.
"We don't want to see foreign companies here," he says.
"It would be very bad, as the government says."
Alfredo's hopes for the future are modest.
"I just want to work until I die" he says, a smile across his face. It is not an uncommon sentiment here.
Sharing the benefits
In spite of the grinding poverty here, attempts in the 1980's and 1990's by foreign companies to extract the lithium met with resistance from the community.
They say the money would go elsewhere.
Francisco Quisbert is a local activist with President Morales' party who took part in the resistance.
Now he is working with the president to hammer out a new plan for a state-owned pilot plant on the flats.
"We don't want international involvement," he says.
"This plan has raised the hopes of the region.
"Before our grandparents lived on the salt. They arrived from the valleys in caravans of llamas, but the market forced them to leave.
"We want to return to live on the salar [and] improve our living conditions and to participate in the project."
To begin with the pilot plant will produce no more than 1.2 kilotonnes a year.
If an industrial plant is then built it may increase to around 30 kilotonnes by 2012, - thats just under a third of current production.
But most lithium now goes to small batteries for electronic goods.
Car batteries are far larger and Mitsubishi estimates the world will need 500 kilotonnes a year just to service a niche market. For electric cars to become the norm, it could need far more.
Mitsubishi predicts that there will be a supply shortage by 2015.
Pollution nevertheless
Analysts suspect that Bolivia's government can produce this much.
"Governments in South America have had a very successful history of mining," explains Charles Kernot, a mining analyst at Evolution Securities.
But the question is how fast.
"They probably don't have a lot of experience of doing this sort of thing themselves so they'll have to bring in expertise and technology," Mr Kernot adds.
"That whole process may take a lot longer than people are anticipating."
Consequently, he continues, "the car manufacturers will have to strike a balance between how quickly they manufacture with the supply of metal because they don't want to drive the price up to such an extent that the cars get priced out of the market".
Long-term, Bolivia's government is wary of the environmental damage mass extraction could cause.
The mining minister, Mr Eschazu, has a stark message for Western firms.
"The capitalist leaders have to change," he says.
"If all the world had consumers like North America, everyone with a car, it would grind to a halt.
"It is also going to generate pollution, not just from fossil fuels but also from lithium plants, which produce sulphur dioxide. This isn't a magic solution."
It is not a view likely to go down well in the offices of Toyota and General Motors.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Morales links US to alleged assassination attempt
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/20/evo-morales-bolivia-us-embassy
Bolivian president Morales links US embassy to alleged assassination attempt
Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent guardian.co.uk
Monday 20 April 2009
President Evo Morales has said that an alleged assassination plot against him by Balkan mercenaries and an Irishman may have been backed by the US embassy in the Bolivian capital La Paz.
Police commandos shot dead three men last week in a hotel room in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, which was said to be the base for a conspiracy to wipe out government leaders and stage a coup.
Irish authorities are attempting to repatriate the body of Michael Dwyer, 24, one of the trio whose bullet-ridden bodies were displayed in photographs published in Bolivian newspapers.
Two survivors of the group, reported to be a Croatian and a Hungarian, were moved to a jail in La Paz over the weekend, while diplomats, politicians and law enforcement officials tried to ascertain the full picture. Opposition leaders accused the government of jumping to conclusions and manipulating the incident to suit its own purposes.
Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president and an outspoken critic of the US, elaborated on the alleged conspiracy while attending a regional summit in Trinidad and Tobago. He told a news conference that he had asked Barack Obama, in a closed session with 12 South American leaders, to repudiate the plot, which Morales said might be linked to previous US-backed efforts to unseat him.
If the US president did not repudiate the alleged conspiracy, "I might think it was organized through the [US] embassy", said Morales. "I don't want meddling in my country." Obama replied that he was unfamiliar with the incident but assured Morales that his administration was not involved, said a US official at the summit.
Interpol offered to help the police investigation in Bolivia. The mystery began last Thursday when police said that an attempt to arrest a gang of mercenaries led to a gun battle in a hotel room, leaving three dead and a pile of intercepted weapons. No police officers were injured, and it was unclear if the suspects, who were killed in their underwear, had opened fire.
Officials said the group probably had been responsible for a recent dynamite attack on the residence of a Catholic cardinal, Julio Terrazas, and that it had plotted to go on to mount a "spiral of violence" by killing Morales, his vice president, and his chief of staff, as well as opposition leaders.
"The terrorist group had a strategy, and part of the strategy was to attack the cardinal and [take] other actions, not only against the president or vice president, but other authorities as well," said the deputy interior minister, Marcos Farfan.
In Ireland, Dwyer's family in Tipperary said they were shocked, and appealed for privacy. Dwyer was a student at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, but on the Facebook website he had posted photos of himself in military gear and holding fake weapons. Some Irish commentators describe him as a fantasist.
The other dead were named as Eduardo Rozsa Flores, 49, a Bolivian-Hungarian who reportedly fought in the former Yugoslavia, and Magyarosi Arpak, a Romanian who was said to be a sniper.
The two detained were named as Mario Francisco Tadik Astorga, 58, reportedly a Bolivian-Croatian who also fought in the Balkans, and Elot Toazo, a Hungarian and a computer expert.
Bolivian president Morales links US embassy to alleged assassination attempt
Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent guardian.co.uk
Monday 20 April 2009
President Evo Morales has said that an alleged assassination plot against him by Balkan mercenaries and an Irishman may have been backed by the US embassy in the Bolivian capital La Paz.
Police commandos shot dead three men last week in a hotel room in the eastern city of Santa Cruz, which was said to be the base for a conspiracy to wipe out government leaders and stage a coup.
Irish authorities are attempting to repatriate the body of Michael Dwyer, 24, one of the trio whose bullet-ridden bodies were displayed in photographs published in Bolivian newspapers.
Two survivors of the group, reported to be a Croatian and a Hungarian, were moved to a jail in La Paz over the weekend, while diplomats, politicians and law enforcement officials tried to ascertain the full picture. Opposition leaders accused the government of jumping to conclusions and manipulating the incident to suit its own purposes.
Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president and an outspoken critic of the US, elaborated on the alleged conspiracy while attending a regional summit in Trinidad and Tobago. He told a news conference that he had asked Barack Obama, in a closed session with 12 South American leaders, to repudiate the plot, which Morales said might be linked to previous US-backed efforts to unseat him.
If the US president did not repudiate the alleged conspiracy, "I might think it was organized through the [US] embassy", said Morales. "I don't want meddling in my country." Obama replied that he was unfamiliar with the incident but assured Morales that his administration was not involved, said a US official at the summit.
Interpol offered to help the police investigation in Bolivia. The mystery began last Thursday when police said that an attempt to arrest a gang of mercenaries led to a gun battle in a hotel room, leaving three dead and a pile of intercepted weapons. No police officers were injured, and it was unclear if the suspects, who were killed in their underwear, had opened fire.
Officials said the group probably had been responsible for a recent dynamite attack on the residence of a Catholic cardinal, Julio Terrazas, and that it had plotted to go on to mount a "spiral of violence" by killing Morales, his vice president, and his chief of staff, as well as opposition leaders.
"The terrorist group had a strategy, and part of the strategy was to attack the cardinal and [take] other actions, not only against the president or vice president, but other authorities as well," said the deputy interior minister, Marcos Farfan.
In Ireland, Dwyer's family in Tipperary said they were shocked, and appealed for privacy. Dwyer was a student at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, but on the Facebook website he had posted photos of himself in military gear and holding fake weapons. Some Irish commentators describe him as a fantasist.
The other dead were named as Eduardo Rozsa Flores, 49, a Bolivian-Hungarian who reportedly fought in the former Yugoslavia, and Magyarosi Arpak, a Romanian who was said to be a sniper.
The two detained were named as Mario Francisco Tadik Astorga, 58, reportedly a Bolivian-Croatian who also fought in the Balkans, and Elot Toazo, a Hungarian and a computer expert.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Bolivia Suspends U.S.-Backed Antidrug Efforts
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/world/americas/02bolivia.html
November 2, 2008
Bolivia Suspends U.S.-Backed Antidrug Efforts
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — President Evo Morales of Bolivia on Saturday suspended antidrug operations sponsored by the United States as Washington’s relations with his leftist government spiraled downward.
Mr. Morales accused the United States Drug Enforcement Administration of espionage and of financing “criminal groups” trying to undermine his government. He also declared in his address that his government had eradicated more than 12,000 acres of illegally planted coca so far this year — the minimum required under a 1988 law passed under United States pressure.
Coca is the raw material for cocaine, but Bolivians use its less potent natural form as a traditional tea or for chewing.
Relations between Bolivia and the United States have deteriorated in recent months as Mr. Morales’s government limited activities by the D.E.A. and later expelled the United States ambassador over charges of spying and involvement in antigovernment protests.
The United States in turn added Bolivia to its antinarcotics blacklist, causing a cut in trade preferences that Bolivian business leaders estimate could cost South America’s poorest country as many as 20,000 jobs.
Antidrug officials and diplomats from the United States have denied any political involvement.
Mr. Morales’s decision creates “an unfortunate situation,” said Garrison Courtney, an agency spokesman in Washington, but he added, “We will find other ways to make sure we keep abreast of the drug-trafficking situation through there.”
Two antidrug agents were pulled from the Chapare coca-growing region in September after Bolivian officials reported threats against them from coca growers in the area, a bastion of support for the president, who came to prominence as leader of a coca-growers union battling eradication campaigns.
The United Nations estimates that Bolivia’s coca crop increased by 5 percent in 2007 — far below the 27 percent jump recorded in Colombia, a close ally of the United States.
Last month Mr. Morales denied a request by the agency to fly an antidrug plane over Bolivia, saying Bolivia needed no help from the United States to control its coca crop.
November 2, 2008
Bolivia Suspends U.S.-Backed Antidrug Efforts
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — President Evo Morales of Bolivia on Saturday suspended antidrug operations sponsored by the United States as Washington’s relations with his leftist government spiraled downward.
Mr. Morales accused the United States Drug Enforcement Administration of espionage and of financing “criminal groups” trying to undermine his government. He also declared in his address that his government had eradicated more than 12,000 acres of illegally planted coca so far this year — the minimum required under a 1988 law passed under United States pressure.
Coca is the raw material for cocaine, but Bolivians use its less potent natural form as a traditional tea or for chewing.
Relations between Bolivia and the United States have deteriorated in recent months as Mr. Morales’s government limited activities by the D.E.A. and later expelled the United States ambassador over charges of spying and involvement in antigovernment protests.
The United States in turn added Bolivia to its antinarcotics blacklist, causing a cut in trade preferences that Bolivian business leaders estimate could cost South America’s poorest country as many as 20,000 jobs.
Antidrug officials and diplomats from the United States have denied any political involvement.
Mr. Morales’s decision creates “an unfortunate situation,” said Garrison Courtney, an agency spokesman in Washington, but he added, “We will find other ways to make sure we keep abreast of the drug-trafficking situation through there.”
Two antidrug agents were pulled from the Chapare coca-growing region in September after Bolivian officials reported threats against them from coca growers in the area, a bastion of support for the president, who came to prominence as leader of a coca-growers union battling eradication campaigns.
The United Nations estimates that Bolivia’s coca crop increased by 5 percent in 2007 — far below the 27 percent jump recorded in Colombia, a close ally of the United States.
Last month Mr. Morales denied a request by the agency to fly an antidrug plane over Bolivia, saying Bolivia needed no help from the United States to control its coca crop.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Chavez: Pull reserves from US
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080126/ap_on_bi_ge/venezuela_alba_summit
Chavez: Pull reserves from US
By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jan 26, 2008
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his Latin American allies on Saturday to begin withdrawing billions of dollars in international reserves from U.S. banks, warning of a looming U.S. economic crisis.
Chavez made the suggestion as he hosted a summit aimed at boosting Latin American integration and rolling back U.S. influence.
"We should start to bring our reserves here," Chavez said. "Why does that money have to be in the north? ... You can't put all your eggs in one basket."
To help pool resources within the region, Chavez and other leaders launched a new development bank at the summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Nations of Our America, or ALBA.
The left-leaning regional trade alliance first proposed by Chavez is intended to offer an alternative, socialist path to integration while snubbing U.S.-backed free-trade deals.
Chavez noted that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Colombia in recent days, saying "that has to do with this summit."
"The empire doesn't accept alternatives," Chavez told the gathering, attended by the presidents of Bolivia and Nicaragua and Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage.
Chavez warned that U.S. "imperialism is entering into a crisis that can affect all of us" and said Latin America "will save itself alone."
Rice left Colombia on Friday after a trip aimed at reviving a free trade deal that has stalled in the U.S. Congress. She sidestepped an opportunity to confront Chavez, who accused Colombia and the United States of plotting "military aggression" against Venezuela.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega joined Chavez in his criticism of U.S.-style capitalism, saying "the dictatorship of global capitalism ... has lost control." Three days earlier, Ortega had shouted "Long live the U.S. government" as he inaugurated an American-financed section of highway in his country.
The ALBA Bank is "being born with the aim of boosting development in our countries," Venezuelan Finance Minister Rafael Isea said Saturday as he and other officials gathered at the bank's Caracas office for an inaugural ceremony.
Isea has said the bank will be started with $1 billion to $1.5 billion.
Chavez welcomed the Caribbean island of Dominica into the ALBA — an acronym that means "dawn" in Spanish — joining Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba. Attending as observers were the prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, along with officials from Ecuador, Honduras, Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Chavez said a new fund created by Venezuela and Iran to support projects in third countries would have links to the ALBA Bank.
Chavez: Pull reserves from US
By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jan 26, 2008
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his Latin American allies on Saturday to begin withdrawing billions of dollars in international reserves from U.S. banks, warning of a looming U.S. economic crisis.
Chavez made the suggestion as he hosted a summit aimed at boosting Latin American integration and rolling back U.S. influence.
"We should start to bring our reserves here," Chavez said. "Why does that money have to be in the north? ... You can't put all your eggs in one basket."
To help pool resources within the region, Chavez and other leaders launched a new development bank at the summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Nations of Our America, or ALBA.
The left-leaning regional trade alliance first proposed by Chavez is intended to offer an alternative, socialist path to integration while snubbing U.S.-backed free-trade deals.
Chavez noted that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Colombia in recent days, saying "that has to do with this summit."
"The empire doesn't accept alternatives," Chavez told the gathering, attended by the presidents of Bolivia and Nicaragua and Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage.
Chavez warned that U.S. "imperialism is entering into a crisis that can affect all of us" and said Latin America "will save itself alone."
Rice left Colombia on Friday after a trip aimed at reviving a free trade deal that has stalled in the U.S. Congress. She sidestepped an opportunity to confront Chavez, who accused Colombia and the United States of plotting "military aggression" against Venezuela.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega joined Chavez in his criticism of U.S.-style capitalism, saying "the dictatorship of global capitalism ... has lost control." Three days earlier, Ortega had shouted "Long live the U.S. government" as he inaugurated an American-financed section of highway in his country.
The ALBA Bank is "being born with the aim of boosting development in our countries," Venezuelan Finance Minister Rafael Isea said Saturday as he and other officials gathered at the bank's Caracas office for an inaugural ceremony.
Isea has said the bank will be started with $1 billion to $1.5 billion.
Chavez welcomed the Caribbean island of Dominica into the ALBA — an acronym that means "dawn" in Spanish — joining Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba. Attending as observers were the prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, along with officials from Ecuador, Honduras, Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Chavez said a new fund created by Venezuela and Iran to support projects in third countries would have links to the ALBA Bank.
Venezuela, Allies to Start New Bank
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iMCLEISU-Nv0nIUJnH1WkxcabXYgD8UDAQ7G0
Venezuela, Allies to Start New Bank
By IAN JAMES
1-25-8
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and three of his closest allies are teaming up to create a regional development bank intended to strengthen their alliance and promote independence from U.S.-backed lenders like the World Bank.
The bank is to be launched Saturday as Chavez hosts a summit with leaders from Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba — members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, or ALBA.
The left-leaning regional trade alliance is intended to offer an alternative, socialist path to integration while snubbing U.S.-backed free-trade deals.
The ALBA Bank will be started with $1 billion to $1.5 billion of capital, Venezuelan Finance Minister Rafael Isea said Friday, according to the state-run Bolivarian News Agency.
Venezuela, with its plentiful oil earnings, is expected to be the leading financier. The funds will go toward social programs and other joint efforts, from farming projects to oil ventures.
Chavez and the leaders of six other South American countries last month launched a similar venture, the Bank of the South, which is projected to have as much as $7 billion in startup capital and offer loans with fewer strings attached than those given by the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said he believes the ALBA Bank will bring "mutual benefits." For instance, he said, Nicaragua's farm projects could "start supplying Venezuela with milk, with beef" — which could help Chavez's government stem recent shortages of such products.
The two governments Friday signed a series of accords, including one for "food security" under which Nicaragua pledged to help supply milk, corn, beans and beef to Venezuela.
"I want to thank Daniel and all of Nicaragua," Chavez said. "We still have to depend on a lot of imported foods."
In turn, Chavez's government is selling oil under preferential terms to Nicaragua and has sent the country fertilizers, tractors and electric generators.
Venezuela, Allies to Start New Bank
By IAN JAMES
1-25-8
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and three of his closest allies are teaming up to create a regional development bank intended to strengthen their alliance and promote independence from U.S.-backed lenders like the World Bank.
The bank is to be launched Saturday as Chavez hosts a summit with leaders from Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba — members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, or ALBA.
The left-leaning regional trade alliance is intended to offer an alternative, socialist path to integration while snubbing U.S.-backed free-trade deals.
The ALBA Bank will be started with $1 billion to $1.5 billion of capital, Venezuelan Finance Minister Rafael Isea said Friday, according to the state-run Bolivarian News Agency.
Venezuela, with its plentiful oil earnings, is expected to be the leading financier. The funds will go toward social programs and other joint efforts, from farming projects to oil ventures.
Chavez and the leaders of six other South American countries last month launched a similar venture, the Bank of the South, which is projected to have as much as $7 billion in startup capital and offer loans with fewer strings attached than those given by the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said he believes the ALBA Bank will bring "mutual benefits." For instance, he said, Nicaragua's farm projects could "start supplying Venezuela with milk, with beef" — which could help Chavez's government stem recent shortages of such products.
The two governments Friday signed a series of accords, including one for "food security" under which Nicaragua pledged to help supply milk, corn, beans and beef to Venezuela.
"I want to thank Daniel and all of Nicaragua," Chavez said. "We still have to depend on a lot of imported foods."
In turn, Chavez's government is selling oil under preferential terms to Nicaragua and has sent the country fertilizers, tractors and electric generators.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The BuzzFlash Blend of Fair Trade Coffee!
http://www.buzzflash.com/store/reviews/804
The BuzzFlash Blend of Fair Trade Coffee! TWO 12 Ounce Bags, Whole Bean
BUZZFLASH REVIEWS
We'll be introducing a series of BuzzFlash special products, and our first offering is this aromatic organic, Fair Trade coffee from Bolivia.
In co-operation with Just Coffee of Madison, Wisconsin, this shade-grown special BuzzFlash whole-bean blend releases a bold flavor with hints of cocoa and spice.
The BuzzFlash staff held tastings and selected the BuzzFlash blend from five choices. So it's got our BuzzFlash seal of approval, and we are big java consumers. That's why we are buzz'n all the time.
As the BuzzFlash label on the coffee expresses, organic Fair Trade coffee is "not just a market, but a movement."
Your purchase helps ensure equitable wages and sustainable living to coffee growers, and helps support BuzzFlash.com.
This makes a great ongoing morning wake-up cup of java, for special dinners, or for a holiday gift.
The BuzzFlash Blend is 100% Fair Trade, Consistent with the Commitment of Our Coffee Partner, Just Coffee:
"Why 100% Fair Trade? Just Coffee is a 100% Fair Trade roaster. Why is that important? We believe that you either get it or you don’t. Some companies do 5%, 25%, or 50% of their coffee using Fair Trade criteria. While any fair trade is great, we don’t know how you can commit to doing the right thing by some growers and not others. It winds up being charity as opposed to economic justice.
Doing a small percentage of fair trade has many advantages for a less-committed coffee company. A company can use their fair trade coffee to get accounts they could not with their “conventional” coffee like universities, churches, and food co-ops. They can also offer their fair trade coffee at dirt cheap prices and subsidize the loss by offsetting it with profits made for coffee bought at “sweatshop” prices.
We see fair trade as a tool to change the global economy and to help equalize the disparity of wealth between countries in the global north and the global south. By our way of thinking, anything less than a 100% commitment to the model would be disingenuous.
Small-scale farmers everywhere deserve a living wage for their hard work. And they deserve it all of the time, not just some of the time."
The BuzzFlash Blend of Fair Trade Coffee! TWO 12 Ounce Bags, Whole Bean
BUZZFLASH REVIEWS
We'll be introducing a series of BuzzFlash special products, and our first offering is this aromatic organic, Fair Trade coffee from Bolivia.
In co-operation with Just Coffee of Madison, Wisconsin, this shade-grown special BuzzFlash whole-bean blend releases a bold flavor with hints of cocoa and spice.
The BuzzFlash staff held tastings and selected the BuzzFlash blend from five choices. So it's got our BuzzFlash seal of approval, and we are big java consumers. That's why we are buzz'n all the time.
As the BuzzFlash label on the coffee expresses, organic Fair Trade coffee is "not just a market, but a movement."
Your purchase helps ensure equitable wages and sustainable living to coffee growers, and helps support BuzzFlash.com.
This makes a great ongoing morning wake-up cup of java, for special dinners, or for a holiday gift.
The BuzzFlash Blend is 100% Fair Trade, Consistent with the Commitment of Our Coffee Partner, Just Coffee:
"Why 100% Fair Trade? Just Coffee is a 100% Fair Trade roaster. Why is that important? We believe that you either get it or you don’t. Some companies do 5%, 25%, or 50% of their coffee using Fair Trade criteria. While any fair trade is great, we don’t know how you can commit to doing the right thing by some growers and not others. It winds up being charity as opposed to economic justice.
Doing a small percentage of fair trade has many advantages for a less-committed coffee company. A company can use their fair trade coffee to get accounts they could not with their “conventional” coffee like universities, churches, and food co-ops. They can also offer their fair trade coffee at dirt cheap prices and subsidize the loss by offsetting it with profits made for coffee bought at “sweatshop” prices.
We see fair trade as a tool to change the global economy and to help equalize the disparity of wealth between countries in the global north and the global south. By our way of thinking, anything less than a 100% commitment to the model would be disingenuous.
Small-scale farmers everywhere deserve a living wage for their hard work. And they deserve it all of the time, not just some of the time."
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