Category: news

Mummies and Gorillas in Barcelona

Post author By Jon
Post date June 14, 2010
No Comments on Mummies and Gorillas in Barcelona

Translated by Juliana Stifelmann.

The texts chosen here are fairly straightforward, but I chose them because it is interesting to see how news reporting is done in other countries, as far as what they find pertinent to say, to explain, and their reaction to certain occurrences as contrasted to North American newspapers. Therefore, the specific purpose of the translation is to inform North American readers of events in Europe, letting them in to Spanish culture by seeing how things are reported from their point of view.

Source texts: “Dieciocho momias de Tebas muestran por primera vez sus rostros en Barcelona” and “Nace en el Zoo de Barcelona el primer gorila de España criado sin intervención humana”.

Eighteen mummies from Tebas, Egypt, are displayed for the first time in Barcelona.

Anthropological and radiological study was done on 18 mummies from the ancient city of Tebas, in Egypt.

They have been abandoned since the 1940s in a tomb in the city of Luxor.
The mummies are from the Third Intermediate Period (1069-525 BC).
The Catalunya Museum of Arqueology is hosting this exhibition.

05.03.2010

The investigation of an international multidisciplinary team made up of archaeologists, doctors, anthropologists, and radiologists from Spain and Germany, has allowed us to see for the first time, the face as well as unpublished information of the 18 abandoned mummies from Luxor.

A 1940s issue of the New York Times appears with one of them. The results of the investigation are shown in the Barcelona headquarters of the Catalunya Museum of Arqueology. The exhibit will be open from this Friday until September 5th. The Project was co-produced by the Catalunya Museum, the International SEK University, and the Egyptian Eberrnhard Karls Institute of the Tubinga University, who work in the tomb of the Monthemhat governor. (7th Century BC).

The excavations began in the ancient tomb complex by indication of the Egyptian Antique Service, which had been used for storage and was also the location in which the mummies had ended up for an unknown reason. The mummies, which belonged to the funeral complex workers, probably ended up there in the 40s (along with one of them is an old issue of the New York Times), abandoned by the North American Archaeologists.

This investigation has been the first one to count on a radiological study at the tomb. One of the investigators and curators of the exhibit, the Egyptologist Montserrat Rius, has explained that each individual has undergone several studies: “macroscopic, anthropometric with a sex diagnostic, paleontological, photographic, and radiological”. In fact, “this investigation has been the first to use a radiological study done on foot, so they could install a Philips BV bracelet apparatus, which has come specifically from Holland, on the porch of the ancient Luxor American House. The apparatus is also shown at the exhibit.”

In order to complement the study, a Carbon-14 study was also performed, added Rius, to find the levels of lead and arsenic in the hair and the history of some of the mummies’ organs. All these analyses and investigations allowed us to find out the sex, illnesses throughout their lives, lesions after death, and the type of mummification done. This corroborated to the fact that they belonged to the Third Intermediate Period (1069-525 AC) and “were contemporary to Monthemhamt.”

The condition of conservation they were found in varied, as some were in excellent condition, but some were found incomplete. After the exhibit section dedicated to the process of mummification and the beliefs of ancient Egypt, some life-size photographs of the mummies are displayed, with a detailed explanation of their pathologies.

In the case of the “forgotten mummies”, it is surprising that “none of them present the expected frequency of visceral extraction, common in the mummification process of the time. This is odd since they seem to have been noble people, judging from the area of origin, their clothes, the amount of gold and the amulets found”, explained the palaeontologist Joaquim Baxarias.

Only two cases have been able to confirm the extraction of the brain via the nose, and in another, the extraction of abdominal organs thought the right side of the body. This fact, underlines Baxarias, one of the curators of the exhibit, differs from historical sources that find a high level of development in the mummification techniques of the time.

“The first Spanish gorilla raised without human intervention is born at the Barcelona Zoo”

Machinda the gorilla with her baby in the Barcelona zoo.

The baby, granddaughter of Snowflake the gorilla, was born on February 28th
There will be a voting process on Saturday to choose the baby’s name
Choices are: Babul (tender), Gum (March), Kikile (soon) and Nvom (hopefully).

05.03.2010

The gorilla has no name yet, but it is an attraction at the Barcelona Zoo. Last February 28th, one of the babies was born, the grandson of the legendary Snowflake. The work of caregivers and the conservation team have made it so that this baby gorilla is the first in Spain, and one of the few in Europe, to not have human intervention to ensure their survival, either at birth or during its lactation period.

Machinda has been able to bear her young among the other gorillas, without being separated or receiving training. The new baby, which was presented to society on Friday, was born “as if it were free”, the zoo assures us. His first appearance was in the rain, in the arms of her protective mother and under the watchful eye of his father. There haven’t been many opportunities to see them, due to the small size of this new gorilla and her mother’s protective instinct. Still, the baby gorilla sits in his mother’s arms, surrounded by brothers, cousins, uncles and its father.

Until now, a birth like this would have required the intervention of caregivers and even needed training of the mother to learn to care for and nurse the baby, an instinct that is lost after many years in captivity.

The mother, baby, sibling and father’s behaviour is absolutely normal, as it would if they were free. Thanks to the work of zoo keepers, Machinda could give birth to her young among the other gorillas, without being separated or receiving training. She is now breastfeeding and raising the child with the help of family members, without requiring human help.

Lluís Colom, leader of the keepers of the Barcelona Zoo, has rated the outcome as “very positive” and recalled that the previous captive breeding conditions caused the mothers’ milk to be lost because the animals were very easily stressed” and the offspring might have had to breastfeed with bottles. Now, “the behaviour of the mother, baby, siblings and of the father is absolutely normal, as they would if they were free”, Colom explained.

This Saturday, there will be a voting process to choose the name of the baby gorilla. For now, four options have been selected, all in the original Fang language from Snowflake’s native region: Babul (meaning soft), gum (March), Kikile (soon), and Nvom (hopefully).

Earthquake in Chile

Translated by Caroline Letourneau.

I chose two very different articles on the same topic; the Chilean earthquake of February 27, 2010. My principal reasons are because they discuss a recent event, that affected the lives of millions people, the stability of Chile, have foster the solidarity action in the Southern Cone and generated global compassion. This event and its consequences will mark forever Chileans and the history of their country. Moreover, as living in Vancouver, British Columbia where a convergence of two tectonic plates causes the earthquakes felt in the area, we are us too exposed to the eventuality of a great earthquake. Perhaps we can learn some lessons from the Chilean experience.

Source texts: “Terremoto en Chile: tierra, agua, aire y fuego” and “Repercusiones del terremoto en Chile”.

Chile’s Earthquake: Land, Water, Air, and Fire
Cristóbal Orrego, March 1st 2010

I am not going to sketch out a cold analysis, when I have my heart flooded with sorrow.

Chile is a country of wild land, trembling, and rebellious, which bears in its bowels the power of fire. Since Pedro de Valdivia founded the capital city of Santiago in 1941, we have always lived between war trumpets and cries of protests, between fire and floods, and especially between earthquakes . We were not surprised by this disaster of February 27, 2010 for a disaster never surprises a Chilean . Ask any Chilean, anywhere in the world, no one would have denied that we were waiting for it. Between the 1960 earthquake and the 1985 one, half a century; between the 1985earthquake and the 2010 one, half a century. Everyone was waiting for it. There are already a thousand dead. Near me, because now everything is close, there are dead and injured; mutilated, undernourished, and dehydrated ones. The balm of international aid arrives slowly , for it arrived rapidly but we were stunned. Also, Opus Dei bishop, Don Javier Echevarria, before noon, was accompanying his faithful with a very heartfelt letter of his own hand, encouraging everyone to pray, to sustain hope, and to help everywhere.

The authorities lost hours-more than one day-wondering whether or not to bring the military into the streets, while in some cities looting broke loose. Yes, it is understandable, they were scared partly because by those terrible memories of a couple decades old: But now, now, minute by minute modest and defenceless villagers demanded armed protection! Even last night, someone from a southern city was telling that a band of twenty years olds raided homes after curfew. It is when the earth trembles, that the insides of souls are revealed. Yesterday I saw modest people sharing their water, their food, their energy. Yesterday I saw people crying, and I saw people comforting. Most Chileans are like that: they have fire in the heart, like the fire that from below is bursting our land.

But a few do not have fire, but dirt in the soul. It took too long before the authority started to suppress the offenders with the necessary strength! It is a shame to take advantage of the misery of others, to be oblivious to pain and sadness.

The fury of the sea stroke strong, flattened houses and cars, dragged men, women and children. I am thinking of a young woman, inconsolable, unable to retain her four and two year’s old children. And she too, later, was dragged by the sea which denied taking her life. The sea denied killing anyone not wanting to live. This young mother will have to live, sorely, flooded by sorrow, with the deep scar that the infinite cruelty of the sea imprinted on her life. The sea did not despise taking the life her young babies. Now her only chance to keep on living with this pain is if she bares an unshakable faith in eternal life. Rest in peace, may your spirit be present in the family that remains down here mourning.

Friends, I apologize for failing to consider things as should have done an intellectual. Some will ask-So what? – What are worth brainy analysis before the immensity of land, water, air and fire, if life escapes us? Yes, I apologize . Because from the depths of my soul I can only say that, if there is no eternal life, if the telluric forces have the last word, if we are to live without hope, then the truth is that it does not matter to die in a great earthquake or to live slowly for things that now can seems so insignificant. Because if the last word is of this imperturbably trembling land; the fire of solidarity that arises these days from and the Chilean people is surreal And if the water that gives life, solely kills in the end, therefore these words, and theirs, and whichever, are air and dust, air and nothing.

Earthquake Consequences in Chile
Francisco Pineda Zamorano, March 1st, 2010

Mindful of the earthquake victims, their families, the thousands of injured, and the two millions homeless, I would like to focus this note on the implications that will have for Chile the terrible earthquake of last Friday. Chile is one of the most prosperous countries of the continent with an average annual GDP growth of 4.1% in the last 15 years. It is true that there are serious problems of redistribution of wealth in the country . There still remain large areas of poverty. However , it is also true that investments in infrastructure, communication, health and education have benefited all Chileans. Chile’s economy is strong and its growing trend was indicating that it could have been considered a developed country in 2020. Its success depends primarily on the diversity and competitiveness of its export oriented economy.

The consequences of the earthquake on the Chilean economic and social machine of progress send the country back (overnight) several positions behind in socio-economic growth index. This also postpones the mandatory investments planned for the country in the coming years . Some experts suggest that at least 10 years will be necessary to return to the level of economic development , of January 2010 . In other words, nature plays nasty tricks and spoils decades of planning pushing the country backward once again.

Chileans are an entrepreneurial people, capable, lucid, and creative. They will find ways to keep on going forward . I have no doubt about it. However, they could use a little help from the international community. It is urgent to renegotiate the Chilean debt to obtain its partial if not total remission. It is urgent to reconsider the geographical priority of Spanish cooperation and return to include Chile as one of the outmost important country, at least for the next 10 years. It is urgent that NGO’s resume their work in Chile especially concentrating their efforts with those who always remain outside institutional intervention.

The country is not yet completely reduced to rubble, however one can almost be certain that the number of dead and injured reported will increase. We must show our solidarity to this beloved country in order that it recovers quickly.

news politics Spain

The Garzon case

Translated by Alanna Jardine.

The following three articles were found on the El Pais website, they are in regards to three cases open against one of Spain’s most formidable judges, Baltasar Garzón. Garzón has been involved in many high profile cases, notably including the extradition of the Chilean dictator General Pinochet as well as charges of genocide against Argentines for the atrocities committed against Spanish nationals. His more recent work has been to help the victims’ families whose relatives were killed or ‘disappeared’ by the Franco regime. However, this investigation has brought about mixed feelings in Spain: while the victims’ families have expressed their desire for the probe and their support for Garzón, others feel that he has overstepped his boundaries in initiating such an undertaking.

Source texts: “Familiares de víctimas del franquismo deciden concentrarse a diario en apoyo del juez Garzón” (later updated as “Las víctimas acudirán a protestar todos los días a la Audiencia”), “Explicar lo inexplicable”, and “El Supremo rectifica y convoca a la prensa española para explicar las causas contra Garzón”.

Families of Franco’s Victims Decide to Congregate Daily in Support of Judge Garzón: his lawyers have agree at meeting the meet every day at 8pm in front of the Audencia Nacional until the 22 of May
Natalia Junquera, Madrid 14/04/2010

“The people are very, very eager to go out to the streets”. Carlos Agüero, memory repression coordinator for the Industrial Relations department at Madrid’s Universidad Complutense, was found this morning with an abundance of family members of the victims’ of the Franco Regime asking them to assemble displays of their support for Judge Baltasar Garzón. An assembly, after it has busily convened all morning, has decided to congregate in front of the doors of the Audencia Nacional every day from now until May 22 at 8 o’clock, when the General Counsel of the Judiciary will gather to decide on the judges’ suspension. Meanwhile, followers organized a large demonstration of support for the judge, on the 24th, all across Spain. The families of Franco’s victims, many now older than 70, have marched throughout the mornings through the university campus becoming experts in legal issues. They know perfectly well the name of the Supreme Court judge and that he is ordering the case against Garzón by opening an investigation in which the people asked him to pursue. They speak with straightforwardness of the law of amnesty, of the European Human Rights Convention, of the United Nations declaration against the use of force. And yet they are not resigned. “We are sad but we are going to do all that we can for Judge Garzón”, explained a relative during the congregation.

The symbolic confinements, which will also be prolonged every day from 10-20 hours until the 22nd of May, they began today at 6pm with the presence of actress Pilar Bardem, actor Juan Diego Botto, writer Rosa Regás, representative Joan Herrera, and reporter Miriam Lagoa. The symbolic confinement ended today with a new assembly outlining some organizational aspects for support acts for Judge Garzón. Tomorrow a new congregation will begin that will be repeated until May 22nd at 8 o’clock. Tomorrow, also at 8 o’clock, there will be a recital of poems by Civil War authors as well as a concert with Luis García Montero and Luis Pastor. The organizers will also begin to screen an uninterrupted documentary on themes related to historic memories. They have installed a ballot box to collect money and finance the performances all the while gaining firm support for the judge, already they have 100 more supporters.

But the mobilization of support for Garzón will not be a unique one. The students of Universidad Complutense have been called to another rally to express their support for the cleric of the institution, Carlos Berzosa, who has given university facilities over to hold events in support of the Audenica Nacional Judge. Carlos Agüero explains that Berzosa has been denounced by the extreme right-wing pseudosindicato group Manos Limpias (Clean Hands).

Editorial: Explaining the Inexplicable: The Supreme Court calls to the foreign press to justify their Decisions about Garzón

The Second Chamber of the Supreme Court has used a procedure so far unprecedented in their practice and customs to explain its actions against Judge Baltasar Garzón. Through the technical cabinet, the highest body of jurisdiction has convened a meeting to which correspondents of foreign mass media have been invited in order to explain the legal aspects and motivations of the three cases against Garzón.

Aside from the bizarre nature of such a meeting, it was conspicuous that only foreign journalists convened. Why were Spanish journalists, who usually cover legal informational, discriminated against and not called to cover the high profile cases? Perhaps it was considered that the foreign press is not sufficiently informed or do they have poor professional preparation in order to understand the intricacies of the Spanish justice system. If a court decides to disclose certain aspects of its activity, which it considers insufficiently clarified – something questionable in its self, since the court speaks for their orders and judgments – in no case would it make sense to choose who can and cannot lead the coverage of the trial. But the Second Chamber of the Supreme court has to apply such an obscure and strange formula for the issue of jurisdiction, as explained by the informative press briefing, also the orders and decisions of Judge Garzón are unclear and pose compression problems for everyone, foreign and Spanish.

Regarding the proceedings against Garzón for crimes against the Franco regime, it is not only the procedural aspects that generate concern in much of Spanish society and abroad: it is the root of the issue in the case. The procedural legal aspects may be explained to the journalists, but it will remain incomprehensible to the families of victims of Franco who still lie unidentified in mass graves to criminally prosecute a judge who has tried to satisfy their need for the truth.

Instead of calling an absurd press conference to explain something that does not have an explanation, the Supreme Court should respond by taking under its’ wing the demands for identification and exhumation of mass graves where victims of Franco still lie. And the Supreme Court should be at the forefront of this task, instead of persecuting Garzón for taking up this case.

Supreme Court rectified and calls Spanish press to explain the cases against Garzón: the high court had only informed foreign press of the irregularities of the proceedings against the judge
Julio M Lazaro, Madrid, 14/04/2010.

The Supreme Court has corrected the call to an unprecedented informative briefing for correspondents of foreign media in Spain to explain the peculiarities of the three cases open against Audiencia Nacional Judge Baltasar Garzón, which has cause a flood of protests in the international press. The high court has released a public notice today inviting the national press to participate.
In the letter, the Supreme Court says that neither the President nor the judges who make up the Second Chamber of the court are the authors of the announcement, but all responded to the wishes expressed by some of the guest correspondents. The notice says it was the press office of the high court who had established an informal meeting with a lawyer from the Technical Office of the Supreme Court, attached to the Second Chamber. The press release concludes: “Obviously, this informal meeting can be attended by all national media journalists who want to.”

analysis Colombia news

Blogging for Colombia

Translated by Patrick Russell

I searched around some Spanish media websites and came across some opinion blogs written by newspaper columnists about various issues in Colombia. Blogging is a relatively new phenomenon in the e-world, but its popularity is growing rapidly as it provides people with a public way of expressing their own personal opinions about various topics. So, I thought that translating a collecting of blog posts by the same writer would be an interesting final project as it is a good reflection of what I feel is the goal of this final project.

All of the following posts are written by Janeth Acevedo as part of the blog section for the Colombian newspaper La República.

Source texts: “Los 513.000 desempleados de Bogotá, el histórico karma”, “Se marchita el Polo en Bogotá”, “Sin problemas a la entrada de Eldorado”.

513,000 Unemployed in Bogota, the Historic Karma
April 5th, 2010

In Bogota, we get used to seeing delays in road work and issues of security stealing news headlines. However, other equally severe problems like the high rate of unemployment in the city go unnoticed.

This is one of the historic karmas of the capital, which keeps growing with every passing month; but, hardly anyone seems to care.

The figures could not be more disturbing. According to a report from the National Administrative Department of Statistics, the unemployment rate in the city reached 12.9% during the quarter from December (2009) to February (2010). This corresponds to a 1.6% increase from the figure reported one year ago.

The preceding statistics mean that there are 513 000 people without jobs in Colombia’s capital, 89 000 more than the same period from 2009.

Even more troubling is that while the level of unemployment has increased by 20%, that of employment has only increased by a measly 3.03%. In effect, the number of people with some sort of work changed from 3.3 million to 3.4 million.

The bad figures are mimicked in the data for underemployment, which increased by 19.5%. In the city, there are 1.1 million residents who are dissatisfied with their jobs which is either due to low salaries, the type of labor they perform or hours worked.

It is certain that this is not an easy problem to solve since the arrival of people from other cities searching for employment opportunities is spiraling out of control. The attraction to the city is due to the nearly 300 000 companies that are based in the capital. Nevertheless, cities like Bucarmanga, where there has been a focus on entrepreneurship and the creation of small and medium sized businesses to boost the level of employment(coincidentally is the city with the lowest unemployment rates in the country), should be taken as examples. Another successful example is that of the Colombian Coffee-Grower’s Axis, where governments in the region fervently created plans to generate work in reaction to social problems in the area.

The private sector must also play its part in this matter to make Bogota a more competitive and productive city.

The Pole Fades Away in Bogota
March 15th, 2010

It doesn’t seem strange that the Democratic Pole has lost power in Bogota. Even though the results of last Sunday’s elections came as a surprise to some of the Pole’s followers, the nonconformity of mayor Samuel Moreno Rojas’ administration is certainly to blame for the electoral loss.

No one is going to deny that leader is working hard. However, the residents of Bogota have not been content with the events and decisions from recent months. Problems with contracts and delays in the road work on Avenue El Dorado, the mess of public transit and the recent hold on transports by the Integrated Public Transport System not only tarnished the image of Moreno, but also the entire left party. This image was also reflected in the polls.

If there was one area where members of the Pole felt calm, it was Bogota. No less could be expected, given that when Samuel was elected over two years ago, the vote was heavily one sided and it was thought that the trend would be similar — although obviously not in the same proportion since the political machinery of the U was in full force.

Indeed, in the elections for the House of Representatives, votes for the presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos’ party exceeded 410 000, which constitutes 30% of the vote in the country’s capital.

These results inevitably have the Pole thinking, as the U21 practically doubled its results. The yellow movement nearly had 216,000 votes, which represents 15% of the vote.

Hopefully the president can move forward. He still has almost two years left to demonstrate that he is a good leader and he should be left to his work, not only for the sake of his party, his image and his political future, but also for the welfare of all who live in the city. More specifically, the city needs the Transmilenio (Rapid Bus System) the Integrated Public Transport System projects to resolve quickly so that efficient transportation is guaranteed.

On another note, the amount of apathy towards the vote in Bogota is impressive. This past election will be recorded as one of the most abstentious. Of the 4.7 million people eligible to vote, only 1.8 million exercised their right. Could it be that it lacked candidates with more proposals and less politicking?

Eldorado’s Entrance Free of Problems
February 15th, 2010

After the the delays in the Phase 3 projects of Transmilenio due to the mess with Nule and the constant traffic jams on Avenue El Dorado, something good has finally happened for Bogota’s mayor, Samuel Moreno Rojas – for now at least.

I speak of the route to Eldorado International Airport’s closure. Many of us have doubts about the changes to the north causeway.

In fact, we expected monumental traffic jams that were worse than usual. However, much to our surprise the road was properly marked and transit officials were coordinating traffic flow. Most of the clueless drivers were from the public service who became disoriented at the peak of the roundabout despite having two stops on the service roads to allow the passing and going of passengers.

At the front of the terminal, things were slightly more complicated due to the quantity of vehicles that were aiming to return to the east of the capital. In the end though, everything is running smoothly enough that it is not necessary to arrive at the airport early to avoid missing your flight.

Hopefully, the feelings of contentment with the traffic organization will last for the two years that it will take for the new passenger terminal to be constructed by Opain under the Eldorado Modernization and Expansion Plan.

analysis Chile news politics

Earthquake Unveils Hidden Chile

Post author By Jon
Post date May 1, 2010
No Comments on Earthquake Unveils Hidden Chile

Translated by Karen Chang

The ST is from Jorge Ramos’ recent article “Dos Chiles Tras el Sismo,” first published in March 2010, after the Chilean earthquake. The article is an opinion article that examines the underlying social problems such as inequality and poverty in Chile. The ST belongs to a hybrid genre within the written discourse. The ST contains factual reference of the earthquake, which situates the text in the descriptive genre. However, the ST also has a persuasive function that seeks to express the author’s opinion, and his interpretation on the situation.

Source text: “Dos Chiles tras el sismo”

Earthquake Unveils Hidden Chile
Jorge Ramos
March 8, 2010

It’s not about the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that has split Chile into two. What happened is that the earthquake has uncovered the reality of two Chiles. The first Chile is the one marketed abroad : modern, avant-garde, industrious , a country of free trade agreements, an almost first world nation. The other one is the Chile that wasn’t invite to the party, the one who didn’t board the development bus , the home for those ignored by the residents of the Mint Palace (Chile’s Presidential Palace) and the intact skyscrapers of capital Santiago.

This is the ‘primitive Chile’ , according to diplomat and writer Jorge Edwards. It has always been there, he commented, but not many noticed it, until the earthquake shook off the veil . The best evidence of the existence of two Chiles emerged during the riots in the city of Concepción a few hours after the earthquake. The violence caught everyone by surprise . Thousands of Chileans from the ignored Chile felt disconnected and completely isolated from the rest of the country and the central government. They went to the streets to sack shops and supermarkets. Some of them were after food for their families . Others took advantage of the chaos and stole Plasma TVs and refrigerators in a city that didn’t even have electricity. No wonder many Chileans were horrified at the thefts and looting. But, like the filmmaker Jorge Ulla commented, poverty cannot be hidden .

In Chile, as the rest of Latin America, the richest ten percent of the population earns more than half of the nation’s income. The poor continue to be terribly poor, and can barely survive. These poor people were the ones who complained of the absence of aid. They were the ones who were attacked by the army when the president Michelle Bachelet finally decided to send soldiers to control the disturbances a few days later. I can understand her hesitation in making that decision. The army has not attacked the people ever since the cruel era of General Augusto Pinochet . Even Bachelet’s own father died during the dictatorship. It was not an easy decision, but she hesitated too long. That was her first mistake.

Chilean’s fear towards the army seems hereditary. It’s as though it has been passed down from generation to generation through their genes. I have never seen a Latin American country respect their army so much. “Not even a bird flies without authorization” a military told me. He wasn’t joking. The journalists had to submit. We could only enter Concepción with a safe-conduct permit from the military. The curfew only allowed people go out from their houses for six hours a day to look for water and food. However, sometimes this was an impossible task. It was incredible to see that almost every business and office closed for days in the second biggest city of the country.

The second mistake was Bachelet’s government not warning the inhabitants of the towns on the southern coast the risk of a tsunami after Saturday’s earthquake. The army had already admitted their mistake. But it was tragic that many lives were lost because of bureaucratic inefficiency. The Third mistake was that Chiles’ reputation of self- reliance crumbled a few days after the earthquake. A government official stated that offers of international aid would be studied. But he mentioned nothing about accepting them. The vague and inept response stopped international aid when lives could be saved, and the populations in the most affected areas could receive help.

President Bachelet did not say anything about the minister’s statement and it took her six days to clarify that Chile never turned down international aid. I suppose that the sight of Peruvian President Alan Garcia offering help — in spite of the two countries’ long-standing maritime disputes and historical tensions – was too difficult for Chile’s politicians to swallow . But these are extraordinary moments.

The Fourth mistake was that the aid did not go to the people most affected by the earthquake. I talked to many people in the city who lost their homes, who were living on the streets, and hadn’t received a single piece of bread . This made the president’s earlier statement that there had been no interruption in food and gasoline provisions seem utterly absurd . If Bachelet walked a few blocks without bodyguards, she would realize that this was not true.

The fifth mistake was Bachelet’s paralysis in the Mint Palace . The earthquake overwhelmed Bachelet. The Chileans wanted her to be in control of the situation. But, she delayed to visit the worst hit towns and cities. Mind you , she was a good president in normal times but not during times of crisis.

Now, it’s the new president Sebastian Piñera’s turn, to fulfill the expectations of the people. His mission, he said, is not about rebuilding the country, but to rebuild it better. And it’s true. Chile’s fundamental problems are not the cracks caused by the earthquake or the cities destroyed by the Tsunami. The fundamental problem is that some people kept pace with modernity, but did not realize that millions of their countrymen were left behind, without hope, and without a way to catch up. With the collision of tectonic plates, the Chilean society may foresee what is to come. If the tension caused by inequality is not relieved , then the next problem might be greater. Piñera’s challenge will be to unite two Chiles into one. If he doesn’t, the country runs the risk of experiencing a shock even greater than the Feb. 27 quake.

business Chile news politics

Employers call on the Chilean Government

Post author By Jon
Post date May 1, 2010
No Comments on Employers call on the Chilean Government

Translated by Kyla Burke-Lazarus

The article is taken from El Mercurio, a newspaper from Santiago, Chile. The article is found in the “Economía y negocios” or the “Business and Economy” section of the paper. The article addresses the impact the earthquake, that shook Chile on February 27th, 2010, had on the Chilean economy. The article continues to weigh proposed plans to fund the reconstruction, and stresses the need for reconstruction. The ST is informative and persuasive, the text tries to convince the reader that tax increase are not necessarily the most beneficial way to raise the required money.

Source text: “Empresarios piden al Gobierno entregar plan de financiamiento y acelerar reconstrucción”

Employers call on the Chilean Government to Deliver a Financial Plan to Accelerate Reconstruction
Lina Castaneda and Victoria Reyes

To respond to the recent earthquake the Chilean government must now raise U.S.$9.3 billion. Whatever the plan to finance this large sum may be, it will have drastic implications for the economy. The union managers of banking, construction, mining, agriculture, and trade agreed that the final arrangements adopted should not rely n one source of funding but rather be as balanced as possible.

Representatives of various economic sectors gathered yesterday at the seminar, “Economic Projections: Solutions for Sectors,” organized by the Santiago Chamber of Commerce. It was agreed that the government should devise a financial plan that will accelerate reconstruction.
A major concern for the Agriculture Sector is how the funding plans will affect the strength of the dollar. “Unfortunately the days pass, and we continue to wait for a proposed plan. The uncertainty doesn’t help,” says Ema Budinic, manager of research at the National Agriculture Society (SNA).

The Treasury needs to finance about U.S.$ 2,500 million for the next four years. The various potential funding sources will have different impacts on relative prices, explains Alejandro Alarcon, the general manager for the Association of Banks. For example, suppose everything was financed with fiscal deficit, as a result the exchange rate would fall and interest rates would rise.

In the same vein, Javier Hurtado, head of research at the Chilean Chamber of Construction, explains that “if funds are raised by borrowing a lot of dollars internationally, the exchange rate would be negatively affected; if it is mostly local borrowing it will impact the interest rate, and if comes from tax increases, it will affect productivity. ”

Projections by sector:

Banking It’s projected that loans will increase by 10 % this year. For March, April and May, a negative Monthly Index of Chilean Economic Activity (IMACEC) is projected. This figure, which is measured by the Central Bank, aims to estimate the progress of the Chilean net production of goods and services during the period of one month and is an approximation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the short term. GDP for the first quarter is expected to be close to zero. An inflation of 3.5% has been calculated, with an investment growth of 15%, and a GDP of 4.5% for the year.

Mining Mining will grow by 6% this year, producing five million eight hundred thousand tons of copper and exporting U.S. $ 43 billion worth of materials. The price of copper is projected to be around U.S. $ 3.2 and $ 3.3 per pound.

Agriculture The current realized loss in this field is estimated at U.S. $ 760 million and future losses are expected to increase by 5%. The wine sector will fall between 8 and 10% and crops between 5 and 8%, due to smaller harvests and climate problems.

Industry This sector’s activity should grow between 1.5% and 2.5% over the course of the year. March will show a sharp drop in industrial production and will be the month hardest hit by the earthquake. Exports in March fell from U.S. $ 1.5 billion to 1.0 billion dollars.

Trade It’s estimated that the trade sector’s GDP will be 6%; investments will grow by 15%; and household expenditure by 4%. Sales will increase by 5% and employment by 2.5%. An increase in late fees in the earthquake-affected areas is foreseen. In any event, the South African World Cup should be beneficial to this sector.

Construction Due to the earthquake, housing costs are calculated to increase to U.S. $ 3,943 million and lost capital from stocks is anticipated to reach U.S. $ 20 billion. The sector will grow by 7.2%, even though industries will be affected by a lower income. Investments in reconstructions will enhance the infrastructure of the construction sector, this trend will continue to grow.

Tax Hikes: Not a Good Time

Not all trade unions firmly reject a possible increase in corporate taxes, but the consensus is that it is not a good time to do so.

In that vein, Alvaro Merino, head of research at the National Mining Society (Sonami), affirms that any tax increase carries with it higher costs to business.

As a general rule, higher taxes on production affect investment decisions. At a time when investment companies are ready to support reconstruction, the manager of Research of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (CCS), George Lever, believes it would be a good idea to explore ways to help channel this support, instead of resorting to the traditional tax hikes.

“We must be very careful in making temporary tax decisions in times of crisis, because historically the increases became permanent and only tax reductions are able to be reversed,” says Lever. He added that there are divisions within large companies that have been badly affected by the disaster and are unlikely to survive even a minimal tax hike.

He sees the initiative to raise donations for disaster relief as a good way to channel the goodwill that exists in businesses.

The National Agriculture Society (SNA) would prefer if the plan to fund reconstruction did not have a component to raise taxes at all. However, because this unrealistic, they hope the increase will be as small as possible, explains the manager of Studies, Ema Budinich.

This, he says, is because tax hikes do not always result in a proportional increase in revenues. This is because there are different loop holes, within the existing legal standards, that companies use to pay less taxes.

Budinich also stresses the need to improve the disaster relief innitiative’s ability to distribute the revenues in a decentralized way, “This is a concept that aims to achieve a democratic system where taxpayers express their preference for how theur tax money is spent.”

However, Javier Hurtado, of the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CCHC), warns that the U.S. $155 million expected to be collected from the initiative does not compare with U.S. $ 9,300 million the Treasury needs to raise.