VOXXI: Florida company asks for release of men detained in Honduras

"Florida company asks for release of men detained in Honduras"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
VOXXI
June 5, 2014
Originally published: http://voxxi.com/2014/06/05/us-men-arrested-honduras/

Since early May, six American employees from Aqua Quest International, a private company based in Tarpon Springs, Florida, have been under arrest in Honduras. The Americans traveled to the Central American state to clean waterways for a local community. They were subsequently arrested by Honduran authorities because they were allegedly in possession of illegal weapons.

At the time of this writing, it remains unclear whether judicial proceedings will continue or if Washington will be able to negotiate the release of the prisoners.

Weapons-carrying treasure hunters?

Here is what we know so far: Aqua Quest International defines itself as a private sector, for-profit corporation dedicated to “the search for, and archaeological recovery of the world’s lost shipwreck resources.”

A March 26 post in the organization’s blog describes how a group of Aqua Quest employees travelled to the Ahuas community in the Gracias A Dios department of eastern Honduras. While there, the group worked with the Miskito Indians, a tribe that inhabits the region and relies on lobster diving for income.

The post explains how “a typical diver drops a tank to the bottom over 100 feet down, free dives to the bottom and starts to work […] until the tank is empty. With his last breath, he swims to the surface with the spent tank, takes a new one and starts all over again.”

According to a CNN article, the team was tasked with removing mahogany logs from a nearby riverbed in Ahuas. “The goal was to clear the waterways to ease the way for boats in an area where there are few roads,” Aqua Quest explains.

On May 5, a 65-foot Aqua Quest vessel pulled into Puerto Lempira, a coastal town in Gracias A Dios. When the local authorities inspected the boat, they allegedly found a number of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, two shotguns, and two handguns. The crew stated that the weapons were for protection against pirates.

In a statement made to the Honduran daily El Heraldo, Hector Caballero Espinoza, commander of the Honduran Navy, explained that there was no problem with Aqua Quest’s operations in Ahaus.

 

Rather, the employees were arrested because they carried five weapons, one of which is prohibited, and they did not have a permit to carry weapons in Honduran territory. On the other hand, a press release posted on an Aqua Quest-related Facebook page argues that the Honduran Navy and Police intercepted the vessel, “circumventing maritime protocol.”

The Aqua Quest team faced a judicial hearing on May 13, where the judge ruled the individuals would remain detained for illegal possession of weapons. The crew has been in a Puerto Lempira prison ever since.

Consular officials from the U.S. Embassy in Honduras visited the crew on May 19, according to a June 1 CNN article. Meanwhile, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has been in contact with the State Department, the Honduran government, and the crew members’ families, according to the “Tampa Bay Times.”

A Crime Worth the Punishment?

It may be true that the weapons found aboard the Aqua Quest vessel were, in fact, for personal security. Eastern Honduras is known to be a paradise for drug smugglers, since its isolated location makes it difficult for Honduran security forces to properly patrol the region.

It is difficult to determine the extent to which the Honduran government will intervene; especially when one considers that the newly elected President Juan Orlando Hernandez ran on a “Mano Dura” platform, which promised a crackdown on rampant criminal activity. He achieved a major victory in March by capturing a notorious drug lord, Juan Arnoldo “El Negro” Lobo, who was subsequently extradited to the U.S. in early May.

The Honduran government certainly wants to maintain the positive momentum of Washington-Tegucigalpa relations, as showcased by aforementioned extradition of Lobo to Florida and the recent visit of SOUTHCOM’s General John Kelly to Honduras (he met with President Hernandez).

Yet the imprisonment of six U.S. citizens could be a divisive issue for future bilateral relations. On the other hand, President Hernandez could suffer domestically if he is perceived as bending the knee to Washington’s wishes, if he decides to release the detained individuals simply because they are U.S. citizens.

Moreover, weapons trafficking is a particularly sensitive issue in Honduras due to the country’s history of intense violence which makes the charges all that more severe.

Personally, I find it bizarre that the Honduran media has given little attention to the incident. In my research, I only managed to find a few articles by “El Heraldo” and “La Prensa” on the issue, and they tended to cite reports by U.S. news agencies as well as Aqua Quest’s Facebook page.

I will refrain from giving an opinion on whether Aqua Quest is more interested in treasure hunting than helping Honduran lobster divers. Nevertheless, a company whose goal is to help local communities and find the world’s lost archeological treasures should be better informed about the local laws where they are operating.

Interview: Voice of Russia: Brazil Braces For More Violence As World Cup Looms

"Brazil Braces for more Violence as World Cup looms"
By: David Kerans
The Voice of Russia - US Edition
Originally published: http://voiceofrussia.com/us/news/2014_06_05/Brazil-Braces-For-More-Violence-As-World-Cup-Looms-0454/

By David Kerans

WASHINGTON (VR)— Brazil is expecting 600,000 foreign visitors to the World Cup that kicks off on June 12, and the authorities are also expecting the most potent social protest demonstrations in the country’s history.

While much has been made recently of the most violent protest elements, grouped under the so-called “Black Bloc”, disaffection with longstanding issues of corruption and poverty is broadly spread across the country, so the government will not have the luxury of silencing a few groups of rioters with baton charges and declaring the crisis over. What exactly they can do to recapture the trust of the mass of the population is not very clear, however.

For insight into social protest and government response in Brazil, Radio VR’s David Kerans spoke with Alex Sanchez, a researcher at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs.

Sanchez provided examples of discrete but powerful protests going on all over Brazil, ranging from hospitals demanding proper supplies, to police departments striking for higher pay, to oil industry workers denouncing the privatization of an important offshore oilfield.

In this context, explained Sanchez, the government is almost powerless to pacify the society with concessions in advance of the World Cup: unmet needs are everywhere in Brazil.

For all the challenges the country is facing, Sanchez does not interpret the Black Bloc’s disdain for the political system as a harbinger of Brazil losing faith in parliamentary democracy. The nation as a whole is not so disillusioned as to renounce its political system. Nor is there any sign of an extremist right-wing nationalist movement taking shape, in contrast to the example of such parties gaining ground in the most recent elections in Europe. Brazil is not descending into barbarism, no matter how disturbing the impending social protests may be. It remains to be seen, however, what sort of road forward the government will lay out after the stress of the World Cup month is over.

Listen to the conversation between Sanchez and Kerans here:

http://voiceofrussia.com/us/news/2014_06_05/Brazil-Braces-For-More-Violence-As-World-Cup-Looms-0454/

Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/us/news/2014_06_05/Brazil-Braces-For-More-Violence-As-World-Cup-Looms-0454/

Blouin Beat: World - With Juan Carlos gone, whither Spain-LatAm relations?

"With Juan Carlos gone, whither Spain-LatAm relations?"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Blouin Beat: World
June 6, 2014
Originally published:http://blogs.blouinnews.com/blouinbeatworld/2014/06/04/with-juan-carlos-gone-whither-spain-latam-relations/

While Latin America is geographically distant from Spain, their histories are unified by centuries of Spanish colonialism. Nowadays, however, economic aid and cooperation initiatives by the Spanish government towards Latin America cannot compare to the projects initiated by China or Russia. Nor can Madrid compete with the hegemonic control that Washington has in the region. Nevertheless, Spanish-Latin American relations are significant. And the decision by King Juan Carlos 1 de Borbon to abdicate in favor of his son, Prince Felipe de Borbon y Grecia, marks a milestone in them.

Throughout his 39-year rule as king, the departing Spanish monarch worked hard to improve relations between his country and Latin America in general. As noted by a recent article in the Spanish daily El País, Juan Carlos I was the first and only Spanish monarch to visit Latin America. The article also explains how the monarchy “carried out positive initiatives in the former colony.” King Juan Carlos I was a well-known attendee of major ceremonies and summits in Latin America, including Ibero-American summits.

The Spanish news agency EFE explains that the king made his first official trip to Latin America in 1976 (to the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Venezuela), and since then has made state visits to every Latin America state (except Cuba, though he did make a personal visit to the country in 1999). His most recent trip occurred in 2012, when he traveled to Brazil to meet with President Dilma Rousseff and then to Chile to attend a summit of the Pacific Alliance. The most memorable of the king’s travels through the Western Hemisphere was his 2007 trip to an Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile. During a public panel the late President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela continually interrupted remarks by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. King Juan Carlos I eventually lost his patience and told the Venezuelan leader “por qué no te callas?” (Why don’t you shut up?). The clip quickly went viral.

The Spanish government would be well advised to continue working towards strengthening trans-Atlantic cooperation, particularly since Latin American nations are interested in strengthening ties with Madrid. Peru’s Ollanta Humala travelledto Spain in January 2012 to meet with Juan Carlos and senior government officials. The Peruvian leader hoped to secure Spanish investment that would help maintain the positive momentum of Peruvian development and the country’s booming economy. This past April, I discussed how Puerto Rico is also looking for Spanish investment to jumpstart its economy. Spanish companies stand to benefit from the partnership. Case in point: Spain’s Navantia is making a nice profit by building patrol vessels for the Venezuelan Navy, and may also sign contracts with Brazil and Ecuador in the near future.

Nevertheless, there have also been incidents that have soured relations. This past May the Spanish oil company Repsol finalized a settlement with the Argentine government worth more than $5 billion USD. The deal puts an end to a dispute that dates back to the Argentine government’s 2012 expropriation of Repsol’s controlling stake in the energy firm YPF.

As for the future of Spanish-Latin America relations, it seems that both the departing and the new king will continue to do their part to improve Spain’s image abroad. The Mexican daily El Financiero has reported that Juan Carlos has confirmed that he will attend the twenty-fourth Ibero-American Summit, which will be held later this year in the Mexican city of Veracruz. As for the future king of Spain, Prince Felipe recently returned from a visit to El Salvador, where he attended the inauguration of the Central American country’s new president, Salvador Sánchez Cerén. Hopefully, as the Spanish monarchy gets an injection of new royal blood, the former colonial hegemon will continue to develop its mutually beneficial relationship with its onetime colonies.

Peru This Week: Coffee rust: The deadly enemy of Peruvian coffee

"Coffee Rust: The Deadly Enemy of Peruvian Coffee"
W. Alejandro Sanchez
Peru This Week
June 2, 2014
Originally published: http://www.peruthisweek.com/blogs-peruvian-coffee-rust-103128

 In spite of Peru’s ongoing and impressive economic growth and development, the Andean nation’s economy is still based around the export of non-manufactured products, such as minerals and agricultural goods. A staple of Peruvian culture and an important part of its exports is coffee. Tragically, coffee production in the country is under duress due to a breakout of coffee leaf rust (‘roya’ in Spanish).

The Deadly Roya

Without getting too technical, coffee rust is a fungus. It attacks coffee plants, and gives the leaves a yellow discoloration, making them appear as if they were rusting. Over the past years, coffee rust has spread throughout Latin America: in a March 2014 commentary for VOXXI, I discussed how rust has crippled production in Central American nations such as Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Estimates suggest that around half a million people involved in the coffee trade in the region, from seasonal to permanent workers, have lost their jobs due to declining coffee production.

Colombia has also been hit with coffee rust, but according to Colombian coffee centers, its crops and overall production have not been as affected as in other countries thanks to pro-active steps taken by the Colombian government and coffee farmers.

Past Victories and Current Losses

While coffee is not the cornerstone of the Peruvian economy, a decline in its production is nonetheless a hit to the nation’s pride as an exporter of high-quality coffee. In 2010, Peruvian coffee producer Wilson Sucaticona, a member of the coffee union CECOVASA (Central de Cooperativas de los Valles de Sandia), won the prestigious “Coffee of the Year” award given by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. At the time, Peru was also praised for being a major producer of organic coffee.

Tragically, times have changed, and Peru’s 2014 coffee production is expected to be a poor one, at least by the country’s standards. Coffee rust has hit 144 thousand hectares of coffee, around 33% of the total plantations in the country. It is projected that only US$650 million of coffee will be exported this upcoming harvest due to coffee rust – this is significantly less than the US$700 million Peru gained from coffee exports in 2013. For the 2014 harvest, Peru is expected to produce only 5,400,000 quintales (sacks that weight 46 kilograms, though different countries assign differing weights to a quintal). According to the Peruvian daily El Comercio, there are some 150 thousand families in the Andean country that produce coffee for a living.

Moreover, as if coffee rust was not problematic enough, there is another plague that is attacking Peruvian coffee. The other outbreak is called ‘broca:’ an infestation of a beetle originally from Africa which attacks coffee grains; it first appeared around 2013.

Nevertheless, it’s not all bad news for Peru’s coffee. There is hope in a special kind of grain called Catimor, which seems to be resistant to coffee rust. This new coffee strand is being grown in Peru’s Amazon and there are encouraging initial results.

The Great Game of Coffee

As previously mentioned, the Andean nation is not the sole country going through hardships, as Central American nations have also been hit by coffee rust. It has been reported that Central American states have lost as much as USD$243 million due to the rust destroying the 2012-2013 coffee harvest. This is no pocket change for any underdeveloped nation. Moreover, Brazil’s coffee production has suffered due to ongoing droughts in the Portuguese-speaking giant.

This means that other coffee producers will be taking over the coffee market as Peru, Brazil, and Central America suffer; such as Colombia and non-Western Hemisphere nations like Vietnam, the world’s newest coffee giant.

“Coffee wars” does not receive much attention from the international media when compared to the focus given on the disputes over the commerce and control of commodities such as oil, gold, or even water. Nevertheless, coffee is an important commodity consumed across the world, and there is money to be made if a coffee-producing nation exports to the U.S. or European markets.

While Peruvian coffee is regarded as being of high quality, the ongoing plague of coffee rust and the lesser well-known broca have put this important industry in peril. On the other hand, nations like neighboring Colombia have been fairly pro-active in combating their own plagues of coffee rust, by, for example, planting new rust-immune coffee seeds.

Hopefully the government in Lima will provide coffee farmers with the aid they need in order to assure that Peru’s coffee industry can bounce back in the short term.