Issues+Latin+America

Prevalent Issues BACK TO HOME  Introduction Every nation-state placed on the globe has problems whether it is as populated as China or as bare as the Arctic poles. Latin America, just like many other regions, faces a wide range of issues from the fundamentals of education to the highest levels of governmental predicaments. In this section of the wiki, you as the reader will discover the major issues that Latin America is subject to. 

 Education Education gives us the knowledge of the world around us. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life. It helps us build opinions and have points of view on everything in life. Although many nations in Latin America possess an adequate education system, a great deal of nations in this region hold one of the most backward education systems in the world. In contrast to excellent education systems held by nations such as Panama and Costa Rica, many states especially Honduras, have an extremely low passing rate. Statistics from the Program for the Development of the Organization of the United Nations (PNUD) show that 30 out of every 100 students in Honduras graduates primary (elementary) school without repeating grades. Almost self-explanatory, Honduras and many other nations claims one of the most defective education systems in all of Central America. Now your probably thinking why the passing rate is so low. Data from the Program for the Development of the Organization of the United Nations (PNUD) show that 51% of all matriculates (people officially registered to a college) finished primary school in an average of 9.4 years. Not only is the education system faulty in many nations within this region, the reach of eudcation only goes so far. The educational system covers only 86.5% of school age children while the remaining 13.5% of children do not receive any school education whatsoever. In Honduras, half of a million citizens are illiterate meaning they cannot read or write. The government of Honduras claims that there is not enough resources to fund a decent education system. Although reforms are being made, neighboring nations such as Panama and Costa Rica remain 23 years ahead in terms of education level. Because of the inefficient education and the increasing rate of dropouts, many claim these nations' education system "backwards."

 Honduran President Ousted Zelaya, the Honduran president was democratically elected in 2006, but that did not make him a democrat. President Zelaya while in term gave every intended to hold on to his presidential power beyond the one term that every president is limited to under the Honduran constitution. Because of this restriction, Zelaya had called for a national referendum to vote to amend Honduras's constitution to allow for presidents to run for re-election for a second term much like Hugo Chavez did to stay in power. This referendum was immediately opposed by the Congress, Zelaya’s own political party, and most important, by the Supreme Court, which ruled it illegal, as did the other legal authorities in the country. Zelaya ordered the military to distribute the ballots anyway. When they refused, he fired the head of the armed forces, military chief Gen. Romeo Vasquez. Zelaya was behaving irrationally, illegally, undemocratically and unconstitutionally and had to be removed before he could seize absolute power and turn into a hard-left wing dictator. He was behaving as if above the law, as if the Constitution didn't matter. Thus, a military coup forcefully removed Zelaya from power.

Recently, on October 30th, Latin American nations' governments have concluded an accord that they believe will put an end to the political confusion in Honduras by allowing the Honduras' congress to vote on whether expelled President Zelaya should be restored to power. Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, all large nations in proximity to Honduras were among the governments that had agreed to this democratic solution. Both Zelaya and temporary acting Honduran President Roberto Micheletti both agreed to this decision and have agreed to respect the outcome of the vote. The vote hasn't been scheduled yet, but many hopes to a quick solution to this crisis.

Human Rights A serious issue to many Latin American countries, Honduras suffers a serious human rights crisis. Although Oscar Raúl Matite, governance secretary,states that there is no persecution nor political prisoners, The Honduran human rights group COFADEH listed 1,155 human rights violations since June 28, of which 1,046 were illegal detentions, mainly for violating the curfew or for participating in protests. Today, the citizens of Honduras face serious human rights issues as far as the restriction of the press. Honduras's government has just recently initiated an emergency decree that severely restricts press freedoms. Honduran security forces under Roberto Micheletti have already seized the offices of Radio Globo and Cholusat Sur television and shut down their broadcasting until further notice. The Honduras government issued the decree on September 26, 2009 prohibiting all public statements that offend the government and its public officials. If not complied, force will be used to shut down the broadcasting. Roberto Micheletti actions are common for authoritarian rulers such as Chile's Pinochet to Cuba's Castros, tolerating freedom only when it favors the public

Street Crime Although there has been increasing efforts to promote internal security, many nations nevertheless require a high degree of caution. The high crime rate in nations such as Honduras, Colombia, Brazil, Venezeula, as well as El Salvador is mostly due to poverty, gangs, and insufficient conviction of criminals. Firearms and knives are a common utility to the common man in these nations are relatively easy to get their hands on. Violence and disputes are common throughout many nations throughout this region and happen on a near daily basis. Street crime is a principal concern, with thefts, purse snatching, pickpocketing, assaults, and armed robberies on the rise in urban areas. Carjackings, kidnappings, muggings, and home invasions are not uncommon thus serious precautions must be taken when leaving the house. Not surprisingly, 31 Americans have been killed in Honduras since 1995, most of these cases unresolved. Not only does this show the danger of certain nations within these regions, but also the insufficiency of the government police force. Because many of the citizens residing in these regions carry firearms, they are perfectly capable of taking on a lone cop. Thus, many governments including the Honduras government has initiated a "zero-tolerance" program where police forces move jointly with military forces.

Social Unrest & Danger Political demonstrations occur sporadically in many of these nations most often in Honduras and Colombia. Demonstrations can disrupt traffic, but are generally announced in advance and are usually peaceful.

In addition, there are extremely dangerous areas that could easily result in death. While the Honduran side of the Honduras-Nicaragua border has been largely cleared of land mines, travelers should exercise caution in the vicinity of the border because some land mines, scattered by flooding during Hurricane Mitch in October 1998, may still exist in the area.

The Situation in Colombia The situation in Colombia is most commonly thought as the battle between the FARC (The Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia), and the Colombian government forces. The FARC is globally known as a terrorist group recognized such by Colombia, the U.S., as well as the European Union. Venezuela on the other hand, encourages nations to recognize it in a less hostile manner in hopes of a decrease in terrorism. This military group represents a marxist-leninist revolutionary guerrilla idea. Established in the 1960s, this group is commonly known as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party. Although many efforts have been made to create peace, it seems that failure is the only outcome. The group possesses nearly 18,000 guerrilla soldiers remaining the largest as well as the oldest insurgent group in the Americas. The group has recently become involved with the cocaine trade as its own organization although remaining its ties with the Communist Party.

Ecuador-Colombia Conflict On October 5, 2008, a serious violation of national sovereignty was taken place when Colombia government forces crossed the border into Ecuador to conduct a deadly assault against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel camp over the weekend. Colombia's government says Venezuela and Ecuador have secretly supported Colombian rebels. Ecuador's government is furious over the military raid and with Venezuela, took their case to the diplomatic front seeking international condemnation for Colombia's deadly assault on the rebel camp.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both countries have severely increased their security focused especially on the borders as this does pertain to a sovereignty issue. The conflict between Colombia and Ecuador ultimately centers around two core issues: Colombia, internally positive that the FARC has been pushed to a breaking point, is focused on security. Colombia wants to ensure that the FARC does not gain a stronghold at the border with Ecuador as it is being uprooted from within the country. Ecuador is focused on the issue of sovereignty. It does not want to become involved in Colombia’s internal conflict, and it wants a clear repudiation of the "terror has no borders" ideology that justified Colombia’s incursion into Ecuador. The primacy of these issues domestically,security in Colombia and sovereignty in Ecuador,means that both countries are treading extra carefully to avoid any missteps that would appear as concessions or capitulations.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> On October 9, 2009, foreign ministers form both Colombia and Ecuador have met to discuss improving relations between their countries. This meeting marked a dramatic change of heart and the effort to improve bilateral relationship ultimately leading to an increased cooperation on security issues. Currently however, their mutual borders continues to be insecure.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Oil Exploitation Oil was discovered in Latin American nations primarily in the mid 1950s and large-scale production began in the 1970s. Ever since then, oil has been a huge boost to many nations' economy such as Ecuador and Venezuela. However, development has not been sustainable, there have been negative consequences for both public health and the environment. Oil companies are a serious threat to the rainforest today. Even at lodges deep in the jungle, plumes of smoke coming from oil refineries smudge the otherwise untouched horizon. The Ecuadorian Amazon is one of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet, and the exploitation of oil has been particularly detrimental on the region’s fragile ecosystems and vulnerable indigenous populations. Research has shown that oil has had an extremely destructive impact on the environment, with many gallons of crude oil and toxic waste spilled into the waterways of the Amazon each year. It is estimated that the extent of the damage in the Ecuadorian Amazon is far greater than that caused by the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989.

Furthermore, oil production requires waste pits where carcinogenic “produced water” is dumped back into the soil, a damaging process for which Chevron/Texaco has faced a billion-dollar lawsuit since 2003. Whilst few long term studies have examined the effects of oil production on the health of local communities, investigations have proven an increase in miscarriages, cancers and leukemia local residents.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Health Issues The primary health concerns in Latin America can be attributed to the natural effects of poverty on living conditions and the dangers introduced by industrial and agricultural development processes. The economic crisis of the 1990’s contributed significantly to poor living and sanitary conditions, which in turn aggravated the spread of infectious diseases. The economic crisis also forced the government to reduce spending on health services. The number of families deferring medical treatment due to cost rose from 50 to 72 % during the economic crisis in the late 90s. The shortage of medicine within health centers and the abandonment of vaccination campaigns only intensified the problem.

Malnutrition is also a serious problem in many Latin American nations. In 2001, 45% of children under age 5 were malnourished. Chronic malnutrition rates have eased up in past years, yet it is still a serious problem, especially in the Sierra, where food consumption is lower than other regions. However, funding to address these issues is still the same across provinces, and geographic factors have not been sufficiently taken into account. Nutritional concerns can also be traced to a move away from traditional foods, as family subsistence becomes more dependent on a salary and cheap commercialized food. Other important health issues in Ecuador are gender-related.

The spread of HIV/AIDS Is also on the rise due to the low usage of condoms. Only 3% of men use condoms in Ecuador, which only aggravates the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

In addition to diseases and malnutrition, chemicals related to industrial and agricultural production processes are often released into the environment and contribute to degenerative disease in many nations most prominent in Ecuador. The leading example is the extensive use of pesticides by agricultural workers. Often, the chemicals seeps into the land and runs off into the water.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Refugees in Ecuador UNHCR estimates as many as 250,000 Colombians are seeking asylum in Ecuador running from violence in Colombia. Thousands of Colombian citizens look for refuge in Ecuador every week while many of whom do not register as refugees for fear of deportation. Meanwhile Ecuador is running out of provisions for refugees streaming across the border of Ecuador. The refugees in Ecuador often blame the government as well as the FARC (the most prominent guerrilla gang) for creating violence and not meeting their demands nor communication. Ecuadorian minister Espinosa has been sending major requests by these refugees and many of the displaced have been returned to South Colombia.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">Drug Trafficking Many nations in Latin America take part in drug trafficking most prominent in South American countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. Ecuador is a significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #c0c0c0; display: block; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 200%; text-align: center;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- "Conflict Grows Between Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Breaking News | Latest News | Current News - FOXNews.com //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335073,00.html>. - "Education in Honduras." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Global Exchange - Building People-to-People Ties //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/honduras/Education.html>. - "Free Article for Non-Members |." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">STRATFOR //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20091009_colombia_ecuador_thawing_relations>. - "Health Issues in Ecuador." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Foundation for Sustainable Development | Grassroots International Development | Intern, Volunteer, Donate //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.fsdinternational.org/ntlopps/country/ecuador/healthissues>. - "Honduran Accord Wins Backing as Zelaya Faces Vote (Update1) -." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bloomberg.com //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=abBby0orbs00>. - "Honduras: Restore Press Freedom Immediately | Human Rights Watch." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Home | Human Rights Watch //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/28/honduras-restore-press-freedom-immediately>. - "Honduras: rights group reports 1,155 violations | World War 4 Report." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">World War 4 Report | Deconstructing the War on Terrorism //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://ww4report.com/node/7634>. - "Honduras security overview: crime, travel advice." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Index of / //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.honduras-information.hotelhonduras.com/Honduras-security-crime.html>. - "Social and Environmental Issues in Ecuador - Ecuador Info. - V!VA Travel Guide to Info. in Ecuador, South America." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">V!VA Travel Guides - Unbiased reviews and advice written by travelers, for travelers //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/ecuador/ecuador-overview/social-and-environmental-issues-in-ecuador/>. - "The Truth About The Honduran Situation." //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Canadian Sentinel //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://thecanadiansentinel.blogspot.com/2009/07/truth-about-honduran-situation.html>. Web. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">- "World News: Ecuador overwhelmed by Colombian refugees." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Noticias Mundo - NotiEmail.com // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">. Web. 01 Nov. 2009. <http://news.notiemail.com/noticia_print.asp?nt=11354222&cty=200>. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">