madrid kid

Bush crony Vazquez Botet convicted in federal Superaqueduct case

2006-11-04T21:23:00.000+01:00

One of President Bush’s biggest fundraisers in Puerto Rico was found guilty on Friday of seven federal counts of conspiracy, extortion and fraud in connection with a $372 million public works project built in the mid-1990s called the Superaqueduct. Dr. Rene Vazquez Botet, 51, faces between seven and 10 years in prison. A former Republican Party committeeman, this pediatric ophthalmologist was appointed by Bush in 2001 to serve on the president’s Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans Commission.

He was indicted in 2004 along with lawyer Marcos Morell Corrada for comprising a scheme in which they both received $2.4 million in kickbacks from private firms which wanted to secure and preserve their contracts to build the water pipeline in 1995. Morell Corrada, 58, was also convicted on eight similar counts. It took a jury 14 hours over three days to hand down its verdict.

Although he said he was inclined to revoke their bail and send the two immediately to prison, U.S. District Judge Jose Fuste instead placed Vazquez Botet and Morell Corrada under 24-hour house arrest and ordered them to wear electronic monitoring bracelets.

Because of the two defendants’ political connections and issues surrounding the inquiry, the case had turned into a high profile investigation in which officials from the U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division flew down from Washington to prosecute both men. Vazquez Botet was campaign manager for former Gov. Pedro Rossello (1993-2001) of the New Progressive Party. Both had been close friends until around 1997 when they had a falling out -- the reasons for which are still unclear. Rossello, a former pediatric surgeon who now serves as senator in the Puerto Rican legislature, had been under investigation by federal authorities in several corruption schemes that the U.S. Attorney’s Office broke wide open, but he has never been prosecuted.

For his part, Morell Corrada served as secretary general for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party from 1991 to 1996, until he resigned under pressure after corruption allegations surfaced. He received more than $125,000 in payments from contractors in the form of appliances, cash, car rentals and donations to a local basketball team he was managing.

“Defendants, with their actions motivated by greed, betrayed not only their families and the community, but also a large constituency of law-abiding persons that belong to the political party the defendants worked for,” said US District Judge Jose Fuste after the jury convictions. “The public and private sectors in Puerto Rico are infected by corruption, to the point that the community wonders whether we have reached the point of no return.”

The two men and their lawyers – Howard Srebnick of Miami and Francisco Rebollo and Edgar Vega of Puerto Rico – tried all types of legal maneuvers to keep the defendants from going to trial. Even the federal judge who was first assigned the case and is known to be a local NPP supporter appeared to have sided with the defendants by trying to derail the criminal indictment. But the U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston took the case away from him and gave it to Judge Fuste who immediately ordered Vazquez Botet and Morell Corrada to stand trial. After the convictions, Trial Attorney Mary Butler of the US Justice Department publicly "encouraged" the two men to cooperate in her ongoing investigation.

Spaniards give Greeks a tragedy

2006-09-04T01:01:00.000+02:00

What more can be said about the Spanish team's upset against Greece on Sunday for the gold medal at the World Basketball Championship in Saitama, Japan? A stunning 70-47 win was dedicated to Memphis Grizzlies star Pau Gasol, who sprained his ankle during the final seconds in Spain's bout with Argentina on Friday. The Spaniards fought hard to show the world that their team could perform without Gasol, which many doubted.

King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero are expected to greet the team upon their arrival. It was Spain's first gold medal in the World Basketball Championship.

Above in this AP photo, Spain's Carlos Jimenez, in red, goes after a rebound along with Greece's Antonis Fotsis, center, and Konstas Tsartsaris during Sunday's incredible match.

The night Luis Muñoz Marín fueled Richard Nixon’s thoughts

2006-08-26T00:16:00.000+02:00

After a disastrous “goodwill tour” of Latin America in 1958, Richard Nixon, before returning to Washington, stopped in Puerto Rico – home turf for the badly beaten and emotionally shaken vice president who was attacked, kicked and pelted with eggs in Caracas and called “corrupt” during hostile demonstrations in Lima. Welcoming him with open arms was Washington-devotee Luis Muñoz Marín,the island’s first popularly elected governor, who invited him to spend the night.

Both hearty imbibers in their heyday, Muñoz Marín and Nixon stayed up chatting and drinking until the morning wee hours. In 1971, President Nixon in a phone conversation with then UN Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan described what happened. The following transcript is part of a collection of recorded phone call conversations during the Nixon White House years compiled by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. The purpose of the Oct. 7, 1971 phone call was for the president to discuss with the ambassador whether Africans have the capability of leading their nations.

Nixon: I'm not saying that Blacks cannot govern. I am saying they have a hell of a time.
Moynihan: Mm-hmm.
Nixon: Now that must demonstrate something. Now, having said that, let’s look at Latin America. Latin America has had 150 years of trying at it and they don’t have much going down there either. Mexico is a one party government; Colombia, they trade it off every two years; Venezuela is tip tee-toe, and the rest are dictatorships except for Allende, which is a communist dictatorship – elected, but communist. Now, let me come back to another point. I think you may have heard me tell of my conversation with Muñoz Marín who, incidentally, was capable of governing.
Moynihan: Yes.
Nixon: In ’58, after Lima and Caracas, I stopped there. And he and I talked all night… and he, drinking his scotch and all, and he really lived it up… [laughing] And I, trying to keep up with him – practically dead! But he made a very interesting point, very late – in the early morning hours. He said, look, he says, I shouldn’t say this, he said, “But Mr. Vice President, my people have many fine qualities, I mean, they’re courteous… they’re, they’re family people…in the arts… and you know, philosophy, et cetera.” But he said, “I will have to admit, my people” – speaking of Latins generally – “have never been very good at government.”
Moynihan: Yeah.
Nixon: Now let’s look at that. The Italians aren’t any good at government. The Spanish aren’t any good at government.
Moynihan: Yeah.
Nixon: The French have had a hell of a time, and they’re half Latin. And all of Latin America’s not any good at government. They either go to one extreme or the other. It’s either a family – well, three extremes: family oligarchy, or a dictatorship – a dictatorship on the right or one on the left. Very seldom in the center. Now having said all that, however, as you compare the Latin dictatorships, governments, etc. and their forms of government, they are – they at least do it their way. It is an orderly way which works relatively well. They have been able to run the damn place! Now what I am getting [at] is this: Asians are capable of governing themselves, one way or another. We and the Caucasians have learned it after slaughtering each other in religious wars and other wars for many, many years, including a couple in the last – this century. The Latins do it in a miserable way, but they do it. But the Africans just can’t run things. Now that’s a very, very fundamental point in the international scene. See my point?

When the US embassy predicted the failure of Pinochet’s ambitious Voice of Chile shortwave project

2006-06-14T02:34:00.000+02:00

Just days after dictator Augusto Pinochet inaugurated the powerful Voice of Chile on January 15, 1974, a U.S. diplomat told his superiors in Washington that he had reservations about the effectiveness of the shortwave radio station and predicted that it would fail because it wouldn’t be able to attract enough listeners.

This revealing appraisal is contained in a recently declassified cable sent by an American Embassy official in Santiago and obtained by George Washington University’s National Security Archive. The diplomat, who signed the missive using only his last name Villarreal, described Pinochet’s plans for his station as “grandiose.” Just four months earlier, Pinochet, with the U.S. government’s backing, led a bloody coup that toppled Marxist President Salvador Allende.
“This is a major propaganda effort by the government of Chile,” Villarreal wrote Washington on January 17, 1974. “Junta seems determined, however, to fight critics abroad and attempt to correct what they see as a distorted image of Chile peddled by former Allende supporters and fellow-travelers.”

On the morning of September 11, 1973, Allende was cornered inside La Moneda Presidential Palace in downtown Santiago just less than two hours after broadcasting an emotional last-stand speech on Radio Cooperativa. In another part of the city, a faction of the Chilean army was confiscating new Soviet-made transmitters that had been supplied to the Communist-backed Radio Recabarren and Radio Magallanes, Villarreal’s cable explained. The powerful 70 kilowatt transmitters were then set up across the street from the Defense Ministry and put to the Junta’s use at Radio Nacional de Chile. During the inauguration ceremony, Pinochet said the station’s purpose was “to let world know of heroic Chilean struggle to save the country from the totalitarian claws of Soviet imperialists,” the diplomat summarized.

With domestic transmissions on 1140 kHz, Radio Nacional would begin broadcasting as the Voice of Chile in several languages including English on shortwave throughout the 1970s from Radio Cooperativa’s studios. Villarreal identified Col. Eduardo Sepulveda, “the Junta’s prime communications man” who would later become the Chilean consul in Miami, as head of the station’s board of directors. Station manager Gabor Torey and press officer Francisco Barahona were both hired from Radio Mineria by the Junta’s secretary general. “Although plans for Radio Nacional are grandiose, knowledgeable radio contacts doubt efficacy of international broadcasting effort pointing to high costs, limited listening audience and past failures to mount shortwave efforts from Chile,” Villarreal reported.

Villarreal’s observation was correct. By the mid 1980s, the Voice of Chile suspended its international broadcasts and in 1990 Pinochet was voted out of office in a referendum. The eight 100 kilowatt Harris shortwave transmitters that once belonged to the Voice of Chile were purchased in 1998 by Christian Vision, a religious broadcaster, for its Radio Voz Cristiana and are in use today.

Shortwave radio and Hollywood just don’t mix

2006-05-17T02:49:00.000+02:00

Except for a brief mention here and there, shortwave themes seldom pop up on the silver screen. Last year’s acclaimed “Good Night, Good Luck” –- about an episode in the glorious life of journalist Edward R. Murrow, the CBS newsman who later became VOA director –- failed to mention his career as an international shortwave pioneer. “Pump Up the Volume” did have Christian Slater in 1990 as a teenage pirate broadcaster giving his schoolmates some sobering thoughts on life. But still, films about shortwave are rare if non-existent. So with a little help from IMDB, here is my list of movies I have compiled throughout the years in which shortwave –- or something alluding to it –- shows up on screen.

The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) – How can we forget the poignant scene of the Franks and the Van Dammes huddled around a shortwave receiver in their hiding place listening to the BBC announce the landing at Normandy? Or their faces of despair when they tune to Berlin radio and hear Hitler’s ranting and raging. But my favorite scene is when the viewer is treated to hearing the carillon in the nearby Westerkerk tower playing Merck toch hoe sterck, the same tune used today by Radio Netherlands. If you visit Amsterdam, you can still hear the 47 bells of the carillon, which was restored in 1959, playing Merck toch hoe sterck.

Johnny Shortwave (1996) -- Pirate broadcaster Johnny Shortwave (Emmanuel Mark) transmits his ideals for freedom and offers encouragement in a totalitarian fascist state depicted in this low budget sci-fi movie from Canada, which was sporadically shown in some US cities.

Overboard (1978) – This made for television movie starring Angie Dickinson (in her post-“Pepper” days) has an interesting opening scene. Most of the film takes place in the south Pacific on board a yacht where Dickinson and Cliff Robertson air out issues concerning their treacherous marriage. The first spoken words in this film come from a radio receiver on deck with an announcer in English identifying the station as Radio Tahiti!

Munich (2005) – Daniel Craig disagrees with a Palestinian terrorist staying inside a safe house in Cyprus over which station on a large multi-band portable they should tune. The terrorist wants to hear Arabic music from a distant station in his land while Craig wants more contemporary Israeli music. Although they cannot communicate in their respective languages, they settle on a rock and roll station.

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) – Although no reference to shortwave is mentioned here, there is an interesting shot of a contemporary Grundig receiver sitting on a mantelpiece during a torrid scene between Warren Beatty and Vivian Leigh.

Intervista (1987) – Federico Fellini’s autobiographical movie has Marcello Mastroianni walking into the film studios of Cine Citta in Rome. For a brief moment, as if it were meant to be a subliminal message, you can hear RAI’s chirping bird interval signal played as he enters the gates.

Stamp investing scandal in Spain

2006-05-15T16:47:00.000+02:00

Top executives of the collectibles trading dealers Afinsa and Forum Filatelico are in custody after a Spanish investigating judge determined that there is probable cause to charge them for defrauding an estimated 343,000 people in an alleged scheme involving postage stamps. Clients of the two companies were promised high interest returns in exchange for purchasing the stamps. Spanish authorities believe the conspiracy bilked these small-time investors of more than 5 billion euros.

The investigation got underway about a year ago after a complaint was filed with Spanish prosecutors. Authorities believe that the heads of Afinsa and Forum Filatelico laundered hundreds of thousands of their clients’ money. Last week, investigators said that both collectible trading dealers are on the verge of bankruptcy. Nevertheless, the directors lived in fabulous estates, bought purebred horses, traveled extensively, and owned homes in different countries. Even when police carried out their raids during a nationwide sweep, authorities reportedly uncovered 10 million euros in cash stashed in a concrete vault in one of the directors’ homes.

When the arrests were announced, clients stormed the offices of both trading dealers through Spain demanding their money but the police had closed the doors. Philately experts had warned that the stamps sold by Afinsa and Forum Filatelico were highly overpriced.

After Christie’s and Sotheby’s, Afinsa was the third largest trading collectibles dealers in the world. Spain’s guaranteed deposit insurance laws don’t cover investments made by these non-financial entities so clients of Afinsa and Forum Filatelico may have lost millions. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zaptero promised changes to the existing laws, and said that the government was studying ways how to help the investors get back their money.

Puerto Rico's mentally ill leaders

2006-05-03T13:20:00.000+02:00

There is a sickness in Puerto Rico. Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila ordered a near shutdown of all government and public services because the executive and the legislature cannot get together to come up with a solution to cure an estimated $740 million budget shortfall.

More than 95,000 public workers are without jobs and probably won’t be able to receive a paycheck until the beginning of July, when the 2007 fiscal year begins. Students, with just two weeks to go from finishing their academic year, cannot go to school because teachers have been told to stay home. More precarious is the lack of public health services in this island of 3.9 million. Because many islanders do not have health insurance, they have to rely on the fledging public health system. And the crisis is affecting those with chronic diseases, such as AIDS/HIV patients who may not be able to get their much needed prescriptions filled on time.

This amazing, unprecedented chapter in Puerto Rico’s history occurred when Gov. Acevedo Vila challenged the opposition controlled legislature to introduce a 7 percent sales tax to alleviate the financial woes in the public coffers. The governor maintains that the sales tax would enable the government to seek loans from private banks to keep the public services rolling for the next two months. However, opposition lawmakers, controlled by the embittered former governor-turned-senator, Pedro Rossello, won’t budge. They claim that Acevedo Vila has done nothing to stop run away public spending that goes to paying government salaries and maintaining the enormous bureaucracy. Meanwhile, Rossello, who supports statehood, has been in Washington trying to knock out a deal about the island’s future political status. With his actions far off in left field, he appears to be telling his constituents that the fiscal problem isn’t his problem. If that is the case, then he should resign as senator.

This indeed is a sick situation because of the mentally diseased politicians on this island who insist on putting their egos before the needs of their people. There are too many good citizens living in this U.S. commonwealth who should not have to go through this. Puerto Ricans took to the streets of San Juan last Friday demanding an end to the impasse but their voices went unheard. If the enfeebled elected leaders – such as Acevedo Vila, Rossello and House Speaker Jose Aponte – cannot come to terms and set aside their insolences, then it is time for the federal court to step in and demand that peace and tranquility return to paradise.

RTVE striking employees disrupt newscast

2006-04-05T19:00:00.000+02:00

A one-day strike called on Wednesday by employees at the state broadcasting conglomerate Radio Television Española forced the national newscast Telediario to suspend its transmission after 14 minutes on the air. The newscaster said she could not continue because of the noisy strikers outside the studio.

RTVE workers walked off the job to protest proposed government cutbacks to save money at the fledging broadcaster. According to press reports, some 3,000 jobs are at stake. For years, RTVE has been a money-loosing operation as television viewers and radio listeners prefer tuning to private broadcasters. In February, the government board that oversees RTVE as well as other state holdings said that the austerity measures were necessary to stop the broadcaster’s soaring debt, which is estimated at more than 7 billion euros.

Employees who called the strike said that they would disrupt all programming except the newscasts. However, this was not the case on Wednesday as you can see in this link to El Mundo.

Marbella rocked by corruption arrests

2006-04-01T21:13:00.000+02:00

The resort town of Marbella was rocked this past week when police officers arrested 23 people, including the mayor and three councilors, in a multi-billion euro money laundering and conspiracy scheme involving the selling and purchasing of prime real estate along Spain´s famed Costa del Sol.

Authorities said that they confiscated more than €2.4 billion in cash, art objects, jewelry, properties and other goods allegedly purchased by the defendants with profits they made through influence peddling.

After holding separate hearings, investigative Judge Miguel Angel Torres ordered the immediate incarceration of Marbella Mayor Marisol Yagüe (being led to court in top photo), councilor Victoriano Rodríguez and urban planning aide Juan Antonio Roca. They will be held without bail until their trial. Hearings for other defendants will continue next week.

Authorities claim that Roca (on left with Yagüe), a shadowy figure in Spain´s southcoast, was the "brain" behind the conspiracy. Living lavishly in different homes across the country, Roca allegedly ran 120 ghost companies through a Madrid law office that sold and purchase property. He also decided who received building permit authorizations in this resort town of 250,000, investigators said. Police had him under surveillance for years, videotaping his business dealings and social affairs.

Yagüe, who was elected to office in 2004 promising to clean up corruption left over from the previous government, was arrested at her villa on Wednesday as she was recovering from plastic surgery. Her deputy mayor, Isabel García Marcos (left, in photo below with Yagüe, in middle holding staff), was arrested at a local airport when she arrived from a honeymoon trip to Russia.

In all, the 23 face charges of conspiracy, influence peddling, money laundering and receiving kickbacks and bribes.

Marbella has long been a magnet for the rich, attracted by sun and fun as well as intrigue. Royality and dubious characters have always mixed well here. But the people of Marbella appear to be growing tired of their town´s reputation as a font for illegal activities. Following the arrests, thousands of residents marched in the streets demanding an end to corruption.

ETA announces historical cease-fire

2006-03-22T14:58:00.000+01:00

The Basque terrorist group ETA announced on Wednesday a permanent cease-fire to its wave of bombing attacks throughout Spain. In a communique broadcast on Radio Euskadi and repeated in other Basque media outlets, ETA said it would incorporate itself into the democratic process to seek peaceful means for an independent homeland.

The cease-fire, which will take effect on Friday, puts an end to the violent struggle embarked four decades ago by one of Europe´s long standing terrorist organizations.

The Spanish government welcomed the announcement but urged caution, saying that it had to verify whether the offer was genuine. Speculation that ETA was ready to lay down its arms had been circulating for weeks. Even Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said that he was confident that the separatist group would renounce violence in the coming months.

Since the late 1960s, the group has terrorized Spanish society by waging a series of bombings that has taken the lives of more than 800 people in an effort to carve out an independent country in Spain´s Basque region and parts of southern France. The last fatal attack came in 2003 when a bomb killed two policemen. Since then, ETA had been staging small bomb attacks aimed at certain Basque businesses.

"The aim of (the cease-fire) is to promote a democratic process in the Basque country and to build a new framework in which our rights as a people will be recognized," the statement said. "ETA also calls on the Spanish and French authorities to respond positively to this new situation, leaving their repressive ways behind."

M-11: A warm day, a quiet remembrance

2006-03-14T14:05:00.000+01:00

Two years ago this past Saturday a chain of bombings at a Madrid train station ripped through the commotion of a bustling commuter morning killing 191 people, injuring more than 1,500 and shattering forever Spain´s social and political fabric. The bombs placed in knapsacks at four sites inside the Atocha station were reportedly planted by Moroccan extremists sympathatic to Al Qaeda´s cause and angry about Spain´s involvement in the Iraqi War.

The incident days later cost the ruling center-right Popular Party a reelection victory. The PP´s blunder: Placing the blame on Basque separatists and accusing ETA terrorists of reneging on their promise to renounce violence. The Socialist Party, which had campaigned on a platform of far-reaching social and political reforms and, more importantly, promised to bring Spanish troops home, was swept into office. Disgruntled by its loss, the PP embarked on an dirty war offensive even at one point accusing Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of taking advantage of the Atocha tragedy to win the 2001 election. Taken aback by their victory, the Socialists have now been obligated to introduce their series of controversial reforms that have divided some sectors of society and made the EU politicos in Brussels a bit nervous. These include introducing gay civil marriages, limiting the Catholic Church´s role in public education, giving carte blanche residency to some 600,000 illegal migrants, and proposing more powers to the country´s autonomous regions. These reforms have propelled a once conservative Spain to become one of the most progressive countries in Europe. As for M-11, the row over the incident is still being aired in the press. The PP-favored El Mundo has reported that judicial authorities allegedly manipulated their findings concerning the Al Qaeda connection while the biggest daily El País has published internal memorandums that purportedly demonstrate that officials in the previous government of José María Aznar were warned of a possible attack and did nothing about it.

It was an unusal warm pre-Spring morning during Saturday´s wreath laying ceremonies for the victims of M-11. The day was marked by a large group of Moroccan citizens who arrived in Madrid by bus caravan to pay homage to the victims and offer solidarity. Most of the 29 still jailed alleged co-conspirators are Moroccan nationals. As low keyed ceremonies continued throughout the day with a lone cellist playing a solemn piece at Retiro Park, the surrounding pink blossom trees served as testament that life is a perpetual cycle.

Blogger problems

2006-03-13T11:30:00.000+01:00

Because of the recent technical problems with the Blogger server, I haven´t been posting any new columns. I shall be posting shortly. Thanks for your interest.

Radio Exterior saved from budget ax

2006-02-28T11:41:00.000+01:00

While public broadcasters throughout Europe are facing cutbacks, it appears that Radio Exterior de España for now will continue operating under a proposed restructuring of Radiotelevision Española that was unveiled on Monday. During a news conference, officials in charge of implementing the controversial overhaul of the fledging public broadcasting network announced that cutbacks will be made, including the closure of Radio 4, which broadcasts in the the Catalan language.

The RTVE viability plan is an answer to demands by the EU in Brussels to curtail costs in Spain´s state run industries and the Socialist government´s order to push back more than €500 million in annual expenses, officials said. Last year, RTVE´s accumulated debt was estimated at €7.5 billion.

Although REE will continue to transmit its programs, its news service will no longer be produced separately for listeners overseas. All newscasts will be combined for Radio Nacional de España´s Radio 1, Radio 5 and REE.Radio 1 will continue operating as the flagship for the RNE network throughout the country.

It wasn´t clear whether REE will continue broadcasting in foreign languages. However, Radio 4, which has been broadcasting for the past 25 years in Catalan, will be shut down after officials determined that it cannot continue to underwrite the cost of maintaining the station for only 8,500 listeners in Catalonia. "It´s not doing us any good to spend so much money for such a small audience," said Enrique Martínez Robles, head of SEPI which oversees state run industries.

On the television side, restructuring in program content, news production, and advertising will take place in an effort to make the 50-year-old Television Española more competitive with the growing number of private stations. RTVE will cutail operations at its 16 stations across the nation, including Madrid. Its station in the Canary Islands will no longer produce regional programs but will continue to serve as a repeater. Regional newscasts will be reduced to 30 minutes Monday through Friday. Carmen Caffarel, president of the board that oversees RTVE, said "it doesn´t make sense" to compete with regional stations. Over the past few years, there has been a surge of private television stations in Spain´s autonomous regions and communities, such as TeleMadrid.

The viability plan has worried the nation´s unions, who have been working with the government to ensure that the least number of jobs are affected. It wasn´t immediately clear how many jobs will be cut or how much money the government plans to save with these new measures.

Remembering Spain´s failed complot

2006-02-24T14:55:00.000+01:00

Twenty-five years ago, Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero led a band of fellow Civil Guard officers inside the Chamber of Deputies in Madrid, pulled out a gun and pumped a round of shots into the air. Tejero announced that he was leading a golpe de estado or coup and urged deputies not to interfere or they would be shot.

The complot had been organized by a group of military men who were disgruntled with the way the six-year-old constitutional government was running the country. These right-wing officers were keepers of dictator Francisco Franco´s memory. Among the issues that put them on edge were the continuous terrorist attacks by the Basque separatist organization ETA, proposals to give greater autonomy to the Basque and Catalonia regions, and the legalization of the communist and other leftist parties.

Tejero and a group of his men stormed the Chamber at around 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23, 1981 as deputies were voting to elect Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo as the new prime minister. While most of the deputies fell to the floor when a guardsman pumped a submachine gun into the air, acting Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez and Santiago Carrillo, leader of the Communist Party, didn´t budge. In Valencia, Gen. Jaime Milans del Bosch rose up, put tanks on the streets, and declared a state of emergency. But he failed to convince other generals to rebel.

Monitoring the situation, King Juan Carlos called in his closest advisors who assured him that the incident was an isolated one and had no popular support. Dressed in a military uniform, the king went on live television to order the armed forces to respect the constitutional order and assure Spaniards that democracy would prevail. Milans was arrested that evening and Tejero gave up the following day. Thousands of Spaniards took to the street in support of democracy and the king.

The only leader of the failed coup who still survives, Tejero, 73, now resides quietly in a beachfront apartment in his native Málaga. He was released from prison in 1993. To this day he declines interviews and shuns publicity. However last month, he wrote a letter to the Melilla Hoy newspaper warning that the current events in Spain -- especially the movements to grant more power to Spain´s autonomous regions -- are not dissimilar to what brought on the 1981 attempted coup in the first place.

Vatican Radio celebrates 75th

2006-02-13T12:02:00.000+01:00

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Vatican Radio´s anniversary on Sunday by reminding those who attended the papal audience in St. Peter´s Square that the international radio station has helped the message of the Gospel “reach all peoples more rapidly.”

It was 75 years ago when Pope Pius XI asked communications pioneer Guglielmo Marconi to build a radio station for Vatican State. Today, Vatican Radio broadcasts in 40 different languages on shortwave, satellite, local medium wave and FM to and in different countries around the world.

There is a complete history of the station, including excepts of news reports taken when Pope Pius XI made the first historical transmission, at Vatican Radio.

Bad press—a leaked e-mail, a newspaper story, a suicide

2006-02-10T14:33:00.000+01:00

What responsibility if any should a newspaper take when it reports on one man´s private correspondence to an elected-official that leads to his suicide? That is the journalism debacle that is being debated in San Antonio, Texas following a tragic incident that involved a resident, a city councilwoman, a powerful international contractor, and the Hearst-owned Express-News.

Earlier this month, a reporter with the newspaper put together a story after receiving a leaked private e-mail sent by George Dickerson to city councilwoman Elena Guajardo complaining about the noise at a nightclub called Graham Central Station near where he lived. “The entertainment Graham Central Station provides for their customers,” he wrote, “is of a lude (sic), lascivious, low class, debaucheristic, criminalistic, riot insistic, anarchist nature.”

Although the complaint could be seen as a valid one from a constituent to his city representative, Guajardo she called it racial and discriminatory because it appeared to pit the non-hispanic community against Mexican-American residents. She denied that she was ths source of the leak.

Dickerson used an office computer at the H.B. Zachry Construction Corp. to send his e-mail. But because this was allegedly the second such racially charged e-mail to a city representative to come out of Zachry´s computer server, the Express-News viewed the e-mail as public record and decided to publish it.

Dealing with the bad press and uproar in the community, Zachry fired Dickerson. Two days later, the 52-year-old man took his own life.

Speaking on behalf of the newspaper, columnist Bob Richter wrote on Sunday that there was no one to blame for the suicide but Dickerson himself. Another columnist Ken Rodriguez went to the nightclub and reported on Friday that there was some truth to Dickerson´s complaint. But he gave a startling revelation – some of the club´s patrons were off duty police officers who supported Dickerson´s claims by acknowledging that they recognized many customers who are former prison inmates and others who are wanted on various criminal complaints!

This sad, sorid story is not a first. Unfortunately, bad press coverage has led and will continue to lead to tragic incidents. These are news stories that are the products of outrage, poorly thought-out conclusions, and an editor´s rush to get the story out. As journalists, we have the obligation to report the truth but we cannot forget that we too are human beings and sensitivity over one man´s death should not be overlooked.

Putin in Madrid; Aznar dines with Bush

2006-02-09T15:12:00.000+01:00

Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a two-day visit to Spain Thursday by calling for increased economic ties and broader cooperation in the fields of technology, space and transportation. Speaking in parliament, Putin said that Russian trade with other EU member countries is far greater than current economic transactions with Spain, which stands at US$3.7 billion. "Certainly, the quality and amount of our [economic] relations need to be improved," he said. "We have great capabilities, but we are not working at full [capacity]."

Terrorism issues and democratic guarantees in Russia were subjects that dominated Putin´s visit. Spain believes that Russia can act as an important mediator in the Middle East, especially following Hamas´ victory in the recent Palestinian elections. Putin has told reporters that he doesn´t view Hamas as a terrorism organization and believes the group will stand by its word in renouncing violence.

During a state dinner on Wednesday night, King Juan Carlos reminded the Russian leader that administering his country´s rich energy reserves carries "a great responsibility," and that terrorism could only be beaten by "the determination of a state bound by the rule of law, defense of rights and fundamental freedoms."

As Putin was courted in Madrid, the Bushes at the White House were wining and dining with former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar and his wife Ana Botella. Aznar, who served from 1996-2004 under the conservative Popular Party, described the encounter as a "dinner between old friends." He declined to say what was discussed but a source told the daily El País that Aznar praised Bush for his tough stance with Venezuela´s government in Caracas.

No one to blame for Windsor building fire

2006-02-03T16:24:00.000+01:00

After months of speculation and suspicion about the fire that destroyed a 32-floor office building in one of the city’s busiest financial districts, an investigative judge has decided that no one will be blamed for crimes in connection with the so-called Windsor building caper.

One of Madrid’s premiere skyscrapers, the Windsor caught on fire the Saturday evening of Feb. 12. Images of the edifice engulfed in bright orange flames and the firefighters who tried to put out the blaze were broadcast live on Spanish television throughout the early morning hours. They eventually made newscasts around the world. It was widely compared to the fires in the World Trade Center skyscrapers on 9/11/01.

Luckily, no one was injured in the fire because all of the offices were closed. But arson suspicions were fueled when a resident in a nearby condominium complex shot a video that purportedly showed silhouettes of two persons inside the building against a backdrop of flames. The footage was repeatedly played on international television, including CNN.

In its own private inquiry, Asón Properties, the building´s owner, concluded that an employee of the U.S. accounting firm Deloitte & Touche acknowledged leaving a cigarette burning before she left the office. Asón’s investigation also stated two security guards on duty that night failed to take immediate steps that would have otherwise saved the building in the Nuevo Ministerios sector.

But nearly a year later, Instructional Judge Mariano Ascandoni dismissed the criminal investigation ruling that “there are no indications” that the fire “was intentional.” In his written opinion released on Tuesday, Ascandoni considered it “irrelevant” on whether shadowy figures could be seen in the grainy amateur video. He also added that it was difficult to prove that the fire was caused by a cigarette but gave no explanation for its causes except to say it started on the 21st floor. Security personnel and firefighters acted accordingly and should not be held accountable for negligence, Ascandoni concluded. Nevertheless, the judge left the civil route open so that office renters could file lawsuits to see who should be held financially responsible for the losses, which by some accounts are expected to ascend to more than US$55 million.

(Photo above courtesy of www.skyscraperpage.com)

Review – WRTH 60th: ‘The one to buy’

2006-02-02T12:32:00.000+01:00

The 2006 edition of the World Radio TV Handbook is out, and we cannot agree more with reviewers in other forums that this is probably one of the best ever. The WRTH is celebrating 60 years of bringing shortwave listeners ample and concise information on world broadcasting. But what makes this 704-page edition of the “DXers’ bible” special are the feature articles and extensive frequency lists section.

As has been the traditional format since last decade, the first section is dedicated to articles, maps and advertisements on 96- magazine slick-style pages. The features begin with a brief history of the WRTH and how the annual started out as a frequency list in a Danish newspaper. Then, veteran SWL, author and lawyer Jerry Berg gives us a nice trip down his own memory lane as he relates “50 years of DXing.” His article is nicely illustrated with QSLs from “the good old days” of shortwave listening. Antique radio collectors will love the “60 years of reception” feature as six top receivers, one for each decade beginning in the 1940s and ending in the 1990s, are profiled. Although the WRTH editors admit that many will “violently disagree” with their choices, this is a poignant survey of why these selected rigs were special in their day.

But for those who are more anxious to find out what the future might bring instead of dwelling in the past, WRTH editors questioned four international broadcasting professionals who give their opinions on where they believe radio is headed. The experts dish out their predications concerning shortwave broadcasting and digital technology. The content, style, and information in this features and review section remind us when the WRTH would close its 1970 and 1980 editions with the sorely missed “How to Listen to the World” section. We hope the WRTH will continue to generate more features – maybe even station profiles – in future annuals.

The broadcasting directory continues to be top quality and concise. However, one minor complaint could be lodged against how listings of the domestic radio frequencies in the United States are presented and why the editors selected those cities to make up their list. There are 20 cities under the United States section but not all represent the top 10 cities in U.S. population. The television listings in some countries are also incomplete, for example, Spain and Puerto Rico. We can only guess what omissions have been made in other countries.

However, we are pleased to see that after many years of oversight, the WRTH is expanding its shortwave broadcasting listings by time and frequency in the Spanish, French, Portuguese and German languages. A short list – because at the moment it is limited – of DRM broadcasts is also a welcome.

I have bought the WRTH about once every two or three years since 1977 (the last edition I owned was the 2004), and since then it has been my premiere listening reference. If you have never before owned a WRTH, then this is one to buy.

Radio Tirana is back on shortwave

2006-01-28T20:53:00.000+01:00

Weeks after abruptly suspending its foreign broadcasts, Radio Tirana has returned to the international shortwave bands. The station from the capital of Albania was heard Friday Jan. 27 on 7,110 at 2230 UTC in English for North America and Europe. Reception here in Spain was SIO444.

No official reason has been given why Radio Tirana was off the air, but Andy Sennet at Media Network blog wondered if Albania’s frequent power shortages had something to do with the suspension of broadcasts. During its off-air period, the station could still be heard via Internet Podcast. In any case, it’s good news that Radio Tirana is back transmitting fascinating Albanian music as well news about the emerging Balkan states. By the way, Radio Tirana has a tongue-and-cheek fan club.

While stations in the some former Soviet republics, such as Radio Tashkent, are resorting to Podcasting instead of shortwave for economic reasons, Radio Bulgaria wants DXers to contact them.
Listeners can now download a reception report form from the Bulgarian radio station at its website.
Filling out a form is a lot quicker than writing a full letter and coming up with your own reporting format. During the Cold War years, the station, when it was called Radio Sofia, was a favorite for many DXers offering prizes for contests, booklets, calendars and stickers (like the one above). It also sent out dozens of reception report forms to listeners who wanted to compete for a series of QSL cards and obtain a gold listeners’ certificate. Radio Bulgaria is one of the few European stations that still have a DX program. Those who cannot tune in every weekend can still read a transcript from the Radio Bulgaria webpage.

VOA announced that it will carry President Bush’s State of the Union Address live at 0200 UTC Feb. 2 on all its frequencies in use to Africa and Asia at that time, plus an additional frequency of 7,285 kHz to the Middle East. The president’s address will also be carried live at VOA.

Stations heard daily with good reception under usual noisy Madrid circumstances and monitored with a Realistic DX-440 and Sony ANLP-1 antenna:

·Radio Jordan, 11,690 kHz 1525 UTC Jan. 28 Music dedication program with popular contemporary Arabic and American music, including “Love was made for Me and You” by Al Jarreau and “My Everything” by Barry White hosted by female followed by news at 1600 UTC. Parallel broadcast of domestic 96.3 FM in Amman SIO434

·Voice of Croatia, (transmitter in Germany), 7,285 kHz *2315-2330* UTC Jan. 27 Fast paced newscast (much like in the U.S.) with reports about Croatia and the Balkans followed by sports and weather. A Spanish broadcast followed at 2330UTC. SIO544

·Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 7,320 kHz *1930 UTC Jan. 26 Readings from the Qur´an followed by news and commentary with suggestions that Iran would use short range missiles to defend the country from U.S. backed rebels in the southern provinces. SIO444

El País to enter U.S. radio market

2006-01-27T11:52:00.000+01:00

El País, Spain´s leading daily, announced that its parent company Grupo PRISA has acquired the rights to programming on XETRA-AM, which broadcasts in Spanish to listeners in southern California. The Federal Communications Commission has approved Grupo PRISA´s petition to take over the station´s programming, which had been under control since 1980 by Clear Channel Communications through its affiliate Citicasters.

Grupo PRISA paid $28 million or €22.8 million for the programming rights, according to El País and XETRA´s website. "This operation represents for Grupo PRISA, publisher of El País, a major step in its proposal to develop a radio network with a presence in the U.S. hispanic market," the newspaper reported Friday.

XETRA, which broadcasts on 690 kHz, is located in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico but serves Spanish-speaking listeners in San Diego, Calif. Last year, the FCC determined that broadcast stations that operated in Mexico´s border front and transmitted programming to the United States are to be considered part of the U.S. market. Under the rules, no U.S. company or its affiliate can control more than eight stations in the same market and no more than five broadcasting on either the AM or FM band. At the beginning of 2005, Clear Channel controlled eight stations in the United States and five in Mexico that were serving the San Diego/Tijuana market.

Reporter in hot water for calling Spain´s military mothers ´prostitutes´

2006-01-26T14:25:00.000+01:00

Spanish Defense Minister José Bono asked for the prosecution of a journalist for allegedly suggesting that mothers of enlisted service men practice prostitution. Bono told members of the Army Ground Forces Superior Council during a private meeting that "as a citizen and defense minister" he filed the complaint with an investigative judge against reporter Iu Forn for penning the alleged calumnious column in the Catalonia daily Avui.

In an answer to a military officer´s threat that the Army may have to intervene if Catalonia is given greater autonomy, Forn wrote a Jan. 12 column entitled "A guide for a good coup plotter" in which he dished out tips for would-be rebels who want to invade the region.

"Remember that the civil ordinance in Barcelona on its face prohibits the practice of prostitution. Therefore, it´s better that you [the military] come without your mothers," Forn wrote.

Although Forn later apologize for the remarks, Bono said it wasn´t enough. The defense minister explained that the columnist may have violated the Spanish Penal Code which protects the military from "injurious attacks." If convicted, Forn could face between one year and 18 months in prison.

UPDATE JAN 28 -- The Spanish judge investigating Bono´s charges dismissed the complaint ruling that the column was "irony" and "satirical," and wasn´t meant to insult the military as an institution because it was address to those who want to break the law in the first place.

Report: Spanish troops were not authorized to use force in Iraq

2006-01-24T13:07:00.000+01:00

Spanish troops dispatched to Iraq from August 2003 to May 2004 were ordered to "avoid or minimize collateral damage" and required to obtain authorization from the Defense Ministry to use letal force, documents obtained by El País reflect. The contextual nature of an internal memorandum published Tuesday by the newspaper shows that the previous conservative government of José María Aznar limited Spain´s role in Iraq and didn´t give full cooperation to the coalition led by the United States and Great Britain as he otherwise portrayed.

Aznar´s party the Partido Popular continually criticizes the current Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for withdrawing the troops, which was one of the prime minister´s 2004 campaign promises. The pull out also strained relations between Bush and Zapatero.

In his recently published memoir, former U.S. Administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer criticized Spain for what he considered the country´s "passive" approach in the war against Iraqi insurgents. "It's unworthy. They're sitting on their tanks....without doing anything. This is what I call the 'Coalition of the Absolutely Unwilling,'" Bremer wrote.

The published memo supports Bremer´s observation but explains what the rules the Spanish troops had to follow. It stated that "the use of force, when authorized, will always be governed by the principle of the minimum... including that of lethal force..."

Television Española´s (TVE) distorted, misleading portrayal of Puerto Rico in documentary

2006-01-21T16:21:00.000+01:00

With much interest, I tuned to Television Española´s documentary on Puerto Rico which was broadcast here Friday night on TVE Channel 2 network. While I was impressed with the video footage and the quality of the interviews, I was really disappointed how TVE tried tried to portray Puerto Rico and its relationship with the United States.

Entitled "Puerto Rico and the United States -- A marriage of convenience," it contained interviews with educators, students, historians and political leaders from the three political factions in the island -- the statehood, commonwealth and independence parties. The reporter began by detailing how Puerto Ricans during the 1950s and 1960s embarked on a mass migration to New York concentrating in the Bronx. However, the reporter blamed the tidal wave of migrants on U.S. big business that came to the island to repatriate capital and offer few jobs. The fact is that Operation Bootstrap in the 1950s created thousands of jobs that were not available in this once agriculturally dependent island. It was indeed a soaring high cost of living and outside competition from manufacturers in foreign countries that led to some industry closures, which resulted in unemployment.

She theorized that the U.S. government for decades overlooked Puerto Rico since it won possession of the island in the Spanish American War in 1898. But she failed to make note that Spain overlooked her colony, as well as Cuba, during the 19th century, which led to the war in the first place.

Trying to prove that banking industry was dominated by U.S. financial institutions, the documentary showed footage of the main branches of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and Western Bank -- both locally owned and operated! She didn´t mention how Banco Santander de Puerto Rico and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argenta (BBVA), the two most powerful financial institutions in Spain, have moved in and gained a strong foothold in the market.

Finally, after claiming that the United States has been unfair to Puerto Ricans by not giving them the right to vote in presidential elections but sending soldiers to fight in Iraq, the reporter concluded at the end that Puerto Ricans obviously don´t have any complaints about their "marriage of convenience" because they voted to keep the status quo in three referendums that took place in the 1990s.

As reporters, we usually embark on a journalistic endeavor with our minds made up, believing we are going to uncover what we suspected. But often times we are proven wrong in the middle of our inquiry. The difference between a good and mediocre reporter is measured on one side by those who show all sides of a controversy and on the other by those who insist on compling just enough information to support a predetermined hypothesis.

More military grumblings

2006-01-19T13:06:00.000+01:00

A second Spanish military officer is under arrest after he published an open letter in a Melilla newspaper explaining his dissatisfaction with the current Socialist government of José Luis Zapatero Rodríguez. This latest event gives credence to what many observers believe is growing discontentment among the armed forces.

Last week, the commander of the Spanish ground forces Lt. Gen. José Mena Aguado was fired following his arrest for giving a Jan. 6 speech in which he
warned that the military might have to step in if the Catalonia region is given more autonomy that could lead to the break-up of the nation. Mena´s comments produced a wave of concern among business leaders and right-wing politicians who blame Zapatero for antagonizing the armed forces with his drive to give greater autonomy to the Catalonia, Basque and Valencia regions.

In this latest episode, Capt. Roberto González Calderón of the Spanish Legion accused politicians in his letter of "sacrificing their duties to the nation and fatherland to fatten their longings for power." He said that he and other legionaires wanted to deliver the letter personally to Zapatero but opted to publish it in a newspaper in the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla where they serve.

The government ordered both officers arrested because Spanish law prohibits military personnel from issuing public comments.

Zapatero has downplayed notions that some military factions are on the verge of rebellion, and said his advisors have assured him that armed forces are not uneased over the autonomy issues. But González disputed that in his letter.

"Well, Mr Prime Minister, your advisers have not told you the truth," he said. "There is a lot of unease, within and outside the armed forces, which see how Spain is being dismembered, how the national flag is burned in public, how terrorists are allowed to hold demonstrations and social events, and how a generation of Spaniards no longer recognize Spain as their fatherland."

On Wednesday, Defense Minister José Bono reminded the armed forces that they owed loyality to the elected governments and not to the "Spain of the Catholic Monarchs" who in the 16th Century unified the country.

U.S. Embassy complains of threat; Zapatero´s email hijacked

2006-01-19T12:14:00.000+01:00

·The U.S. Embassy in Madrid filed a complaint with Spanish judicial authorities after White House officials reportedly received an electronic mail from someone in Spain threatening to kill President Bush, the daily El País reported Thursday. The email from someone who identified himself as "Ignacio P.S., español" charged that Bush was "responsible for thousands of deaths in Iraq." It also contained a series of insults lodged at the American president, the Spanish newspaper said.

·The Spanish government for its part has had to assure dozens of embassies and news organizations that Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero Rodríguez did not pen a controversial open letter in an email entitled "Spaniards, how sickening, what shame." La Moncloa Palace said that someone began sending the bogus email on Monday supposedly written by Zapatero in which he hurls insults and claims that Spaniards "have been a plague for all of Latin America." Zapatero´s chief of staff has apologized to the embassies and news organizations for the hoax, and said an investigation is underway.

Cope radio faces more problems

2006-01-19T11:34:00.000+01:00

A Spanish judge has ordered an investigation to see whether the Cope radio network caused "serious injury" to the president of the regional Catalan government during a program that satirically alluded to his drinking habits. Pasqual Maragall, (left) the president, filed the complaint against the moderators of La Linterna or "the flashlight," which is broadcast over the national network. Maragall said that he was offended during the July 4 broadcast when a humorist identified only as Fray Josefo read an essay that portrayed him as a hearty imbiber.

"History has put me here,"Fray Josefo read on the air. "My sensitivity sometimes escapes me and that is the consequence of gin... Sporadically, my ego leaps without bounds when there is a lot of whiskey from Malta."

While the judge has ruled that the broadcast did not violate the country´s libel statutes because Maragall is a public figure, it could have caused him "serious injury" as defined under Spain´s Penal Code.

Cope, which is owned by the Spanish Bishops´ Conference, has all ready been in hot water with the Spanish government after a humorist in another program telephoned Bolivia´s president-elect Evo Morales last December pretending to be Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Cope had to apologize for the incident that caused a brief diplomatic row between Spain, the Vatican and Bolivia.

Women leaders in Latin America

2006-01-16T17:09:00.000+01:00

With the election victory of 54-year-old Michelle Bachelet as Chile´s first female president, this is a good time for a summary of the women who have served as heads of government in Latin America.

·Violeta Barríos de Chamorro (1990-96) actually became the first popular elected woman president of a Latin American nation when she assumed office in Nicaragua after defeating the Sandinistas, who ruled the country for 10 years. The 1978 slaying of her husband, La Prensa publisher Pedro Chamorro, was the turning point in the overthrow of dictator Anastasio Somoza the following year. Mrs. Chamorro served on the Sandinista junta but distanced herself when the new government became chummy with Fidel Castro.

·Isabel Martínez de Perón (1974-76) of Argentina became the first woman president in Latin America when her husband Juan Perón died. "Isabelita," as she was known, had served as his vice president and the transfer of power was swift after the old caudillo´s funeral. With spiraling inflation and internal strife caused by urban terrorist groups, the military seized power in a coup and Mrs. Perón was placed under arrest. She was later allowed to leave the country for Spain in 1980, and didn´t return to Argentina until democratic rule was once again established.

·Lidia Gueiler Tejada (1979-1980) served briefly as interim president of Bolivia following a coup in that country. Congress selected her to lead a transitional government until free elections could be held. The vote never occurred and Mrs. Gueiler was overthrown in another coup. She lived in Chile and in France before returning to Bolivia in the 1980s. She served as her country´s ambassador to Venezuela. Last year, the 84-year-old Gueiler came out in favor of president-elect Evo Morales.

·Mireya Moscoso (1999-2004), the widow of former President Arnulfo Arías, was swept into office in Panama with massive popular support. However, the administration of this former interior designer was continuously rocked by scandal after scandal. She blamed Fidel Castro for causing the strife because she had pardoned several Cuban exiles who were charged with plotting to kill the Cuban leader. When she left office, her popularity was at its lowest ever for a Panamanian president. She now lives in Miami.

·Sila María Calderón (2001-2004) became Puerto Rico´s first female governor after a landslide victory over the pro-statehood party candidate in this U.S. commonwealth. The daughter of a hotel-owner and influential businessman, Calderón campaigned on cleaning up corruption, which ran rampant in the previous government. She shocked her closest advisors and supporters when she announced in an emotional televised address in 2003 that she would not seek a second term.

Shortwave far from dead in South America

2006-01-14T17:03:00.000+01:00

Everywhere you turn, you hear gripes from shortwave listeners that the international bands are dying as broadcasters undergo cutbacks and look at innovative technology -- digital and satellite radio and the Internet -- to get their programs to listeners. A few weeks back, I found an interesting survey posted on a DX page hosted by Brett Sayler of Pennsylvania that counters those arguments.

This veteran DXer compared the number of stations in South America that were broadcasting 48 years ago and those on the air today. In an informal survey, Brett took a random sampling of the stations by referring to World Radio Television Handbooks for the years 1957, 1971, 1977, 1992, 1999, 2003 and 2005. He found that in 1957 there were 394 stations broadcasting from the 14 countries that make up South America, including the Falkland Islands. In 2005, Brett reports that there with 376 stations listed. Brazil, which has kept the lead over the years, had 109 stations on the air on shortwave in 1957. In 2005, there were 151 stations broadcasting from the Portuguese-speaking nation. The peak year for shortwave from South America was 1977 when 592 stations were on the international bands. Oh, by the way, Brett didn´t count HCJB in Ecuador and Radio France Internationale´s transmitters in French Guiana.

"In conclusion, to those who are ready to pronouce shortwave radio dead, there are still many good opportunities to hear exotic stations in far-off locations. But, you should get them now while you can. Who knows what the next 50 years will bring?" he says.

I firmly believe, as I posted previously, that those who complain about the so-called demise of the shortwave bands are listeners who only tune to English-language programming. You cannot measure the universe by only looking through a telescope!

Check out Brett´s page for some more interesting stuff, including some rare photos of a 1970s all night DX session organized to search for the reclusive Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service with now-veteran DXers Don Moore and Dave Valko.

US says No to Spain´s Aircraft Deal

2006-01-13T11:29:00.000+01:00

In a move that could further sour relations between the Bush administration and Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the U.S. government has blocked Spain´s deal to sell Venezuela 12 planes equipped with U.S. technology. U.S. Ambassador Eduardo Aguirre told Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos that his country was concerned about Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez´s growing authoritarian rule. The sale of 10 Spanish-made C-295 transport and two CN-235 maritime aircraft "has the potential to complicate the situation" in the region, the daily El País quoted U.S. diplomatic sources on Friday.

The Spanish defense contractor CASA-EADS and the Venezuela government signed the €1.7 billion deal last November. However, the company needed the approval of the United States because the sale involved the transfer of U.S. technology. On Friday, Radio Nacional de España quoted Defense Ministry sources as saying that the deal would go through despite the U.S. government´s disapproval.

Last week, Chávez accused the United States of blocking similar sales with Brazil and Russia. The Venezuelan leader has now threatened to go to China to buy MiG fighter jets.

Nevertheless, as Chávez shops around for military equipment with his country´s petro-dollars, Venezuela´s infrastructure is crumbling. Last week, the country´s only viable road that connects Caracas to Venezuela´s international air and sea ports was closed after engineers reported that one of two main bridges has begun to buckle when one its supports cracked (photo on right). The usual 40-minute drive from the capital to the Simón Bolívar International Airport now takes four hours as traffic had to be diverted to a dangerous road that snakes through shanty towns alongside Mount Avila, which separates the capital from the Caribbean. Chávez has tried to calm political and social tensions by assuring that the highway will be reopened next month. However, it may not be in time for the World Social Forum he is hosting. The annual event organized as an anti-globalization movement is expected to attract 100,000 people from abroad in February.

Tensions are also mounting between Peru and Venezuela following President Alejandro Toledo´s accusations earlier this week that Chávez is trying to meddle in his country´s upcoming elections by publicly supporting a left-wing candidate. Peru recalled its ambassador to Caracas. It was the second time in months relations between a Latin American country and Venezuela have turned sour. In November, Mexico recalled its ambassador after Chávez accused President Vicente Fox of being George Bush´s "puppet."

Radio Exterior de España looks east

2006-01-12T13:10:00.000+01:00

With the number of immigrants from the former Soviet bloc countries on the rise in Spain, it´s no wonder that the Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero wants to increase its cultural ties with east Europeans. And shortwave radio, the government believes, is still the best way of getting through to people in the different homelands.

Since Jan. 3, Radio Exterior de España has been broadcasting a new 1/2-hour program aimed at familiarizing listeners in 15 nations about Spanish culture and language. "Spain in Eastern Europe" is broadcast from Monday through Friday at 1700-1730 UTC on 15,195 kHz.

"There are currently 150,000 citizens who work in Spain that come from these countries. REE wants to offer them information about Spain in their own language, and in Spanish for part of the program, with the goal of getting thousands of citizens in Eastern Europe to know our language and help many others who study Spanish perfect it," according to REE´s website. The international service of Radio Nacional de España will also be offering Spanish courses in the near future for Russian listeners. As of now, the programs are as follows:

Monday-Friday
News in Russian
Followed by programs in Spanish

Monday: "We Europeans"
Tuesday: "More Europe"
Wednesday: "Commentary by Victor Tchereski" and Sports
Thursday: "Friends of Shortwave"
Friday: "Spain in the World"

As shortwave listeners and DXers bemoan the lost of many stations and programs because of cutbacks in various countries, it´s good to know that programming from stations like REE continues to prosper. Spanish is quickly becoming the second most important language in the United States and its demand is also growing in Europe, especially in the Nordic countries. Many listeners and observers traditionally, and perhaps mistakenly, have gaged shortwave´s downfall by the demise of English-language programming. But the truth is that there are now more stations improving and extending their broadcasts in Spanish, and this no doubt supports a claim against shortwave radio´s extinction in the foreseeable future.

A Spanish general under arrest

2006-01-07T20:09:00.000+01:00

The head of Spain´s ground forces was removed from his post and placed under house arrest Saturday after suggesting that the Army would step in if a proposal for greater autonomy for the Catalonia region surpasses the limits guaranteed under the Constitution. Defense Minister José Bono took the action against Lt. Gen. José Mena Aguado (left in Reuters photo) after calling him in for a 20-minute meeting along with military Joint Chief of Staff Félix Sanz Rodán.

It was the first time during Spain´s 30-year democracy that a high-ranking general was placed under arrest.

On Friday in an address carried live by Radio Nacional de España, Mena said that the Army would have to exercise its right to keep the nation intact if it considers that the proposed Estatut could lead to giving the Catalonia region greater powers than the central government.

"Fortunately, the Constitution abounds a series of unconditional limits for whatever automony statute. For that reason, I reiterate my message of calmness. But if those limits were to surpass [the Constitution], which fortunately at this moment doesn´t seem possible, then the application of Article 8 of the Constitution would apply," Mena said in speech during an Army holiday celebration. Article 8 gives the Armed Forces the power to guarantee "the sovereignty and independence of Spain" and "defend its integrity and constitutional order," he said.

Mena´s comments have evoked polemics among the nation´s political parties, which all, except the main opposition Popular Party, welcomed his removal and arrest. The PP said that it would call Bono before a congressional to explain his position.

The Catalonia statute, which is before Congress, has caused great concern among the nation´s different sectors who fear that it could lead to independence for the rich north region.

Evo Morales -- The joke is on you

2006-01-05T11:25:00.000+01:00

Bolivia´s president-elect Evo Morales met with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on Wednesday as he began a three-nation tour of Europe prior to his scheduled inauguration next month. Ever since a radio comic pretending to be Zapatero telephoned the new Bolivian leader after his Dec. 18 landslide victory and welcomed him into the "new order" and "axis" with Cuba and Venezuela, the Morales visit was a long awaited one.

"He asked if it really is me," Zapatero told reporters after a jocular Morales whispered in his ear as they shook hands in front of a hoard of cameras on Wednesday.

The bogus phone conversation was broadcast during a popular morning show on the COPE radio network, which is owned by the Spanish Bishops´ Conference. The joke sparked a diplomatic row between Spain, Bolivia and the Vatican, which ended with an official apology from COPE even though there is no love lost between Zapatero´s government and the Catholic Church. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos told the papal envoy to Spain that the incident was "deplorable," and could harm Spanish interests in Bolivia. The Ministry of Communications said it would investigate whether sanctions were warranted.

Despite the threats and the diplomatic brouhaha, the Morales-Zapatero radio prank was met with humor by Spaniards who are use to seeing imitators ridicule their leaders, including King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, on nightly television comedy programs. For a country that was held under the grips of Francisco Franco´s dictatorship for 36 years, Spaniards are proud to say that they can publicly poke fun of their politicians and other world figures without fearing jail time.

It was unclear whether Zapatero and Morales spoke further about the incident. There were more pressing issues on the agenda such as calming businessmen´s fears that the incoming leftist government would confiscate Spanish holdings in Bolivia. Zapatero, who played down the visit and didn´t attend a news conference with Morales (photo above), has also been under intense pressure from other European leaders who fear that his over-friendliness with the Bolivian president-elect could be interpreted as a sign that he supports Morales´ promise not to curtail coca farming in his country, which could lead to increase cocaine shipments. Thursday´s New York Times best summed up the visit in its headline: "Bolivian receives chilly reception in Spain."

Spain to offer asylum to sex bias victims

2006-01-02T14:34:00.000+01:00

If you think you are suffering from discrimination at your job because of your gender or sexual orientation and you feel that nobody seems to be doing anything about it, then Spain could be the place for you.

In an unprecedented move, the Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero wants to include sexual discrimination as a basis for granting asylum in Spain. The bill would enhance the current 1984 immigration law and would grant immediate asylum to anyone in the world who feels they are being discriminated in their home country because of gender bias or sexual orientation. The new law would also propose giving protection and prohibiting the deportation of persons who don´t all ready have refugee status but feel that they will suffer at the hands of authorities because of sexual bias if they return to their homeland.

"The government is ready to give the green light to one of the most progressive pieces of legislation when it comes to granting asylum despite that the worldwide tendency is to take an opposite approach," read Monday´s El País which gave exclusive details of the bill. The newspaper, however, didn´t say when Zapatero´s PSOE party would introduce the bill in the Chamber of Deputies.

By approving gay marriage, easing restrictions in obtaining a divorce, and allowing some 300,000 illegal immigrants to file for residency papers early last year with no questions asked, the prime minister is seen by many in his country as a champion of human rights and equal protection under the law. The opposition right-of-center Partido Popular or People´s Party has criticized Zapatero for making it easier to obtain Spanish residency as well as other laws that are contrary to traditional Catholic views. Zapatero´s proposed immigration policies also have many European Union leaders on edge because once a migrant´s status is legalized in Spain that person has the right to move to any EU country.

Radio monitor contradicts FBI

2005-12-30T15:17:00.000+01:00

When FBI agents stormed a farmhouse in rural Puerto Rico on Sept. 23 where independence activist Filiberto Ojeda Ríos was hiding out, it was a radio monitor who reportedly heard first from the FBI that the wanted-fugitive had been shot dead. Pedro Alberto Beauchamp´s version of what he heard on the VHF bands that Friday evening apparently contradicts the official story. The FBI maintains that it didn´t learn of Ojeda´s death until the following day because agents had to wait for a federal explosive team to arrive in Puerto Rico before they could enter the home.

Ojeda, 72, who had been wanted for skipping bail in the 1983 robbery of a Wells Fargo armored truck depot in West Hartford, Conn., bled to death as he lay wounded in the shoulder. An autopsy report revealed that Ojeda may have survived if he would have received quick medical attention.

Beauchamp, a VHF radio scanner listener from the city of Mayaguez, gave a sworn statement to local authorities who are investigating Ojeda´s death and the FBI´s role in the ambush. Last month, the Puerto Rico daily Primera Hora detailed portions of Beauchamp´s sworn statement taken by the Mayaguez district attorney. In it, Beauchamp said he was monitoring the frequencies between 144-174 mHz when he allegedly heard an agent on the scene excitedly contact his superior saying "Ojeda is dead." The zealous agent reportedly forgot to switch on his radio´s scrambler. This occurred at around 7:20 p.m., some three hours after the standoff began.

The following day, FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Fraticelli announced that Ojeda was indeed shot dead but didn´t learn about it until agents could enter the farmhouse. He explained that his agents had specific orders from Washington not to go inside until an explosives team could arrive in Puerto Rico and assure that it was safe. Ojeda and his terror group Macheteros or "cane-cutters" had used explosives during their rash of attacks in the 1980s.

Puerto Rico´s Attorney General Roberto Sánchez Ramos has said that FBI has not been fully cooperative in the local investigation. The law enforcement bureau has denied turning over documents in the case and refused to allow local investigators interview agents at the scene. Nevertheless because of mounting public and political pressure, the U.S. Office of the Inspector General has opened an investigation into the FBI´s actions.

Fortunately, monitoring official radio communications in the United States is not a crime, although some conservative lawmakers would love to make it one. (They´ve all ready taken away our rights to the cellular phone bands!) Divulging publicly what was said could be prosecuted as an offense. But then again, Beauchamp only related what he heard to a prosecutor. How the press got a hold of the details of his sworn statement is a totally different matter.

PMR broadcasts in English

2005-12-29T19:57:00.000+01:00

The would-be breakaway region of the Transdniestrian Moldovian Republic (or PMR) in eastern Moldova is now broadcasting everyday in English to North America. Radio Pridnestrovia or Radio PMR is being heard clear in Madrid on 5,961.8 kHz from 1700 to about 1730 UTC. The lengths of their broadcasts appear to vary each day. According to their announcer, the transmissions are intended for North America. There is little spillover from RAI on an adjacent frequency. They ask for comments on their broadcasts, in which they trash Russian-Moldovan relations. Their address: Radio Prinestrovia, ul. Rozy Luksemburg 10, 3300 Tiraspol, Rep. of Moldova. Check ´em out!

Marc Harris, Offshore Boy Blunder

2005-12-12T14:15:00.000+01:00

Marc M. Harris is serving 17 years at a federal medical center outside Fort Worth for tax fraud and money laundering in a scheme to bring in prohibited Freon into the United States. Aside from perhaps several dozen investors who wanted to avoid the U.S. tax laws and got burned in the process, The Marc Harris Organization isn´t quite known among too many international observers. However, this North Carolina native, now 40, was the catalyst of a diplomatic embroilment between the U.S. government and Panamanian authorities who were suspected of protecting him.

In June 2003, Harris was detained at an intersection in Managua, Nicaragua while he and his Panamanian-born wife were on their way to an immigration hearing. He moved to Nicaragua from Panama the year before reportedly after things got too hot for him both legally and politically. He was turned over to U.S. Marshals who were in the country waiting for him, shackled and placed on board a Homeland Security plane bound for Miami. Upon his arrival, the U.S. Attorney´s Office for the Southern District of Florida unsealed a 13-count indictment which charged Harris and co-conspirators Aurelio and Joseph Vigna with evading to pay $6.2 milllion in excise taxes between 1993-94 to import an ozone-depleting refrigerant chemical known by its Dupont name Freon.

Harris´ lawyers unsuccessfully argued that he was kidnapped in violation of international law without due process, much like how U.S. authorities honed into Honduras in 1988 and plucked drug kingpin Juan Ramón Matos Ballesteros from his home and brought him to Los Angeles to face murder and narcotics charges. Harris married a Panamanian but it isn´t clear whether he renounced his U.S. citizenship after fleeing Florida in 1989.

Just weeks before his detention and extradition, I made contact with Harris through a series of emails to his office in Nicaragua. I was investigating whether some high-level Puerto Rican government officials in the then-administration of Gov. Pedro Rosselló had sought his help to squander public money in offshore accounts. In the 1990s, Harris was a partner in the suspcious offshore financial advisory group Trust Services, Ltd. which held an office next to the Puerto Rican Trade Office on Balboa Avenue in downtown Panama City. Arturo Paz Guzmán, a public housing official under Gov. Rosselló, had been convicted for money laundering and served a 12-month sentence. According to federal prosecutors, he used Trust Services to launder public money. After faxing a picture of Paz Guzmán, who now lives in Miami, Harris said he remembered him as a regular client.

These former Rosselló administration officials were all well to do businessmen who were later convicted for or implicated in various corruption kickback-for-contracts and money laundering schemes (see Oct. 13 post). But what made the news story more sexy was that the head of the Puerto Rico Trade Office, Walter Laffitte, is the son of a federal judge for the district of Puerto Rico!

Harris told me that he never had personal dealings with Walter Laffitte but that his clients would visit the Trade delegation then pop over to the Trust Services offices. According to the IRS, Harris bilked dozens of clients of millions of dollars with his offshore investment promises.

When Harris was brought before a Miami federal judge to face indictment charges, federal prosecutors said that they had several open investigations into Harris´dealings, including how he allegedly helped Americans evade paying U.S. taxes and whether he reportedly lent Peru´s jailed spymaster Vladimir Montesinos a plane to escape capture. Harris was allegedly protected by the government of then-Panamanian President Ernesto Pérez Balladares, a former Notre Dame University roommate of Puerto Rico´s controversial Rosselló. Following his arrest, Puerto Rican investigators traveled to Managua to sift through Harris´ personal and financial records. Their findings were never publicly disclosed.

Harris, who is claiming pauper status, is appealing his 17 year prison sentence, including the imposition of a $20 million fine. If this once offshore financial guru, who graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, decides to cooperate with the U.S. government in exchange for a lighter sentence, he can probably offer gleeming if not embarassing information about some high-profile international personalities. But then again, it may not be in the best interest for the U.S. government to make hay of what Harris has to offer.

CIA allegedly flies into Barcelona

2005-12-12T11:43:00.000+01:00

The CIA allegedly made another clandestine flight into Spanish territory to pick up suspected Al Qaeda prisoners at the end of October with a stopover in Barcelona, the daily El País reported on Monday. If true, this puts at nine the number of unauthorized CIA flights in Spain. Quoting Turkish Foreign Minister Abudula Gul, El País reports that the DHC-8 aircraft arrived in Istambul, Turkey from Barcelona and proceeded to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on Oct. 31.

The aircraft with a registered number N-505L belongs to the Path Corp. of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a CIA front entity, El País stated. A quick Internet search for Path Corp. yielded no entry. The plane was reportedly photographed last month at Amsterdam´s Schiphol airport (photo above courtesy of Frequency Monitoring Centre webpage).

The plane, after arriving in Holland, took off for Iceland then landed at Daytona Beach, Florida. Its ultimate destination was unknown, including the number of passengers it was carrying.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had to face some tough questions last week from the European Union concerning the unauthorized flights as well as alleged reports of torture and use of secret prisons in some Eastern European countries. In her best deflection on the matter, Rice told reporters that whatever she says, whether a confirmation or a denial, would jeopardize national security. She went on to remind EU leaders that the United States was responsible for helping thwart further acts of terrorism on European soil in recent months.

It is possible that more reports on other CIA flights will be forthcoming. But it is doubtful that the EU will do anything except continue to put up a front by publicly protesting in the media to quell concerns by anti-American, anti-Iraqi war factions in different countries. Although the routes may change, the flights no doubt will continue as the war on terror endures.

Mariano Rajoy escapes crash unharmed

2005-12-01T14:24:00.000+01:00

It was an awful scare for Spain´s opposition leader Mariano Rajoy when the helicopter he boarded Thursday crashed and fell on its side during take off in the municipality of Móstoles outside Madrid. Rajoy, leader of the Popular Party, was helped out of the chopper (above). He said he only hurt his finger. A visibly shaken Esperanza Aguirre, the president of the Community of Madrid who was riding with him, also escaped unharmed. "We could have been killed but we are fine," she told reporters according to EFE News Agency.

Rajoy, a very vocal critic of Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero Rodríguez, was visiting a special police brigade installation and boarded the chopper outside a bullfighting ring to take an air tour of the municipality. Móstoles Mayor Estebán Parro was also uninjured but the pilot of the craft and a television cameraman from the Antenna 3 network were taken to the hospital with slight injuries.

The crash is under investigation.

Spain´s Valued Institution

2005-11-22T11:47:00.000+01:00

As King Juan Carlos celebrates 30 years on the Spanish throne, the liberal daily El País published an interesting poll on Tuesday that reflects what people in Spain say about their monarch. Fifty-nine percent of Spaniards believe that the monarchy is neccessary for the continuation of democracy in their country. About 79 percent of those interviewed also believe that King Juan Carlos has done a fine or good job as the constitutional head of state, the newspaper reported. Spaniards also say that the crown is their country´s most valued institution followed by the press, parliament and local governmental body, the El País poll states. Seventy percent also give the king´s successor, his son Felipe, the prince of Asturias, high marks and say he is capable of taking over from his father (both seen above). About 1,000 people were interviewed for the poll, which was conducted between Nov. 7-8. It has a 3.10 plus or minus margin of error.

It was a quiet, low-keyed celebration for King Juan Carlos and his family. There were no parades or speeches. While Spaniards love a day home from work, the government surprisingly didn´t declare it a public holiday. Television specials and documentaries tracing the life of the monarch were transmitted during the day. Newspapers carried special pull out sections, and Radio Nacional de España´s classic station was to broadcast a special concert live from Tenerife auditorium in the Canary Islands with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in attendance.

Franco is Gone But His Memory Endures

2005-11-19T17:08:00.000+01:00

Tommorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Generalismo Francisco Franco as well as the demise of a brutal right-wing dictatorship that not only stagnated the economy but the minds of millions and ostracized Spain from the most of the free world. Thirty years is not a long time for a generation to forget one of its most bitter periods in modern history. But judging by the tense political climate that exists in Spain today, a lot of misguided young people believe they would be better off with another nationalist figure leading their country.

By putting a group of campaign promises on the fast track, the current Socialist government has created a wave of deception among many sectors who claim traditional Spanish values are being eroded. First, Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero Rodríguez placed himself at odds with the Catholic Church when his Socialist Party legalized gay marriages in July. Nevermind that 70 percent of Spanish citizens have said they supported the measure, according to polls on the issue. The opposition Popular Party is challenging the new law before the Supreme Court even though some of its top members have warned that it would be political suicide to have it overturned.

Next, Zapatero struck a nationalistic cord when he paved the way to give greater autonomy to the industial rich Catalonia region (see Nov. 4 post). The statute, which calls for fiscal, judicial and political independence from Madrid, still needs to be approved by Congress before it takes effect. But the Socialist government saw the biggest opposition outcry when nearly 500,000 people took to the streets of Madrid last weekend to demand that the government retract its proposed educational reform law. The new school curriculum downgrades religious study and allows parents to select whether they want their children to take Catholic courses in public institutions. A massive march was organized by the church and lay groups, which bused in thousands from all parts of the country to take part in the protest. But the consequences for the Catholic Church are far more economic than tradition. Church leaders stand to loose millions of euros in government subsidies if the Organic Educational Law is approved.

Many see the current tide in Spanish politics as a repeat of what occurred during the perlious days of the republic that led to the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. The left wing government had imprisoned many priests and nuns for supporting landowners. It created a fear campaign about the growing nationalist movements in Hitler´s Germany and Mussolini´s Italy. The Army, with its traditional right-wing philosophy and close ties to the Vatican, rebeled and the three year bloody conflict ensued. Franco prevailed and ruled Spain with an iron grip for the next 36 years. After World War II, the United States and its Western Allies ostracized Spain for its fascist policies. But at the beginning of the Cold War in the 1950s, President Eisenhower and his "son-of-a-bitch policy" warmed up to Spain after negotiating with Franco to lease the United States military bases.

Although Zapatero still enjoys a high rating among Spaniards, a government poll last week showed that his popularity is waning. The right wing Falange Party -- one of Franco´s lasting vestiges -- held a rally on Friday complete with fascists salutes to protest Zapatero (photo above right). Spain´s old guard considers Zapatero and his government anti-American, anti-clergy and anti-military. The Bush administration hasn´t forgiven Zapatero for pulling out Spanish troops from Iraq last year and refusing to stand up during Madrid´s annual Columbus Day parade in 2003 as the American flag was carried by.

Zapatero has done much to modernize his country by breaking from the past. Spain needs to chart its own course and develop its own identity in this age of globalization. Traditional values, which were crucial in past for maintaining solidarity among citizens, may not be the recipes to continue to thrust a prosperous, successful economy toward the 21st century.

Turkmenistan -- Discreet Troublemaker

2005-11-18T12:22:00.000+01:00

It´s a place where an authoritarian government turns a blind eye to tons of heroin that heads north to Russia and Western Europe. It´s a country where radical Islamic fundamentalism is growing, paving the way for Al Qaeda to form another base from where to operate. And it´s one of the last nations in the world whose leader enjoys the reverence of his people by imposing a ruthless personality cult worship.

Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic, could be the next threat for peace and security in the Middle East. This Central Asian nation of about 5 million on the Caspian Sea, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been a behind-the-scenes agitator in the volatile confrontation between the United States, Iran and Islamic extremists. Eighty-nine percent of the population is Muslim. Outside religious groups, such as Orthodox Christians, have criticized the United States for failing to include the country on a watchdog list of nations where religious freedoms are being curtailed. The Russian Orthodox Church, whose membership accounts for about nine percent of the population, says the Turkmen government does not allow it to practice openly.

In 1995, Turkmenistan declared its neutrality from regional conflicts, which was recognized by the United Nations. During the Afghan war, many Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders fled to Turkmenistan where they were given safehaven. Intelligence analysts believe that the Turkmen government of President Saparmurat Niyazov (above left) is allowing guerilla forces use his country to disrupt the fledging democratic process in Afghanistan. "Allah is your creator and the motherland is your defender," Niyazov oftens states. Niyazov´s reported take is a profitable portion of illegal heroin industry initiated in the poppy farms across Afghanistan. According to the CIA World Factbook, Turkmenistan has become an important transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russia and West European markets. It is also a transit point for heroin precursor chemicals headed toward Afghanistan.

Elected in 1990, Niyazov rules Turkmenistan with a heavy hand. Foreign visitors are often trailed and under suspicion. To obtain a tourist visa, a visitor must have a letter of invitation from a person or an entity inside the country, which is then registered with the government. The BBC World Service on Thursday broadcast a lengthy report about the crumbling health care system in Turkmenistan. According to the BBC reporter, who entered clandestinely, there is a shortage of doctors because many have left the country. Drugs are also scarce because the government has allotted no money to the health system. Many sick and dying risk their lives to escape across the restricted border to neighboring Uzbekistan.

While his people face severe hardships, the narcistic Niyazov continues to impose a cult worship. Bronze statues and oil paintings of the 65-year-old, jet-black dyed-hair president are everywhere. Textile factories, schools, farms and even the international airport in the capital of Ashgabat are named after him. He has even erected a statue of his mother holding him in his arms when he was a baby. In 1999, the People´s Council unanimously approved him president for life. The country´s beleaguered opposition in exile was dealt a stunning blow in 2002 when Niyazov had who he believed was his main rival, then-Foreign Minister Boris Shikhmuradov, thrown in prison following an assassination attempt on the president´s life.

As President Bush continues to propound an axis of evil between nations like Iran and North Korea, policy makers cannot overlook countries like Turkmenistan that operate from behind the curtains on the international stage of confrontation. With more exposure and publicity about the dealings of these little-known countries, international pressure could help curtail what could become another quandary in a perlious region.

Another fine mess

2005-11-14T12:01:00.000+01:00

Talk about a political mess committed by Venezuela´s Hugo Chávez Frías. This self-proclaimed successor of Simón Bolívar wants to continue basking in the limelight because he believes he scored big time at the recent Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. But he crossed the diplomatic line on Sunday when he threatened Mexican President Vicente Fox and then divulged a confidential video of a closed door meeting between Latin American leaders.

Mexico has now announced that it will severe diplomatic ties with Venezuela if Chávez doesn´t apologize for calling Fox "a puppy" of the United States and unleashing a dire warning against the Mexican leader.

Fox has been critical of Chávez´s behavior at the summit and blamed Argentine President Néstor Kirchner for allowing the Venezuelan leader to try to divert attention from work at the conference. Chávez led a protest rally against free trade in which 40,000 people attended at a nearby stadium (see Nov. 7 post). Fox told the BBC World Service that Kirchner should have never allowed such a spectacle in his own backyard.

During his weekly radio show on Sunday in Caracas, Chávez warned Fox not to mess with him. "I am like a thorny wildflower. I give off aroma to those who pass and thorn-prick those who move me. Don´t mess with me, sir, or you will get thorn-pricked," Chávez told Fox in his program. At the same time, he showed a video of the various reactions of the region´s leaders, including that of George Bush, during a closed door conference in which a free trade proposal was discussed. "Sir, your initiative was defeated," he said in reference to Bush´s push for an agreement. "It was a knockout, gentleman, a knockout, sir."

Chávez´s unabashed comments toward Fox can be seen as a not-so-subtle declaration of war. Not only has Chávez increased political tensions between his country and Mexico, he has put in jeopardy relations with other Latin American nations that consider Mexico an important ally. Chávez also violated the confidence of many of his Latin American colleagues who no doubt will question whether they can ever again trust this Venezuelan leader.

God will punish you

2005-11-11T13:18:00.000+01:00

Morality icon Rev. Pat Robertson once again is in the news. This time he has cast his wrath against the people of Dover, Pennsylvania for voting against eight school board members who supported teaching the theory of "intelligent design." The colorful Robertson warned Dover residents that if a disaster should befall their city they should not turn to God for help. "If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them," he told the Associated Press.

The ouster of the school board directors during Tuesday´s election came on the heels of a federal trial in which eight families sued the Dover school district for trying to introduce "intelligent design" — the belief that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power — as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

Robertson, you may recall, caused an international incident when he said that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez should be "taken out" by the U.S. government to avoid another costly war. The White House, whose current occupant enjoys Robertson´s support and has conferred with him on many ocassions, distanced itself from the preacher´s remarks. The Venezuelan government, meanwhile, has called for his extradition to face criminal charges for supporting the assasination of a political leader.

Robertson is just another in one long line of fundamentalists who try to invoke the fear of God in their daily worships, but instead foment hate and revenge and then come out losing. One of my favorite examples is R.G. "Brother" Stair whose far-fetch interpretations of the Bible are broadcast everyday on shortwave via WWCR and WWRB. Claiming to be the final day prophet, this eccentric South Carolina preacher, known by some as "Brother Scare," lived in a closed commune with dozens of his followers who grew their own food and sewed their own clothes. In 2002, law enforcement authorities arrested Stair (above right) for allegedly raping several women inside the compound. The women charged that Stair had downloaded pornography from the Internet and gave them herbal teas to induce abortions, according to Walterboro, S.C. press reports. Stair spent two months in jail and in 2004 he pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges. With his gravelly emotional tenor voice, he asked his listeners for forgiveness in his shortwave broadcasts. About a dozen of his former followers have filed a civil lawsuit against Stair seeking nearly $200,000 in damages from his Overcomer Ministries.

A Caribbean stray in Europe

2005-11-10T18:10:00.000+01:00

It always amazes me -- and sometimes it´s a bit scary -- how life takes sudden turns and all of sudden you find yourself in a different place with different sets of responsibilities. But it just doesn´t happen to people -- pets also get caught up in the whirlwind changes of their masters´ livestyles.

Toby and I met one night outside a bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico sometime in February 2002. It was a humid but cool night. The bar owners left the front door open to help ventilate the smoke and let the fresh air in. Wagging his tail in delight, the miniature mutt stood out on the sidewalk peering in the doorway as if he were waiting for somebody, though he was very hesitant about coming inside. It was love at first sight!

He had no collar and appeared to be a stray puppy. After pondering what to do (and a few beers later), I decided to load him in my Suzuki Vitara and take him home. I felt that he had bumps on his skin -- the poor fellow was full of ticks. When we arrived, I gave him a can of tuna fish and water. He gobbled away, and then washed it all down with loud laps. I set out a bathroom rug on the cold ceramic tile floor. He plopped down with his face toward the wall and minutes later he was knocked out cold. For the next few years, he took over my condominium complex barking viciously from my penthouse balcony at passing dogs as to let them know he was now king of the hill. Fortunately, Toby endeared himself to my neighbors who adopted him as one of their own.

Then, it came time to leave Puerto Rico. We were going to Europe. I had never traveled with a dog anywhere so this was going to be an experience. First, Toby needed a microchip before he could enter the European Union. Then, his veternarian had to give him a health certificate which had to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and taken down to the Puerto Rican State Department so that it can be certified with the Apostile of the Haague -- a formality to assure European officials that the vet and the USDA official are legitimate. Much haggling with the airline came afterwards to allow me to take Toby inside the cabin for the eight hour journey. So much fuss for little stray, my friends said.

The day we left, Toby knew something was up. An empty condo, packed bags, neighbors coming up to say goodbye (photo above) and my renters moving in their furniture, I believe he really thought he was going to be left behind.

Toby is now about three years old living it up in Madrid, playing (and fighting!) with his new European canine friends at a neighborhood park, and slowly adjusting to his first winter. Not too long ago a woman asked me whether it would have been cheaper just to get a new dog here in Madrid instead of paying what I had to pay to bring Toby abroad. Obviously, I thought, this woman is no dog lover.

Upheaval in Europe

2005-11-08T12:50:00.000+01:00

The scorge of riots set off in neighboring France not only pose a threat to security across the continent, but it could also be the spark that could inflame all ready turbulent racial tensions across Europe.

After an emergency meeting with his cabinet on Tuesday, President Jacques Chirac announced that prefects in different districts across France will have the authority to impose a curfew to curtail the violence. Another emergency measure would allow authorities to search homes where they believe stockpile of weapons are being stored. During a television interview on Monday night, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin (seen above left) acknowledged that sub-Saharan immigrants and others from the former African colonies faced discrimination in his country.

The riots began 12 nights ago outside of Paris when migrants set ablaze automobiles to protest the accidental electrocution of two youths fleeing police. A third youth who was badly burned when his two friends were killed, has called for calm. But the unrest has spread all across the country and spilled over to parts of Germany and Belgium. Here in Spain where many migrants from Morocco, Latin America and Eastern Europe live, discrimination is also widespread. Those from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and other South American countries have grouped together to call for better treatment in terms of employment and equal opportunities. They have gained some ground. Last month, political tensions came to a head between Spain and Morocco over the treatment of sub-Saharan Africans who tried to enter the country by storming a security fence in the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta. Eleven were allegedly shot by Moroccan police while others were taken to country´s southern border and reportedly left in the desert without food or water, eye witnesses have told the media. If the Africans can make it to the enclaves they can then travel within the European Union with little restrictions.

Right wing politicians in countries such as France, Germany and Austria have in the past made it clear that migrants only spell problems. They have waged fear campaigns and evoked nationalist passions among some Europeans who are now beginning to question whether to allow other countries such as Turkey and Bulgaria into the EU. If the French government doesn´t take a strong hand now in quelling the unrest and opening a dialogue with the migrants, the problem could magnify into a political one for the rest of Europe -- one that is founded on hatred and bigotry.

Free Trade´s Biggest Loser

2005-11-07T11:33:00.000+01:00

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías no doubt believes that he was successful in stealing the show while at the same time throwing a monkey wrench in the free trade negotiations over the weekend at the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. His populist views along with an aim to promote socialism across the Latin American continent have won over many in the region. To the dismay of some leaders, like Mexico´s Vicente Fox, Argentine President Néstor Kirchner let Chávez take center stage and hold a massive rally at a stadium which turned out to be a U.S.-bashing, socialist-flag-waving event. Jumping up and down in perfect rhythm at his podium, Chávez led about 40,000 protesters show the world that they were trouncing on the U.S.-backed initiative. The Venezuelan president says that any free trade accord will be drafted by the Latin American nations themselves and not the United States. His position was supported by Argentina and Brazil, the region´s largest economies.

But Venezuela has a lot to lose by backing out of its promise to start free trade talks next year. As the petroleum market continues to soar, the country once again is riding on the coat tails of a false hope oil bonanza as it did during the world´s energy crisis of the 1970s. During that time, the country´s economy improved drastically as did the lifestyles of many Venezuelans. Unfortunately new found riches fueled corruption in government, which led to a series of disasterous political administrations. The growing problem of political patronage and inefficency in public services compounded by an overall deterioration in living standards evoked an array of discontent that brought Chávez where he is today.

The once Army rebel leader who unsuccessfully led a coup in 1992 against President Carlos Andrés Pérez is slowly adopting policies enacted in Cuba in the 1960s as he promotes his own type of "socialism for the 21st century." Much like Robin Hood, his government is confiscating private properties, including empty vacation homes, which are not being used or occupied and turning them over to the country´s poor. Although he hasn´t imposed precise travel restrictions, he has limited the annual amount of dollars a Venezuelan can exchange to go abroad. Many well educated residents, who have the means and the determination, have left Venezuela entirely starting new lives in cities like Miami and Madrid.

As he enjoys this wave of popularity among Latin America´s poor and capitalizes on the oil boom, Chávez has become another in a long line of shortsighted Venezuelan presidents who has overlooked diversifying his country´s economy. Venezuela´s vast riches include promising but inefficient state run aluminum and steel industries that can offer so much to the rest of the continent, including the United States. A good portion of the country´s gold resources is untapped because there has been no drive to seek scientific investigations or outside investors. Even with some of the best beaches in the Caribbean and the largest waterfall in the world, the tourism industry is still underdeveloped.

Latin Americans love when their leaders stand up and ridicule a U.S. president -- especially if it is someone like George W. Bush. But be it what the United States represents to many, Latin America, with its history of inept presidents and misguided policies, needs to commingle with the United States economy if its leaders really intend on improving the lives of their people.

On the road to the Republic of Catalonia?

2005-11-04T15:57:00.000+01:00

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero scored a victory this week when the Spanish parliament voted to consider a controversial statute that would give the residents in the rich northeastern region of Catalonia more automony over their political, fiscal and judicial affairs. Known in the regional Catalan language as the "Estatut," this mini declaration of rights has been at the center of a political storm for weeks between Spain´s liberal and conservative parties who disagree over what greater autonomy for Catalonia should entail. On Thursday, the Chamber of Deputies voted 197 to 146 to open negotiations with the Catalan regional government, which drafted and presented the statute to Madrid in September.

Among the touchy points, Spanish politicos are at loggerheads over Catalonia´s inclusion of a proposed clause stating that "Catalonia is a nation." After receiving a public bashing from different sectors who fear allowing the region to proclaim itself a nation would be the first step toward independence, Zapatero has instead proposed a different clause that reaffirms that Catalonia has its own "national identity."

During a passionate debate that lasted into the early hours of the morning on Thursday, Zapatero (seen in the AFP photo above speaking with his Defense Minister José Bono, right, prior to speaking in Congress) rejected that the statute would give residents broader powers over the constitution. He called on the opposition Popular Party and its leader Mariano Rajoy, who refuses to negotiate, to take any concerns they may have with the document to the Supreme Court. "That is why we have a democracy," said the Spanish prime minister, who is leader of the Socialist party. Rajoy said that the differences between statute and the national constitution are "so abysmal" that negotiations are impossible. The conservative leader has also threatened to call for early elections should statute negotiations fall apart in the coming months.

Barcelona, the seat of the Catalan government, is the second largest city in Spain and the country´s industrial capital. Any breakup of the Spanish constitutional monarchy as it is now could mean financial ruin for Spain. The Madrid government for years has been ignoring calls from the country´s autonomous regions for greater political power. Some of the demands have been less than peaceful pleas. In the northern Basque region, the separatist terrorist group ETA has claimed responsibility for the more than 300 deaths caused by bombing attacks since the 1980s.

Although he has been tough on terrorism, Zapatero has also been a proponent in opening dialogue with his country´s regional governments. During his election campaign, he promised greater autonomy for the Catalonia government -- a goal he appears to be accomplishing judging by last Thursday´s vote in parliament. But the prime minister still has the undaunting task in convincing many Spaniards that autonomy and independence are two separate situations with the latter being unacceptable.

Queen Leonor of Spain

2005-10-31T12:07:00.000+01:00

"It´s a girl!"

That´s the buzz here in Madrid after Spanish Princess Letizia Ortiz gave birth to a baby girl early this morning. Princess Leonor, who was born following a cesarean section and weighing in at nearly four kilograms, could become the second in line to the Spanish throne after her father Felipe de Bourbón, the prince of Asturias. That is, of course, if the Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero makes good on a campaign promise to modify part of the country´s constitution that addresses the royal line of succession.

As of now, the Spanish constitution states that only male heirs can ascend to the Spanish throne. Felipe, the youngest of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia´s three children who was born in 1968, will one day become king, sidestepping his two sisters the infantas Elena and Cristina. Any constitutional change must be put to a vote in a referendum. If approved, Leonor could become the country´s first female head of state since Queen-regent Maria Cristina briefly held the title in the late 19th century when her infant son, the future King Alfonso XXIII, was not of legal age.

Prime Minister Zapatero, a champion of equal rights for all genders in this country, says the constitution must be modified to guarantee that there is no sex discrimination when it comes to the Spanish monarchy. Some analysts warned that if the constitution is changed the infanta Elena would be able to challenge her brother for succession. But Socialist government officials said that the text would be written so that any female heirs would be eligible after Felipe.

Spaniards of all generations love their monarchs. Here, there is no rancor like there is in Britain over complaints that the monarchy is feeding off public coffers with nothing in return. Perhaps because the Spanish king and queen live off a modest stipend in comparison with their British counterparts. King Juan Carlos is also loved and respected because of his role in solidifying and preserving democracy. Next month will mark his 30-year anniversary on the throne. His investiture along with a new era for Spain came following the death of Francisco Franco and the end of four decades of rightwing dictatorship. King Juan Carlos put into motion the foundations for democracy by inviting all political parties to participate in reforming government. The pinnacle of his reign that has earned the monarchy the respect it has today came during tense moments on Feb. 23, 1981. Civil Guard Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero broke in the Chamber of Deputies and fired gunshots in the air in an attempt to seize power. King Juan Carlos went on television to reassure citizens that the Army would obey the constitutional order and not resort to another dictatorship. The following day thousands of Spaniards marched in the street in support of democracy and their king.

Leonor, who may be queen one day, is now part of a great legacy initiated by her grandfather.

Honey, call the exterminator... there´s a rat inside the White House!

2005-10-30T18:35:00.000+01:00

Karl Rove, President Bush´s favorite pet, is off the hook for the time being. Apparently, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and the grand jury couldn´t find enough dirt on the guy to indict him for his allege role in helping to expose Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA operative. Or did they?

The voluminous indictment handed up by a grand jury in Washington Friday against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby makes reference to a cooperating government official who apparently helped convince grand jurors that a crime was committed. The special prosecutor during a news conference said that the inquiry was continuing, but declined to say who was still under federal investigation. Rove´s own lawyer told the press that his client would not be indicted but was still not entirely cleared. Could it be that Karl Rove, Bush´s electoral architect, is cooperating in the investigation?

The case against Lewis, Vice President Dick Cheney´s former chief of staff, is a serious one. Perjury and obstruction of justice in a federal inquiry are charges that could mean anywhere between four to eight years in prison depending on the sentencing guidelines. The statutory prison term is about 30 years but, even if he goes to trial and is convicted, it´s very doubtful that he will serve a term that long. If Lewis decides to plead guilty to a lesser charge and cooperate, Fitzgerald could recommend a sentence of house arrest or even probation! This is where the scenario gets a little worrisome for the White House.

Let´s say Lewis intends to cooperate and implicates his former boss, the unflappable Mr. Haliburton, and other White House house officials, it would no doubt be a gargantuan scandal not only for the nation but for the tight-knit Republican hierarchy. (Much like Henry Hill in "Goodfellas" turning against his mob associates.) Friday´s indictment is a screw-turning-on-the-thumbs strategy that federal prosecutors like to use when they can only corner one of their targets. It is a glimpse of the dirt Fitzgerald was so far able to shovel. The unveiling of the indictment serves a purpose in pressuring the defendant, in this case "Scooter" Libby, and convince other potential targets to come forward.

If Karl Rove is ratting, then things aren´t all that cool between Bush and Cheney. If no one in either camp is cooperating now then the pot is still boiling and it is only a matter of time before it spills over.

Who is leaking what?

2005-10-28T14:09:00.000+02:00

It is curious how a federal investigation into who was responsible for exposing Valerie Plame as a CIA agent to journalists has become a leak in itself.

The New York Times has been reporting this week, with tremendous accuracy, on the direction of the grand jury inquiry. It quoted "lawyers with knowledge of the investigation" as saying that notes in the hands of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald allegedly show that Vice President Dick Cheney discussed Valerie Plame´s status as a CIA spook with his chief of staff Lewis Libby weeks before she was publicly burned in the press. It isn´t clear whether Vice President Cheney (Mr. Haliburton himself) or Libby actually committed any crime. However, Cheney was quoted in a television interview on NBC in 2003 after Plame was exposed that he didn´t know who she was.

Someone who gave the NYT the information about the notes has to be someone who is working with Fitzgerald. When I covered federal grand jury investigations for The San Juan Star in Puerto Rico, many of my sources were federal investigators. Sometimes these officials get frustrated when they have evidence at hand but cannot pin a certain crime on an individual. They look for other ways to tarnish their would-be target´s image by going to the press. Many reporters, myself included, salivate when they are given something that should otherwise be kept secret, such as evidence presented to a grand jury. All grand jury proceedings are secret. Federal law states that anyone who deals with these proceedings -- prosecutors, FBI agents, court clerks -- can be prosecuted for revealing what happens inside the closed room where a panel of about 16 private citizens meet to weigh in evidence and decide whether or not to indict.

Journalists like to throw out the 1st Amendment when it comes to publishing something about a grand jury. Prosecutors counter that while they believe in the 1st Amendment, their job is to also protect the guarantees of potential criminal defendants, such as preserving their rights to a fair trial and due process. Those constitutional rights thrown in all together outweigh a reporter´s right to know, prosecutors say.

Whether or not Fitzgerald or someone in his office is the source of the NYT article will remain unclear. In any case, Fitzgerald must have known or authorized the leak. Suspicions arose when the article didn´t say that the reporters who covered the story made any attempts to contact Fitzgerald´s office for a comment. News editors, who do have some sense of ethics, know that it´s not right to quote an unidentified source in a story and later say in that same story that that source was unavailable for comment. The editor would be misleading readers into thinking that the unidentified source is a different person. But it happens all the time.

In the meantime, the inquiry is putting the heat on Libby and President Bush´s favorite boy Karl Rove. Just reading the news stories, I am sure they haven´t been sleeping well at night this past week. And who would with the possibility of an indictment and prison time hanging over your head?

Juan Ximenes, a Texas patriot

2005-10-24T13:07:00.000+02:00

Juan Ximenes was my great-great-great grandfather who was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1810 and lived there all of his life. He fought for the Republic of Texas at the Storming of Bexar in 1835. The siege was a house-to-house gun battle that took place in early December when Mexican Gen. Martin Perfecto Cos came to San Antonio to set up his headquarters under orders from dictator Antonio López de Santa Ana. The Texian rebels under the command of Ben Milam heeded the call "who will go with ol´ Ben Milam into San Antonio?" Ximenes and about 300 others volunteered. It was a three-day bloody street battle that forced Cos and his men to flee the town when their supplies evaporated and the troops and animals were nearly starved.

Milam was killed a few weeks later in another skirmish. In March 1836, Gen. Santa Ana ambushed some 200 volunteers hold out at the Alamo. Ximenes was not among the valiant who perished. But his brother Damasio Ximenes lost his life fighting with the other defenders.

In April 1836, Juan N. Seguin, the town´s mayor who became dissatisfied with Santa Ana´s dictatorship, led a group of Mexican volunteers to San Jacinto to fight alongside with Gen. Sam Houston. Ximenes was one of them. The Battle of San Jacinto lasted less about 20 minutes and cost the Mexican dictator many of his men and his country´s northern territory which became the Republic of Texas.

You can read more about Juan Ximenes, as well as view early photos of his family, at http://texas.i-found-it.net/ximenes.html

The Counterstrike cyber kids in Madrid

2005-10-15T17:09:00.000+02:00

I own a cyber cafe in north Madrid where I, among other things, cater to about several dozen kids who all get together daily to play these fascinating computer games. Included in this group are about a dozen or so young college guys, who still wish they were teenagers, that come in to check out the action as well as their rankings in these competitions that are posted on a cyber scoreboard with players from Germany, the United States, Japan and other countries. I describe these games as "fascinating" because I am amazed on how anyone can sit for hours entralled in a virtual world of Army combat action, violence and extraterrestrial battles. I charge them 5 euros or about $6 for three hours of play time. (Ripping off the kids you might ask? Hey, Europe is expensive!)

The most popular game that is played is Counter Strike -- an award winning series of action battles developed by a group of computer wizards from an outfit out of Bellvue, Washington. You can play alone, with others at the cafe or online with pratically anyone in the world. The Madrid cyber kids also like World of Warcraft, Diablo and Jedi Knight Jedi Academy from the Lucas Arts Star War series.

Because they connect with their own user names, they select logins that vary with their personalities. "Garnock" is a serious looking boy of about 16 who always dresses in black. He is thrilled when he is playing these games with his friends "Cuervo," a skinny pimplely boy about the same age, and "Lord Fenni," a heavy set lad who completes this unholy trio. The three are very polite and always come in in the early evenings. They say they walk about 20 minutes from their homes to get to my cyber. It makes me feel good that anyone would come so far to come to my business for an escape fantasy.

Then on the weekdays, when all good boys should be in school, I get the noisy bunch that consists of "Maxy," "Muchy," "Nachopolitos," and "Spyke." I always know when they are approaching because I can here their running steps as they dash up my sidewalk trying to beat each other to get the best computer in one of the middle slots. My favorite one in the gang is "Muchy." "Muchy" is a small thin good looking boy about 14 with a hair style that would put Duran Duran to shame. When he should be out dating girls and going out to the non-alcohol discos, he rather hang out with his buddies and scream in front of a computer screen. He is very hyperactive and is far from shy. His knowledge about computers and programs is vast. It amazes me how much he knows. Hell, when I was his age I didn´t know how to use the square-root button on my pocket calculator!

"Maxy" is the noisiest. He has to scream the loudest to ensure that he is heard, nevermind that his buddies are sitting next to him. Many times, the other clients who are there to check their emails or connect to Hotmail Messenger have to tell him to pipe down. "Maxy" ignores their scolds. "Nachopolitos" is the more mature of the four and maybe the most polite one. He´s taller than the rest and has a personality that won´t quit. He´s dying for me to give him a job at the cyber. "Spyke" is the quiet one. "Nacho" and "Muchy" told me that they think he is "autistic" because he likes to "talk to pigeons!" Now, I don´t know what one thing has to do with the other. But even though I don´t believe what they say and I know that he is far from suffering from any mental problems, I do feel sorry for "Spyke." One afternoon when he came into the cyber by himself when no one was around because it was in the middle of the Spanish siesta, he invited me to play Dawn of War with him. He taught me things that in my 40 years I didn´t ever think I would need to know!!!

Yes, we do get females clients but they come in usually to connect to the Internet and prepare their resumes. Those are the ones that bitch the most. My favorite complaint from them is that the computer is not working because a web page is unavailable or cannot log into Hotmail because they forgot their password. I do get this young Jodie Foster type who comes in ocassionally for a piece of the action. She always has her basketball on hand and puts her skateboard in my office for safekeeping while she jabs, stabs and shoots down her boy competitors in this virtual world of blood and violence.

Then there is this peculiar group of a young Romanian women who don´t want any of my services but come in one at a time to ask me if I have change for a 100 or a 200 euro bill. Okkaaaaay....

Nothing in this world changes except the language.

The Sony shortwave classic

2005-10-13T17:11:00.000+02:00

Much has been posted about the Sony ICF-77 including in a Yahoo web site that is dedicated solely to what is becoming a real classic. I cannot add more to what has been said except my own two bits of what I consider a true winner. Predictably, this may be one of the last of a long line of Sony shortwave receivers now that the company appears to be phasing out its world band consumer market.

During the 1970s, when a lot of us were cutting our own teeth on our first shortwave radio sets, there were very few inexpensive models to choose from sans a few multiband portables that were being sold at different department stores for their capabilities to pick up "the action bands." Some had one or two or, if you were lucky, three shortwave bands in addition to the police, air, weather and CB bands. Other fine receivers put out by Realistic, Panasonic, Sony, Zenith and General Electric were just too much for a teen-ager´s meager $10 a week allowance. I had to wait until I "grew up" and got my own job before I could pay $100 or more.

Then the 1980s rolled in and the Ambassador 2020 became a penchant model. It was a receiver that everyone craved. It was digital with PLL conversion, stable and sensitive. The 2020 was the predecessor to other models such as the DX-440 and the Sangean 803. Meanwhile, Sony was coming out with similar models -- the 2001 which became the predecessor to the now defunct classic 2010.

The ICF-77 made its way into the shortwave scene in the early 1990s and became the company´s high tech portable with a memory page for frequencies and stations that couldn´t be outmatched by any model on the market. The listed price was a hefty $500 but it could be savored by the consumer for about $350 to $400 at some specialty shortwave outlets. What makes the receiver a true classic is its ability to change modes, i.e. single sideband and USB and LSB, with a touch of a button. True, the audio performance isn´t as rich as lets say the DX-440, which sold for less than half the price of the ICF-77. But the radio performs well on the difficult-to-hear bands such as the 60 and the 120 meter bands.

Jay Allen, the ICF-77 expert over at www.radiointel.com posted an interesting review a few weeks back in which he compared his ICF-77 with the new Eton E-1, which combines shortwave and DRM and are being snatched up everywhere as if they were signed Voice of Mongolia QSL cards. He gives the Eton receiver five full moons and says (Yikes!) that it is a better radio than the ICF-77.

Now I am not an electronics lab expert nor do I have the experience that Jay has. And I still have my doubts about this Digital Radio Mondiale thing taking off. But what I do know is that radio receiver technology is changing more so now than ever before. In a few years, I am sure the Eton E-1 will pass on as a novelty of the decade. I hardly doubt it will become a classic receiver like any of the Sony radios. Here in Europe, you can all ready pick up DRM receivers at many department and electronic stores for less than half of what you would pay for an Eton in euros. But then again I think that many consumers still have no idea what DRM all means.

In the meantime, I will continue to fiddle with my ICF-77 -- even though I admit I don´t use all those fancy buttons when I turn the radio on -- and accept it as my main rig. Maybe I am too much of a conservative (not in thinking but in practice) when it comes to changing radios. But a Sony made in Japan is hard to beat.

Sony, I see if sevens have been the lucky roll of the dice.

Puerto Rico -- That oh so fascinating island

2005-10-13T12:05:00.000+02:00

When I moved to Puerto Rico in 1992, I was unaware how a small island could be packed with so much news and scandal. I joined the team of The San Juan Star, the island´s only English language daily and perhaps the only unbiased newspaper in Puerto Rico, where I covered government and the federal court system. Puerto Rico, for many who don´t know (and you would be surprised how many in the United States are unaware) is a U.S. commonwealth or territory, mind you. In short, it´s governed by federal law with the U.S. departments and agencies retaining jurisdiction over most island matters. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens but do not pay federal income taxes nor are they eligible to vote in the presidential elections. The irony of the matter is that if a Puerto Rican moves to a stateside location or even a foreign country the islander then has a responsiblity to the IRS and is eligible to vote for president.

There are many characterizations and incorrect stereotypes of puertorriqueños that I will not touch on them here. I will dare to say that, like in most places, you can divide the community into two camps -- the honest and hardworking citizen and the corrupt and greedy private manager or public official.

Corruption, unfortunately, has been the source of the island´s current problems. The present government is dealing with a huge budget deficit stemming from runaway spending by offsetting it with a more than 100 percent whopping rise in public service fees. This has islanders up in arms. It wasn´t until about six years ago that the surmounting problem of corruption was made public when the U.S. Justice Department began a series of investigations into a pattern of government-contracts-for-kickbacks schemes at a number of island public offices and agencies. These violations of the Hobbs Act permanently scarred the pro-statehood New Progressive Party which, through its once-charasmatic leader Gov. Pedro Rosselló, was on a fast track to modernize the island through massive construction and public works projects.

Top ranking party officials including Education Secretary Victor Fajardo Vélez and House Speaker Edison Misla Aldarrondo are serving long terms at different federal prisons following their convictions on Hobbs Act, money laundering and other violations of the U.S. criminal code. Even Rosselló´s private secretary, María de los Angeles Rivera Rangel, better known as Angie, who worked with Rosselló for the eight years he was in office, is serving a four-year term for receiving kickbacks from businessmen in exchange for easing their way to see the governor and other government officials. A mousy woman in her early 50s who always took backstage to the governor, Rivera Rangel has always maintained her innocence.

Corruption activities stooped so low during the Rosselló period when another dozen individuals were convicted and went to jail for stealing federal money that was destined to treat HIV/AIDS patients. One of these now imprisoned personalities is the patriarch of one of the island´s wealthiest families and influential New Progressive Party cash contributor, Luis E. Dubón. Now in his 70s, the multi-billionaire Dubón is serving a five year federal sentence for receiving a mere $10,000 in what became known as the San Juan AIDS Institute scandal. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his conviction.

As the scandals progressed, intrigued but embarassed Puerto Ricans were unwillingly treated to a juicy story line which was better than any writer could put to script in a Latin American soap opera. But the last chapter remains unwritten. And, depending who you speak with, the question still surfaces as to when the feds will close in on Pedro Rosselló A once prized boy of the National Democractic Party, Rosselló was the epitome of the generation of young leaders a la Bill Clinton that embarked on the country in the 1990s. Abandoned by the Democrats, the now local senator from Arecibo district still commands massive support from a good section of his local New Progressive Party who want him to wrest the senate presidency from his once long time cohort Kenneth McClintock.

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney´s Office on two ocassions had to make unusual public statements that Rosselló was not the subject or target of any investigation. These came when the press published corroborated statements from sources in federal inquries that implicated Rosselló in various schemes, including opening a secret bank account in Panama. (The then-governor had a special relationship with then-Pananamanian President Ernesto Balladares; both were college roommates at Notre Dame in 1960s.) Still, in an ongoing contract-for-kickback inquiry in a waterworks project that led to the indictments of Rosselló´s former campaign manager Dr. Rene Váquez Botet and former New Progressive Party secretary general Marcos Morell, federal investigators continue to ask witnesses whether they know if Rosselló had knowledge of any of the crimes going on while he was governor. Váquez Botet and Morell will go on trial next year. This time the U.S. government´s inquiry is being led by a team of prosecutors from the U.S. Justice Department in Washington. In a dramatic move, they have asked the federal judge in the case Juan Pérez Giménez to recuse himself because they believe he is politically biased and because he has postponed the trial on different occasions without good reason. A controversial figure on the local scene, Judge Pérez Giménez has never hidden his pro-statehood views. He was once chastised by the Judicial Conference in 1980 for speaking in favor of statehood during a July 4 celebration.

Rosselló, a former pediatric surgeon who gave up his scapel for politics more than a decade ago, has not been charged with any crime. But the implications and the allegations are there. It´s only a matter of time before Puerto Ricans will learn the final chapter of their long homebrewed telenovela -- whether the main character turns out to be a sympathic hero, a victim of vicious lies and deceit of those around him, or whether he is a common protagonist of a Greek tragedy who is doomed by his own ambitions.

It is such a fascinating island, indeed.