Cubans heading to US -- via Mexico
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/latinamerica/la-fg-smuggle18-2008jul18...

{EXCERPT} Los Angeles Times, CA - Coast Guard interceptions of suspected
traffickers are up this fiscal year by about 20%%, with 323 encounters since Oct.
1, 2007. By the start of July,...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/latinamerica/la-fg-smuggle18-2008jul18...

War Correspondents/Photo Journalists Discussion/News/Info Exchange Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/war-correspondents

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Check this UTUBE CLIP AT

http://wwww.r1313.info

La pobreza es terrible a lo ancho y a lo largo de Venezuela. Hay que
enviar ayuda.
Tomado del LA Times (de ayer, Julio 17):
Growth is evident everywhere in Venezuela, in shopping malls where
consumers snap up clothing, whiskey and electronics, and on streets
where traffic jams tell of a 47%% increase in car sales last year.
Por supuesto, siendo que el LA Times es un periódico conservador, el
artículo también "advierte" que la bonanza económica de Venezuela se
puede acabar si caen los precios del petróleo.
Claro, y a lo mejor a mi me crecen pelos en las uñas.
Matt

COMUNISTAS Y RACISTAS,SE PARECE A ALGUIEN QUE VOMITA POR ACA

La policía ha empezado a efectuar redadas en las zonas de la ciudad
frecuentadas por extranjeros

Beijing. (EUROPA PRESS).-
El furor preolímpico del Gobierno de Beijing está conduciendo a
situaciones extremas, así la última de ellas ha sido la orden dada en
algunas zonas de bares de la ciudad, como la situada alrededor del
Estadio de los Trabajadores, de que no permitan la entrada de negros
ni mongoles.

Según informa el diario 'South China Morning Post', el Departamento de
Seguridad Pública, de quien depende la Policía, ha hecho firmar a los
bares en torno al estadio, donde se celebrarán partidos de fútbol, un
documento prometiendo que no permitirán el paso a negros, asociados en
la ciudad al tráfico de drogas, ni mongoles, a cuyas mujeres se suele
relacionar con el negocio de la prostitución.

"Vinieron agentes no uniformados del Departamento de Seguridad Pública
y me dijeron que no sirviera a negros ni a mongoles", señala un dueño
de un bar, que prefiere no dar su nombre, citado por el periódico.

Un atentado que marco el rumbo de 85 familias sumidas en el duelo
profundo y otras tantas familias con secuelas a causa de heridas
propias o de familiares y amigos.

No pasa por una cuestion racial, cultural, social o religiosa, pasa
por la falta de JUSTICIA, por la falta de IGUALDAD, por la falta de
COMPROMISO y por la ausencia TOTAL de AUTORIDADES COMPETENTES.

A modo de humilde homenaje los nombres de las 85 víctimas

Alguea de Rodríguez, Silvana
Antunez, Jorge
Arazi, Moisés Gabriel
Avendaño Bovadilla, Carlos
Averbuch, Yanina
Band, Naum
Barreiro, Sebastián
Barriga, David
Basiglio, Hugo Norberto
Behar de Jurín, Rebeca...

Laws on land, jobs get swift publicity

The official daily Granma on Friday took the unusual step of publishing
the entire text of two decrees issued by Raúl Castro -- one on the
granting of idle land in usufruct, and the other on the rehiring...

Friday, July 18, 2008

Raul Castro seeks alternatives to Venezuela

By LUIZ ALBERTO MONIZ BANDEIRA

BRASILIA — Raul Castro has begun a gradual process of changing Cuba's
economy and international relations. Within Cuba, he hopes to legitimize
his government by improving standards of living. Outside of Cuba, he
does not want to be held captive by Cuba's one international supporter:
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Castro believes in giving farm workers greater incentives. He has
authorized the sale of farm machinery and tools — centralized until now
— directly to farmers, as well as handing over idle land to private
cooperatives and other organizations that request them. He also canceled
the debts of some small producers and raised the prices paid by the
state for milk and meat.

In another measure intended to improve the lives of ordinary Cubans, he
has removed restrictions on acquiring computers, microwave ovens and
other appliances. Cuban officials stress that the purpose of these
changes is to increase efficiency, "not alter the socialist model."

CUBA
Wave of arrests targets Cuban activists
Nationwide crackdowns against Cuban government opponents remain consistent.
Posted on Fri, Jul. 18, 2008
BY FRANCES ROBLES

Cuban activist Jorge Luis García Pérez has lost count of how many times
he has been arrested since last year, when he finished serving every day
of a 17-year prison sentence and then some.

García, better known as ''Antúnez,'' thinks it's 15, which would be an
arrest a month.

The last detention came over the Fourth of July weekend, when about 200
other anti-government activists also were picked up on highways and at
homes, hotels, airports, bus and train stations around the island and
prevented from attending a U.S. Independence Day celebration in Havana.

They were held for a few hours or a few days and sent home in what
critics say was the latest and most massive illustration of a nationwide
operation to crack down on opponents.

Cuban lover of Briton at centre of Shakespeare Folio probe tells of her
shock at his arrest
Last updated at 14:42pm on 18.07.08

Shocked: Heidy Rios had not heard about the arrest

The Cuban beauty embroiled in the mystery of the £15million Shakespeare
manuscript has spoken of her shock at the arrest of her British boyfriend.

Nightclub dancer Heidy Garcia Rios, 21, clings to the hope that Raymond
Scott will return to whisk her away to Tyne and Wear.

When told that the 51-year-old has been quizzed over the historic
manuscript by police, she told the Mail: 'Please tell me Raymond is OK,
that he is not in trouble. He is a good man and would not do anything
wrong.'

The case took another disturbing twist yesterday. Mr Scott claims that
he obtained the manuscript in question - a copy of Shakespeare's First
Folio dating from 1623 - from a contact in Cuba.

But the Daily Mail has tracked down the Cuban contact. And he declared:
'I didn't give it to him.'

Cuba to put more farm land in private hands

3 hours ago

HAVANA (AFP) — Moving to reduce dependence on costly food imports,
President Raul Castro has authorized putting vacant farmland in private
hands, communist Cuba's state media reported Friday.

"The maximum to be handed over to individuals who do not hold land is
13.42 hectares (33 acres), and for those who hold lands, as owners or
designated workers, the amount can rise as high as 40.26 hectares (99
acres)," it said.

Of numerous reforms recent reforms, it is the one with the greatest
potential economic impact to be unveiled since Castro, 77, took Cuba's
helm in February from his ailing brother Fidel, 81, who founded the
regime in 1959.

Previously, the only private landholdings allowed were small family
plots held prior to 1959.

The government will make new land grants for 10 years, which can be
renewed. Government agencies and cooperatives also may get 25-year
grants. The grants cannot be transferred or sold to third parties.