Tearing Down Fences in Cuba ...and Beyond

President Obama took an early first step on his promise to close the Guantánamo Bay detention camp. On his first day in office he directed the military courts to halt prosecutions of all detainees held unlawfully by the Bush Administration, until a proper and legal prosecution can be mounted, where supported by the evidence.

President Obama is expected to issue an executive order on Jan. 22nd to close the detention camp. Some of the 240 detainees have been held for seven years without having charges filed against them. Some were detained as adolescents. Only 3 detainees have been convicted of crimes since 2001.

The White House draft of the executive order says closing the facility “would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice, stating that the detention facilities at Guantánamo for shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order.” (Source: AP)

Unlike Mr. Bush, President Obama has a background in constitutional law. From this perspective, President Obama deems the Bush Administration’s special military prosecutions lacking in basic protections of the American legal and traditional military justice systems. Under existing laws, much of the evidence gathered from detainees is inadmissible due to the Bush administration's practice of torture during interrogations, in violation of Geneva Conventions.

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Fidel Castro stated that Barack Obama "seems like a man who is absolutely sincere", according to Argentina President Cristina Fernandez who met with him today in Havana. She added, "Fidel believes in Obama".

President Obama’s actions this week begin to restore the USA’s reputation in Cuba, Latin America, and the world. In his inaugural address, he stated "we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals".

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Sections of Mr. Bush’s fence along the USA/Mexico border may be the next to fall under President Obama’s ax. Construction was delayed last year in areas with sensitive habitat, and where land owners filed court appeals. Many miles of new fencing already divide communities that existed long before current political lines were drawn, and the border fence has been compared to the Berlin Wall by once-integrated binational border communities.

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The Bush administration ordered (but did not build) fencing over wetland habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, "a proposed National Heritage Area", according to Los Caminos del Rio Executive Director Eric Ellman. If the river valley is fenced as proposed by Mr. Bush, Texas will effectively cede a national treasure to Mexico.

Chile Peppers - A Natural High

Capsaicin is the active ingredient in peppers, which come from the genus capsicum. Hot varieties of capsicum are called chilies. In addition to bolstering the body’s immune system, they cause the release of endorphins. The result is morphine-like pain relief and an increase in heart rate and circulation. Nerve response is affected. Adrenaline production is stimulated. You get high on chilies. You want more.

Worldwide, people want a lot more chilies these days. Global consumption of chilies is rising rapidly. Chiles have been a staple in Latin America, India and Asia for centuries. Decades ago, grocery stores in the southwest USA began carrying a greater volume of more varieties. The 21st Century has seen this rise in popularity spread to the rest of North America and Europe. Chefs are spicing up traditionally bland recipes, and food producers are adding chilies to a wide range of products such as jams and chocolate.

Dr. Andrew Weil published his study of the physiological effect of chilies in his first book, The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon. “The effect of capsaicin on the oral membranes is spectacular. A person uninitiated into the mysteries of chili eating who bites down on a really peppy capsicum pod may exhibit all the symptoms of furious rabies. It is difficult to convey to such a sufferer the truth that relief comes only of eating more chilies, but that is the case. Water makes the agony worse. The only real help comes of plunging in and developing tolerance to the effect.”

According to herbalist Jethro Kloss, author of Back to Eden, “There is, perhaps, no other article which produces so powerful an impression on the animal frame that is so destitute of all injurious properties. Capsicum seems almost incapable of abuse, for however great the excitement produced by it, this stimulant prevents that excitement subsiding so suddenly as to induce any great derangement of the equilibrium of the circulation. It produces the most powerful impression on the surface yet never draws a blister on the stomach, yet never weakens its tone."

The rush that comes from eating chilies is what keeps aficionados coming back for more. The eyes light up, nasal passages and the respiratory tract are cleared, concentration is increased, the liver is cleansed, and perspiration clears the pores of toxins and acts to cool the skin. Chilies deliver more vitamin C than citrus, bolstering the immune system. In the end, a sublime sense of well being comes from eating hot chilies.

This great pleasure has been sustained in Latin America for 8000 years, and cultivated for 5000, according to Dr. Wiel’s research. “It is a sensible remedy because chili brings a great deal of blood to the surface of mucous membranes, and increased blood supply should promote healing.” In 1493 historian Peter Mart reported that Columbus had discovered peppers more pungent than those of Asia, and within a few years the plants reached the Far East. They established themselves so well in SE Asia and India that some early botanists thought they were native there!

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Chilies are yet another example of the wonderful gifts Latin America continues to provide to the world. You can grow chile peppers in your home year round with a heat lamp. To order chile pepper plants for your home or garden, visit http://www.chileplants.com/

Sharing the Wealth

The measurement that most differentiated the USA and Canada from countries in Latin America, once upon a time, was the size and power of the middle class. As this difference continues to erode, a bit of soul searching is in order. Overall, Latin America's middle class has grown in the past decade, while the USA's continues to contract in size and purchasing power.

Last year I reported on the increasing tendency among the majority of Latin American countries to lean left politically. Now the USA will inaugurate its 44th president amidst its own profound shift to the left. The 2008 election was a massive rejection of trickle-down economics, a theory that led to enormous global problems for 2009 and beyond.

U.S. workers are earning less while their CEO’s have earned pay increases equivalent to more than 900% since 1970, even while bankrupting their companies. The average hourly wage rate has failed to keep up with inflation over the past four decades. In other words +900% for CEOs and +0 for workers. Source: Paul Krugman, sole 2008 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics.

And deregulation has enabled record-breaking corporate bankruptcy rates. The most publicized of 2008’s systematic failures occurred in the investment banking sector. This led to a trillion dollar taxpayer bailout which is now spilling over into the manufacturing sector. Add to this billions of dollars in bankruptcy filings from home-builders and media conglomerates. Consider bankrupt retailers such as Sharper Image, Mervyn’s, Linens & Things, and Circuit City.

The travel industry has been hit particularly hard with bankruptcies such as Aloha Airlines, ATA, Frontier Air, and Advantage Rental Car. In my holiday travels I have observed stunning vacancy rates at my favorite beachfront hotels.

Clearly, Henry Ford was correct to encourage corporations to pay their workers a good wage if they hope for the general public to afford their products. A free market is of little value when sellers can’t find buyers. Economic “trickle-down theory” has been proven to be of very little value, based on 38 years of stagnant hourly wages. In this context, a political shift to left is inevitable.

In 2009 the USA joins its hemispheric neighbors in embracing the enlightened self-interest of “sharing the wealth”, a necessity explained to ‘Joe the Plumber’ by then-Senator Obama. Government regulation is obviously necessary at some greater level than has been advocated by Wall Street lobbyists. We don’t have to call it socialism. We do need to recognize what we have in common with our neighbors and work together for a better tomorrow.
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In the immortal words of Hanna-Barbera's Snagglepuss (pictured) ... "Exit, stage left already!"

Message from the Heart of the World

Recent reports detail how Latin America is taking a leadership role on climate change. New data from the Word Bank quantifies this region’s leadership in reducing the level of greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere. Latin America’s efforts go beyond many government’s efforts, including most G-7 nations; and, notably, the world’s two largest emerging economies.

Carbon dioxide emissions in Latin America are 74% lower, per unit of power, than China & India’s emissions. Why? Hydroelectric power and bio fuel usage are two areas where Latin America has pioneered advantages. It is with enlightened self-interest that countries like Brazil and Mexico tackle environmental challenges. Brazil’s Amazon Basin and Mexico’s Gulf Coast are critical habitats threatened by global warming.

Such habitats are critical because their disappearance would trigger greater global warming. Already the conversion of Amazon rainforest habitat to farms represents 50% of Brazil’s total emissions. The world average for emissions from deforestation is 17%. New World Bank data predicts crop failures caused by global warming will cut farm revenue in half as soon as the year 2100.

Two other critical habitats in Latin America are the glaciers in Patagonia and the barrier reefs along C. America’s Caribbean coast. In Belize, the rising ocean temperature is causing coral in the world’s second largest reef system to emit algae that threaten the coral that produce them. Honduras is experiencing similar degradation off the coast of the Bay Islands.

The world’s most powerful economies are being invited by Latin American nations to lead developing economies on issues related to climate change. For now, Latin America is providing much needed leadership by way of example.

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Climate change warnings have been coming from Latin America for decades. . The Kogi sounded this alarm in 1990, long before Al Gore redefined the problem. Columbia’s Kogi civilization has avoided contact with industrialized society (much like the Amish). A typical Kogi village appears in the photo above. Like the Amish, the Kogi seek balance with nature.

The Kogi view themselves as “elder brothers” to modern man, having descended from the Tairona civilization which dates back to the 1st Century. They existed and thrived long before their lands were decimated by “younger brothers” of colonizing civilizations arriving in the region more than 1,000 years later. The Kogi see themselves as custodians of our planet and meditate on its future. They see climate change because their mountain is dying. Their mountain lies in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta near Columbia’s border with Venezuela, the highest coastal mountain in the world.

The Kogi do not see us as sleeping (as some Hindu and Oriental religions do); they see their little brothers as dead or dying, as “shadows of the energy of what they could be”, according to Drunvalo Melchizedek. This is because the Kogi have witnessed the destruction of mother Earth caused by industrialized cultures. The Kogi invited NPR to broadcast their message which translates as "Younger brother, you are killing our mother".

The Bush Administration ignored the climate change alarm, while Latin American governments continued to take and recommend actions that will heal the ecology that sustain us. To learn more, see the BBC film “Message from the Heart of the World” by making a donation to the Tairona Heritage Trust. Also, read the book “The Heart of the World” for the story told by The Kogi Mamas (priests) to Alan Ereira.

Brazil & Mexico Emerging on Global Issues of Climate & Economic Growth

The President of Brazil recently proposed a framework for establishing new global financial systems in the face of global failures by the G-7 industrialized nations. He presented this proposal at last month’s G-20 summit. President Lula wants to see the G-7 expanded to include Brazil, the world’s 10th largest economy, along with Mexico and other developing nations.

Brazil is also requesting greater say with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. “Brazilians view the current economic crisis as an opportunity” according to Brazil expert Jeffery Carson. They want to see Brazil “in a leadership position on behalf of poor countries. Brazil has a strong fiscal standing with $200 billion in foreign reserves to address the global meltdown.

After towing the line with IMF guidelines for decades, many Latin American economies are at least as solid as the USA’s nose diving economy. In addition to fiscal strength, Latin American countries are important producers feeding much of world demand for food and fuel.

Brazil is the world’s #1 exporter of orange juice, bio fuels, poultry, beef and coffee. It produces more iron ore than the USA and is fast approaching our levels of grain exports. Mexico is the fruit and vegetable basket of the USA. Venezuela is the world’s #5 oil exporter with a proposal to create an alternative to the World Bank.

Brazil also wants more influence within the United Nations. President Lula is quick to point out that it has one of the world’s largest stable democracies.

Mexico has recently taken a global warming leadership role with a plan to cut greenhouse gas emission levels in half by 2050, making it the only developing country to set emissions caps below existing levels. The plan is intended as a wakeup call to the G-7 and includes emissions limits on its main polluting industries which produce cement and electricity and refine oil. Companies will be able to sell unused emission allowances.

Rich industrial countries are facing growing criticism for damaging international financial markets and the environment through their unwillingness to address the interwoven nature of the global economy and ecosystems that draw their own borders. Brazil and Mexico won praise at recent UN talks in Poland attended by 145 environment ministers. Meanwhile, the USA and UK remain focused on their financial catastrophes with the notable exception of California.

California just adopted the USA’s most comprehensive climate plan. Gov. Schwarzenegger believes “these regulations will spur the state’s economy and serve as a model for the rest of country. When you look at today’s depressed economy, green tech is one of the bright spots out there, which is yet another reason we should move forward on our environmental goals.” California’s cap and trade system is similar to Mexico’s in that it provides companies financial incentives for reducing carbon emissions.

President Bush circumvented California’s tough 2006 restrictions on auto pollution by blocking the law from taking effect, but California officials trust that President-Elect Obama will remove this obstacle to clean air and growth in the state’s green economy industries. According to environmental ministers to the UN, “the attitude of rich countries borders on the immoral and is counterproductive”.

Brazil and Mexico are seeking a larger role in convincing an expanded G-7 that they can aid ailing international markets and reduce havoc from carbon emissions. The UN Secretary-General urged leading economies to provided real leadership on these two issues by answering the calls of emerging economies. He stating in Poland, “The economic crisis is serious; yet when it comes to climate change, the stakes are far higher.”

Mexico's Hotel Santa Fe in Puerto Escondido

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My favorite hotels in Mexico have that authentic Mexican ambiance found no where else in the world. You can enjoy French and Italian-inspired hotels in Mexico, but vice-versa? Sure, there are German towns in S. America. Where in the world can you find that wonderful Mexican "onda"? (Spanish slang for "vibe", onda literally means wave or ripple and "la onda" means "tune in".)

There is nothing more liberating than a week on the beach in a genuine Mexican hotel in a bona fide Mexican town with a perfect tropical climate, handmade margaritas, surfers gracefully riding great waves, and hippie expats mixing with long-time locals. Now I'm going to share one of Mexico's best-kept secrets, an act typically reserved for clients of "Changes in Latitude".

Puerto Escondido is home to one of the most extraordinary hotels I've discovered in Mexico. Should you ever find time to experience this bohemian surfer's paradise, stay at Hotel Santa Fe. The Presidential Suites are amazing if you really want to splurge, but the Master Suites are also fabulous. The restaurant is a vegetarian's dream, the grounds a lush paradise, and the hospitality is impressive even by Mexico's high service standards.

The hotel was founded 25 years ago by Robin Cleaver and his wife and friends. Robin's parents had retired in Guadalajara in the 60's and he discovered then-tiny Puerto Escondido while vagabonding about Mexico. The town has grown to 50,000 friendly residents but the costa chica onda remains. Indigenous Zapotecs and Mixtecs continue to live in the area ... in much the same manner as they lived 2,500 years ago, trading village-to-village, living off the land and the sea. Be sure to visit the villages neighboring Puerto Escondido on market day.

Puerto Escondido is a quintessential Mexican village ideally situated on a protected bay along Oaxaca's Pacific coast. It is home to coffee farms and fishermen. You can connect to a direct flight from D.F. to avoid the occasional political turmoil in Oaxaca City but allow 2 hours for your layover. While there, be sure to visit the Living Museum of Sea Turtles on Mazunte Beach. For news about forever peaceful Puerto Escondido, read the fabulous local web magazine El Sol de la Costa. Click here to learn more about Hotel Santa Fe.

S. America is Huge & other important lessons

This is my first post of criticism from a travel client. It is constructive criticism and it arrives on the first anniversary of Changes In Latitude (after 11 years touring Latin America solely with produce executives, friends & family). While I would like to claim that I have created universally stellar experiences for all my travel clients this year, there is a first time for everything. I was reminded of three valuable lessons from clients recently returned from Peru, Chile & Argentina.

1. S. America is Huge

I was not assertive enough to dissuade these world travelers from biting off more than they could chew in S. America. I cautioned when I should have insisted they reconsider their long list of desired destinations. It is natural, especially when we travel very far, to want to see as much as possible of the region we're visiting. On the surface, more appears better. But with travel, it is often true that "less is more". I am reminded that trying to see too much can diminish the overall quality of any travel experience. I will insist on small bites because distances are great enough to be daunting for even the most seasoned travelers.

2. Even triple references do not ensure satisfaction.

It has been a rare occasion when clients have wanted to visit someplace I haven't been in Latin America. On this recent S. America trip, however, the clients wanted to visit the Peruvian Amazon. Having never been there, I called an old friend in Lima about the best Amazon Lodge. He replied, "there are only three good ones; Tahuayo Lodge is the best". I did some research and learned the owner had published a book about the Amazon. In addition, this lodge was named "One of the ten best wilderness lodges in the world" by Outside Magazine ... and this was only one of a dozen such accolades. With such positives, client satisfaction was virtually guaranteed, right? Wrong. An Amazon wilderness lodge is not for everyone. I'll use a more formal client questionnaire to better match people with places from now on.

3. Guide books are like casino bets

These particular clients did something I have never tried, and we can all learn from this one. They relied on Frommer's advice in S America in determining some of their desired destinations and restuarants. They were not satisfied with the results. Guide book advice can never be "all things to all people". Changes In Latitude serves upscale travelers, not "all people" In this case, Frommer's advice disappointed my clients. Travelers, think about the nature of guide books - they are highly subjective. You'll win some and lose some.

I was lucky to have local produce growers show me and my travel companions around Latin America for more than a decade. My goal is to provide that type of guidance to my clients. Today I was reminded that this goal will be a journey in itself.