Radio: Ecuador's Constitutional Referendum

A report for Free Speech Radio News on the Ecuadorian Constitution that I just did. One error--the person doing the voice over mistakingly referred to a "multinational" instead of a "plurinational" state.

In Ecuador, the debate over a proposed new constitution is heating up before a September 28th national referendum. The opposition right wing charges that the constitution gives the state too much economic power and undermines the traditional family. But most social movements support the Magna Carta, pointing to the expansion of social services. From Quito, Daniel Denvir reports.

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Sanders: if it is too big to fail, then it is too big to exist

While Democrats and Republicans spar over whether the $700 billion taxpayer bailout of Wall Street should include a few guarantees for the hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) has taken the welcome step of proposing that we actually address the out of control financial markets that caused this problem in the first place.

Sanders proposes doing the following:

- a "surtax on the very wealthy to pay for bailouts of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and American International Group."

- "stronger oversight of financial institutions, 'This Congress needs to put an end to the radical deregulation that we have seen under President Bush and even before him. We need to put the safety walls back up in the financial services sector. We need to regulate the electronic energy markets to end speculation in oil futures.'"

- "giant businesses like Bank of America should be broken up so no company in the future could bring the American economy down with it. Said Sanders, 'This country can no longer afford companies that are ‘too big to fail.’ If a company is so large that its failure would cause systemic harm to our economy, if it is too big to fail, then it is too big to exist.'"

- "an immediate economic stimulus package which would put people back to rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and moving us to energy efficiency and sustainable energy."

And Vermont Public Radio had an interesting segment, too.

Stop the Execution of Troy Davis

The death penalty is always state-sponsored murder. But it is particularly horrific when the government kills an innocent man. From the ACLU:

Subject: Help save a life!

A man who is almost certainly innocent needs your help, and fast.

On Friday, September 12th, Troy Davis was denied clemency by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. It is imperative that we respectfully ask them to reconsider this unfortunate decision. They have to power to stop this indefensible execution and we must implore them to make the right decision.

Troy Anthony Davis was convicted of the murder of off-duty Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail in 1991. No physical evidence links him to the crime, and he has steadfastly maintained his innocence. His conviction was based solely on the testimony of witnesses. There was no other evidence against him. Since his trial, seven people who had previously testified against Troy changed the story they had told in court.

Some witnesses say they were coerced by police. Others have even signed affidavits implicating one of the remaining two witnesses as the actual killer. But due to an increasingly restrictive appeals process, none of this new evidence has ever been heard in court.

Can you take 30 seconds and help save the life of a man who is almost certainly innocent? You can learn more and take action here:

http://action.aclu.org/savetroy

Women United for a War Against Iran

Ah! Scary and a little funny.

The Dems' lead secular hawk faces down the Republicans' lets bring-on-the-end-times advocate over an anti-Iran rally.

Hillary pulled out of a planned speech when she heard that Palin had been invited and then protest organizers disinvited Palin. I guess this is good news for world peace. "Bipartisan agreement" can only lead to war or corporate trade agreements.

Correa says that if oil prices fall, social welfare comes before foreign debt

In an encouraging move, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has announced that if oil prices keep falling (even though today's rebound to $100 barrels make that uncertain), he will maintain current spending on social welfare projects and deprioritize repaying the foreign debt.

In other Ecuadorian news, Alianza País Assembly (in recess) Member and former Correa spokeswoman Mónica Chuji disaffiliated from the party yesterday. Chuji, an indigenous activist from the Ecuadorian Amazon, criticized the president for his move to the Right. Big news. From her press release:

*Por favor difundir.

================================

*RUEDA DE PRENSA DE MÓNICA CHUJI*

Calle Buenos Aires 1028 y EE.UU, Quito

16 de septiembre de 2008

El día de ayer, entregué una carta dirigida al Coordinador y a los
compañeros y compañeras asambleístas del bloque de Acuerdo País, donde
expresé mi decisión de separarme de manera definitiva de esta agrupación
política.

Ante los reiterados pronunciamientos realizados por el Sr. Presidente de
la República, de deslegitimar a todas aquellas propuestas que de alguna
manera u otra discrepen con la política oficial, y ante las derivas que
está asumiendo la política pública que pone en riesgo la vigencia de los
derechos fundamentales de los pueblos, y de los sectores populares, por
el compromiso del gobierno con la visión extractivista, que continúa con
las viejas políticas de destrucción de la naturaleza, con políticas
agrarias que atentan contra la soberanía alimentaria, entre otras; y
luego de un profundo proceso de reflexión y análisis sobre la necesidad
de conservar la coherencia con el proyecto político de cambio por el que
hemos luchado, me veo en la obligación moral y política de separarme de
manera definitiva de Acuerdo País.

La decisión de separarme de este movimiento político obedece a la
constatación que he realizado de que existe un alejamiento de los
objetivos originales planteados con respecto a su práctica política,
especialmente en cuanto se refiere al proceso de la Asamblea
Constituyente del que fui parte.

Me remito a las informaciones públicas que dieron cuenta de la
intervención del ejecutivo sobre la Asamblea Constituyente, para limitar
y acotar derechos fundamentales en la transformación política, como
aquellos que dan contenido al Estado Plurinacional, como el
consentimiento previo, libre e informado, la separación del Estado y el
gobierno, el kichwa como idioma oficial, entre otros.

Empero de ello, debo indicar enfáticamente que yo suscribo el texto
constitucional aprobado por la Asamblea Constituyente y llamo a votar
por el SI.

El proyecto de la nueva Constitución no es propiedad de ningún individuo
ni de ninguna agrupación política, sino, es el producto de un largo
proceso de lucha de los movimientos populares e indígena contra el
poder, contra la imposición, la dominación, la explotación, el racismo y
la violencia que llevan siglos en nuestra sociedad. Esto debe terminar.

Como Asambleísta, yo creo firmemente que este texto constitucional, con
todos sus defectos, representa un momento histórico de cambio y de
esperanza para ir construyendo a futuro el Estado y la democracia
plurinacional. Para eso, el poder político democrático tiene que nacer y
sostenerse a base del diálogo horizontal, incluyente y plural para
llegar a consensos, y ello necesariamente implica la participación
directa de las organizaciones y la sociedad en general.

El referendo del 28 de septiembre no debe ser confundido como una
votación a favor ni en contra del Sr. Presidente Correa, como él y la
derecha quiere presentarlo.

El 28 de septiembre, independientemente de los intereses particulares y
las pugnas de poder entre este gobierno y la vieja partidocracia, el
pueblo ecuatoriano vamos a votar SI al cambio, SI a un futuro justo,
equitativo y ecológicamente sano para nuestro tiempo y para nuestras
futuras generaciones.

La lucha continuará, compañeros y compañeras.

Gracias.

Will New Ecuadorian Finance Minister Backtrack on Debt?

In Ecuador, the resignation of Finance Minister Wilma Salgado and the appointment of Deputy Finance Minister Maria Elsa Viteri has international creditors pleased. Salgado, who often spoke out against the foreign debt, is resigning because of a controversy over projected budget numbers for 2009. Correa accused Financial Ministry bureaucrats of manipulating data to make the social programs required by the proposed constitution look too expensive.

But activists are worried about President Rafael Correa's commitment to renegotiating the country's over $16 billion in foreign debt, which activists by and large consider illegitimate.

Nonetheless, it appears that Ecuador's debt audit group will declare some debt illegitimate in an upcoming report. It is not clear how the myriad political and economic ideologies and interests within the Correa government will play out once the report is released. While he campaigned against the foreign debt, Correa has long said that he would pay it as long as the country could also afford to pay the social debt--increased funding for education and healthcare, etc. He has recently reiterated that position, but warned that falling oil prices could change the equation.

Waiting for a little toughness; or, why Juno in Juneau is funny

Thoughtful people in the United States and around the world are waiting for Obama-Biden to finally go after McCain-Palin.

In the meantime, we'll have to content ourselves with hilarious parody videos on youtube.