 Edición Semanaria de Noticiero Latino |
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February 2002
February 1st | Listen to the program
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM - Leaders of the world's most powerful corporations are coming together this weekend in New York at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. But thousands of other people, participating in parallel events, will also be descending upon the city to demonstrate on behalf of workers. One such event was a forum organized by the nation's most important labor syndicate. There, the president of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney, anticipated that the peaceful protests by workers will keep the heat on during the five days of the World Economic Forum. Marco Vinicio Gonzalez reports.
STATE OF THE UNION - This week, President Bush gave his first State of the Union address before Congress. As expected, the war on terrorism and the economy were the dominant themes of the speech. The president named Iran, Iraq and North Korea as "the axis of evil" in the world, and warned that they could be the next target in the war on terrorism if they continued supporting terrorist acts. Maria Eraña has the details.
FOX IN CUBA - This Sunday, Mexican President Vicente Fox travels to Cuba to meet with President Fidel Castro. One of the main items on the agenda is Mexico's offer to act as a mediator in negotiations between Cuba and the United States. During a recent visit to Cuba by a delegation of Mexican lawmakers, Castro and other high ranking officials commented on the possibility of such a mediation by Mexico. Citlali Saenz explains.
February 8th | Listen to the program
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM DEMONSTRATIONS - Just days ago, the 31st annual meeting of the World Economic Forum concluded in New York City. Security measures to protect participating politicians and business leaders were strict. However, more than ten thousand people from various states and from abroad gathered to protest against the global policies of the participating corporations. Although this demonstration did not compare to those in Seattle or Genoa, Italy, it did succeed in getting the nearly three thousand forum attendees to take notice of the growing gap between the world's rich and poor. Marco Vinicio Gonzalez has the details.
GRUPO MEZCLA - The musical group Mezcla is extending bridges between Cuba and the U.S. with their music. It is a vibrant sound that fuses the richness of Caribbean rhythms with the innovative spirit of rock and jazz. Born in Oakland, California, group leader Pablo Menendez traveled to Cuba at age fourteen to study its music, and has remained on the island for the last thirty-five years. Correspondent Ruben Tapia spoke with Pablo Menedez during a recent performance by Mezcla in Los Angeles.
AID FOR DISABLED MEXICANS - Mexicans with disabilities often have no access to rehabilitation services to help them be self-sufficient. But in the southern state of Oaxaca, at least, there is a center that offers assistance and training specifically for persons with a disability. The Piña Palmera center operates with the with the help of volunteer professionals from Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. Raul Silva visited the center and has this report.
February 15th | Listen to the program
MURDERS IN CIUDAD JUAREZ - A special representative of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visited Ciudad Juarez this week. Inspector Marta Altolaguirre arrived amid a heated environment and received complaints about the more than 250 murders of women committed in this city since 1993. There were also complaints about recent attacks against critics of the official investigation of these crimes. Frank Torres has this report, voiced by Alejandro Glusman.
ENRON INVESTIGATION - The collapse of the energy distribution company Enron, the biggest in the nation's history, is at the center of various congressional investigations. One of them has to do with the influence that high-ranking Enron executives might have had in the White House based on their participation in various meetings of the Energy Task Force, presided over by Vice President Cheney. To date, Cheney has refused to reveal to Congress any information about these meetings. Rep. Xavier Becerra and former Puerto Rico Attorney General Jose Fuentes spoke with Noticiero Latino director Samuel Orozco about the message that this reticence by the White House might send.
MEXICO'S HEAD OF U.N.'S SECURITY COUNCIL - During the next two years, Mexico and Colombia will be the only Latin American countries chosen to be part of the United Nations' Security Council. The arrival of Mexico's representative, Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, in New York, coincided with his appointment as rotating president of the Council for the month of February. A few days ago, the head of Mexico's diplomatic team in the U.N. met with journalists to discuss his priorities. And, as Marco Vinicio Gonzalez reports, Latin American issues do not figure in his agenda.
February 22nd | Listen to the program
POPSICLE VENDOR FACING DEPORTATION - A popsicle and ice cream vendor in Santa Ana, California faces deportation back to Mexico, despite the fact that his residency application was progressing well. His crime? Videotaping the outside of a federal building in a popular tourist area in this city south of Los Angeles. Carlos Bartolomeo Vazquez was interrogated by the FBI as a suspected terrorist and detained behind bars for a month by the INS. Now, with no money or outside support, the humble popsicle vendor anxiously awaits his day in court before an immigration judge. Correspondent Ruben Tapia has this report.
TRANSGENIC CORN - Mexico is considered the birthplace of corn, but it is now feared that its rich creole varieties of this valued grain may be at risk. A team of scientists recently found the corn in a remote region of the state of Oaxaca to be contaminated with genetically altered corn originating in the U.S. Although the risk of such contamination is still being debated, some Oaxacan peasants already anticipate that they themselves will have to take the protection of their seeds in their own hands. Noticiero Latino contributor Jana Schroeder has the details.