Kiana Herold – THE RIGHTS OF NATURE: INDIGENOUS PHILOSOPHIES REFRAMING LAW

Indigenous battles to defend nature have taken to the streets, leading to powerful mobilizations like the gathering at Standing Rock. They have also taken to the courts, through the development of innovative legal ways of protecting nature. In Ecuador, Bolivia and New Zealand, indigenous activism has helped spur the creation of a novel legal phenomenon—the idea that nature itself can …

Rosalind C. Barnett, Ph.D., and Caryl Rivers – The New Productive Workforce: Seniors

Advances in medicine and efforts to prevent chronic diseases are lengthening the healthy life span of Americans. They are also helping create a new and highly productive segment of the workforce: seniors. Women especially will benefit, since a woman turning 65 today can expect to live on average until 86.6 years. And those are just averages. About one out of …

Franklin Frederick – Trade Agreements and the Globalization of Fascism

Going east or west from Switzerland one would have to cross at least half the planet before reaching the Pacific Ocean. This distance alone makes it very unlikely that Switzerland would get involved with the Pacific Alliance (PA) or in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). However, the Swiss based transnational Nestlé is very much engaged with the PA and its objectives. Nestlé also seems to …

Andrew Korybko – Lithium, a Strategic Resource: Here’s Why The US Wants To Break Bolivia To Bits With Hybrid War

So I was scanning Telesur’s website the other day and a pretty interesting story caught my eye. It said that Bolivia had begun exporting 10 tons of lithium to China as the start of what the country hopes will flourish into a multimillion-dollar partnership in the near future. The reason why this is such a big deal and I’m talking about it …

Expat Files – 08.28.16

#1- Latins are perpetually happy. Does that magic rub off on us too? How long does it take? Can even perpetually sour Expats “south of the border” expect an instant personality makeover? Today we discuss those conundrums

Expat Files – 08.21.16

#1- You’ve heard of the phrase “9 meals from anarchy”? It describes what 1st world people will face soon enough- when the mierda  truly hits the fan up in O’vomitland. Meanwhile here in Latin America, so much ripe fruit literally falls off the trees that the phrase “9 meals from anarchy” seems right out of Disney’s Fantasyland         #2- …

James McEnteer – The Geopolitics of Generosity

On April 16, Ecuador suffered an earthquake registering 7.8 on the Richter scale. One week later, the death toll stood at 656, with more than twelve thousand injuries reported and more than fifty people still missing. Hundreds of aftershocks, some very powerful, continue to shake the country’s northwest coast and cause more damage. The day after the disaster, aid began …

Cole Mellino – Bolivia’s Second-Largest Lake Dries Up: Is Utah’s Great Salt Lake Next?

Researchers from Utah State University found that the Beehive State’s Great Salt Lake has shrunk by 48 percent since 1847. Meanwhile, Lake Poopó, Bolivia’s second-largest lake, is died up and may be beyond recovery.   The Utah State researchers published their findings last month in a white paper, Impacts of Water Development on Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Front. They warned that the Great Salt Lake may …

Expat Files – 03.06.16

-Driving the famous Pan America Highway:

For all listeners who may be contemplating driving a vehicle from the States or Canada to Latin America, today we have a very informative and illustrative description of such a recent trip. This report comes from a stateside listener who made the entire 3000 mile journey just a few months ago: from California to Panama City by way of the Pan American Highway. You might have to hold on to your seat for this one…

-The skinny on pirated gasoline in Latin America:

Yes, it’s all over the place, at up to a 50 cent a gallon less than at the legit “gasolineras”. Is it diluted, altered, or the real McCoy? Where does it come from? The cops buy it all the time… does that mean you should give it a try?

-Breaking news:

There’s a big political and social scandal unfolding in Bolivia involving sex, government back door contracts and Evo Morales. Could politicians in the US get away with that stuff? No problem… just ask Bill and Hillary.