REFLECTING ABOUT INGRID BETANCOURT’S RESCUE

Without any exaggeration, it took me three days to assimilate the rescue of the hostages accomplished by the Colombian’s intelligence called “check operation” by which Ingrid Betancourt, 11 soldiers and three Americans were liberated. The operation was so perfect that some logical persons believe that it was paid. After overcoming feelings of amazement, surprise, skepticism and happiness, I thought to myself that there was something wrong, using Italian expression ce cualcosa che non va. Nonetheless, when the mass media in the world talked about and showed in an obsessive way everything about Ingrid, I finally realized what did not fit in this matter: the strong social class content of this issue.

It is known that the social class differences give value to some people and do not give any to others. The privileged ones become famous and, in some cases, reach to be idolatrized while the less fortunate are ignored and are treated as if they did not exist. This is nothing new. Nevertheless, the Colombian hostages’ rescue under the check operation produced mixed sentiments because the world recognition that Ingrid has been receiving is fair and merited but at the same time it is pathetic and depressing how the other common hostages liberated have been ignored. At an international level, we saw as Ingrid came up from hell towards heaven and did not see anything as the other soldiers/polices came up from hell into another hell, in other words, we did not learn how they emerged from the hands of the FARCs in the jungle onto enter into their poor home. Of course, Ingrid does not have anything to do with this matter given that this makes part of the mass media that magnifies or ignores the success according to what it is more convenient to them.

Ingrid is now one of the most well-known figures in the world and she should take advantage of this enormous opportunity that the mass media is offering her, using it in benefit of humanity in general and in favor of those who continue in captivity in particular. We hope that it does not happen what occurred with Clara Rojas who wasted her prime time talking about her son.

Editorials and journalists in Colombia coincide in affirming that the Ingrid that we are seeing after the kidnapping is better a person than the Ingrid from before in view of the fact that she is now more wise and spiritual. Personally, I prefer the belligerent, insistent, resolute and brave woman who faced everything and risked her own life. This world that is full of injustice is in necessity of persons with such characteristics.

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HABLANDO CON LOS NEGROS

Si usted es negro, tengo una buena y una mala noticia. La buena es que el concepto internacional sobre la belleza ha cambiado, ya que, el color negro ha sido incluido en esa lista rigurosa como sinonimo de belleza. Al menos, eso se deduce viendo como los blancos chamuscan, negrean, queman o broncean su piel recibiendo sol en todas las playas del mundo. Los que tienen exito, no pueden esconder el placer que sienten exhibiendo orgullosamente sus cuerpos; aquellos que no lo logran, no pueden ocultar su frustracion. Esta afirmacion se deduce tambien viendo como los Europeos muestran su pareja negra como si fuera un trofeo. La mala noticia es que la imagen negativa que tiene la raza negra no ha cambiado y no se esta hacienda nada para ello.

La historia nos enseña como los blancos despojaron de todo sus bienes a los negros, pero esto no es excusa para que nosotros continuemos viviendo en condiciones deplorable. La pobreza es la peor enfermedad que existe en este nundo, por lo que, el pobre es tratado como si tuviera una enfermedad contagiosa, por tanto, nosotros debemos mejorar nuestro nivel de vida, el cual, nos permitira acabar con el estigma que tenemos de pobre. Si nosotros no destruimos esa negative imagen, que entre otras cosas es la causa de la discriminacion, siempre seremos victima de intolerancia racial.

En progreso de los negros en el mundo fué evidente en los años sesenta: la lucha revolucionaria en el Africa que terminó con la liberacion de sus colonizadores; la admision de negros pilosos a la Universidad en America Latina y el establecimiento de los derechos civiles en los Estados Unidos presagiaban un promisorio futuro, pero con el correr del tiempo, la situacion de los negros se fué diluyendo debido a la mediocridad de los gobernantes en Africa y por falta de oportunidades en America Latina. El exito de los negros en los Estados Unidos depende de la lucha individual que desarrolle cada uno, en otras palabras, quien trabaja duro triunfa.

En conclusion, algunos blancos discriminan a algunos negros porque parten del presupuesto de que estan por encina de ellos a nivel social, economico e intellectual, pero, cuando descubren por cualquier medio que la situacion es al contrario, ellos terminan respetandolos, ejemplo, cuando un blanco discrimina o irrespeta a un negro y luego descubre que este esta por encina de él a todo nivel. En este caso, él negro es respectado, si no, estamos en presencia de lo que podriamos denominar una comedia en la cual la unica alternativa es reir. En consequencia, nosotros debemos mejorar nuestra condiciones de vida si realmente queremos cambiar la mala imagen que existe sobre la raza negra.

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TALKING ABOUT BLACKS

If you are black, I have some good and bad news for you. The goods news is that the international beauty concept has changed as the black color has been included in a rigorous list as a synonym of pleasant appearance. At least, this is inferred seeing as whites are scorching themselves or getting a tan under the strong sun in all beaches around the world. Those whom are successful cannot hide their pleasure in exhibiting pride with their bodies, and those who are not cannot hide their frustration. This also is inferred seeing how Europeans shows their black partners as if they were a trophy. The bad news is that the negative image that we blacks have as a race of poverty has not changed and we have not done anything to avoid this.

It is historically known how whites deprived blacks centuries ago, but this is not an excuse for us to continue to live in deplorable conditions in this day and age. Poverty is the worse illness that exists in this world; consequently, the poor are treated as if they had a contagious disease. So, we must improve our condition of living in order to allow us to live with dignity. If we do not destroy that negative image which is the cause of discrimination, we will always be a target and victims of discrimination.

The progress of blacks in the world was evident in the sixties: revolutionary struggles which ended up with the liberation of their colonists in Africa, admission of a few hard working black students into universities in Latin America and the setting of civil rights in the United States. All of this presaged a promissory future. However, as time passed by, blacks’ situations have come diluting due to the governments’ mediocrity in Africa and the lack of opportunity in Latin America. In the United States, the professional success depends on a personal level; in other words, who works hardest achieves the highest success.

In conclusion, whites discriminate blacks racially because they are assuming that they are in a position above them; however, once they discover that for any reason the case is the contrary, they end up respecting them, for instance, when whites whom are at a high school level try to racially discriminate and disrespect a black whom has a college degree; we are in presence of a comedy in which the unique alternative is to laugh. Consequently, we should improve our life condition, if we want to change the negative image that we have racially.

LA LUCHA CONTRA EL TERRORISMO

La lucha contra el terrorismo es actualmente una de las expresiones mas usada a nivel politico. Esta expresion dice mucho y al mismo tiempo no dice nada y es usada en general por gobernantes para sacar provecho politico y en particular por George W. Bush. La expression terrorismo causa panico, de hecho, se utiliza para que la poblacion aterrorizada se sienta segura con gobernantes o politicos que ofrecen la guerra como la mejor opcion para solucionar problemas sociales. Afganistan e Irak han sido las primeras victimas de este monstruo llamado “la lucha contra el terrorismo”. Otra victima de este engendro politico es el delito politico, el ultimo eslabon en el cual se basan las personas que se sienten perseguidas politicamente o que hayan cometidos delitos en aras del bien comun, para ser tratadas diferentes a los delinquentes communes. El delito politico ha sido respectado en el mundo a pesar del hecho de que lo violarn frequentemente. Actualmente, hay la sensacion de que este delito ya no existe mas, en otras palabras, los modernos Henrys, Lugumbas, Bolivares, mandelas son tratados como terroristas.

Indudablemete, la lucha armada es anacronica. Excepcionalmente, hay personas o grupos armados a los que se podria justificar el uso de la violencia por rezones o motivos altruistas, pero, cuando la poblacion civil se convierte en objectivo military, ellos se convierten de hecho en terroristas. Los grupos terroristas estan totalmente identificados, por tanto, los gobiernos en el mundo en forma conjunta estan combatiendolos. Esos terroristas deben ser eliminados. Sin embargo, cuando los gobiernos y politicos usan “la lucha contra el terrorismo” contra enemigos fantasmas creados solamente con la intencion de ganar votos electorales, causando panico a la poblacion, estamos en presencia de lo que se llama: la politica de miedo. Esto es lo que ha venido sucediendo en Venezuela cuando Chacez habla de imperialismo, en Colombia, cuando Uribe habla de la FARC, en Europa cuando politicos hablan de inmigracion illegal y en los Estados Unidos cuando Bush habla de terrorismo.

Desafortunadamente, mientra exista la explotacion del hombre por el hombre o mientras las potencias extranjeras continuen abusando de los paises pobres, siempre existirá la amenaza y/o victimas del terrorismo. La cosa patetica y contradictoria que tiene este asunto es el hecho de que estos asesinos en lugar de fijar su atencion en la persona que les estan causando esa horrible y violenta reaccion, ellos atacan y matan a personas inocentes. La poblacion tiene que aprender a distinguir entre el terrorismo real y la politica de miedo creado por gobernantes y politicos y desarrollada por la mass media. No es necesario hacer un profundo esfuerzo intelectual para determinar la diferencia entre las dos, ejemplo, todo el mundo conoce los beneficios economico-cultural que producen los extranjeros. Es cierto que una amenaza terrorista esparcida maliciosamente causa panico, pero es tambien cierto que la poblacion no debe permitir, aceptat o tolerar el uso de esta amenza para ganar votos electorales.

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THE STRUGGLE AGAISNT TERRORISM

The struggle against terrorism is now one of the expressions most used at the political level. This expression says a lot and does not say anything at the same time, and it has been used politically to take political advantage by governments in general, and George W. Bush in particular. The expression terrorism causes panic. In fact, it is used so that as people become terrified, they feel as though they can find security in governments or politicians who offer war. Afghanistan and Iraq are being destroyed due to this war. Another victim of this political beget is the politic crime required by political criminals in order to be tried different to the common delinquents. Despite the fact that political crimes were often violated by governments, they have been respected in the world. Nowadays, there is a sensation that these do not exist anymore; the modern Henrys, Lugumbas, Bolivares, Mandelas are tried as terrorists.

The armed struggle is undoubtedly anachronistic. There exceptionally are people or armed groups that we can justify to use the violence in order to obtain social change since they have altruist reasons or motivations to do so. However, when the civil population becomes a military object to resolve their social problems, they become terrorists. Terrorists groups in the world are totally identified. Consequently, governments in the world are combating as a whole against them. These terrorists must be eliminated. However, when governments and politicians use “the struggle against terrorism” toward ghost enemies only created with the intention of gaining electoral votes, causing panic among the population, we are in presence of the so-called: the politics of fear. This is what is happening in Venezuela when Chavez talks about imperialism, in Colombia when Uribe talks about the FARCs, in Europe when politicians talk about illegal immigration and in the United States when Bush and McCain talk about terrorism.

Unfortunately, while there exists the exploitation of man by man or foreign powers continue abusing of poor countries, there will always exist a threat and/or victims of terrorism. The depressing and contradictory thing of this issue is the fact that these assassins instead of focusing their target toward the person who is causing the horrific and violent reaction, they attack or kill innocent people. The population has to learn making a distinction between the real terrorism and the politic of fear created by the governments and politics and developed by the mass media. It is not necessary to do a deep intellectual effort to determine the difference between the two. For instance, everyone knows about the economic and cultural benefit that the foreigners produce. It is true that a terrorist threat spreads maliciously causes panic, but it is also true that the population must not allow, accept or tolerate the use of it to gain electoral votes.

If you liked my article, please share this website with your friends. My articles in Spanish will be published on Sundays and in English on Wednesdays.