Amigos de Bolivia is in its 9th year, which started off with a new member, Greg Purdy, a young political activist in Washington Heights. He likes the energy of Evo Morales, and wants to visit Bolivia soon. At present Greg is working on a weekend in the Dominican Republic, lots of Dominicanos here in the hood want him to see their island paradise, where he could practice his Spanish.
Naturally, a topic of conversation was the new Trump era in the US, and how the new State Department under Rex Tillerson will deal with Bolivia. We look forward to improved relations, and will compose a letter to Mr Tillerson to give him our support.
One thing that Greg wants to see instituted is a selective amnesty, modeled on the amnesty that Ronald Reagan gave to Latin immigrants in the '80s. It worked. Why the Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama did not make an amnesty is beyond words.
Greg is also supporting a Latin candidate for Mayor of New York, Daby Carreras. Earlier this month one of Greg's friends introduced a New York Times reporter to Daby, hopefully the paper will have access to his campaign. One issue with the new regime is that the press is getting shut out at times.
So we hope that our new member will be able to get his amnesty idea put forward and get it to the press so it will have the support it needs, along with positive press for Bolivia.
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2017
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Singani 63 rocks in New York
Bolivian grapes are a well-kept secret; the French import a millions bottles of Bolivian wines every year, and none of it reaches New York. Years did we try in vain to find a bottle of any Bolivian spirits. Then Hollywood producer Steven Soderbergh, after imbibing a brandy made with Muscat grapes, liked it so much that he got an import certificate and began selling the award winning Singani 63.
I tracked down a bottle at Park Avenue Liquor Shop ( www.parkaveliquor.com ), which is actually located on Madison Avenue (after having actually been on Park Avenue for decades). Next I took it to some friends at Amigos de Bolivia, and they, with more experience than me in mixology, came up with a murky mahogany coloured concoctions, which we have yet to name.
We hope to have some more mixing parties for this wonderful brandy, along with some catas de vino for yet more Bolivian wines. New Yorkers have been sorely deprived over the years and it is time to remedy that situation. Let's hope we don't have to go to France to track down some bottles.
INGREDIENTS:
[1] 2 oz Singani 63
[2] 1 oz Creme de Cassis
[3] 1 oz Pineapple Juice
[4] .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Add four ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into lowball glass.
Garnish with pineapple chunk.
INGREDIENTS:
[1] 2 oz Singani 63
[2] 1 oz Valhalla Liqueur
[3] 1 oz Pineapple Juice
[4] .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Add four ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into lowball glass.
Garnish with sprig of mint.
I tracked down a bottle at Park Avenue Liquor Shop ( www.parkaveliquor.com ), which is actually located on Madison Avenue (after having actually been on Park Avenue for decades). Next I took it to some friends at Amigos de Bolivia, and they, with more experience than me in mixology, came up with a murky mahogany coloured concoctions, which we have yet to name.
We hope to have some more mixing parties for this wonderful brandy, along with some catas de vino for yet more Bolivian wines. New Yorkers have been sorely deprived over the years and it is time to remedy that situation. Let's hope we don't have to go to France to track down some bottles.
INGREDIENTS:
[1] 2 oz Singani 63
[2] 1 oz Creme de Cassis
[3] 1 oz Pineapple Juice
[4] .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Add four ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into lowball glass.
Garnish with pineapple chunk.
INGREDIENTS:
[1] 2 oz Singani 63
[2] 1 oz Valhalla Liqueur
[3] 1 oz Pineapple Juice
[4] .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Add four ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into lowball glass.
Garnish with sprig of mint.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Write up of the Bolivian Day Parade in Jersey City
Yesterday the Bolivian Independence Day Parade took place in Jersey City, and some members of Amigos de Bolivia crossed the Hudson to check it out. One was so impressed he took the time to learn to take pictures with his smart phone, and in an hour had amassed 200, which we plan to put up as soon as we learn to transfer from phone to blog...and believe me, you will see a wealth of colour like no carnival, so next time you think of going to Rio, just wait till August and take the PATH train to Jersey City.
There were dozens of bands each with dancers in elaborate native costume, Andean rythms vibrating from Uhauls all the way from Hamilton Park to City Hall. Many of these groups had come from other states, including New York and Virginia, where small enclaves of the Bolivian community exist almost unnoticed by America as a whole.
Bolivians tend to work hard and not get into trouble, most are very family oriented and so the Bolivian community keeps together, flying under the radar screen; few people even remember that Jaime Escalante and Raquel Welch were Bolivians. It could be a suggestion to promote more culture and tourism at the parades, Bolivia is a country with little crime and great wildlife from harpy eagles to orchids, and a whole range of products that it exports without getting the proper credit for (Brazil nuts, for instance, come mostly from Bolivia, not Brazil...).
The parade was enjoyable, but sadly at the end there were no cookouts with seviche and parillas as there have been in previous years. Also absent were any tables selling any CDs of the music, so I noted some of the bands and will be contacting them soon to buy CDs etc.
Today in Manhattan there is another parade, one which I passed on the way to the library midtown, and while it has many more adherents, it will in no way come near what we saw in Jersey. But hopefully we will not have to cross the river to see it; Manhattan is host to a great number of parades and it would benefit greatly from having a Bolivian parade in the future, along, with I hope, la comida boliviana.
VIVA BOLIVIA!
There were dozens of bands each with dancers in elaborate native costume, Andean rythms vibrating from Uhauls all the way from Hamilton Park to City Hall. Many of these groups had come from other states, including New York and Virginia, where small enclaves of the Bolivian community exist almost unnoticed by America as a whole.
Bolivians tend to work hard and not get into trouble, most are very family oriented and so the Bolivian community keeps together, flying under the radar screen; few people even remember that Jaime Escalante and Raquel Welch were Bolivians. It could be a suggestion to promote more culture and tourism at the parades, Bolivia is a country with little crime and great wildlife from harpy eagles to orchids, and a whole range of products that it exports without getting the proper credit for (Brazil nuts, for instance, come mostly from Bolivia, not Brazil...).
The parade was enjoyable, but sadly at the end there were no cookouts with seviche and parillas as there have been in previous years. Also absent were any tables selling any CDs of the music, so I noted some of the bands and will be contacting them soon to buy CDs etc.
Today in Manhattan there is another parade, one which I passed on the way to the library midtown, and while it has many more adherents, it will in no way come near what we saw in Jersey. But hopefully we will not have to cross the river to see it; Manhattan is host to a great number of parades and it would benefit greatly from having a Bolivian parade in the future, along, with I hope, la comida boliviana.
VIVA BOLIVIA!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Hemp in South America
Over the years I have received many questions about hemp in Bolivia. Most from well meaning people, but they are not serious enough to go to the seed cultivators with the data they need to get the right seeds - for instance, the day/night differential in weather for a certain area.
Recently a more serious enquirer, who is hooked up to a Canadian university, showed deeper interest and is now at the stage of approaching Bolivian government officials, although he is not sure yet if it is lumped in with marijuana, as it has been in the US and elsewhere. Chile is growing hemp profitably for seed oil already.
In the past Brazil wanted to cultivate hemp, as it was very needed for rope and fibre - it makes the best paper for instance - but Portugal did not want to allow its colonists too much power so did not encourage its cultivation. In North America its cultivation allowed the colonists to outfit an army and navy and be self sufficient. That is why North American states achieved independence before the rest of the nations in the hemisphere.
Hemp can today hemp bring about financial independence, if grown it can supply in a span of 90 days expensive, GMO free and highly nutritious oil - which, unlike fish oils these days, will also be free of mercury, cadmium and other metals with which man has polluted the oceans. The stems are a quick supply of cellulose, the ingredient of paper and so many other products; it makes a better paper than either tree or cotton pulp.
And another advantage to Bolivia especially is that it can be grown on the side of a mountain - indeed at high elevations as it is in Nepal - thus being useful as a crop that does not require prime farm land. In Bolivia, arable land is at a premium, being less than 5% of the total land mass of the country. So Amigos de Bolivia in New York will continue to support Pablo, a Mexican who is studying in Canada and presently working on an agricultural project in Viacha, Bolivia, with the hope that he can assist Bolivia in this enterprise.
Recently a more serious enquirer, who is hooked up to a Canadian university, showed deeper interest and is now at the stage of approaching Bolivian government officials, although he is not sure yet if it is lumped in with marijuana, as it has been in the US and elsewhere. Chile is growing hemp profitably for seed oil already.
In the past Brazil wanted to cultivate hemp, as it was very needed for rope and fibre - it makes the best paper for instance - but Portugal did not want to allow its colonists too much power so did not encourage its cultivation. In North America its cultivation allowed the colonists to outfit an army and navy and be self sufficient. That is why North American states achieved independence before the rest of the nations in the hemisphere.
Hemp can today hemp bring about financial independence, if grown it can supply in a span of 90 days expensive, GMO free and highly nutritious oil - which, unlike fish oils these days, will also be free of mercury, cadmium and other metals with which man has polluted the oceans. The stems are a quick supply of cellulose, the ingredient of paper and so many other products; it makes a better paper than either tree or cotton pulp.
And another advantage to Bolivia especially is that it can be grown on the side of a mountain - indeed at high elevations as it is in Nepal - thus being useful as a crop that does not require prime farm land. In Bolivia, arable land is at a premium, being less than 5% of the total land mass of the country. So Amigos de Bolivia in New York will continue to support Pablo, a Mexican who is studying in Canada and presently working on an agricultural project in Viacha, Bolivia, with the hope that he can assist Bolivia in this enterprise.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Evo Morales speaks in New York
Last night, 21 September, the Amigos de Bolivia crew went to hear Evo Morales speak at the Community Church on East 35th Street, after a session at the UN and a talk at Hunter College the day before. The line was around the block by 5pm, with the speech commencing at 7pm. A full house cheered him on with shouts of Evo! Evo! and he delivered in top form.
The subject was the rights of Mother Earth, and he made many references to capitalism and its role in impoverishing people around the world. Fidel Castro, he pointed out, made the remark 15-20 years ago that rich nations ought to recognise their ecological debt to the world; Morales noted that at first he did not realise the significance of that remark. But now with melting glaciers, dry spells, cold snaps that kill millions of fish, water levels receeding and other problems, he finds it very significant.
He rejected the Copenhagen accord which would have allowed for a rise of 2 degrees Centigrade worldwide, noting that an existing rise of .7-.89 degress was already in effect and was unbearable.
Such policies have not earned him praise among the corporate rulers, and one doubts that this speech will get the coverage it deserves -as so many papers are so indebted to the corporations which advertise in them - from the New York Post to even the Guardian (see the outing of this paper for its large 4X4 ads at http://www.hempforvictory.blogspot.com). He noted that after 9/11 the rich countries labeled him and some of his colleagues as drug dealers and, yes, terrorrists.
He ended saying he was actually a bit nervous, peasant farmer that he was, speaking to a crowd in a part of the world that labeled him drug dealer and a terrorist.
We are glad he stood up to his detractors, and look forward to hearing more from him in the future.
The subject was the rights of Mother Earth, and he made many references to capitalism and its role in impoverishing people around the world. Fidel Castro, he pointed out, made the remark 15-20 years ago that rich nations ought to recognise their ecological debt to the world; Morales noted that at first he did not realise the significance of that remark. But now with melting glaciers, dry spells, cold snaps that kill millions of fish, water levels receeding and other problems, he finds it very significant.
He rejected the Copenhagen accord which would have allowed for a rise of 2 degrees Centigrade worldwide, noting that an existing rise of .7-.89 degress was already in effect and was unbearable.
Such policies have not earned him praise among the corporate rulers, and one doubts that this speech will get the coverage it deserves -as so many papers are so indebted to the corporations which advertise in them - from the New York Post to even the Guardian (see the outing of this paper for its large 4X4 ads at http://www.hempforvictory.blogspot.com). He noted that after 9/11 the rich countries labeled him and some of his colleagues as drug dealers and, yes, terrorrists.
He ended saying he was actually a bit nervous, peasant farmer that he was, speaking to a crowd in a part of the world that labeled him drug dealer and a terrorist.
We are glad he stood up to his detractors, and look forward to hearing more from him in the future.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Evo Morales to speak at Community Church of New York
The Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations
Invites you to attend a public lecture by
President Evo Morales
"Nature is not for sale: the Rights of Mother Earth"
At the Community Church of New York
40 East 35th St. (between Madison and Park Ave.)
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 7 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM. General admision.
Please confirm attendance to bolivianmission@gmail.com (does not guarantee a seat).
***
La Misión Permanente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia ante las Naciones Unidas
Invita al acto ofrecido por el
Presidente Evo Morales
"La naturaleza no se vende: los derechos de la Madre Tierra”
En el Community Church of New York
40 East 35th St. (entre Madison y Park Ave.)
Martes, 21 de septiembre de 2010 a las 19:00 PM
El ingreso será a partir de las 17:30 PM. Espacio limitado.
Se ruega confirmar a bolivianmission@gmail.com (no implica reserva de asiento).Evo Morales to speak at Hunter College in New York City
Evo Morales Speaks at Hunter College
Monday, September 20, 1:15-2:30pm
Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, will speak at Hunter College in celebration of the publication of the English language edition of Martin Sivak’s biography, Evo Morales: The Extraordinary Rise of the First Indigenous President of Bolivia. His speech will be followed by a brief Q & A and a discussion with bi-ographer Martin Sivak.
THIS EVENT IS IN SPANISH, WITH TRANSLATION
Headsets are available for English translation.
For security reasons, guests must present a valid photo University I.D* before entering the event. Guests are discouraged from bringing large bags and backpacks.
Copies of Evo Morales: The Extraordinary Rise of the First Indigenous President of Bolivia will be sold at the door.
* If you do not have a university I.D., please contact jfriedla@hunter.cuny.edu
Location: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
East 68th Street (North Side) between Park and Lexington Avenues
DOORS OPEN AT 12:30 p.m.
The program will begin promptly at 1:15 p.m.
Free to the Public.
Seating is limited.
This Event is Co-Sponsored by:
Hunter College’s Departments of Africana and Puerto-Rican/Latino Studies, Anthropology,
Economics, Film and Media, Geography, History, Latin American and Caribbean Studies,
Political Science, Romance Languages, Sociology, and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies.
CUNY Graduate Center’s Departments of Anthropology, History, Political Science,
Sociology, and the Bildner Center.
New York University’s Center for Latin and Caribbean Studies, the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, and Department of History
Palgrave Macmillan
Special Thanks To:
The Center for Latin and Caribbean Studies at New York University
Monday, September 20, 1:15-2:30pm
Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, will speak at Hunter College in celebration of the publication of the English language edition of Martin Sivak’s biography, Evo Morales: The Extraordinary Rise of the First Indigenous President of Bolivia. His speech will be followed by a brief Q & A and a discussion with bi-ographer Martin Sivak.
THIS EVENT IS IN SPANISH, WITH TRANSLATION
Headsets are available for English translation.
For security reasons, guests must present a valid photo University I.D* before entering the event. Guests are discouraged from bringing large bags and backpacks.
Copies of Evo Morales: The Extraordinary Rise of the First Indigenous President of Bolivia will be sold at the door.
* If you do not have a university I.D., please contact jfriedla@hunter.cuny.edu
Location: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
East 68th Street (North Side) between Park and Lexington Avenues
DOORS OPEN AT 12:30 p.m.
The program will begin promptly at 1:15 p.m.
Free to the Public.
Seating is limited.
This Event is Co-Sponsored by:
Hunter College’s Departments of Africana and Puerto-Rican/Latino Studies, Anthropology,
Economics, Film and Media, Geography, History, Latin American and Caribbean Studies,
Political Science, Romance Languages, Sociology, and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies.
CUNY Graduate Center’s Departments of Anthropology, History, Political Science,
Sociology, and the Bildner Center.
New York University’s Center for Latin and Caribbean Studies, the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, and Department of History
Palgrave Macmillan
Special Thanks To:
The Center for Latin and Caribbean Studies at New York University
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Open House day at the Bolivian Consulate
On Wednesday, 30 June, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, there will be a reception at the Bolivian Consulate in New York. Interested parties including journalists, playwrights, professors and students are invited to attend, meet diplomats, meet the founders of Amigos de Bolivia, and take away some information packets.
The consulate is located at 211 East 43, Suite 1004, New York, NY, 10017.
Learn about the orchids, birds, mining and other industries, or just sip come Bolivian coffee or coca liquor!
For more information contact Carlos Reyes at carlosreyes99@rocketmail.com
The consulate is located at 211 East 43, Suite 1004, New York, NY, 10017.
Learn about the orchids, birds, mining and other industries, or just sip come Bolivian coffee or coca liquor!
For more information contact Carlos Reyes at carlosreyes99@rocketmail.com
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Tale of Two Cities: New York and La Paz on Earth Day, 2010
On Earth Day, 22 April 2010, there was much going on in La Paz and New York. The former had some 15,000 visitors to hear talks on melting glaciers and capitalism, whilst in the latter great crowds tuned in to hear about capitalism and, er, capitalism. POTUS turned up, to the chagrin of the Big Apple's biggest billionaire, who was not informed ahead of time about the visit. The billionaire happens also to be the mayor, so it is protocol to do so, but when you are a novice politician, protocol is often lacking; just look at the pictures of POTUS at a seder without a kippa, or yarmulke as it is better known in New York. The novice, who also happens to be a millionaire, was in NY to address Wall Street, which was worried that he might do something to regulate them, especially after the latest scandal with bankers putting together idiotic deals and then betting against them; the buyers lost a billion, the bankers made a billion. Many millionaires are now ex-millionaires. But the billionaire was not going to let the loss of a mere billion serve as an argument for regulation. His argument ran something along the lines that if you regulate them, NY might lose out - kind of like asking the government not to enforce the law on the mob, as it makes money and without mob money NY might lose out... The Amigos de Bolivia crowd, however, had a better speaker to listen to, even if he wasn't a billionaire or even a millionaire; someone who could talk about credit upgrades, best GDP in the region status, and increased social spending, rather than stock market swindles. The speaker was Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, Minister of Economics and Public Finance. He spoke at Columbia University, flanked by the Bolivian Consul, Marco Medrano, and his aides.
Arce mentioned Bolivia's vast mineral resources - no talk on Bolivian economics would be complete without that - and said one very good thing: that Bolivia was not going to just count on these to get by, but was going to create businesses that would be sustainable for the future; he mentioned eco-tourism, paper mills and agriculture.Of the first, there was not much detailed discussion, Bolivia has always lagged behind on this, whilst Ecuador, Peru and Costa Rica are the leaders in the field. Bolivia has greater biodiversity than any of them, with 1448 species of birds and well over 1200 species of orchids. But this market will have to be tapped; there needs to be more scientific papers and publicity about what is there, with the museums and other institutions working to alongside this industry. Amigos de Bolivia members offered their help on this and we shall see. As to paper, Arce qualified what materials were used by saying that the mills were all for recycling; much room for improvement exists here if new fibres can be sourced, either grown for paper, or, in the case of hemp and banana, the fibres that are generally thrown away can be used. Hemp is the oldest paper fibre in the world, and banana is a relative of Manila hemp, used for making rope, so both are excellent choices and can grow in Bolivia.
As to agriculture, Arce noted there are two kinds of crops: those known in the West, such as maize, rice, sugar, etc., and those endemic to the Andes, such as quinoa and maca; a student added stevia to that list. Then of course there is wine (grown in 6 departamentos, mostly in Tarija), coffee, and coco. Arable land, however, is not abundant in Bolivia, it comprises only 4.5% of the country; by contrast, 56% of India is arable land. Thus agriculture needs to be both diversified and focused on those plants which would make the country competitive.
World attention is turning to Bolivia more and more, so expect to hear more about it. My guess is that the mineral resources will ultimately prove lucrative, but not without struggle, and that in the meantime, and for the future, the best bet is to develop sustainable industries such as Senor Arce mentioned.
Arce mentioned Bolivia's vast mineral resources - no talk on Bolivian economics would be complete without that - and said one very good thing: that Bolivia was not going to just count on these to get by, but was going to create businesses that would be sustainable for the future; he mentioned eco-tourism, paper mills and agriculture.Of the first, there was not much detailed discussion, Bolivia has always lagged behind on this, whilst Ecuador, Peru and Costa Rica are the leaders in the field. Bolivia has greater biodiversity than any of them, with 1448 species of birds and well over 1200 species of orchids. But this market will have to be tapped; there needs to be more scientific papers and publicity about what is there, with the museums and other institutions working to alongside this industry. Amigos de Bolivia members offered their help on this and we shall see. As to paper, Arce qualified what materials were used by saying that the mills were all for recycling; much room for improvement exists here if new fibres can be sourced, either grown for paper, or, in the case of hemp and banana, the fibres that are generally thrown away can be used. Hemp is the oldest paper fibre in the world, and banana is a relative of Manila hemp, used for making rope, so both are excellent choices and can grow in Bolivia.
As to agriculture, Arce noted there are two kinds of crops: those known in the West, such as maize, rice, sugar, etc., and those endemic to the Andes, such as quinoa and maca; a student added stevia to that list. Then of course there is wine (grown in 6 departamentos, mostly in Tarija), coffee, and coco. Arable land, however, is not abundant in Bolivia, it comprises only 4.5% of the country; by contrast, 56% of India is arable land. Thus agriculture needs to be both diversified and focused on those plants which would make the country competitive.
World attention is turning to Bolivia more and more, so expect to hear more about it. My guess is that the mineral resources will ultimately prove lucrative, but not without struggle, and that in the meantime, and for the future, the best bet is to develop sustainable industries such as Senor Arce mentioned.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Encuentro with Bolivia
On Thursday, 4 February, there well be a presentation on Bolivia by 20 Americans who visited the country in 2009. It will be held at 7pm at 310 West 43rd Street, in the auditorium of the SEIU MLK Labor Center. Consul General of the Plurinational Republic of Bolivia, Marco Antonio Medrano Valdivia will be on hand. The event is free, refreshments are served. This event is being made possible by the Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle of NY.
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