#Peruvian Legal Framework

[lexiai]

Navega las Leyes Sudamericanas con los Chatbots Legales IA de LexiAI

[sunalimerchant]

Carbon Offsetting in Peru: Leading the Way in Sustainable Environmental Practices

Peru, a country blessed with rich biodiversity and expansive forests, is at the forefront of environmental conservation through innovative carbon offsetting initiatives. The efforts of various carbon offsetting companies in Peru are not only mitigating climate change but also fostering sustainable development and benefiting local communities. This article explores the significant role these companies play in promoting sustainable environmental practices.

The Role of Carbon Offsetting Companies in Peru A carbon offsetting company in Peru typically engages in projects that reduce or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These projects include reforestation, afforestation, and the preservation of existing forests. By investing in these initiatives, companies can compensate for their carbon emissions, effectively balancing their carbon footprint.

One of the leading examples is the Tambopata National Reserve project, which aims to protect over 570,000 hectares of rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon. This project, managed by various carbon offsetting companies, prevents deforestation and degradation while promoting biodiversity. The revenue generated from carbon credits is reinvested into the local community, supporting sustainable agriculture, education, and healthcare.

The Impact on Local Communities Carbon offsetting companies in Peru understand the importance of community involvement. These projects often provide significant socio-economic benefits to local populations. For instance, the Madre de Dios Amazon REDD+ Project not only reduces carbon emissions but also offers alternative livelihoods to communities that traditionally relied on logging. By training locals in sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism, the project reduces deforestation pressures and enhances local incomes.

Moreover, these initiatives often include educational programs that raise awareness about climate change and the importance of conservation. This empowers communities to take an active role in protecting their environment, ensuring the long-term success of carbon offset projects.

Technological Innovations in Carbon Offsetting The use of advanced technology is crucial for the success of carbon offsetting projects in Peru. Remote sensing and satellite imagery, for example, are employed to monitor forest cover and detect illegal deforestation activities. These technologies provide real-time data, enabling prompt action to protect vulnerable areas.

Additionally, blockchain technology is being utilized to enhance the transparency and traceability of carbon credits. By ensuring that each carbon credit is uniquely tracked and verified, blockchain reduces the risk of double-counting and fraud. This innovation builds trust among investors and buyers, encouraging more participation in carbon offset markets.

Overcoming Challenges While the progress in carbon offsetting in Peru is commendable, challenges remain. Regulatory hurdles, such as the complexity of carbon credit certification and the need for clear legal frameworks, can impede the implementation of projects. Moreover, securing consistent funding is a significant challenge, as many projects rely on international investments.

To address these issues, carbon offsetting companies in Peru are advocating for more supportive policies and international cooperation. By working with the government and global organizations, they aim to create a more conducive environment for carbon offset projects to thrive.

Future Prospects The future of carbon offsetting in Peru looks promising. With increasing global awareness of climate change, there is a growing demand for carbon credits. This presents an opportunity for Peru to expand its carbon offset initiatives and further integrate sustainable practices into its economic model.

Moreover, the success of existing projects serves as a model for other countries, showcasing how carbon offsetting can be effectively implemented to achieve both environmental and socio-economic benefits. As more carbon offsetting companies in Peru continue to innovate and collaborate with local communities, the country is well-positioned to lead the way in sustainable environmental practices.

Conclusion In conclusion, carbon offsetting companies in Peru are playing a crucial role in combating climate change and promoting sustainable development. Through innovative projects and community engagement, they are creating a positive impact that extends beyond environmental benefits. As these efforts continue to grow and evolve, Peru stands out as a leader in sustainable environmental practices, setting an example for the world to follow. The commitment and ingenuity of these companies highlight the potential for carbon offsetting to drive meaningful change and secure a healthier planet for future generations.

[fursasaida]

hello!when you're not busy/if you don't mind, could you pls recommend something to read on how human rights can sometimes get hijacked in propaganda? like for example how american conservatives can use religious freedom beat on other countries, how lgbtqa rights can get disingenuously used to push islamophobic agenda etc idk if this makes sense basically how human rights can be a complicated situated subject. sorry to bother you! you just seem to know everything ;_; pls feel free ignore this ask

Hi! I’m alive again.

Trafficking Women’s Human Rights by Julieta Hua

Human Rights, Inc by Joseph Slaughter

This is somewhat oblique but relevant: The Protestant Ethnic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Rey Chow

Again, not directly about human rights but still illuminating: “Uncommoning Nature: Stories from the anthropo-not-seen” by Marisol de la Cadena (from the book Anthropos and the Material)

If I had my wits about me a little more I’d look for some shorter articles to suggest, because I know a bunch of academic books is kind of a steep hill to climb. But I don’t know when I’ll have the wherewithal to do that properly, so I’d rather answer you now. Feel free to send another ask later if you can’t get access to these, or if you need something a little less demanding!

The main thing to remember, I think, is that the concept of “rights” as abstract freedoms that are distributed equally and inherently across every individual is not universal. That is, a basic respect for people and their ability to live their lives is not the same as “human rights.” Human rights is a legal framework that developed directly out of both the Enlightenment and colonialism; the mission to bring “human rights” to the world is very often a reinscription of the colonial mission to “civilize” the world that Western Europe and the US engaged in. To be “included” in this system is also to be produced as a particular kind of (autonomous, socially/culturally un-differentiated) individual, which may not be what the people targeted by this mission want.

To take de la Cadena’s chapter as an example, the Peruvian state wants to “develop” the land of the Awajun Wampis mainly for its own profit; but part of why they see doing this as unproblematic is because they make certain assumptions about what is “good for” Awajun Wampis–jobs, money, infrastructure, connection to urban centers, etc. (To be clear, the point here isn’t that the state is fundamentally benevolent, but that the state makes assumptions about what “any rational individual” would and should want.) But all of those assumptions are based on the idea that Awajun Wampis see themselves as individuals with certain kinds of “interests” that are ultimately the same as those held by the individuals who make up the state. Meanwhile, Awajun Wampis see themselves as “being-with” the watercourses and land that make up their territory; they aren’t separable from those other forms of life. Or rather, to make them separate would make them no longer Awajun Wampis.  The “development” that the state wants to bring them would destroy that “being-with.” As one of the resisting activists quoted in the chapter says [paraphrasing from memory], “no one asked us if we wanted their development.” The point here is not that Awajun Wampis are pre-modern noble savages who ~respect the earth~. (That idea only makes sense from the same Enlightenment point of view that a) casts “The Earth” as something separate which it is moral to “respect,” and b) assumes that it is unusual or optional–even if charmingly or transcendently so–to respect this alienated other.) The point is instead that the idea of the individual as autonomous is a set of Enlightenment assumptions built into the very concept of “human” as it is generally used now in these discussions. As a result, the “rights” of human rights are devised in service of that kind of atomized individual. To be granted “human rights” is also to be folded into a system that quite likely deprives you of other things, not least other ways of being and understanding your place in the world.

In terms of how this is weaponized, I think a very telling example is how, after Ferguson, the current president of Egypt started making a lot of noise about how the US has no right to go around dictating human rights to other countries. Sisi fucking sucks, and his point was in service of bad ambitions (being left alone to continue repressing Egyptian society), but he was right that hypocrisy was evident. That moment points to how, again, because “human rights” is organized around an Enlightenment and colonial idea of “human,” certain kinds of people are always conceived as not quite ready for human rights, not fully deserving of them, or not yet having fully put them into practice. This can be weaponized in two different ways. One is to say that “because you (as a non-white people, or as people who don’t believe in property, etc.) are not doing human rights right, we have a higher right to force you to behave differently. In the name of rights! It’s obviously right!” This is basically the story of U.S. foreign policy when it comes to human rights. The other is to say “because you are not consistent with our notion of human, we have no obligation to respect your human rights.” This is what happened in Ferguson in the first place. These forms get used interchangeably according to whatever is convenient for those with the power in the specific situation, but the point is that “human rights” only means something if someone is outside it. That is, human rights is a project that requires some people to be deprived of it or not capable of practicing it in order to sustain itself; otherwise it has no purpose. (This is where the fact that it’s a legal framework comes in. Laws exist to curb contestation; they need an outside.) So “human rights” is very often a kind of fig leaf for what is really an exercise of power, just as the civilizing or Christianizing mission was for imperialism.

To be clear, this does not have to mean a total retreat to moral/cultural relativism. Recognizing that human rights is a specific and culturally-situated paradigm doesn’t mean you can’t say anything is ever right or wrong. It just means that you need to develop your moral framework beyond that one limited paradigm. You wouldn’t accept that your moral framework couldn’t extend beyond “whatever is currently legal in your town,” right? Human rights is one current legal and moral paradigm that has attained some international hegemony; looking past it doesn’t mean abandoning ethics or politics. You just have to think hard and critically about what the basis for your ethics and politics is.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Earth just had its hottest June on record, on track for warmest July (Washington Post) The record month was boosted by a historic heat wave in Europe and unusually warm conditions across the Arctic and Eurasia.

Online bullying increases among middle and high school students (Washington Post) Twenty percent of students between the ages of 12 and 18 faced some form of bullying during the 2016-2017 school year, according to a federal report.

Cryptocurrencies, Digital Tax Top Agenda for G-7 Meeting (AP) Finance officials from the Group of Seven rich democracies will weigh risks from new digital currencies and debate how to tax tech companies like Google and Amazon when they meet at a chateau north of Paris starting Wednesday.

Iranian Diplomats, Families Living in New York Face U.S. Travel Curbs (Reuters) The United States has tightly restricted the travel of more than a dozen Iranian diplomats and their families living in New York, according to a U.S. diplomatic note to sent to the Iran mission to the United Nations and seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Small Quake Hits Mexico City, No Damage Reported (Reuters) A small earthquake struck central Mexico City on Tuesday night, jolting office towers and apartment buildings in the sprawling metropolis, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo Arrested in US (AP) Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, who faces corruption charges in his homeland, was arrested in the United States following an extradition request, U.S. and Peruvian authorities said Tuesday.

Rio Governor: Rising Police Killings ‘Normal,’ Will Continue (AP) Amid a soaring number of police killings in Rio de Janeiro, the state’s tough-talking governor said Tuesday that it was “normal” for the rate to increase and will likely keep rising during his administration.

UK’s Johnson Planning Summer 2020 Election: Times (Reuters) Boris Johnson’s team wants to hold a national election in the summer of 2020 and has started raising funds to hire more staff and prepare the Conservative Party for the contest, the Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Secret locations of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe accidentally included in report from NATO parliament (Reuters) A recently released--and subsequently deleted--document published by a NATO-affiliated body has sparked headlines in Europe with an apparent confirmation of a long-held open secret: U.S. nuclear weapons are being stored in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. A version of the document, titled “A new era for nuclear deterrence? Modernisation, arms control and allied nuclear forces,” was published in April. But what would make news months later is a passing reference that appeared to reveal the location of roughly 150 U.S. nuclear weapons being stored in Europe. According to a copy of the document published Tuesday by Belgian newspaper De Morgen, a section on the nuclear arsenal read: “These bombs are stored at six US and European bases--Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Büchel in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi-Torre in Italy, Volkel in The Netherlands, and Incirlik in Turkey.”

EU parliament confirms von der Leyen as next executive head (Reuters) The European Parliament on Tuesday confirmed Ursula von der Leyen, a German conservative, as the next president of the executive EU Commission by 383 votes to 327 against, the speaker of the assembly, David Sassoli, said.

Tariffs on China Don’t Cover the Costs of Trump’s Trade War (NYT) The president’s payments to farmers hurt by Chinese retaliation have so far exceeded the revenue from tariffs on imports of Chinese goods.

Hong Kong protests challenge China with no end in sight (AP) What began as a protest against an extradition bill has ballooned into a fundamental challenge to the way Hong Kong is governed--and the role of the Chinese government in the city’s affairs. “Hong Kong is not China” has become a refrain of the movement in what is a Chinese territory, but with its own laws and a separate legal system under a “one country, two systems” framework. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Hong Kong in three marches last month to oppose the extradition legislation, which would have allowed suspects to be sent to face trial in mainland China, where critics say their legal rights would be threatened. In recent weeks, the demonstrations have also included two smaller protests led by nativist-leaning groups against an influx of mainland Chinese into the city of 7.4 million people. All of it traces back to an underlying mistrust of the Hong Kong and Beijing authorities, which fuels calls for a more responsive government that protesters believe democracy would bring.

Taiwan Issues Warnings for Year’s First Typhoon as Thousands Evacuated (Reuters) Taiwan moved thousands of people to safety on Wednesday as the island braced for its first typhoon this year, as airlines cancelled domestic flights and authorities issued warnings about floods and high seas.

North Korea suggests it might lift weapons test moratorium (AP) North Korea on Tuesday suggested it might call off its 20-month suspension of nuclear and missile tests because of summertime U.S.-South Korean military drills that the North calls preparation for an eventual invasion. The statement by the North’s Foreign Ministry comes during a general deadlock in nuclear talks, but after an extraordinary meeting of the U.S. and North Korean leaders at the Korean border that raised hopes that negotiations would soon resume. The comments ramp up pressure on the United States ahead of any new talks.

Relations between Japan and South Korea worsen (Reuters) South Koreans forced to work for Japanese occupiers will seek a court order to forcibly liquidate Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ assets to compensate them, their lawyers said, risking more Japanese anger over the issue. The question of compensation for South Koreans for labor during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of the Korean peninsula has soured the U.S. allies’ relations, which took a turn for the worse this month when Japan restricted exports of high-tech material to South Korea. The export restrictions threaten global supplies of memory chips and smartphones.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Myanmar Military Leaders Over Rohingya Abuses (Reuters) The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday against the Myanmar military’s Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and other leaders it said were responsible for extrajudicial killings of Rohingya Muslims, barring them from entry to the United States.

Yemen’s Houthis Say Launched Drone Attack on Saudi’s Jizan Airport (Reuters) Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said it launched a drone attack on Jizan airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border early on Wednesday.

[cryptoworldpage]

A bill aimed at providing a legal foundation for the cryptocurrency market has been submitted to the Peruvian Congress, which will now debate the plenary legislation to approve it. The document, which can be seen on the official website of the Peruvian legislature, covers various important facets of the country’s growing ecosystem. Furthermore, the project, which is formally known as the “Framework Law for the Commercialization of Cryptoassets,” was introduced by Podemos Peru parliamentarian José Elías Ávalos. According to the politician, the bill’s purpose is to regulate organizations that provide cryptocurrency services, such as Bitcoin exchanges and digital wallets, among other things. ————————————————————————- Like| Comment| Follow| share Are you a crypto trader/investor? Follow @cryptoworldpage Get daily crypto news update & free telegram signal channel Any questions | Comment below ⬇️ OR slide in our DM ————————————————————————- #cryptoworldpage #bnb #cryptocurrency #crypto #nftcollector #cryptoworldwide #btc #blockchaintechnology #meta #btcnews #altcoinnews #nftdrop #coinbasewallet #dogecoin #airdrops #blockchaintechnology #nft #eth #shibaarmy #blockchainnews #babydoge #cryptonewsdaily #metaverse #cryptoinfo #altcoin #cryptonews24 #cryptonews #cryptoinvestor #cryptobull https://www.instagram.com/cryptoworldpage/p/CYUqhBGIPzF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[capital10x]

Peru Unveils Blueprint for Medicinal Marijuana Industry

Peruvian Health Minister Zumela Tomas has unveiled a framework for the country’s new medicinal cannabis industry after more than a year of deliberations. The government decided to legalize medicinal marijuana in November 2017 with the passing of Law No. 30681, but it has only just published the regulation this week. Now Tomas has revealed what Peru’s new medicinal market will look like after declaring that 7,596 patients across the country need cannabis urgently. The Ministry of Health has decided to subsidize the medication for those in need, and it can be prescribed at a number of clinics around the country. Laboratories and pharmaceutical centres are being developed across Peru, producing a range of derivatives for medical use. Following a 14-month wait, licensed doctors can prescribe cannabis to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, side effects of chemotherapy, and other ailments. The Ministry of Health is now beginning a scheme to train doctors about how to prescribe cannabis and educate them about its manifold benefits. The UK recently legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes, but the industry is yet to take off as strict guidelines prevent doctors from prescribing it to all but a handful of patients, while little has been done to educate them. The initiatives underway in Peru should hopefully prevent a similar situation from arising. Peru is the fourth largest country in South America, with a population of 32 million people, and it is the 39th largest economy in the world by total GDP. It, therefore, represents a significant opportunity for the global marijuana industry and several big North American companies are targeting it as they make significant inroads into the continent. One company bidding to become a leading light in Peru’s nascent industry is Canada’s Plena Global. Its director of government affairs and partnerships in South America, Rafael Canovas Newell, said: The lobbying group Esperanza Mothers, which campaigned for legalization of medical marijuana in Peru, said the new guidelines were a step in the right direction, but urged the government to go one step further and permit personal cultivation. Read the full article

[lexiai]

Navigate South American Laws with LexiAI’s Legal AI Chatbots

[grizzlemedia-blog]

Peru Unveils Blueprint for Medicinal Marijuana Industry

Peruvian Health Minister Zumela Tomas has unveiled a framework for the country’s new medicinal cannabis industry after more than a year of deliberations. The government decided to legalize medicinal marijuana in November 2017 with the passing of Law No. 30681, but it has only just published the regulation this week. Now Tomas has revealed what Peru’s new medicinal market will look like after declaring that 7,596 patients across the country need cannabis urgently. The Ministry of Health has decided to subsidize the medication for those in need, and it can be prescribed at a number of clinics around the country. Laboratories and pharmaceutical centres are being developed across Peru, producing a range of derivatives for medical use. Following a 14-month wait, licensed doctors can prescribe cannabis to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, side effects of chemotherapy, and other ailments. The Ministry of Health is now beginning a scheme to train doctors about how to prescribe cannabis and educate them about its manifold benefits. The UK recently legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes, but the industry is yet to take off as strict guidelines prevent doctors from prescribing it to all but a handful of patients, while little has been done to educate them. The initiatives underway in Peru should hopefully prevent a similar situation from arising. Peru is the fourth largest country in South America, with a population of 32 million people, and it is the 39th largest economy in the world by total GDP. It, therefore, represents a significant opportunity for the global marijuana industry and several big North American companies are targeting it as they make significant inroads into the continent. One company bidding to become a leading light in Peru’s nascent industry is Canada’s Plena Global. Its director of government affairs and partnerships in South America, Rafael Canovas Newell, said: The lobbying group Esperanza Mothers, which campaigned for legalization of medical marijuana in Peru, said the new guidelines were a step in the right direction, but urged the government to go one step further and permit personal cultivation. Read the full article

[sandlerresearch]

Peru Cards and Payments - Opportunities and Risks to 2024 published on

https://www.sandlerresearch.org/peru-cards-and-payments-opportunities-and-risks-to-2024.html

Peru Cards and Payments - Opportunities and Risks to 2024

Peru Cards and Payments – Opportunities and Risks to 2024

Summary

GlobalData’s ‘Peru Cards and Payments – Opportunities and Risks to 2024’ report provides detailed analysis of market trends in Peru’s cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cards, credit transfers, cheques, and direct debits during the review-period (2016-20e).

The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2020e-24f). It also offers information on the country’s competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes.

The report brings together GlobalData’s research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure.

This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into Peru’s cards and payments industry, including – – Current and forecast values for each market in Peru’s cards and payments industry, including debit and credit cards. – Detailed insights into payment instruments including cards, credit transfers, cheques, and direct debits. It also, includes an overview of the country’s key alternative payment instruments. – E-commerce market analysis . – Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing Peru’s cards and payments industry. – Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and credit cards.

Scope

– Payments via QR codes are gaining prominence in Peru. To enhance security and standardize QR code payments, on February 2, 2020 Banco Central de Reserva del Perú (the country’s central bank) introduced the Regulation of the Payment Service with Quick Response Codes. The regulation establishes a standard for payments made using QR codes and sets a legal framework for service providers and payment networks. The regulation mandates that issuers and service providers follow the international standard EMV QR Code specification for payment systems. – Contactless payments are gaining prominence in the country, with major banks including BBVA Continental, BCP, and Interbank now offering contactless cards. As per BBVA Continental data reported in November 2019, 10% of all card payments in the market are made via contactless technology. Contactless acceptance is now being extended to public transport and malls. In July 2020, the Urban Transport Authority enabled debit, credit, and prepaid card holders to make contactless payments for buses in Peru. As per the authority, 300 units will be installed on buses to accept contactless payments. In July 2020, Mall Aventura started implementing contactless payments among retailers in the mall. Meanwhile, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will further drive contactless payments for low-value day-to-day transactions as consumers refrain from using cash in order to contain the spread of the virus. – To capitalize on the growing credit card space, fintech companies are also entering the market. In 2020, digital-only bank B89 announced it would launch Visa credit cards in Peru with a special focus on young Peruvians and millennials. The company claims it has over 2,000 clients on the waiting list for its credit cards. The bank will officially launch in January 2021.

Reasons to Buy

– Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to Peru’s cards and payments industry and each market within it. – Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in Peru’s cards and payments industry. – Assess the competitive dynamics in Peru’s cards and payments industry. – Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Peru. – Gain insights into key regulations governing Peru’s cards and payments industry.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

U.S. Has Disqualified Itself From Mideast Peace Process: Abbas (Reuters) The United States has “disqualified” itself from the Middle East peace process due to its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.

South Africa’s Zuma Seeks to Appeal Ruling on Influence-Peddling (Reuters) South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has sought leave to appeal a court ruling ordering him to set up a judicial inquiry into influence-peddling in his government, local television channel eNCA reported on Friday.

China Tells U.S. Not to Be a ‘Human Rights Judge’ After Sanctions on Chinese Official (Reuters) China on Friday urged the United States not to set itself up as a “human rights judge” and denounced the U.S. Treasury Department for punishing a Chinese public security official for alleged rights abuses.

Pakistan Closes 27 NGOs in What Activists See as Widening Crackdown (Reuters) Pakistan has ordered 27 international aid groups to shut down for working in unauthorized areas, spurring human rights campaigners to denounce swelling constraints on free speech and humanitarian work.

Peruvian President Divides Opposition to Avert Ousting (Reuters) Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has thwarted a bid in Congress to force him out over a graft scandal, as an opposition lawmaker accused him of securing votes by promising to free ex-president Alberto Fujimori from jail.

Explosion Outside Athens Court Shatters Windows, No Injuries (Reuters) A makeshift bomb exploded outside a Greek court in Athens early on Friday shattering windows and damaging the facade of the building, police officials said.

Hong Kong Leader Says She Won’t Blindly Obey Beijing’s Orders (Reuters) Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said she would not blindly obey the orders of Communist Party leaders in Beijing, while admitting the government has no way to suppress skyrocketing prices in one of the most expensive property markets in the world.

PM Orban: Hungary Will Block Any Punitive EU Action on Poland (Reuters) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday said that Hungary sees a strong Poland as a vital component of a central European caucus within the European Union, and so will block any action to suspend Poland’s voting rights in the EU.

UK’s Johnson, on Moscow Visit, Tells Moscow to Stop Meddling in Europe (Reuters) British foreign minister Boris Johnson told his Russian counterpart on Friday he wanted to talk about difficult subjects such as Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and what he described as Russia’s destabilizing of the western Balkans.

Indonesia Holds Cabinet Meeting in Bali as Volcano Threatens Tourism (Reuters) Indonesian President Joko Widodo will on Friday hold his cabinet meeting on the holiday island of Bali in a bid to reassure visitors that there is nothing to worry about from the rumbling Mount Agung volcano.

Iran Detains 230 Boys and Girls for Drinking, Dancing (AP) Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency is reporting that police have detained 230 boys and girls at separate parties in the capital Tehran in which alcohol was involved.

India, China Hold Talks on Long-Pending Border Dispute (AP) India and China are holding border talks with focus on ways to prevent a repeat of a recent face-off between their armed forces at a Himalayan plateau where China, India and Bhutan meet.

Mexico Enacts Military Policing Law Over Rights Objections (AP) President Enrique Pena Nieto enacted a controversial bill Thursday giving the military a legal framework to operate as police on Mexican soil over widespread objections from human rights groups.

[itsfinancethings]

(CARACAS, Venezuela) — A former Green Beret has taken responsibility for what he claimed was a failed attack Sunday aimed at overthrowing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and that the socialist government said ended with eight dead.

Jordan Goudreau’s comments in an interview with an exiled Venezuelan journalist capped a bizarre day that started with reports of a predawn amphibious raid near the South American country’s heavily guarded capital.

An AP investigation published Friday found that Goudreau had been working with a retired Venezuelan army general now facing U.S. narcotics charges to train dozens of deserters from Venezuela’s security forces at secret camps inside neighboring Colombia. The goal was to mount a cross-border raid that would end in Maduro’s arrest.

But from the outset the ragtag army lacked funding and U.S. government support, all but guaranteeing defeat against Maduro’s sizable-if-demoralized military. It also appears to have been penetrated by Maduro’s extensive Cuban-backed intelligence network.

Both Goudreau and retired Venezuelan Capt. Javier Nieto declined to speak to the AP on Sunday when contacted after posting a video from an undisclosed location saying they had launched an anti-Maduro putsch called “Operation Gideon.” Both men live in Florida.

“A daring amphibious raid was launched from the border of Colombia deep into the heart of Caracas,” Goudreau, in a New York Yankees ball cap, said in the video standing next to Nieto who was dressed in armored vest with a rolled-up Venezuelan flag pinned to his shoulder. “Our units have been activated in the south, west and east of Venezuela.”

Goudreau said 60 of his men were still on the ground and calls were being activated inside Venezuela, some of them fighting under the command of Venezuelan National Guardsman Capt. Antonio Sequea, who participated in a barracks revolt against Maduro a year ago.

None of their claims of an ongoing operation could be independently verified. But Goudreau said he hoped to join the rebels soon and invited Venezuelans and Maduro’s troops to join the would-be insurgency although there was no sign of any fighting in the capital or elsewhere as night fell.

In an interview later with Miami-based journalist Patricia Poleo, he provided a contradictory account of his activities and the support he claims to have once had — and then lost — from Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader recognized as Venezuela’s interim president by the U.S. and some 60 countries.

He provided to Poleo what he said was an 8-page contract signed by Guaidó and two political advisers in Miami in October for $213 million. The alleged “general services” contract doesn’t specify what work his company, Silvercorp USA, was to undertake.

He also released via Poleo a four-minute audio recording, made on a hidden cellphone, in the moment when he purportedly signed the contract as Guaidó participated via videoconference. In the recording, a person he claims is Guaido can be heard giving vague encouragement in broken English but not discussing any military plans.

“Let’s get to work!,” said the man who is purportedly Guaido.

The AP was unable to confirm the veracity of the recording.

There was no immediate comment from Guaidó on Goudreau’s claim that the two had signed a contract. Previously, Guaidó has said he hadn’t signed any contract for a military incursion.

Goudreau said he never received a penny from the Guaidó team and instead the Venezuelan soldiers he was advising had to scrounge for donations from Venezuelan migrants driving for car share service Uber in Colombia.

“It’s almost like crowdfunded the liberating of a country,” he said.

Goudreau said everything he did was legal but in any case he’s prepared to pay the cost for anything he did if it saves the lives of Venezuelans trying to restore their democracy.

“I’ve been a freedom fighter my whole life. This is all I know,” said Goudreau, who is a decorated three-time Bronze Star recipient for courage in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a special forces medic.

Asked about why his troops would land at one of Venezuela’s most fortified coastlines — some 20 miles from Caracas next to the country’s biggest airport — he cited the example set by Alexander the Great, who had “struck deep into the heart of the enemy” at the Battle of Guagamela.

The government’s claims that it had foiled a beach landing Sunday triggered a frenzy of confusing claims and counterclaims about the alleged plot. While Maduro’s allies said it had been backed by Guaidó, Colombia and the U.S., the opposition accused Maduro of fabricating the whole episode to distract attention from the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.

“Those who assume they can attack the institutional framework in Venezuela will have to assume the consequences of their action,” said socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, adding that one of two captured insurgents claimed to be an agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Authorities said they found Peruvian documents, high-caliber weapons, satellite phones, uniforms and helmets adorned with the U.S. flag.

Both U.S. and Colombian officials dismissed the Venezuelan allegations.

“We have little reason to believe anything that comes out of the former regime,” said a State Department spokesperson, referring to Maduro’s government. “The Maduro regime has been consistent in its use of misinformation in order to shift focus from its mismanagement of Venezuela.”

Venezuela has been in a deepening political and economic crisis under Maduro’s rule. Crumbling public services such as running water, electricity and medical care have driven nearly 5 million to migrate.

The United States has led a campaign to oust Maduro, increasing pressure in recent weeks by indicting the socialist leader as a drug trafficker and offering a $15 million reward for his arrest. The U.S. also has increased stiff sanctions.

In addition to U.S. economic and diplomatic pressure, Maduro’s government has faced several small-scale military threats, including an attempt to assassinate Maduro with a drone in 2018 and Guaidó’s call for a military uprising a year ago.

Cabello linked Sunday’s attack to key players in the alleged plot led by Goudreau and Ret. Maj. Gen. Cliver Alcala, who is now in U.S. custody awaiting trial after being indicted alongside Maduro on narcoterrorist charges. One of the men he said was killed, nicknamed “the Panther,” had been identified as involved in obtaining weapons for the covert force in Colombia.

Guaidó accused Maduro’s government of seizing on the incident to draw the world’s attention away from the country’s problems.

“Of course, there are patriotic members of the military willing to fight for Venezuela,” Guaidó said. “But it’s clear that what happened in Vargas is another distraction ploy.”

___

Goodman reported from Miami.

[tonantzinagainsttrafficking]

Mexico celebrated a milestone success in repatriation of cultural heritage this year. Others have not been so lucky. These 6 countries are still attempting to recover from the illicit trading habits of one collector: Leonardo Patterson.

Leonardo Patterson with pieces of his collection. (Image source: 

https://bit.ly/1SNOy2g)

Born in 1942 in Costa Rica to Jamaican parents, Leonardo Patterson is a antiquities dealer and collector renown for the controversy and litigation surrounding him. A 2015 New York Times article describes him as an “orphan who rose from [digging] artifacts out of Central American yam fields to holding multimillion-dollar exhibitions of pre-Columbian treasures in Manhattan and Munich” (Mashberg). He got into the business through Everett Rassiga, a New York gallery owner known for trafficking. In the 1970s, Rassigna was involved in the theft of a priceless Maya object, La Fachada de Placeres. Patterson began as a salesman in one of Rassiga’s galleries, but likewise took advantage of lax antiquities trade laws in the 1960s and 70s and started dealing prior to changes prompted by the 1970 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) convention on the illegal export of cultural property (López).

Patterson & Rassiga (Image source: https://bit.ly/2Cz4lVE & 

https://bit.ly/2eZwXLU)

Rassiga was involved in the theft of this piece, La Fachada de Placeres (Image source:  https://elpais.com/internacional/2018/04/06/la_serpiente_emplumada/1523042975_396958.html)

As restrictions tightened, Patterson became the subject of several legal cases regarding the sale and repatriation of illicit and inauthentic Precolumbian (a standard but problematic term in the art world) artifacts. In fact, Patterson has one of the longest criminal records of any prominent art dealer/collector: three detentions and five sentences for different offenses. In a May 2016 report in Der Spiegel magazine, he admits to journalist Konstantin von Hammerstein, “all these objects of art came into my possession thanks to a network of collaborators who explored archaeological sites in different countries” (quoted in López).

In 1984 the FBI charged Patterson with wire fraud via his attempt to sell an inauthentic Maya fresco to dealer Wayne Anderson for $100,000. Allegedly, he told Anderson that the fresco had been authenticated by Donald Hales, a Maya researcher in California that is associated with some of the publications of Maya vases that went on to become part of the November Collection, discussed in our last blog. Hales clarified that Patterson brought him to Switzerland to asses five frescos in a Swiss collection, but that the fresco in question was not among them. Patterson also claimed that Paul Clifford, an appraiser in North Carolina, had authenticated the fresco. Once Patterson was arrested, the fresco was deemed a fake by Clemency Coggins, the same archaeologist and art historian that went on to advise the Museum of Fine Arts Boston not to acquire the November Collection. Patterson was sentenced to probation (Yates).

The following year, while still on probation, he was arrested at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, found to be in possession of an undeclared Precolumbian figurine (dated between A.D. 650 and A.D. 850) and, bizarrely, 36 endangered sea turtle eggs that he claimed were part of a diet for his health. This time, he was sentenced to a year in prison on smuggling charges (Yates & Mashberg).

Patterson’s time in the U.N. was brief. (Image source: https://bit.ly/2eZwXLU)

Despite these convictions, he was appointed cultural attaché, or cultural diplomat, to the UN in 1995; he resigned, however, when questions about his past began to loom. He then began spending more time in Europe, particularly Germany where he now resides. He started hosting exhibitions and sales in France and Spain, but curators became suspicious of both the items’ authenticity and provenance. In 1996, Patterson put his private collection of Precolumbian art on display in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This exhibit led to an Interpol alert regarding the illicit provenance (origin) of his collection (López).

That same year, Peruvian collector Raúl Apesteguía was brutally murdered. The day of the crime, one of his most important pieces, a golden Moche headdress, disappeared from his home in Lima. In 2006, a decade later, it was found at the home of Patterson’s lawyer in London. This connection to Patterson is certainly alarming, but Peruvian prosecutors failed to investigate the links to this case, which remains unpunished (López). Peru has, however, sought repatriation of the objects found in Patterson’s collection displayed in Spain.

The Moche headdress stolen from Apesteguía the day of his murder. (Image source: https://bit.ly/2yPSG1m)

In fact, the Interpol alert following the 1996 exhibit in Santiago de Compostela prompted five countries, Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Colombia to press charges against him in 2004, while a 6th, Ecuador, did not press charges but sought repatriation (López). Spanish officials attempted to keep his collection in Spain as these claims were addressed, but Patterson was able to send most of it “home” to Germany (Mashberg).

Unfortunately for the countries seeking repatriation, Germany has placed significant (and arguably ridiculous) financial and infrastructural roadblocks in their way. Germany demands 90,000 euros from each of the claimant states in order to pay for the investigation and storage of the objects. Furthermore, the German Law on the Repatriation of Cultural Heritage requires the the affected state to show that the item is registered in a database of all cultural artifacts that is not only available to the general public but the GERMAN public as well. To add insult to injury, the law also determines that only objects that entered Germany AFTER 2007 can be returned because Germany only chose to ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in November 2007, 35 years after its establishment. Due to this rigid framework, the Bavarian Supreme Administrative Litigation Court rejected requests from Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia for restitution of archaeological pieces in 2010 (López). However, some monumental yet minuscule victories have been won by those with sufficient resources.

This graph shows how GDP per capita in these regions compares to global superpower the United States (The “1” in the graph represents 100% of the U.S. GDP per capita). It demonstrates the effects of barriers to growth in Latin America by showing how the region has fallen economically as others rise. In 1950, the average Latin American country’s GDP per capita was 28% of that of the U.S., but this fell to 22% by 2000. Meanwhile, the average European country fared much better, enjoying a rise from 40% in 1950 to 67% of U.S. GDP per capita in 2000 (Image source: https://bit.ly/2S5bKBt).

This illustrates the weakening of Latin American countries in this period, during which looting and illicit trafficking of cultural property was most rampant. It is no wonder that many of these countries that brought suit against Germany were no match for its economic advantage and significant financial barriers to repatriation.

Peru

Peru got lucky; it was the first country to discover the illegal origin of Patterson’s collection and in 2006 began diplomatic negotiations with Spain to repatriate items. 273 items that had been stored in a warehouse in Santiago de Compostela were returned to Peru; however, four textiles (from the Chimú and Nazca-Wari cultures) remain outstanding and nine pieces of Prehispanic goldsmithing, found in the 1996 exhibition catalogue, were not recovered at the warehouse. Peru’s Ministry of Culture has sent four letters to Germany requesting their recovery and return, all rejected (López).

This is not one of the Moche textiles Peru is requesting from Germany. However, while searching for a photo example I stumbled upon this site, antiques.com, that appears to list artifacts like these available at galleries worldwide. How jarring it is to see an invaluable piece of cultural heritage available for just a few hundred dollars online. (Image source: https://bit.ly/2yqdYn1)

Guatemala

Guatemala attempted to recover 369 Maya artifacts from Patterson’s collection but has been forced to desist due to being unable to meet the requirements set by Germany. The main issue is that the objects do not appear in an official registry because they were looted from sites that had not yet been formally explored! Furthermore, Guatemala did not allocate a sufficient budget for an expert to travel to Munich and investigate; therefore, an investigation of the objects was conducted only using photographs. The state also did not invest in legal counsel. The country’s resources are simply lacking (López).

In 2013, both Peru and Guatemala requested the extradition of Patterson while he was in Spain. He appeared in court in Santiago de Compostela on charges of smuggling cultural property, prompted by the illegal shipping of his collection to Germany when he began to face allegations. Unfortunately he was acquitted, after which he returned Munich, where the extradition requests were voided as Peru and Guatemala do not hold extradition treaties with Germany. Furthermore, Germany does not consider the possession of cultural assets in private hands as a crime (López).

Costa Rica

Costa Rica, Patterson’s home country, sought to repatriate 497 items, but also lacked resources to to undertake a proper investigation. In 2009, the National Museum of Costa Rica found itself unable to afford the expenses required by Germany to conduct the investigative process. Costa Rica was only able to procure two objects that had been left by Patterson in Spain, a vase and a grinding stone. Yet, they never made it home— both disappeared from the Costa Rican Embassy in Madrid in 2010. As if that wasn’t enough of a blow, Germany offered Costa Rica the opportunity to to be appointed legal custodian of the Patterson Collection, but this was contingent on a provided guarantee of several million euros! The country could not spare such a great expense. Rocío Fernández, Director of the National Museum of Costa Rica, says of Patterson and the art trade:

Patterson made a business out of archeology and the falsification of objects.  He linked himself politically with the ruling class in Costa Rica during all its governments. He had a gift for deceiving people. That is what makes one wonder how the [art] market works. (quoted in López)

Ecuador & Colombia

Ecuador and Colombia were also unsuccessful in procuring their stolen items. Ecuador identified 121 cultural artifacts from photos on a disk provided by Interpol in 2008. It, however, did not place a criminal complaint against Patterson (for reasons I was unable to determine). Though it filed a complaint with German authorities for not providing access to documents regarding the case against him in Munich, Ecuador suspended its requests for repatriation in 2010. I was not able to find much information on Colombia’s efforts for repatriation, but it has also suspended its claim within the last few years (López). Though sources were not clear, it seems that as of 2016, both countries may have backed down due to the unreasonable stipulations within the German Law on the Repatriation of Cultural Heritage mentioned earlier.

Mexico

Mexico, however, has recently made headlines in its successful repatriation of two 3,000 year-old wooden Olmec busts earlier this year (2018). 

One of the busts repatriated to Mexico. The busts are examples of the Olmec culture from the El Manati site, thought to be looted shortly after its excavation in the 1980s. (Image source: https://bit.ly/2q2ufKb)

The Patterson Collection has 690 pieces of Mexican origin, and Mexican officials claim to have linked more than 200 pieces to Luis Bianchi, a deceased forger of pre-Columbian artifacts (teleSUR; Mashberg). They describe these pieces of his multi-million dollar collection as consisting of a mixture of “terra-cotta, basalt stone and limestone busts; terra-cotta kettles and urns; obsidian and stone projectile tips and knives; braziers and incense burners; obsidian ornaments; stone seals; incense holders; cases; and necklaces and strings” (Mashberg).

The second Olmec bust repatriated to Mexico.

Though he was acquitted in the 2013 trial in Spain, in November 2015 Patterson was found guilty by a Munich court for both dealing inauthentic works and possessing looted artifacts. He was fined $40,000, his passport was confiscated, and he was sentenced to probation and house arrest for three years. He was also, in a monumental victory for repatriation in Mexico, ordered to return two carved wooden Olmec heads, valued at over $50,000 each. Though the lawyer representing Mexico, Robert A. Kugler, calls this a “milestone verdict,” the fight is not over. Mexico still has motive to reclaim other items from Patterson’s collection of at least 1,029 Aztec, Maya, and Olmec artifacts (Mashberg). After a ten-year trial, and over two years after the ruling, the Olmec heads were handed to Mexican authorities this spring.

Countless other items are still in limbo.

What is significant and maddening about these cases is the stringent guidelines placed by Germany in order for these countries to recoup what has been stolen from them. The financial restrictions are especially telling; Germany knows countries that have lost cultural artifacts to illicit means are often suffering from weakened infrastructure due to war, poverty, and other devastations. It holds much greater economic power yet has inflated financial restrictions to offset what little chance countries like Guatemala, still recovering from over 30 years of civil war and foreign extraction, have to recover the pieces of cultural patrimony they have been stripped of. It even had the audacity to suggest that claims before 2007 are not valid, but that is only because that is the year Germany CHOSE to ratify the UN Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Germany has the money and the power to make its own rules and force disenfranchised countries to abide by them. I hope that countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia in the future will share similar successes with Peru and Mexico and that all will continue to push back against these oppressive and unreasonable guidelines set by German law.

This graph shows countries/regions’ share of global GDP. Note Germany’s percentage of 4.54%, while Mexico is the only one of the Latin American countries discussed today that even registers here, at 1.54%. This is just a further illustration of Germany’s significantly greater economic advantage. (Image source: https://bit.ly/2lyEhzH)

***Just added 11/9/18***

Video of the repatriation with background information

https://youtu.be/CvGuli-0g1s

______________________________________________________________________________

Works Cited/Learn more

López: https://memoriarobada.ojo-publico.com/investigaciones/diplomats-and-collectors-under-suspicion-in-the-trafficking-of-latin-american-art/

Mashberg: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/arts/design/antiquities-dealer-leonardo-patterson-faces-new-criminal-charges.html

Yates: https://traffickingculture.org/encyclopedia/case-studies/maya-fresco-fake/

[hjelm50grossman-blog]

Medicine For Moody ( 2008).

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) wased initially grown and also utilized by Native Americans in the Southern United States, thus a lot of our plant medicines.. Relationships have to remain in place with medical companies that will certainly examine for and deal with contagious conditions, consisting of STDs, HIV infection, TB, hepatitis B as well as C, and also various other wellness problems. Traditional Chinese medicine experts advise adding natural herbs high in vitamin C such as citrus to combat this result. It advised that the Medication Enforcement Administration as well as the Customs Service concentrate much less on obstructing marijuana as well as cocaine traffickers as well as even more on heroin. As the leading rooftop solar provider in the nation, SolarCity is thought to have the largest collection of information on exactly how solar customers utilize power at every minute of the day. The legal action comes amid federal examinations and congressional hearings right into the escalating prices of therapies and also life-saving substance abuse to battle an opioid dependency crisis that has actually claimed greater than 250,000 lives in the US over the past 15 years. However after a collection of profession dissatisfactions in the very early 1990s, Simpson began to stay clear of service associates as well as binge greatly on prescription drugs as well as unhealthy food, resources claim. Since it is estimated that approximately 44 to 70 percent of females who abuse compounds have a history of physical, emotional, and also sexual abuse (Moylan et al. 2001; Stevens et al. 1997 ), care ought to be offered to the convenience of the people during the examination. Because these patients commonly experience no indicators or signs and symptoms, the altitudes of liver enzymes generally are discovered when blood examinations are carried out as a part of a yearly physical examination, as pre-operative screening, or as a component of regular surveillance for medication poisoning. Non-degradable polymers utilized in drug distribution are identified by tissue/blood compatibility, durability, robust framework and mechanical toughness during in vivo application. We have actually evolved from an energy firm to something which is more of an integrated service," Mr Petrie states. Europe is a recession-struck continent dependent on a Kremlin-controlled power price.

There is no doubt Power Transfer readies at tax obligation preparation, but these type of machinations are locking the company right into the deal. The clip remains to be shared commonly on Peruvian social media as well as several are hoping this will certainly lead to the identification of both the woman and also the man so the police could follow up. click here now of respondents (69 percent) were pleased with the effects of alternative as well as complementary medicine. Demencia Black, a drug dealer in the resources of Bogota, stated the drug is frightening for the simplicity where it could be carried out. For routine energy beverage customers, it takes about 7-12 days for the body to adapt to a normal intake of high levels of caffeine, according to the infographic. Last month, in the first case of its kind, Fight it out Power consented to pay $1 million in fines after a subsidiary begged guilty in government court in Wyoming to breaking the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Glucophage is not approved by the UNITED STATE Food and Drug Administration for weight loss or for the treatment of PCOS. I take LDN, an alternative medicine that stabilizes the immune system, take a great lots of supplements, stay clear of gluten & dairy products. and just consume as healthy and balanced as I could afford. The man, who has actually not been called by his doctors, claimed he had actually developed anorexia as well as aggravating stomach discomfort after he began consuming alcohol four to 5 cans of energy drinks every day to remain awake at the office. The authors of the report, called Livestock's Lengthy Darkness, did not simply count the methane from the belching, farting cattle, but the gases released from the manures that they generate, the oil shed taking their carcasses to markets typically countless miles away, the power had to maintain the meat cool, the gas used to cook it, the energy should plough as well as gather the areas that grow the plants that the pets consume, also pumping the water that the livestocks require. Making your personal power bars at home from healthy whole components is a great means to get real" food throughout the day, without all the added sugar. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen created the medication aducanumab and funded the research, which mainly examined its safety and security in people as well as was not designed to evaluate for cerebral benefits for individuals. Surprising CCTV footage shows the unidentified male stepping out of a taxi as well as marching boldy towards his companion who was standing near an entrance. Yearly like clockwork, Biogen and Teva have enhanced the costs on their multiple sclerosis medications not because they are doing extra study on the medicine however to maintain profits and also earnings with diminishing market share. While limited or occasional consumption of power beverages is unlikely to impact the liver, frequent as well as long-lasting intake of sugar-sweetened or alcohols may pose threats to liver health and wellness. The outcomes of drug testing should remain confidential and also kept separate from the normal worker job file. While http://magicdiet-blog.info has a similar medicines plan to the UK Ireland has actually been the leading the way on the control of 'lawful highs'.

[frankweatonenvironmentalengineer]

Can we regulate small and rural water supply and sanitation operators in Latin America?

The recent reforms in the water supply and sanitation (WSS) legal framework in Peru has given the National Superintendence of Water Supply and Sanitation Services of Peru (SUNASS) a new role in the regulation and supervision of service providers in small towns and rural communities, expanding its regulatory action beyond the urban area scope. Therefore, SUNASS needs to develop a regulatory framework and tools to effectively supervise around 28,000 small and rural operators, which provide service to 21% of the Peruvian population.  

from The Water Blog https://ift.tt/2HZHRfT

[capital10x]

Peru Unveils Blueprint for Medicinal Marijuana Industry

Peruvian Health Minister Zumela Tomas has unveiled a framework for the country’s new medicinal cannabis industry after more than a year of deliberations. The government decided to legalize medicinal marijuana in November 2017 with the passing of Law No. 30681, but it has only just published the regulation this week. Now Tomas has revealed what Peru’s new medicinal market will look like after declaring that 7,596 patients across the country need cannabis urgently. The Ministry of Health has decided to subsidize the medication for those in need, and it can be prescribed at a number of clinics around the country. Laboratories and pharmaceutical centres are being developed across Peru, producing a range of derivatives for medical use. Following a 14-month wait, licensed doctors can prescribe cannabis to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, side effects of chemotherapy, and other ailments. The Ministry of Health is now beginning a scheme to train doctors about how to prescribe cannabis and educate them about its manifold benefits. The UK recently legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes, but the industry is yet to take off as strict guidelines prevent doctors from prescribing it to all but a handful of patients, while little has been done to educate them. The initiatives underway in Peru should hopefully prevent a similar situation from arising. Peru is the fourth largest country in South America, with a population of 32 million people, and it is the 39th largest economy in the world by total GDP. It, therefore, represents a significant opportunity for the global marijuana industry and several big North American companies are targeting it as they make significant inroads into the continent. One company bidding to become a leading light in Peru’s nascent industry is Canada’s Plena Global. Its director of government affairs and partnerships in South America, Rafael Canovas Newell, said: The lobbying group Esperanza Mothers, which campaigned for legalization of medical marijuana in Peru, said the new guidelines were a step in the right direction, but urged the government to go one step further and permit personal cultivation. Read the full article

[djgblogger-blog]

Rights of the dead and the living clash when scientists extract DNA from human remains

http://bit.ly/2q9DQhW

Who gets to decide for the dead, such as this Egyptian mummy? AP Photo/Ric Feld

The remains of a 6-inch long mummy from Chile are not those of a space alien, according to recently reported research. The tiny body with its strange features – a pointed head, elongated bones – had been the subject of fierce debate over whether a UFO might have left it behind. The scientists gained access to the body, which is now in a private collection, and their DNA testing proved the remains are those of a human fetus. The undeveloped girl suffered from a bone disease and was the child of an unknown local Atacama woman.

This study was supposed to end the mummy’s controversy. Instead, it ignited another one.

The mummified fetus from the Atacama region of Chile. Bhattacharya S et al. 2018, CC BY

Authorities in Chile have denounced the research. They believe a looter plundered the girl from her grave and illegally took her from the country. The Chilean Society of Biological Anthropology issued a damning statement. It asked, “Could you imagine the same study carried out using the corpse of someone’s miscarried baby in Europe or America?”

As an archaeologist, I share in the excitement around how technology and techniques to study DNA are leaping ahead. As never before, the mysteries of our bodies and histories are finding exciting answers – from the revelation that humans interbred with Neanderthals, to how Britain was populated, to the enigma of a decapitated Egyptian mummy.

But, I have also closely studied the history of collecting human remains for science. I am gravely concerned that the current “bone rush” to make new genetic discoveries has set off an ethical crisis.

Plundering skulls for science

We have seen a rush for human remains before. More than a century ago, anthropologists were eager to assemble collections of skeletons. They were building a science of humanity and needed samples of skulls and bones to determine evolutionary history and define the characteristics of human races.

Museums were mad for skeletons around the turn of the 20th century. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, CC BY

Researchers emptied cemeteries and excavated ancient tombs. They took skulls from massacre sites. “It is most unpleasant work to steal bones from a grave,” the father of anthropology, Franz Boas, once grumbled, “but what is the use, someone has to do it.”

The case of Qisuk, an Inuit man, provides an especially egregious example. In 1897, the explorer Robert Peary brought Qisuk and five others to New York from Greenland, so anthropologists could more easily study their culture. Four of them, including Qisuk, soon died of tuberculosis.

Anthropologists and doctors conspired to fake Qisuk’s burial to trick his surviving 8-year-old son, then dissected the body and defleshed the bones. Qisuk’s skeleton was mounted and hung at the American Museum of Natural History. (It is still disputed today whether Qisuk was only stored at the museum or put on public display.)

By the end of the 20th century, U.S. museums held the remains of some 200,000 Native American skeletons.

These skeletons helped write the American continent’s history and foster an appreciation for Native cultures. Yet the insights gleaned from these gathered remains came at a steep price: Native Americans’ religious freedoms and human rights were systematically violated. Many Native Americans believe their ancestors’ spirits have been left to wander. Others insist that all ancestors should be afforded honor and their graves should be protected.

Today, a U.S. federal law provides for the return of stolen skeletons. Still, the legacy of these collections will haunt us for generations. Many Native Americans are profoundly distrustful of archaeologists. And even after nearly 30 years of active repatriation of human remains, there are still more than 100,000 skeletons in U.S. museums. By my estimation, it will take 238 years to return these remains at this rate – if they are ever even returned at all.

Even nondestructive research methods – like the CT scan about to be performed on this 550-year-old Peruvian child mummy – raise ethical questions. U.S. Navy/Samantha A. Lewis, CC BY

Seeking consent

For too long scientists failed to ask basic ethical questions: Who should control collections of human remains? What are the positive and negative consequences of studies based on skeletons? And how can scientists work to enhance, rather than undermine, the rights of the people they study?

One place to look for answers is the Belmont Report. Published in 1979, this was the scientific community’s response to the Tuskegee Study. Over the course of 40 years, the U.S. government denied medical treatment to more than 400 black men infected with syphilis, to watch the disease’s evolution. In the aftermath of the resulting scandal, the Belmont Report insisted that biomedical researchers must have respect for people, try to do good as well as avoid harm, and fairly distribute the burdens and benefits of research.

Although these guidelines were intended for living subjects, they provide a framework to consider research on the dead. After all, research on the dead ultimately affects the living. One way to ensure these protections is to seek informed consent from individuals, kin, communities or legal authorities before conducting studies.

In some cases consultation may be unwarranted. A skeleton of our earliest human ancestor, at 300,000 years old, is a patrimony which all of us could claim. However, a fetus with birth defects that is 40 years old – even one sensationalized as a space alien – likely has kin and community that should be considered. Between these two extremes lies DNA research’s future of ethical engagement.

Are humans specimens?

In its defense, the journal Genome Research, which published the analysis of the Chilean mummy, stated that the “specimen” – the girl – did not require special ethical consideration. She does not legally qualify as a “human subject” because she is not living. So disregarding the rights of descendants, the editors only concluded that the controversy “highlights the evolving nature of this field of research, and has prompted our commitment to initiate community discussions.”

To be sure, such discussions are desperately needed. In the same week that the mummy story hit the news, The New York Times published a profile of Harvard geneticist David Reich. The article celebrates how the jump forward in DNA research has led to sudden, luminous advances in our understanding of humanity’s evolution and history. Reich said his dream is “to find ancient DNA from every culture known to archaeology everywhere in the world.”

It is a beautiful aspiration. But both scientists and society now know to ask: Where will this DNA come from? Who will give their consent?

Chip Colwell receives funding from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.