SECTION: ENVIRONMENT AMAZON Biodiversity in Colombia By PAOLA DELGADILLO MARTÍNEZ. The biodiversity in Colombia stands out worldwide for its great natural wealth, composed by beautiful landscapes, exotic animals, a great amount of water sources and different types of ecosystems. Now in order to talk about biodiversity in Colombia, one must begin by defining what biodiversity is. According to the National Biodiversity Policy; it is the variability among living organisms, covering terrestrial, marine and complex ecological systems, it is not only the versatility between species but the interaction that occurs between different species and ecosystems. The theme of Biodiversity takes great relevance considering that the survival, development and quality of life of the human being depends on the preservation of biodiversity. Regarding this, it is imperative the presence of a regulatory framework that protects and ensures the preservation of the environment. In that order of ideas, after the Earth Summit 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, in 1996 the Ministry for Environment and Development designs the National Biodiversity Policy, in response to the proliferation that had occurred around the world about the environmental issue The main purpose of this policy is to promote the integrated management of biodiversity in order to maintain and improve the resilience of socio- economic systems, allowing restoration and environmental conservation as a right embodied in the National Constitution. Generally speaking biodiversity policy, as intended, is presented as a complete and comprehensive framework, achieving to collect different axes which are classified as relevant aspects to the conservation of biodiversity. This allows stakeholders to know clearly the responsibility and commitment that must face the protection, conservation and restoration of the environment. Not only as a theme found in booming worldwide, but as a stand of responsibility of each of the agents, improving the quality of life and sustainable development of economies. Finally, facing the environmental issue and its preservation, the country's progress is evident. This progress promotes the development and quality of life, but it also has favored the country, giving it a strong position to address the issue globally. The Colombian Foreign Ministry told the United Nations that "Colombia has finally adopted advanced regulations facing the environmental issue and its preservation, the country's progress is evident. This breakthrough promotes the development and quality of life, but it also has favored the country, giving it a strong position to address the issue globally”. Bibliography Minambiente. (2014). Política Nacional para la Gestión Integral de la Biodiversidad y sus servicios Ecosistémicos. Bogotá
AMAZON REGION “Here the nature is lived in fullness” By JESSICA HERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ. The landscape of this region is a green carpet of tight trees that formed a big river of brown color to the overfly of the jungle. The trees are so high like a ten floors building and the area without green has wide rivers. In Amazon it inhabits 212 mammalian species and 195 reptiles, this brings thousands of visitors a year; the nature that owns the region creates everyday a show that allows us to see to the pink dolphins, anteaters, pumas, deers and others species. Floating over the trees
First, you must climb a tree of 35m in the “Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu”. Second, you must walk in a suspension bridge of 60m to another tree and you descend in “Rappel”. All the landscape is green and the view compensates the effort.
Birdwatching in the Amazon
In the Amazon, it inhabits 674 bird species. The “Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu” and “Puerto Nariño” are two good places to observe more than 20 parrots species. In the center of the Amazon lives the hummingbird “Chiribiquete Emerald”, this hummingbird is characteristic and exclusive of the Amazon. Amazonian lakes
The lakes of Yahuarcaca can be navigated in Kayak while the sides are parading of big trees. In those places you can see herons, eagles, hawks, sloths bears, and also the “Victoria Regia” the world’s largest lotus (3m of diameter).In other lakes like “Tarapoto”, you can observe gray and pink dolphins.
Monkey Island
You can walk for a path while you learn about different monkeys species that live in that place. Also, you can feed the animals. Indigenous community “La Libertad”
That place is inhabited for “Yaguas” indigenous; the visitors are taught how the indigenous make crafts as flutes and necklaces handcraft with seeds of plants and multicolored feathers of birds.
ILLEGAL MINING: Destroying the lung of the world By SAMANTA RODRĂ?GUEZ FABRA. Illegal mining is one of the main threats that significantly affects ecosystems of the Amazon region, it jeopardizes its sustainability and well-being of its inhabitants. In the last decade, illegal mining activities have expanded significantly throughout the region, the lack of policies and development plans by various governments have meant that this problem is increasingly difficult to control. Main impacts of illegal mining One of the main impacts of illegal mining done in the Amazon region is forest loss, for example, gold mining required the removal of large areas of land. There are no precise data on the number of hectares destroyed, but this number increases more and more: In Colombia, between 1990 and 2010 they were deforested an average of 310 349 hectares per year. Equivalent to 5.4% of the land area, in Ecuador A 2011 study estimated the deforestation of 140 000 hectares, In Peru, it is estimated that deforestation is 50 thousand hectares caused by illegal and informal mining. Mercury contamination Another of the most common impacts of illegal gold mining is mercury pollution, which when released into the atmosphere can travel great distances, causing the global contamination of ecosystems, affecting fish, birds and mammals along the chain food. water sources are being polluted and diversity of wildlife is disappearing. The State must establish strategies and policies focused in protecting the Amazon region, the economic factor is destroying our forest and killing all the resources, it is important to review these issues and manage these situations better before it is too late.
SECTION: POLITICS Scandal of the magistrate Jorge Ignacio Pretelt Chaljub regarding the accusations of alleged corruption which have been imputed to him. By LORENA VALERO GRANADOS To understand about the alleged bribery of the former president of the Constitutional Court, we will analyze the events that have occurred, step by step: Initially, On June 13th 2013, the Supreme Court sentenced to the former governor of Casanare Witman Herney Porras to 18 years and 6 months imprisonment. The court barred him for life from holding public office and ordered him to pay 45,000 million fine in benefit to the department. (Justicia, 2015) The ex-governor was convicted of illegally investing 63 billion pesos of public funds in trusteeship, one of these trusteeship was the Fiduciaria Petrolera S.A (Fidupetrol). With this argument in the same date, June 13th 2013, the decision imposed by the Supreme Court of Justice condemned Fidupetrol to pay 22.5 billion pesos to the department of Casanare. According to the Comptroller, “That's just a fine to Fidupetrol but the fiscal damage in this case exceeds $ 100,000 million pesos” (Rueda, 2015). After this, the trusteeship hired lawyer Victor Pacheco, so he would file a guardianship in the constitutional court to annul that judgment (fine). After many months, the guardianship was denied on October 16th 2014, so Fidupetrol had to pay the fine. But so far, “El Tiempo established that the company has not paid a penny, in fact, when finally Casanare tried to charge, Fidupetrol was into liquidation” (Investigativa, 2015). Presumably for that reason Victor Pacheco decided to tell his version of what happened to magistrate Luis Ernesto Vargas. Vargas told the magistrate Mauricio Gonzalez the whole story about Pacheco, on February 3rd 2015; the next day was the votation to elect the president of the Constitutional Court. Jorge Pretelt obtained the position of president. Mauricio Gonzalez met Pacheco so that he corroborated the story of Vargas. According to Pacheco, in 2013 he met Pretelt, who asked him 500 million pesos to influence the decision that the magistrates would make regarding the guardianship, so this would give favorable results for Fidupetrol. In the bribe, the intermediary would be the former-magistrate
Rodrigo Escobar Gil, through assumptions contracts with the company by worth of the bribe (Coronell, 2015). After that, at the end of February this year, Mauricio Gonzalez denounced Pretelt in the Commission of accusation of the Chamber of Representatives and asked the Commission to investigate him (Palma, 2015). According to Pretelt, the bribery never existed, and at the time of the voting (in favor or not of the guardianship), he voted against the interests of Fidupetrol. During the investigations, there have been presented others “acts of corruption” that are - apparently - carried out by Pretelt, for example: In the early 2000s, his wife bought in Urabá Antioqueño the properties “No hay como Dios” and “Alto bonito”. By 2005 the lands became property of Pretelt. Today, these lands are being reclaimed by peasants who were apparently stripped of their land by paramilitary forces (Fidel Brothers, Carlos and Vicente Castaño). Additionally, the Second Notary of Monteria, Lazaro de León who formalized the transfer of ownership of the scriptures of Pretelt, Lazaro de León has been investigated; and the investigation established that “Leon formalized hundreds of illegal purchases of land obtained by force” (Torre, 2015). Additionally, in late April of this year, “In an interview with La W, Ivan Roberto Duque, a.k.a Ernesto Báez, former head political of the Bloque Central Bolívar of the AUC, linked Pretelt to the former paramilitary Vicente Castaño. In 2005 Pretelt sought the support of Castaño to give priority to his name in the shortlist for prosecutor” (Tiempo, 2015). Another act of corruption in which Pretelt seemingly intervened was the lawsuit “between the city of Santa Marta and the spanish multinational Inassa” (Coronell, 2015). Finally, this process is still being investigated, and here there are several people involved, as white collar persons as regular people, who have been implicated in this scandal and who are in their respective investigation.
CONFLICT BETWEEN EU AND UEEA BY COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE By CRISTIAN CAMILO CARDENAS LOPEZ Between the Western and Eastern Europe, there is a huge strip of land that is in dispute, but today there is a strong war with Ukraine. That strip starts from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea in it’s frontier with the Russian federation and from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea in the western frontier. In its inner part, the countries that conformed the old soviet bloc like: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic. Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavian republics that still today are in dispute to spite of the progressive incorporation to the European Union of any of them. The data demographic and economic of this set of countries would unbalance in a sense or other the economic potential of the European Union (EU) or the Economic Eurasian Union (UEEA) (Puncel, 2015). The Eurasian Union is a project of economic and political integration inspired in the own European Union, the Euro-Asian Union has an executive organ with headquarters in Moscow, where the leaders of the states members take the decisions unanimously. It counts with free circulation of workers and a market only for the construction, the retail trade and the tourism. Also it has as aim: the starting of a free circulation of capital, goods and services. Nowadays the countries that belong to the Union are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and Kirguistån will join to it in May (Durden, 2015); In the figure 1 it is shown the countries member and candidates to entering the EU in blue, the country members and candidates to entering to the UEEA in color red and in color green the countries that might belong to both economic blocks.
Figure 1. Location geographical of the countries member EU and UEEA. Taken of Durden, 2015.
This union of countries Euro Asians is the project the president Putin for offset the expansion and economic of the European union and the NATO towards the countries oriental of Europe, using the excuse it is also formed for linguistic, cultural and historical reasons, but the real motives is economic, territorial and strategic issues. The UEEA does not seek to be an economic block that competes equally to the EU, but to control the territories and exploit adequately the resources of these countries to help to increase the internal market of Russia. The conflict in that so desired fringe of land does not limit itself to Ukraine. The fringe in conflict is a strategic zone for both parts, not only for economical reasons but also for geostrategic reasons too. The data of population, total surface, agricultural surface, gross domestic product, resources natural mining, etc. are very developed of its potential. Only the biggest countries of this fringe (Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria) suppose a third of the population of the EU (130 millions), a third of the EU surface (1,5 millions of km2). Although it barely represents the 6 % of the GDP of the EU. On other hand its authentic potential lies in its position between two blocks that, to the margin of that integrate or remain in one of the two markets common (UE/UEEA), his relation ambivalent between both already voucher to Russia for destabilize to the European Union minus growth and fortress to his politics exterior (Puncel, 2015). This fringe of land is so valuable for both since it is a territory qualitatively interesting, that resign for this one would mean put in saying his consolidation as power world and reach alter the balance geostrategic that now we know, whereby none of involved is willing to give. BIBLIOGRAPHY Puncel, A. (2015, 13 of March). Tierra de nadie. Recuperado de http://www.nuevatribuna.es/opinion/alfonso-puncel/tierra-nadie/20150313092147113607.html. Durden, T. (2015, 01 of May). La sorprendente propuesta de rusia a europa que podría cambiar la faz del mundo. Recuperado de http://elrobotpescador.com/2015/01/05/la-sorprendentepropuesta-de-rusia-a-europa-que-podria-cambiar-la-faz-del-mundo/. Cifuentes, C. (2014, 16 of August). El plan de Putin para construir un contrapeso a la Unión Europea. Recuperado de http://www.latercera.com/noticia/mundo/2014/08/678-591538-9-elplan-de-putin-para-construir-un-contrapeso-a-la-union-europea.shtml. Speck, U. (2014, 20 of November). La UE y la Unión Euroasiática: ¿competidoras o complementarias?. Recuperado de http://www.blog.rielcano.org/la-ue-y-la-union-euroasiaticacompetidoras-o-complementarias/.
Crimea is Russia “[…] they say we are violating norms of international law. Firstly, it’s a good thing that they at least remember that there exists such a thing as international law – better late than never. […]” Vladimir Putin
A man reads a newspaper with the headline “Crimea chose Russia” in the street of Simferopol. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
With an overwhelming 96.8% the Crimean people has chosen, in a historical referendum, to be again part of the Russian Federation; but why do USA and European countries consider this result as a violation of the international law? Why they do not respect people’s choice? It is well known that the United States has always been aggressive with any decision taken by Russia that might affect the international scene; and it is also well known that European countries, especially since the end of the WWII, are mostly all the time supporting the White House decisions and declarations. One may think that it is because the USA believes that international law does not apply on it, its allies believe the same. That is why in 2011, fourteen countries members of the NATO along with Qatar, Sweden, Jordan and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) invaded Libya with the excuse of preventing a massacre. Why did they think that they had the right to intervene in an internal conflict? What was going on in Libya was a civil war and no one had the right to do what it was done; that military intervention did not prevent a massacre but made it by killing almost 1300 civilians over five months. Do they really think they prevent something?
If that is their excuse, then why do not they accept that Crimea has the right to choose in a democratic way? That would prevent lots of human losses. Something very similar to what is happening in Crimea happened in Kosovo; at that point, the United States and Western Europe alleged that it was and special case because too many people were dying, that time not in their hands, and that is why in 2008, USA and the majority of countries that integrate the European Union decided to accept the independence of Kosovo that had already been voted by Kosovans in 1991. It is known that the number of casualties has no relevance in a legal scene; the International Court says nothing about it. In fact, in 2010, they said about the Chapter 1 Article 2[1] of the United Nations Charter that “No general prohibition may be inferred from the practice of the Security Council with regard to declarations of independence.” We can see now, it is clear enough, that the only “valid” argument all those countries are using does not even stick to international laws. What Russia did in Crimea was a very intelligent tactic, it is perfectly legal and it shows what the people really want. Of course, behind the decision of asking people to vote, there was also an economic advantage that Russia has reached. One can understand why Western countries are not very happy with that result. On the contrary, Russians are very pleased with Vladimir Putin, approving his decisions with an 86% as a poll shows. Now that things are cooling down, Russia has made important economic arrangements with China and even one of the most important leaders of the EU, Angela Merkel, is now trying to make a truce with the Russian president. Bibliography http://www.bvoltaire.fr/pierrecamiere/la-crise-ukrainienne-le-dessous-des-cartes,53730 http://la-chronique-agora.com/russie-crimee/ http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2015/02/12/01003-20150212ARTFIG00442-l-accord-depaix-de-minsk-2entre-espoir-et-doute.php http://ericposner.com/vladimir-putin-international-lawyer/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/17/ukraine-crimea-russia-referendum-complainresult https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/ctc/uncharter.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_military_intervention_in_Libya#Civilian_losses http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/26/europe/vladimir-putin-popularity/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/23/ukraine-crimea-what-putin-thinking-russia
[1] “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.”
SPORTS
We not only will talk about of a soccer competition. We will talk about the oldest continental competition in the world, that this year will look amazing for the great level of the many teams that participate. This story begun in 1910, when Argentina organized a event to the conmemoration of the centenary of “Revolucion de Mayo”, and invited de teams of Chile and Uruguay. In 1913, emerged the idea to play a tournament for a trophy, “Copa America”. The first champion was Uruguay, in a tournament that played Chile, Uruguay, Brasil and Argentina. The first champion is the same team that have the most trophies in their history, with 15. We remember a lot of historics teams that participated in this tournament, for example the Peru of Teofilo Cubillos, or the Argentina of Maradona, the Colombian of Valderrama. We can say that all of South American idols, played this tournament. Chile 2015, have this amazing slogan “ El Corazon del Futbol”, that represent the meaning of soccer in South America, in their 44th edition will expect a lot of feelings that the true soccer represent, with for example Colombia with one best teams of their history, that have a lot of playersin the best teams of Europe, and has brought a good sensations in the last world cup.
The technology and sports: the innovation against the traditional. Generally speaking people do not like the changes in their daily life; some researchers have followed this behavior by years. One aspect when we can notice of that question is the inclusion of technology into the sports. That controversial topic has divided fans, as Hisham Wyne says “some people enjoy the clarity that comes with cold calculations at millions of hertz a second. Others believe that sports should remain free of technological oversight – that it’s a game of skill and luck”[1].
The point goes more debatable when the technology is used by umpires and referees. In the USA most professional sports have long used instant replay and other high-tech aids to help referees make the right call. For instance, in American football, basketball, tennis and cricket, the hightech assistance provides help to umpires[2]. However, one of the most popular sports had resisted the use of technology, this is soccer, although replays could be used to decide off-side decisions, clarify penalty decisions and even goals, these aids are not used yet.
Only a couple of years ago, in 2012, FIFA announced it would introduce goal-line technology in a competitive match for the first time at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan. The goal-line technology is a method used to determine when the ball has completely crossed the goal line. Now this technology is used in the football's most popular league competition: the Barclays Premier League[3]. By: Julián Camilo Paca.
WYNE, Hisham. Sports technology: A revolution in and behind the scene. 2015. Article available on: http://iq.intel.co.ae/sports-technology-a-revolution-in-and-behind-the-scene/ [2] Technology in Sports. http://www.topendsports.com/resources/technology.htm [3] FIFA. Goal-line technology has arrived in football http://quality.fifa.com/en/News/Goal-linetechnology-has-arrived-in-football-/ Presentation: http://prezi.com/gyheykpc9rpy/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy [1]
MUSIC Here we have the dates and price of a few events that you cannot forget, the great new is that they are going to be placed in our Country in the next months, so look it, and enjoy it.
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name Katy Perry (earlier Katy Hudson), is an American singer, songwriter and actress.Perry rose to fame in 2008 with the release of the singles "I Kissed a Girl" – which had attentiongrabbing and somewhat controversial lyrics – and "Hot n Cold" from her second album, a pop rock record titled One of the Boys. Through social networks American singer Katy Perry announced his visit to the Colombian capital, which will bring its "Primastic World Tour", Perry's visit will be on October 9 at the Sports Park 222 of Bogotá, "Do u hear me, Bogota? October 9 at Sports Park!" He wrote in his Twitter profile (katyperry). If you are a fan of the artist and wants listening hits like "A kiss a girl", "Teenage Dream" or "Roar" the encounter with the Californian in Colombia is scheduled for October 22, 2015 at the Sports Park 222, and confirmed by the same Perry. You can buy tickets in tuboleta.com. The VIP place has a cost of $320.000 and the preferential place of $150.000.
Muse Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matthew Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass guitar) and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion, synthesisers). They are known for their energetic live performances
Pitchfork described Muse's music in 2005 as "firmly ol' skool at heart: proggy hard rock that forgoes any pretensions to restraint ... their songs use full-stacked guitars and thunderous drums to evoke god's footsteps."AllMusic described their sound as a "fusion of progressive rock, glam, electronica, and Radiohead-influenced experimentation."The band's style has been also labeled as "space rock." You can buy tickets in atrapalo.com.co. The VIP place has a cost of $319.000 and the general place of $183.000
System Of a Down For the very first time, we will have in our Country one of the biggest bands ever, we are talking about the music band of Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, John Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian. They are original from Los Angeles, and in this time, they came for their new known as Wake up the Souls World Tour. In this opportunity the show is going to be located in the “Parque 222” in Bogotá, the day will be October 3rd, and it is obviously one of the greatest concerts in this year, you cannot miss it. We must remember that this important rock band has been playing for 10 years and it has been recognized as a leading in their kind. You can buy your tickets for this fantastic event in vive.tuboleta.com, there are two locations, the first one named Toxicity as one of their most famous songs and its cost is $145.000, the second one is known as Sugar and it could be your sweets event.