From the recent meeting between Mexican President Fox and Guatemalan President Berger, a denial that there are any plans (at the moment) to build hydroelectric generating plants on the Usumacinta:
“No hay tal proyecto configurado dentro de los planes de mi gobierno. No hay ninguna acción que se esté tomando ahorita en este momento, y el día que fuera a existir algún proyecto de ese tipo, lo primero que haríamos es comentarlo con las comunidades, con los ecologistas y con todas las personas interesadas, pero por el momento, no hay ningún proyecto abarque esta generación de energía eléctrica en el Río Usumacinta, así que, para nosotros esta visita es fundamental, es muy importante”.
In Prensa Libre (Guatemala), an editorial on three themes that Mexican President Fox and Guatemalan President Berger will consider in their upcoming meeting. The third is the hydroelectric plan for the Usumacinta. The writer finds it unjustifiable and calls for the leaders to clarify their intentions.
Prensa Libre - EDITORIAL Los tres temas entre México y Guatemala
Eugenio Laris Alanis of the CFE presented this description of the future growth of the Mexican electrical system at the IDB in February. No mention of Boca del Cerro construction or bidding.
Recent Developments and Business Opportunities - Mexican Electrical Sector
From Prensa Libre. A number of Guatemalan environmentalists are quoted.
Noticias - Represas en la mira de ambientalistas
Hate to post this, but it's news. It happened at a town demonstration, in a driveby shooting, not on the river. No one killed.
Prensa Libre - Disparan a dos manifestantes - Ambientalistas celebraban Día contra las represas
IndyMedia has more details:
Sixty people opposed to the dams met on March 14, International Day for Rivers and against Dams, in Libertad de los Flores, Petén, Guatemala.
They discussed the creation of community media centers to oppose the Plan Puebla Panama, and issued this statement:
I'm using my first GarageBand composition as the track for my San Bartolo video. Getting close to finishing it. Maybe I'll have time to check out this site, which includes free loops and instruments.
MacJams.com - An Apple GarageBand User Community
As I look forward to my river trip with Ron Canter in 2 weeks, I realize that I've never posted a link to other work he has done in the Maya region. He's too modest to suggest it, so I've only now stumbled across this page on his previous studies of Maya navigation.
Canoeing Maya Waterways with Native Trails
Call it misplaced nostalgia for my former career. For Michael J, another TV veteran and a loyal reader.
Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things - Web Zen: Television Zen
Thanks to MoveOn and Salon, an inside look at how the Pentagon manipulated intelligence on weapons of mass destruction.
Salon.com | The new Pentagon papers
This one's for Alfonso in Palenque, not that he needs more info on it. He's already an expert. Here's hoping he enjoys it this year.
El Universal Online - Carnaval de Tenosique
The Toyota Hi-Lux diesel 4WD double cab pickup (can you tell I love that truck?) came back into camp today with a newspaper and a whoop went up. Former Guatemalan dictator Efraim Rios Montt has been placed under house arrest after the death of a journalist from a heart attack after being chased by Rios Montt's supporters. This story says that in fact his daily life has not changed. But he can't leave the country.
AP Spanish | 03/09/2004 | Guatemala: Ríos Montt indemne pese a arresto domiciliario
Okay, we already take it for granted. We're sitting outside in a nice breeze, jungle moon above, sharing an Airport, emailing home after a day in the ruins. The purr of the Honda generator tells us when we can go online, 3 times a day.
I'm in a champa (open room with palm leaf roof), the others are in the screened lab, lined up across the road. And I mean across the middle of it. There are only 2 vehicles that come this way and they both belong to the Proyecto. Beyond this camp, the only places to drive are the helicopter pad (new this year) and two water sources, the Aguada los Loros and a river.
I read in a couple of places tonight about new software that runs on Mac OS X and turns your Airport into a paying wireless hotspot. Daily Wireless had a link and, as usual, a roundup of other useful information on hotspot software and services.
Daily Wireless - Mini WiFi ISP
From La Prensa, Panama:
Actualícese con La Prensa Web - México no construirá más presas en Chiapas
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, México (EFE). —El Gobierno mexicano informó de que no hay planes para construir ninguna presa hidroeléctrica en el estado de Chiapas, sureste del país, en ocho años, informó el obispo de San Cristóbal, Felipe Arizmendi.
El religioso indicó que recibió una carta del director de la empresa estatal Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Alfredo Elías Ayub, en la que le asegura que "no se va a construir ninguna presa en el estado de Chiapas" entre el 2003 y 2012.
"Después de revisar nuestros programas, hemos constatado que ni el proyecto de almacenamiento del río Usumacinta ni el de Itsantún están incluidos en el Programa de Obras e Inversiones del Sector Eléctrico", responde al obispo el director de la CFE en un oficio.
El prelado dijo que es muy importante que el pueblo chiapaneco sepa que hay una declaración oficial de la CFE respecto a las inquietudes de posibles construcciones de nuevas presas hidroeléctricas en el estado, como se había denunciado.
BUT we have recently heard a different account of CFE's plans. We are awaiting a confirmation.