News (Noticias) Tagged ‘El Salvador’

Many argue that El Salvador has come a long way towards trying to repair its disabled past by declaring itself mine-free in 1994, implementing the 2001 National Disability Rights law and ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. The Permanent Table of the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights (PDDH) and disability rights civil society organizations such as the Landmine Survivors Network have led the struggle in Central America to promote the rights of people with disabilities and guarantee them “free and equal access to services” through the construction of accessible infrastructure and much-needed legislation. “*

Marketwire, a full-service newswire and communications workflow solutions provider, today announces the debut of NoticiasDigitales, the newswire industry’s first real-time business-to-consumer digital news service to publish Spanish-language news on Latin American websites. An enhancement to its Spanish-language press release distribution circuits, Marketwire’s NoticiasDigitales displays press releases on more than 100 leading newspaper, financial and economic news, and media websites and portals that bring corporate news to millions of influential Spanish-speaking viewers across North America, Central America and South America.

“With the rapid growth of social media and ‘citizen journalism,’ the future of the newswire industry depends on leveraging new technologies to offer effective business-to-consumer news delivery solutions,” commented Marketwire Vice President of Emerging Markets Hector Botero. “Ethnic, emerging and international markets represent enormous, untapped opportunities for an online digital news distribution service, and we are extremely excited to launch an industry first to our clients who target Spanish-speaking audiences.”

Participants in the large web network at the core of Marketwire’s NoticiasDigitales include major news media, business, finance and technology websites published in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. Examples of participating websites are Caracol Radio, Clarín.com, Dinero.com, El Universal.com and Nacion.com.

A 30-day testing period revealed that between June 11 and July 11, 2008, Marketwire’s NoticiasDigitales received more than 4 million total impressions from visitors in 21 countries. Thirty percent, or 1.2 million of those impressions came from visitors in Colombia, an economy growing at 6.8 percent a year (two full points faster than the Latin American average); 29 percent, or 1.18 million of the impressions were from the United States; 13 percent, or 520,000 impressions, came from visitors in Argentina, a country that has experienced four consecutive years of more than 8 percent growth in GDP; and 11 percent, or 431,000 impressions, came from Mexico, a country counting the United States as its largest trading partner.

Now, by adding more than 100 websites and 3 million-plus monthly views to its comprehensive Latin America distribution circuits that, combined, reach more than 80,000 media points in Latin America, Marketwire reinforces its position as the leading Latin American market press release distributor. NoticiasDigitales is included in all of Marketwire’s Spanish-language press release distribution circuits: five Latin America/South America distribution packages; newslines to 17 Latin American countries; and its industry-leading North America Hispanic newsline that reaches more than 5,000 journalists and editors through Marketwire’s NoticiasFinancieras news syndicate generating news for print publications with combined circulation exceeding 3 million daily, and readership, including web properties, exceeding 10 million.

About Marketwire

The only fully integrated North America-based global newswire, Marketwire, Inc. is a full-service partner to IR, PR and MarCom professionals seeking top-tier news distribution, media management, multimedia and monitoring solutions. Marketwire’s customer-centric corporate philosophy focuses on being the best by infusing every aspect of its business with the following core attributes: precision, adaptability, innovation and simplicity.

Marketwire delivers its clients’ news to the world’s media and financial communities, fulfilling disclosure requirements in North America in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), and serving as Primary Information Provider (PIP) with the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA). With a reputation for technology leadership, Marketwire offers innovative products and services — including Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Dashboard Mobile Financial, News Dashboard coverage reports, exclusive access to networks such as the Canadian Press Wire Network, Easy IR and Easy PR workflow solutions, and more — that help communication professionals maximize their effectiveness while ensuring accuracy and best practices.

Having merged companies (Market Wire and CCNMatthews) in April 2006, and enjoying a combined history of 25 years of service, Marketwire is now majority-owned by OMERS Capital Partners, the private equity arm of one of Canada’s largest pension funds. Marketwire distributes the majority of press releases issued by publicly traded companies in Canada and serves more than 8,000 clients worldwide through 19 offices on four continents. For more information, visit us at www.marketwire.com. “*

After almost a year of arduous work, Oxfam America will be presenting in Guatemala the photo-publication titled Metal Mining in Central America: Pain and Resistance. The booklet features my photography and the format is based on the same formula used to produce the photo-essays published in MiMundo.org.

The negative impact produced by metal mining at industrial levels in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, as well as the many types of local resistance which have sprouted in the region, are documented visually and supported by investigative text throughout the publications’ 72 full-color pages. “*

During a recent heated meeting at the US Embassy in El Salvador, Ambassador Charles Glazer admitted to U.S. intervention in the 2004 Salvadoran Presidential Elections. The meeting on June 27 was requested by a group of 12 U.S. citizens, including professors, students, journalists and community activists who were taking part in a 10-day delegation organized by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES).”*

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That was the case of Jose Andrade. Jose was left behind in El Salvador by his mother who came to the US looking for work. When she arrived, she was granted a visa to work legally in the country but five years passed and Jose missed his mom.

He was staying with an aunt but that family took the money Jose’s mother sent him from her job in the U.S. and pulled him out of school to do errands for the family. When Jose’s mother found out, she knew she had to bring him to the US but there was no way to do it legally.”*

Mauricio Funes, El Salvador’s journalist-turned-presidential candidate has become entrenched as the likely victor in next year’s election, though speculation continues to grow as to how sturdy his lead will remain as he moves from underdog to front-runner.”*

The bus operators of El Salvador are getting squeezed by high fuel prices. The law does not allow them to raise fares to cover those increased fuel costs. The government has dragged its feet on increasing the subsidy to drivers which allows them to cover their costs.

So bus operators on some routes have begun illegally charging more than the set fare. They are demanding as much as 35 cents on routes supposedly capped at 25 cents.”*

Pan-American Life Insurance Company has excelled for the third straight year ranking first among Hispanic companies in the state of Louisiana according to Hispanic Business 500, the magazine’s annual business directory.

In the June issue, the magazine ranked Pan-American Life as 23rd among all Hispanic businesses in the nation and second among the top 10 companies in the finance sector.

“Pan-American Life’s growth mirrors our distinctive competitive advantages; a multicultural management team, strong brand recognition in Latin America and an understanding of the complex multicultural nature of the U.S. Hispanic population,” said Chairman of the Board and CEO Jose Suquet. “In terms of insurance, we are the bridge between Hispanics working here in the U.S. and their extended families back home.”

Since January 2008, Suquet has enlisted four new senior managers to reposition the company in the Americas. Today, 50 percent of the company’s senior management, more than 39 percent of its home office employees, 76 percent of the overall company employees and 60 percent of its policyholders are Hispanics.

Pan-American Life had a 4.9 percent increase in revenues, growing from $262.43 million in 2006 to $275.21 million in 2007, while total assets reached $2.1 billion and total capital of $331 million, an all-time high.

For more than two decades, the Hispanic Business 500 has served as a barometer of the U.S. Hispanic economy.

About Pan-American Life

Founded in 1911, New Orleans-based Pan-American Life Insurance Company is a leading international insurance company, employing more than 700 worldwide, providing top-rated life and health insurance, worksite benefits and financial services in 46 states, the District of Columbia (DC) and Puerto Rico. Its international operations, offering individual and group life and health insurance throughout Latin America, includes affiliates in Panama, Guatemala and Colombia, and branch offices in Ecuador, El Salvador and Honduras. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life Web site at www.panamericanlife.com.

Pan-American Life Insurance Company is a member of Pan-American Life Insurance Group. The Group is comprised of a number of insurance and reinsurance companies serving nearly half a million customers throughout the Americas. “*

The struggles of Latino families in America are the focus of a new movie premiering this week at the CineVegas Film Festival. A UNLV professor says he made the film to open the public’s eyes about what life is like for immigrants once they come to the U.S.

The movie is called “Primo” — in English that means cousin. It’s about three cousins who were separated as children during the civil war in El Salvador. Their journey through life brings them here to Las Vegas.”*

The consul generals of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay plan to announce the initiative Tuesday in New York City. “*

“It was something planned four days in advance, and I think the only nice thing was the cake,” says Lorena Reyes, laughing about the improvised celebration for her 15th birthday. “One of my aunts made the dress in El Salvador, and when I saw it, I thought it was a joke. But it was too late to get another one because the party was the following day.”

Reyes, now 24, appeared before her quinceañera guests dressed in an “entirely covered, from neck to feet” gown, that had very little to do with her personality and looked nothing like the princess dresses she now offers to her customers.

At the small business set up in her home near Beechnut and Dairy Ashford, Reyes provides counseling to girls ready for their quinceañera, their formal presentation to their communities as young women, which is a tradition rooted in Latino culture.”*

“We seek recognition for colonel Castellanos so he can receive the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ title,” from Israel, Foreign Ministry Historical Investigation Committee coordinator Ricardo Moran told reporters after presenting a documentary on his life.

Castellanos, who served in Geneva as consul for El Salvador from 1942 to 1945, and his first secretary, George Mandel Mantello, issued Salvadoran citizenship papers to thousands of Jews, mostly from Hungary, so they could avoid being sent to Nazi death camps.”*

El Salvador-based money transfer operator Gigante Express and New Orleans-based insurer Pan-American Life on May 5 launched an insured remittance product that protects recipients in the case of the sender’s accidental death. What is the market for remittance insurance? Will other insurance and remittance companies team up in the future? What impact will insurance have on remittance flows?”*

At the food court in the Galerias Escalon shopping mall, a young restaurant employee is getting out the word. She passes out fliers advertising the lunch specials at Los Cebollines, including the $4.50 Super Ranchero combo.

A few feet away, others are getting out The Word.

Each day, the San Jose Chapel offers a Catholic mass and even the sacrament of reconciliation. For a few moments, dozens of shoppers and mall employees exchange Armani and Adidas for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”*

Mary Immaculate Hospital officials are asking for help in identifying a Hispanic man who was picked up on a stoop in Jamaica and brought to the hospital more than two months ago.

The man, who is 5-feet-5 and weighs 130 pounds, responds to the name “Rodrigo” and understands Spanish but little English, said Mary Immaculate spokeswoman Juliet Lewis.”*

I also got this in an e-mail from an RN there:

“Do you know of anyone who is looking for a Hispanic male since 2/03/08. I work at Mary Immaculate hospital in Jamaica , New York and we found a man back in February who apparently had a stroke, and cannot communicate with us. He doesn’t know his name, except for “Rodrigo”. He is about 50-55 years old  5′ 6 ‘  130 lbs.  He had a feeding tube when he was found in a doorway on 182 street off of Hillside Avenue.  He mentions El Salvador, a wife and daughter.  Can’t say names and gets frustrated that he can’t communicate.We are desperately trying to find his family for him. Other than his communication problem, he is healthy.If you do, please have them call the hospital at 718-558-9600″

*From: http://www.nydailynews.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Bloggers in El Salvador have taken up the cause of justice in the nine year old murder case of Katya Miranda. This young girl was murdered in 1999 in a crime of shocking depravity.

The facts of the case are recounted in a video interview of Katya’s mother and available on YouTube. Katya’s mother left her two daughters at the home of her paternal grandfather along El Salvador’s coast with a promise to pick them up in the morning. Yet when morning came, nine-year-old Katya was dead — raped, beaten and murdered. Despite the presence of members of her father’s family and their employees at the home, nobody claimed to have seen or heard anything. The father, grandfather and other male relatives are high-ranking officials in El Salvador’s military and the National Civilian Police.”*

*From: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Digicel, the largest mobile operator in the Caribbean and new entrant to the Central American market, today announced that Jose Antonio Rodriguez is the newly appointed CEO for Digicel El Salvador. In addition to the new CEO appointment, Luis La Rocca, the former El Salvador CEO, has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development for Digicel Central America, spearheading Digicel’s expansion across the region.

Jose Antonio Rodriguez, a native El Salvadorian, has more than 10 years of telecommunications industry experience. He joins Digicel El Salvador having formerly served as Country Manager of Telefónica El Salvador. Rodriguez will leverage his vast telecommunications expertise to drive Digicel’s continued growth in El Salvador.

“Digicel is pleased to appoint Jose Antonio Rodriguez to the role of CEO Digicel El Salvador. Given Jose’s excellent track record, we are confident he will foster the continued growth of Digicel’s El Salvador operation at the phenomenal rate we have seen in recent months,” said Kevin White, COO of Digicel Group Ltd.

Since its official El Salvador launch last year, Digicel has increased its El Salvadorian subscriber base threefold and grown its market share from five percent to more than 18 percent, successfully competing with the other mobile providers in the market.

As Vice President of Business Development for Digicel Central America, Luis La Rocca will be responsible for leading Digicel’s expansion efforts across the region, and will be actively involved in the bidding team for the imminent license auction in Panama for which Digicel has prequalified. La Rocca previously held a similar position with BellSouth where he led that company’s expansion into Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Prior to this appointment, La Rocca led Digicel’s entry into the El Salvador market through an acquisition in October 2006 and the subsequent brand launch in April 2007.

“We are pleased to promote Luis to the role of VP of Business Development for Digicel Central America,” said Donal O’Shaughnessy, CEO of Digicel Central America. “With a recent license in Honduras and even more opportunities for new licenses ahead, this is a very exciting time for Digicel in Central America. Digicel is entering into this next phase of growth with solid management teams in place to execute against our aggressive business goals.”

Jose Antonio Rodriguez’s past experiences include the positions of both Marketing Director and Commercial Director for Telefónica’s El Salvador and Guatemala operations. Prior to Telefónica he held senior management positions at Telecommunicaciones de America SA de CV (TELECAM) and at GBM of El Salvador, SA de CV, an IBM Alliance company. Rodriguez graduated in Computer Engineering from the Tulane University in New Orleans, USA and earned an MBA from the Pontificia Catholic University of Chile.

With an investment of US$190 million, Digicel has dramatically expanded its operations in El Salvador in the last year to offer a first class service. The company increased its population network coverage by 20 percent in just six months, achieving 95 percent coverage to reach communities previously underserved by competitors. Digicel El Salvador directly employs 487 people and has 464 independently managed retails stores nationwide.

Digicel Central America Holdings Limited is a sister company to Digicel Group Limited and Digicel South Pacific Limited.

About Digicel

Since its launch in 2001, Digicel has become the fastest growing wireless telecommunications operator in the Caribbean. After seven years, Digicel is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services, and state-of-the-art handsets. It is the largest GSM operator in the region.

By offering innovative wireless services and community support, Digicel has become a leading brand in the Caribbean and has placed the region at the cutting edge of wireless communications.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and has operations in twenty three markets including Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, Curaçao, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos. Digicel also has a license in the British Virgin Islands and coverage in St. Martin and St. Barths.

The company is the lead sponsor of Caribbean sports teams including the West Indies Cricket Team, Special Olympics teams across the Caribbean and is title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Football Union Cup, which involves over 30 Caribbean countries and is an important qualifier towards the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information on Digicel.”*

*From: http://www.marketwire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The President of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca, and the Minister of Tourism, Ruben Rochi, expressed satisfaction with the large number of Salvadorean tourists who chose to stay in the country to enjoy the Easter holidays, celebrated March 15-24.

The head of tourism reported that 59,340 tourists visited El Salvador during the holidays, arriving by sea and land, which represented a 17.5% increase over last year. The rise generated 20 million dollars in revenues, in comparison with 18 million last year.

“There has been a 24.2% drop in departures, which means that Salvadoreans are preferring to stay at home, something we have witnessed on our beaches and in our mountains throughout the Easter season, when there has been a larger flow of tourists”, the official reported.

According to Minister Rochi, a total 70,780 Salvadoreans left the country during the Easter season, a 24.2% drop over last year, when 93,364 chose to travel abroad (32.4% rise with respect to the previous year).

In turn, the Salvadorean Tourism Institute (ISTU) reported that all parks, with the exception of Los Chorros, recorded a 31.7% increase. None underwent a reduction compared to last year. “If we were to add the 59,270 tourists who visited Los Chorros, this would give us a 57.7% increase in the total number of visitors to ISTU’s 14 parks. The important thing to point out here is that despite the fact that Los Chorros generated an unexpectedly high number of tourists, it was not to the detriment of any of the other 13 ISTU parks,” explained Rochi.

Contact:
Ana Beatriz Flores

*From: http://sev.prnewswire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

When Pope Benedict XVI comes to Washington next month, he will set foot in a Roman Catholic community that is now one-third Hispanic. It is a vibrant and fast-growing segment of the regional church whose members overflow Spanish-language Masses and high-energy revival shows but who often say they feel socially isolated and harassed under local and national laws.

Their hopes for the visit of El Papa widely echo those expressed by Lilian Castillo, a housecleaner from El Salvador and mother of three who is a regular worshiper at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Md.

“Our community is facing persecution and poverty. People are being deported, even members of our own church,” said Castillo, 46. “I hope the pope can be a bridge to bring together Americans of all ages and races and levels. He is coming to bless all of us, and I hope everyone will be listening.””*

*From: http://www.projo.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

An ambitious pilot program has reaped a 29 percent increase in the number of Hispanics served by Big Brothers Big Sisters over the course of a year. The increase in Hispanic matches – occurring in 15 participating Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the U.S. where the program was piloted – is significant considering the average growth in matches among Big Brothers Big Sisters ’ 400+ agencies was eight percent during the same time period. Excited by the potential to impact even more Hispanic children, Big Brothers Big Sisters announced the hire of a director of Hispanic mentoring to lead the organization’s ambitious commitment to add another 10,000 Hispanic matches for a total of 50,000 across the country.

Sandra Delgado Searl, a marketer with experience that spans the globe, has been chosen to lead the call to action for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the country. Delgado Searl relocated from Shanghai, China before joining Big Brothers Big Sisters. In previous positions with J.D. Power Asia Pacific, SABMiller and ACNielsen, Delgado Searl has managed Hispanic marketing, and the development and execution of brand strategy.

“Sandra’s tremendous leadership and understanding of the Hispanic community make her the perfect choice to lead our highly focused Hispanic mentoring effort, which is currently one of our most effective strategies in growing matches – regardless of ethnicity, “said Judy Vredenburgh, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Independent research shows that young people who have Big Brothers and Big Sisters are more likely to stay in school and less likely to be involved in violence. Given the Hispanic population’s tremendous growth combined with disproportionate poverty and drop-out rates, a Big Brother or Big Sister can make a critical difference to the future of Hispanic children across the country. Yet with thousands of Hispanic “Littles” waiting to be matched with a caring Big Sister or Brother, the organization is in serious need of Hispanic volunteers to serve as “Bigs.”

“When Juan came to the United States as a youngster from El Salvador he felt totally alone. Memory of that sense of isolation was a driving factor in wanting to give back to a child facing a similar experience. After a year of being matched with Big Brother Juan, Little Brother Alberto of Harrisonburg Virginia blossomed out of shyness. In Phoenix, Little Brother Jose is grateful to Big Brother Pablo for his support during the death of both of his parents. In Lorain Ohio Little Sister Ariana turned bad grades around dramatically within only a few weeks of being matched with Big Sister Crystal,” said Delgado Searl. “These are a few of the countless examples of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ impact on children. Just imagine the impact of matching thousands more Hispanic children with mentors.”

Key to the growth in the number of Hispanic matches is the diversity of initiatives under the umbrella of the Hispanic Mentoring Program. For example, Big Brothers Big Sisters adapted its selection and matching process to the Hispanic culture and tested the new Hispanic mentoring model at a number of local agencies across the country. In addition, the organization formed a Hispanic advisory council, established strategic alliances with other Hispanic-focused organizations, increased bilingual and bicultural staffing, placed Hispanics in prominent roles in our national programming, and developed marketing materials targeted to Latinos.

The Hispanic Mentoring program has now grown to 30 participating Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in locations reflective of the Hispanic community’s diversity including Chicago, Illinois, Macon, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, Miami, Florida, Denver, Colorado and Fort Wayne, Indiana to name a few.

Support for the program is provided by The Goizueta Foundation; Jack in the Box Foundation; Cargill, Inc.; and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters, BigBrothersBigSisters.org, is the largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. With more than 400 affiliates across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam, it served 255,000 children in 2007 – more than twice the number of five years ago. Independent research shows that its model of professionally supported one-to-one relationships between young people and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters has a measurable, positive impact. Children in the program are less likely to skip school, begin using alcohol and illegal drugs, and be involved in violence. Big Brothers Big Sisters works with policymakers and community leaders across the country to expand access to mentoring for children in need. The organization is currently focusing on recruiting Big Brothers, especially Hispanics and African Americans.”*

*From: http://www.hispanicprwire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Roberto Vasquez was only in his early 20’s when he came to America from El Salvador and on July 4th of 1977, Vasquez became Siler City’s first legally documented Latino.

“When I came here, I was real scared because I had never been here before,” Vasquez said.

Since arriving here, Vasquez has worked as a cashier at Food Lion. He said he came here because America offered a better life, place to live, and income than his native country. It took Vasquez three years to learn English and he said those three years were tough because there weren’t many Siler City residents speaking his language.”*

*From: http://www.nbc17.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish