[lbo-talk] the re-making of bogota

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

On 5/7/07, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> [Someone sent me this out of the blue - don't know anything else
> about this but it sounds interesting.]
>
> <http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Seg/PB2ch11_ss7.htm>
>
> Cities for People
>
> The world's cities are in trouble. In Mexico City, Tehran, Bangkok,
> Shanghai, and hundreds of other cities, the quality of daily life is
> deteriorating. Breathing the air in some cities is equivalent to
> smoking two packs of cigarettes per day. In the U.S., the number of
> hours commuters spend sitting in traffic going nowhere climbs higher
> each year.
>
> In response to these conditions, we are seeing the emergence of a new
> urbanism. One of the most remarkable modern urban transformations has
> occurred in Bogotá, Colombia, where Enrique Peñalosa served as Mayor
> for three years, beginning in 1998.

It is said that Enrique Peñalosa, the author of Capitalismo: La mejor
opción among other things, will be a candidate in the 2010 Colombian
presidential election, so no doubt he's already campaigning for the
votes that matter most: those of policy- and opinion-makers in the US
of A.

The pro-American liberal man is perfect for that constituency, but
Colombians don't seem to like him all that much.

<http://www.ciponline.org/colombia/blog/archives/000234.htm>
Plan Colombia and Beyond
CIP's running commentary about U.S. policy toward Colombia and Latin
America, with a focus on peace, security and military issues.

March 10, 2006
Sunday's congressional elections

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Por el País que Soñamos (For the Country We Dream Of)

The political grouping of former Bogotá Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, who
decided not to run as a Liberal Party presidential candidate this
year. Instead, Peñalosa first briefly ran for president against Uribe,
then quit and now heads the Senate candidate list for this political
movement, which declares itself to be 100 percent pro-Uribe.

	
Enrique Peñalosa Londoño

Supports the president's immediate re-election and the "Justice and
Peace" law. Supports the implementation of the free-trade agreement
with the United States. Supports the de-penalization of abortion in
special cases and is ambiguous about the rights of gay couples. Does
not have a system of internal democratic procedures and decisions are
made by Enrique Peñalosa himself.

<http://www.ciponline.org/colombia/blog/archives/000235.htm>
Plan Colombia and Beyond
CIP's running commentary about U.S. policy toward Colombia and Latin
America, with a focus on peace, security and military issues.

March 13, 2006
Legislative elections: 8 observations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Insiders" whose defeats were surprising included pro-Uribe former
Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa. . . .

<http://www.rebelion.org/plancolombia/040504nin.htm>
Los niños colombianos en la "ruleta rusa" del capitalismo salvaje
Federico Sarmiento
Rebelión
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

El "Trasmilenio", tal como lo promocionaron los alcaldes Enrique
Peñalosa (vástago de pedigree de la oligarquía bogotana) y el
aventurero Antanas Mockus, hacía parte del paquete de desmantelamiento
del patrimonio público de Bogotá, del "empoderamiento" de los negocios
privados, a nombre de las exigencias transnacionales de la
"competitividad".
-- 
Yoshie