Great Blue Heron, copyright Kermit Nourse. / Garza Azul Mayor, derechos del autor Kermit Nourse.
The Great Blue Heron / La Garza Azul Mayor
photo and note by / foto y nota por Kermit Nourse
As the year comes to an end, the water birds return to Panama. On this day I observed three different species, but I missed a good shot of the Grey Hawk. The first photo is of a Great Blue Heron a large bird measuring 40 inches in length. It looks like he may have a fish stuck in his throat.
A medida que el año llega a su fin, las aves acuáticas regresan a Panamá. En este día he observado tres especies diferentes, pero me perdí una buena toma del Halcón gris. La primera foto es de una Garza Azul Mayor, un ave grande que mide 40 pulgadas de largo. Parece que puede tener un pez atrapado en su garganta.
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In Bethlehem, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He was born, not by the will of man, but by the gift of the love of God our Father, who “so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
This event is renewed today in the Church, a pilgrim in time. For the faith of the Christian people relives in the Christmas liturgy the mystery of the God who comes, who assumes our mortal human flesh, and who becomes lowly and poor in order to save us. And this moves us deeply, for great is the tenderness of our Father.
The first people to see the humble glory of the Savior, after Mary and Joseph, were the shepherds of Bethlehem. They recognized the sign proclaimed to them by the angels and adored the Child. Those humble and watchful men are an example for believers of every age who, before the mystery of Jesus, are not scandalized by his poverty. Rather, like Mary, they trust in God’s word and contemplate his glory with simple eyes. Before the mystery of the Word made flesh, Christians in every place confess with the words of the Evangelist John: “We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Today, as the winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline, Christmas invites us to focus on the sign of the Child and to recognize him in the faces of little children, especially those for whom, like Jesus, “there is no place in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
We see Jesus in the children of the Middle East who continue to suffer because of growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. On this festive day, let us ask the Lord for peace for Jerusalem and for all the Holy Land. Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two States within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. May the Lord also sustain the efforts of all those in the international community inspired by good will to help that afflicted land to find, despite grave obstacles the harmony, justice and security that it has long awaited.
We see Jesus in the faces of Syrian children still marked by the war that, in these years, has caused such bloodshed in that country. May beloved Syria at last recover respect for the dignity of every person through a shared commitment to rebuild the fabric of society, without regard for ethnic and religious membership. We see Jesus in the children of Iraq, wounded and torn by the conflicts that country has experienced in the last fifteen years, and in the children of Yemen, where there is an ongoing conflict that has been largely forgotten, with serious humanitarian implications for its people, who suffer from hunger and the spread of diseases.
We see Jesus in the children of Africa, especially those who are suffering in South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Nigeria.
We see Jesus in the children worldwide wherever peace and security are threatened by the danger of tensions and new conflicts. Let us pray that confrontation may be overcome on the Korean peninsula and that mutual trust may increase in the interest of the world as a whole. To the Baby Jesus we entrust Venezuela that it may resume a serene dialogue among the various elements of society for the benefit of all the beloved Venezuelan people. We see Jesus in children who, together with their families, suffer from the violence of the conflict in Ukraine and its grave humanitarian repercussions; we pray that the Lord may soon grant peace to this dear country.
We see Jesus in the children of unemployed parents who struggle to offer their children a secure and peaceful future. And in those whose childhood has been robbed and who, from a very young age, have been forced to work or to be enrolled as soldiers by unscrupulous mercenaries.
We see Jesus in the many children forced to leave their countries to travel alone in inhuman conditions and who become an easy target for human traffickers. Through their eyes we see the drama of all those forced to emigrate and risk their lives to face exhausting journeys that end at times in tragedy. I see Jesus again in the children I met during my recent visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, and it is my hope that the international community will not cease to work to ensure that the dignity of the minority groups present in the region is adequately protected. Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed and how hard it is not to have a place to lay one’s head. May our hearts not be closed as they were in the homes of Bethlehem.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The sign of Christmas has also been revealed to us: “a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Luke 2:12). Like the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, may we welcome in the Baby Jesus the love of God made man for us. And may we commit ourselves, with the help of his grace, to making our world more human and more worthy for the children of today and of the future.
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Urbi et Orbi
el mensaje de Navidad por Papa Francisco
Queridos hermanos y hermanas, feliz Navidad.
Jesús nació de María Virgen en Belén. No nació por voluntad humana, sino por el don de amor de Dios Padre, que “tanto amó al mundo, que entregó a su Unigénito, para que todo el que cree en él no perezca, sino que tenga vida eterna” (Juan 3,16).
Este acontecimiento se renueva hoy en la Iglesia, peregrina en el tiempo: en la liturgia de la Navidad, la fe del pueblo cristiano revive el misterio de Dios que viene, que toma nuestra carne mortal, que se hace pequeño y pobre para salvarnos. Y esto nos llena de emoción, porque la ternura de nuestro Padre es inmensa.
Los primeros que vieron la humilde gloria del Salvador, después de María y José, fueron los pastores de Belén. Reconocieron la señal que los ángeles les habían dado y adoraron al Niño. Esos hombres humildes pero vigilantes son un ejemplo para los creyentes de todos los tiempos, los cuales, frente al misterio de Jesús, no se escandalizan por su pobreza, sino que, como María, confían en la palabra de Dios y contemplan su gloria con mirada sencilla. Ante el misterio del Verbo hecho carne, los cristianos de todas partes confiesan, con las palabras del evangelista Juan: “Hemos contemplado su gloria: gloria como del Unigénito del Padre, lleno de gracia y de verdad” (Juan 1,14).
Por esta razón, mientras el mundo se ve azotado por vientos de guerra y un modelo de desarrollo ya caduco sigue provocando degradación humana, social y ambiental, la Navidad nos invita a recordar la señal del Niño y a que lo reconozcamos en los rostros de los niños, especialmente de aquellos para los que, como Jesús, “no hay sitio en la posada” (Lucas 2,7).
Vemos a Jesús en los niños de Oriente Medio, que siguen sufriendo por el aumento de las tensiones entre israelíes y palestinos. En este día de fiesta, invoquemos al Señor pidiendo la paz para Jerusalén y para toda la Tierra Santa; recemos para que entre las partes implicadas prevalezca la voluntad de reanudar el diálogo y se pueda finalmente alcanzar una solución negociada, que permita la coexistencia pacífica de dos Estados dentro de unas fronteras acordadas entre ellos y reconocidas a nivel internacional. Que el Señor sostenga también el esfuerzo de todos aquellos miembros de la Comunidad internacional que, movidos de buena voluntad, desean ayudar a esa tierra martirizada a encontrar, a pesar de los graves obstáculos, la armonía, la justicia y la seguridad que anhelan desde hace tanto tiempo.
Vemos a Jesús en los rostros de los niños sirios, marcados aún por la guerra que ha ensangrentado ese país en estos años. Que la amada Siria pueda finalmente volver a encontrar el respeto por la dignidad de cada persona, mediante el compromiso unánime de reconstruir el tejido social con independencia de la etnia o religión a la que se pertenezca. Vemos a Jesús en los niños de Irak, que todavía sigue herido y dividido por las hostilidades que lo han golpeado en los últimos quince años, y en los niños de Yemen, donde existe un conflicto en gran parte olvidado, con graves consecuencias humanitarias para la población que padece el hambre y la propagación de enfermedades.
Vemos a Jesús en los niños de África, especialmente en los que sufren en Sudán del Sur, en Somalia, en Burundi, en la República Democrática del Congo, en la República Centroafricana y en Nigeria.
Vemos a Jesús en todos los niños de aquellas zonas del mundo donde la paz y la seguridad se ven amenazadas por el peligro de las tensiones y de los nuevos conflictos. Recemos para que en la península coreana se superen los antagonismos y aumente la confianza mutua por el bien de todo el mundo. Confiamos Venezuela al Niño Jesús para que se pueda retomar un diálogo sereno entre los diversos componentes sociales por el bien de todo el querido pueblo venezolano. Vemos a Jesús en los niños que, junto con sus familias, sufren la violencia del conflicto en Ucrania, y sus graves repercusiones humanitarias, y recemos para que, cuanto antes, el Señor conceda la paz a ese querido país.
Vemos a Jesús en los niños cuyos padres no tienen trabajo y con gran esfuerzo intentan ofrecer a sus hijos un futuro seguro y pacífico. Y en aquellos cuya infancia fue robada, obligados a trabajar desde una edad temprana o alistados como soldados mercenarios sin escrúpulos.
Vemos a Jesús en tantos niños obligados a abandonar sus países, a viajar solos en condiciones inhumanas, siendo fácil presa para los traficantes de personas. En sus ojos vemos el drama de tantos emigrantes forzosos que arriesgan incluso sus vidas para emprender viajes agotadores que muchas veces terminan en una tragedia. Veo a Jesús en los niños que he encontrado durante mi último viaje a Myanmar y Bangladesh, y espero que la comunidad internacional no deje de trabajar para que se tutele adecuadamente la dignidad de las minorías que habitan en la Región. Jesús conoce bien el dolor de no ser acogido y la dificultad de no tener un lugar donde reclinar la cabeza. Que nuestros corazones no estén cerrados como las casas de Belén.
Queridos hermanos y hermanas:
También a nosotros se nos ha dado una señal de Navidad: “Un niño envuelto en pañales…” (Lucas 2,12). Como la Virgen María y san José, y los pastores de Belén, acojamos en el Niño Jesús el amor de Dios hecho hombre por nosotros, y esforcémonos, con su gracia, para hacer que nuestro mundo sea más humano, más digno de los niños de hoy y de mañana.
A vosotros queridos hermanos y hermanas, llegados a esta plaza de todas las partes del mundo, y a cuantos os unís desde diversos países por medio de la radio, la televisión y otros medios de comunicación, os dirijo mi cordial felicitación.
Que el nacimiento de Cristo Salvador renueve los corazones, suscite el deseo de construir un futuro más fraterno y solidario, y traiga a todos alegría y esperanza. Feliz Navidad.
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Christmas Midnight Mass as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Occupied Palestine. Photo by A. Morgan, Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel
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Bribe router says that the Minister of Canal Affairs
and head of the Metro took a bribe from FCC
by Eric Jackson
I remember a case of a bribe that Roberto Roy received, which FCC paid. … André Rabello was complaining because he tried to pay Roberto Roy but he didn’t take the money because he wanted money from the Spanish company because as he saw it, he was more sure not to be discovered or to be suspected of receiving bribes.
Rodrigo Tacla Durán
Out of respect for the citizenry and love for my family, I feel an obligation to respond, categorically, to a lie told against me.
Roberto Roy
In his public persona, Roberto Roy wears two hats. He is a member of Juan Carlos Varela’s cabinet in the role of Minister of Canal Affairs. As canal minister he is president of the Panama Canal Authority board of directors. He is also secretary general of the Metro commuter train system. The alleged bribe was in connection with a Metro construction contract, in which the companies awarded the job were a consortium of the notorious Brazilian company Odebrecht, with Spain’s FCC as a junior partner.
In his private business life, which he apparently has not entirely set aside over the three decades in which he has held various public posts, Roy is the founding president of R-M Construction and former president of the Panamanian Chamber of Construction, a former director of Bancolat and a former director of La Prensa. Public posts that he has occupied include membership on a panel that studied canal expansion possibilities in the mid and late 90s when the canal was under US administration, and membership on the boards of directors of the Panama Canal Authority, the Panama Maritime Authority and the state-owned Caja de Ahorros.
And so it is that the Panama Canal Authority that already had two of its board members in hiding with INTERPOL warrants out for their arrests now has a third board member, the Minister of Canal Affairs who presides over the body, immersed in scandal. The timing of and route by which Roy is called out in public is obscure and a bit odd. Mr. Tacla Durán’s testimony was given in Spain last July, the prosecutors of the Public Ministry got those data in early November — so the ministry says — and in any case the ordinary prosecutors would not have jurisdiction over the allegations highlighted over the long Christmas holiday weekend. Tacla names President Varela and Roy, who by virtue of their jobs could only be investigates and tried by the National Assembly; and former president Ricardo Martinelli, who as a member of the Central American Parliament many only be investigated and tried by the Supreme Court.
The testimony indicates that Roy took a bribe from the Spanish construction company FCC. That company is now controlled by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim but at the apparent time of the alleged transaction he was only a minority shareholder. Slim, the owner of Claro.com, is also the biggest shareholder in The New York Times.
On the face of it, some or all of Tacla’s story may be hearsay. He was the external lawyer for Odebrecht in charge of setting up secret bank accounts through which billions in bribes going to public officials in more than a dozen countries were laundered, mainly through shell companies. The Odebrecht executive in charge of the “structured transactions” bribery and kickback unit was André Rabello. In Brazil, Rabello turned state’s evidence some time ago and would be expected to either support Tacla’s version or deny it, such that there would be less of a hearsay problem. In Panamanian law there is not as strict a ban on hearsay as in the US system, but “(s)he told me” tales are given much less weight than the stories of those who were direct participants in a transaction.
Roy is in taunting mode, saying that there is no evidence against him and threatening unspecified consequences if anyone brings a charge against him. But of course the testimony of Tacla is evidence, as would be any testimony of Rabello if he has essentially the same story to tell. Then there are some unusual circumstances by which Odebrecht and FCC got contracts for the Metro and circumstantial evidence can also be devastating proof. Starting from those things one conducting an investigation would go in search of a corroborating paper trail. Be all that as it may, the legislature almost surely will investigate neither Varela nor Roy.
Roy has invoked his family, and on Twitter there is a flurry of character witness tweeting, generally to the point that Roy is a wonderful guy from a great family. That may work, given the way that Panama works. However, most Panamanians are not members of the illustrious families and a lot of them resent those who are and who flaunt such ties for personal gain or protection. While the current political, judicial and prosecutorial castes will be unmoved by any public disgust, this sort of thing is likely to be a central issue of 2019 elections.
Perhaps of more consequence are resentments harbored abroad, of companies that didn’t get Panamanian contracts because they were unwilling to play Odebrecht games, of governments losing tax revenue due to their cheating citizens laundering assets through the Panamanian banking and construction industries.
Who is related and what is related is a favorite rabiblanco pseudo-scientific shell game. The misdirection breaks down, however, as institutions like the European Union express their weariness with Panamanian games by imposing financial sanctions on this country. Even if all the most respectable spokespeople for all the right families say that there is no relationship between situations like this and a reputation that gets Panama sanctioned.
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For Puerto Ricans, who are 85 percent Catholic, Christmas starts after Thanksgiving, continues through Christmas Day, and extends beyond Three Kings Day, on January 6, with the “octavitas” — an eight-day street party that concludes in the St. Sebastian Festival in Old San Juan in mid-January. Christmas trees and decorations stay up for almost two months. The new year is greeted in noisy fashion, with street concerts and fireworks and guns fired celebratorily — albeit dangerously — into the air.
Three months later, most Puerto Ricans still contend with some combination of unsafe water, no electricity, blocked highways, broken bridges, lack of internet and food shortages. Some 600 people are still living in shelters.
Can Christmas survive this catastrophe?
Survival first
I’m considering this question from my home in San Juan, the capital, where a Christmas miracle has occurred: Last week electricity was restored to parts of the neighborhood.
At my job, as a special collections librarian at the University of Puerto Rico’s Humacao campus, our team is working from a tent outside while the library gets a deep clean. The building that houses the library leaked during Maria, so it soon became mold-infested. We lost our reference collection completely, along with all the furniture and computer equipment.
For a while there, I thought maybe Christmas might be one more thing lost to Maria.
The University of Puerto Rico in Humacao has reopened for classes since Hurricane Maria, though some buildings remain closed. Milagros Rodriguez, author provided.
After the celebrations
Puerto Ricans, as it happens, are good at adversity. It’s a legacy of our colonial history.
It may not be the longest Christmas in the world this year. And there may not be a lot of decorated trees, wreaths or parties. But in homes across the country people are roasting suckling pig right now, preparing blood sausages and stewing rice and peas.
We may have to cook over a charcoal fire, but to be sure: There will be bananas for our pasteles, meat-filled pastries served wrapped in a leaf.
Families hum along to holiday favorites — “Navidad,” a salsa tune by José Nogueras, and “Los reyes no llegaron,” a Christmas bolero by Victoria Sanabria — accompanied by the roar of generators.
José Nogueras’s ‘Navidad’ is a classic Puerto Rican holiday song.
Since my house has electricity, we’re stringing the Christmas lights and planning to party. Even in homes without power, that’s sometimes the case. As I heard one caller say on the radio, “We’ll turn on the Christmas lights even if it means plugging them into a generator.”
At work, the library team hung a Three Wise Men-themed decoration on our temporary library tent.
Tragedy unites us all right now. In some places — like Santa Isabel, on Puerto Rico’s southern coast, and Moca, a town near Aguadilla — locals have decked out the main square, transforming storm debris into makeshift Christmas trees and wooden nativity scenes, all strung up with lights.
Such scenes reflect the national sentiment that not destruction, or terrible crisis management, or bankruptcy can take Christmas from Puerto Rico. Celebrating the holidays this year means feeling, if only for a moment, normal. It’s a sign of survival. Evelyn Milagros Rodriguez, Research, Reference and Special Collections Librarian, University of Puerto Rico – Humacao
¿Wappin? Classical music before the Christmas show ¿Wappin? Música clásica antes del espectáculo de Navidad
On Christmas, sometimes Christmas Eve, The Panama News always features a mostly classical Christmas-oriented selection. It’s not quite Christmas, but it’s never too early to get into the great symphonies.
En Navidad, a veces en Nochebuena, The Panama News siempre presenta una selección principalmente clásica orientada a la Navidad. No es Navidad, pero nunca es demasiado temprano para entrar en las grandes sinfonías.
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