The Green Parties Of The Americas, 2003-2004

La Federación De Partidos Verdes De Las Américas
Federation Of Green Parties Of The Americas

Co-Presidents
Julia Willebrand (Green Party of the United States)
Jorge González Torres (Partido Verde Ecologista de México)
Antonio Jorge Melo Viana (Partido Verde no Brasil)

http://www.fpva.org.mx/

30 January/Enero 2004

Green parties of the American Hemisphere face powerful opposition in this region of the world, but we are growing nonetheless. Our oldest and strongest parties, in México, Brasil, Perú, Colombia, and the United States, are winning elections despite restrictive and hostile conditions. Mexican and Brazilian Greens hold many seats in their national governments, while in the other countries, Green strength is concentrated in local and regional governments.

Our newest Federation members — the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua — are preparing for their first elections, and emergent Green parties in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Argentina have recently entered the political struggle. At the same time, however, Colombia’s Ingrid Betancourt has been held captive for two years. The promise of the Lula and Toledo governments, supported by Greens in Brasil and Perú, remains elusive. Mexican Greens have endured a fierce legal and political attack from the Fox government and its allies. Greens in the United States will contest this year’s presidential election without Ralph Nader. Yet we all continue to grow, and to work more closely together. Green Party membership is growing in every one of our countries.

Our Federation is growing stronger as well. The American Green parties have joined together against globalization and corporate free trade, with a strong presence in both Cancún (WTO) and Miami (FTAA). We have declared our support for fair trade which protects human rights, local cultures, democracy, and the environment. In our governments, and in our nations’ political debate, we have opposed the Iraq war, calling instead for peaceful, democratic relations among all nations. Even in the United States, the Green Party has been one of the strongest forces in the peace movement.

Ecological concerns are central in our political programs. At the November 2003 FPVA Assembly in Managua, Nicaragua, new initiatives were authorized, responding to ecological problems and nuclear transport in the Caribbean region, and a proposed canal across Nicaragua. We also reached agreement around Global Greens policies on global warming and energy policy.

At the November 2003 meeting, our internal organization was also changed. The Green Party of Nicaragua (Partido Verde Ecologista de Nicaragua) was approved for full membership in the Federación. Two executive committee positions were abolished, and replaced with a new post (Secretaría de Comunicación/Secretary of Communications), to which Blanca Villegas Rodríguez (Partido Verde Ecologista de México) was elected.

Despite our very difficult political environment, Green parties in the Americas are prospering. As we grow stronger, we are determined to bring even greater energy and vitality to the global Green movement.

by Tony Affigne
International Committee Co-Chair
Green Party of the United States
Miembro, Asamblea General FPVA
28 January 2004
LA FEDERACIÓN DE PARTIDOS VERDES DE LAS AMÉRICAS – 2004

EL COMITE EJECUTIVO

Co-Presidentes
Julia Willebrand (Green Party of the United States)
Antonio Jorge Melo Viana (Partido Verde no Brasil)
Jorge González Torres (Partido Verde Ecologista de México)

Comité Ejecutivo
Flor de María Hurtado (Partido Alternativa Verde de Perú)
Ingrid Betancourt (Partido Verde Oxígeno de Colombia)
Miguel Angel Pimentel (Partido Verde de la República Dominicana)
Marco Antonio Mroz (Partido Verde no Brasil)
Blanca Villegas Rodríguez (Partido Verde Ecologista de México)

LA ASAMBLEA GENERAL

Partido Verde no Brasil
Antonio Jorge Melo Viana <meloviana@mps.com.br>
Marco Antonio Mroz <mrozverd@ams.com.br>
http://www.pv.org.br

Green Party of Canada (Parti Vert du Canada)
Lynette Trembley <farandol@look.ca>
http://www.green.ca/

Partido Verde de Chile (Movimiento de Acción Ecológica)
Manuel Baquedano <manuelba55@hotmail.com>

Partido Verde Oxígeno de Colombia
Ingrid Betancourt <o2v@cable.net.co>
Juan Carlos LeCompte <o2v@cable.net.co>
http://www.colombianueva.org

Partido Verde Dominicano
Miguel Ángel Pimentel <mapa.rusia@codetel.net>
http://www.verdedominicano.com

Partido Verde Ecologista de México
Jorge González Torres <pvemri@pvem.org.mx>
Blanca Villegas Rodríguez <pvemri@pvem.org.mx>

Portada

Partido Verde Ecologista de Nicaragua
Eduar Salazar Cruz <pvenic@hotmail.com>
David Barahona <pvenic@hotmail.com>
http://www.pvenic.org

Partido Ecologista Alternativa Verde de Perú
Flor de María Hurtado <phurtado@terra.com.pe>
http://www.verdes.org.pe

Green Party of the United States (Partido Verde de los Estados Unidos)
Tony Affigne <affigne@greens.org>
Julia Willebrand <julia.willebrand@verizon.net>
http://www.gp.org

Partido Verde de Uruguay (Partido Verde del Sol)
Homero Miers <sol@adinet.com.uy >

DELEGADOS DE FPVA – GLOBAL GREENS COORDINATION

Jorge González Torres (Partido Verde Ecologista de México)
Anne Goeke (Green Party of the United States)
Antonio Jorge Melo Viana (Partido Verde no Brasil)
REPORTS FROM THE AMERICAN GREEN PARTIES
Republica Federativa do BRASIL – Partido Verde do Brasil
The Greens and the Lula da Silva Government
by Marco Antonio Mroz
National Secretary of International Relations, Brazilian Green Party
http://www.pv.org.br
17 Jan 2004

During the last presidential elections of 2002 the Brazilian Greens were divided: either support Lula or go independently with their own candidate. Those who wanted an independent path in the first phase of the elections prevailed (a candidate only wins in the first phase if he obtains 50% plus one of the votes); at that moment, many left the party to support Lula in the first phase and participated in the design of his program as was the case of our only Representative Fernando Gabeira. In the runoff the Greens supported Lula based on a program called “For a sustainable Brazil” whereby the Partido dos Trabalhadores formalized an agreement with the Greens and the environmentalists.

With Lula’s victory, hope once more visited the soul of the Brazilian people. It was under this framework that we started our relationship with the government, including our six Congressmen and the Minister of Culture participating in a very broad ideological coalition, where communists, liberals, labor, social democrats and many old foxes of the Brazilian political elite co-habitate. The Greens who have chosen an independent path are going through trying times, being surprised and runover by the government’s coalition. We are accumulating many defeats.

Unfortunately, the ideological base and important issues of our program such as nuclear, Indians and democratic freedom amongst others have not been embodied into the core of the strategic decision making process of the government. Decision making is centralized, and the PT Congressmen and their allies are not consulted; the obsession with fixing the economy and promoting development dwarfs other issues into no more than accessories.

That’s what happened with the Provisional Measure (a governmental decree that becomes immediately enforceable until appreciated by Congress) that authorized the use of transgenic seeds smuggled into the country; we had to challenge this act at the STJ – “Supreme Court” so the Brazilian society could understand that our position is against the use of transgenics without a prior study of its environmental impact as stated in our Constitution. One month before this happened, we were taken by another Provisional Measure allowing the imports of used tires from Mercosul, a measure that is against our environmental legislation. The same occurred with the statement of President Lula whereby the Pantanal do Matogrosso, one of the world’s most important ecosystems and protected by our Constitution, will be developed via industrialization, mineral extraction, and agricultural and cattle raising activities.

Regarding democratic freedom, we have made clear our opposition to the government’s silence on the human rights violation in Cuba, where journalists and intellectuals are jailed and others are executed. We could not agree either with the Brazilian vote in Geneva for the ousting of “reporters without frontiers” from the Human Rights Council. Our understanding is that personal relationships and friendships should not prevail over the interests of the State.

On the nuclear front, one more defeat: the government favors the continuity of the Angra 3 nuclear powerplant. The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Roberto Amaral, a socialist and member of the government’s coalition, with no mention of the peaceful objectives associated with the programs, has supported the continuity of the Brazilian Nuclear Program which includes uranium enrichment and the development of a nuclear submarine for military purposes.

The most important setback for us, however, was the non-demarcation of the Indian reserves which are guaranteed by the Constitution. The government has submitted to the ruralist coalition and has not demarcated the Raposa Serra do Sol Indian reserve, which is solely dependent on the political goodwill of the Ministry of Justice.

Minister Marina Silva is outcast within the government. The Ministry of Environment has become a kind of “non-governmental organization” whereby the Minister is heard, but disconsidered by the government.

The Greens in Brazil are going through difficult times. We began to work anticipating that what happened in Europe would also happen here, i.e., the union of Greens and Labor, in a scenario where the Partido dos Trabalhadores would play the same role as the European Social Democracy. We have discovered, however, that the core of decisions in the Partido dos Trabalhadores is closer to that of the communist leaders of Eastern Europe, where a new model including environmental variables is inadmissible.

The perspectives for alliances are still uncertain: we have chosen the path of ideological independence, seeking to differentiate ourselves in the programmatic issues which are non-negotiable for the Greens and voting with the government when our program is not affected. We wish the best for Lula’s government, as it embodies the hopes of the Brazilian people. It is however mandatory, a change in the relation of forces within the government and in order to achieve this we have opted for standing tall before society, being this the shortest path to what could be called the “greening” of the Lula da Silva government.
República de COLOMBIA – Partido Verde Oxígeno
Partido Verde Oxígeno <o2v@cable.net.co>
http://www.colombianueva.org
29 October 2003

ELECCIONES EN COLOMBIA – 2003

Los resultados de las elecciones que se llevaron a cabo en Colombia el pasado domingo 26 de octubre pusieron en evidencia que el Partido Verde Oxígeno sigue vigente, pese a la difícil situación por la que atraviesa desde hace 20 meses cuando su directora, la excandidata presidencial Ingrid Betancourt, fue secuestrada por las Farc.

El Partido apoyo al candidato del Polo Democrático Independiente, Luis Eduardo Garzón, quien fue electo Alcalde Mayor de Bogotá, conviertiéndose en el primer representante de la izquierda en ocupar este cargo, considerado el segundo en importancia en la Nación.

Además a nombre del Partido Verde Oxígeno fue elegido JORGE DIEGO OSPINA RODRÍGUEZ,como alcalde del municipio de la Uribe, en el departamento del Meta, que hacía parte de la zona de distención que sirvió como base a los diálogos de paz entre el anterior presidente de la República y las Farc.

En los lugares donde el Partido Verde Oxígeno tenia presencia fuerón elegidos ocho concejales. Son ellos Barranquilla (Atlántico), Villavicencio (Meta), SERGIO CRUZ ZAPATA,Gustavo de la Ossa Vélez, Sativasur (Boyacá) , Lorica (Cordoba), BARTOLO ANTONIO NEGRETE HERNANDEZ, Florencia (caquetá), Cesar Augusto Trujillo Barreto, y en Pamplona (Norte de Santander) 3 concejales, Gustavo Villamizar, Victor Manuel Rivera, Omar Luna, y agradecen los 15000 votos de la lista del concejo de Bogotá.

El Partido Verde Oxígeno agradece el apoyo que siempre a recibido de la comunidad internacional, así como de los votantes colombianos que permitieron que los principios promovidos y defendidos por Ingrid Betancourt sigan siendo escuchados en diversas zonas del país.

El Partido bajo la Direción (E) de Juan Carlos Lecompte, esposo de Ingrid Betancourt, seguirá su actividad hasta que ella sea liberada y pueda seguir adelante con su proyecto.
REPUBLICA DOMINICANA – Partido Verde Dominicano
por Miguel Angel Pimentel
Presidente, Partido Verde Dominicano
http://www.verdedominicano.com
<pvd@verdedominicano.com>
21 Nov 2003

ACERCA DEL PROCESO DE DESARROLLO DEL PARTIDO VERDE DOMINICANO.

El PVD ha dedicado su primer año de vida a insertarse en el ambiente político dominicano, mediante:

1. Acercamiento a instituciones dedicas a trabajar en temas ecológicos como son las Asociaciones Ecológicas de las 33 provincias y 150 municipios del país, con el objetivo de identificar liderazgos ya existentes y acercarlos al PVD.

2. Participación en eventos políticos, sociales y comunitarios para divulgar los principios y valores de la filosofía verde.

3. Asistir a programas de televisión, radio, haciendo planteamientos sobre la problemática cotidiana del país.

4. Avanzar en el proceso de seleccionar 200 líderes a nivel nacional en las 33 provincias y 150 municipios para asegurar una primera participación en las elecciones congresionales y municipales de Mayo 2006. Hemos avanzado en dos de las tres regiones principales del país. Completada la selección de los 200 líderes verdes a nivel nacional invitaremos a Manuel Baquedano a dictar unos seminarios de Ecología Política.

5. Desarrollar y mantener vínculos con la comunidad dominicana residente en el exterior, inciando con New York, New Jersey y Rhode Island. Esta comunidad tendrá derecho a voto en el exterior a partir de las próximas elecciones presidenciales.

El desarrollo de los Partidos Verdes de Latinoamérica con sus comunidades en el exterior pueden contribuir a apoyar los vínculos de esas comunidades con los Partidos Verdes de esos países extranjeros.

En el caso dominicano he discutido este tema con Julia Willebrand y Tony Affigne, por la importancia de las comunidades dominicanas en New York y Rhode Island y estoy convencido de el gran potencial de organizar un esfuerzo en esta dirección en beneficio del PVD y del Partido Verde de USA.

HONOR A INGRID BETANCOURT

El Municipio de San José de las Matas, de la provincia de Santiago, República Dominicana, el primer Santiago de las Américas, declaró a Ingrid Betancourt hija adoptiva en un Acto Público celebrado durante las fiestas patronales de 2003 y al cual asistí para recibir la placa con esta declaratoria. Mis planes eran llevar esta placa y entregarla en la Asamblea de Nicaragua al Partido Verde Oxígeno de Colombia, la enviaré a Colombia por entrega aérea.
Estados Unidos MEXICANOS – Partido Verde Ecologista de México
Jorge González Torres <pvemri@pvem.org.mx>
Blanca Villegas Rodríguez <pvemri@pvem.org.mx>
Stella Velasco Chedraui <pvemri@hotmail.com>
Partido Verde Ecologista de México

Portada

ELECCIONES EN MEXICO – 2003

Las últimas elecciones celebradas en México fueron el 6 de julio de 2003 para elegir diputados federales y locales de la Asamblea del D.F.; así como presidentes municipales, regidores y gobernadores en algunos estados de la República.

El Partido Verde Ecologista de México logró consolidarse como la cuarta fuerza política a nivel nacional y la tercera en cinco estados de la República, gracias a su tendencia ascendente de un 50 por ciento en la preferencia electoral.

Con más de 1 millón 500 mil votos, de los cuales el 30 por ciento fue de jóvenes entre 33 y 18 años, el Verde Ecologista obtuvo un 6.5 por ciento de las preferencias electorales, convirtiéndose en el único partido en alcanzar una incremento de esa magnitud.

De acuerdo a la voluntad del electorado el Partido Verde ganó tres diputaciones de mayoría relativa: el distrito 18 con cabecera en Huixquilucan, Estado de México , el distrito 27 ubicado en Metepec, Estado de México y el distrito 3 de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.

La decisión electoral de los mexicanos convirtió al Partido Verde Ecologista en la tercera fuerza política en los estados de Baja California, Quintana Roo, Coahuila, Jalisco y Aguascalientes.

Asimismo, con la “Alianza para Todos” ubicada en 10 estados de la República, la coalición obtuvo el triunfo de las gubernaturas de Campeche con Carlos Hurtado, de Sonora con Eduardo Bours, y de Nuevo León con Natividad González.

De igual manera se lograron colocar 5 diputados en la Asamblea Legislativa del D.F., 17 diputados federales en el H. Congreso de la Unión y anteriormente (2000) 5 Senadores de la República.
República de NICARAGUA – Partido Verde Ecologista de Nicaragua
Por: Edward Salazar Cruz
Presidente, Partido Verde Ecologista de Nicaragua
<pvenic@hotmail.com>
http://www.pvenic.org
Managua, 22 de Enero del 2004

EL PARTIDO VERDE ECOLOGISTA DE NICARAGUA

The Ecological Green Party of Nicaragua was organized legally in the month of September of 2002 with the purpose of influencing decision-making, participating in the electoral process and the formation of a new social-ecological conscience inspired by the values of the Ecological Wisdom, Nonviolence and Peace, Social Justice and Grassroots Democracy.

Our Vision is concentrated in:

– encouraging, participating and promoting the construction of a community of men and women with civic responsibility, ecological and political conscience;

– to develop a society of men and women with capacity, honest ethics, respect for human rights, commitment to work for ecological preservation and reconstruction, gender equity, integral and sustainable human development, and a culture of peace and solidarity;

-to develop and encourage people who work for the local and global community, inspired to lay the the foundations for a better future, with a consensus program of ecologically and humanly-sustainable society, greater social justice and viability for the country, with healthy political development and values of quality and of impelling a proactive, democratic, communitarian political leadership that affects different scopes of the national, municipal and local life.

In December of 2002 we were accepted as members of the Federation in the annual meeting in the Dominican Republic. In 2003 we concentrated on the organization of teams at the departmental level, strengthened our international relations and we presented the project to the nation with the help of the International Convention of the Federation of the Green Parties of the Americas in Managua, the 21, 22 and 23 of November of 2003.

In this 2004, we are concentrated in three priorities:

– The programmatic consultation with 218 non-governmental organizations who work in the fields of ethnicity, human rights, gender and family, children and youth, health and rehabilitation, culture, ecology, farming, and alternative credit and housing.

– The formation and consolidation of the party teams at the national, departmental and municipal levels, the legal filing before the Electoral Supreme Council in order to participate in the municipal (2004) and national (2005) elections.

– To fortify the bonds of dialog, cooperation, coordination and feedback with the Greens of the world.

Principles that guide us in the construction of the Green Party are faith, patience and the persistent conviction that we are doing the right, just and necessary thing in a society with high levels of environmental destruction, poverty, and inequitable socioeconomic and political structures.
República del PERU – Partido Ecologista Alternativa Verde del Perú
por Flor de Maria Hurtado Valdez
Secretaria General
Partido Alternativa Verde del Perú
http://www.verdes.org.pe
alternativaverde@terra.com.pe
26 Jan 2004

Saludos Verdes desde el Perú.

Hermanos de la Federación, les informamos sobre la Agenda Política del Perú y el Partido Alternativa Verde. En Noviembre del 2002 en el Perú se realizaron las elecciones municipales y exigieron de nuestra dedicación no siendo posible estar en el encuentro de la Federación pero cumplimos con enviarles nuestro informe.

En Noviembre del 2003 la coyuntura en el Perú estaba bastante complicada porque el actual gobierno que preside el Presidente Toledo confronta una de las más bajas aceptaciones  8.5% y tienen que considerar que Los Verdes fuímos en una alianza. La errada conducción de las políticas de estado y entre otras el abandono a cumplir con el acuerdo de gobernabilidad con Los Verdes hacen inminente nuestro distanciamiento debido a nuestra posición frente a conflictos socioambientales que no han merecido respuestas adecuadas por parte del gobierno.

El resultado de las últimas elecciones nos han permitido crecer, hoy el Partido Alternativa Verde tiene cinco regidores provinciales.

Este año el 2004, intensificaremos nuestra campaña con el gran objetivo de estar presentes en el proceso eleccionario del 2006.

Estamos solicitando el cambio ante la Autoridad Electoral Nacional de Partido Alternativa Verde a Partido Verde.

Como parte de la estrategia del 2004-2006 es un posesionamiento y crecimiento de estructura partidaria en toda la amazonía del Perú.

He leído las conclusiones de la reciente reunión de Nicaragua de la Federación y estoy de acuerdo en que debemos relanzar la Federación.

Estaremos en el 4to. Congreso de la Federación de Partidos Verdes Europeos y en la Convención Anual del Partido Verde de los Estados Unidos.

Sugerimos que la próxima reunión sea convocada con suficiente tiempo (tres meses de anticipación) para ajustarlo a las Agendas.

Solicitamos que consideren al Perú como próxima sede de la reunión de la Federación y con mayor presición en la Selva Peruana donde tenemos una presencia importante y dos regidoras provinciales.
UNITED STATES of America – Green Party of the United States
Julia Willebrand <julia.willebrand@verizon.net>
Tony Affigne <affigne@greens.org>
FPVA Delegates
Green Party of the United States
<intcomm@gp-us.org>
http://www.gp.org
26 January 2004

GREENS WIN RECORD NUMBER OF ELECTIONS, PREPARE FOR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WITHOUT NADER

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Green Party of the United States now holds more elected offices than ever before, but faces the coming national elections without its most prominent candidate for president.

As the third largest political party in the United States, our program is shared by more than 600 candidates for elective office, who represented the Green Party in 2002 and 2003.

We have been forceful participants in the U.S. anti-war movement — often among its leadership, always at its base. We are the peace party in the U.S., and we have called for all U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. Support for fair trade, the rights of immigrants, and the interests of industrial workers and farmers, are central to our political program. We have called for normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and an end to the blockade. We are absolutely opposed to U.S. military intervention in Cuba.

Green Party membership in the U.S. now totals at least 300,000, with 205 Greens serving in elected office in 26 states. In December, the Green Party’s candidate, Matt Gonzalez, was nearly elected mayor of San Francisco, winning 47% against a corporate Democrat whose campaign spent nearly $4 million.

But on December 22, two-time Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader informed party leaders that he will not seek the Green Party’s nomination for the U.S. presidency in 2004. Many Greens were surprised by Nader’s decision.

Six candidates have declared their intention to compete in the Green Party Presidential Primaries: Peter Camejo (CA), David Cobb (CA), Paul Glover (NY), Kent Mesplay (NY), Carol Miller (NM), and Lorna Salzman (NY). Nader said in December that he is still considering a possible independent run for the presidency, perhaps with Green Party support, but without the Green Party nomination.

The Green Party currently has official status in 21 states, with Nebraska soon to become the 22nd. Forty-three state Green Parties are affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. Ballot Access News reported in September, 2002 that the Green Party grew by 27.7% between 2000 and 2002; all other national political parties lost membership.

The Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 23-28th. Delegates to the Convention will be democratically elected in primaries, caucuses, and state conventions, beginning in January 2004.

Many international guests, from dozens of the world’s Green parties, will be invited to join us in June. Please contact the International Committee for more information <intcomm@gp-us.org>.
END OF REPORT