The Paseo del Parque is already the hub for lovers of books and reading. The 41 th edition of the Manchester Book Fair kicked off yesterday with the presence of many authorities and the shadow of the crisis that has beaten the sector hard. However, booksellers and publishers face this new edition with lots of "optimism" and, at least, manage to maintain sales in previous years.
The Fair is a wonderful opportunity to borrow books from their sanctuaries, libraries, and establish direct contact with the reading public, "Francisco said yesterday Argüelles, Arguval editor and member of the Publishers Association of Andalusia.
Until 12 June, a total of 39 exhibitors will teach readers everything that's happening in the publishing scene. Booksellers agree in emphasizing the "boom" of the paperback editions and reprints of the Russian avant-garde. Such is the case of Yolanda Peinado Lorca owner of the bookstore, located in Arroyo de la Miel and this year debuted at the fair with a lot of "illusion." Your bet is a preference for younger audiences with a wide variety of titles, news, the paperback edition, self-help books and classics.
Meanwhile, the institutions participating in the literary event have set up their schedules for the next few days. Yesterday, Manchester City Council presented the Publications Catalogue, which contains all titles published by the various municipal departments from the 80, a total of 610. Later, the Municipal Institute of Paper picked up her award for best work for the book and reading, while the Association of Professional Illustrators of Andalusia was honored for his professional work in the book world.
The presentation of books and magazines of the group Ana León in the Rectorate opening acts today. Later, at 18 hours, the same space will host the show Counting the world, by José María Moreno, organized by the Centro Andaluz de las Letras, which also leads to Malaga today's new book, When Rosa Romo birds.
Museum director Revello de Toro, Elijah Matthew, also present at the Rector his new book, Spiritualists and Theosophists in Andalusia (1853-1939), edited by Sarria. The event will be hosted by Antonio Garrido Moraga.
Also, the hall of the Municipal Heritage Museum will host the awards ceremony for Kids Poetry Contest Poets of 27, organized by the Library Section of City Hall.
The Organization of American States (OAS) will start Sunday in San Salvador to 41 general meeting with the agenda focusing on security issues in a conclave that will test their ability to achieve consensus and meet new challenges.
The meeting will be inaugurated by President of El Salvador Mauricio Funes and OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, and Monday attended by president Porfirio Lobo to thank the country's readmission to the forum, after two years of suspension for the hit State June 2009.
"The expectation is to have concrete results because only statements we will not address the issue of transnational organized crime in our region," said Insulza.
Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez said the "main objective is to achieve greater cooperation across the continent against a common threat, such as organized crime.
The presence of Honduras in the continental competition would predict a climate of consensus, but not, as the OAS has been showing difficulties reaching agreement and there are countries who doubt the effectiveness of the body, so they move on to create other forums .
Moreover, the very security plan - a draft of which was written by El Salvador - could create further mistrust, as analysts warn.
"The OAS in its war against crime must decide between two conceptions of security: one promoted by the United States and other countries irrespective can see from the perspective of law," said analyst and academic Salvadoran Roberto Cañas told AFP.
The total war against drug trafficking, under the auspices of Washington, has not stopped the shipment of drugs to North America and has high levels of security in Latin America, but that has deteriorated, he said.
"It became clear that the orders on how to combat drug trafficking have led the U.S. anti-drug agencies and those who have given their lives are peoples" of Latin America, said Cañas.
Insecurity is a recurrent problem in the continent, with peaks in Central America where Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador recorded homicide rates that exceed eight times the world average.
Salvadoran Foreign Minister announced that the security plan covers five areas of "core": prevention, prosecution of crime, rehabilitation, reintegration and institutional strengthening.
But it may be difficult to adopt a concrete plan of action, as called Insulza, as the assembly of San Salvador will take place after the OAS showed difficulties in solving the crisis in Honduras.
The OAS is experiencing a "crisis of prestige," said Antonio Martínez Salvadoran analyst.
"The OAS has been working according to the mandate of the United States, because although we want to see in a different way, the OAS is a mechanism created by this country," said analyst Colatino on Friday evening.
So Latin America has been working on other initiatives "own," he said.
The Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez and his allies are strong proponents of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean (ECLAC), a parallel organization to the OAS, but the United States or Canada, which formally born on July 5 in Caracas.
Insulza defended the validity of the OAS after the reinstatement of Honduras, passed Wednesday in Washington: "It is in moments of crisis when you see how important this organization."
But the OAS has been required since last year on several occasions to use their votes to make decisions and set aside its traditional consensus, something that had not happened 15 years ago.
Human rights groups say security forces have killed over 1,000 civilians so far, prompting international condemnation against Assad's ruthless handling on the demonstrators.
Syrian forces killed at least 70 protesters, activists said, in one of the bloodiest days since the start of a 11-week revolt against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Friday, challenging the determination of the security forces to quell the uprising, and some activists said the death toll could reach 100, Reuters reported.
Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said at least 60 people were killed in Hama, where Assad's father, Hafez, crushed a revolt 29 years ago, killing 30,000 people and destroying parts of the city.
A political activist in Hama said tens of thousands of people attended funerals Saturday of protesters killed, adding that more protests were planned in the day.
"The distress is very high in the city, people will never be silenced or scared. The whole city is closed today and people are calling a three-day strike," he told Reuters by telephone the activist, who identified himself as Omar .
"We hope protests after the prayers in the afternoon," he added.
Residents and activists said security forces and snipers fired on demonstrators on Friday replete Hama.
Besides the victims in that city, the Syrian human rights group Sawasiah said one person died in Damascus and two in the northwestern province of Idlib.
Another seven people were killed in the city of Rastan in central Syria, which has been under military attack and is besieged by tanks since last Sunday.
CHALLENGE curfew
Human rights groups say security forces have killed over 1,000 civilians so far, prompting international condemnation against Assad's ruthless handling on the demonstrators.
Assad apply brute force and political concessions, often simultaneously, to quell the protests. By the time the practice has failed to stop the revolt against the 41-year rule of the Assad family, members of the Alawite minority sect in Sunni-majority country.
In Dera, where the revolt began, hundreds defied a curfew on Friday, chanting "no dialogue with murderers," Reuters said two residents of the city.
Syrian forces also opened fire on demonstrations in the eastern town of Deir al-Zor and Barzeh district of Damascus.
Activists and residents said thousands of people marched in Idlib province, the city of Homs and Madaya and Zabadani cities in the west.
