Thursday, October 18, 2007

Response from Peta: Rep. Pete Stark's Unbelievable Comments ?!? ( Chicano Forums )

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October 18, 2007 @10:11 PM/PST

Gracias Hermano ~ I heard / saw the Video via the Link Above and IT IS believable to me by Democratic Rep. Pete Stark, 13th District, Fremont Alameda. Did he use the 'f' word and did it stand for fascist?!?!?!?
Bush is an evil mad man in the White House but it was all those racist reactionary people that voted for him and all those who did NOT vote in the year 2000 that first got him elected whether by a legal coup-d-etat or not. It really does not now matter anymore. Chads notwithstanding.

The Amerikan people put up with it, the new Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore did a weak standdown when he should of fought claw and fang for a complete vote recount. Gore should of marched into the White House and claimed his seat! The United States was and is already divided!!!

The 2000 Presidential Election should of been declared null and void!
Millions of people should of protested, stormed the White House and put an end to the whole corrupt government of the United States. Gore did not have the guts to claim his seat and the Amerkan people did not have the guts to stand up as one! American Fascism is scientific and works with the mirage of government reforms at the top and down there at the bottom endure the masses still living in the Dark Ages!

Intelligent people should know that both major parties constitute one two-headed monster in Amerikan electoral politics. Eventually, it will all be decided by the masses of the Third World of Latin America, Africa and Asia in harmony with the people's Vanguard Elements inside the USA who have stopped playing Sleeping Beauty. Of course, this is IF humanekind does not self-destruct because of its own fear, cowardice and indecision.

We need to just abolish all borders, burn all flags and comprehend that as long as the Amerikan Empire rules the roost there is no truly independent nation, thus, all nations are ultimately mirages. What armed nation can protect its borders and defend its' territorial integrity? Who will stop these evil fascist fools and their fanatics? Public opinion polls alone!!!??? Smell the Blackwater!!!

Amerikan Fascism does what the hell it wants and the Amerikan people are too racist and stupid to put an end to it as that would mean the world's wealth would have to be shared with all the people in a global socialist world government. Hear all the bitching about all those damn foreigners taking our jobs in AmeriKKKa!?!?!?!?

Some of us 'educated activists and advocates' online know these things, but it is not enough for any so-called educated elite to know. It may take longer, more words, more diagrams and more efforts to teach people on the community level how to build a bridge but it is bridges we must build!

We here now inside the United States must build bridges between us here in the continental Uniited States and the whole Third World where the majority of Earth's people live, work and endure.

Indeed, the people get the President they deserve. The central focus for us should be on voter education and voter registration as we prepare for the long dark night. These coming elections will still end up with us being where we are in terms of widespread hunger, poverty and ignorance. Nothing substantial will change come 2008, do the math, connect the dots, think outside the box {borders in our case} and observe the patterns of recent history.

Most Amerikan citizens who vote are racist gringos ~White Amerikans~ and that will not change by 2008. No way will gringos ever vote for a Black man or African-American for President and I strongly doubt if the average White man in Amerka ~ racist and sexist by decades of prior social conditioning ~ will vote for a WOMAN for President, esp. one with Hilary's baggage.

The so-called left-wing in Amerika and the Democratic Party should not ever assume the next President will be a Democrat. Constitutionally right now it cannot be Fuhrer Bush, though he has violated the U.S. Constitution and called it a god-damn piece of paper with complete impunity! The next President could very well be another right-wing reactionary Republican!

Recall: I thought Gore would win in 2000, voted for Nader as a Green Party Member and we know the results of that fiasco!

Is will still be the ballot of the bullet. Maybe both. To echo Brother Malcolm X:
"This is why I say it's the ballot or the bullet. It's liberty or it's death. It's freedom for everybody or freedom for nobody. America today finds herself in a unique situation. Historically, revolutions are bloody. Oh, yes, they are. They haven't never had a blood-less revolution, or a non-violent revolution. That don't happen even in Hollywood. You don't have a revolution in which you love your enemy, and you don't have a revolution in which you are begging the system of exploitation to integrate you into it. Revolutions overturn systems. Revolutions destroy systems.

A revolution is bloody, but America is in a unique position. She's the only country in history in a position actually to become involved in a blood-less revolution......"

We know here now that there has already been rivers of bloodshed. There can never ever be a truly bloodless revolution because so much blood has already been shed. We bleed in the fields, in the factoires, in the streets, in the pintas and continue to bleed. So ultimately it is not a question of violence or not, but rather how to comprehend the role of force in history and fit it with flawless exactitude into our general situation varying with very specific settings in terms of the balance of forces at a given historical juncture with shifting priorities and really realizing that SHIFT HAPPENS!
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Fight-Back!
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Venceremos Unidos! We Will Only Win United!
~Peta-de-Aztlan
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P.S. Forgive my apparent verbosity. Who will read all this stuff anyway?
Maybe I myself will be called a man man, but I am not afraid of what to me is the inevitable and I will go down fighting!!!

P.S.S. I wish you would just post directly to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/networkaztlan_news/

P.S.S.S. Concentration on the coordination of communications, mano!
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Chicano Forums <webmaster@chicanoforums.com> wrote:
Peta de Aztlan,

Rep. Pete Stark's Unbelievable Comments

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Come Together and Create!
Peter S. Lopez ~aka:Peta
Sacramento, California, Aztlan
Email: sacranative@yahoo.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/

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http://www.networkaztlan.com/
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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Cuba and Venezuela Deepen Alliance with More Accords

Cuba and Venezuela Deepen Alliance with More Accords

October 16th 2007, by Chris Carlson – Venezuelanalysis.com
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Raul Castro sign 14 new economic agreements. (Prensa Presidencial)
Mérida, October 16, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)- Cuba and Venezuela announced an increased economic and political alliance yesterday after signing several bilateral economic agreements. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Raul Castro met in Havana on Monday to discuss a number of joint projects as a part of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), and President Chavez proposed a future joining of the two countries into a confederation.

Just as Cuba and Venezuela were the first two countries in the formation of ALBA, the new regional alliance that Nicaragua and Bolivia later joined, the Venezuelan president suggested that Cuba and Venezuela be the first in forming a confederation of nations.

"Now we should be looking ahead, Cuba and Venezuela could perfectly form a confederation of nations in the near future, two countries in one," he proposed.

The proposal comes as the two nations continue to forge a tighter relationship, both economically and politically. President Chavez spent the weekend in Cuba where he paid tribute to the 40th anniversary of the death of Che Guevara, and broadcast his Sunday TV and Radio show Aló Presidente from the island. Chavez said on the show that the two countries are governed by "just one government."

"We are going towards a confederation of Bolivarian nations," he said in reference to the South American independence leader Simon Bolivar who proposed the unification of the region in the 19th century.

"We are going to transform this group of ALBA countries, and more countries, into a confederation, the unification of our people. We are going to transform it into a regional power," he said.

Cuba and Venezuela signed a total of 14 economic agreements yesterday, including a joint oil refinery, the exploration for oil in Cuba and in the Gulf of Mexico, an underwater fiber optic cable connecting the two countries, and several joint companies to undertake other ventures. They also made agreements to study many other prospects for "a growing process of union and integration."

By the end of the year the two governments plan to inaugurate a refinery on the southern coast of Cuba that will initially process 65 thousands barrels of oil per day, and later up to 108 thousand barrels. An old Soviet plant that stopped functioning after the fall of the Soviet Union, the refinery will require an initial investment of 236 million dollars to modernize and expand.

The two countries' state oil companies signed joint contracts to explore oil in western Cuba, as well as in Cuban territory in the Gulf of Mexico. A joint company was created to exploit nickel and other mineral deposits in Cuba, and agreements were signed to study the construction of a petrochemical plant, the production of cement, and the creation of an industry to construct ships for fishing, among other proposals.

President Chavez also proposed the establishment of "aggressive" plans to increase agricultural production in both countries with the goal of making them self-sustaining in their food supply. He emphasized the need to break the countries' dependence on food imports and said that agriculture is the most important sector to develop.

"We should make this our highest priority and concentrate our best researchers, our best scientists on searching for the best land, and accelerate the production of materials, tools, machinery, and fertilizers," he said.

The Cuban leader Raul Castro expressed his satisfaction with the growing alliance between the two countries and applauded the new agreements.

"With the signing of these agreements we make a significant contribution to the growing process of unification and integration between Cuba and Venezuela that began with the Cooperative Agreement signed by both countries on October 30th of 2001," he said.

Raul Castro emphasized that commerce between the two countries has seen a continued increase with a tendency to increased diversification and cooperation. According to the Cuban leader, the two countries are now carrying out 352 joint projects in 28 different areas of economic and social development. He emphasized that these types of projects are now growing to other parts of the region as well with the entrance of Bolivia and Nicaragua to the ALBA block.
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Come Together and Create!
Peter S. Lopez ~aka:Peta
Sacramento, California, Aztlan
Email: sacranative@yahoo.com

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2nd Annual National Congreso 2007 APPROVED RESOLUTIONS

2007 APPROVED RESOLUTIONS

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Peter S. Lopez ~aka:Peta
Sacramento, California, Aztlan
Email: sacranative@yahoo.com

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Resolution 5.01 - Voter Empowerment Resolution: Approved by National Latino Congress


This Resolution was Approved by the National Latino Congreso on Day One Friday October 5th
Author: Mr. Antonio Gonzalez
Organization: Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP)
Phone: 323-343-9299
Email Address: agonzalez@svrep.org
Supporting Opposing
  • William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI)
None
WHEREAS Presidential election years historically generate more interest among Latinos than any other type election cycle; and

WHEREAS Latinos have consistently been the fast growing ethnic group in registration and voting since 1980 (as measured every Presidential cycle), growing from 2.4 million registered voters and 2 million votes cast in 1976 to 9.3 million registered voters and 7.6 million votes cast in 2004; and

WHEREAS despite this trend-setting growth in the Latino voter, due to naturalization and rapid organic growth, Latinos still have at least 7 million eligible unregistered voters through 2008; and

WHEREAS at least 5 million legal permanent residents are Latinos and could become naturalized citizens eligible to become voters; and

WHEREAS Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) has issued a call to all Latino organizations/leaders to coalesce to form national movement to raise the Latino electorate to 12 million registered Latino voters and 10 million votes cast for the 2008 general presidential elections representing the largest growth ever in the Latino vote; and

WHEREAS measures to address the interests of Latinos such as just immigration reform, access to health care, public education reform, expansion of affordable housing, good neighbor relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, and many other issues are less likely to gain acceptance in Washington, DC, unless Latinos significantly increase their electoral/political power; and

WHEREAS the two main parties and their constituent special interest and interest groups increasingly realize that gaining a larger share of Latino votes is necessary to their own viability in pursuing their self-interests; and

WHEREAS these groups are increasingly injecting themselves with their non-Latino leadership and agendas into the Latino community with the effect of dividing the community and derailing its empowerment agenda; and

WHEREAS the right to vote is a vital part of the American way of life and that a healthy election system the source of the United States' moral authority to govern rightfully; and

WHEREAS the current American electoral system is increasingly dysfunctional and undemocratic due to structures and procedures such as, but not limited to, the two party de-fact duopoly, the "money primary", at-large election systems, unequal voting machines, voter caging, voter intimidation, felony disenfranchisement, and exclusionary voter registration procedures; and

WHEREAS there has been an erosion of the Voting Rights Act by recent Supreme Court decisions and lack of enforcement of the United States Department of Justice, leading to additional disenfranchisement of the American electorate; and

WHEREAS the Electoral College no longer reliably gauges the will of the American voters and further serves as yet another disenfranchising tool of the electorate; and

WHEREAS the current system is structured to discourage minorities, women and low and moderate-income people from the opportunity to become public servants; and

WHEREAS voter registration is a major determinant in voting, and more than 80 percent of those registered to vote went to the polls in the 2004 election; and

WHEREAS only 59 percent of citizens in households making less than $15,000 a year were registered to vote in 2004, versus 85 percent of those in households making $75,000 or more. Among Latinos, 49 percent of adult citizens in households making less than $15,000 a year were registered versus 74 percent in households making $75,000 or more; and

WHEREAS public assistance agencies are one of the best places to reach low-income Americans, with the United States Department of Agriculture reporting over 25.5 million participants for Food Stamp benefits in FY2006, nearly 20 percent of whom were Latino; and

WHEREAS the National Voter Registration Act has since 1994 required that state public assistance agencies offer voter registration services to public benefit applicants and clients; and

WHEREAS implementation of the National Voter Registration Act in public assistance agencies has at best been inconsistent, with the number of voter registration applications from public assistance agencies declining by 80 percent between 1995-1996 and 2005- 2006; and

WHEREAS the U.S. Department of Justice has rarely taken action to enforce state compliance with the public assistance agency provisions of the National Voter Registration Act; and

WHEREAS after adopting a series of simple changes, Iowa was able to increase the number of voter registration applications coming from their public assistance agencies by 3000 percent; and

WHEREAS North Carolina registered over 20,000 voters via public assistance offices from January through August, 2007 after implementing a 10-point plan to improve NVRA compliance, and had reported only 11,607 voters registered at public assistance agencies in 2005-2006;

1. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates of the 2007 National Latino Congreso issue a call to unite all interested Latino organizations and leaders and allies to generate a massive nonpartisan Latino Vote Campaign whose goal is increase Latino political power and influence at all levels of government and society; and

2. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates of the 2007 National Latino Congreso endorse all nonpartisan Latino voter mobilization proposals proposed at the Congreso including those focused on immigrants, youth, Latinas, communities, and churches; and

3. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Congreso conveners convene the delegates and their organizations and their allies in statewide meetings in all the relevant states to launch nonpartisan state and local Latino Vote coalitions whose strategy is to register and mobilize the Latino electorate through during the period of November 07 through March 08; and

4. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates of the 2007 National Latino Congreso urge non-Latino entities now seeking to mobilize Latinos for their non-Latino interests to work through Latino-led entities, embrace the Latino empowerment agenda and cease and desist from devise tactics and strategies; and

5. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates of the 2007 National Latino Congreso promote the importance of voting to all Americans, in particularly to Latinos and other ethnic communities in all elections with strong get-out-the-vote campaigns and messages; and

6. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates of the 2007 National Latino Congreso promote strong election reforms to help make the act of voting more accessible and relevant to all Americans, including:

a. Calling for states to directly elect the President of the United States by entering into a compact to award their Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Such new state laws should only be implemented when a majority of states totaling 270 electoral votes enter the official compacts; and

b. Reforming district elections where majority-minority districts are not feasible, local non-partisan elections can be reformed into a single election with an instant run-off voting apparatus; and

c. Urge replacement of local at-large, two-stage election systems with a single slate, instant run-off voting process; and

d. Allowing for voters to register on the same day as an elections, making it easier for people to turn out on election day; and

e. Endorsing the campaign finance reform concept called "Clean Money," which allows for the public financing of campaigns, as this reform would allow more opportunity for Americans of all socio-economic standing the chance to run for notable public offices; and

7. FURTHER IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates at the 2007 National Latino Congreso call on all states to fully comply with the National Voter Registration Act and its public assistance agency registration provisions as a means to increase Latino voting power; and

8. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the organizations represented by delegates at the 2007 National Latino Congreso call on the U.S. Department of Justice to vigilantly enforce state compliance with the National Voter Registration Act and its public assistance agency registration provisions.
Gracias Hermano Rosalio ~
Re: [NetworkAztlan_News] Article on Latino Congreso Voter Mobilization Plan
Rosalio Munoz <rosalio_munoz@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Latino action plan could swing 2008 vote

[News Analysis]

By Rosalio Muñoz

The National Latino Congreso held here Oct. 5-9 projected an action plan and program to massively
increase Latino voter turnout in 2008 and decisively
impact the Nov. 8 presidential and congressional
elections.

The Congreso, convened by 10 major national Latino
organizations with over 2,000 participating leaders
and activists from across the nation, set a goal of
raising the Latino presidential turnout from 7.6
million in 2004 to over 10 million in 2008.

While the Congreso is a nonpartisan effort working on
an independent "Latino empowerment agenda," such a
turnout would lead to even greater losses for
Republicans next year. Vast majorities of Latinos see
the harsh Republican anti-immigrant policies as
anti-Latino and favor immediate beginning of
withdrawal from Iraq, expansion of public health care
programs and other measures that the Bush
administration and congressional Republicans have
blocked.

While 2.6 million more Latino votes would not alone
have changed George Bush's 3.5-million popular vote
margin over Democrat John Kerry in 2004, it would have
decisively changed the Electoral College vote. In five
states with large and growing Latino constituencies
where Bush narrowly defeated Kerry, Latinos favored
Kerry. These states are Florida with 27 electoral
votes, Arizona with 10, Colorado with 9, and New
Mexico and Nevada with 5 each. In the Electoral
College, 270 votes are needed to win. Bush won with
only 286 in 2004. Democratic victories in any three of
the five would have changed the result.

At the Congreso, Latino leaders projected that the
Latino vote could be decisive in key congressional
races in 20 states. New Mexico in particular was
singled out as an example with the recently announced
retirement of Republican Sen. Pete Domenici.
Republican Rep. Heather Wilson has announced she will
run for the open Senate seat. Wilson won re-election
to the House in 2006 by the narrowest of margins and
Democrats have a chance of winning both the open
Senate and House seats in 2008. (See related story.)

Latinos have been the fastest growing ethnic group in
registration and voting since 1980, increasing from
2.4 million registered voters and 2 million votes cast
in 1980 to 9.3 million registered and 7.6 million
votes cast in 2004. However, the Congreso's projected
growth to 12 million registered voters and 10 million
votes in 2008 would mean a qualitatively bigger jump.

Such an increase is possible, the Congreso delegates
said in unanimously approving a Voter Empowerment
Resolution that points out that there are 7 million
Latino eligible unregistered voters, and least 5
million Latino permanent residents who could become
citizens and eligible to register to vote.

The resolution joined with the Southwest Voter
Registration Project's call for "Latino
organizations/leaders to coalesce to form a national
movement" to reach the 10 million voter turnout goal.
Special projects were mapped to focus on immigrants,
youth, Latinas, communities and churches in the coming
months. Congreso leaders were authorized to call
statewide meetings of Latinos and allies to initiate
efforts register and mobilize the Latino electorate
starting this November.

A major focus will be pressing states to fulfill
provisions of the National Voter Registration Act
requiring state public assistance agencies to offer
voter registration services to applicants and
clients. Stepped up efforts in states like Iowa and
North Carolina by public assistance agencies have
significantly increased the pace of voter registration
among lower income citizens.

The escalating attack on immigrants on federal, state
and local levels and in the media led by right-wing
Republicans has kept alive the immigrant rights slogan
of "Aqui estamos y no nos vamos, hoy marchamos, manana votamos" (We are here, we will stay, today we march, tomorrow we vote). The issue is a powerful motivator to interest Latinos in rejecting Republicans at the polls. But more will be needed to draw out Latino
voters of all generations in record numbers.

Development of a Latino empowerment agenda was a key
task of the Congreso.

That agenda, spelled out in 98 resolutions, emphasized
immigration reform, immediate end to the occupation of
Iraq and bringing all troops home, affordable health
care, support of the labor movement, public education
reform, affordable housing and good neighbor relations
with Latin America and the Caribbean.

rosalio_munoz@sbcglobal.net_._,_.___
Monitor: Peter S. Lopez "Peta": sacranative@yahoo.com
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.

__,_._,___



+++++++++++++++++++++
Come Together and Create!
Peter S. Lopez ~aka:Peta
Sacramento, California, Aztlan
Email: sacranative@yahoo.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NetworkAztlan_News/

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C/S

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Monday, October 15, 2007

0101> Re: [NetworkAztlan_News] Bejarano as a Alzheimer's risk'

10-15-07 @10:27 AM ~PST Gracias Hermano GB AKA: 0101 ~
Sometimes we may have Part-heimer's, just part-time not all the time! I am still here in my robe on my laptop and gotta get ready, take shower, morning rituals and all. I joined up with 'virb'. Cool website:
I know sometimes I have traits of a few disorders, OCD, PTSD and ADHD, but then that could be a hypochonric streak! For us, smile!

Gotta extract myself from this laptop. Stuff to do today... expecting a visitor soon. I'll be back! ~Tu Amigo, Peta
P.S. I will call today. Venceremos!

Bejarano <artxchange@yahoo.com> wrote:
[See below story about "Test 'can spot Alzheimer's
risk".]

Reply to: Peter S. Lopez de-Aztlan

Funny...I am sorry, I can't remember why I'm sending
you this email?

Ahhh--ha ha, no? I can't remember my name?? Pause?????
Is it Billy? or Guillermo? or William? or Bill?
Willie? and who's GB? or Memo? Maybe I'm a Bejar?
Bejarano who is of Bejar? Maybe, I'm Aurelio a first
name requested by my birth parents? or El Azteca
calendar date name (Eagle 13 reed) or "figuratively"
AKA "Soy Joaquin" as "Zorro"?

Now I remember why, I write, I'm asking you go to
visit my new weblog site :
http://www.virb.com/bejarano

Caramba! Maybe I just remember too much!*

(*Thinking)...and bring a friend to my weblog, and
don't "forget" to leave a message.

Yours truly,

I am 0101.

--- "Peter S. Lopez de-Aztlan" <sacranative@yahoo.com>
wrote:

> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7041192.stm
>
> Test 'can spot Alzheimer's risk'
>
> The test looks at levels of key
> proteins
>
> A newly developed blood test can identify those at
> risk of Alzheimer's disease up to six years before
> symptoms would become apparent, researchers say.
................
Monitor: Peter S. Lopez "Peta": sacranative@yahoo.com
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__,_._,___



+++++++++++++++++++++
Come Together and Create!
Peter S. Lopez ~aka:Peta
Sacramento, California, Aztlan
Email: sacranative@yahoo.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/

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Sunday, October 14, 2007

Voice ID snares drug kingpin in Brazil

Voice ID snares drug kingpin in Brazil

By ALAN CLENDENNING, Associated Press Writer
Fri Aug 10, 7:49 PM ET
SAO PAULO, Brazil - A reputed leader of Colombia's biggest drug cartel radically altered his facial appearance with repeated plastic surgeries. But his own words gave him away, thanks to advanced voice recognition technology that has become a key tool in the war against drugs and terrorism.
U.S. agents confirmed the identity of Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia using the equivalent of a vocal fingerprint, his attorney said Friday.
Brazilian police had closed in on Ramirez Abadia's properties in and around Sao Paulo, and were probing his alleged laundering of the Colombian cartel's drug profits. But because of his surgeries and multiple aliases, they lacked the positive identification needed for an arrest warrant.

They got their break by taping his telephone conversations, his lawyer, Sergio Alambert, told The Associated Press.

Colombian officials provided a recording they had of Ramirez Abadia, and both sets of recordings were passed to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which made the match, Alambert said.

Richard Mei, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, confirmed the DEA assisted in the Brazilian investigation of the drug lord, whose Norte de Valle cartel allegedly shipped 550 tons of cocaine to the United States from 1990 to 2003. Mei declined further comment.

With the positive ID in hand, police swooped in on 22 locations in six Brazilian states, and caught Ramirez Abadia on Tuesday in a luxurious home with a gym, sauna, plasma TVs, a swimming pool and nearly $1 million in stashed cash.
Authorities on Friday said they tracked down another $1.5 million that had been buried in a garden for Ramirez Abadia near Sao Paulo. The money was moved after his arrest by a Colombian identified only by his first name, Jaime, who was arrested along with his Brazilian chauffeur, police said.

U.S. intelligence agencies have used voice recognition for decades, but the technology has become much more effective in recent years through improvements in software that rapidly analyzes vocal frequency patterns, said Jim Hunter, a partner in the Merlin Risks security firm in Sao Paulo.

"The way you use your voice is as individual as fingerprints," Hunter explained. "If they have a sample of a known voice and they get an unknown sample of sufficient length, they then test the unknown against the known."

The process is more complex than fingerprinting because peoples' voices are different when they speak normally, yell or whisper — but the software breaks down different frequencies and uses statistical analysis to make matches.

Governments keep close guard on the most advanced voice recognition technology, but almost anyone can run a personal computer by voice now, "which means the software has made rapid progress. The machine can read the patterns and respond to the patterns," Hunter said.

Alambert said Ramirez Abadia, 44, arrived illegally in Brazil four years ago and acknowledges using profits from cocaine shipments by his Norte del Valle cartel to buy businesses that police say included cattle ranches, industrial property, mansions and hotels. A $1 million yacht, jet skis and bullet proof cars were among the property seized.

Ramirez Abadia told his lawyer he left Colombia for Brazil because he feared he might be killed by rival drug gang members and was not involved in any drug trafficking in Brazil. The nation is a major transshipment point for cocaine sent from other South American nations, and Brazilian domestic cocaine consumption is growing dramatically.

American officials say they will soon file a request to extradite Ramirez Abadia to face racketeering charges under a 2004 indictment — charges that could bring a lengthy sentence but not the death penalty. Colombian authorities have hinted they may also seek custody.

Brazil's Supreme Court will decide, a process that could drag on for months or even years. Brazilian law bans sending foreign suspects back home if they face the death penalty or a sentence of more than 30 years.

Ramirez Abadia is also expected to face Brazilian charges of money laundering, gang formation and use of illegal documents while in the country, but Alambert said his client hopes American and Brazilian authorities will make a deal so he can be sent directly to the United States to serve time in prison. Alambert said Ramirez Abadia fears he would be killed in Colombia.

The Norte del Valle cartel emerged as Colombia's most powerful drug gang in the mid-1990s, and in September 2004, the State Department began offering up to $5 million for information leading to its leaders' arrest.

That's about when Ramirez Abadia — nicknamed "Chupeta," or lollipop — moved from Colombia to Brazil and underwent at least two plastic surgeries to alter his appearance.

His personal wealth once reached $1.8 billion — although the State Department says he's apparently indebted to other traffickers — and Brazilian authorities have compared him to the infamous drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, who bombed shopping malls and even commercial aircraft while fighting extradition before he was killed in Colombia.

Ramirez Abadia made about the same amount of money as Escobar and was ruthless in attacks on rivals, according to the director of Colombia's judicial police, Col. Cesar Augusto Pinzon, who said Ramirez Abadia is responsible for 100 murders in Colombia, including 30 members of the extended family of Victor Patino, a rival whose relatives were butchered and thrown into the Cauca river.
Ramirez Abadia indicated after his arrest that he would cooperate with drug investigations, but has since changed his mind because he fears relatives in Colombia would be targeted, Alambert said.

"He told me yesterday it's not worth it," Alambert said. "He said, 'They can send me away, I'll take the blame, but it's all mine.'"
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Associated Press Writer Frank Bajak in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.
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