Our Man on the ground in Latin America, our indefatigable Minister of Latin American Affairs, has gone off the grid, exploring the darkest region of South America: the Upper Amazon River basin. His goal is to investigate reports of:(1) deforestation by illegal loggers/harvesters,(2) to investigate reports of illegal gold mining that have persisted for many years resulting in pollution of ground water and surface waters in the region, (3) to observe, if possible, indigenous peoples and their contacts with encroaching populations from external areas. All of these topics are currently under investigation in Brasilia, the OAS, and Washington, D.C.
His last communication came into Tahoma last night, as his flight from Sao Paolo landed in Manaus. He immediately sought a TV to watch his beloved Warriors whip Le Bron and his Cavaliers in Cleveland, their home court. He went to sleep with a big smile on his face.
We will eagerly await his next dispatches which we anticipate will occur in about 4-6 days, when he is due to resurface in Manaus, the old city constructed at the height of the rubber boom fueled by Firestone to meet the demands of the fledgling auto industry that reshaped the modern world over 100 years ago.
Our advice: Look out for snakes and crocodiles.
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