New York City Leaders, Yo Soy 132, Occupy Wall Street and Occupy DC to Call for the End of Carlos Slim's Monopolistic Practices

USA - English

• Latin America - español

Launches Four-Day Protest in Front of Saks Fifth Avenue

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New York City leaders, Yo Soy 132, Occupy Wall Street and Occupy DC will gather on Monday, August 6th to announce the growing coalition – Two Countries One Voice -- in protest of Carlos Slim's monopolistic practices.

This announcement will be made in conjunction with the launch of a four-day protest to be held in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. Slim, who is the richest man in the world, owns a 16 percent interest in the chain of upscale department stores, in addition to interests in other American institutions.

DATE: Monday, August 6, 2012

TIME: 12 P.M. EDT

WHERE: La Fuente
25 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

WHO: Senator Adriano Espaillat, NYS Senate, 31st District
Assemblymember Nelson Castro, NYS Assembly, 86th District
Assemblymember Robert J. Rodriguez, NYS Assembly, 68th District
Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, NYC Council, 10th District
Juan Jose Gutierrez, Leader of Two Countries One Voice
Andres Ramirez, Leader of Two Countries One Voice
Antonio Attolini, Representative of Yo Soy 132
Mariana Fabela, Representative of Yo Soy 132 and a graduate student at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM)
George Martinez, Representative of Occupy Wall Street and Adjunct professor of political science at Pace University
Lucia Gomez Jimenez, Executive Director, La Fuente, Inc.
Nieves Padilla, Community Organizer, Make the Road NY

BACKGROUND: Carlos Slim's power and fortune is made up primarily from his monopoly on the Mexican telecommunications system.  According to the independent and highly respected Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD), Slim's company, America Movil, which controls 80% of the total Mexican telecom, cell and internet industries, charges exorbitant prices and provides inadequate services. Their report also shows that Slim has price-gouged Mexican customers billions of dollars for basic telephone and Internet service.  They point out that those specifically and most profoundly affected by these business practices are rural and poor communities.

The impact of Carlos Slim's monopoly has resulted in Mexico ranking LAST in public investment in telecommunications compared with the 33 other OECD countries while Slim's company Telemex had a profit margin of 47% - one of the highest of the OECD countries.

SOURCE Two Countries One Voice