People are opposed to Carlos Slim received honoris causa

Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, today received an honorary degree from George Washington University, while dozens of protesters tried to disrupt the ceremony with accusations that has become rich at the expense of the poor and their practices "monopoly". With the iconic Obelisk in the background, Slim received the degree "honoris causa" of its long history of philanthropy and public and community service during a graduation ceremony outdoors on the terrace known as the "Mall" in Washington. The telecommunications tycoon, who in June 2009 received the "President's Medal" of the university, gave a short speech in English that encouraged the graduates to take risks and face challenges with optimism. "The emotional damage comes not from others but that is forged within ourselves ... to live the present fully and intensely, do not let the past be a burden but that the future will be an incentive," she said Slim to around 7,000 people between students and their families, including some of his family seated in the front row. "Live with a sense of urgency when they are created, they are innovating, when solving problems ... many times they will make mistakes is human, but they are small: Accept them, correct them and forget them, do not be obsessed with them," Slim said, who said "heaven and hell took him inside." Slim, 72, owns the Telmex telephone that his conglomerate, Grupo Carso, acquired in 1990, according to Forbes. That acquisition, in turn, gave him control of 80% of fixed telephone lines in Mexico, while another of his companies, Telcel controls 70% of mobile telephony in the country. Grupo Carso also has a stake in the fields of technology, finance and retail, as its detractors claim that Slim has "choked" to competition, thus contributing to higher unemployment Mexico. Slim, whose net worth was valued at 69.000 million, received the honorary degree by the famous journalist on NBC, Brian Williams, and the artist and graduate from college, Clarice Smith. According to the university, totaling more than 25,000 people have participated in separate ceremonies on Friday and today at the "Mall". One block from where the ceremony was performed, about a hundred protesters chanted slogans "No to Carlos Slim!" and "Two countries, one voice" to protest against its alleged monopolistic practices in Mexico. The activists, who included members of the African American community accused Slim of getting rich at the expense of the poor in Mexico and Latin America, to maintain a "monopoly" and impose excessive prices in the telecommunications sector in his country. "Prices in Mexico are too high and he (Slim) is taking advantage of the system and the rules of the Government, and taking advantage of people in Mexico ... we want you to know that we know what happens in Mexico and Latin America and we will let it do the same here in America, "said Andres Ramirez, the coalition" Two countries, one voice ", which organized the protest. Meanwhile, Arnoldo Borja, the group "Mexicans Without Borders", considered unacceptable "reward" to a man who has become rich "in a country where there are 60 million poor." Despite the protests of the group, the university said in a statement that it granted the degree to Slim "in recognition of his contributions to business and community development in Mexico and Latin America, and his extensive philanthropic work." His works, said the university had "made improvements and investments in education, health care, jobs and arts, among others." Although the coalition had promised about a thousand demonstrators, the number did not exceed one hundred and despite, the noise of many vuvuzelas, also failed to disrupt the ceremony.

• 2012-05-23T23:05:46+00:00
• Duration: 03:22

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