Tuesday, November 5

Communism, Dictatorship

Communist countries control their economies and their people. They employ totalitarian systems that restrict people’s personal decisions, speech and financial freedoms. Today, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea are communist countries.

Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico
28Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Communism, Dictatorship, Democracy, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico

AMLO Welcomes The Deal, Rails Against U.S. Government And Critics Of Electoral Law Feb. 28, 2023—Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced today that Tesla plans to build a new electric vehicle plant in Monterrey, Mexico, the second largest city in the country. He hailed the investment as something that would bring well-paid jobs to the region. The new Mexico-based factory will join a Tesla fleet of factories: four in the United States, one in China, and one in Germany. Furthermore, it will benefit from $369 billion worth of U.S. subsidies for clean energy that Congress included as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The company is likely to announce more details Wednesday during its planned "Investors Day." The news comes as countries and companies recalibrate...
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In Communist China, Xi Is Completely And Unquestionably In Charge
7Nov By Patti Mohr1 Comment
Communism, Dictatorship, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

In Communist China, Xi Is Completely And Unquestionably In Charge

Xi's in charge. Communism vs. Democracy: Why It Matter November 7, 2022—If you want to know what communism looks like, you don't need to spend time in China, Cuba, Laos, or Vietnam. You don't even need to spend hours watching the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, the twice-a-decade gathering that selects the country's highest rulers. All you need to see is one minute of the final ceremony right before officials announce the new leaders. It was at that moment that party members came for former President Hu Jintao. Note, the 79-year-old Hu served as China's president from 2003 to 2013. As a leader, he served during unprecedented growth that cemented China's status as a world power. But that record didn't secure him much dignity to let him stay seated during the anno...
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As Nicaragua Invites Russian Troops To Central America, U.S. Responds
17Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Geopolitics, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

As Nicaragua Invites Russian Troops To Central America, U.S. Responds

U.S. Treasury Sanctions State-Owned Gold Mining Firm June 17, 2022—Citing Nicaragua's closer ties with Russia and political oppression at home, the U.S. Treasury issued new sanctions today targeting a Nicaraguan mining company and a government official. Specifically, it targets Empresa Nicaraguense de Minas (ENIMINAS), a state-owned gold-mining company, and Ruy Lopez Delgado, the head of the enterprise. Nicaragua Welcomes Russian Military The sanctions action comes just days after Nicaragua's parliament approved a decree to allow Russian troops to enter the Central American country. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega invited Russian troops into his country to carry out law enforcement duties and conduct joint military exercises, ABC News reported earlier this month. On J...
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Venezuela’s Communist Control Of The Economy Cracks Open An Inch
10Jun By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Types of News: Analysis

Venezuela’s Communist Control Of The Economy Cracks Open An Inch

Editor's Note: The Venezuelan economy is one of the most repressed in the world. In fact, the country ranks next to last on the Heritage Foundation's 2022 Economic Freedom Index. The only country with worse rankings is North Korea. But there are a few signs the country's leaders are seeing at least some value in the capitalist model. Even as Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro courts despots in Iran and Algeria, he is opening up the government's ownership of some parts of the economy, at least a crack. The story below is by Ernesto Rodriguez. Source: My Expat Diary June 10, 2022—If you’ve been following Venezuela’s and Latin America’s news, you might have seen something extremely curious: Predictions of growth from the Venezuelan economy. They come from various places: the Intern...
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Unsealed Document Reveals New Twist In The Alex Saab Story
18Feb By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Human rights, Types of News: Analysis

Unsealed Document Reveals New Twist In The Alex Saab Story

International Corruption Case Spanning Two Continents And Two Decades Grows Even More Intriguing By Ernesto Rodgriguez @Ernestoalexan February 18, 2022—Since 2018, the mere mention of the name Alex Saab to Venezuelans at home and abroad evokes bad memories of rotten food and rice with metal.  For the rest of the world, here’s a bit of background that puts this week’s revelations in perspective. Saab is the Columbian businessman who cheated Venezuela’s starving population during the worst point of an economic and political crisis that continues to this day.  A Corrupt Food Program In terms of international intrigue, the Saab story is one for the ages. It was in 2018 when an investigations team at ArmandoInfo published a piece about corruption inside the food Ven...
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Latin America: What’s Ahead in 2022 & What Happened in 2021
14Jan By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

Latin America: What’s Ahead in 2022 & What Happened in 2021

By Ernesto Rodriguez Welcome to pandemic year three! So 2021 wasn't really what everyone wanted it to be: A year where human ingenuity and science beat a pandemic, letting everybody go back to normal. Not quite. That being said, there was something that felt more normal: Politics. Or, at least in the case of Latin American politics, it was as normal as politics ever gets. A Marked Shift Left The region dealt with the aftermath of unrest that’s happened in the last few years. And political observers saw a marked shift to left-leaning or far-left leaders taking power. That includes Peru's Pedro Castillo and Chile's Gabriel Boric winning their respective elections. It's a trend that could continue this year, with Lula Da Silva being the favorite to win the Brazilian election next Oct...
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After Venezuelan Elections, Those Who Wanted Change Look For New Strategy
10Dec By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

After Venezuelan Elections, Those Who Wanted Change Look For New Strategy

Editor's Note: The elections this Fall in Venezuela marked the first time in four years the opposition took part. The Opposition represents the interim government led by Juan Guaidó, who is recognized by the United States and 50 other countries as the rightful leader of the country in the aftermath of the 2018 fraudulent election. The opposition boycotted the 2018 and 2020 elections. But with recent talks between the opposition and the government in Mexico, they are engaging more in politics For many of the nearly 6 million expats who left the country in the wake of political and economic crises since 2015, the hope is for a new government and a better life for the Venezuelans left behind. Ernesto Rodriguez, one of those expats, analysizes the outlook for that in the essay below. By ...
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Nicaragua Proves That Elections Don’t Mean Democracy
23Nov By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Democracy, Human rights, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Sanctions, Types of News: Analysis

Nicaragua Proves That Elections Don’t Mean Democracy

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife vote Nov. 7 in a "sham election" that gives him a 4th term. Political Repression Is Becoming A Trend In Nicaragua And Beyond November 23, 2021—It's a tale as old as time: A revolutionary hero defies a dictatorship, said hero becomes an international icon and beats the dictatorship. (Maybe even the rock band The Clash releases an album named after the movement.) And then, finally, that hero becomes a new dictator himself. That's the history you can see repeating itself in the Russian and Cuban revolutions. And now, in Nicaragua, and it's happening with President Daniel Ortega. Unfortunately, a trend is surfacing, and it's bad for democracy. Acts of repression by the Nicaraguan government are becoming the new normal in many parts ...
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In A Sign Of Global Disintegration, Microsoft Closing LinkedIn In China
14Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Communism, Dictatorship, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

In A Sign Of Global Disintegration, Microsoft Closing LinkedIn In China

Decision Ends The Era Of Western-Owned Social Media In China File photo from LinkedIn in China October 14, 2021—In a sign that the global world is becoming more divided, Microsoft's LinkedIn is closing its operations in China. The company is planning to replace its LinkedIn in China with a China-centric application called InJobs. The goal of that standalone app is to help "China-based professionals find jobs in China and Chinese companies find quality candidates." Notably, it will not include a social media feed and will not allow users to share posts or articles. Mohak Shroff, LinkedIn's senior vice president of engineering announced the decision today in a blog post. "While we’ve found success in helping Chinese members find jobs and economic opportunity, we have not foun...
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International Responses to Cuban Protests: From Sanctions To Aid
26Jul By Spencer HayesNo Comments
Communism, Dictatorship, Foreign Aid, International Development, Sanctions, Types of News: Analysis

International Responses to Cuban Protests: From Sanctions To Aid

July 26, 2021--Since mass protests erupted in Cuba earlier this month, the Cuban government has arrested hundreds of protesters and prosecuted many of them on charges of contempt, public disorder, vandalism and marching without face masks. The country is facing a grave economic crisis as the population deals with food and medical shortages. The United States responded by imposing sanctions against government officials. Meanwhile, Russia and Mexico are sending supplies of food and medicine. Thousands of citizens protested in fifty-eight locations throughout Cuba. They rallied for access to food as well as changes to their government's one-party rule. Many were met by Cuban police who the government ordered to arrest demonstrators.  Mass Arrests, Whereabouts Unknown The governm...
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