Thursday, March 6

Political Systems, Domestic Politics

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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Whatever Happened to Venezuela’s Interim Government?
9Feb By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Democracy, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

Whatever Happened to Venezuela’s Interim Government?

And Where Does Juan Guaidó Stand Politically? By Ernesto Rodriguez @Ernestoalexan February 9, 2022—It’s probably not easy to be Juan Guaidó in 2022. The former upstart of Venezuelan politics is now struggling to find relevance, three years after being appointed as interim president by the National Assembly he hasn’t been able to accomplish his goal of toppling the Nicolás Maduro regime and leading the opposition to free elections. Now he is also starting to lose his international backing. Support in the European Union started wavering in recent months. Meanwhile, with the world looking away from Venezuela and towards the crisis in Ukraine and Afghanistan, interest itself is dissipating. Even with the strongholds of the United States and the United Kingdom, Venezuelan democracy is...
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Australia Has Ruled, And It’s A Grand-Slam Crackdown On Speech
16Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Domestic Politics, Migration, Immigration, Borders, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing, Types of News: Analysis

Australia Has Ruled, And It’s A Grand-Slam Crackdown On Speech

Three-Panel Judge Backs Immigration Official's Right to Make Personal Decision over Visa Status January 16, 2022—A three-judge panel made a decision today in the case of Novak Djokovic versus an immigration minister, and the decision is final. The 20-time-Grand Slam title champion lost his appeal to stay in the country; the government's deportation order stood, and Novak Djokovic left the country. Game over. What Happened? The troubling part of the story is the legal reasoning behind the decision. The court order on January 16 said, "reasons to be published at a later date." Ruling by three-judge panel that gave the final word in the Novak Djokovic visa case. In short, it was not because of Djokovic's vaccination status or visa status. Either one of those issues, if they ...
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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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Capital Attack Case ‘Far From Done,’ Justice Dept Says
6Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Capital Attack Case ‘Far From Done,’ Justice Dept Says

On the first anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol by American protestors, the U.S. Justice Department said its ongoing investigation has resulted in more than 725 arrests nationwide and would continue to "follow the facts wherever they lead." "Those involved must be held accountable, and there is no higher priority for us at the Department of Justice," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland commented in a speech. "In the aftermath of the attack, the Justice Department began its work on what has become one of the largest, most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in our history." January 6, 2021 It was a day that showed the fragility of the U.S. democratic republic. A new president had been elected, and the U.S. Congress was fulfilling its constitutional duty t...
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PROFILE: Gabriel Boric, Who He Is And Why He Matters
31Dec By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments
Democracy, Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

PROFILE: Gabriel Boric, Who He Is And Why He Matters

"We are a generation that emerged in public life demanding our rights be respected as rights and not treated like consumer goods or a business," Gabriel Boric said after winning the Chilean presidency on December 19, 2021 with 56 percent of the vote. Chile's New Leader Brings A New Kind Of Left To Latin America December 31, 2021--By this point, talking about controversial leaders in Latin America might be a cliché in itself. But still, almost every election in the region has at least one person that can raise a few eyebrows. Chile had two: Pinochet defender José Antonio Kast and Gabriel Boric, the far-left leader, and elected president. Boric is an interesting leader. For one, he is the youngest president to rule the Andean* country. Also, at age 35, he is the first president to b...
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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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Germany’s New Coalition Government Puts Values First In Foreign Policy
8Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Diplomacy, Europe, EU, Eurozone, Human rights, Types of News: Analysis

Germany’s New Coalition Government Puts Values First In Foreign Policy

A Tougher Stance On China Is Likely December 8, 2021--It's a momentous day for Germany, Europe's largest economy, as that country replaces Angela Merkel with a new chancellor after 16 years of her leadership in and out of the country. The Bundestag officially recognized Olaf Scholz as head of the government. Scholz represents the center-left Social-Democratic Party (SDP). This Fall, the party signed an agreement with the Green Party (Greens) and Liberal Democrats (FDP) to rule the country. The coalition deal promises "an innovative alliance" of parties that represent different traditions and perspectives. 50% Off your first digital audiobook. "We can make a contribution to softening political divisions and can initiate new political creativity. In this way, we can modernize soc...
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Ahead Of Honduras Critical Election, Political Violence Emerges
26Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief

Ahead Of Honduras Critical Election, Political Violence Emerges

U.S. And China Vie For Influence In Honduras As Taiwan Arises As An Issue November 26, 2021—Ahead of Sunday's election in Honduras, the people face a critical choice between a corrupt status quo and an alternative that may bring in a left-wing and perhaps "communist" agenda. The election has implications for Central America and beyond. The battle is between the conservative National Party, in power since a 2009 coup and run by a corrupt leader, versus the left-wing Libre Party. The Libre Party candidate Xiomara Castro is leading in the polls. If she wins, she's expected to usher in change. Story Update: Libre Party candidate Xiomara Castro, 62, won the election after running on an anti-corruption platform. She replaces President Juan Orlando Hernández as the country's top lea...
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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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