Articles and opinion columns by Latin American analysts who take an unwavering stand for freedom, including members and directors of the IID.
Tensions have escalated recently between the United States and Iran. The bigger problem lies with the administration’s lack of public clarity with regard to its strategic approach. Continued pressure on Iran is absolutely necessary. Iran must not be allowed to become what it wants to be. The Middle East is a deeply volatile region, plagued by civil war, high levels of unemployment, economic underdevelopment and social discontent. Iran must not be allowed to take advantage of those social problems. The administration needs to take these complex factors into account in order to develop a policy that puts a dignified and peaceful end to the Iranian threat.
Secretary Almagro, before Evo Morales at the government offices in La Paz, said: “To say that Evo Morales cannot participate today, that would be absolutely discriminatory with the other Presidents who have participated in electoral processes based on a Judicial decision recognizing the guarantee of their human rights «is a “shady guarantee” because it contradicts the sustained and managed by Almagro himself in this same case, has no clarity or transparency, falls into the realm of the dishonest and dubious legality. With the backing of Almagro, Morales will fulfill his plan. That is why it is urgent to clarify whether Almagro can fight against the dictatorships of Venezuela and Cuba while consolidating the dictatorship of the same criminal group in Bolivia.
Juan Guaidó is still restrained by the National Assembly’s erroneous agenda established by the “Statute for the Transition to Democracy”. Guaidó can no longer continue to be deprived of discharging his responsibilities as Head of State, Commander-In-Chief, and Head of Government. He must organize and lead Venezuela’s liberation government. Venezuela faces a powerful enemy, willing to do anything, and with lots of experience. For there to be the fall of Nicolas Maduro and the Castroist Chavist system, there is a need for an armed force. The political clock ticks but, yet still, this can be done. It only boils down to establishing a legitimate government in Venezuela to defeat usurpation, a government that will be a counterpart to execute international assistance in matters of legitimate use of force that -so far- it has not even been asked for.
Synchronicity is “ the simultaneous occurrence of events (or coincidences) which apparently have no clear cause but are deeply meaningful.” In our hemisphere synchronicity seems to be announcing profound changes in the body politic and the economic platform. But the signs that change is here to stay do not seem to be perceptible to the hemispheric commanding heights whose leadership continues to act like if we were in the post-Cold War period.
The United Nations’ General Assembly proclaimed the 3rd of May as the day to commemorate Worldwide Freedom of the Press Day with the objective of “promoting freedom of the press throughout the world by recognizing that a free, pluralist and independent press is an essential component of every democratic society”. Freedom of the press, beyond being a human right and a basic freedom, is an essential component of democracy. Without freedom of the press there is no freedom of expression, without a free press there is no democracy.
Juan Guaidó and the Venezuelan opposition launched a civilian uprising against Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday, calling for a popular uprising and the military’s support in ending Maduro’s usurpation. Although the plan did not work out as expected, it would be premature to make that speculation. Instead it is time for the opposition for begin considering a Plan B. American sanctions have obviously helped to change the minds of certain sectors loyal to the regime. This is certainly encouraging; however, as weapons and foreign assistance continue to flow to the rescue of the Maduro regime, the U.S must provide real backing; sanctions may not suffice. At this point, it is not only the U.S’s national security which is at stake, but also its role as the leader of the free world.
The “Cold War is the name given to a historic period marred by strategic dispute and indirect conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union for the political, economic, and military dominance of the world” and covers the period of time from the end of the Second World War in 1945 to the time of the break up of the USSR in 1991. Is obvious that the Cuban dictatorship has undertaken a strategy to “revive the Cold War” meaning; to create a new cold war in which it can survive by -once again- becoming the main, and most important, operator of the enemies of the United States in the Americas.
As president Trump does no cease to take both his foes and friends by surprise, the world is beginning to wonder whether he is creating a new doctrine for international affairs or simply bringing down the remains of the post war system. The US is the most powerful nation in the world. It thus enjoys the option of deciding when and where to intervene. Power resources are to be deployed to the advantage of the leading power and not to that of any associate or partner. There is no need to engage in balance of power exercises because Europe is going back to its historic fragmentation and China still needs to develop its military muscle.
Joe Biden will try to be the Democratic candidate. He’ll try to put the bell on Donald Trump. It’s number 20. There are Democratic candidates for all tastes. For now Biden leads the aspirants, but that fact is not enough. Fifty different choices are made in the United States to elect the candidate, and more radical voters often prevail. Although Biden was the best choice for defeating Trump, he will win the candidacy for the most votes in the primaries and Sanders may win that fight.
Bolivia is a dictatorship since -at least- the supplanting of its Constitution and the elimination of the Republic perpetrated through bloody massacres within 2006 and 2009. The same “Castroist Chavist model”, the same provocateurs and owners of this discourse; the same “anti-imperialist” rhetoric, the same Cuban intervention, the same context and verbiage in their “despicable laws”, the same scheme to construct “narco-states”, in sum; the same dictatorial spiral of the same group of Transnational Organized Crime.
