Posts by Jaime Ortega-Simo:
- It is a fabulously wealthy place full of gold, silver, lapis lazuli and other precious materials, as well as the artisans to craft them.
- It is remote and difficult to reach.
- It is home to the goddess Inana, who transfers her allegiance from Aratta to Uruk.
- It is conquered by Enmerkar of Uruk.
- Land travelers must pass through Susa and the mountainous Anshan region to reach it.
- It is a source of, or has access to valuable gems and minerals, in particular lapis lazuli, that are crafted on site.
- It is accessible to Uruk by watercourse, yet remote from Uruk.
- It is close enough to march a 27th-century BC Sumerian army there.
Theory: Modern Mass Communications Should Heighten Awareness
March 11th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega
Beginning in 1450 with the Gutenberg Press the social revolution of literacy took a leap forward. However the corruption and power of the Roman Catholic Church influenced the “dark age” of human progress and innovation.
For millennia information has allowed humans to progress as we collected knowledge about different subjects. Information was obtained through documented experiences. But since the discovery of the electron, information has being hijacked by the speed of self-gratification. This unique system found mostly through the Internet and broadcasting has changed our comprehension and lowered our knowledge of human communication.
What is the speed of “Instant Self-Gratification”?
1) Gratification without the value of time (not waiting) (STG vs. LTG)
Self-gratification is what pushes us to buy products to feel satisfied, forces us to become wealthy and keeps us trying to win every time we gamble at a casino. But when we blend self-gratification with the digital spectrum we use in social media platforms, it replaces basic long-term gratification, which is naturally wired in our brain, with short-term gratification. That long-term gratification is what makes us push ourselves to obtain goals over time. Short-term gratification is what makes us push ourselves to get instantly gratified. Finishing a two-year project is a long-term gratification. Giving a homeless man a few dollars is equal to short-term gratification.
However, more than ever, short-term gratification has taken over long-term gratification. The reason — the emergence of the Internet and the amount of social mediums available to instantly gratify users. Thus, we promote the impatience that these digital spectrums create.
Example: Within the holiday season users can order products online. This will require only a click to satisfy their impatience and there you have it — STG. Fewer people will go check the items they want by driving to various shopping malls, passing over the LTG process that may take several weeks. The latter case shows more patience, despite the fact these shoppers might never find the desired product in any of the malls they searched.
STG= Impatience = Digital spectrum
LTG= Patience = Natural spectrum
Example: Someone posts a cool skateboarding video on Facebook or YouTube. The one who posts will look for STG and impatiently check the amount of “likes” or “comments” he receives. Another kid starts to skate board in the street. After three weeks a man tells him, “I like those tricks” (a case of LTG showing more patient behavior).
Texting is also another STG. One is looking forward to quick reply with no expectation of a long wait.
The problem with STG is that it makes patient behavior obsolete and does not allow us to be persistent in our long term goals without the benefit of incentives every five seconds. In today’s world most people have become STG and set aside LTG. With the use of technology it takes less time to gratify our emotions – there’s no wait.
2) Always winning in the shortest time available
Everyone likes winners. But to be a winner it takes something extra that social media regularly does not sponsor. That is failure. Goals are achieved through experience. Learning from a debacle of errors is what makes our goals realistic propositions, rather than mirages inside a dream. The new generation of social media users can branch out digitally the wins over the losses without experiencing natural failure.
For example: Mariah Carhan dreamed to be a scientist, but she never achieved her goal. When she first started using Facebook she realized that to self-gratify (STG) she could insert any profession of her choosing in the “where I work” tab. So, instead of inserting were she really worked (as a bartender), she typed “works for NASA” to look smart. Mariah became a winner in the shortest time available without ever taking time to get her degree in Science class and going to school.
3) Absorbing fast information without reading content (Content Absorption)
People affected from the demises of this digital generation normally read the headlines of a story online without actually reading through the story. They are thus failing to absorb the content by focusing only on the shell of the topic.
During the golden age of newspapers readers turned the pages of news stories and read content that was moderately absorbed to keep updated about important issues. In the past people read more.
Before the abundance of technology those acquiring knowledge lived with an expectation that time must be dedicated to the increase of information. As opposed to today’s world, information was more technical and valued. Before the age of massive computer availability information was harder to obtain, thus increasing the value of good data. Those craving new strains of information could be satisfied by work and pursuit of data even with the lack of technology.
Dark Ages (PAST) vs. Data Blowout (PRESENT)
During the Dark Ages information was not quantifiable. In other words there was a shortage of data that was on demand during that period. For example, if a sailor owned a complete map of world, showing continents, it was traded for the best price because whoever accessed the best information took strategic advantage toward success over his competitors. Many people that carried such information forced themselves to remember vital documents that would allow them to stand out. The reciters of the Quran in the Eighth Century forced themselves to memorize the teachings of prophet Muhammad.
In today’s world information has boomed to levels where data itself is not taken with the same value observed during the Dark Ages. With such a surplus of information users are less likely to care about vital information, believing all information counts as equal to zero.
Today there are so many platforms available for the public that modern communication has been distanced itself from the forces of print, digital newspapers, radio and television to create a super network of data that is now present everywhere and anywhere.
It is almost impossible for people to remain uninformed, but with great power comes great responsibility. Reality shows that vast inflows of communication don’t make users smarter or more knowledgeable. The following theories demonstrate this:
The Max-Drop Theory
Let’s say for example that you just got a rib eye steak as a gift from your parents. The truth is that you will eat the steak. You will not have the same satisfaction as if you were broke and had struggled to come up with the $25.00 to purchase the same meat at a market yourself .
When one works hard to obtain something precious and scarce, he is going to value what he has more because self-appreciation gets activated! The more people give you, the less appreciative you become. On the other hand, the less people give you, the more appreciative you will become and increase the value of that ‘something’ you acquired on your own.
When something is given you’re less likely to incentivize yourself and you naturally receive less (or no) credit for what you obtained. Your credit is gone; it’s theirs.
The same protocol follows with information. Since information (thanks to digital breakthroughs) is easier to obtain than in the past, people are less likely to appreciate information. There is less incentive to learn about something they can access quite easily without ever learning anything.
Max-out Theory
Imagine for one second that everyone in the world was rich. What would happen with money? The value would go down. Because if everyone had money then money would not be worth anything.
With so much information available on any subject, information has also lost its value. Everyone can access information online, in newspapers, by radio and broadcasts. What the Max-out Theory purposes is that when information is so available it minimizes the value of what is heard. The parallel: if everyone were to have money the Federal Reserve would estimate money to have lost its value.
Ying-Yang Paradox Theory
Pure information is like pure cocaine. It’s extremely expensive in its absolute value. When News Networks obtain the information they require to break a story, they grab the story in its pure form. Next they tamper it with their ideological ingredients before publishing the story or transmitting via television.
A problem of credibility emerges. Who will you believe if Russia, Al Jazeera, Fox News and The Washington Post publish the same story and each with a different interpretation?
We enter the Ying-Tang Paradox. All the networks above claim to be serving the public, but they present different interpretations of the same reality through slanted versions of the pure story. The common reader willingly or unwillingly needs to be aware that either his preferred News Network is bias to interpretation or simply that his information — like cocaine — has lost the value it had in its pure form.
So why is mass communications troubled?
•As people no longer have an incentive to keep updated there is less appreciation of good information.
•There is so much information that its value is null.
•The pure form of information is self-centered among networks which claim to report in the same fashion. However, they speak from a disparity of ideologies. Who can you believe?”
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Venezuela’s barricades of liberty
March 11th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The conflict almost continues a month since it began with a string of street protests led by students and opposition leaders in Venezuela . And yesterday, as has become usual over the days , the center of Caracas again shows the scenes of struggle between the repressive government forces of Nicolas Maduro and protesters , determined to leapfrog to free the country from the disastrous legacy Chavez initiated a decade ago.
This protest ( which the Executive banned) was convened to reach the Ministry of Food with empty pots symbolizing prevailing shortages in supermarkets . Frustrated with the strategy of dialogue the opposition of the Democratic Unity Table (MUD ) initiated by Henrique Capriles Maduro who was beat in in elections last year that were called into question , has been a MUD sector supported by university students . Since on 12 February, things have taken a strong turn , convinced that the events that are reported in the social networks will be critical to generate a state of world opinion that could change the weight Balance against Maduro .
It is this change in strategy , led by the now arrested Leopoldo Lopez, Maria Corina Machado and Antonio Ledezma, and seconded by a reluctant Capriles that Venezuelans inside and outside the country have repeatedly discussed. After a month of caceroladas , guarimbas and marches have resulted in twenty dead , hundreds injured , many arrests and episodes of beatings at police stations.
Some argue that the cessation of daily living and the death of young protestors will not achieve that multiply knock over a repressor underpinned by the logistics provided by the Castro government regime. The perquisites enjoyed by the military and the complicity of many of the governments of Latin America , as it has been detached from the unsuccessful meeting of the OAS.
Ironically , despite the evidence of violation of human rights and harassment of independent media , most neighboring countries preferred to give a boost to Maduro.
“Bridging the huge gap with the Venezuelan drama until today has debated whether the Holocaust victims fought enough before boarding the trains that carried an inescapable death. I insist . It’s terrible when lambs discuss among themselves the value of their own silence or mutiny before slaughter ,” said a Carlos Rato a young protestor who was lynched by the police.
The question that many people from the precariousness of the barricade, is whether it is realistic to throw stones against Goliath. This is the debate that all evil despotic system leads the flock , moving the victims guilt.
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Unknown Civilizations: Aratta
March 9th, 2014
Research by Jaime Ortega.
In southeastern Iran, a sudden change in the course of the Halil Roud River recently revealed traces of a 5000 year-old civilization on the Iranian Plateau that had been hidden until then. More than 80 archaeological sites have since been identified in the area. Five huge cemetaries were plundered, but the associated housing structures remain untouched. The large quantity of relics found, the cultural wealth of the objects, and the size of the area inhabited suggest an entirely original civilization. Scientists hail this as an important discovery, one which may challenge the common belief that civilization arose from one location in Mesopotamia.
A recent excavation may have unearthed the mythical kingdom. If so, would be the archaeological discovery of the century. A new Trojan. That this is so, is the belief Yussef Majidzadegh Iranian archaeologist, who with an international team (which also includes the Italian Massimo Vidale, archaeologist IsIAO) leads the excavations of Jiroft, in south-eastern Europe. Majidzadeh argues that Jiroft is the oldest Eastern civilization, at least the previous two centuries the Sumerian.
Zigurat found in Aratta
Jiroft, probably to be identified with the City of Aratta known from Sumerian texts, was like Sumeria itself almost certainly a Dravidian culture, maintaining trade links with the Harappan culture of the Indus valley, in a sense the missing link between Sumerian and Harappan culture.
The Sumerian legend, Enmerkar and the lord of Aratta, establishes that Aratta had highly skilled and much sought after craftsmen, which the Sumerians sought to employ for their own usage in constructing a ziggurat after the fashion of that at Aratta, which was dedicated to Inana and were her cult was pre-eminent, thus the Goddess and her tradition seemingly were derivative of Aratta.
Aratta is described as follows in Sumerian literature:
Mentions in Sumerian literature
Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta – The goddess Inanna resides in Aratta, but Enmerkar of Uruk pleases her more than does the lord of Aratta, who is not named in this epic. Enmerkar wants Aratta to submit to Uruk, bring stones down from the mountain, craft gold, silver and lapis lazuli, and send them, along with “kugmea” ore to Uruk to build a temple. Inana bids him send a messenger to Aratta, who ascends and descends the “Zubi” mountains, and crosses Susa, Anshan, and “five, six, seven” mountains before approaching Aratta. Aratta in turn wants grain in exchange. However Inana transfers her allegiance to Uruk, and the grain gains the favor of Aratta’s people for Uruk, so the lord of Aratta challenges Enmerkar to send a champion to fight his champion. Then the god Ishkur makes Aratta’s crops grow.
Enmerkar and En-suhgir-ana – The lord of Aratta, who is here named En-suhgir-ana (or Ensuhkeshdanna), challenges Enmerkar of Uruk to submit to him over the affections of Inanna, but he is rebuffed by Enmerkar. A sorcerer from the recently defeated Hamazi then arrives in Aratta, and offers to make Uruk submit. The sorcerer travels to Eresh where he bewitches Enmerkar’s livestock, but a wise woman outperforms his magic and casts him into the Euphrates; En-suhgir-ana then admits the loss of Inanna, and submits his kingdom to Uruk.
Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave – is a tale of Lugalbanda, who will become Enmerkar’s successor. Enmerkar’s army travels through mountainous territory to wage war against rebellious Aratta. Lugalbanda falls ill and is left in a cave, but he prays to the various gods, recovers, and must find his way out of the mountains.
Lugalbanda and the Anzud Bird – Lugalbanda befriends the Anzud bird, and asks it to help him find his army again. When Enmerkar’s army is faced with setback, Lugalbanda volunteers to return to Uruk to ask the goddess Inana’s aid. He crosses through the mountains, into the flat land, from the edge to the top of Anshan and then to Uruk, where Inana helps him. She advises Enmerkar to carry off Aratta’s “worked metal and metalsmiths and worked stone and stonemasons” and all the “moulds of Aratta will be his”. Then the city is described as having battlements made of green lapis lazuli and bricks made of “tinstone dug out in the mountains where the cypress grows”.
Summerian artifact shows the Land of Aratta.
Early 20th century scholars initially took Aratta to be an epithet of the Sumerian city Shuruppak related to its local name for the od Enlil.
However that is no longer seen to be the case. Although Aratta is known nly from myth, some Assyriologists and archaeologists have speculated on possible locations where Aratta could have been, using criteria from the myths:
In 1963, Samuel Noah Kramer thought that a “Mount Hurum” in a Lugalbanda myth (which he titled “Lugalbanda on Mount Hurrum” at the time) might have referred to the Hurrians, and hence speculated Aratta to be near Lake Urmia. However, “Mount Hurum”, “hur-ru-um kur-ra-ka”, in what is now called Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave, is today read “mountain cave”, and Kramer subsequently introduced the title “Lugalbanda, the Wandering Hero” for this story.
Excavation in Jiroft Iran.
Other speculations referred to the early gem trade route, the “Great Khorasan Road” from the Himalayan Mountainsto Mesopotamia, which ran through northern Iran. Anshan, which had not yet been located then, was assumed to be in the central Zagros mountain range. However, when Anshan was identified as Tall-i Malyan in 1973, it was found to be 600 km south-east of Uruk, far removed from any northerly routes or watercourses from Uruk, and posing the logistical improbability of getting a 27th-century BC Sumerian army through 550 km of Elamiteterritory to wage war with Aratta Nevertheless, there have been speculations referring to eastern Iran as well. Dr. Yousef Majidzadeh believes the Jiroft Civilization could be Aratta.
By 1973, archaeologists were noting that there was no archaeological record of Aratta’s existence outside of myth, and in 1978 Hansman cautions against over-speculation.
Writers in other fields have continued to hypothesize Aratta locations. A “possible reflex” has been suggested in Sanskrit Āraṭṭa or Arāṭṭa mentioned in the Mahabharata and other texts; Alternatively, the name is compared with the toponym Ararat or Urartu.
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Capriles calls for another protest without Maduro’s permission
March 8th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The Venezuelan opposition today called on its supporters to participate today in a new march to protest against the shortage of commodities in the country. Mobilization to the ruling party refused permission to travel on the areas in which rules that ” protest can turn violent .”
“Tomorrow national mobilization against one of the serious problems that affect and unite ALL Venezuelans is SHORTAGE ” , said the Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles via his Twitter account . The student leader Juan Requesens also invited to march through the same social network citing that the Venezuelan people take to the streets “again ” and called the protest for 10.00 local time to the site located where the Ministry of Food is.
Also, opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado called for Twitter to go out today, Women’s Day, and protest ” against a regime” that kills ” with bullets and hunger.”
The march is organized to develop in the Caracas municipality of Libertador where Chavista mayor, Jorge Rodriguez ruled via Twitter tonight he that refused permission to do that.
“I want to inform through this social medium (twitter) that is not allowed any motion to the right, on Saturday of the liberator Mun,” Rodriguez said in another post, ” We must protect the life and property of the citizens of the municipality, thus we have denied permission for a march that could turn violent . ” In a subsequent letter reiterated : ” The Liberator Mun is a town of peace and free of fascism, and so we will keep .”
Rodriguez repeated the order issued and when the opposition leader Leopoldo López called for a concentration for their supporters to accompany him to surrender serving an arrest warrant against him on 18 February , despite the lack of permission , hundreds of thousands supported it.
Venezuela is undergoing a wave of protests since last February 12 against the government that have been developing in several cities, and in some cases have turned violent , by causing at least 19 deaths, 318 injured and 1,103 detainees, according to official data.
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Russia threatens to veto the inspection of its nuclear weapons
March 8th, 2014By Jaime Ortega.
Russia will dialogue with the West if its not accused of being part of the Ukrainian conflict. “We are willing to talk on condition that it is a fair dialogue , as partners , with no attempts to introduce ourselves as if we were even part of the conflict ,” warned the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.
In addition , Moscow has also threatened to suspend international inspections of nuclear weapons on its territory, collected by the treaty on nuclear arms reduction START III. “We are ready for that step in response to statements by the Pentagon on the suspension of cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the U.S. ,” said a senior Russian Defense Ministry to local agencies .
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday asked his U.S. counterpart , Barack Obama, to not sacrifice bilateral relations with ” disagreements over certain international problems, which are very significant.” In the telephone conversation, held at the initiative of the American side the Russian president, said ” a dangerous situation has been created in Ukraine” and discussed that” divergent approaches and assessments of the causes of the crisis and current state of affairs were found “according to the Kremlin.
Moreover, Lavrov warned that ” the so-called Interim Ukrainian Government does not act of their own accord and depends, unfortunately, on radical nationalists who took power through armed insurrection .”
In addition , he stressed the need to investigate the violent riots in Kiev that left hundreds dead and nearly a thousand injured that ended with the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych.
” Undoubtedly, the research should be done and I think it will be possible to shelve the latest information on the so-called ‘ case of snipers ‘ ” , said the head of Russian diplomacy in reference to the suspicions of some European diplomats about how shooters acted in Kiev and could had being hired by the then Ukrainian opposition
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Obama punishes Russia with economic sanctions
March 4th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
Following the U.S. invasion of Crimea, U.S. military cuts and trade cooperation with Russia are about to take place. Obama is also preparing sanctions against Putin , and his faithful banks and entrepreneurs.
Washington ‘s action contrasts with European interests and are put in doubt by several countries who still don’t trust the U.S. after a long list of invasions.
Itching to move faster than the European Union, the United States suspended Monday its military and trade cooperation with Russia. The Obama Administration also prepares sanctions against President Vladimir Putin , their banks and their loyal business .
Pressed last year by international criticism of hesitation, President Barack Obama announced that it will take “a number of economic and diplomatic measures to isolate Russia.”
If Putin’s troops do not withdraw from Crimea. “Russia is on the wrong side of history on this occasion,” Obama said before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A few hours later, the Pentagon issued the suspension of military cooperation with Russia with the cancellation of a naval exercise scheduled for May and all lectures and visits. Meanwhile , the State Department plans to ban the entry of U.S. senior Russian government officials and freeze their assets. Congress is also considering blocking Russia from receiving assistance through the International Monetary Fund.
United States also decided Monday to cancel meetings with Russia to promote investment and trade between the two countries. The exchange of goods with Russia poses to the United States only 1% of their trade, but the decision is the first sign of punishment that companies are brewing to do business with Moscow, a step that the EU is reluctant to act upon the interests of the British or Dutch Shell BP .
While Europeans doubt , Democrats and Republicans push Obama to use all possible diplomatic tools to punish Russia after years of Putin not responding the democratic way .
Just five years ago, Hillary Clinton gave Russian Foreign Minister in Geneva a red plastic button with the word “reset” . Sergei Lavrov promised to put it on his desk .
” It symbolizes what President Obama, Vice President Biden and I have said we want to start ,” said then-Secretary of State while Lavrov kept laughing. But the button had flaws .The Americans failed to correctly translate the term “reset” and wrote “peregruzka ” in Russian. Lavrov said the word chosen meant “download ” . “We already do that in my house,” he joked.
The good intentions of the Obama Administration to overcome the tension with Russia ‘s invasion of Georgia gave the same results as the attempts of George W. Bush to woo Putin ( former president regretted that in June 2001 he had looked into the “soul ” of the Russians and felt it was a “legit ” cause).
After years of negotiations , the U.S. and Russia do not even have a list of low confidence. Last week, Kerry spoke four times with Lavrov , who said that his army would not invade Crimea. Putin did the same with Obama he acknowledged Saturday for a half hour conversation before the deployment of thousands of Russian soldiers in Crimea.
The role of Obama
Obama’s position is particularly weak after their summer lurches with flawed interventions in Syria. Obama put the decision in the hands of Putin’s ally Assad and the output of chemical disarmament regime in Damascus was invented.
America ‘s obsession is to hold together the European and economic aid to the new government in Kiev, but retaliation preferred by the EU against Putin show far lower consent.
Instigated by Obama , Heads of State and Government of the G -7 ( U.S., Canada , UK, France, Germany , Italy and Japan ) on Sunday announced the suspension of all the preparatory meetings for the summit of the G- Sochi scheduled for August 4 and 5 June. This is a de-facto temporary withdrawal of G- 8, and the major industrialized countries forum formed to include Russia. The White House also sent a delegation to the Paralympics this week .
President Obama is now under pressure to do more and faster. In addition to freeze the assets of Putin and other leaders, the administration may prevent businesses linked to the Kremlin Russian banks , to expand the list of oligarchs who are banned from traveling to the U.S. or investigate black money laundering more aggressively.
Criticism of his foreign policy
Sen. Marco Rubio, become voice these days of protests in Ukraine and Venezuela , advises the president to “reconsider” the anti- missile shield that the Bush administration planned to deploy between Poland and the Czech Republic. Sen. Richard Durbin proposes “throw the whole” Russia from the G -8. But Obama has little room if Europeans dependent on Russian gas , and do not support all the punishment that can be counted on the United Nations.
The Security Council met Monday for the third time since Friday, but Russia’s veto is just a forum for debate.
From the hint in Syria , the president’s foreign policy was suspended. The Washington Post on Monday gave Obama a harsh editorial in which he is accused of living in a world of ” fantasy ” : “President Obama has been a foreign policy based more on how you think the world should work that in the reality we all live on. “
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Medvedev blasts west over Ukraine’s new government
February 25th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has questioned the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian government born out the revolution that toppled the regime of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.
” Properly speaking . The legitimacy of a number of organs of power [ in Ukraine ] raises serious doubts ,” said the head of the Russian government in press conference in Sochi , explaining why last night he called the ambassador in Kiev.
“Some of our foreign partners do not consider Yanukovich as a serious leader . They do not know what the Constitution reads , but this is an aberration of consciousness, they question the legitimate presidency to what actually is the result of an armed insurrection ,” he said , referring to the recognition of some Western countries of the new Ukrainian authorities.
He insisted that if the Government will consider ” people who walks around with black masks and Kalashnikov automatic rifles in Kiev , then with that government it will be very hard to work with.”
clarifications
However, he stressed that “those who are legally binding with set agreements ” deserve compliments , referring to economic, gas contracts and other commitments to the neighboring country.
“We will not cooperate with specific people , is about relationships between states ,” he added .
Medvedev said the decision to call queries to the Russian ambassador in Kiev , Mikhail Zurabov , means that Moscow ” does not understand what is happening ” in Ukraine and wonders ” if there is a real threat to our interests, to life and health of our citizens. ”
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry raised tension and threatened to hang on to power if statements will urge halt to the “extremists” who aspire to seize power .
The ministry directed by Sergei Lavrov also accused Western countries of Ukraine’s riots/
‘ Extremists who aspire to take power ‘
” We appeal to all strongly related to the crisis in Ukraine to exercise maximum responsibility and not allow the situation to continue to deteriorate between parties. We ask for a return to the legal framework to firmly curb the extremists who aspire to seize power , “says the note.
The Foreign Ministry also notes that ” it seems that the agreement reached on 21 February ( between the opposition and even then President Viktor Yanukovych ) with the silent approval of their foreign sponsors was just a smokescreen to continue the indent transfer of power in Ukraine by fait accomplishments. ”
The department headed by Lavrov stressed ” especially efforts that international structures such as the UN Secretary General , justify this course of action.”
And shows that has not been heard in the West to condemn ” the criminal actions of extremists , including their Nazi and anti-Semitic behavior .”
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Yanukovich presents early elections for Ukraine
February 21st, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The President of Ukraine has announced that it has reached a ” preliminary agreement ” with the opposition, the EU and Russia after spending all night negotiating and dealing with the bloodshed in Kiev yesterday, in which the deceased reached 75 .
Under this agreement, announced at noon by President Viktor Yanukovich himself the early elections will be held soon and a government of national unity will be established with a series of constitutional reforms that will cut the president’s power . This constitutional amendment would ” return to the Constitution of 2004,” in the words of Yanukovich himself, in which current presidential powers are in the hands of the Government and Parliament.
The confirmation of the agreement was previously reached in Brussels . Sources claimed that the European Union had agreed to form a transitional government , to help a reform of the Constitution and early presidential elections. According to Alexander Yefremov , head of the parliamentary group of the government, the elections will take place in December and in March 2015 .
In agreement allies that acted as mediators were foreign ministers of Germany, Frank -Walter Steinmeier , Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski , and France , Laurent Fabius , and the Russian representative for Human Rights Vladimir Lukin.
The epicenter of the protests is calmed down
Meanwhile, in the Plaza of independence, the ‘ rioters ‘ assured to ignore the existence of such an agreement according to reports from Kiev . The heart of the peaceful protests dawned on a sunny day , well away from the lived yesterday. The barricades are still in the ‘ Euromaidan ‘ , but protesters have left the combat position and simply contemplate the big screen installed in the square connected with Parliament. Not a single police has come to the area and information about an exchange of fire between protestors and police would have occurred at any barricade outside the Plaza.
Coinciding with this, police officers from other regions of the country have approached the Independence Square to show solidarity with the ‘ protestors’ and announced they stand with their cause . In turn , the deputy chief of the Ukrainian army , Yuri Dumanski , announced his resignation in protest against the repeated attempts by the Presidency to involve the armed forces in the conflict. ” If the army is involved in the civil conflict , this means mass death of civilians and military ,” said the general Dumanski . ” Hence I have decided to submit my resignation , in order to avoid escalation .”
On Wednesday , President Viktor Yanukovych sacked the chief of staff Volodymyr Zamana for his opposition to participate in the crisis. In the violent yesterday , Ukrainian police opened with the rioters.
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Swish immigration reform revives issue in Germany
February 16th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
After the referendum passed on immigration from the neighboring Alpine country , Germany has exploded though out the social networking and likewise claim to limit immigration in the image and likeness of the Swiss .
The official government response on the contrary has been, ” lamenting the outcome of the vote ” and the main political parties ignore this body of opinion on the Internet. On Sunday, after showing the opinion poll one cannot avoid having to plan the next electoral campaign for the European elections. This is a survey by Emnid and published by Bild whereby 72% of the vote in the referendum shows that most Germans support a new limit on immigration, whereas only 23 % oppose.
The first effects of this shocking fact have already begun to be felt by Germans . The leader of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and member of the grand coalition government , Horst Seehofer , has held that “Applying Switzerland’s rule would do no harm to Germany.”
More specifically, Seehofer calls for citizen to veto the decisions of Brussels. ” The concern of the CSU is that the German people be consulted in European major decisions . And within that category understand that is expanding to other new members of the Union, including the transfer of national powers and scope of aid participating financially in Germany, ” Seehofer said .
From the Social Democratic Party (SPD ), also in the coalition government , voices appear a little shy but in the same sense . The general secretary, Yasmin Fahimi , said that “it is understandable that people want to not only make a cross on paper every four years , but should increasingly involve in political decisions ” and notes , as ” a very positive experience “the query that your party has recently made between their bases to approve the agreement to form the grand coalition with Merkel.
‘ The real sovereignty ‘
The opposition is not insensitive to this new approach. The leader of the Greens, Cem Özdemir, recalls that ” we require some time now to increase elements of direct democracy, as they do not try to question fundamental rights or principles of the constitution ” , while Die Linke (The Left ) requires not only in Germany direct feedback on major European issues , but also in other partner countries. ” The key decisions on the future of Europe should be taken with real sovereignty and it resides in the people , so we need direct feedback in all European countries.”
The fact that this speech, is seeing the light in the German political parties , has much to do with the newly created party Alternative für Deutschland ( AfD ) proposing the expulsion of the weaker euro countries . AfD was about to enter the German parliament in Septembers general elections launching all populist campaigns in Europe , forcing the other parties to redirect their speech to prevent other political from losing votes.
AfD leader , Bernd Lucke , was quick to declare that “Switzerland is a good example to control immigration in countries that are exposed to unwanted social immigration ” and that ” Germany has legislation pending an immigration law based on the rating and the ability to integrate immigrants . ”
The fertile land on which AdF spread these seeds is a society in which immigration has become the primary concern of citizens , according to the ‘ political barometer ‘ of German public television station ZDF from January 17 , reflects a strong increase in tension on this matter. 22% of respondents said the issue as the most important , slightly ahead of the labor market situation and well above pensions , inflation and wages.
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Three protesters killed by Venezuelan authorities
February 13th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
Three people have died during demonstrations against opposition as students convened throughout Venezuela. The deaths report two in Caracas and a third in the municipality of Chacao, as confirmed Venezuela’s Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz. In addition there are 23 injuries and at least 25 arrested for complaining.
One is a pro-government protester, as indicated by the President of the National Assembly and leader of the military wing of the ruling party, Diosdado Cabello.
During the speech, Cabello reported the “murder of a member of the Bolivarian Revolution in Candelaria square”, about 200 meters from where opponents manifested. “You have been cruelly killed by fascism,” said Cabello.
Hundreds of opposition supporters against Chavez mobilized today in separate marches across the country under the Youth Day.
Capriles condemns violence
The opposition leader Henrique Capriles condemned the violence unleashed by the end of the march in Caracas and elsewhere in the country ensuring that these actions will not stain civic citizen protest.
“We condemn violence! Violence never be our way! Confident that the vast majority rejects and condemns it!”, Capriles said on social network Twitter at the end of a turbulent day of marches that ended with groups of hooded attacks against the Attorney General burning police cars.
“Our country is going through a tough crisis and now we have more violence than already exists! NO to violence!” Said the opposition leader, who attended the march to support college students who demanded changes in the country.
“Those who want real change and peace in Venezuela will not end up kidnapped by violent groups”, also said the governor of Miranda state (center), who was unmarked in the last days of the call from leaders like Leopoldo López and María Corina Machado to convert the day today into a demand for the removal from office of president Maduro.
Capriles said that “today we mobilized thousands to peacefully exercise their right to protest” and it is “unacceptable such show stained with violence”.
Maduro points to perpetrators
Nicolas Maduro condemned the violence shown from the protesters and said, “All the information indicates that the management comes directly from the perpetrators of this violence, but also indicates masterminds” Maduro said in a speech from the Aragua (north central) state mandatory broadcast radio and television.
The president expressed his repudiation of violence and asked to be alert to fight any attempt to destabilize his government. While defended his government with respects of civil rights and freedoms, he briskly instructed that all who leave without permission from the authorities should be immediately stopped. “The rejection of fascist violence, coup, these small groups (…) everyone alert, we do not trust, against those who are capable of anything,” he said.
“In Venezuela we are facing a Nazi-fascist resurgence and we will defeat you. There will be no coup in Venezuela, have absolute securit,” he said. He further stated that violent groups had prepared these disturbances to lead the country into a “war of dogs, to put our people against each other.”
“I call to peace, there will be no impunity,” he said while expressing support for research that the Attorney General will perform for those responsible for the atrocities, including the burning of several vehicles in the vicinity of the headquarters of the Audience Ministry in Caracas. “I have turned very clear instructions to support the prosecution. They are identified in video and photography all groups who exercised violence,” he added.
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The EU responds to Switzerland’s threat
February 11th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The result in the referendum held in Switzerland on Sunday will have inevitable consequences for the Swiss economy and change the relationship that this country has with the EU. The extent of the impact and its true impact will depend on how the Swiss legislation fulfills the mandate it has given its citizens by a narrow majority , which calls for the establishment of quotas on immigration from other European countries.
All EU institutions responded yesterday with a similar challenge posed by this country, which has a preferential relationship with the EU through the nearly 100 bilateral message agreement. ” The free movement of people is sacred and cannot accept restrictions on the movement without having an impact on the rest of agreements we have signed,” the spokesman the European Commission, Pia Ahrenkilde said yesterday .
Even more compelling were some foreign ministers yesterday that improvised a discussion on this matter at its regular meeting in Brussels . “The decision will have consequences. Switzerland could not settle with the free circulation of the European economy and at the same time want to have a privileged status within the EU market ,” said Luxembourg responsible, Jean Asselborn .
Behind these words lies an uncertainty that even the European Commission does not know how to clear. The Swiss decision has been taken directly by a tool from the political point of view were no one in the EU can criticize democracy. It is not a given for a populist swerved government, but the mandate they have given the citizens of the country to the current government, has three years to change the current prevailing free movement agreement with the EU.
Gerald Häfner , president of Democracy International, says the Swiss executive has no leeway to turn a deaf ear to this mandate that popular initiatives can only be invalidated if they violate a fundamental right enshrined in the Charter of Human Rights.
Brussels standby
So the European institutions are on standby until Berne gives an indication of how the Brussels will handle this situation. Tomorrow the first meeting which plans will be known thanks to the swish government will explain much of the problems it faces . ” In the short term there will be no major immediate consequences. ‘ll Have to know how to act after Switzerland respond appropriately ,” a community source said .
Whoever it may affect Croatia since is the last country to join the EU that planned to sign with the Swiss country a free movement agreement already enjoyed on all other Member States , but not all in the same degree .
” It seems reasonable that this step will stall when Switzerland makes a definite choice,” said the Commission. Failure to approve this agreement will immediately lock the Erasmus programs and research projects that could benefit the Swiss citizens.
The relations between this country and the European bloc are regulated by bilateral agreements signed that began after 1999 , after Switzerland resigned to join the European Economic Area . The first of these packages are called Bilateral Negotiation I and includes the free movement of persons, elimination of trade barriers , public procurement , agriculture, land and air transport and scientific research.
The European Commission will not change the contents of these agreements (which itself could do the Member States unanimously ) and both parties agreed to sign a guillotine known to establishing that either can break the whole package of this clause agreement if any of these rules apply to the EU or may be applied in Switzerland.
So the rejection of the free movement of people would , immediately, cast a series of cascading effects to the alpine economy as trade barriers or transportation issues.
Penalties and consequences
But besides these sanctions, the consequences can go so far as to decide politically the problems within the EU. In 2004 the EC signed a new package block (Bilateral II ) bilateral agreements covering , among other areas , the country’s participation in Schengen with Switzerland. There are also other issues that are being negotiated right now and can be frozen, such as fiscal transparency and the energy agreement .
So economic reprisals can be as strong as the European Union wants. Switzerland has a strong dependence on the block , home to 430,000 of its citizens. According to the Commission , the country ‘s third largest trading partner and 78% of its imports come from the Member States.
Restrictions on freedom of movement can affect up to one million European citizens living in the Swiss country and 230,000 who cross daily the border to work . And from the point of view of internal organization in the European Union this new twist can spur aspirations to Eurosceptics calling for a revision of the treaties to repatriate powers transferred to Brussels and restrict free movement.
“The implications for the UK are clear,” explained yesterday Mats Persson , director of Open Europe think tank , “If this leads to new restrictions to other areas of trade between the EU and Switzerland and UK many may argue that a system of bilateral agreements to difficult to implement . If , on the other hand , Switzerland is able to renegotiate their relations with the EU while imposing restrictions on free movement , those calling out the European Union will in this case show a clear precedent . “
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Putin and Yakunovych hold a meeting in Sochi
February 9th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The Russian and Ukrainian presidents have held a meeting in Sochi and talk about the increasing economic hardship in Ukraine, where pro-European protesters have occupied for more than two weeks the center of Kiev.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych also spoke about the integration of Ukraine into the European Union offered by Jose Manuel Barroso the head of the European Commission.
Putin has also taken special interested in The U.S. financial strategy to help Ukraine if negotiations with EU, go forward.
Although the meeting, held on Friday evening has not been confirmed , some of the topics were not discussed .
The part of the meeting opening of the Olympic Games in Sochi , is the first interview that remains after the economic boost that brought Russia to Ukraine , which made clear the pro-Russian orientation of this former Soviet republic after the suspension by the Government of an association agreement with the European Union.
Yanukovych returned to Ukraine filtered without any of the issues addressed in the interview. The country is mired in a political crisis for the past two months , and is on the verge of bankruptcy , pending a receipt of a new Russian rescue plan , currently suspended .
“They’ve spoken on the stage. And has not been an official bilateral meeting , it was not foreseen in the program with Yanukovych in Sochi ,” stated a spokesman for the Ukrainian presidency. This same laconic information was likewise offered by Putin’s spokesman , Dmitri Peskov .
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Nieto visits Michoacan in the midst of conflict
February 5th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
A month after the most serious conflict that Mexico had experienced in recent years broke out, President Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI ) step inside territory war and came to Michoacan, a green land northwest of the country from where much of the avocado is produced to export to Europe and the United States.
Nieto wanted to personally see the implementation of its security plan after seeing the region of ‘Tierra Caliente ‘ blow up into the pieces after the lifting of self-defense groups , which have been expelling over the weeks the dangerous cartel of the Templar knights who dominate the area. Since a month of clashes between AUC (Self defense forces who oppose cartels) and the Templars made headlines over half the world (the uprising itself has more than a year ) Peña Nieto announced a security plan ( move more soldiers ) that include a package of social programs.
But the leader of the AUC , José Manuel Mireles , who is not attached to Nieto’s policies was blunt “In Michoacán there is no need for theaters, in order for peace to be restored, we need facts,” he said in an interview. He also referred to the arrest of some of the big cartel bosses ‘El Chayo ‘ and ‘La Tuta ‘.
Peña Nieto ‘s trip was kept secret until the last minute and was accompanied by an impressive amount of security, only compared that of the former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi as he toured the neighborhoods of Tripoli to ensure everything was calm.
Peña Nieto route was not well covered by the press, but its speculated that he could appear in the symbolic town of Apatzingán, the capital of the Templars. But since Michoacán made world news on early January a lot has happened.
The army moved and took the area. Hundreds of police officers and the military were deployed to Tierra Caliente to try to stop the AUC, that have not stopped advancing and ‘ conquer ‘ towns like La Huerta , of about 500 people besides other towns like Plan de Ayala or Santa Clara de Valladares .
Due to the speed and pace of the conflict, many Mexican soldiers forgot their attempt to disarm the insurgents but they agreed to be ” more discreet ” with the weapons they will use and avoid pictures that went around the world uploaded by hundreds of farmers exhibiting 4×4 Ak -47.
Peña Nieto accepted a change in his institutionalization and registered and called AUC the ” village guards ” . But it’s the same body with a different suit . The AUC multiply The AUC self-defense has multiplied in the rest of the country . Guerrero and Tamaulipas have created their bodies and the leaders of the movement have received calls from around the country, Oaxaca Sinaloa , asking advice.
To all of them , Dr. Mireles , always advised the same thing what is needed to create a body of self-defense ? Courage . Nothing but courage. ” To finish and complete the picture General Oscar Naranjo, right hand of Colombian Alvaro Uribe for many years in its fight against FARC and star signing of Peña Nieto’s safety to curb cartels , left last week his charge and returned to Colombia.
Before leaving he split the paramilitary strategy and recalls the emergence of bloodthirsty AUC of Colombia , which caused 80 % of deaths that now leads the Colombian conflict. The Minister of Interior , Miguel Angel Osorio Chong ruled that Peña Nieto ‘s visit yesterday to Michoacan is the first step to remove in one stroke the corrupt local authorities that so far have worked in collusion with organized crime.
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The opposition prohibits Bangkok residents to vote
February 3rd, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
Fear of violence, led Bangkok residents to empty the shelves of supermarkets and burn temporary electoral houses. Through the whole city only an attack with four deaths in the south was reported. The opposition managed to paralyze the vote of hundreds of polling stations in Bangkok and the southern provinces , but failed in their attempt to prevent millions of Thais to exercise their right to cast a ballot in the rest of the country. The Electoral Commission says the vote was partially or completely blocked in 127 of the 375 constituencies. Without a lack of official results , the forecast is a landslide victory of the ruling party Yingluck Shinawatra .
The sister of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, remains in exile since she was ousted in a coup in 2006 , after the Democratic Party decided to boycott the process. Shinawatra clan formations have won all votes taken in the country for more than a decade with the support they receive from the rural villages of the north and the working classes in the cities.
Demonstrations against the Government
The elections hardly draw Thailand out of the paralysis lived since the demonstrations began against the government three months ago. The leader of the revolt , former Senator Thaugsuban Suthep said he will seek the nullity of the whole process in courts and submit a claim against the prime minister for spending public funds on an election that he considers illegitimate. Everything indicates that the new offense will feature judges .
The objective is to suspend the Suthep universal suffrage in Thailand, putting the country under the command of a people’s council and reform before they celebrate other ” corruption-free ” elections in two years. We support the monarchists sectors , the state bureaucracy, the urban middle classes and the Democratic Party , which has not won since 1992. For the prime minister , the elections were an attempt to organize a plebiscite showing that he still has the majority of support of Thai people.
The results cannot be found in many districts where opposition has blocked the vote , preventing the registration of candidates and distribution of ballots. The formation of a new government will take months , if that is achieved, it will achieve a sufficient number of MPs to compose the House.
Moments of tension
The greatest moments of tension at the polling lived where demonstrators blocking the passage of people who wanted to exercise their right . “We want to vote !Want to vote ! ” Chanted dozens of citizens in Din Daeng district , showing their identity cards . About 10,000 of the 94,000 polling stations were unable to open their doors, showing a partial victory for the opposition . “Winners do not represent the Thai people,” Suthep , whose demonstrations have so far only had impact in the capital said. “The winners are slaves to Thaksin .”
Among those who were able to exercise their vote were Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the chief of the armed forces Prayuth Chan- ocha . General Public participation is especially significant after weeks of rumors about a possible coup as a solution to the conflict as the country remains in limbo. The Government believes that one of the objectives of the opposition has been to create a chaotic situation that forces military intervention. A fear that has led him to restrain his followers north to avoid incidents.
Divided army
With the military divided on whether to force a solution , and the influential King Bhumibol weakened at 86 years, Thailand is facing the possibility of months of uncertainty that threatens to derail the economy. Tourism has plummeted in recent weeks although the demonstrations have been largely peaceful -14 people were killed and dozens injured since the protests began in late October , and companies like Toyota have announced that instability makes them rethink future investments.
Thailand was for decades the safe destination for foreign investors that wanted to expand their business in Southeast Asia . The war in neighboring Vietnam, the dictatorship in Burma and Cambodia’s genocide made Thailand a safe haven in the middle of a turbulent area.
In recent years , however, as the political situation improved around, the Thai saw themselves engaged in political crises that continue since this day . Old resentments and social divisions resurfaced strongly following the overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. The Thai tycoon became a threat to the traditional powers of the country, with the monarchy at the head , raising the political activism of rural populations that had previously accepted that their fate is decided by the elites of Bangkok. Thaksin still controls the power from exile with his sister, the opposition sees a puppet in the hands of the former prime minister who has pending to meet two years in prison for corruption.
The conflict between traditional elites and populist in Thailand seems to have led to a dead end. Most analysts expect the government to fall, probably harassed by a favorable judicial position to the opposition. This would be the beginning of a new struggle , in this case by red shirt supporters of the Shinawatra clan . The battle for power has only just begun. It appears to be long.
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Merkel rejects Obama’s global spying address
January 29th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel used her first statement of the 2014 term before the Bundestag government to narrow down the response of the last speech of U.S. President Barak Obama , who recently guaranteed that “while [ Obama ] is president ” we will spy on senior German officials, but will continue allowing U.S. intelligence agencies to handle the ‘big data’ in Europe with millions and millions of private communications of defenseless citizens.
“Our answer can only be : no, that’s not right and Obama’s address cannot be considered correct,” Merkel said , pointing , “I cannot imagine a better partner for Germany and a better friend than the U.S., but trust is the seed of peace and friendship between people, is the basis of the partnership.
“The damages that follow the principle that all enabling technology is lawful, damages the trust bonds. ” Merkel also slipped a warning threat that ” when there is distrust, in the end there is less security.”
Merkel has argued that the only solution to the damaged state of bilateral relations between the two countries is to stop ‘ espionage ‘ , and the negotiations for now would not proceed any time soon . ” Know there are many who think that these talks are doomed from the start and maybe unrealistic {…} But I think the U.S. wants to continue being considered a friendly country , for their own interests ,” she argued , and finalized: ” I do believe in those conversations, and highly doubt it will impact or reverse their way of thinking.”
Merkel stressed to emphasize the great change that mobile communications and the Internet are making in our society and in our economy , but only if it manages to maintain a sensible balance between freedom and security that can contribute positively to our history.
She recognized the enormous need for security to prevent and defeat any post 9-11 threat, and thanked the U.S. and its intelligence services for the great services the superpower has met since 9-11 in the fight against terrorism.
“But any politician in the world can claim that the facts we have met in the last half year of prevention present fundamental decline in how global security works , “she said , mentioning expressly the revelations of Edward Snowden , a former U.S. intelligence agent .
Merkel , finally, has raised the prospect of the debate and warned that “millions of citizens living in non-democratic countries are now watching closely to see how the democratic world is advocated in cases of threat, if we observe our sovereign security above all other foreign allies, our system offers attractive protection to the individual. “
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Nicolas Maduro reinforces the army’s power
January 27th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
” We will never serve the bourgeoisie and the stateless imperial class .” Broadcast from morning to night on the new Star channel Chavez : TVFanb ( Television of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces ) .
Programs like the ‘ Teachings of Chavez ‘, ‘ Training the military ‘ or ‘ Cooking with the troops ‘ , which broadcast the ” true and balanced paradoxes of society influenced by disinformation.” The channel reports grids overloaded with weapons , shooting and bombings, amidst the “peace process ” launched by the government to divert attention from the wave of savage violence against Venezuelans with a total of 24,763 homicides committed in 2013.
A heightened advocacy of militarism , with soldiers emerging from large puddles to emulate Rambo . The same militarism advancing steadily towards the seizure of political and economic power of Venezuela’s cause. This again has again become clear after the last ministerial reform set by Nicolas Maduro.
The military, which already controlled the Ministries of Security and Defense have now copied the same economic portfolios following the example of the Cuban Revolution , where generals and colonels handled at will government agencies and fundamental mixed enterprises with foreign corporations.
Post-Chavez era comes with a worsening crisis that has returned to empty the shelves across the country , coincidentally on the same days that the Cuban deputy minister of industry announced for March saying new waves of hunger would eventually strike back.
The main ministries
The new super minister of Economy , Finance and Public Banking is General Rodolfo Marco Torres, a faithful follower of Marxist doctrines of Jorge Giordani , Chavez’s economic guru.
Beside him are Maj. Gen. Wilmer Barrientos in Industry , Major General Hebert García Plaza in Transportation and Water , who also chairs the Supreme Body of Economics, the Lieutenant Jesse Chacón in Energy and Colonel Felix Osorio as head of Power.
Despite its obvious failure in the fight against violence , General Miguel Rodriguez Torres remains at the forefront of Interior. And gaining political weight to place confidence on the men in charge of intelligence institutions . Defense remains in military hands, something traditional among Venezuela’s political class.
Maj. Gen. Luis Motta Dominguez, former commander of the National Guard and also minister of state for the development of the central region, has rejoined the central government in a key position : Mayor of national fair prices.
” Usurers , speculators and swindlers to buy sandals is what is coming to the state of Joropo ” he threatened via social media after the adoption of the new Law of Fair Prices , which provides up to 10 years in prison for any speculation plot against the government.
Seven -powerful military ministers and 10 deputy ministers, in addition to the 11 of the 23 governors of the country and a good bunch of mayors and other public officials in the administration have also joined.
Most of the generation of Hugo Chavez , who led them during the bloody coups of 1992, have remained in the seats. And at the front, Captain Diosdado Cabello , president of the Assembly and leader of the military wing of Chavez is also involved in the new government.
Besides him, the lieutenant Pedro Carreño has become the head of the aggressive bloc Chavez directed on the Parliament . Before the last cabinet reshuffled , the newspaper ‘ The National ‘ appointed had posted 368 for eight and a half of Maduro’s military government , who beat and thrashed of his predecessor months. That is 1,246 Chávez elected fellow soldiers for 15 years.
Military power
” The most powerful men in the country have a military uniform. Those that seized power ” confirms Rocío San Miguel , director of Watch Program.
” The Government run by Maduro is more of a dictatorship than an election. No uniformed scrupulous had ever controlled political power in Venezuela but he has, like his predecessor,” said José Machillanda , Doctor of Political and Military Science .
It’s not enough for them to control television and state radio, they want full power. Also have their bank ( Banfanb ) , carrier ( Emiltra , which aims to “ensure” the transfer of loads into and out of the territory, and thus ” defend the socialist fatherland ” ) , construction and agricultural corporation ( Agrofanb , that allows the military to manufacture their own food ) .
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Ukraine riots intensify and worsen
January 23rd, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
Yesterday in the streets of Kiev riots broke again raising the toll to 300 injuries. The clashes began when rioters threw rocks, sticks and malcontent to police officers. The police who responded with gas grenades and live rounds.
The ‘Euro revolution’ is looking more and more like a ‘western movie’ where officers have to watch their backs. Two people died from gunshot wounds and found outside of a national library where protestors maintained altercations with police since Sunday. The second person, who was still alive when she was found, died from injuries she suffered. A third person died after falling from football stadium in Dynamo Kiev, close to where protests had occurred. Another man was found dead in the woods after being abducted yesterday.
Before the riots started, politicians gave protestors time to stop rioting as Ukrainians viewed on television a youth member pulled out an ambulance stretcher of one the houses they occupied: A body wrapped in a sheet of colors.
Two hours later the square filled with people of all ages, as the protest shown in December. But this time they stood in front of the stage to hear the admonitions of politicians. They came to take part and watch a ceremonial paramilitary show with sticks, protected with rudimentary arms.
The crowd shouted chanted “viva Ukraine” close to the plaza of Hrushevskoho located next to the parliament. The plaza is now the epicenter of the riots, because many protesters are trying to reach parliament. Police launched an attack against protestors, but the rioters set large barracks to support the violent struggle.
The urban guerrilla warfare that takes place day and night on that street, and blackened by fire and cobblestones to harass the police. Hooded youngsters launched metal bars and set fire to trash cans screaming “Ukrainians, over here!” The police looked cornered under the riot pressure.
By putting the bandage on a wound that is already infected, at last Yanukovych on his rivals sat down to talk yesterday, but without results and prospects for a political solution to the emerging crisis. For four hours, he was with his antagonists trying to set up a solution. Among them was his future rival, UDAR candidate and former boxer Vitali Klitschko, and also the head of Batkivshchyna ,Arseny Yatsenyiuk .
The president said that “it is never too late to resolve the conflict peacefully ,” but the city center was already at that time covered by immense columns of smoke from people burning tires in front of the barricades. This warrior environment broke after Kitchko returned from the palace from his speech to the busy square, “Tomorrow , if the president does not respond, we will move to the offensive,” he proclaimed with shouts of ” viva” to other Ukrainians.
Ukrainian President ordered an investigation into the death of three people, according to the local press during the last hours of altercations between protesters and security forces. Ministry spokesman Sergey Burlakov , fended off accusations from the opposition saying that you cannot blame the police for their death, since the victim was shot and “security officers do not carry firearms ,” reports the Itar -Tass.
“We are different but we are one. Divide or not we’re one nation,” Yanukovich said yesterday, when the country celebrated the Day of National Unity. The European Union is closely following the situation in Ukraine, said that the death of protesters could have ” consequences” for bilateral relations . “We will continue to follow closely these developments and assessing possible actions of the EU and implications for our relations with that country,” the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said in a press conference.
The State Department canceled U.S. visas for Ukrainians who participated in the scattering Euromaidán in November and December, according to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. “We are also looking at other future steps against those who are responsible for the current violence ,” the State Department statement.
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Two terrorist threaten Putin
January 21st, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
As if the threat was not clear, the Islamist insurgency in Russia certified yesterday that their goal is to ruin the Olympic celebrations set for next month. Two men with explosive belts appeared yesterday in a video warning the Russian President , Vladimir Putin , that he could have “a gift ” in the upcoming Sochi Winter Games on February 7.
The video was sent by a group that calls itself Vilayat Dagestan and appears on a website often used by militants in the region of the North Caucasus where Moscow has been fighting insurgents for more than a decade.
So far the information has not been independently corroborated. The Russian agency for combating terrorism said that it analyzed the video released by the Islamic fundamentalist group that caused 34 deaths in the city of Volgograd last December.
In the picture the men appear with assault rifles. They call themselves Abdulrakhman and Suleiman , which appear before a banner in Arabic. “I have prepared a gift …. [ tell President Vladimir Putin ] , for you and all the tourists that arrive ” they say. “If you celebrate the Games, you will receive this gift by all the Muslim blood spilled all around the world , in Afghanistan , Somalia , Syria …”. Since last summer, the insurgent leader Doku Umarov threatened the Games, which is the Kremlins big bet to finally boost the image of the country .
Not just looking to challenge Moscow’s power, the group remembers other battles. Under When the soviets fought the czars in the nineteenth century. This has unnerved followers of Umarov , who’s idea aims to create an emirate in the North Caucasus. He died last week in a clash with soldiers. The announcement was made by the government of Chechnya, but the body has not appeared and Moscow has not confirmed the news. Not the first time for a dead Chechen to mysteriously disappear without the Kremlins knowledge.
Putin has been keen to achieve and organize well these Winter Games. To fortify the city on the Black Sea Putin launched a major security operation, which involved about 37,000 agents. But the recent suicide bombings in Volgograd city , located in the same area of southern Russia , shows that a small cell of several radicals is willing to give their lives and create widespread terror.
Vladimir Putin has come out to put down these fears, that is much of concern to some Olympic delegations: ” We know the situation well, we know the threat , how to stop it and how to combat it,” he said at a rally on the occasion of the Games .
The two men who appear in the video , which come out speaking in Russian are identified as members of Ansar al- Sunna., one of the groups operating in Iraq. But it is unclear whether they received training resources or just adopted their name.
Neither was confirmed if the two men were responsible for executing the suicide bombing, in the train station last december. The national anti-terrorism committee said that they will analyze the video and would not comment for now.
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New massive riots provoke unrest in Ukraine
January 21st, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The governments new law is against manifestations and its already passed into force in Ucranain , as published by the official newspaper Golos Ukrainy ‘ . The law last week sparked a new social upheaval in the streets of the Ukrainian capital with hundreds injured and arrested. It continued Tuesday with hundreds of protestors clashing with the police in Kiev.
The new text includes stiffer penalties for protesters that could reach up to 5 years in prison. The goal is to end protests all over Ukraine after two months of nonstop disturbances .
On Monday, in an appeal to the people, the President of Ukraine, Victor Yanukovich, has warned that the demonstrators protesting in Kiev have turned into massive riots that threaten to destabilize the entire country
“I was ready to hear your opinions and together find a solution ( … ) but now, when peaceful actions become part of mass unrest , with pogroms , arson and violence , I’m sure that would pose a threat not only to the order in Kiev Ukraine but for all, ” Yanukovych said .
So far the government has refused to consider the possibility of introducing a state of emergency to end unrest in the Ukrainian capital, although some voices from the Party of Regions (PR), say the ruling formation , appeals have been made to take such action .
“We ask the president of Ukraine, guarantor of the Constitution , to take tough measures in Kiev until the state of emergency finalizes to restore law and order ,” said Yanukovych who called on a group of deputies of the Legislative Assembly PR region of Lugansk.
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Syrian rebels ready to offer a peace treaty
January 19th, 2014
By Jaime Ortega.
The Syrian National Coalition ( the main opposition to the regime of Bashar Assad) , agreed on Saturday afternoon to attend the Geneva Summit II which will begin on Wednesday, March 22, in Montreux (Switzerland).
The vote came a day later than what was originally planned and at the last minute changed the voting system in order to satisfy the pressures of its allies, which compromises their credibility in the future .
The process for the decision was decided on the outskirts of Istanbul inside a secret location. ” We support and trust in those who in history suffered unprecedented atrocities,” said a spokesman for the Coalition after learning the outcome of the vote.
This was a direct appeal to the Syrian people, who have shown less confidence in the ability of the SNC to represent them in almost three years of conflict.
75 participated in the vote of the 120 members who originally formed the heart of the Syrian National Coalition . Fifty-eight said ‘yes ‘, 14 ‘no’ , there were two abstentions and blank ballots . A week ago, 44 of its members had resigned by discrepancies. To approach the positive response pushed by the U.S., Russia and Saudi Arabia, the proportion was amended to approve the motion of at least two thirds present in the room.
“This change of system has been an unfair trick,” protested Fevzi Zakiroglu. “They have changed the rules at the last minute “, sorry . Zakiroglu part of the Syrian National Council (SNC ), driven by Turkey, in early 2012 institution. He integrated the Syrian National Coalition when it was founded. The CNS will show to the SNC Saturday that 22 members took part in the vote .
According to a few newspapers, the Syrian National Council had recently spoken out against the decision to go to Geneva II. ” The CNS said that if he won the ‘yes’ vote they would depart all members of the Coalition,” recalls Fevzi Zakiroglu .
“So, now that he has decided to go , they should resign .” Eight of the 22 CNS who participated in Saturday’s election betrayed their discipline and advocated to voting ‘yes’ .
Factional Division
Finally the 22 participants led by the Syrian National Council , added to the 44 already dropped before the Syrian National Coalition that culled more than half of its members in a tortuous way to Montreux. This shows the extreme level of division between factions within the CNS , which otherwise is unable to bind to the amalgamation of brigades fighting in Syria against Damascus.
However , the leader of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) , under the Coalition launched a cloak to their bosses. ” The FSA supports any solution to ensure a political transition [ in Syria ] on the condition that meets the objectives of the revolution ,” said Selim Idris a rebel leader in a speech posted on the internet . Knobs raised several factions that met Saturday in Ankara. No transcended details have been reported yet.
The axis of disagreement comes from the role of President Bashar Assad in the future of the Arab country. Many members voted for CNS before Geneva II as all parties agreed that there is room for the future dictator in Syria. This idea conflicts with the plans of Damascus, which will also go to Montreux. “The only solution will remain a military victory ,” said this week the Minister of National Reconciliation, Ali Haidar .
Humanitarian Aid Convoy
In order to gain the vote of the coalition, the United States on Saturday severely criticized the stance of the regime. The Secretary of State , John Kerry, flatly said . ” No! we are short of options,” on a clear hint that could take other measures to pressure Assad. Kerry accused him of promoting “on purpose” the rise of religious extremism to take over the western discourse presented as the savior against Al Qaeda.
In recent days, Damascus has sought, a facelift . On Friday claimed to have delivered to Russia, an ally, a proposal for a ceasefire city of Aleppo, the country’s second largest city. It also offered a massive exchange of prisoners for the rebels
After three months without food , the 18,000 inhabitants of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus , received on Saturday a convoy of humanitarian aid. This will alleviate the famine that has already killed 40 people. According to a source quoted by the Associated Press, Pro Assad militant Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Yarmuk is not the only Syrian city suffering from food shortages. Some neighborhoods of Homs, that once led peaceful revolts, are surrounded now by a war with more than 130,000 dead. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, denounced on Friday Assad’s regime for ” blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid to the needy as a form of punishment.”
The French Foreign Minister , Laurent Fabius, welcomed the decision of the Syrian National Coalition . “It’s a brave decision to come up with a peaceful election,” he said. France, he said, will make every effort to Geneva II to lead a transitional government with full executive powers.
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