Blogging the democratic revolution
Fidel Castro’s Big Dumb Houseboy down in Caracas will listen to any sweet talk from his hairy Havana caudillo provided he says it nicely enough. That was why it was so easy to convince the hulky fool to turnnnnnn the checkbook, uhrrrr …. precious oil resources … over … to Castro’s own loving care. Fidel,…
Randy Paul has a short item on Miguel Inzulza of Chile winning the post as OAS Secretary General. He points out differences in media coverage on this somewhat mysterious issue. Why was it so controversial? Inzulza had been Hugo Chavez’s candidate, which is in itself a minus, because Chavez is the Foremost Troublemaker in our…
Over the past two months there have been protests in Ingushetia demanding the president resign over corruption. So far, things have gone generally peacefully. But read this recent report on RFE/RL and you will see just how corrupt those authorities are, and how they put down the protests by defaming them with fake fliers before…
Whether the MSM reports it or not, Latin America has been heating up with Cuba and Venezuela seeking to destabilize and undermine democracy throughout the entire continent. At a time when the Community of Democracies is meeting in Santiago, Chile, its virtual antagonist composed of the most criminal minds in the western hemisphere converged on…
Michael Totten declared victory from the tent city earlier today, noting that the elections have been officially confirmed for May 29. Read his entire post, as it is very thought provoking. The elections are to be held a month from now in four parts, 0n May 29, June 5, June 12 and June 19. They…
Since the emergency can only constitutionally last for three months though, it’s kind of by default. KATHMANDU, April 30 (Reuters) – Nepal’s king ended a state of emergency two days early, the Palace said on Saturday, but the sudden midnight proclamation does not reduce extraordinary powers he seized in February’s royal coup. Politicians said it…
I posted the other day an interview by RFE/RL with Kyrgyz interim president Bakiev who said he wants separation of powers and a stronger presidency. I argued, in short, for a stronger legislature. The Constitutional Council, which is supposed to debate the reforms necessary before the July 10 election, convened for the first time and…
Alvaro Vargas Llosa, an author of The Complete Guide To The Perfect Latin American Idiot (it has a whole chapter on Castro worship) and now, Liberty for Latin America: How to undo 500 years of state oppression will be interviewed by Jim Lehrer of PBS. Alvaro Vargas Llosa is one of the world’s foremost experts…
The Community of Democracies are meeting right now in my favorite city, Santiago de Chile, which I think is a fine country to hold such an event in. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is leading the U.S. delegation through this three day event from April 28-30. In the company of the democratic friends, she spoke…
I’d find it hard to disagree with this. The West African Bar Association (WABA) has called for the cancellation of the results of Togo’s election and formation a government of national unity, according to a statement from its president, Femi Falana. “Any attempt to form a national government on the basis of the flawed elections…
Arthur Chrenkoff can go ahead and put this one under good news from Iraq. Almost three months after the elections in January, Iraq’s National Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve a Shiite-led cabinet, establishing the first elected government in Iraqi history. The assembly chamber burst into wild applause after a show of hands revealed that…
Ever wonder how Chavista-dom is changing the face of Venezuelan society? Blogger Daniel walked into a Caracas restaurant now frequented by the nouveau elite of the newly wealthy Chavista class and encountered a plethora of hoggishness. He dubs this new Marie Antoinette class of communist thugs the Boliburguesa, or, Bolivarian Bourgeois. Believe it or not,…
Instapundit alerts us to a Babes of Cairo sighting, see it here.
After hundreds of thousands protested in Mexico this weekend in defense of Obrador, Fox announced the resignation of the attorney general. MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s attorney general has stepped down, in an apparent attempt to free President Vicente Fox’s government from a controversial legal battle with a popular leftist mayor. Rafael Macedo de la Concha…
Mass violence, dubbed by some as even “urban warfare,” has erupted in Togo over the last few days (See Gateway Pundit’s coverage here and some pictures here. Opposition Bob-Akitani has responded to the heavily flawed polls by declaring himself president to his supporters. Togo’s opposition presidential candidate has declared himself president with 70% of the…
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty was able to have an exclusive interview with Kyrgyzstan’s interim president Kurmanbek Bakiev, in which he talks about constitutional reform, separation of powers, and the free media. Bishkek, 27 April 2005 (RFE/RL) — Interim President Kurmanbek Bakiev said today in an exclusive interview with RFE/RL that he supports constitutional…
…that he can trust his military anymore? Not very. He’s got more things to worry about from his army than he can list. My own analysis of the galaxy of factors is here.
… among the Chavistas and the white coats are calling. Just another sunny day in Caracas. Read it here and here.
I spent the day on the phone, talking to people in Chile. Somehow, Chile’s famous world-class social security system always got brought up, and on every occasion, Chileans, no matter who they were, expressed a vibrant enthusiasm for the program. I can’t describe how intense it was – and it was utterly real. As the…
Israel’s long-planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is almost ready to go ahead, and it is becoming clearer what will take the place of Israeli administration there – a coalition government between the Palestinian Authority (run by the secular Fatah Party) and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. The debate over the Gaza pullout has just…
Hat tip to Stefania for letting me know about this. Tell me everyone, how often do you see this happen? DAMASCUS: Chanting “freedom, freedom,” about 200 Syrians protested on Sunday outside a Damascus state security court where a prominent human rights campaigner accused of opposing the state was on trial. The area was sealed off…
Constitutionally, the Lebanese electoral law must be passed a month before the elections are to take place. Which means they have have three days left– April 29th. New and short-living Premier Mikati wants to hold the election over a period of three days. Parliament on Tuesday opened a nationally televised debate of a policy statement…
It’s a little opportunist, but the Belarussian opposition has to take advantage when it can! They took the anniversary of Chernobyl and turned it into a rally against Lukashenko. MINSK, April 26 (Reuters) – Police in ex-Soviet Belarus on Tuesday detained more than two dozen protesters who tried to present a petition to President Alexander…
I guess this means there’s no chance of a unity government, though that was far-fetched anyhow. Here are the cold, dry results. Announcing the results, the head of the CENI National Electoral Commission, Kissem Tchangai-Walla, said Gnassingbe of the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) won 60.22 percent of the vote in Sunday’s poll while…
Alek Boyd has a disturbing e-mail message from someone inside Venezuela’s phone system, reporting the growing signs of a potential Internet blackout in beleaguered Venezuela. If so, this would be the first steps toward making the Internet as accessible to Venezuelans as it is to Cubans. And that’s not a step upward. Read it here.