Multilateral organizations, including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNICEF, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Global Fund, have expressed strong concern about the deteriorating health situation in Venezuela. The OHCHR states that there are widespread shortages of food, medicines, and basic medical supplies. Last year, 30% of all […]
President Tsai Ing-wen arriving in Panama City on her first overseas state trip in June 2016 (photo: The China Post) The days of countries paying tribute to China, in order to stay in China’s good graces, may long be gone, but nowadays the tribute appears to flow in the opposite direction. Since opening up its […]
Devaluation is the word of the day in oil exporting countries. Whether it is the Nigerian naira, the Venezuelan bolívar, or the Russian rouble, low oil prices are wreaking havoc in oil exporting economies and on their national currencies.
Latin America will suffer a recession this year. This will not only have economic consequences for the next three years, but also transform Latin American politics, ending a decade-long division.
Now that Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a pledge of $2 billion in development aid for poor countries, should these countries accept the offer?
Word has it that China will surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest economy by the end of this year, according to a recent World Bank report. This is an event of dramatic, albeit symbolic, importance for the way the world will conduct its affairs. With this in mind, what can be expected from international […]
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, president of the smallest oil producing and exporting member of OPEC, has committed to expanding oil drilling – from the current 513,000 barrels of oil per day. President Correa announced last week that he signed an executive decree to end the Yasuni Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tipuni (ITT) initiative. ITT are oil blocks, which house […]
Bradley Manning’s consequence for sending classified information to Wikileaks over incidents in Iraq where American soldiers killed 24 innocent Iraqis were reaffirmed today. Manning’s possible life sentence was maintained as charges of “aiding the enemy” were upheld. Manning sent videos to Wikileaks showing gun camera footage of American gunship pilots with permission of their commanders […]
Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Rafael Correa in Ecuador swept into power promising to use the wealth of natural resources in their countries to help address widespread poverty and stabilize the economy. Both improved situations enough to win reelection, but both also seem to have a strong grip on power and willingness to curtail democracy […]
Since Rafael Correa was elected president of Ecuador in 2006, the country has become a study in new socialism. It is new because it combines the social aspect of socialism while also relying on market forces. Ecuador, like many developing countries, has suffered from the ill effects of “dependencia,” a system that keeps the nation […]
Today most OAS members will officially make a statement of support for Ecuador and its diplomatic rights under international law. Most Latin American nations support the concept of a country being able to maintain a secure embassy in the U.K. without British officials entering or taking actions in their embassy. In international law, an embassy […]
A CROSS POST By Sean Patrick Murphy Monday, March 15 3:56 pm EST What is refreshing about this documentary is that it is balanced. It is about the 17-year, $27.3 billion lawsuit brought against Chevron for allegedly dumping toxic oil waste in the Amazon sector of Ecuador. The 30,000 residents of the area have filed a […]
News of irregular immigration into the United States often focuses on those trying to cross the border via land. Huge fences and security cameras monitor the divide between the US and Mexico (less so the northern border with Canada – that is material for another blog post), while scanning machines and dogs search cars and […]
I am sorry for having been off the air for a week. The “holiday season” has been, as you likely have experienced, in full swing. Among other activities, we entertained on Christmas Eve and Christmas, so there were kids and adults, presents to be wrapped and opened, and lots of cooking and eating. (I specialize […]
A little over one year ago a 37-year old immigrant from Ecuador, Marcelo Lucero, was stabbed to death in Patchatogue, NY, a town on Long Island. The community recently held a vigil and called for increased understanding. One can only hope that the memorial service helps to spread open-mindedness and serve as a counterweight to […]