I will expand on this later, but a reader pointed out that I speak to the essential elements of democracy consistently in the blog, yet have failed to define them. Well, here it is…
Essential Elements of Democracy:
1. Respect for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
2. Access to and exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law
3.The holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people
4. The pluralistic system of political parties and organizations
5. The separation of powers and independence of the branches of government.
President Morales has been busy calling the U.S. decision to exclude Bolivia from tariff benefits “political revenge”. The accusation followed the decision of the United States to suspend Bolivia’s special trade benefits on grounds that it has not cooperated in fighting drugs.
What did President Morales think was going to happen? After kicking out the American Ambassador, kicking out the Drug Enforcement Agency officials and blaming the U.S. for most of Bolivia’s structural problems, how did he think the Americans were going to respond? He must have seen this coming. If anything, it just gives him more material to use against the Americans. I guarantee he will blame the United States when the Bolivian Economy goes down the drain… cause it will. The merits for expelling the agencies is a debate of its own, but what is clear is the fact that the Bolivian economy will suffer because of this.
Losing these trade benefits could end up costing the Bolivian economy up to almost a half billion dollars in the middle of a global economic downturn and will cost the Bolivian people who depend on the industries bound by the agreement the most.
Bad politics have repercussions and the Bolivian people are about to suffer because of irresponsible politics by the current government. At what point is this government going to learn that you engage your “adversaries” rather than simply antagonizing them and kicking them out of your country?
115 years old… wow. What a life. I read the news article and could not help but think how the world has changed during her lifetime. I found myself surfing the net to review the events of the last century and kept on thinking about all the major events Edna Parker was alive for. Here is a refresher of some of the things that happened during this womans life:
1. World War One
2. Russian revolution
3. Great Depression
4. World War Two
5. Rise and Fall of Communism
6. The walk on the moon
7. Invention of Television and movies
8. Internet
9. Universal suffrage
10. Atomic Bomb
11. Emergence of AIDS
12. Mobile Phones
13.Election of a Black President in the United States of America
This list could be longer and the merits of the top ten should be the theme of a television program. The point is, this woman had the privilege of being among us for 115 years and has seen our world change tremendously. Let’s pause and think about that for a second.
I came across this video online and was absolutely impressed with the eloquence and sincerity of this outstanding Australian Citizen. Please note his response at the end regarding what he advises other youth to do when thinking about throwing a party.
The Human Rights Foundation released a press release today outlining the contents of a letter sent to Mr. Insulza (Secretary General of the OAS), which highlights some of the violations against the freedom of the press taking place in the Americas. The letter denounces Insulza’s inaction with regard to flagrant violations of freedom of the press in the Americas, including the shutdown of television and radio stations and government-encouraged attacks on journalists.
From the HRF Release:
In Bolivia, members of groups supportive of President Morales have physically attacked reporters, journalists and other members of the media each time the president labels them “enemies” or “friends of the empire.” On October 8, 2008, Jorge Melgar Quette, host of a Bolivian television program, was arbitrarily detained by masked men following his release of a video showing a cabinet minister inciting criminal violence. Melgar is in prison on charges of terrorism and sedition.
In Ecuador, President Correa referred to the press in his country as “the lowest of the low,” labeled them as “slanderers,” and accused them of being his main opposition. On July 8, 2008, the Ecuadorean government seized three private television channels and appointed government officials as their directors (TC Television, Cable Vision and Gamavision).
In Nicaragua, President Ortega is the principal instigator of harassment aimed at journalists and other members of the media by the “blue shirts,” a group that forms part of the president’s security forces. The blue shirts continue to employ intimidation tactics aimed at members of the media, including the assault of at least two journalists in the last year.
In Venezuela, President Chavez’s constant threats against the press resulted in the 2007 closing of television channel RCTV. Journalists and stations critical of the government have also fallen victim of harassment by government supporters. In the last five years the remaining independent station, Globovision, has seen its reporters physically attacked at least 25 times, and independent journalists have faced repeated attempts on their lives for their work.
I will be posting the different chapters of the PBS documentary on Hugo Chavez called “The Hugo Chavez Show” on the blog. I found them intriguing to say the least and should help the blog readers make up their minds about the Venezuelan President (in addition to the ongoing blog posts on Chavez and democracy).
Only a few months ago, with oil prices high, Russia was flush with cash and planning a variety of measures, including helping Venezuela build a nuclear reactor and strengthening military ties with Cuba, a former cold war ally of the Soviets.
But here is where we sit now:
1.Oil prices have plunged and the soaring revenues are gone
2.Latin Americans are much less wary of President-Elect Barack Obama than they have been of George Bush for the last 8 years. Obama has raised hopes throughout Latin America of a new era of improved relations with the United States.
What is interesting here is that Obama is going to be sworn in as president at a time in which democracy has suffered some serious setbacks in some Latin American countries and at a time in which Russia is, once again, trying to be a balancing power in the region and is courting increased partnerships with countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua and to some extent, Brazil (among others). Obama’s approach towards Latin America needs to be strategic and should forge further economic ties with the folks in the south, while always keeping the promotion of the essential elements of democracy in mind (something already agreed to in the OAS charter).
Two Russian long-range strategic nuclear bombers landed in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, for the first time in September. Mr Chavez described their visit as a “warning” to the United States.
Igor Dygalo, the Russian Navy spokesman, said that the joint manoeuvres would begin on December 1. The Peter the Great carries 20 nuclear cruise missiles and up to 500 surface-to-air missiles.
Latin America was the focus of intense ideological competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Venezuela has signed deals to buy Russian arms worth more than $4 billion since 2005.
Who would have thought that Axl Rose would be in the headlines again?
Ok, so this article is not about democracy per se, but I think there may be a closely related story here. According to the Wall Street Journal, an official at the Chinese Ministry of Culture reportedly sent word that record distributors shouldn’t bother stocking the album, stating that any title with the word democracy is “not going to work”.
If you were wondering why the name of the recent Guns n’ Roses album, here you go: the title track from the album includes lyrics with references to Falun Gong, a meditation practice banned in China, and the line “if your Great Wall rocks blame yourself,”which has been interpreted as a critique of the Chinese government’s authoritarian rule.
I dont know if the album is any good or if the Chinese people are actually missing out on anything, but they should at least have the opportunity to choose.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega (left) embraces Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 25, 2008.
I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal and decided to share it. What caught my attention were the actions the author alleges President Ortega has been engaging in to secure a victory for his party. As a defender of democracy and transparent processes, it is difficult for me not to take the following comments seriously:
1. Ortega blocked the Organization of American States, the European Union and the Carter Center from receiving credentials to observe the balloting.
2. He barred Nicaragua’s highly respected independent watchdog, Ethics and Transparency — which had recognized Mr. Ortega’s 2006 victory — from the polling stations.
3. Despite getting shut out, Ethics and Transparency managed to post observers to watch from outside polling stations. It estimated that one-third of the stations experienced irregularities. There were also reports that in some places opposition-party observers were kicked out of polling stations, and some polling stations closed ahead of schedule.
This is concerning. Should this be true, citizens interested in promoting and defending democracy throughout the Americas should be bothered and, quite frankly, outraged. The people of Nicaragua deserve a free, fair and transparent election. The result of the election is important, but it is time we all recognize the importance of the need to play by the same rules, respect the democratic processes in place and guarantee that a citizen’s political opinion will not get him kicked out of a voting poll or treated unfairly.
The Washington Office on Latin America has already voiced some concerns that must be troubling the people of Nicaragua and trouble me. In a November 6 Communication it stated:
“We are alarmed by the growing climate of intolerance for those who are perceived as critics of the federal government. The physical attack on a march of opposition party activists, and the apparent unwillingness of the police to restore order, the criminal investigations of several civil society organizations and their leaders, as well as the investigation of international NGOs that have funded some of these organizations, is extremely troubling.” The Washington Office on Latin America also referenced “violent acts by government supporters against human rights defenders.”
