How African Continent Has Embraced Huawei

By Joyce Chimbi
Global Times
2019/3/3 19:42:55

Going by recent developments that have seen the US, Australia and Japan ban Huawei from providing 5G technology, it is natural to assume that China's leading tech business is in the eye of a storm.

In Africa, this is not the case with the tech giant. The controversy around Huawei could not be further from the reality for African governments or the people who have embraced its low cost-high quality products.

To say that Huawei has struck the right chord in the African market is an understatement.

Working with local brands, the Chinese company has been able to deliver products that are targeted at the technological needs of developing countries.

Currently, Huawei is the fastest growing smartphone brand in Africa.

Generally, Huawei prices its products five to 15 percent lower than its European competitors Nokia and Ericsson.

It is little wonder then that South Africans are, for instance, buying more Huawei mobile phones than iPhones and it is expected that the Chinese brand will soon outdo Samsung.

The controversial Huawei ban has been driven by alleged security concerns ranging from spying suspicion to intellectual property theft by the Chinese multinational.

Huawei has been accused of allowing the Chinese government to use its devices to spy on the US. So far, these are just allegations.

There are those who believe that this is a strategy to push out Huawei from lucrative deals as the world moves to the next generation network - 5G.

African governments have relied on Chinese companies including Huawei to develop their technology infrastructure. The Chinese firm is among the top three telecommunications companies operating across the continent.

Due to its strategic pricing, Huawei is a go-to company for struggling African governments with huge budget deficits, which are determined not to be left behind as the world embraces more advanced technology.

Huawei first began operations in Kenya in 1998 and has made inroads in at least 40 African countries for the last 20 years.

One of the reasons why the brand is so strong in Africa is the company's vision to work with countries with a GDP per capita similar to China's or lower.

Second, China-Africa relations run deep. Strong economic ties exist between China and the continent in which countries need to embrace scaled up technologies to accelerate development.

Huawei has invested heavily in the backbone of Africa's technology infrastructure. So far, Huawei and ZTE Corporation have established at least 50 third-generation (3G) telecom networks in more than 36 African countries. The two Chinese firms have built e-government networks in at least 30 African countries.

In Kenya for instance, e-government systems have enabled citizens to access key services in a more timely, efficient and effective manner.

Controversy around data breach and intellectual property theft does not seem to be a primary concern in the Sino-Africa equation.

The continent has relied heavily on Chinese companies, Huawei included, to upgrade from third generation to the widely used 4G network.

The company has clearly articulated its vision for Africa's technologies which includes enabling 100 percent of businesses to be cloud based by 2025.

This means businesses can operate remotely, reducing the need for physical infrastructure, which lowers both investment and operational costs.

Huawei is undertaking trials for 5G rollout with Africa's largest telecom firms such as Kenya's Safaricom. This is again in line with finding local solutions to country-specific technological problems and gaps.

So far, the Chinese company has signed at least 22 commercial contracts for a 5G technology upgrade and is working with over 50 network carriers on 5G commercial tests across the continent.

That is not all. Huawei products find favor with both governments and the masses.

Huawei products camera system is a hit on the continent for enabling people document memorable life moments without necessarily relying on larger, bulkier and expensive photography equipment.

These cameras have also enabled young African millennials to make a living through social media platforms. 

Access to affordable and quality camera phones has boosted the number of video bloggers who are finding creative ways to build their own personal brands.

A strong personal brand means that bigger names can engage them for social media marketing.

Importantly, everything is connected. A 5G technology upgrade is expected to work hand in hand with China's Belt and Road Initiative to deliver a revolutionary economic vision.

For struggling developing countries across Africa, it is a package deal that is simply too good to turn down.

The author is a Kenya-based journalist. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

Washington’s Paranoia Toward China Spreads to Campuses

Global Times
2019/3/3 20:32:08

The University of Minnesota recently suspended its exchanges with China's Huawei Technologies. In a memorandum sent to the university deans, Vice President for Research Chris Cramer said "we consider it prudent to suspend our interactions with Huawei" given the "extraordinary level of concern" raised by federal indictments.

According to the university, Huawei funds its research through gifts to the University of Minnesota Foundation. The university said Huawei "expressed an interest in networking and advanced technologies." Huawei is also a member of "the multi-university Center for Research in Intelligent Storage, where it sponsors research on memory and data structures."

The university also decided to end cooperation with the Confucius Institute. The University of Minnesota's Confucius Institute will close at the end of the semester.

Minnesota is not the first university to cut ties with Huawei and the Confucius Institute. This shows Washington's strategy that regards Beijing as a rival has spread widely in the US. Staying away from Huawei and the Confucius Institute is in line with Washington's new political correctness and also brings fewer troubles.

Washington's recent moves have clearly demonstrated to Chinese people how to raise vigilance and prevent potential penetration and intelligence theft. China had exposed its communication network and higher education system to US companies and foundations. It is hard to imagine how we were able to fall asleep during that period.

Being on guard against China seems to be becoming the conscious behavior of an increasing number of American universities. Huawei and the Confucius Institute remain unchanged, but certain American universities have changed attitude and consider it unsafe to cooperate with them. Reasons partly lie in the US government's request as well as domestic public pressure. In addition, these universities are giving up their independence and following the trend.

China must face up to the reality and abandon the fantasy that the above phenomena are exceptional. Meanwhile, we shouldn't be bothered by it too much.. We ought to neither try too hard to maintain relations with the universities nor take the initiative to reduce China-US non-governmental exchanges by cutting off contact with  US universities.

We still have to promote healthier China-US ties, especially non-governmental exchanges. Be as it may, Chinese people are aware that nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable. When the US wants to break exchanges, let it go ahead.

Universities in the 21st century must adapt to globalization. Both China and the US have provided the leading driving force for globalization. US universities can hardly skip Chinese elements. Chinese students, talent, resources and demand are indispensable to the generational growth of US universities.

When Chinese tech giants like Huawei meet obstruction in communication with US institutions, they should allocate their funds to the scientific research of Chinese universities. From a long-term perspective, the development of China's high-tech companies is based on the improvement of domestic scientific research and education dynamics while attracthing high-quality resources from abroad.

The US has been using such a system and it attracts global talent. As for China, its scientific research and education system should be self-reliant as well as highly open. The ability to be self-reliant determines the quality of China's opening-up.

The action of the University of Minnesota is thought-provoking. Regardless of whether the US is open or closed, China must open itself. The overreaction of the US should sound the alarm bell and serve as a warning for us.

Algeria Protests: President Confirms Fresh Poll Bid Despite Rallies

BBC World Service

Algeria's veteran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has defied protesters by confirming he will run again - but says he will not serve a full term.

In a letter he said if he won April's vote he would oversee a national dialogue leading to fresh elections that he would not contest.

His decision to seek a fifth term in office sparked nationwide protests.

Mr Bouteflika, 82, has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.

Sunday saw new protests as a midnight deadline loomed for candidates to register. By nightfall young people were again marching in the capital Algiers despite the president's offer.

Algeria protests: The beginning of the end?

Mr Bouteflika's campaign manager submitted papers on behalf of the ailing president, who is undergoing medical treatment in Switzerland.

The electoral commission has said candidates need to submit them in person, but the Constitutional Council ruled that he did not have to be physically present.

How does the president's idea work?

The proposal came in the form of a letter to the Algerian people read out on state television.

Should he be re-elected. Mr Bouteflika said he would hold an "inclusive national conference" followed by a vote to determine the next president.

He said he would not run again and acknowledged the protests that have rocked Algeria.

President Bouteflika has been rarely seen in public - here he was voting in May 2017
"I listened and heard the heartfelt cry of protesters and in particular of the thousands of youth who asked me about the future of our country," the letter said, read by a presenter on ENTV.

"These youth express an understandable concern about the uncertainties they face. I have the duty and will to appease the hearts and spirits of my compatriots."

Who else is running?

So far, six other candidates have formally registered, among them a retired general, Ali Ghediri, who has promised to bring "change" to Algeria.

Businessman Rachid Nekkaz, who has a sizeable Facebook following and is said to be popular among Algeria's young, announced plans to run, but was deemed ineligible.

Instead his cousin, a car mechanic who is also called Rachid Nekkaz has entered and the businessman says he will serve as his campaign manager.

Two opposition parties, the Labour Party, and the Islamist Movement of Society for Peace, have said they will boycott the election.

A key challenger in previous elections, Ali Benflis, also is not running.

Are these protests unusual?

Yes - public shows of dissent in Algeria are rare, and the protests have been the biggest since Mr Bouteflika came to power 20 years ago.

Demonstrations broke out about 10 days ago after Mr Bouteflika announced his plans to run for office again.

On Sunday, people again took to the streets of the capital Algiers and other major cities.

Police reportedly used water cannon to disperse students rallying in Algiers.

There have also been demonstrations in France, the former colonial power, which is home to a large Algerian community.

"We aren't opposed to the president, but he is unconscious, he doesn't exist anymore, his generals and those close to him are doing what they will behind his back," one demonstrator told the AFP news agency.

Who is Abdelaziz Bouteflika?

Mr Bouteflika came to power in 1999 and is credited with putting an end to a civil war that is estimated to have killed more than 100,000 people.

Protests against food prices and unemployment broke out in 2011 during the Arab Spring but he responded by lifting a nearly two-decades old state of emergency, meeting a key demand of protesters.

After his stroke he won re-election in a poll denounced by the opposition and dissolved the country's powerful spy agency, replacing it with a body loyal to him.

Critics say his ill health means that he is unable to perform his duties as president.

Despite the dissent, Mr Bouteflika is still widely tipped to win the election this year.

Algeria's opposition is divided and Mr Bouteflika won the last presidential elections in 2014 despite doing no personal campaigning.

Congo,China to Reach Deal on Debt

Africa News

China is considering canceling or rescheduling the Congolese debt deal. Beijing holds 35% of Brazzaville’s debt.

This comes as good news for a country with a limping economy, that is struggling to recover from the fall in oil prices

The Congolese government received a letter from the Chinese government and another from Exim Bank, the main creditor of the Congolese debt to China according to the Chinese ambassador in the country.

The Chinese diplomat appears reassuring, as negotiations in this regard have already been completed, he points out. An agreement could be signed between the two parties within three months.

Congolese public debt represents 110% of its target domestic product. An agreement with Beijing would allow Brazzaville to look forward with a little more serenity to the continuation of its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Somalia Vows Crackdown After Siege that Killed 20

The Mogadishu attack, which killed 20 and injured more than 100, was the latest in a long line of bombing and assaults claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked group © AFP / Abdirazak Hussein FARAH

By AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Mogadishu, Somalia, Mar 2 

At least 20 people died in an attack in the Somali capital Mogadishu, which saw Al-Shabaab insurgents battling security forces for nearly 24 hours before the siege ended, officials said Saturday.

As the standoff ended, the government vowed to step up efforts to fight the jihadists, with the deadly siege the latest in a long line of bombing and assaults claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

“The Somali government will never stop its war on Al-Shabaab, our aim is to be done with them, whatever the cost,” Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire told reporters late on Friday.

The premier also praised the courage of the elite soldiers who he said had rescued 35 civilians used as “human shields” by the assailants.

The attack began on Thursday evening at around 1800 GMT, when a Shabaab militant in a car blew himself up, causing a huge blast that ripped the front off a major hotel and left several cars in flames on the busy street.

The attack began on Thursday evening when an Al-Shabaab militant in a car blew himself up, causing a huge blast that ripped the front off a major hotel © AFP / Abdirazak Hussein FARAH
Other fighters then stormed inside a building housing a restaurant, where they were quickly surrounded by police.

Medics pulled five bodies from the wreckage immediately after the explosion, but the recovery of more bodies was blocked for hours by the ensuing fighting.

Sporadic shooting continued until officials finally declared an end to the siege late Friday afternoon.

“Our teams have recovered one more dead body after the operation was over and this makes the overall number of the confirmed dead 20,” Aamin Ambulance director Abdikadir Abdirahman told AFP on Saturday.

At least 112 people were admitted to the city’s three main hospitals, medical sources said.

At a press conference, Somali security forces held up photos showing the alleged bodies of four of the attackers.

In a statement posted on a pro-Shabaab website, the militants confirmed that four of their number had been killed, adding that others had managed to escape.

It said the fighters waged a “martyrdom-seeking” operation against a “luxury hotel inhabited by government officials and security service officers”.

Witnesses said the initial car bomb attack occurred as the street was filled with people relaxing after a day at work.

The explosion was so powerful that it tossed several vehicles into the air that then burst into flames.

“The whole area was in flames,” said Abdisamed Mohamed, a witness.

The Shabaab emerged out of the Islamic courts system that once controlled central and southern Somalia. The group is believed to have between 5,000 and 9,000 men.

In 2010, the Shabaab declared its allegiance to Al-Qaeda.

The following year, its fighters were chased out of Mogadishu by the 22,000-strong African Union peace-enforcement mission, AMISOM.

They have since lost many of their strongholds but retain control of large rural swathes of the country and continue to wage a guerrilla war, frequently hitting Mogadishu

Death Toll From Al Shabaab Suicide Car Bomb in Somalia Rises to 29 - Police

March 1, 2019, at 2:30 a.m.
U.S. News & World Report

A damaged building is seen at the scene where a suicide car bomb exploded targeting a Mogadishu hotel in a business center in Maka Al Mukaram street in Mogadishu, Somalia. February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Feisal OmarREUTERS

MOGADISHU (REUTERS) - The death toll from an Al Shabaab suicide car bombing at a Mogadishu hotel rose to 29 with 80 wounded, police said on Friday, as a gun battle raged at the site of the blast between fighters of the militant group and Somali troops.

"So far we know 29 people mostly civilians died and 80 others injured. The militants are still fighting from inside a civilian house adjacent to the hotel... The death toll may rise," police Major Musa Ali told Reuters.

The blast hit the Maka Al-Mukarama hotel on Thursday evening.

(Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; editing by John Stonestreet)

Algeria's Bouteflika Names New Election Campaign Director

March 2, 2019, at 10:48 a.m.
U.S. News & World Report

FILE PHOTO - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen in Algiers, Algeria April 9, 2018. REUTERS/Ramzi BoudinaREUTERS

BY HAMID OULD AHMED AND Stephanie Nebehay

ALGIERS/GENEVA (Reuters) - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has changed his campaign manager for an April election in which he is expected to seek a fifth term, state news agency APS said on Saturday.

News of Abdelghani Zaalane's appointment came a day after tens of thousands of Algerians protested against a further presidential term for the 82-year-old, who is in Switzerland for medical checks. Zaalane is a minister.

APS did not give any reason for Bouteflika's decision to replace his previous campaign manager Abdelmalek Sellal, who had said on Tuesday that the president would submit official election papers on Sunday, the deadline for candidates.

Opponents say Bouteflika, who suffered a stroke in 2013 and has been seen in public only a few times since, is no longer fit to lead the North African country, a major oil and gas producer.

But in a sign of weakness to mount a challenge against the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), an umbrella group of opposition parties again called on Bouteflika to quit but did not nominate a single candidate.

Friday saw the largest turnout to date in Algeria's biggest anti-government demonstrations since the Arab Spring eight years ago. Bouteflika has not directly addressed the protests.

Like most of the country's elite made up of FLN leaders, military officers and business tycoons, Bouteflika is a veteran of Algeria's 1954-1962 independence war against France. He has been in power since 1999.

The authorities said last week he would travel to Geneva for unspecified "routine" medical checks.

Algerian media did not report on his trip but Swiss public television said late on Saturday that Bouteflika remained at Geneva University Hospital.

A total of 183 people were injured during Friday's protests across Algeria and one person died of a heart attack, APS said.

The capital Algiers was quiet on Saturday with shops open.

Large-scale demonstrations -- rarely seen in Algeria with its ubiquitous security services -- against Bouteflika's re-election move began a week ago and have grown in size.

Many Algerians avoided public political activity for years, fearing trouble from the security services or disillusioned with the war veterans who have run the country since independence.

After a decade-long Islamist insurgency that Bouteflika stamped out early in his rule, Algerians have often tolerated a political system with little space for dissent as a price to pay for peace and stability.

(Reporting by Lamine Chikhi, Hesham Hajali, Tom Miles, Stephanie Nebehay, Tarek Amara, Hamid Ould Ahmed, Zohra Bensemra and Ulf Laessing; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Catherine Evans and Daniel Wallis)

183 Injured in Algeria Protests: State News Agency

ALGIERS (Reuters) - A total of 183 people were injured during protests across Algeria on Friday against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for election to a fifth term, the state news agency APS said on Saturday, citing the health ministry.

One person died of a heart attack, officials said earlier.

Tens of thousands of protesters called on the ailing, 82-year-old Bouteflika to abandon plans to seek re-election in an April presidential vote — Algeria’s biggest anti-government rallies since the Arab Spring eight years ago.

He has not formally confirmed he will stand, although representatives have indicated he will do so. APS reported on Saturday that Bouteflika had named Abdelghani Zaalane as his campaign director.

Friday’s protests were mostly peaceful but scuffles between police and protesters broke out in the evening near the presidential place in the capital Algiers.

Algiers was quiet on Saturday.

Large-scale demonstrations — rarely seen in Algeria with its ubiquitous security services — against Bouteflika’s re-election move began a week ago, but Friday saw the biggest turnout yet.

Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013 and has been seen in public only a few times since. His re-election bid stoked resentment among Algerians who believe he is not fit to run the major oil- and gas-producing country.

Bouteflika’s campaign manager had said on Tuesday he would submit his official application on Sunday, the deadline for candidates. Bouteflika, who turned 82 on Saturday, has not directly addressed the protests.

Authorities said last week he would travel to Geneva for unspecified medical checks. Swiss television said on Friday Bouteflika was at Geneva University Hospital. There was no official confirmation that Bouteflika was in the Swiss city.

Many Algerians for years avoided politics in public, fearing trouble from the security services or disillusioned as the country has been run by the same group of veterans since the 1954-1962 independence war with France.

Bouteflika has ruled since 1999 and stamped out a decade-long Islamist insurgency early in his rule. Algerians have long tolerated a political system with little space for dissent as a price to pay for peace and stability.

A weak and divided opposition faces high hurdles in mounting an electoral challenge. Since the FLN party again picked Bouteflika as its presidential candidate, several parties, trade unions and business groups have endorsed him.

Reporting by Ulf Laessing and Hesham Hajali; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Catherine Evans

Algeria: Large Protests Against Bouteflika's 5th Term Bid

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Algeria Friday to protest against the candidacy for a fifth term of the president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in a demonstration that overflowed the streets of the center of the capital. | Photo: EFE

2 March 2019
Telesur

An unprecedented wave of protests has rocked the country since last Friday in opposition to the 82-year-old incumbent president's fifth candidacy bid.

A total of 183 people were injured during protests across Algeria Friday against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for election to a fifth term -- second since he suffered a stroke -- according to the health ministry.

In Algeria's biggest anti-government rallies since the Arab Spring eight years ago, tens of thousands of protesters called on the infirmed, 82-year-old Bouteflika to abandon plans to seek re-election in April’s presidential vote. The protests were mostly peaceful however scuffles between police and protesters broke out late Friday near the presidential palace in the capital Algiers.

Large-scale demonstrations, rarely seen in Algeria with its omnipresent security services, began a week ago, though Friday saw the biggest turnout yet. Almost 200 people have been injured according to state media, APS.

Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013 and has been seen in public only a few times since. His re-election bid stoked resentment among Algerians who believe he is not fit to run the major oil- and gas-producing country.

Bouteflika's campaign manager said Tuesday he would submit his official application Sunday, the deadline for candidates. Bouteflika, who turned 82 last Saturday, has not directly addressed the protests.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika joined the socialist National Liberation Front early on in his youth and later fought with the National Liberation Army against French colonial rule where he became an officer.

After liberation in 1962 he held several ministerial posts before becoming the President of United Nations session of 1974 where he was critical of U.S. policies around the world. Bouteflika returned to Algeria from political exile in 1984 and rejoined the FLN and then was tapped to lead the country after the 1999 7 years after the 1991 coup that ousted the Islamist party from power. His presidency saw the end of the civil war that followed the coup as Islamists attempted to regain power.

While the FLN continues to receive the support of many Algerians due to its socialist and nationalist policies, many others have been critical and disillusioned as the country has been run by the same group of veterans since the 1954-1962 independence war with France.

Algerians also stress the fact that they fear political instability similar to that in neighboring Libya after the ouster and killing of President Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO intervention in 2012.

A weak and divided opposition faces high hurdles in mounting an electoral challenge. Since the long-ruling FLN party again picked Bouteflika as its presidential candidate, several parties, trade unions and business groups have endorsed him.

Venezuelan Politician Warns UNHCR Against Working with 'Irregular Groups'

The socialist leader and protector of the Venezuelan state of Táchira Freddy Bernal speaks during an interview with teleSUR. | Photo: teleSUR

Published 2 March 2019 (11 hours 0 minutes ago)

The socialist leader and protector of the Venezuelan state of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, warned that the Agency of the United Nations for the Refugees (UNHCR) might be providing funds to "irregular groups" that intend to attack Venezuela.

In an exclusive interview for teleSUR, Bernal urged the U.N. agency to decide on whether to collaborate with armed groups that intend to take action against Venezuela. However, he said the government and Venezuelans in support of Maduro were grateful for the position of the United Nations as a whole in that the body made it clear it would not participate in the interventionist agenda of the United States and reaffirmed its recognition of the elected government of President Maduro.

Bernal also warned that the United States is moving towards a new form of war against the South American nation.

"A new form of war is being prepared, internal chaos through paramilitaries and irregular groups through attacks on police installations, security and selective assassinations of political and military leaders," added the Bernal.

During the interview, Bernal reiterated the denouncements  made by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, and Ambassador of Venezuela to the U.N. Samuel Moncada in which they warned of the creation of a so-called “army of liberation” by the Venezuelan right-wing opposition

Bernal’s appointment as a protector of Táchira by President Maduro year ago made him head of the security staff at the state’s border region with Colombia given that it is an unstable border area due to smuggling and drug trafficking.

Venezuela's Government to Bring 5 Proposals to Dialogue Table

Minister Jorge Rodriguez speaks at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Oct. 17, 2018. | Photo:

2 March 2019
Telesur

Minister Rodriguez said 2018 presidential elections complied with the highest technical standards.

Venezuela’s Minister of Communication and Information Jorge Rodriguez said that his government will bring five concrete proposals to a possible dialogue table, which the “Contact Group on Venezuela”, convened by the European Union and Uruguay, seeks to set up.

"We will propose: one, respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty; two, respect for Venezuela's right to peace; three, lifting of sanctions; four, the establishment of a mechanism whereby the government and the opposition can resolve their differences through peaceful means; five, non-interference by other countries and other governments into Venezuela’s internal affairs," Minister Rodriguez said in an interview with Sputnik.

Regarding the call for new elections, Rodriguez stressed that 2018 presidential elections, in which Nicolas Maduro was elected as President for the 2019-2025 term, satisfied the most rigorous technical standards.

"Besides satisfying international standards, [last] presidential elections were held in compliance with the standards of the Venezuelan electoral system, which is one of the world’s most secure systems," Rodriguez said, adding that Venezuela's voting system is undoubtedly more reliable than those of the United States, Spain and Colombia.

Despite such facts, the Venezuelan opposition argues that the elections held on May 20, 2018 were not backed by the guarantees they demanded at the Dominican Republic dialogues, which took place in January 2018.

"The opponents’ boycott of the 2019 Venezuelan presidential election was aimed at creating arguments to start the aggression against Venezuela which they are currently trying to carry out," Rodriguez said, recalling that "such boycott began even before the Dominican Republic negotiations."

In this regard, Minister Rodriguez explained that, since Juan Guaido is an opposition lawmaker from a parliament in contempt, his recognition as president in charge is an act which has no constitutional grounds.

"It is purely an aggression, an unconstitutional intention which seeks to replace a duly elected government on May 20, 2018," Rodriguez said and added that the leader of such an action is "a man who has not been elected by anoyne other than 75,000 people who voted for him to be a lawmaker in Vargas, a small state at the north of Venezuela."

Who Is US Intelligence Official Advising Guaido on his 'Regional Tour'

Juan Guaido and Kimberly Breier pose for a photo with Brazilian officials during his visit to Brazil earlier this week. | Photo: Twitter / @WHAAsstSecty

2 March 2019
Telesur

His advisor is Kimberly Breier, a 20-year-experienced U.S. intelligence professional.

Since leaving Venezuela on Feb. 22, despite a travel-ban in place against him, opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido has deployed an intense agenda of attacking democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro as he travels to Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, and other South American countries, whose right-wing leaders were quick to throw their support behind his self-proclamation as interim president.

Besides traveling with his wife Fabiana Rosales, who has accompanied him on each visit as if they were performing official trips, Guaido has been accompanied by another woman: U.S. senior official Kimberly Breier.

A brief look at her social media posts reveals how Breier constantly her close presence and collaboration with Guaido to achieve his political objectives of ousting the legitimate government in Venezuela, in line with the interests of her superiors in Washington.

On Mar. 5, 2018, President Donald Trump presented Breier as a "key addition" to his staff, appointing her as Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

She earned a B.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College and a M.A. in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University, an institution some claim to be known for training future Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employees.

According to information available at the U.S. State Department, where she served as a member of the Western Hemisphere Policy Planning Staff, Breier is "an intelligence professional with more than 20 years of experience in foreign policy", mostly focused on Latin American issues.

Previously, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), she headed the Americas Program and the U.S.-Mexico Futures Initiative, a program that deals with bilateral U.S.-Mexico issues such as trade agreement renegotiation, border security, and immigration.

Breier was also Director of the National Policy Association's North American Committee, which is a business committee with members from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Among other private sector and think tank experiences, she was president of a consulting firm, which provided "country risk assessment teams" for clients located in Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.

From January 2005 to June 2006, during President George W. Bush Administration, Breier served as Director for Brazil and the Southern Cone, Director for Mexico and Canada, and interim Director for the Andean region.

Needless to say, this Massachusetts-native diplomat speaks Spanish fluently and has traveled extensively through Latin America.

US: Striking Oakland Teachers Win Tentative Deal with District

"These movements have radicalized a class movement against billionaire “philanthropists" that do not pay their fair taxes," a statement by the union reads. | Photo: OEA

2 March 2019
Telesur

“This is a historic contract... that moves us toward a win for the schools Oakland students deserve,” the OEA union said.

The Oakland Education Association (OEA) in California, United States announced Friday that the union reached a tentative agreement with the Oakland Unified School District to end the ongoing teachers strike on its seventh day.

“After seven days on strike – with 95% of our members on the line, 97% of students out of school, and tens of thousands on our picket lines and rallies – we have reached a Tentative Agreement,” OEA said in a statement.

“This is a historic contract with a win in every major proposal we made, that moves us toward a win for the schools Oakland students deserve,” they added.

The OEA union is the second largest union in the United States with 35,000 teachers, according to a union member. Teachers are expected to receive an 11 percent raise over four years with a three percent bonus upon the ratification of the new contract, local media reported. They are also expecting additional counselors, RSPs, psychologists, speech pathologists and other support staff.

In California, the Los Angeles teacher strike earlier this year ignited movements by educators to resist privatization by more conservative and right-wing local governments across the United States.

Oakland educators have been grappling with wages of US$2800 after taxes in a city where rent is US$2,000 minimum. This has subsequently caused a teacher retention crisis. The majority of the population in Oakland are people of color in a city just 20 minutes from some of the richest companies in the world, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other tech firms in San Francisco.

Sudan, a State of Emergency

By Lutz Oette

The state of emergency declared by Sudan’s president al-Bashir on Friday, 22 February, constitutes a dramatic escalation of developments since the protests and uprising against the regime began in mid-December last year. Resorting to a state of emergency in times of challenges to its rule is neither new nor surprising, being part and parcel of the arsenal of an authoritarian state. In this instance, it is an important move with obvious political and legal ramifications. Politically, it visibly puts the military and security complex in charge. It recreates the early days of the regime when it took power by a military coup in 1989 and essentially ruled the country by revolutionary decree. The state of emergency and emergency orders made in its wake set out in detail the kind of challenges the regime disapproves of, and gives it sweeping powers to suppress them. It thereby opens the door to a wave of human rights violations, adding to the mounting record of arbitrary arrests, torture, excessive use of force and extrajudicial killings over the last two months. The emergency measures highlight that President al-Bashir has not heeded any internal or external calls for change. On the contrary, the state of emergency is true to form, in line with close to thirty years of illegitimate, repressive rule.

Two of the emergency orders adopted on 25 February concern the exercise of civil and political rights, two the economy, and one corrupt practices. The thrust of Emergency Orders 1 and 2 is a combination of far-reaching prohibitions and wide powers. Their barely disguised aim is to suffocate protests, stifle freedom of expression and the media, and counter monitoring and accountability of violations by the state’s forces. Emergency Order 2 prohibits, and criminalises, with up to ten years’ imprisonment, a long list of activities. This includes unlicensed gatherings, strikes, breach of public safety and security, and the “preparation, publishing or circulating news that harms the state or citizens.” It also “prohibits the preparation or publishing of information, photographs, documents or personal documents of any person who occupies a public office or his family.” This provision, seemingly aimed at preserving the integrity of the public office and privacy of office holders, is actually a response to the effective strategy of activists. They have identified security agents involved in violations online, thereby naming and shaming them publicly. Emergency Order 1 complements these prohibitions by vesting Sudan’s regular forces with wide powers of enforcement. This includes power of search and entry of buildings, imposition of controls on any property, seizure of assets, restriction of movement, and “arrest of persons suspected of involvement in any emergency-related crime.” In an extraordinary additional clause, the forces are provided with “any other powers deemed necessary by the President of the Republic”, which essentially gives the President, and the forces carte blanche. The Sudanese Attorney General is also reported to have established emergency prosecution offices, with cases to be heard before specifically established emergency courts. Evoking notorious precedents in Sudan and elsewhere, these courts are set to serve as a tool for the regime’s bidding.

The declaration of the State of Emergency and the emergency orders do not stand up to legal scrutiny. Article 210(1) of Sudan’s Interim National Constitution requires, for there to be an emergency, the “occurrence of an imminent danger, whether it is war, invasion, blockade, natural disaster or epidemics as may threaten the country.” It is difficult to see how the exercise of democratic and constitutionally guaranteed rights, here determinedly peaceful protests and use of freedom of expression, threaten the country. A threat to regime survival is not synonymous to a threat to the country. The official rationale of having to address national politics in order to reach a political consensus is extremely vague, besides being politically unconvincing as a means to prepare for a “free and fair” election in 2020. The government need not fear any legal challenges of the state of emergency and emergency orders before the largely compliant Constitutional Court. The matter is different when it comes to Sudan’s international obligations. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights does not entitle states to derogate from rights under states of emergencies. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, state may only declare an emergency in a situation that threatens the life of the nation. The UN Human Rights Committee in a General Comment mentioned “a mass demonstration including instances of violence” as possibly constituting such a situation. This clearly implies that the violence emanates from the demonstrators, not solely the state, as is the case in Sudan. Any emergency measures taken must be “strictly required by the exigencies of the situation.” According to the Human Rights Committee, there is usually no need for states to derogate from freedom of movement and freedom of assembly as Sudan has done in Emergency Orders 1 and 2. There are no safeguards against abuse of power, particularly torture. It is not clear whether any of the measures can be challenged before the courts, there is no right to habeas corpus, and officials enjoy immunity. Emergency courts do not guarantee essential fair trial rights. In short, it is rule by law without any rule of law. This emergency rule creates a legally sanctioned dreamland for security forces who can act exercising extremely broad powers with impunity and a corresponding nightmare for Sudan’s citizens.

Sudan’s emergency measures are a licence for human rights violations. They are deeply undemocratic, aimed at stifling legitimate political protest and expression. The regime’s declaration of the state of emergency equates to a public acknowledgment of political bankruptcy. If any further reminder were needed, the developments demonstrate that the situation in Sudan constitutes a political and human rights emergency. It is high time that regional and international actors take a firmer line. If anyone threatens the life of the nation in Sudan, it is a government whose leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, not the people who are fed up with decades of oppression, corruption, deteriorating livelihoods and bleak prospects for their future.

Dr. Lutz Oette is Senior Lecturer in Law at SOAS, University of London. He is the editor of two books on Sudan, Criminal Law Reform and Transitional Justice: Human Rights Perspectives for Sudan (2011) and Constitution-Making and Human Rights in the Sudans (2019, with Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker as co-editor). The author can be reached at lo8@soas.ac.uk.

Al-Bashir Appoints Ahmed Haroun Acting Chairman of Sudan’s Ruling Party

February 28, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir who is also the leader of the ruling party has appointed the deputy chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP) as the acting chairman of the majority party in a move indicating as he is preparing to move away from the party.

As a result of the nationwide protests that continue for more than two months, al-Bashir sacked his government and the NCP leadership as they appeared unable to defend his government programme and realisations

Following its weekly leadership meeting held on Thursday, the party confirmed the appointed of the former North Kordofan Governor Ahmed Haroun as the NCP deputy chairman replacing Faisal Hassan Ibrahim.

Speaking after the meeting, Haroun who indicted of by the war crimes court in The Hague told reporters that the president informed the meeting of his decision to him as the acting chairman of the party.

"The meeting took note of the decision of the President of the Republic, the Chairman of the Party, to delegate his powers and responsibilities to the party’s Deputy Chairman, Ahmed Haroun, to lead the party and conduct the organizational activities so that the President can devote himself to the national tasks expressed in his speech to the nation last Friday," he said.

On Friday 22 February, al-Bashir said asked the parliament to stop considering constitutional amendments to allow his re-election for a new term.

He added that he would stand at the same distance from all the political forces and called for a national dialogue on the basis of the National Document of the dialogue conference held on October 2016.

The head of the National Intelligence and Security Services, Salah Gosh on the same day said al-Bashir would abandon the chairmanship of the ruling party and continue as President of the Republic so that the party can nominate another candidate for the 2020 elections.

Haroun said the party renewed its support for the presidential call for a new dialogue in the country based on the National Document adding that it can be opened for discussion and to build on it.

Haroun further stressed the NCP readiness to engage dialogue with all the political forces to achieve national reconciliation and to speed up the negotiations with the armed groups.

The opposition forces rejected the presidential call for a new dialogue with the regime and called on al-Bashir to step down, as they propose the formation of a transitional national unity government to end armed conflicts and achieve democratic reforms before to hold new elections.

(ST)

Sudanese Take to the Streets Defying State of Emergency

Protesters took to the street in Jabra district of Khartoum state on 28 February , 2019 (ST Photo)

February 28, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese in different areas and districts of Khartoum state Thursday went to the street defying the state of emergency and chanting slogan against President Omer al-Bashir calling for his resignation.

Thursday’s processions were the first test for the Sudanese Professional Association under the state of exception. The Sudanese organised different form of protests going from the simples processions to the sit-ins with anti-government slogans in different neighbourhoods of the capital.

In Omdurman, the protest began in the central market after what the riot police and security forces intervened to disperse the crowds and ordered the traders to close their shops.

However other protests were organised in Al-Abasya where activists broadcasted a video of two children arrested and violently beaten by the security forces. Other protests were organized in Wad Nubawi and Abu Roaf neighbourhoods.

In Al-Umara neighbourhood of Omdurman, the riot police stormed the house of the National Umma Party Secretary-General Sara Nugdalla to arrest a protester who sought refuge there. So, after the family’s rejection to hand him over they arrested another guest in their home.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, the SPA praised the huge mobilisation in Khartoum state and other parts of the country.

The protesters reaffirmed that "no voice over the voice of the people, and there is no battle other than the peaceful revolution," said the statement which announced the protests of the next week, starting from Friday 1 March.

Huge protests were held in Jabra, Alklakla Shajarah districts and Khartoum neighbourhoods of Al-Daiem, Sahafa and Riyadh. Also, Al-Mamourra and Jiraif participated in the protests.

Burri neighbourhood of Khartoum took part in the demonstrations as youth marched in the streets chanting anti-government slogans.

The police and security forces were present in the area to break up the protest. Also, the security agents were seen storming houses to arrest demonstrators.

It was noticed that the riot police and security forces made use of tear gas and did not open fire on the protesters.

Sudanese Doctors Committee reported that a man in his 60s who was beaten with sticks in his head because he sheltered demonstrators in his home.

Further, in a statement released after the end of demonstrations, they reported that several people injured with a tear gas canister and a number of tear gas suffocation cases.

The Sudanese officials said the state of emergency does not mean to prevent authorized protests but to address the economic situation. However, the presidential decree banned unlicensed gatherings and strikes.

(ST)

Bolivia Inaugurates Free Universal Health Care System

President Evo Morales at Unified Health System inauguration ceremony in Cochabamba, Bolivia, Mar. 1, 2019. | Photo: Twitter / @evoespueblo

1 March 2019

At least 70 percent of the Bolivian population will be covered by the new system.

President Evo Morales launched Friday Bolivia’s new and free Unified Health System (SUS), which seeks to expand health coverage to the population who lacked any form of insurance.

The SUS inauguration ceremony was held in the Cochabamba department, where Morales visited a medical center and delivered new equipment. In his speech, he said that universal free health insurance is possible due to the Bolivian economic model, in which state-owned companies provide financial resources for health services.

"Tell us where we have problems," President Morales said, calling for social participation to improve the SUS so as to assure a permanent success.

Morales also visited the Sarcobamba Hospital to talk with specialists, verify the SUS start-up and communicate through Telesalud, which is Latin America’s health platform based on biggest telecommunication and designed to improve access to specialized medical services in distant rural communities.

"We currently have 46 telemedicine centers connected through the Tupac Katari satellite and 294 centers connected by optical fiber," the Ministry of Health indicated through its website.

At the SUS inauguration, Fernando Leanes, the representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), described Bolivia's health-related policies as "extraordinary" and as a model for Latin America.

"President Morales inaugurates in Cochabamba the Unified Health System's attentions with great citizen expectation."

"The results are extraordinary in public health and collective health. They can be seen in the reduction of infant mortality, child malnutrition, number of professionally-attended births, diseases under control and population's healthy life years," Leanes affirmed and commented that Bolivia has tripled its health budget since 2006, as Opinion reported.

The government of Bolivia will allocate some US$200 million in 2019 to guarantee the sustainability of the SUS by improving its equipment, supplies and infrastructure.

Bolivian Health Minister Gabriela Montaño announced that a cellphone app will serve to guide the population about the SUS health care centers and diseases covered. Authorities have estimated that the new health system will benefit some 5 million Bolivians between 5 and 59 who previously lacked free coverage.

In the 2014 presidential elections, then-candidate Morales promised to create gradually universal health insurance, which is expected to cover at least 70 percent of the Bolivian population.

According to WHO-PAHO data, Bolivia occupies the first place in "shared prosperity" and is the Latin American country that most reduced extreme poverty.

"We know that not everything is perfect in the health area," Leanes said but stressed that "there is no denying that Bolivia has free care in more than 3,100 first, second and third level health facilities," as Patria Nueva reported.

The CIA’s View of Venezuela: What We Learn from Archives

By T.J. Coles

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton arrives to address reporters as the Trump administration announces economic sanctions against Venezuela | Photo: Reuters

27 February 2019
Telesur

CIA public archives show the objective of U.S. policymakers, regardless of the political party, is to monitor the activities of foreign nations, particularly resource-rich ones.

In 2017, then-U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Mike Pompeo said: “we are very hopeful that there can be a [political] transition in Venezuela and we the CIA is doing its best to understand the dynamic there [sic], so that we can communicate to our State Department and to others.” CIA monitoring of the political situation and interference in Venezuela is, of course, nothing new. Back in April 2002, just days before the coup that temporarily ousted President Hugo Chávez, a Senior Executive Intelligence Brief anticipated the removal of Chávez by the Venezuelan military.

With the current crisis in Venezuela intensifying, thanks in no small part to the U.S. intelligence apparatus, it is worth examining the CIA’s declassified and partly-declassified Venezuela archives. The archives include memos, briefing notes, and reports from the Agency itself, as well as from the National Intelligence Estimate. The records on Venezuela date back to the founding of the CIA in the late-1940s. With the exception of more recent records obtained under Freedom of Information Act requests, many of them filed by Eva Golinger, the records dry up in the 1980s. Those released so far reveal much about the deeply entrenched attitudes of Cold War planners.

The CIA records reveal that: 1) The main U.S. interest in Venezuela from the 1940s until at least the ‘80s is not just oil but the Venezuela’s role in the region as a symbol of the success of “constitutional democracy,” i.e., U.S. power; 2) The kind of “constitutional democracy” supported by the U.S. was a façade because the records also acknowledge that the military, not the Congress, retained the real political power; 3) The CIA and the wealthy business elites of Venezuela shared the conflation of mild state-socialism with “communism”; and 4) Intelligence analysts held two, contradictory beliefs, that Venezuelans were prosperous under U.S. patronage, but they also acknowledged that half the population lived in poverty.

The historical records reinforce the evidence that, like the policymakers of all empires, U.S. elites think of sovereign nation-states in terms of their exploitability.

After the Second World War, victorious U.S. planners drew up maps of areas of the world most beneficial to U.S. corporations. During this period, Venezuela (in the Western Hemisphere) exported two-thirds of its oil to the West Indies for refining. A declassified intelligence report from mid-1948 notes that “Political conditions are generally favorable” to U.S. interests in the West Indies and in the Western Hemisphere, but concludes that oil pipelines are vulnerable to sabotage by “trained agents.” Giving the U.S. Department of Defense’s reliance on petroleum for its vehicles, “such agents could seriously affect U.S. capacity either to prepare for or to wage war.” The report notes that the ruling regime of Rómulo Betancourt (1945-48) moved away from the Soviet sphere of influence. However, labor “strikes for wages” in the oil sector “could get out of hand and result in considerable reduction of output, even if there were no deliberate intention to sabotage.”

It is significant that the CIA considered labor strikes an act of industrial sabotage. “Strikes of other unions in allied industries furthermore (transportation for example) from which Communist control may not yet have been eliminated could have similar adverse effects.”

It should be noted that “Communist” with a big C was a catch-all term employed by the CIA to describe a largely non-existent demographic. In the literal sense, there was the Communist Party of Venezuela, but the word was used by the CIA to describe the population more generally. The report concludes that so-called Slavic migration to Venezuela continued into the post-War years and that “it is quite possible that well trained agents may have been included among the almost 3,000 migrants,” such was the level of paranoia of the time.

We can draw ominous parallels to the present. Just as the U.S. supported Betancourt, who became increasingly right-wing, U.S. President Trump supports leaders like Brazil’s Bolsonaro, the bane of trade unions. We can also find similarities between the planners post-War who assumed that Russian immigrants in Venezuela were Soviet sleeper cells and those who, today, believe that Russia is significantly influencing U.S. politics.

Given U.S. corporations’ interests in undermining labor unions, it is important to note that a December 1948 CIA report acknowledges that “a serious split existed in the Venezuelan labor movement as a result of intrigues instigated by foreign oil companies.” It concludes that, “as a result of the workers not being united, the recent military coup was made much easier.” In May 1950, the Venezuelan government issued a decree outlawing the Communist Party. The election of Betancourt (1959-64) followed the overthrow of dictator Pérez Jiménez. “Venezuela has a record of close ties the U.S., based in large part on the mutual interest of the two countries in the development of Venezuela’s oil industry.” So says a National Intelligence Estimate report from 1961. Evidence that Cuba supplied anti-Betancourt communists with weapons was “largely circumstantial” says another report.

The documents reiterate the interests of U.S. corporations in Venezuela, not only oil but the banks that profit from the oil revenues. The Catholic-majority population could be manipulated to believe that the secular communists and broader left were a threat to their religion and thus ways of life.

A report on U.S. President Kennedy’s visit to Venezuela in late-1961, including its  “propaganda impact,” lauds the visit as a “decisive victory over Communist extremists and other leftist groups.” The propaganda effort included Kennedy’s support for the Catholic Church against the godless commies. Hinting at where the real power could be found, the report notes: “Special credit is due civilian authorities and even more so to military.” Hinting also at U.S. opposition to political diversity in Venezuela, the report further notes that “Venezuelan visit showed importance of keeping down size Presidential parties thereby making it easier for his government and our diplomatic missions to take care of them most efficiently.”

By 1963, the CIA was describing Venezuela as “a prime example of a country attempting rapid social and economic progress through constitutional democracy.” This was assisted by the U.S. AID Mission, which involved police training. Later, we shall see how other documents confirm that the poorest Venezuelans considered the U.S.-trained police forces to be worse than the communist terrorists that attacked U.S. interests. The constitutional democracy of which the analysts were so proud also involved the imprisonment by Betancourt of half a dozen left-wing congressmen during the elections. The report notes that Betancourt “used a broad interpretation of his executive powers.”

Referring to the Christian, mildly socialistic Partido Social Cristiano Copei, it concludes that “Betancourt will also probably enjoy the support of the COPEI leadership and the business community while his crackdown against the terrorists continues.” In July 1963, CIA director John McCone advised the U.S. Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, that in the past there had been “serious deficiencies in the internal security services of the Venezuelan government” led by the U.S. ally, Pérez Jiménez. If the extradited Jiménez returned, “it would certainly be difficult ... to give him adequate protection in any normal prison situation,” hence it was best for the U.S. to continue to support Betancourt.

A CIA report describes Betancourt as “a former Communist who turned strongly anti-Communist.” Many communists were “eliminated” from the military after the revolts of 1962. The Communist Party of Venezuela, says the CIA, had “infiltrat[ed]” education, labor movements, the media and youth groups. In other words, the CIA believed that “communists” meant the entire civil society. The Jiménez dictatorship “tended to tolerate a limited amount of Communist activity.” By the 1960s, communist involvement in the parliamentary politics of Venezuela “was more the responsibility of [Jiménez]” than Betancourt.

A secret, part-redacted CIA memo on terrorism in Venezuela in 1963 states that terrorists, “primarily the Communist-dominated Armed Force of National Liberation” (FALN), wanted to tempt the military into overthrowing government in the hope that they could ride the wave of the coup. The FALN attacked energy pipelines, police, military and, mainly, “American targets.” It also notes that “The major subversive threat is from the extreme left, from Communist and Castroist forces hoping to reshape Venezuela along the lines of Castro’s Cuba.” But the so-called extremists, says the report, “are limited in numbers.”

A National Intelligencence Estimate (NIE) report cites the desire for “orderly social and economic reform” in Venezuela under the government of Betancourt or a successor. The report notes that Venezuela is “an extraordinarily wealthy country in terms of its natural and financial resources.” The economic strains, says the NIE report, can be traced to the tension between the military infrastructure of the country’s political system and the transition towards “a democratic welfare state.” Betancourt, says the NIE, was opposed by “extreme leftists” (i.e., political Communists with a big C) and “extreme rightist elements.” It describes U.S. relations with Betancourt as “cordial.”

Aiding our understanding of whom the elites on all sides considered to be communists, the report goes on to say that “The wealthy ... do exert substantial political influence ... In the view of many of them, the democratic socialism of [Betancourt’s Acción Democrática (AD) party] is equivalent to communism.” Again, we can draw ominous parallels, with Trump’s Republicans today being so far to the right that they see the center-right neoliberals of the Democratic Party as raving socialists. Returning to Venezuela, as the so-called extreme left oppose the AD government for its slow reforms, “some rightists will continue to conspire with reactionary military elements to overthrow the regime,” leaving Betancourt at risk from both the left and right. However, “[i]n world affairs, Venezuela will continue to support the West against the Communist Bloc on most issues in the UN and elsewhere.”

The reports also confirm that so-called constitutional democracy in Venezuela was a façade. “The military will continue to be the ultimate arbiter of political power in Venezuela,” says a NIE report from early-1964. President-elect Raul Leoni’s (1964-69) “success or failure in office will be of great importance to the US.” Hinting at U.S. acquiescence in potential state-violence against the broad public (“communists”), it notes that Leoni “probably will have to resort at times to extraordinary measures such as suspension of constitutional guarantees to contain the insurgency threat within tolerable limits (by Venezuelan standards).”

The same report notes that by the mid-1960s, U.S. capital investments in Venezuela totalled $3bn, “exceeded only by our investments in Canada and in the UK.” In addition to the “strategic importance” of Venezuela “as the world’s largest exporter of oil,” Venezuela “holds great symbolic value for our policy in Latin America.” But the problem was that Venezuela remained “the only Latin American country in which leftist extremists ... have been able to sustain an impressive level of insurgency.” Half the population lived in poverty, says the report, adding that the 300,000 slum-dwellers of the capital, Caracas, “regarded the government and the police--not the terrorists--as its main antagonists [sic].” It’s an interesting comment on exactly who the population considered the main terrorists.

By the mid-1970s, Venezuela had nationalized its oil and iron ore industries. By 1977, the CIA was concerned about “the rise in influence and assertiveness among developing countries ... whose ambitions and activities seem likely increasingly to complicate the efforts of the United States to cope with global and, especially, regional issues.” With windfall oil revenues but a predicted economic downturn or even crash, Venezuela wanted to “replace a heavy dependence on the United States with a growing regionalism and Third World interdependence.” The CIA noted President Carlos Andrés Pérez’s (1974-79) efforts to “reintegrate Cuba into the American system,” efforts which they predicted would be slow and largely unsuccessful.

In the 1980s, with collapsing oil revenues and International Monetary Fund-imposed “structural adjustment programs” Venezuela unleashed austerity on its people; or “bring[ing] public sector spending and borrowing under control, and ... improving the country’s sagging reputation,” as an intelligence report describes it. In 1982, the CIA noted that Venezuela was supplying “aid” to neighbouring El Salvador, whose U.S.-backed forces were engaged in a brutal counterinsurgency war (1979-92). With regards to Cuba, “We believe [Venezuela’s Herrera government (1979-84)] ... sees Cuba as a threat to its long-term interests in the Caribbean Basin.” As with its Cuba relations, Venezuela’s integration into the Non-Aligned Movement didn’t seem to alarm the CIA: “we expect this to cause little change in Venezuela’s basically pro-Western foreign policy.” They were right, until a certain Hugo Chávez came along…

We shall have to wait for more records to be declassified under the often-violated 30-year rule. But the ones already available demonstrate that whichever political party controls both the White House and the Congress, the objective of U.S. policymakers is to monitor the activities of foreign nations, particularly resource-rich ones in which U.S. corporations have a great deal of investment. Hugo Chávez’s presidential victory in 1999 was a shock for the U.S. policymaking establishment. A nation with such long-term and predictable pro-U.S. policies was suddenly transformed into an economy that served the interests of its people.

Dr. T.J. Coles is an Associate Researcher at the Organisation for Propaganda Studies and the author of several books, including Human Wrongs (2018, iff Books)

China Condemns Interventionist US Resolution on Venezuela at UN

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang at a press conference in Beijing, China, Mar. 1, 2019. | Photo:

1 March 2019
Telesur

The Asian country reaffirmed its support for Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty and stability.

Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lu Kang defended Friday China's veto on the interventionist U.S.-drafted resolution before the United Nations Security Council, which called for new elections in Venezuela and recognition of Juan Guaido.

"Our basic starting point... is to uphold the U.N. Charter spirit and the basic norms governing international relations. [The solution] should be conducive to promoting the peaceful settlement of the Venezuelan issue and maintaining long-term peace and development in Latin America,” Kang said, adding that “China opposes interference in Venezuela's internal affairs by external forces and military intervention... the U.S. draft resolution put to vote was seriously inconsistent with China's principles and positions."

On Feb. 28, China and Russia vetoed the U.S.-drafted resolution on Venezuela, in a vote in which nine countries backed Washington’s plan, three rejected it and three others abstained.

The U.S. proposed "a peaceful political process" in Venezuela leading to "free, fair and credible" presidential elections, which implied that the 2018 Venezuelan elections, when Maduro was re-elected, were not fair and free. The U.S. also requested the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to use his "good offices" to ensure such electoral process.

A few minutes later, however, a Russian initiative, which advocated non-interference in Venezuela's affairs, was rejected by seven Council members, although it gathered the support of China, South Africa, and Guinea Equatorial.

In addition, in a call for the international community to choose peaceful and constructive solutions, China's Foreign Affairs Minister stated that his country supports Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty and stability.

"We hope that the international community will do things that are truly conducive to Venezuela's national stability, economic development and improvement of people's livelihood. On the premise of respecting Venezuela's sovereignty, to provide constructive assistance to Venezuela and push for an early and smooth settlement of relevant issues. Any action taken by the Security Council should be consistent with the above principled stance," Minister Kang added.

Venezuela Denounces US Military Threat at The UN

Venezuelan permanent ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Samuel Moncada dennounced U.S.
Published 28 February 2019

Venezuela demanded respect for the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and non-intervention contained in the founding charter of the U.N.

Venezuelan permanent ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Samuel Moncada denounced on Thursday in the Security Councy that the United States government is permanently military threatening Venezuela.

The Venezuelan diplomatic also warned against the attempts of coup d'etat against the democratically elected government led by President Nicolas Maduro, attempts that are perpetrated through the illegal entry of the so-called "humanitarian aid."

He highlighted the violent actions of some groups of people, linked to the Venezuelan opposition, violently tried to enter trucks with the so-called "humanitarian aid" through the border bridges. "It was an international incident that has been deliberately ignored (...) It constitutes hostile acts against our nation and a violation of the founding charter of the U.N.," he said.

According to Moncada, there were still masked people throwing incendiary bombs from Colombia towards Venezuela and he denounced military training of mercenary groups in the border. In this context, Moncada criticized the position of the U.S. representation in the Security Council, which refused to approve a resolution that explicitly rejected the possibility of the use of military force in Venezuela.

Venezuela demanded respect for the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and non-intervention contained in the founding charter of the UN.

The United Nations Security Council state members met on Thursday to vote on two opposed projects of resolution on Venezuela that were presented by Russia and the United States, respectively. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to pass. None of these resolutions passed in the Security Council.

The U.S. draft resolution garnered the minimum votes, Russia and China cast their vetoes. South Africa also voted against the text, while Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast abstained.

On the other hand, the Russian resolution had four votes in favor, seven against and four abstentions, so this initiative was not approved either. The Russian draft resolution expresses concern over threats to use force against Venezuela as U.S. President Donald Trump has said: "all options are on the table" in dealing with Venezuela.

VP Delcy Rodriguez: PDVSA Europe Offices to Be Moved to Moscow

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shake hand after a joint news conference in Moscow. | Photo: Reuters

1 March 2019
Telesur

The purpose of the move is to guarantee the safety of Venezuelan assets abroad.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the relocation of the European headquarters of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) from Lisbon to Moscow in order to guarantee the security of the country's assets, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced Friday at a press conference held with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Russian capital.

"Europe does not offer guarantees of respect for our assets. President Nicolas Maduro has instructed that the PDVSA office in Europe, which is located in Lisbon, be transferred to Moscow," Rodriguez said, adding that such decision is also aimed at strengthening ties with Russia.

Venezuela will also expand its energy cooperation with Russian oil companies such as Rosneft and Gazprom. According to Rodriguez, the Venezuelan authorities "have no doubt" that these announcements are made at the right moment.

She also stressed that the U.S. and its allies violate their own laws when they freeze Venezuelan assets in Western banks, which means in practice stealing the Bolivarian people's financial resources.

"The capitalist world violates its own laws," the Vice President said and emphasized that the Venezuelan government will pursue legal actions to defend its offshore financial assets, which have been illegally delivered to the U.S.-backed political opposition.

U.S. President Donald Trump administration has imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on senior officials of PDVSA.

During the press conference, Foreign Minister Lavrov reiterated Russia's support for President Maduro's administration and highlighted that Russia categorically rejects economic pressure against Venezuela.

The recent move by the Maduro government comes just a few months after in October 2018, the Bolivarian nation tried to withdraw its gold reserves from the Bank of England, an institution which holds at least 31 tons of Venezuelan gold equivalent to US$1.2 billion.

The government's international right to retrive its gold reserve, however, was denied as a result of U.S. pressure on the United Kingdom not to return that gold.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently urged the international community to "disconnect their financial systems from Maduro's government," thereby threatening reprisals against countries doing business related to Venezuelan gold or oil.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Denounces US Intervention in Venezuela

The Minnesotan lawmaker has been subject to harsh criticism, ridicule, racism, and threats of violence for her unapologetic, progressive policies. | Photo: Reuters

28 February 2019
Telesur

"We’re sending humanitarian aid  in the guise of eventually invading this country and the people of the country don’t want us there," she said.

An immigrant and the first Black, Muslim-American woman elected to Congress, Minnesota representative, House Democrat Ilhan Omar says she completely opposes the idea of U.S. intervention into Venezuela as well as rejects the self-declared interim president, Juan Guaido.

During an interview with both Deconstructed and the Rolling Stones this week, Omar said that the best solution for Venezuela and the United States is to support dialogue between the two parties.

“What we should be involved in is having diplomatic conversations and bringing people to the table and being a partner in facilitating that. But we are threatening, we are threatening intervention. We’re sending humanitarian aid that is in the guise of, you know, eventually invading this country and the people of the country don’t want us there,” Omar told Deconstructed journalist, Mehdi Hasan.

Since Jan. 24, the United States has supported Guaido and his attempts to oust the democratically elected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. South American Opposition lawmaker has aligned himself with President Donald Trump and other war-mongering officials, saying “all options are on the table” including a militarized intervention.

Omar, who arrived to the U.S. as a refugee from the Somali civil war at age 12, said, “By principle, I’m anti-war because I survived a war. I’m also anti-intervention. I don’t think it ever makes sense for any country to intervene in a war zone with the fallacy of saving lives when we know they are going to cause more deaths. I also don’t believe in forced regime change. Change needs to come from within.”

Despite harsh criticism from both sides, the Somali congresswoman has continued to denounce the Trump Administration’s push for militarized intervention, in spite of condemnation from the international community on numerous occasions.

“It’s about making sure that we follow international law. It is about protecting the sovereignty. It’s about allowing people to have self-determination. It’s about making sure that we are not constantly using our resources to destroy other people’s resources. It’s about awakening the American people to the realization that there are profits to be had and there is a purpose for our involvement in many of these countries.

“And it’s about really reckoning with this idea that we go to war in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and in Yemen and in Somalia, but then we put them on a ban and we don’t allow those people who we have made refugees to come into this country,” she said, referring to Trump’s recent ban preventing Venezuelan migrants from entering the U.S.

However, the president’s administration may come to an end before Trump can take any action against Venezuela, Omar told Rolling Stones, saying that his impeachment is “inevitable.” Although with his departure comes a far more alarming possibility.

“I believe that impeachment is inevitable. It also is a terrifying notion. Pence is an ideologue, and the ideology he holds is more terrifying to me and my constituents. And we have not had a full impeachment that removes the president from office. Nations struggle any time [they] overthrow a dictator, and Trump really has the markings of a dictator,” Omar said.

Since her election in November, the progressive lawmaker has been the subject of harsh criticism, ridicule, racism, and threats of violence for her unapologetic stance against the lobbyist group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC), and their influence in U.S. politics; Palestinian rights, and Zionism.

Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed to Host a Fundraising Dinner

27 February 2019
BBC World Service

Prime Minister Abiy sold his watch for $175,000 during a similar fundraiser for the town of Ambo.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will be hosting a fundraising dinner to help secure $1bn (£750m) for infrastructure projects in the capital.

Officials said tickets will be charged at more than $175,000 per person, but further details are unclear.

The dinner hopes to boost foreign investment into one of Africa's fastest growing economies.

Since coming to power last year, Mr Abiy has pushed for wide-scale economic reform in Ethiopia.

The leader promising to heal a nation

A video released by the prime minister's has set out plans for the redevelopment of Addis Ababa, including an expansion of green spaces and retail areas.

Correspondents say Ethiopia likes to raise funds itself rather than rely heavily on foreign donors. Similar events have been arranged for economic investment and humanitarian relief.

Prime Minister Abiy sold his watch for $175,000 during a recent event for infrastructure development in Ambo, 100km (60 miles) west of Addis Ababa. About $14m was raised in total.

Who is Abiy Ahmed?

Mr Abiy came to power after three years of protest led by ethnic Oromos, who were demanding an end to what they considered their political and economic marginalisation.

The prime minister, who is Oromo himself, has pushed through a series of significant reforms, making peace with neighbouring Eritrea and releasing the state's tight grip on parts of the economy.

His economic ambitions including a multibillion-dollar privatisation of Ethiopia's telecoms, energy, shipping and sugar industries. A domestic stock exchange is set to launch in 2020.

The reforms have attracted millions of dollars in foreign investment, especially from the Middle East.

But Mr Abiy's crackdown on corruption has drawn criticism from members of the country's previous regime.

In June 2018, he was targeted in bomb attack which killed two people at a rally in support of his government.