Arcadia Foundation

María Fernanda Polini is a graduate from Universidad Monteávila in Caracas, majoring in social communications. She been part of multiple opposition movements against Hugo Chavez. Below is an exclusive, on-the-ground perspective of life under his brutal regime, one of repression and indeed of radicalism.

The combination of facts that have been affecting Venezuela over the past ten years are now worse than before. First, Chavez’s totalitarianism can be observed by the constant government abuse over basic human liberties. Secondly, the social and economic problems that are absolutely evident and haven’t been solved have been deteriorating every day.

During the last two weeks, of an election year, the streets in Venezuela have been full of different groups of society participating in social demonstrations and protests. On one hand, we have seen students who are against the government asking the President to start taking care of Venezuelaa’s basic problems, such as the deficits in the electrical and water services and personal insecurity and violence. On the other hand, people have been publicly supporting the owners and workers of a TV company called RCTV International that was closed up by the official authorities. The closure of RCTV means not only that thousand of workers are losing there jobs, but more importantly, that the Venezuelan people are loosing their freedom of speech.

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U.S. President Barack Obama has sharply criticized an anti-gay bill in Uganda that would impose the death penalty in some cases. Other western governments and gay rights activists also have criticized the legislation. Supporters on the ground in Kampala have in turn accuses the U.S. and other western nations of interfering in Uganda’s internal affairs.

The Ugandan measure calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for HIV-positive homosexuals who have sex with minors. However, such infractions have steadily broadened to threaten anyone who happens to be homosexual in Uganda.

World-renowned humanitarian and Arcadia Foundation President Betty Bigombe shares the views of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, expressing “strongest concerns” about the proposal. Betty is best known for her work as chief mediator in the northern Uganda conflict. Mr. Museveni has urged lawmakers to craft a measure that, in his words, ‘does not compromise our principles‘ and takes into account Uganda’s foreign policy interests. “The Prime Minister of Canada came to see me and what was he talking about? Gays. Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to see me and what was he talking about? Gays,” he said.

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Health, immigration and international politics were debated at Families USA’s 2010 Radio Row in Washington DC. Please click below to hear Arcadia Foundation’s Robert Carmona-Borjas discuss these issues with Samuel Orozco of Radio Bilingue

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It has been no secret that amidst political turmoil, a devastating cholera epidemic and continued hyperinflation Zimbabwe has been seeking a lift of heavy economic sanctions and indeed an increase in foreign investment. Today’s actions further the will of President Robert Mugabe and effectively halt any further investment.

Today in Harare, a law was passed that compels all businesses with assets worth more than $500,000 to be 51 percent black-owned within five years, according to a copy of the law distributed by Harare-based Veritas Trust.

The law was published in the Government Gazette, a public document. It comes into effect March 1 and stipulates prison sentences of up to five years for non-compliance. Veritas is a Harare-based non-governmental organization that monitors the passage of laws through parliament and their publication.

The new law may affect numerous companies doing business in the nation, including Anglo Platinum Ltd., Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. and Aquarius Platinum Ltd., three of the world’s four biggest producers of the metal, which all own mines in Zimbabwe. Old Mutual Plc, Africa’s biggest insurer, owns properties and a life-insurance operation in the country.

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Philippine politicians launched their campaigns today in a wide-open race for the presidency, with poverty, corruption and unemployment the top issues for the impoverished Southeast Asian archipelago.

The latest opinion poll shows two opposition lawmakers are neck-and-neck in the presidential polls, but analysts say it is too early to establish a clear trend in the race. It is in the spirit of curbing such corruption and indeed amidst the dynamic atmosphere that upcoming elections bring in the region that the current administration sought to punish those who hindered the democratic process the last time around. Authorities today in the Philippines have filed murder charges against the former governor of southern Maguindanao province, Andal Ampatuan Sr. and 196 others in connection with last year’s election-related massacre there.

Considered the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, the November 23 attack targeted and killed the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who had sent them to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. Thirty journalists were also among the 57 people killed in the attack.

Andal’s son and namesake, who is a mayor in the province, was charged with murder earlier.

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Quite likely, South Sudan will break away to become an independent country after a 2011 referendum and if so, it will need a lot of investment. Certainly its economic potential, like the potential existing in many African nations is without doubt. What is indeed questionable are the convictions of those making decisions in the region to honestly and openly promote the opportunity for investment and simultaneously seek out and thwart the rampant corruption in the region.

Yes, South Sudan has oil, sugar and grain, but the government apparently stifles the exploration of its potential by allowing corrupt officials to travel with heavy bank accounts, flush with cash, running a nation with all of the resources but none of the work ethic.

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Eliot Brockner is a New York-based media analyst and writer. He is a regular contributor to LatAmThought. The below article found in World Politics Review from Mr. Brockner discusses both the collective sigh of relief from the Honduran people when Porfirio Lobo Sosa was sworn in as president on January 27th and challenges thereafter. The election that marked the end of a lengthy power struggle between Zelaya and interim President Roberto Michelletti indeed sent the small Central American nation into the international spotlight.

Although this answers the question of who will be president of Honduras in 2010, and closes some lingering chapters from the crisis, a significant amount of work lays ahead for Lobo’s government, which is under pressure from many governments in the region — as well as the Organization of American States — to carry out a full-scale investigation into the events of last year, in order to make sure that a repeat scenario is avoided.

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Power and the titles that accompany it are difficult to let go of, even within the ranks of established international and geopolitical communities. Mugabe has had a stranglehold on power for decades, even when it hinders progress for a Zimbabwe he claims to love. Omar Bongo rather silently ran Gabon for nearly the same amount of time. Manuel Zelaya was caught red-handed, attempting to prolong his tenure as President of Honduras. Hugo Chavez will not leave Miraflores Palace without a fight, even while the foundations of his regime crumble around him. The African Union has recently followed suit, electing a new president, ending a bid by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to stay on as president of the organization for another year.

Leaders from 53 African countries chose Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika as the organization’s new leader during an annual summit Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Winning hearts and minds will clearly be on the agenda for Mr. Mutharika. He has allowed the Chinese government to attempt similar in his country for the last ten years.

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A U.S. Senate subcommittee has issued a new report highlighting four egregious cases of African countries attempting to funnel millions of dollars into the United States to buy expensive houses and luxury goods. The purpose of the country case histories, all of which have been documented elsewhere, is to set the stage at congressional hearings which opened yesterday on crafting new legislation.

The bill, to be drafted by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is intended to curb the use of American institutions by corrupt foreign officials who have stolen their countries’ wealth and denied their citizens of vital resources for health, education, and the alleviation of poverty.

Arvind Ganesan, the business and human rights director for Human Rights Watch, says that the Senate subcommittee, overseen by chairman Carl Levin of Michigan and ranking Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, has the potential to make major changes that would stop American lawyers, realtors, banks, and universities from accepting funds that would aid corrupt rulers.

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Five FARC guerrillas captured Wednesday were mysteriously dressed in Ecuadorean military uniforms, Colombian military officials have reported.

The combatants were part of the FARC’s 29th front, active in the south western Cauca and Nariño departments, said General Justo Eliseo Peña, who leads the military’s operations in the Pacific region. It is not known how the rebels came to be wearing Ecuadorean military gear, he said, but the military has already initiated investigations.

The five guerrillas were captured near a coca-producing lab bordering Ecuador.

A U.S.-based think-tank recently published a report expressing concern over Ecuador’s ties to the FARC, and the Andean nation’s growing reputation as neutral meeting ground for drug traffickers.

Ecuador could very well be emerging as a focal point for transnational criminal groups. Colombian and Mexican drug traffickers as well as Chinese and African human traffickers regularly use it as a business hub.

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