democracy

Billionaire Favored in Chile Presidential Run-Off

Billionaire Sebastian Pinera led Chile’s presidential vote and is seen the favorite to win a run-off and lead a political shift in Latin America’s most stable economy after 20 years of leftist rule.
Pinera, an airline magnate who ranks No. 701 on Forbes’ global rich list, won 44 percent in Sunday’s voting, shy of the more than [...]

Healing Time for Honduras

Last week may have been the most important one of the year for troubled Honduras. It brought a number of important decisions both in and outside of the country, each of which will have implications for years to come.
The first decision was that of the majority of Hondurans in Sunday’s presidential vote to elect Porfirio “Pepe” [...]

The (New) Berlin Wall

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Venezuela has put up an illegal trade embargo that is becoming a “Berlin Wall,” cutting off the South American neighbors.
Uribe, in Portugal to attend a Heads of State Ibero-american Summit , criticized Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for not attending the meeting and spoke out against Venezuela’s suspension of trade with Colombia.
“People [...]

Changing China From Terminal 1

Since November 4, Feng Zhenghu has been an unusual fixture at the bustling Narita International Airport outside Tokyo. Feng is a Chinese citizen with a valid Japanese visa. He refuses to pass through immigration checkpoints to enter Japan for a simple reason — he wants to go home.
But the Chinese government has blocked his path [...]

The Great (Stone) Wall

“Be wary of China, for when she wakes, she will shake the world”. – Napoleon Bonaparte
The United States have long exerted themselves moral leaders in the geopolitical community. Their bilateral relations with China however, especially given the new economic playing field in the wake of the international economic recession, has left U.S. President Barack Obama’s [...]

Clashes at Iran Demonstrations

On the 30th anniversary of the takeover of U.S. embassy, Iranians reject the government line and take to the streets to protest for democracy. Can one predict how the Iranian government responded?

The Threat of Stalemate

Zimbabwe has gone through the most dramatic decade in her existence under the rule of Robert Mugabe. What was a decade of degradation, what with operation ‘clean sweep’ and fraudulent remittances, of tumultuous elections with violence, disease and starvation abundant, seemed to be near an end with the signing of a unity government. The Zanu-PF [...]

Contempt for Sovereignty and Self-Determination

By Robert Carmona-Borjas, Founder of the Arcadia Foundation
The Arcadia Foundation has long been an an advocate for rule of law. When the President of any nation illegally attempts to prolong his or her executive position, it is a clear indicator of a disregard of constitutional law and in this case indicates corruption at the highest [...]

Zelaya Returns to Honduras

In a clear violation of the constitution regarding  the prolonging of one’s term in office, after high-ranking officials were linked to a bribery scandal involving Hondutel, including the man’s own nephew - Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has apparently ventured home to what should be a mixed welcome.
Not to rant, but facts are fatcs. Though one [...]

Libya Opening to the West?

Forty years after he first came to power, Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s rule has rarely looked so secure. In a video opening on the Libyan leader being surrounded by leaders and officials from the African Union’s 53 members, it documents that today Libya will throw a grand parade, celebrating the day he overthrew the Libyan King.
In [...]