· February, 2013

Stories about Politics from February, 2013

Bolivia's President to Seek a Second (or Third?) Term

  22 February 2013

After Bolivia's ruling party announced that President Evo Morales will seek re-election in the next president contest scheduled for December 2014, debate ensued over whether his current term counts as his first or second, and whether the country's four-year-old constitution would allow him to run again.

A First for Africa: Ex-Dictator to be Judged on the Continent

  22 February 2013

A new court system, the Extraordinary African Chambers has recently been set up to allow the first ever trial of one of its own dictators on the continent. The tribunal to judge Hissène Habré, former president of Chad, opened in Senegal on February 8, 2013. Human Rights Watch has been working since 1999 with victims of the ex-dictator, currently in exile in Senegal, in order to bring him to justice.

Yoani Sánchez Divides Opinions on a Visit to Brazil

  22 February 2013

Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was received in Brazil by pro-Cuban government protesters, who accuse her of receiving money from the United States' government and of being a CIA agent. The ones that support the dissident's actions accuse the Brazilian government of collaborating with the Cuban government's repression.

Taiwan Politician Tries, Quits Sina Weibo

  22 February 2013

Frank Hsieh, former presidential nominee of Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), opened an account on Sina Weibo on February 19, 2013. However, the account was deleted less than 24 hours later. More from China Beat.

The Spanish Government's ‘Obscene’ Hashtag Makes Waves on Twitter

  21 February 2013

The Spanish governing party launched the hashtag #QuelaenseñeRubalcaba [#ShowyoursRubalcaba] in order to urge the leader of the opposition to publish his income tax return. The hashtag has been received with great furore on Twitter and became a Top Trend within a few hours. In this article we've collected some of the wittiest tweets, as well as numerous images which surfers have been uploading on the social network. [All links lead to Spanish language pages unless otherwise stated]

St. Vincent, Grenada: Silly Electoral System?

  21 February 2013

The stupidity is the electoral system we operate under that leaves thousands without a political voice in the Parliamentary Halls. A landslide victory for the opposition in Grenada's national elections prompts Abeni to wonder whether the region needs constitutional and electoral reform.

Bolivia: Indigenous Communities Battle for Territory

  20 February 2013

Plans for a road which would cut through the heart of the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory, or TIPNIS, continue to provoke debate and cause conflict in Bolivia. Here we bring you the latest developments on the matter as well as a related video produced for our Video Activo project.

Brazil: Turtles Take Over Public Transport

  20 February 2013

While the citizens of Porto Alegre protest against the increase in bus fares [pt], bus companies demonstrate against the adjustment of wages. On February 19, a “turtle operation” took place, in which vehicles ran at speeds below 30 km per hour. The website PortoAlegre.cc shared a number of suggestions from...

Bulgarian Police Attack Anti-Government Protesters

  20 February 2013

GV Author Ruslan Trad has posted a video from the Feb. 19 anti-government protest in Sofia, Bulgaria: There were provocations and police violence. Police beating everyone. They did not want to arrest provocateurs, and people shouting, “These are provocateurs,” but police beat anyone on the street. Attack of the police...

Pope’s Resignation Echoes in Africa

  19 February 2013

The announcement by Pope Benedict XVI of his intention to resign with effect from February 28, 2013 provoked many reactions in Francophone Africa, both in traditional media and on social networks. Admiration for the Pope predominated, and was combined with the desire that certain African leaders would follow his example.