Stories about Politics from June, 2014
Journalist: Colombia's President Was Reelected Because He Campaigned on Peace
Journalist Natalia Bonilla writes on Ser Cosmopolita (Being Cosmopolitan) about the results of the run-off in Colombia's presidential election on Sunday, June 15. For her, the peace discourse was fundamental for the reelection of president Juan Manuel Santos: “Paz”, la mejor palabra en su publicidad. Su repetición durante la campaña eleccionaria fue...
Bermuda to Get Public Access to Information Law
Premier Dunkley has announced that [the] Public Access to Information law will be operational by April, 2015. That’s 5 years after the law was passed, and 12 years after the topic was first introduced. Vexed Bermoothes thinks better late than never.
The Case of Ciccone Printing House in Argentina
Eva Row, a blogger for La cosa y la causa (The thing and the cause), writes about the Ciccone printing house, related to allegations against Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou. Ciccone printing house had a large technical capacity, unused due to its poor economic situation: (Ciccone) adeudaba a la Afip (Administración General de...
The Framing of Jamaica's “Gay Menace”
The dismissal of Professor Brendan Bain from his post as head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network is still fueling the debate about gay rights in Jamaica.
Do You Know About the Deadly Violence Against Muslims in Sri Lanka? Not If You're Reading Local Media
Clashes between extremist Buddhists and Muslims have left at least four people dead, but Sri Lanka's mainstream media isn't giving the situation much coverage.
Reflections of a Colombian Voter During the FIFA World Cup
On the blog Filosofía de a pie (Pedestrian philosophy), Alejandro Martínez notes that “the T-shirt is the flag”, amidst the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the Colombian presidential election, about “the wicked association of football and politics”: La televisión y la prensa han catalogado a estas elecciones como las más...
Let Colombia End Its Civil War
On May 16, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia signed a preliminary accord on the third of five negotiating points in their peace talks: illicit drugs.
54 Days in Prison and Counting for Ethiopia's Zone 9 Bloggers
Six members of the Zone 9 blogging collective and three journalists have been in prison with no formal charges since April 25, 2014.
Afghans Survive Severed Fingers to Cast Second Round Votes
In April, Afghans participated in the first round of historic presidential elections. In the second round, Taliban militants sliced off Afghan fingers, but millions of votes were cast anyway.
Laos Development NGOs Silent on Human Rights
Writing for The New Mandala, Randall Arnst bemoaned the silence of Laos devleopment NGOs over the disappearance of prominent NGO worker Sombath Somphone: …while UN rights bodies have repeatedly raised concerns, their sister agencies working in development have said virtually nothing. At the bi-lateral level, while diplomats have spoken up,...
What the Thai Junta Should Learn from the Burmese Junta
Aung Zaw of The Irrawaddy compares and contrasts the Thai junta and the military-backed govenrment of Myanmar: The Thai army has carried out more than a dozen coups in past decades, but always relinquished power to a civilian government after a number of years. The Burma Army staged two coups,...
Between Ukraine and Russia, Kazakhstan's Chocolate Might Come Out a Winner
Kazakhstanis can be very, very patriotic about their national chocolate, Rakhat. With Ukrainian chocolate disappearing from the lucrative Russian market, some hope it is Rakhat's turn to shine.
Neighbor Bhutan Rolls Out the Welcome Mat for India's Prime Minister Modi
It is newly elected Narendra Modi's first foreign visit as India's prime minister. Some aren't convinced that it's the best choice.
Colombians Reelect President Juan Manuel Santos
With 98 percent of the votes officially counted in Colombia's presidential election, incumbent President Juan Manuel Santos (nicknamed Juanpa) has 5.7 percent more votes than his opponent Oscar Iván Zualuga: Ganó ‘Juanpa’. http://t.co/lZQ5PWMPQD pic.twitter.com/x3XImN3mHO — El Espectador (@elespectador) junio 15, 2014 ‘Juanpa’ was elected. Zuluaga reconoce derrota y felicita al...
Back Without the Birds: Antigua & Barbuda Gets A New Government
Antigua and Barbuda has come out of its general elections with a new government, ending 10 years of rule for the previous administration.
Why Some Minorities in France Vote for the Far-Right Political Party Front National
Front National has a hardline position on immigration, but people of non-French origin did vote for the party. Some said they were concerned about the country's declining economy.
Thailand's Coup Regime Tries to Woo People With Free World Cup Telecasts and Massages
Free concerts, free food, free medical check-ups, free movies, free haircut, and now free telecast of all World Cup Games. Thailand's coup regime is serious in wooing public support.
Nigeria Mourns ‘Fearless’ Woman Who Took on Counterfeit Drug Lords and Survived Two Assassination Attempts
Dora Akunyili, the former director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, wasn't afraid to fight to improve the country that she loved so dear.
What About Bermuda's Unsung Heroes?
Bermuda marks National Heroes Day on June 16, but in the absence of an honoree for this year's celebration, bloggers discuss how the observance of the holiday could be improved.
Russian Emigration in the Internet Age
Russia’s emigration in the Internet Age: people leave—to escape, to explore, and to unwind—but nobody really disconnects.
Analyzing the Protests Before the 2014 World Cup
In digital magazine Distintas Latitudes (Different latitudes), Mexican internationalist Vanessa Rebollar analyzes [es] the elements present in the Brazilian protests caused by 2014 FIFA World Cup. She brings up some questions: ¿Cuál es el contexto dentro del cual han surgido las protestas? y ¿Quiénes son los actores y sus demandas...