Stories about Politics from March, 2011
Bahamas: Untimely Justice
“We can construct a state of the art airport, dredge our harbour, and expand our seaports. We can tax and spend like there is no tomorrow. But yet, we cannot deliver and administer an effective justice system!”: Weblog Bahamas‘ Jerome Pinder blogs about “a travesty of Justice.”
Cuba: Ex-Prisoner's Travel Restricted
Pedazos de La Isla reports that one prisoner of conscience who was freed on condition of exile to Spain expected “his new life in Spain…to be full of freedoms and opportunities, but his case has proven otherwise.”
Bahamas: BTC Privatized
Weblog Bahamas‘ Rick Lowe says that the government's privatization of the public phone company “deserves a hip, hip, hooray!”
Barbados, Jamaica: Improper Search?
Barbados Free Press is livid about an incident in which a Jamaican traveler was subjected to a cavity search and then deported, saying: “Even if [the visitor] was suspected and then deported for good reason such as gang affiliation or crimes committed in Jamaica, she deserves to be treated with...
Bermuda: Government Admits Error
politics.bm is fascinated by the fact that “the PLP realizes that the PLP's policies have been bad for Bermuda” and wonders about the resulting challenges and opportunities.
Bahrain: A Friday of Rage Dispersed with Tear Gas
Protesters around Bahrain defied a gatherings law and turned out in masses for rallies around the kingdom dubbed as The Friday of Rage. Protesters were attacked by tear gas - and some say rubber bullets. Here's a round up of reactions from social networking sites.
Argentina: The Conflict between Teatro Colón and the City of Buenos Aires
After twelve years since his last performance in Argentina, Plácido Domingo was scheduled to sing on March 23 at the Teatro Colón theater in Buenos Aires. However, the concert inside the theater was canceled as the very musicians of the theater refused to play there because of their conflict with the city's administration. As a compromise, a concert was held outdoors, but the conflict between the theater's musicians and the city is far from over.
Nigeria: Blogger Arrested for Allegedly Blackmailing a Politician
The Nigerian federal security enforcement agency, State Security Service (SSS), recently arrested Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe, a Nigerian blogger who runs 247 Ureports, for allegedly attempting to blackmail Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, a member of the House of Representatives in Anambra State.
Yemen: Crowds Call for Saleh to Step Down in Sanaa
Thousands of protesters have gathered in Change Square, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, to call on President Ali Abdulla Saleh to step down. The protests are going strong in what is being described as The Friday of Departure and the army has reportedly fired gunshots in the air to stop pro-regime protesters from clashing with pro-democracy demonstrators. Here are some reactions from Twitter.
Jordan: #March24 Protest Camp in Amman
Hundreds of pro-democracy Jordanians, mostly students and young people, gathered to protest at the Dakhliyeh Circle (Ministry of Interior Circle) in Amman on March 24, 2011. Demands from the protestors included the dissolution of parliament, a new representative election law, the dismantling of the General Intelligence Department, and the removal of Prime Minister Marouf Al Bakhit.
Brazil: Racism against Federal Judge
Blogger Renato Rovai regrets [pt] that Júlio Campos [pt] – a Federal Deputy from the Brazilian Democratas right wing party- has referred to the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Joaquim Barbosa, as the “dark brown of the Supreme”. Campos later apologized [pt] for what were considered racist words.
U.S. Embassy in Uganda Gets Social
The United States Embassy in Uganda is now active in the social media sphere, providing updates on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In a speech launching the initiative, Ambassador Jerry Lanier also recognized social media as a new battlefield in the war for free speech.
Portugal: Esoteric analysis to Prime Minister's resignation
The astrologer and author of the blog Cova do Urso (Bear's Cave), Antonio Rosa, frames the political crisis in Portugal – triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates on March 24 – through the analysis of his astrological chart [pt].
Ukraine: Myroslava Gongadze on Media Freedom
Viktor Kovalenko writes about the views of Myroslava Gongadze – who is the widow of the slain Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze – on the freedom of the press and other issues in Ukraine.
El Salvador: Citizen Reactions to Obama's Visit
The visit of the President of the United States, Barack Obama, has sparked comments in favor and against his trip among Salvadoreans. The visit has also stirred up a heated debate on the Salvadoran blogosphere.
Palestine: Biggest Escalation of Violence in Gaza since Cast Lead
The Gaza Strip is lately experiencing the largest escalation of violence since Cast Lead operation in 2008-2009 that claimed lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians, among them over 350 children. On the night of March 22, 2010, Israel started military operations that led to the bloodiest day in Gaza in two years. Palestinian bloggers and tweeps react to the clashes.
Colombia: Columnist Threatens to Sue Twitter User for Slander
Political website La Silla Vacía summarizes [es] the online fight between columnist Ernesto Yamhure (@eyamhure), a staunch supporter of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, and Twitter user Nicolás González (@nicoagonzalez). González criticized Yamhure's latest op-ed [es] where he mentions a character played by late comedian Jaime Garzón, claiming [es] the...
Portugal: Is there still Government?
In order to aggregate the latest tweets on the political crisis in Portugal, Rui Ramos created the website aindahagoverno.com (Is there still Government?) [pt]. The Prime Minister Jose Socrates resigned on March 24, after the Parliament rejected the government's latest proposal for an austerity package aimed at avoiding an economical...
Brazil: Cartoons of Obama in Brazil
Altamiro Borges posts a series of cartoons made by the Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff on Obama's visit to Brazil.
South Sudan: A wrong start for Africa’s newest country
Maggie Fick believes that Africa’s newest country, South Sudan is starting off on the wrong foot: “There has been heavy fighting between the Southern army and an intractable local rebel movement, clashes between fractious units of the northern Sudanese army deployed in the south, an ugly police abuse scandal, and...
Cuba: Whither the Internet?
“A ghost runs around Cuba: the Internet ghost”: Rosa María Rodríguez Torrado explains.