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Accused Nazi Concentration Camp Leader Dies Before Trial in Hungary · Global Voices
Tamara Gocmanac

Top news these days among Hungarian and European netizens is the death of László Csizsik-Csatáry, one of the most wanted Nazi war criminals  who died on Saturday, August 10 while awaiting trial in Hungary.
The 98-year-old Hungarian native who topped the dwindling list of surviving Nazi war crime suspects died in a hospital as his trial for allegedly sending nearly 16,000 Jews to death camps neared. The announcement of Csatáry's death was made by officials on Monday, August 12 in Budapest.
His lawyer stated that the Nazi war crime suspect died in the hospital over the weekend after contracting pneumonia. His death came as a setback for Holocaust survivors still seeking some justice.
A file that the Simon Wiesenthal Center had prepared on Csatáry implicated him in the deportation of 300 people from Kassa (Kosice) in 1941. In August 2012, the Budapest Prosecutor’s Office dropped these charges, saying Csatáry was not in Kassa at the time and lacked the rank to organize the transports. In January 2013, it was reported that Slovak police had found a witness to corroborate other charges relating to deportations of 15,700 Jews from Kassa from May 1944.
A group of Jewish men, women and children being led to a concentration camp during WW II; photo provided by by the German Federal Archives, used under Creative Commons 3.0 license.
Hungarian authorities have said Csatáry was the chief of an internment camp for Jews in 1944 in Kosice, a Slovak city then part of Hungary, beating inmates with his bare hands and a dog whip. He had also been charged with assisting in the deportation of thousands of Jews to Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps. He denied the charges.
Csatáry was sentenced to death in absentia in Czechoslovakia in 1948 for similar war crimes. A Budapest court in July suspended the case against Csatáry citing double jeopardy, as the charges filed by Hungarian prosecutors were similar to those in his 1948 conviction. Hungarian prosecutors appealed against the decision and a ruling was pending.
Csatáry's case and his whereabouts were revealed in 2012 by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish organisation which hunts Nazis who have yet to be brought to justice.
Most netizens from around the globe couldn't hide their disappointment regarding his death.
Twitter user Richard S. said:
Most wanted #Nazi suspect Laszlo #Csatary dies aged 98 awaiting trial http://t.co/w00u9CiXfg He escaped justice for too long. #Wiesenthal
— Richard S (@rhs718) August 13, 2013
Political scientist Siniša Bundalo from Serbia wrote:
Kad vidim kako je prošao ovaj madjarski fašista #Csatáry nešto ne vjerujem u ono “pravda je spora ali…”!
— Siniša Bundalo (@Sinisa_B) August 12, 2013
When I see how this Hungarian fascist #Csatáry got away with it I don't quite believe the saying “justice is slow but…”!
— Siniša Bundalo (@Sinisa_B) August 12, 2013
Jan Nemecek, a Twitter user from Slovakia, noted:
#Csatary died and some hungarians think that he is a hero. What a shame.
— Jan Nemecek (@nemecekjano) August 12, 2013
Hans Meijer, a communications advisor at Gemeente Hilversum in the Netherlands, shared the news:
Hungarian #Csatary charged with Nazi-era war crimes dies http://t.co/aPBx063DIr pic.twitter.com/khjhlX48Z5
— Hansie (@jcmmeijer) August 12, 2013
Andrew Yurkovsky, a U.S. journalist covering Central and Eastern Europe, tweeted:
Accused concentration camp leader Laszlo #Csatary dies before trial; case highlighted #Hungary‘s role in WWII http://t.co/zGwUhkbLLh
— Andrew Yurkovsky (@AndrewYurkovsky) August 12, 2013
Another Twitter user echoed what many were saying online:
#Nazi War Criminal #Csatary Dies at 98 (That's in any case 73 years too late) – #Israel National News http://t.co/8cuTjrziYp
— Guus (@Guus666) August 12, 2013
In response to the media announcement of his death, people from around the world responded with calls for justice:
@radiomitre #Csatary Pues ahora enfrentara el peor de los juicios y sin abogados.
— jose luis lopez (@jossephuss) August 13, 2013
@radiomitre #Csatary Well now he will face the worst of justices and without lawyers.
— jose luis lopez (@jossephuss) August 13, 2013
A year ago Csatáry's unknown location was discovered by reporters for British paper “The Sun”, who knocked on his door for statements. Csatáry's trial was scheduled to begin next month.

author: Tamara Gocmanac


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Crowdmapping Mexico’s Disappeared  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

#PorTodosLosDesaparecidos
# PorTodosLosDesaparecidos (For all the missing) is a direct initiative, without intermediaries, which seeks to create a direct contact between the victims, citizens, family and the media. The goal is to document the 27,000 people missing that the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has registered. The Secretary of the Interior (Segob) announced the database of people reported missing in Mexico, and the official number up until February 27 of this year amounted to 26,121.
Read more about this crowdmapping initiative [es] in the Mexican blog Sopitas [es].

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Silvia Viñas


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Amazon Reserve Opens for Oil Drilling, Ecuador’s President Blames the World  · Global Voices
Gina Yauri

[Links are to Spanish-language pages except where noted.]
Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa issued an executive decree ending the Yasuní-ITT [en] initiative, a government project that sought to protect and keep a section of the Yasuní National Park [en], a natural reserve in the Amazon that is unique in the world for the biodiversity of its fauna and flora, off-limits.
Under the Yasuní-ITT initiative, the Correa government proposed leaving the oil fields of the Ishpingo – Tiputini – Tambococha zone of the Yasuní National Park untapped, in exchange for compensation by the international community for any potential income that would have been gained from extracting the oil.
After several meetings to evaluate the results of the initiative, President Correa declared on national television, on the evening of 15 August 2013, that the world “had failed” Ecuador by not contributing the money required for the initiative. Correa emphasized that “the underlying reason for the failure is that the world is hypocritical and that the logic that prevails is not one of justice but of power.”
Correa annnounced that he would request authorization from the National Assembly to exploit oil reserves that would affect only one percent of the Yasuní Park. Afterwards on Twitter he promised:
Cometí un error: debí decir que se afectará menos del UNO POR MIL (no 1%) de nuestro Yasuní. ¡Se los prometo!
— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) August 16, 2013
I made a mistake: I meant to say that it would affect only ONE THOUSANDTH (not 1%) of our Yasuní. I promise you!
In his speech, Correa said that Ecuador needs its natural resources to “overcome poverty” and ordered that he be provided with technical, economic, and legal reports to ensure “responsible extraction” of the oil.
While President Correa appeared on national television, thousands of people were mobilizing outside the government headquarters in Carondelet Palace to demand that the oil remain below ground.
Several demonstrators tweeted about what was going on during the demonstration under the hashtag #NoToquenelYasuní [Don't touch Yasuní]. Quito resident Majito Lasso (@majitolasso) published a photo of those in favour of and those against drilling for oil:
La Plaza Grande a esta hora! Mitad Yasuní, mitad apoyo decisión de Correa… Vamos #NoToquenelYasuní sigan cayendo! pic.twitter.com/NISVyUDzkG
— Majito Lasso (@majitolasso) August 15, 2013
The Plaza Grande right now! Half Yasuní, half supporting Correa's decision…Let's go #NoToquenelYasuní come on down!
Journalist Paul Mena (@PaulMena) wrote about Ecuadorians who were tweeting under the hashtag #NoToquenelYasuní.
#NoToquenElYasuni es tendencia No.1 en Twitter #Ecuador,mientras ambientalistas y partidarios del gob se citan frente a Palacio de Gobierno
— Paúl Mena Erazo (@PaulMena) August 15, 2013
#NoToquenElYasuni is the No. 1 trend on Twitter #Ecuador, meanwhile environmentalists and gov supporters are meeting outside the Government Palace.
Silvana Estacio (@silvana0286) reported on how the residents of Cuenca joined in the fight for the Yasuní.
#NoToquenElYasuní es la frase que usan un grupo de jóvenes en el Parque Calderón en #Cuenca pic.twitter.com/h05a3Ifsm8
— Silvana Estacio (@silvana0286) August 16, 2013
#NoToquenElYasuní is the the slogan that a group of young people in Calderón Park are using in #Cuenca
Joffre Reinoso Lopez (@joff_reinoso) reacted this way after hearing the government's decision:
#NoToquenElYasuni Esta decision debe ser del pueblo ecuatoriano que se lleve a consulta y que gente extranjera no joda!
— Joffre Reinoso Lopez (@joff_reinoso) August 16, 2013
#NoToquenElYasuni This decision should be the Ecuadorian people's who should be consulted and not get screwed by foreigners!
Joshi Espinoza (@joshi_espinoza) addressed the President, insisting that public consultation was required before making this decision:
@MashiRafael TODOS QUEREMOS UNA CONSULTA POPULAR! #notoquenelyasuni
— Joshi Espinoza (@joshi_espinoza) August 16, 2013
@MashiRafael WE ALL WANT A PUBLIC CONSULTATION!  #notoquenelyasuni
University professor Tuesman Castillo (@tuesman) for his part emphasized:
Me uno a #notoquenelyasuni @MashiRafael el Ecuador será más rico si lo conservamos intacto
— Tuesman Castillo  (@tuesman) August 15, 2013
I support #notoquenelyasuni @MashiRafael Ecuador will be richer if we keep it intact
Guayaquil resident Roberto Chang (@changroberto) tweeted sadly:
Hoy será una noche amarga y triste!! Seremos testigos del comienzo de la depredación de la vida pura, #NoToquenElYasuni
— Roberto chang (@changroberto) August 16, 2013
Tonight will be bitter and sad!! We will witness the beginning of the plundering of the essence of life, #NoToquenElYasuni
Yomita (@S0_mala), another Guayaquil resident and animal lover, wrote:
Por esos seres maravillosos que no tienen voz pero son parte de esta tierra antes que nosotros #notoquenelyasuni
— Yomita (@S0_mala) August 16, 2013
For those marvellous beings who have no voice but were part of this earth before us #notoquenelyasuni
Colombian journalist Luz Carime Hurtado (@Carimehurtado) showed her support for maintaining Yasuní Park:
Mi apoyo a #Ecuador no jodamos al medio ambiente. #NoToquenElYasuní
— Luz Carime Hurtado G (@Carimehurtado) August 16, 2013
My support for #Ecuador let's not screw the environment. #NoToquenElYasuní
Verito Sánchez (@VeritoSanchez_), an Ecuadorian ecologist, wrote:
Nosotros somos mas muchos mas, todos juntos x el #Yasuni #NotoquenelYasuní todos los amantes de la #Naturaleza
— Verito Sánchez ☮ (@VeritoSanchez_) August 16, 2013
We are many, many more, all together for the #Yasuni #NotoquenelYasuní all lovers of #Naturaleza [nature]
Journalist Gaben Quiroz (@GabenQ) referred to the lack of support from the international community:
El 85% de los ecuatorianos están a favor de dejar el crudo bajo tierra, pero la culpa es de la comunidad internacional… #notoquenelyasuni
— Gaben Quiroz (@GabenQ) August 16, 2013
85% of Ecuadorians are in favour of leaving the crude below ground, but the blame goes to the international community…. #notoquenelyasuni
Ecuador Biodiverso (@EcuadorEsVida), a website that supports biodiversity, shared a photo:
Una mirada a la vida del planeta, una puerta al paraíso es Yasuni #NoToquenElYasuni #Ecuador es vida pic.twitter.com/A9XzwtsTfr
— Ecuador Biodiverso (@EcuadorEsVida) August 14, 2013
A look at life on the planet, a door to the paradise that is Yasuni  #NoToquenElYasuni #Ecuador is life pic.twitter.com/A9XzwtsTfr
Meanwhile, television producer Jalál DuBois (@jalaldubois) said it was a necessary sacrifice:
@MashiRafael el sacrificio es grande, pero es necesario! Le deseo sabiduría más que “practicidad” y “tecnicidad” #NoToquenElYasuní
— Jalál DuBois (@jalaldubois) August 16, 2013
@MashiRafael the sacrifice is great, but necessary! I wish for wisdom more than “practicality” or “technicality” #NoToquenElYasuní
On the other hand, blogger Rafael Lugo reflected on the exploitation of an ecological preserve and criticized the hashtag #NoToquenElYasuní:
El Yasuní se ha vuelto palabra genérica que a muchos hace creer lo equivocado, es decir que es un parque virgen que se irá al infierno por la explotación del Bloque ITT. Lo cierto es que el Yasuní es un parque que desde hace años está ocupado en un enorme porcentaje de su territorio por el bloque 31 (de explotación petrolera) y el ITT está listo para lo mismo porque ya se hicieron los estudios geológicos –e invasivos- necesarios para saber que ahí hay mucho crudo. O sea aquello del No Toquen al Yasuní es, digamos, un pelín extemporáneo y candoroso.
The Yasuní has become a generic word which leads many to think erroneously, that is to say that it is a virgin park that will go to hell with the exploitation of the ITT block. It is true that the Yasuní is a park which for years has had an enormous percentage of its territory occupied by block 31 (for oil extraction) and that the ITT is ready for the same because the necessary—and invasive—geological studies have already been done to determine that there is a lot of crude. In other words that No Toquen al Yasuní is, let's say, a little naive.
Moreover he criticized Ecuadorians who consume subsidized gasoline and protest about keeping the Yasuní.
Aproximadamente 3500 millones de dólares nos regala el papá estado en subsidios al gas y a la gasolina AL AÑO, a nosotros que tanto nos quejamos de que se explote el petróleo mientras aceleramos el carro.
Approximately 3500 million dollars is what the nanny state gives us in gas and gasoline subsidies PER YEAR, to us who complain about drilling for oil while we put the pedal to the metal.
Despite his strong criticism, the blogger made it clear that he was against oil exploration and development in “areas so unique and delicate.”
Meanwhile on Facebook, the group No Toquen el Yasuní—which in two days had added more than 30,000 followers—say that they will follow the hashtag #ExplotacionConResponsabilidad, and demand transparency “and that the situation be explained to them clearly and in detail: Not just for Yasuní but also for all activities that extract resources from the Pachamama.”

author: Gina Yauri


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Hong Kong Activists Condemn Cairo Massacre  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Today, a group of Hong Kong activists from League of Social Democrats and Socialist Action protested outside Egypt Consulate and condemned the military over August 14 Cairo Massacre. Photo from inmediahk.net.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Paraguay’s New President is Sworn in  · Global Voices
Gabriela Galilea

Horacio Cartes [es], businessman and former manager of the Libertad football club, assumed presidential authority in Paraguay before the eyes of presidents of foreign countries and other international authorities, former representatives and even international football team owners.
The photolog from the Hoy news site published [es] photos of the presidential handover ceremony taken by known bloggers and photographers Tetsu Espósito [es] and Elton Nuñez [es].
Cartes had never served in a political position. In fact, he exercised his right to vote for the first time in the last elections on April 21. In those elections, he ended up winning by a margin of almost 10 points in difference with respect to the second force formed by an alliance between the Liberal Party and other models and minority parties. Cartes's party, the National Republican Association-Colorado Party, received 45.83%, of the vote; while the Paraguay Alegre Party got 36.92%, according to the official results from the Electoral Justice.
To become a presidential candidate with the potential to win an election without any political experience, Cartes chose one of the two traditional parties with the most force and members (1,989,416 members according to the Electoral Justice registry [es]). Nevertheless, by not being colorado, he had to force the modification of the very statutes of the party that obliged him to have been a member for at least 10 years before being able to enter into pre-candidacy, managing to lower it to just one year.
Photo shared by Horacio Cartes's official Facebook page.
“I do not ask the youth of my country for patience, I of them for healthy rebellion”
This was one of the most mentioned phrases on Twitter during the new government's opening speech. A speech so eloquent and perfectly outlined that its authorship was questioned, and whether it was read or memorized, given that Cartes did not demonstrate particularly gifted rhetoric during the campaign. Quite on the contrary, he showed great difficulties in expressing himself correctly.
Journalist Luis Bareiro (@LuisBareiro) [es] wrote:
Es la primera vez en 20 años de hacer periodismo que un discurso de asunción presidencial me entusiasma.
— Luis Bareiro (@LuisBareiro) August 15, 2013
It is the first time in my 20 years of journalism that an presidential inauguration speech excited me.
— Luis Bareiro (@LuisBareiro) August 15, 2013
A cabinet dominated by experts and not colorados
The members of the cabinet that Cartes chose was another surprise. It is common for colorado presidents (Cartes is the seventh since the fall of General Alfredo Strossner's dictatorship) to name fellow party members and politicians as members of their cabinet. Nonetheless, Cartes mainly chose men and women with no political background though their work was recognized in the private sector or in their areas of experience. Here [es] is a complete list of the new cabinet.
This was not taken well by the party leadership, and colorado members even booed during the swearing in of the other party ministers, such as the new Interior Minister, Francisco de Vargas.
The Paraguay population was very excited about the new government, noted in the remarks made on Facebook and Twitter. Many Paraguayans used hashtags #UnNuevoRumbo (A new direction), which the new president's communications team proposed through their space on Facebook [es], making an allusion to his campaign motto, and #traspasodemandopy (.
Ya es 16… ya paso el 15.. nuevas esperanzas.. #UnnuevoRumbo.. le tengo fe a @Horacio_Cartes …..
— ♡ VERO ♡ (@VeroSurnyak) August 16, 2013
Now it is the 16… the 15 has already passed.. new hopes.. #UnnuevoRumbo.. I have faith in you @Horacio_Cartes …..
Ver jurar a nuestro Presidente Electo el Sr. @Horacio_Cartes me lleno de lagrimas los ojos!! Un país entero tiene fe en Ud!! #UnNuevoRumbo ❤
— Little Miss Sunshine (@sofiastaburuaga) August 15, 2013
Seeing our President Elect Mr. @Horacio_Cartes being sworn in filled my eyes with tears!! An entire country has faith in you!! #UnnuevoRumbo ❤
Un hogar con trabajo, una familia con salud, jóvenes con educación, un país con futuro con @Horacio_Cartes #Paraguay #UnNuevoRumbo
— Enrique Ruiz Diaz (@quikeruizdiaz) August 15, 2013
A home with a job, a family with health, the youth with education, a country with a future with @Horacio_Cartes #Paraguay #UnNuevoRumbo
A group of demonstrators congregated at the acceptance ceremony disguised as Federico Franco (president for nine months following the removal of Fernando Lugo) and his wife, with posters and banners calling him a coup leader and a thief.
With the acceptance of leadership comes the end of the political and diplomatic impasse that Paraguay entered into on June 22, 2012 with the impeachment that ousted elected bishop Fernando Lugo [es] and suspended the country from Mercosur.

author: Gabriela Galilea


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Peru: Despite its Critics ‘Cementerio General’ is a Blockbuster  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Cementerio General (General Cemetery), a Peruvian horror movie directed by Dorian Fernández, was a hit in theaters [es] during its debut  during Fiestas Patrias (Peruvian National Holidays), where Hollywood hits usually claim the spotlight. The movie, which was filmed in Iquitos -in the Peruvian Amazon- drew long lines [es] in the city where it was filmed when it premiered on July 25, 2013.
To date, Cementerio General has garnered [es] more than half a million viewers, becoming the most watched horror movie of all time in Peru. Nevertheless, in spite of its great success, or perhaps because of it, the movie has not gained much favor with movie critics, at least not on the blogosphere.
Cementerio General. Photo taken from the movie's Facebook page, used with permission.
Almost as soon as the movie was released, bolgger MildemoniosCultural expressed reservations, about the timing of the release (during the holidays), among other things. Still, he wished it success [es]:
a lo mejor les liga a pesar de esto y la película es un éxito. Ojalá. Después de todo, ha sido hecha por evidentes fans del género de terror. Además, es necesario que en el Perú se siga desarrollando el cine de género. A ver si así diversificamos un poquito y dejamos de hacer siempre la misma película una y otra vez.
maybe it will grab your attention and become a hit. Hopefully…after all, it was made by people who are genuine fans of this genre. Also, it's important that Peru continue developing its local film industry. It remains to be seen if we can diversify and stop making the same movie over and over.
FrancHis Neumann blogger on Yo voy por el bosque gives a little bit of historical background [es] on Peruvian cinema, calling into question Cementerio General's claim to being “the first Peruvian horror movie: “
Existen ya varios experimentos de terror en nuestro país, como “Jarjacha” (película ayacuchana de Mélinton Eusebio sobre el demonio del incesto) y “Pishtaco”, sobre el ser que chupa la grasa de sus víctimas. “Cementerio General”, al igual que éstas y otras predecesoras, recoge un mito urbano (las posesiones satánicas en Iquitos) como punto de partida. es que si algún país es riquísimo en leyendas y mitos, ése es precisamente nuestro Perú. Es decir, material hay para rato. En todo caso, podemos redefinir a “Cementerio General” como “la primera película estrenada a nivel masivo en nuestro país.”
There have already been many forays into this genre in our country. Works such as “Jarjacha” (an Ayachuchan movie made by Mélinton Eusebio about the demon of incest) and “Pishtaco”, a film about the creature that sucks its victims’ fat. “Cementerio General,” just like all its predecessors, takes an urban legend (in this case that of Satanic possessions in Iquitos) as a jumping off point for the story. If there is a country that is rich in myths and legends it is Peru. Meaning, there is a lot to draw on for inspiration. In any case, we can re-cast “Cementerio General as “the first wide release horror movie in our country.”
Maurizio Silingardi Zapater, writer of the blog El Bofe, was somewhat ambivalent [es] about the film: he didn't like it, but applauded the effort. He was not a fan of the location selection, among other things:
Me explico, mientras que al inicio de la película esta nos indica que nos encontramos en Iquitos, los personajes se comportan como jóvenes limeños de clase alta, uno solo llega reconocer a la ciudad selvática por tomas de algun que otro paisaje o por el reconocido Cementerio General de la ciudad de Iquitos, del cual el film lleva el nombre.
Let me explain: we are told at the start of the film that it takes place in Iquitos, however the protagonists act like young people from Lima of upper class backgrounds. One only recognizes the rustic town from some landscape shots or because of the renowned cemetery that is located in Iquitos and from which the film takes its name.
Lines in Iquitos on the release date for Cementerio General. Photo from the Cementerio General Facebook page, used with permission.
According to Juan de Sombras from Rebelión the film becomes problematic when it attempts to become more serious. After listing the reasons why he believes it falls short, he concludes [es]:
Técnicamente está bien. Dorian Fernández sabe cómo mover una cámara, incluso cuando está en modo “found footage” hace tomas interesantes. Y los efectos digitales también están bien, en su mayoría (olvidémonos de cierta mancha de sangre digna de una animación de PSOne). Y si no me equivoco, este es el primer largometraje del director, así que lo considero un comienzo respetable. Con mejores guiones y mejores actores, seguro que llega lejos.
Technically it is well done. Dorian Fernández knows how to work with a camera, even when using “found footage” techniques. There are some really interesting shots. Also the digital effects are good for the most part (not counting a certain blood stain that looked like it could have come straight from a PSOne game).  If I am not mistaken, this is the first feature film from this director, so I think its a commendable first attempt. With a better script and a better cast it I have no doubt that it could go further.
Carlos Esquives from the blog Fotograma Gourmet thinks that the film underestimates its audience, and paradoxically is quite funny, but not particularly scary. He adds [es]:
En trama, Cementerio general absorbe los clichés del cine de género, desde los estereotipos de una infante poseída hasta los giros argumentales producto de una antigua promesa. Filmes como The grudge (2002) o Actividad paranormal (2007) se confunden en esta historia que no provoca tensión desde su antesala,
As far as the plot goes, Cementerio General adopts all the horror film cliches, from the stereotypical possessed child, to the plot twists that arise from some ancient legend. Films such as The Grudge (2002) or Paranormal Activity (2007) get tangled up in this story that fails to create tension from the very beginning.
According to Jimmy Ce, writer of the blog No hay futuro, it is a simple fact– the movie is bad [es]:
Lo primero que hay que hacer al salir de ver “Cementerio General” es pedir el libro de reclamaciones (?), nos ofrecen “Cine de terror” y no hay cine y menos terror. Un insulto para el género de “metraje encontrado”. Porque, seamos sinceros, están las películas malas, pésimas, bodrios y Luego está”Cementerio General”.
The first thing that you have to do when you leave the theater after watching “Cementerio General” is log a complaint. They claim to offer a “horror movie” but it is not the least bit frightening. It is an insult to “Found footage” style films. Because, let's be real here: there are bad films, disastrous films, films that are complete duds, and then there is “Cementerio General.”
Gustavo Faverón shares the same opinion [es] on his blog. He tries to explain why he, as a lover of horror films and bad cinema, thinks that Cementerio General is so exceptionally bad:
una película puede ser mala y a la vez estar llena de hallazgos, descubrimientos imprevistos, a veces incluso casuales, o ser mala pero decir algo sumamente interesante, o puede ser pésima de manera grotesca y en medio de su vulgaridad encontrar un lenguaje propio y distinto: una mala película puede ser una fuente extraordinaria de ideas, dejarlo a uno marcado con imágenes que un cineasta más consciente o más pudoroso o menos refrenado o más sutil jamás se hubiera permitido filmar. […] Bueno. No esperen nada así de Cementerio general,
A movie can be bad and yet still be full of surprises, unexpected revelations, even some that are completely unintentional. It can be a bad movie but still have something interesting to say. It can be a clumsily made disaster and yet still have its own unique logic and meaning. A bad movie can be a playground for extraordinary ideas, it can leave you with images that a more diligent, restrained, or perhaps less risky film maker would have never dared to make. […] This is not the case with Cementerio General.
Movietheater sign with all showings of Cementerio General sold out. Photo from the Movie's Facebook page used with permission
Invazor C also believes that the movie is bad, but that does not make it a bad film. He explains [es]:
no disfruté Cementerio General, pero debo reconocer que al igual que Hans deseaba que me gustara, en principio porqué esperaba que una película nacional de género bien lograda pudiera sacarme el mal sabor de boca que me dejó Asu Mare. Sin embargo, debo ser justo y dejar claro que no soy el público objetivo de esta película; Es una película de horror adolescente tradicional y está pensada para un público de esa edad. Si puedes meterte eso en la cabeza, o si disfrutaste sin prejuicios con la saga de Destino Final o la Bruja Blair, tienes un motivo para ir y apoyar al cine nacional.
I didn't enjoy Cementerio General, however, I have to admit that just like Hans [es] I wanted to like it, at first because I hoped that a well-made movie done entirely in Peru could rid me of the bad taste that was left in my mouth after Asu Mare. Nonetheless, to be fair I have to state upfront that I am not the target audience for this movie. It is a teen horror movie and it is intended for an audience of that age. If you can keep that in mind, or if you were able to enjoy movies such as Final Destination or the Blair Witch Project, then you should go out and support national cinema.
Eduardo Adrianzén, a television and theater writer and producer, thought that the film was entertaining, well filmed and acted, as he posted on his Facebook profile [es]:
El público sale satisfecho: grita, se ríe, está atento. Excelente sonido -bueno, es de Guillermo Palacios, de lo mejor que siempre hemos tenido en nuestro país-y en general, una película peruanísima que merece darse su lugar. Y sin ánimo de polemizar: vi bastaaaante más chamba de lenguaje cinematográfico y uso de recursos visuales, que en algunas otras películas nacionales con propósitos artísticos. Insisto: 2013 es el año en que se está re-pensando el cine peruano…
The public isn't let down: they scream, laugh and they are engaged. The sound effects are excellent – after all they are done by Guillermo Palacios, the best we have ever had in our country. In general it is a very Peruvian movie that deserves its place in our cinema's history. At the risk of starting a debate, I must say, I saw a lot more cinematic language and visual effects in this movie than in other locally made movies that claimed to have serious artistic intentions. I insist, 2013 is the year when we are beginning to re-think Peruvian cinema…
You can read more opinions on the Spanish language blogs La Nuez [es], Terrorífilo [es], Solo fanáticos del cine [es] and Cineros [es].
If you would like to know more about the film you can visit its Facebook page [es] or follow it on Twitter [es]. You can also see some of the behind the scenes footage on the AVFilmsPerú [es] YouTube channel; and if you still haven't seen the official trailer as yet, here it is:

author: Juan Arellano


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PHOTO: Churches are Crying in Egypt · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

In reaction to burning churches, a little girl in Upper Egypt sketched this picture that brought tears to my eyes: pic.twitter.com/iymw3SF49R
— daliaziada (@daliaziada) August 15, 2013
Egyptian women rights advocate Dalia Aziada posted this tweet after several Coptic churches were burnt across Egypt following a brutal military operation on August 14 2013, to clear Muslim Brotherhood supporters from sit-in camps in the capital Cairo, where they have been demanding ousted president Morsi's reinstatement for weeks.
The clearing operation resulted in at least 638 deaths according to the Egyptian government. A Muslim Brotherhood spokesman has said 2,000 people were killed in the “massacre.”
Dozens more were killed on August 16, as Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with security forces in the “Day of Anger.”
Read more in our Special Coverage Bloodbath in Egypt.

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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Who Will Win The ‘Biggest’ Legal Battle in Ghana’s History? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Ghanaian Supreme Court will decide on August 29, 2013 whether Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama was legitimately elected following presidential polls held on 7 and 8 December, 2012.
The Ghanaian Electoral Commission declared President Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) winner with 50.70 percent of the votes, beating his main challenger Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who polled 47.7 percent of the votes.
The opposition NPP  challenged the results arguing that there were gross and widespread irregularities at more than 10,000 polling stations.
The hearing of the petition began on 16 April, 2013. The petitioners are NPP's presidential candidate Nana Akuffo Addo, his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and NPP national chairman Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. The respondents are President John Mahama, the Electoral Commission and the ruling National Democratic Congress.
MyJoyOnline has uploaded a video on its YouTube channel (below) of closing argument by counsel for petitioners, Phillip Addison. On August 7, 2013 during his closing argument, Phillip Addison asked the court to declare Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of NPP President because the petitioners were able to prove serious malpractices such as people voting without prior biometric verification, duplicated serial numbers on pink sheets (result forms) and over-voting.
If there were no infractions, he argued, President Mahama would get 41.79 per cent of the valid votes cast, while Nana Akufo-Addo would have 56.85 per cent of the valid votes cast.
Given the emotive nature of the petition, the two major political parties in the country, Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have pledged their commitment to ensuring peace during and after the judgement.
NPP's projected the results showing Nana Ado winning. Photo source: Nana Ado (NPP's presidential candidate) Facebook page.
Many Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians have taken to blogs and Twitter to share their views and opinions about the greatest legal battle in the history of Ghana. There has never been a successful presidential election petition on the African continent.
Many analysts are speculating the outcome of the petition and what the future holds for Ghana's thriving democracy.
Who will win the petition? Answering this question, Dr Yaw Ohemeng identifies democracy as the ultimate winner:
At the time that the petitioners filed their case at the Supreme Court there were those who dismissed their action as that of sore losers. There were others who also thought that the action would deepen democracy in Ghana. I subscribe to the latter view on the basis that even ahead of the ruling, the benefits to how we practise democracy in Ghana have began to accrue and over the coming years will become even more apparent.
It is a fundamental principle of democracy that anyone who feels aggrieved should be able to avail themselves of legitimate means of seeking redress. For democracy to thrive, the principle that no one is above the law should be upheld. Seeing the sitting President (though not in his Presidential capacity) being a respondent in a case before the courts should be ample demonstration of this principle. The thinly-veiled warning by Justice Atuguba for the President to conduct himself in a manner that would not be contemptuous of the court will also serve as a plank in the type of democracy that Ghana is seeking to build. I am looking forward to the day when a sitting President can be questioned under oath by investigators.
There is something unique about Ghanaian's presidential election petition as Patrick Smith shows:
Similar efforts to scrutinise and assess presidential elections in the United States in 2000 and in Kenya in March this year took less than two weeks, and the judges’ conclusions – to endorse the election of George W. Bush and Uhuru Kenyatta, respectively – were highly contested.
In Ghana, it will have taken more than 50 days of tortuous legal argument, all broadcast live on national television.
The petitioners from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) surprised almost everyone in their efforts to prove that their presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, was unfairly denied victory.
The judges and their advisers were awash in paperwork.
The NPP submitted copies of result sheets from more than 11,000 out of 26,000 polling stations, deluging the court with nearly half a million documents.
Bigger questions, he argues, revolve around issues beyond the petition:
Beyond the immediate drama of the courtroom, there is a nagging question. Was it all worth it?
Doubtless, the Supreme Court judges have dutifully analysed the mechanics of the elections and are likely to make constructive recommendations.
But bigger questions weigh on Ghana's politics beyond the judges’ competence.
How functional and fair is the winner-takes-all system – with a presidency that appoints the cabinet, the heads of the parastatal companies and the regional premiers with few formal requirements to consult other parties?
Worse still, the institutions trying to make the government accountable, such as the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, lack the resources and the political backing to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing.
As the wait for the Supreme Court to rule continued, a message from the grassroots surfaced: a survey by Berlin-based Transparency International reported that 20 percent of Ghanaians thought that corruption in the country was increasing, particularly among police officers.
Long after the learned friends have spoken, these are issues with which Ghana's politicians will have to grapple.
No matter what the court decision will be, says Angela Slater, Ghana will have to live with the results of one of the biggest legal decisions the country has ever seen:
Can Ghana handle the Supreme Court batting down election results and potentially deposing the current administration? Are Ghanaians able to accept the consequences of the judicial review entrenched in their constitution? This is the question that keeps Ghanaians up at night, and it is the reason you can’t go anywhere without hearing about those pink sheets [results forms]. The concern is legitimate. One of those jailed for contempt of court [The Supreme Court jailed Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie, Managing Editor of The Daily Searchlight and Stephen Atubiga, a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) communication team for criminal contempt] was a member of the incumbent party who threatened violence if his party was deposed by the court decision. Although he later apologized, his threat plays on the fears of many Ghanaians who know all too well what it means to live under threat of war.
The trial is now coming to a close, and soon Ghana will have to live with the results of one of the biggest legal decisions this country has ever seen. In making its decision, the court has three options: to uphold the election results, call a new election, or award the election victory to the opposing party.
Ameenu Shardow discusses the possible effects of the court's ruling on Ghana's 2014 World Cup qualifier against Zambia, which takes place a few days after the verdict:
The Players
The players who will be representing Ghana on that day will certainly not be immune to the emotions and general mood of the country by then. They are an extension of the larger Ghanaian community so not to kid ourselves, they will be affected. This prospect however can be either good or bad depending on the immediate aftermath of the verdict.
Bad
Bad in the sense that a lacklustre performance will be displayed depending on key factors such as a) the state of the country by then b) if they will enjoy that massive support they have been so used to in Kumasi c) will there even be a functioning government in place to promise fat bonuses and the like (dependent on verdict).
Remedies
1) I suggest the Ghana FA and other related agencies to start getting their plans and all other arrangements in place from now as time really is not on our side.
2) Make an alternative plan including an alternative venue outside the country if need be to ensure the match comes off regardless of what becomes of our country by the time. This will be very difficult due to factors I have earlier mentioned in this piece.
3) Be part of the campaign to educate our people that our dear nation must go on as usual regardless the ruling that is made. Another difficult task but it’s worth the shot.
Ghana Decides, a non-partisan project that was formed to foster a better-informed electorate for free, fair and safe 2012 elections using online social media tools, has prepared pre- and post-verdict events to keep citizens and the world informed and engaged:
The decision to broadcast the petition on national television has given Ghanaians a very rare opportunity not only to see proceedings in the nation’s highest court, but also to have a better understanding of the electoral law.
In preparation for the final ruling which is expected on August 29, 2013, Ghana Decides has outlined a list of activities to keep the citizenry and the rest of the world informed and engaging.
Firstly, Barcamp Tema, which comes off on Saturday, 10 August , 2013 will include a “Peace, One Ghana” segment in which participants would be required to write a peace message inside a printed speech bubble and pose for pictures with it. On Twitter, follow #bctema and #tema00.
A Twitter debate on the election petition will also be held on Tuesday, 13 August at 2PM. We suggest that people follow Ghana Decides (@GhanaDecides) to be able to participate in or follow the debate.
The verdict on the petition will be covered live by accredited personnel of Ghana Decides on social media. This will be followed immediately by post-verdict interviews to find out the reactions of Ghanaians to the ruling.
Barcamp Tamale, which will be held on 17 August , 2013, will also feature the “Peace, One Ghana” segment.
A Google + Hangout some time in August will take more post-verdict reactions from the public.
kumadorian hopes that other African countries are learning from the Ghanaian experience of resorting to the rule of law rather than violence:
Once again Ghanaians have shown to the whole world that it is better to resort to the rule of law to resolve disputes rather than through violent means. This was as a result of the Election Petition Case before the Supreme Court of the country. This has shown how democracy is gradually gaining grounds in the country and i hope other African countries are learning some lessons from what just happened in Ghana. Currently the Justices of the Supreme Court are yet to come out with their ruling on the Election Petition. As they take their time to come out with a ruling that will not jeopadize the nation’s fledgling democratic dispensation, Ghanaians have been asked to accept the ruling of the Justices of the Supreme Court. The National Peace Council and the two political parties involved in the dispute have all taken it upon themselves to educate their followers not to resort to violence when the final ruling comes out.
He concludes:
Lets all do our best to ensure that the peace that we have enjoyed in this country is sustained and strengthened. We have only one Ghana and there is no place like home. God bless Ghana my homeland and make her great and strong.
Louise Burke, an Australian journalist and photographer living in Ghana, imagines what will happen after the verdict:
So, what happens after the decision?
The potential reaction to the decision is very much an unknown factor right now.
In the weeks since the court heard final comments from both parties, community and religious leaders have been urging Ghanaians to accept the result without violence.
Most people who I have talked to believe the result will likely be peaceful, with potential for some pockets of protest.
Despite a series of military coups since independence was granted in 1957, Ghana’s modern political history is relatively non-violent.
However, the country is not immune to small eruptions of protest. In the short time I have been here there was a situation in a suburb of the capital, Accra, where protests by drivers over the state of the roads led to some rioting.
There has also been a noticeable increase in police and military displays on the streets in preparation for the decision.
On Twitter, Dorsah Gariba (@gdpharm95) hopes Ghana will score political democratic leadership in Africa:
Hopefully, Ghana will score another political & democratic leadership in Africa when the SC Justices hand down the election petition verdict

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Bucharest, Not Budapest: A Chocolate Bar Explains the Difference · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

The capitals of Romania and Hungary, Bucharest and Budapest, respectively, are so often confused that those unfamiliar with the region often book airplane tickets to Bucharest, when their intention is to get to Budapest and vice-versa. In fact, 400 soccer fans from Spain chartered a flight last year to the 2012 Europa League Final in Budapest. Their only problem was that the actual final was in Bucharest.
Bucharest, Not Budapest; one of the official images of the ROM chocolate advertising campaign.
One Romanian chocolatier has started a campaign to clear the confusion in a deliciously original way. The video below and a podcast from PRI's The World, explains more about this and other efforts to help travelers distinguish the two Eastern European capitals, while a blog about travel and art provides more images of the full advertising campaign:

author: Danica Radisic


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Iran: More than 200 People Arrested At Rock Concert · Global Voices
Farid

Sazmakhfi writes 220 people were arrested at a rock concert in Tehran on Friday. Iranian security forces did not allow Iranian metal band Dawn of Rage performs its concert.

author: Farid


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Romania to Open Communist Leader Ceausescu’s Execution Site to Tourists · Global Voices
Tamara Gocmanac

According to reports in the Romanian press, Romania is about to turn the former military base Targoviste, the site where former Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu was executed, into a tourist attraction.
The execution site of Ceausescu, deemed by many to have been a notorious Romanian dictator, will be open to the public next month.
Italian journalist Giampaolo Poniciappi was among those who announced the unusual news on Twitter:
#Romania, Caserma dove furono fucilati i #Ceausescu diventa un museo aperto ai turisti
— Giampaolo Poniciappi (@Infoconte) August 10, 2013
#Romania, the barracks where the #Ceausescu‘s were shot turns into a museum open to tourists
— Giampaolo Poniciappi (@Infoconte) August 10, 2013
Ceausescu became general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party in 1965 and served as Romania’s President from 1967 to 1989, during which time he suppressed any and all opposition using brutal force.
Archive photo of Ceausescu during is days as President of Romania; photo used under Creative Commons license.
Ceausescu and his wife Elena fled Bucharest in a helicopter after angry crowds gathered in front of the Communist Party headquarters in the final days of the Romanian Revolution on December 22, 1989. The army soon intercepted them and ordered a three-day trial by a special military tribunal. The main charge was genocide, and Ceausescu was blamed for the deaths of some 60,000 people — though historians have disputed that figure. The court sentenced the pair to death by firing squad on Christmas Day in 1989.
A soldier standing guard in the proceedings was ordered to take the Ceaușescus out back one by one and shoot them, but the Ceaușescus demanded to die together. The soldiers agreed to this and began to tie their hands behind their backs, which the Ceaușescus protested against, but were powerless to prevent. A TV crew who were to film the execution only managed to catch the end of the terrible event, as the Ceaușescus lay on the ground shrouded by dust that was kicked up by the bullets striking the wall and ground.
Before his sentence was carried out, Nicolae Ceaușescu sang “The Internationale” while being led to stand against the wall before the firing squad. After the shooting, the bodies were covered with canvases.
The Ceaușescus were the last people to be executed in Romania before the abolition of capital punishment on 7 January 1990. Their graves are located in Ghencea Cemetery in Bucharest. They are buried on opposite sides of a path. The graves themselves are unassuming, but they tend to be covered in flowers and symbols of the regime. More than 20 years after their death, the Ceausescu couple has not ceased to attract the attention of the public.
Elena Ceausescu was the object of a personality cult as intense as that of her husband, which exalted her as the “Mother of the Nation.” By all accounts, her vanity and desire for honors exceeded that of her husband. As with her husband, Romanian Television was under strict orders to take great care portraying her on screen. For instance, she was never supposed to be shown in profile because of her homely appearance (though it's been said she had been very attractive in her youth) and large nose. Publicly, Ceaușescu said that it was an honor to be referred to as “comrade”, but Romanian expatriates in the United States frequently referred to her as “Madame Ceaușescu” with great disdain.
The huge interest in this bizarre tourist destination is shown in the reactions of netizens, who conveyed this on social networks. However, there aren't either positive or negative reactions concerning this unusual decision by the Romanian government yet. Interest among netizens is certainly large, but most seem to be simply surprised and waiting to see what will happen in September when it opens.
Laura Desere, a journalist covering international affairs, tweeted the news:
This September #Romania to open to public the former military base in Targoviste, where #Ceausescu was executed http://t.co/yOX1H0hnxK
— laura delsere (@lauradels) August 12, 2013
An Egyptian Twitter user, Essam Man, said:
“@AlMasryAlYoum: #Romania #Ceausescu افتتاح مكان إعدام «تشاوشيسكو» وزوجته للزوار سبتمبر المقبل http://t.co/e3kfug0quG” @M_abd_elkhalek
— daydreamer … (@EssamMan) August 11, 2013
“@AlMasryAlYoum: #Romania #Ceausescu The opening of the place where the execution of Ceausescu and his wife took place, venue open in Septhttp://t.co/e3kfug0quG” @M_abd_elkhalek
— daydreamer … (@EssamMan) August 11, 2013
Teacher and translator Paul-Sorin Tita from Romania added:
#Romania opens #Ceausescu execution spot to public http://t.co/JefSMiHO0t
— Paul-Sorin Tiţa (@paultita) August 11, 2013
Twitter user Antonio Silva:
Photo: #romania #revolution #politics #bucharest #romana #victorei #ceausescu http://t.co/gaM5OmhSZj
— Antonio Silva (@algrsilva) August 7, 2013
Italian jornalist Matteo Pazzaglia has a rarely seen opinion:
Nel bene o nel male, Nicolae #Ceausescu è stato l'unico presidente ad assicurare alla #Romania un'identità forte. http://t.co/Hl39l1IwqC
— Matteo Pazzaglia (@cimbolano) July 24, 2013
In good and bad, Nicolae #Ceausescu was the onl president to secure a strong identity for #Romania. http://t.co/Hl39l1IwqC
— Matteo Pazzaglia (@cimbolano) July 24, 2013
In the meantime, in Romania, workers have completely restored the unlikely attraction near the central Romanian town of Targoviste to its original state so it will look just as it did when Ceausescu and his wife Elena met their end at the hands of a firing squad and, reportedly, some 120 bullets.
“Visitors will be able to see the wall where the Ceausescus were shot,” Ovidiu Carstina, the director of the museum site, told Bucharest-based Mediafax news agency. “The inside of the building has been repainted in the same colors as in 1989, and the furniture will be the same. We are recreating both the room where the improvised trail took place and the bedroom where they spent their last night.”
The site will also feature an exhibition detailing the structure’s earlier history as a cavalry school from 1893 to 1914. Officials said they decided to open it to the public this September after growing demand from foreign tourists. Tickets will go for just seven Romanian leu (two US dollars).


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Bodies Pile in Egypt, But Birds Still Singing for Russian Vacationers · Global Voices
Andrey Tselikov

Over the past several days Russian newspapers [ru] have [ru] reported [ru], with growing worry, about the 50,000 Russian tourists who run the danger of being stranded in Egypt, if violence there does not abate. Egypt, along with Turkey, is a popular budget travel destination for Russians, who especially favor the all-inclusive resort towns of Harghuda and Sharm-el-Sheikh on the Red Sea. In fact, it is so popular that even the growing instability, riots, and several hundred fatalities have not deterred many Russians from taking their long awaited vacations.
“Burning hot tours. Egypt.” Anonymous image distributed online.
Many Russian bloggers who are either currently in Egypt or are planning to go this month are actively discussing the situation online, in Facebook and VKontakte groups like “Russians in Hurghada.” Some Russians, particularly the ones who have found employment in Egypt's bustling tourist industry, are quick to reassure potential travelers scared by photos of burning buildings and dying Egyptians published in LiveJournal posts like this one [ru]. For example, the VKontakte account I♥Hurghada wrote [ru]:
Люди, не отказывайтесь от своих приобретенных туров! В Хургаде все спокойно, все как обычно!!!!
People, don't cancel the travel arrangements that you've paid for. Hurghada is calm, everything is normal!!!!
When Pavel Kulikov commented, asking [ru]:
Как можно писать, что всё спокойно и ничего не происходит про страну, где идёт гражданская война?
How can you write that everything is calm and nothing is happening about a country in the middle of a civil war?
I♥Hurghada replied [ru]:
Вот из-за паникеров всяких, люди порятт себе отдых, отказываясь. Никто не призывает ехать в Каир и другие города где беспорядки (! Беспорядки, а не война или что-то еще). Говорится про курортные зоны, где всегда все нормально и спокойно!
Because of panicky individuals, people spoil their vacations, by cancelling. No one says you should go to Cairo or other cities where there is unrest (! Unrest, not war or something). I'm talking about resort areas where things are always normal and calm!
Sometimes these attempts to reassure sound a bit strained [ru]:
Всем привет!Я живу в Хургаде.Дороги перекрыты на всяк случай,но в городе из-за этого в отдалённых районах плохо ходит транспорт или вообще отсутствует.Люди спокойные.Туристов очень мало. […] В Хургаде тепло ,хорошо море фруктов. […] Не бойтесь.
Hi everyone! I live in Hurghada. The roads are closed just in case, so the more remote areas of the city have trouble with transportation, sometimes it's just not there. People are calm. There are few tourists. […] Hurghada is warm, nice there are many fruits. […] Don't be afraid.
Similarly, a local woman tried to downplay [ru] reports of Muslim Brotherhood rallies in downtown Hurghada:
СМИ – удивительная вещь. Посмотрела сегодня сюжеты от “Вестей”, задумалась: в той ли Хургаде я живу? ))) Мы со всех сторон фоткали толпу, не больше пары сотен человек с фотографиями Мурси. А в новостях рассказывали про 5000-ную сумасшедшую толпу
The mass media is a strange thing. I watched a view stories from “Vesti” today, started thinking — do I live in the same Hurghada? ))) We took photos of the crowd from all sides, no more that couple hundred people with photos of Morsi. The news talked about some kind of crazy crowd 5,000-strong
Some people wrote straight from Cairo, the epicenter of violence. On August 14, Lyubov Lobova wrote [ru] on the group “Your guide to Sharm-el-Sheikh”:
Друзья! Я нахожусь в Каире. Вчера приехала на свою голову)))) Тут нет войны, но обстановка не очень веселая. Мы основательно застряли в отеле  в Гизе, тк ввели комендантский час. С 19:00 до 06:00. […] В Шарме спокойно, но меры безопасности не лишние.
Friends! I am in Cairo. Stupidly came here yesterday)))) There is no war here, but the situation isn't fun. We're stuck at a Giza hotel, because there is curfew. From 7PM to 6AM. […] In Sharm everything is quiet, but it doesn't hurt to take precautions.
Another woman who works as a realtor in Hurghada also blogged [ru]:
Я сейчас в Каире, не надо делать при этом страшные глаза! У меня все отлично!!!!! Там где я нет даже намека на какую-то спец операцию. За
окном щебечут птицы и слышны звуки мирной размеренной будничной жизни.
I'm in Cairo right now, [but] don't look scared! Everything is fine!!!!! Where I am there is no hint of some kind of special forces operation. The birds are singing outside my window and I can hear the sounds of peaceful monotonous everyday life.
Meanwhile, on August 15, the Association of Russian Travel Agents reported that the Russian agency in charge of regulating tourism has advised Russians to refrain from traveling to Egypt, if possible. Currently the Association's front page hosts an FAQ [ru] on how to “annul your vacation package to Egypt.” Even this, however, does not deter intrepid Russian travelers, who seem to think [ru] that, even in the worst case scenario, the cavalry will come to their aid:
Ребята,живущие в Египте сейчас успокоили! И причем даже те,кто живут в Каире!!! На курортах все идет своим чередом:) Если уж,не Дай Бог,начнется война-нас,естественно,эвакуируют! Поэтому готовимся к обычному-тусовочному отдыху в любимом Шарме и всем того же советуем!;)
Guys who live in Egypt have reassured us! Even the ones who live in Cairo!!! At the resorts its business as usual:) Even if, God Forbid, there will be war, we will be evacuated – naturally! So we are getting ready for the usually party vacation in our favorite Sharm and advise that to everyone else!;)
A beach in Mersa Matruh, Egypt. The caption reads “Russian tourists have threatened to quash the unrest in Egypt, if it gets in the way of their vacation.” Anonymous image distributed online.
This somewhat reckless type of behavior has led to jokes, such as this tweet:
В Египте всё ок. Наших психов там около 60.000. Теоретически, мы можем посуетиться и под шумок захватить власть.
— Меркури (@imerkouri) August 16, 2013
Egypt is fine. There are 60,000 of our nutcases there. Theoretically we could put in a bit of effort and take power on the sly.
And there was this fake-news piece [ru] on “Intersucks” (a word play on the news agency Interfax):
Войска республиканской армии Египта были разбиты на подходах к Шарм-эль-Шейху и Хургаде. Во второй половине дня оба города окончательно перешли под контроль отдыхающих из России. «Это наши города, и мы никому не позволим диктовать нам свои правила. Не лезьте в чужой монастырь со своим уставом», – заявил командующий русской Алкогольческой армии Николай Деникин.
The forces of Egypt's republican army have been smashed on approach to Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurghada. In the second half of the day, both cities came under total control of vacationers from Russia. “These are our cities, and we won't let anyone dictate to us their rules. […]” said the commander of the Russian Alcoholic army, Nikolai Denikin.
Behind such levity lies a sad fact, however. Many Russians are going through with their plans because they cannot afford to lose their vacations — especially since they are not guaranteed their money back. This point was made [ru] by Facebook user Elijah Chertcoff:
Тем, кто копил из своей нищенской зарплаты в 15-20 тысяч рублей, деньги на отдых у тёплого моря, ничего не остаётся, кроме как закрыть глаза, стиснуть зубы и получить дозу ультрафиолета и свежих витаминов “пока не началось”. […] В конце концов, курортную зону и покой россиян египетская армия будет оборонять до последнего […]
Those who have managed to save for a warm beach vacation from their pauperly wages of 15-20 thousand rubles [per month], have nothing to do but close their eyes, set their teeth, and get their dose of ultraviolet and vitamins “before it hits the fan.” […] After all, the Egyptian army will guard the resort area and the comfort of the Russians to the end […]
This theory seems to be borne out by this despairing VKontakte comment [ru]:
Как нам себя не успокаивать, если мы приняли решение лететь? […] Нам всем страшно, но кто-то сдал путевку, кто-то нет и будет себя успокаивать.
How can we not try to reassure ourselves, if we have decided to go? […] We are all scared, but someone gave up their travel package, and someone didn't, and will try to reassure themselves.

author: Andrey Tselikov


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More Religion, Less Science in Indonesia School Reform · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Indonesia has recently implemented a curriculum reform in over 6,000 schools which instantly generated backlash owing to lack of preparations and the removal of Science, English, and Information Technology as separate subjects.
At the primary level, 11 subjects were reduced into 6 subjects while class hours were raised from to 26 hours to 30 hours every week. The teaching of the English language and science was merged with priority subject areas such as Bahasa Indonesia, nationalism and religious studies. Additional two hours were allocated for religious studies. At the senior high school level, students were required to join the national scouting organization for their extracurricular activity.
Primary school students in Indonesia. Photo from Flickr page of Abdul Rahman (CC License)
The focus on civic and religious education is meant to develop the youth’s “sense of morality and social responsibility.” In particular, the reforms were conceptualized to make students “tolerant and peaceful” in response to the growing problem of violence in schools.
New teaching methods were also introduced aside from promoting a curriculum that adopts the “integrative thematic concept.”
Mirzatus Solikhah summarizes the content of the school curriculum reform program:
The new curriculum fulfills three main components of education: knowledge, skill, and attitude. Knowledge is proved by the lesson in general. Skill is from their practical lesson like sports and attitude is reflected by implementing the additional time for religion subject.
The immediate impact might be the displacement of English and IT teachers:
English and IT (Information and Technology) teachers might lose their job.
In order for the reforms to work, the government must address the following issues:
At least there are three important things must be fixed. They are the textbook, teacher training; education governance.
But teachers complained that they were only given five days of training. Textbook shortages were also reported in several provinces. Jennifer learned about the problem in the local paper:
The local newspaper just published a story today that most of the students in targeted schools have not even received their textbooks. When asked, the ministry’s response was: get creative, search the materials on the internet, and photocopy them!
M. Faruq Ubaidillah is happy that the reforms will give students more time to focus on fewer subjects:
…this gesture will lead students to spend their time effectively and efficiently in the class during the teaching and learning process. They have no need to focus on such many subjects which only make them baffled. Isn’t better to have fewer subjects with more focus rather that many but less focus. Furthermore, English can be learned outside the school time.
But Harry Wardana didn’t approve the removal of Science and English as separate subjects:
If you take a look at most modern nations, they’re really putting preposterous concern on advancement of science and technology. They believe that the advancement on science frontier will reset what it is for a nation to dream about. And sadly our government doesn’t speak the same language, literally and figuratively.
What a depressing mental landscape.
Thalia also believes that the dropped subjects are essential components of basic education:
Curriculum 2013 puts attitude on the higher priority than skill competencies and knowledge.
I wonder if the government forgot that for reaching the bright future good attitude must be accompanied by knowledge. Moreover, those subjects are very important for children's development.
Agita Sesara asks if the government and schools are ready to implement the various reforms in the new curriculum:
…this will be a very fundamental change. This is not just a matter of eliminating subjects, but a complete alteration of the core teaching methods of the current pool of teachers. Will the teachers be able to keep up with the changes?
Are all the resources and personnel involved in education ready to adapt? If the answer is no, then the change will be nothing but an empty gesture.
International Education 2012 mentions the accusation made by some groups that the reforms were done to justify the offering of more religious topics in the curriculum:
…critics of the proposal do not think that a curriculum overhaul is the answer. Some teachers worry that government and religious leaders are oversimplifying the problem and are using terms like “character building” and “morality” to justify more religious education.
Perhaps to appease critics, the government vowed to hold a “Curriculum Census” next month to assess the impact of the reforms. It also allotted more funds for the training of teachers in preparation for the nationwide implementation of the reforms next year.

author: Mong Palatino


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Uzbek Authorities Seek to Control Bloggers · Global Voices
Alexander Sodiqov

The authorities in Uzbekistan are seeking to impose strict controls on the country's bloggers. Alisher Abdugofurov on Registan.net shares his opinion about why this is happening in a society where there are not many bloggers to start with.

author: Alexander Sodiqov


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VIDEO: Father of Jailed Vietnamese Blogger Speaks About his Case · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The 88 Project uploads a video interview of the father of Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, the Vietnamese blogger who is facing a 16-year jail term for allegedly spreading anti-government propaganda.
…to claim innocence for him we have many times appealed to the top state leaders and related government agencies for reconsidering his law case in a court of cassation. Through repeated petitions, I have presented proof that the unfinished book written by Thuc together with 2 other democracy activists is purely for the purpose of building and developing the country based on the respect for human rights


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30 Years Ago: Remembering The Anti-Tamil Pogrom And Riots In Sri Lanka · Global Voices
Rezwan

To remember Black July, the anti-Tamil pogrom and riots in Sri Lanka during July 1983, citizen journalism website Groundviews launched a special online publication titled “30 Years Ago“. It consists of an array of contents, from mixed media triptych to info-graphics, audio podcasts to video, photography to compelling write-ups. According to the publication website:
Groundviews brought together leading documentary filmmakers, photographers, activists, theorists and designers, in Sri Lanka and abroad, to focus on just how deeply the anti-Tamil pogrom in 1983 shaped our imagination, lives, society and polity.

author: Rezwan


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Can the Movie “Elysium” Explain Immigration Today? · Global Voices
Robert Valencia

Elysium, a movie set in the year 2155 starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, takes a stab at the health care system in the United States, but it also offers an insight into the country’s immigration system if comprehensive reform takes place—sort of. [Warning: This article may contain some spoilers.]
The film, directed by Neill Blomkamp, takes place on a state-of-the-art space habitat called Elysium in an overpopulated and ravaged planet Earth.
Matt Damon in his leading role on “Elysium.” Photo taken from YouTube.
Elysium centers its focus on a former convict named Max (Damon), whose deplorable health condition forces him to seek the services of a criminal political leader who also wants to get a hold of Elysium’s exceptional health care resources in order to find a cure for ailing earth inhabitants. Nevertheless, they will face Elysium’s rogue Secretary of Defense Delacourt (Foster), who relentlessly keeps inhabitants (or as the movie calls them, “illegals”) from entering Elysium at all costs.
At the beginning of the movie, a space ship carries a large number of immigrants in an attempt to enter Elysium, to which Delacourt orders a merciless takedown. Albeit not in the same fashion, law enforcement has been an important component in the passage of S.744 bill on June 27, 2013, so as to halt immigration influx at the border.
As Elysium unravels, one would think that the main reason these “illegals” want to flee planet Earth for a more comfortable life in Elysium is paralleled to the reason why many immigrants decide to cross the border and find a better life in the United States (of course, the U.S. being the “Elysium” for all hopeful immigrants overseas).
The movie also shows that immigrants go to Elysium to find better health care, but they need to become Elysium citizens in order to enjoy it. In real life, many undocumented immigrants face the same problem, as they don’t have access to health care.
Before entering into the weeds of immigration discussion, blogs such as ThinkProgress explain that Elysium falls short in explaining why health care in the spatial satellite is better than on Earth:
“But Elysium falls apart the more you think about it–and fails in its mission to speak truth to power–because of its inability to explain a simple question: why is health care scarce on Earth in the world of Elysium? The movie shows us many ways that life in Elysium is more comfortable and satisfying than life on earth, but Blomkamp focuses his camera narrowly on people on Earth who want to get to Elysium mainly for access to medical pods that can cure even grave illnesses with a single, quick scan.”
ThinkProgress goes on to say:
“And at the conclusion of the movie, they get it. After Spider and Max download a program into the Elysium mainframe that makes everyone on Earth a citizen, and thus able to be scanned by the devices, shuttles full of the pods take off for Earth where people of all races, genders, and creeds flock to make use of them. It’s not as if there’s a medical device scarcity. There could be other reasons that health care is restricted, but it’s not particularly made clear in the movie what those motives might be.”
Applying the latter paragraph to real life, one can imply that legalizing the immigration status of 11 million people in the United States will ensure a better quality of life for them. As the Immigration Policy Center points out:
Including legal immigrants in the health care system not only strengthens the system, but is a critical part of their integration into U.S. society. In addition to working, paying taxes, and learning English, legal immigrants should be able to pay their fair share and have affordable health care like everyone else.
When asked whether the film depicts what human conditions will be like in 140 years, Blomkamp answered: “No, no, no. This isn't science fiction. This is today. This is now.” In terms of immigration, Blomkamp may not be that far from the truth.
The movie opens with younger Max envisioning a life in Elysium while his caring nun explains to him that his life is destined for a greater purpose—all this spoken in Spanish.
Elysium paints the United States as a country that has been overtaken by Latinos and whose de jure language is Spanish, when signs in local offices and factories contain larger Spanish-written signs and law enforcement referred to as “Policía.”
Many experts consider that by the year 2050, Hispanics and other communities of color will become America’s largest group, so we won’t have to wait till 2154 to see this come true. Perhaps by opening a roadmap to citizenship to all hopeful U.S. residents, rather than seeing a grim planet Earth (or in this case, the U.S.) we will see a boon in years to come.
Lastly, one thing we can also draw from the movie is that no society, as perfect as it intends to be, can turn a blind eye on its inhabitants and their needs –and approaching the case of immigration is the first step towards understanding human stories.

author: Robert Valencia


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China: Egypt’s Bloody Crackdown Brings Back Memories of Tiananmen · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Egypt’s bloody crackdown on August 14 reminded many Chinese of the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. Many condemned the violent crackdown and applauded the courage of the Egyptian people to fight for democracy. But some saw the current chaos in Egypt as a result of a blind promotion of Western-style democracy. China Beats collected opinions from different fronts.


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Churches Attacked in Upper Egypt  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

David Degner shares photographs from the mobbed and burned churches in Mallawi, Minya, in Upper Egypt here.
He writes:
Friday two churches in the village of Mallawi, a village in the province of Minya, were attacked and set on fire.
After the attack on the pro-Morsy sit in where more than 600 people died, Morsy supporters gathered after Friday prayer storming and burning two churches, and some Christian owned shops in the village of Mallawi.
Groups also attacked and looted the museum of Mallawi, and banks, shops and 10 other churches in Minya.
He shares this video, showing the Evangelical Church, in Mallawi, burning:

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Guatemalan Indigenous People Hold Peaceful Protests · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

As part of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Guatemalan indigenous people held peaceful protests around the country to demand that their rights be respected.
Cultural Survival reported on the peaceful protests which were held on August 9, 2013:
The general sentiment of the protests as sited by Indigenous leader Paulina Culum, was that they were “against the injustice, inequality, and corruption that have plagued [Indigenous] communities in Guatemala over the last 500 years, and continue to do so today”.
Among the extensive list of legal initiatives and requests that were purported during the protests, was the community radio movement’s bill 4087, which proposes the legalization of community radio in the country.


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India-Bhutan Friendly Relations: A Reality Check  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Blogger Yeshey Dorji from Thimphu, Bhutan comments on the current state of apparently friendly India-Bhutan relations:
India’s unabashed transgression into our domestic affairs has demonstrated that where it is an understanding between two unequal partners, there is little reason to believe that any commitment – whether written or unwritten, will be respected – particularly by the stronger of the two parties.


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Kilombo Conference on Africa, Africans and Social Justice · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The Kilombo Centre for Citizens’ Rights and Conflict Resolution, Peki, Ghana is organizing the 2nd Kilombo Conference on Africa, Africans and social Justice. The conference is aimed at bringing together a large and representative gathering of Africans and people of African descent to discuss issues bothering on Africa, Africans and social Justice. It is taking place from Friday 27/09/2013 to Sunday 29/09/2013.


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Saudi Judge to Jailed Activist: You Need a Lawyer? Aren’t You a Man? · Global Voices
Guest Contributor

This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia
The third session of Umar Al-Saeed's trial took place yesterday [August 18] in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia. Umar Al-Saeed, a member of the Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), was detained on April 28  for refusing to attend an interrogation session without his lawyer.
As in the second session, Umar Al-Saeed was kept handcuffed. He complained from the pain handcuffs cause, but the judge, Eisa Al-Matroudi, refused to have them removed.
When attendees started entering the court room, the judge ordered officers to surround Al-Saeed and refused that his representatives, Abdullah Al-Saeed and Eisa Al-Hamed, sit next to him. Furthermore, he refused the representatives sit next to each other.
The judge asked Al-Saeed, the youngest member of ACPRA arrested so far, about one of the charges, “Criticizing the rulers”; Umar Al-Saeed tried conferring with his representatives. “Why do you need your representatives’ help to answer? Aren't you a man?” The judge provocatively asked. Umar then refused to answer demanding the maltreatment ends. Umar Al-Saeed has complained before from maltreatment by the interrogator.
During trial, one of the attendees, Mohammad Al-Rabiah [@mohad_f], told the judge it's illegal he asks the defendant and his representatives not to confer. The judge called Al-Rabiah to sit near him and gave him the law of criminal procedure asking him to pinpoint the articles that prevent the judge from doing so.
Another attendee, Muhammad Al-Ahmad, was kicked out:
في محاكمة #عمر_السعيد طردني القاضي عيسى المطرودي بحجة أكل (علك)! الغريب إنه ما كلمني،على كلام العسكري الأمر من القاضي! #محاكمة_حسم_القصيم
— محمد الأحمد (@Muhammad_Ab) August 18, 2013
In Umar Al-Saeed's trial, the judge kicked me out for chewing gum! Strangely, he didn't talk to me, but an officer said it was the judge's order.
Bayan Al-Bjadi [@Urooobh_] and Jinan Al-Ghaith [@JMNG6] were not allowed to attend the trial. The officers told them the judge doesn't allow women in and tried to get them to go home. The women refused and waited outside till the trial was over.
Bayan tweeted:
وبس .. صحيح اننا مادخلنا المحاكمة ، بس اعتبرنا دخلنا ، و ابجي ثانية وثالثة و رابعة وخامسة ان شاء الله لمين يسمحون لنا #الضغط_يفيد
— بيان البجادي (@Urooobh_) August 18, 2013
Even though we couldn't enter the court, but it's like we did. And I will attend again and again until they allow us.
It's not the first time that judges barred women from attending trials. Some Twitter users saw this a systematic discrimination against women by the judicial system:
همة الجبال هي : أن يذهبن نساء وطني لحضور المحاكمات رغم علمهم المسبق بأنهم سيعانين من #تمييز_القضاء_ضد_المرأة و سيتم منعهن بدون وجه حق
— 사느 (@ISUN__) August 18, 2013
Persistence is when women in my country go to trials they know they won't be allowed to enter because of the judiciary's discrimination against women.
According to attendees, the judge asked the representatives to demand his replacement saying he wants to leave this case. He was so irritated that he didn't set a date for the next session. No records were signed by the defendant and representatives.
Six more members of the Civil and Political Rights Association remain in jail in Saudi Arabia. One of them, Mohammad Al-Bjadi, was released on August 6 and re-arrested on August 14 for no apparent reason.
This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia

author: Guest Contributor


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PHOTO: Thousands Occupy Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior and Paint Their Protest  · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Protesters’ painting inside the Ministry of Interior. Photo taken by Val Chou.
More than twenty thousand people occupied the entrance of the president office on August 18, 2013 against the Land Expropriation Act and forced expropriation. Later at night, five thousand protesters entered the Ministry of the Interior and started their sit-in protest [zh]. They painted inside the building on the struggle between paddy and excavator.

author: I-fan Lin


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Thailand Wants to Monitor Conversations on LINE App · Global Voices
Aim Sinpeng

Thailand is pressing ahead with more Internet control – this time targeting the popular messaging application “LINE”.
The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) recently announced that it plans to “monitor” conversations on LINE as well as other social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp to remove “threats” to the national security. The TCSD argues that:
We need to make sure that we safeguard order, security and morality of Thailand.
The government believes monitoring conversations online does not violate citizen's rights and privacy.
Our priority is to ensure no one breaks the cyber crime law and that we receive permission from LINE operators.
Japan-based LINE corporation is currently in talks with the Thai government in relation to the issue. If all goes well (for the Thai government), such measure will affect the current 15 million LINE users in Thailand. The TCSD hopes that LINE will agree to be the ‘first line of surveillance’ against criminal activities:
We want LINE Corp. to be the the first line of surveillance and send us any ‘suspicious’ activity on their app
LINE is likely to follow the steps of other Internet companies such as Google, Twitter and YouTube which have often complied with the Thai government's request for the removal of Internet content that defames the monarchy. The 2007 Computer-Related Crime Act has made it possible for third parties to be liable for Internet violation committed by Internet users.
The government's renewed effort to curb Internet freedom outraged the Thai public both online and offline. The Thai Netizen Network, an Internet advocacy group, has released a press statement condemning this act as violating individual privacy. The Lawyers Council of Thailand also questioned the legality of this new surveillance effort.
The government needs to make sure it does not violate the constitution, which explicitly says state agencies must respect individual's rights, freedom of speech and expression.
Online, net users are similarly upset by this recent government surveillance scheme. Valentika argues on a popular web board, Pantip, that any such effort by LINE or the government to filter conversations constitutes violation of privacy.
At the end of the day, monitoring LINE conversation between two individuals is no different from tapping someone's phone line. No developed country would ever allow this.
Koh Hai Loke Sa-ngob Suk writes on Kapook web board:
This government is getting stranger everyday. They claim to be a democratic government but they act like a tyranny. We must resist.
A recent poll by NIDA shows an overwhelming opposition against the government's new move to monitor LINE. Some 74 percent of the respondents disagree with such measure, arguing that the government is censoring free speech by invoking national security.
Information control and Internet surveillance are among the issues raised against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Public opposition to the government's latest move to restrict the country's freedom of expression is making a limited impact at the moment but the movement could gain momentum.

author: Aim Sinpeng


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The Moscow Mayor’s Mischievous Viral Marketing · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Throughout the Moscow mayor’s race, Alexey Navalny’s campaign has taken a beating from all sides on questions about financing, nationalism, and even transparency. A wide array of government actors and pro-Kremlin interests have harassed him with allegations of illegal foreign funding and off-the-books campaign materials, and even fellow oppositionists worry about his potentially racist attitude toward migrant workers from the Russian south and near abroad.
Leonid Volkov, lecturing about online start ups, 25 November 2012, screen capture from YouTube.
Navalny now returns the favor.
Earlier today, August 19, 2013, Navalny’s campaign manager, Leonid Volkov, published [ru] on LiveJournal evidence that public relations professionals are behind several websites supposedly independent from Sergey Sobyanin’s mayoral campaign. After offering a brief tutorial in identifying in a website’s source code the origin of “like” widgets that track back to the Russian social network Vkontakte.ru, Volkov demonstrated that the same PR firm, “MakeIdea Inc,” sponsored the VK widgets embedded on two very different pro-Sobyanin web pages. (Since Volkov’s blog post, MakeIdea Inc has deleted both its widgets and VK page.)
The first website, called “Add Sobyanin!,” is a project from advertising photographer Igor Kublin [ru] that juxtaposes images of Moscow before and after Mayor Sobyanin’s tenure, showing visitors the city’s various improvements in recent years. (In a rather ingenious marketing ploy, this tactic pits Sobyanin against disgraced former Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, rather than his current rivals, which include Navalny.) The second website is titled “Test Navalny!” and it features a challenge from neo-Nazi Maksim Martsinkevich, popularly known as “Tesak,” daring Navalny to take a polygraph test while answering ten leading questions clearly intended to defame his reputation.
Tesak speaks to his YouTube audience, 2 May 2013, screen capture from YouTube.
Volkov also highlights a third website that is ostensibly a protest effort, titled, “Anyone but Sobyanin!” The site (which hosts a short video of a man caricaturing a North Caucasian kiosk worker complaining about how Sobyanin cleaned up the city’s streets) is actually a transparent endeavor to celebrate Sobyanin’s work to reduce the presence of outdoor vendors in Moscow. “Anyone but Sobyanin!” featured a VK widget created by Mikhail Liubich [ru], a director at the marketing firm Agency One [ru], which Volkov points out once employed Alexey Goreslavsky, a publicist with established ties [ru] to government-friendly circles.
Volkov’s claims against the Sobyanin campaign intentionally mirror the charges Navalny has faced from others. The raid on the “Navalny Bros,” carried out at the behest of rival candidate Nikolai Levichev, was a smear attempt to show that Navalny uses unofficial henchmen, presumably to spend campaign funding acquired illicitly. Now it appears that Sobyanin’s reelection hopes also benefit from the work of suspicious “independent supporters.” To the detractors who often criticize Navalny for his nationalist sympathies, Volkov argues that his rival boasts fascist ties, pointing to the racist extremism inherent in “Anyone but Sobyanin!” and the campaign’s possible connection to a well-known neo-Nazi. “Sobyanin and Tesak — friends forever!” Volkov jokes.
Still image from the “Anyone but Sobyanin!” video clip.
As it turns out, this isn’t the first time Agency One has been involved in a website designed to boost the personality cult of a prominent Russian politician. In August 2011, Pavel Prianikov’s blog, “Tolkovatel” (Inquirer), ran a story [ru] about “Like-Putin.ru,” a webpage that still exists and features various games, where visitors can battle terrorists and put out wildfires, playing as Vladimir Putin. When asked who ordered the website, none other than Mikhail Liubich explained, “It’s just PR for our own agency,” denying rumors that the government paid Agency One to build the games.
With scandals so common in this year’s Moscow mayoral race, it’s hard to know if Volkov’s various pro-Sobyanin websites are indeed the work of a clandestine election campaign, or are instead, as Liubich once argued, the PR projects of scheming marketing agencies. For now, anyway, the Navalny campaign can revel in its own publicity coup, as it shows once again that the Russian authorities throw stones in glass houses.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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At 87, Fidel Castro is “Imperfect but Human” · Global Voices
Ellery Roberts Biddle

He’s alive. Last week, Cuba’s former president and commander-in-chief turned 87. In addition to a host of official celebrations on the island, Fidel received a mix of well-wishes (and death wishes) from abroad: Newly elected Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro tweeted “feliz cumpleaños” to Fidel, while in Madrid, Cuban exiles marked the occasion with a mock coffin labeled, “Sepultura al Castrismo” [“Castrism to the Grave”].
In a communique sent from the “mountains of Colombia,” the Secretariat of the FARC [Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] rebel group sent birthday wishes to Fidel, emphasizing his importance as an inspirational figure for revolutionary leftist movements in the region and hailing his guidance and teachings in their “battle of ideas for true democracy, social justice and national sovereignty.”
Billboard in Cuba. Photo by Jim Snapper. (CC BY 2.0)
The FARC leaders are not alone in saluting the Commander this way –in Latin America and beyond, Fidel has held an almost mythical status for leftist revolutionary movements for decades. Since his 1959 inaugural speech in which a white dove perched upon his shoulder and the other at his podium, parallels between Fidel and religious leaders have inspired believers and historians alike. He has become a figure of legend, arguably as much for those who revere him as for those who reject his legitimacy as a leader.
In a “birthday post” for Fidel, blogger Ivan García remarked on the strangeness of Fidel’s continuing existence. “[Fidel Castro] has been given up for dead so many times that when death does come for him, many will believe it’s a joke.” Indeed, death has long seemed close at hand for Fidel, who has endured decades of attempts on his life (mainly by the U.S. government), as well as rumors of his death. From time to time, observers will interpret silence from Fidel as a sign of permanent departure and send the Twittersphere into a frenzy, only to be quelled by photographs and remarks from the Comandante himself.
While he now appears to be cheating death by illness, rather than by the hands of other governments, the legend lives on. “I had arrived at death, but then resuscitated myself,” he told Mexican journalist Carmen Lira Saade in a 2010 interview for La Jornada, several months after his emergence from intensive medical care for intestinal cancer.
Last week, a few bloggers on the island took the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of Fidel’s life for their generation, one that knows him in a different light than those past. At La Joven Cuba, Harold Cárdenas commented on the idea of Fidel as “superhuman”.
En algún momento tuve que definir qué postura tomar hacia Fidel, cómo interpretarlo, opté por encontrar en él a un ser humano con virtudes y defectos como cualquier otro. Alguien dotado de un desinterés extremo, inclinado hacia el altruismo, dotado de disímiles armas sicológicas y de un liderazgo natural. Alguien que también se equivoca, que compartió los prejuicios sociales existentes en los 70 y tuvo poco tino para escoger a las generaciones que lo relevarían en el cargo. Es decir, un ser imperfecto pero humano como yo, con el semidiós no podría identificarme nunca. Este Fidel que lucha, se equivoca pero lo vuelve a intentar una y otra vez, ese me parece admirable.
At some moment I had to identify what position I would take towards Fidel, how to interpret him, I decided to find in him a human being with virtues and flaws like any other. A person gifted with an extreme disinterest, inclined towards altruism, endowed with dissimilar psychological weapons from the ‘70s, and with innate leadership. Someone who also makes mistakes, who shared some of the social prejudices of the '70s, and who had poor judgment in selecting the generations of leaders who would follow him. This is to say, a person who is imperfect but human like me –I could never identify with the [idea of Fidel as a] demigod. This Fidel who fights, he may err but keeps on trying time after time, that one seems admirable to me.
While Cárdenas contemplated Fidel on a personal level, Ivan Garcia described a public disenchanted by the leader:
Aunque debido al ajetreo cotidiano de penurias sin resolver, un segmento amplio de la ciudadanía no evoca con agrado a su otrora máximo líder. Lo culpan del atraso, la escasez y la precariedad que vive hoy el país. Lo ven como un barco lejano en el horizonte. Ya pocos se preguntan cómo será el día después de su muerte.
Y es que el rumbo tomado por el General hace pensar que el legado de su hermano perdurará tras su desaparición física. Las predicciones sobre el futuro de Cuba son poco halagüeñas.
[…]
En el panorama lo que se distingue es más castrismo. Sin Fidel Castro.
[D]ue to the daily grind of hardship without letup, a broad segment of the public does not have pleasant feelings toward its former top leader. They blame him for the delays, the shortages, and the precarious standard of living in the country today. They see him as a distant ship sailing toward the horizon. Few ask anymore what it will be like the day after his death.
And the direction taken by the General suggests that the legacy of his brother will endure after his physical disappearance. Predictions about the future of Cuba are bleak.
[…]
All they can see in the picture is more Castroism. Without Fidel Castro.
Despite the predictions of media and political leaders abroad, many of whom seem certain that Fidel’s death will trigger an immediate and enduring transformation of the island and its outsized bureaucracy, García’s notion seems likely. In a country where the great majority of working-age citizens are employed by the government, it could take years or even decades for such a fundamental shift in government policy and practice to take place.
As Cárdenas puts it, Fidel is human. Like the rest of us, there's no telling when he'll go. But after he does, he will likely remain the stuff of legend for a very long time.

author: Ellery Roberts Biddle


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Iran: Jailed Blogger on Hunger Strike · Global Voices
Farid

Hossein Ronaghi Malki a jailed blogger who is serving a 15-year sentence in prison started his hunger strike last week.A Facebook campaign has been launched to support him.


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National Agrarian Strike Begins in Colombia · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

In July, the agricultural sector led by the MIA (National Agricultural and Popular Bureau of Exchange and Agreement) called for [es] a national agrarian strike to start this Monday, August 19, in Colombia.
On August 8, this organization presented [es] a list of demands [es] before the Ministry of Agriculture directed at the Government to prevent a national strike, but it appears as though they did not come to any sort of agreement, despite some Congress members having pointed out [es] their willingness to open up a dialogue.
Colombia Soberana reposted [es] the list of demands on their blog. Of the six key points in it are the following:
1. We demand the implementation of measures and actions against the crisis of agricultural production.
2. We demand access to land ownership.
The strike has generated sympathy [es] in various sectors that are against the liberal government model, and also involves [es] other organizations which, even though they do not subscribe to all of the points on the list of demands, they do support some of them, such as the sector of coffee growers [es], brown sugar farmers [es], or the CNA [es] (National Agrarian Coordinator).
On YouTube, user Marcha Patriótica has uploaded the following video creating a graphic of the 6 points mentioned:
On Sunday, August 18, the hashtag #YoParoPor (“I strike for”) was on the list of Trending Topics on Twitter for several hours. With it, netizens have given various motives for supporting the strike. For example, Congress member Iván Cepeda tweeted:
#YoParoPor Colombia es inviable si el 1% de los propietarios sigue siendo dueño de entre el 50 y el 60% de la tierra.
— Iván Cepeda Castro (@IvanCepedaCast) August 18, 2013
Colombia can't move forward if 1% of the owners continue to own between 50% and 60% of the land.
Meanwhile, lawyer Carolina Rodríguez commented:
#yoparopor que los campesinos cultiven con las semillas que alimentaron a nuestros abuelos y no las porquerías que Monsanto nos quiere dar
— Carolina Rodríguez R (@CaroZ19) August 19, 2013
I strike for the farmers to grow crops with the seeds that fed our grandparents and not the garbage that Monsanto wants to give us
— Carolina Rodríguez R (@CaroZ19) August 19, 2013
Translation: “August 19 National Agriculture and Popular Strike” Image from @marchapatriota‘s Twitter account.
On his behalf, President Juan Manuel Santos has authorized [es] the police to act “with full force” against those who close the streets during the strike.