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Mexicans Demand President Peña Nieto Resign With Trending Twitter Hashtag · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

Enrique Peña Nieto, president of México. Image on Flickr by Presidencia de la República Mexicana (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Before his annual state of the union address on September 2, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and his administration were already sliding in popularity, with 47 percent in a Pew Research Center survey giving a negative rating of the president's influence (up from 38 percent a year earlier). Energy, education, telecommunications reforms and permanent insecurity were all targets of criticism from the public.
Three recent cases of high-profile violence have only intensified the anger and frustration that Mexicans are feeling towards their government, especially towards the head of state: the Tlatlaya execution, which occurred on June 30 and resulted in 22 gangsters were killed at the hands of the army. Then came the deadly ambush and forced disappearances of dozens of student teachers from Ayotzinapa on September 26, as reported by Global Voices. Finally, the discovery of the illegal mass graves in Iguala some days later on October 6.
It's still not known if the mass graves in Iguala are related to the student teachers. The authorities claim the first mass graves discovered were not related to the students, but at least 19 have been found to date. Investigators are still working on them.
The hashtag #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN (I demand your resignation Enrique Peña Nieto – EPN) became a worldwide trending topic and is still topping lists in Mexico after several days. Under this hashtag, Mexicans have expressed their reasons why they want their president to leave office. Here we share some of them:
#DemandoTuRenunciaEPN ¡Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos! pic.twitter.com/NATI4RigKq
— Javy (@cagando_el_palo) October 18, 2014
[The poster in the photo reads: “Today we aren't all here. We're missing 43, but they aren't just statistics. They are young people like us.”]
I demand your resignation EPN. They took them alive, we want them alive!
“They took them alive, we want them alive!” is a popular chant in protests asking for the safe return of the Ayotzinapa students.
Porque el pueblo no te eligio,por la pobreza,desempleo y desapariciones que has permitido #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN
— GABY TRUJANO (@GABYTRUJANO) October 19, 2014
Because the people didn't elect you for the poverty, unemployment and disappearances that you have allowed.
#DemandoTuRenunciaEPN porque no eres capaz de detener la violencia ni te importa
— Nora (@Noralacel) October 19, 2014
I demand your resignation EPN because you are incapable of stopping the violence and you don't even care.
#DemandoTuRenunciaEPN Porque hay una desaparecida más que está muerta en México y sólo revivirá si el PUEBLO quiere. pic.twitter.com/Zn5QzrAowT
— Ale‘ el Ingeniebrio (@iAle_chuk) October 18, 2014
[The poster in the photo reads: “I demand your resignation EPN because there's another person missing in Mexico who's dead and will only revive if the PEOPLE want it (said in reference to the figure of justice)]
Por el bien de México, para dignificar la política y reivindicar a la comunidad humana: #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN
— filosdie (@filosdie) octubre 18, 2014
For the sake of Mexico, to dignify politics and vindicate the human community. I demand your resignation EPN.
“Guerrerenses decidirán salida de Aguirre: Peña” Y todo México la tuya: #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN http://t.co/k4yKEQqmDU
— HeraclitoKarel☭ (@HeracliKarel) October 18, 2014
“People from Guerrero will decide Aguirre's ousting: Peña” And all of Mexico will decide yours EPN. I demand your resignation EPN
Angel Aguirre Rivero is the current governor of Guerrero, the southern state, where the convoy of students were attacked.
#DemandoTuRenunciaEPN POR TRAIDOR A LA PATRIA !!! pic.twitter.com/aEdmA9gzxi — Arlequín (@A_MORES) October 18, 2014
[The image reads: Traitor to the nation for buying five million votes with money stolen from state budgets; for handing over national resources to private parties; for serving multinational companies; for harm done to the environment and national heritage; for condemning millions of Mexicans to misery and slavery.]
I demand your resignation EPN for TREASON TO THE NATION!!!
Some remembered the controversial Time cover from February 24, 2014 where Peña Nieto appeared under the headline “Saving Mexico”.
As per @TIME @EPN was “saving” #México, now his government is killing it! #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN @latinorebels @CSUNLJ pic.twitter.com/bwDxbsabqW
— Ricardo Hernandez (@Ricardohdzmx) October 18, 2014
There were some who spoke about the rotten political class in general.
México es un gran país, sin embargo apatía/sumisión ciudadana es aberrante. La clase política nos ha despojado de todo #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN
— Enrique D (@kikesma) October 18, 2014
Mexico is a great country, nonetheless citizens’ apathy/submission is outrageous. The political class has stripped us from everything. I demand your resignation EPN.
#DemandoTuRenunciaEPN Pero ¿quien sería presidente? Todos son igual de corruptos e incompetentes. Necesitamos políticos preparados
— Benji Carrace (@benji_carrace) October 18, 2014
I demand your resignation EPN. But, who would be the president? Every politician is equally corrupt and incompetent. We need well-prepared politicians.
Also, there were reminders of the national strike and protests planned for October 22.
Lo dijimos el 8 con #AyotzinapaSomosTodos hoy lo reafirmamos con #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN el 22 nos vemos en las calles. pic.twitter.com/JPu3yD49Ds
— Juan Yves Palomar (@JuanYvesPalomar) October 18, 2014
We said on the 8th with #AyotzinapaSomosTodos (We are all Ayotzinapa), today we stand by it with “I demand your resignation EPN”. See you on the 22nd on the streets.
And it was discussed how to turn virtual protests into concrete legal actions against the president, making references to the country's constitution.
#DemandoTuRenunciaEPN y me amparo en el artículo 39 de la constitución política mexicana pic.twitter.com/SGBYgAERtz
— Luchemos x México .. (@Transfiron) October 17, 2014
I demand your resignation EPN under article 39 of the Mexican political constitution.
Yo también #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN, recuerda que no eres mi jefe, eres representante nuestro y la constitución permite demandarte esto.
— Enrique Castillo (@ecastillo) October 18, 2014
I also demand your resignation EPN. Remember that you are not my boss, you are our representative and the constitution allows me to demand this.
OK… #DemandoTuRenunciaEPN ya es TT no. 1. Ahora: ¿cuáles son las ACCIONES LEGALES VERDADERAS para demandar su RENUNCIA? ¿EXISTEN ACASO?
— Jorge Cervantes (@jorcervan) October 18, 2014
OK… I demand your resignation EPN is already the no. 1 TT. Now, what are the REAL LEGAL ACTIONS to demand his RESIGNATION? DO THEY EVEN EXIST?
Follow our in-depth coverage: Bring Back Mexico's Missing #Ayotzinapa Students

author: Elizabeth Rivera


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One Vibe Africa Launches Africa From the Skies · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

One Vibe Africa uses music and art to inspire Kenyan youths to appreciate culture and tradition and to develop their own creative potential. Their latest initiative #Africafromtheskies needs your support. Africa From the Skies is an expedition to create empowering films and media, capture culture and facilitate workshops.

source: news-globalvoices

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

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Preventing Ebola in Nigeria With Ebola Alert Twitter Feed · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Ebola Alert Twitter feed is the creation of evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals working on Ebola prevention interventions. The initiative involves active participation of professionals from different walks of life.
Follow our in-depth coverage: The Struggle to #StopEbola in West Africa


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Russians, Rejoice! The Long-Awaited ‘Meduza’ News Portal Has Arrived! · Global Voices
Kevin Rothrock

Mosaic floor in a tepidarium of the Roman era. Museum of Sousse, Tunisia. Photo by Ad Meskens, CC 3.0.
A cross between news aggregation and independent reporting, Meduza is the coolest thing to hit online Russian journalism in recent memory. Part of what makes this website so interesting is that it isn’t even based in Russia: Meduza’s headquarters is in Riga, Latvia, where 18-odd Lenta.ru expats are now settling, after uprooting themselves from their cosmopolitan lives in Moscow. The project is the brainchild of Galina Timchenko, Lenta.ru’s former chief editor, who lost her job earlier this year, after running one too many stories describing the Ukrainian nationalist perspective on events in Kyiv.
Because of Meduza’s hybrid design (it aggregates! it originates!), the website’s methodology has been a cause for curiosity. Last week, Meduza’s co-founder, Ivan Kolapkov, talked to RuNet Echo about how Meduza produces content.
«Медуза» будет агрегировать новости и лучшие тексты на русском языке из самых разных источников — от государственных информагентств и газет до сайтов некоммерческих организаций и блогов (мы будем производить и свой собственный контент). Понятно, что прямой агрегации твитов быть не может — их сложнее всего проверять, они не обладают достаточной полнотой, но не мониторить их нельзя. А вот посты из фейсбука и «Вконтакте» нам, конечно, очень интересны — сами по себе. В некоторых ситуациях это уже готовый продукт.
Статус источника для «Медузы» совершенно неважен. Важны качество и достоверность. В этом, собственно, идея — искать и находить в русском интернете must reads: новости и тексты, без которых нельзя понять, что происходит сегодня в стране и мире.
Meduza is going to aggregate news and the best texts in Russian from all kinds of different sources—from state news agencies and newspapers to the websites of non-profits and blogs. (And we’ll be producing our own content.) Naturally, the direct aggregation of tweets isn’t possible; they are the most difficult to verify and they don’t have enough meat by themselves, though we’ll have to monitor them, too, of course. And we’re inherently interested in posts on Facebook and Vkontakte. In some cases, these posts will be ready for direct republication.
The content’s source is absolutely irrelevant to Meduza. All that’s important is quality and accuracy. As such, the idea is to seek out and find “must reads” on the Russian Internet: news and texts, without which it would be impossible to understand what’s happening today in Russia and in the world.
Ivan Kolpakov, Facebook.
Identifying “must reads” is more art than science, separating Meduza from existing RuNet projects like MediaMetrics.ru and the tweet aggregation service at TJournal.ru, which use automated algorithms to curate the “most discussed and shared” stories and tweets on the Russian Internet. Kolapkov says Meduza’s methodology is to supply readers with an “information living wage” (a phrase he worries isn’t as pretty in English as in Russian).
Это правда должны быть лучшие тексты — эксклюзивы, расследования, аналитика и репортажи, связанные с текущей повесткой; тексты-события, сами формирующие повестку; выдающаяся публицистика. Посмотрели «Медузу» — и знаете, о чем все говорят, и ничего не пропустили.
This is limited to the very best texts: the exclusives, investigations, analysis, and reports tied to the day’s news; the text-events that shape the news itself; and any outstanding journalism. Have a look at Meduza and you’ll know what everybody is talking about, without missing a thing.
It’s been up and running for less than a day, but Meduza already has a small cult following. The project and many of its staff have been extremely active on social media, particularly Instagram, where they post photographs of their headquarters in Riga, populated by a corps of intrepid, young journalists. Earlier this month, Sultan Suleimanov, one of the website’s seven content editors, published a photo-report about Meduza’s new digs, where everyone works on recently unboxed Mac computers and shiny glass walls separate the offices.
“We’re trying to build a ‘little Moscow’ here,” Kolapkov told us. So far, it seems to be working. “The staff is fine with the move to Riga,” he says. “If it had been necessary to move to, let’s say, Uzbekistan, I don’t think this would have been an insurmountable problem, either.”
It has to travel more than 500 miles to Latvia, but Meduza’s naysayers in Moscow have already started slinging mud. Earlier this month, the regime-friendly news site Ridus.ru ran a story attacking the project, suggesting that it is Nazi-sympathizing and funded by former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkosvky (who was an early investor, but later dropped out, Meduza says). The Ridus article even recycles a joke by pro-Kremlin blogger Konstantin Rykov, mocking the name “Meduza,” which means both “Medusa” and “jellyfish” and is apparently Russian slang for a woman’s private parts, according to some people on the Internet.
Kolapkov says his team is ready for this kind of harassment, which he describes as just the drizzle before the “shitstorm.” With secret funding and offices outside Russia, Meduza has a third weapon against the kind of repression that destroyed Lenta.ru’s independence: it is tailored for mobile apps on iOS and Android.
Over the past two years, the Kremlin has developed increasingly sophisticated means of blacklisting websites deemed extremist or otherwise illegal. So far, the list of banned news sites remains short, but Meduza, if it becomes a big success or lands a particularly Earth-shattering scoop, could find itself in the authorities’ crosshairs.
Meduza.io, now up and running.
Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist and security services expert, told RuNet Echo that he’s unfamiliar with technical options for banning mobile apps in Russia. “The problem could be solved only by ‘administrative means,’” he says, “that is, direct pressure on companies like Apple.”
But the Kremlin doesn’t have to get Silicon Valley in a headlock, Soldatov adds. Meduza is still vulnerable to deep packet inspection (DPI) censorship, which can affect mobile apps without requiring action against the administrators of the App stores at Apple or Google. Intercepting data this way, however, requires expensive equipment that many Russian ISPs can’t currently afford. Even if the Russian government decides to force Internet providers to invest in DPI capabilities, there are special tools, like Psiphon, “developed specifically for the countries with repressive regimes to make mobile apps, like BBC and Radio Free Europe, available,” Soldatov explains.
Russian censors’ efforts to control access to Meduza will likely rise with the public’s interest in the project. For now, at least, the website is sitting pretty, well designed for readers, insulated from common forms of censorship, and poised to make waves.

author: Kevin Rothrock


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Trailblazing ‘Soda Pop Anthology’ Showcases Comics by Puerto Rican Women · Global Voices
Alfredo Richner

The “Soda Pop Anthology” is a collection of comics illustrated and written by a large group of Puerto Rican women, in turn created and published independently by the studio of female comics writers, Soda Pop Comics.
The anthology was born as a vehicle to document this growing community of artists and is concerned mainly with establishing greater visibility and acceptance for its female creators. Beyond the world of comics, few volumes published on the island share such a noble (and difficult) task — and within it, a similar effort simply does not exist. As such, it is important to address the “Soda Pop Anthology” as the beginning, although it is certainly a culmination of sorts.
After founding Soda Pop Comics in 2007, Rosa Colón and Carla Rodríguez searched for a way to push other women to create their own comics. These initial efforts resulted in six collections of work under the stamp of “Anthology,” and gave way to four additional ones that were digitally distributed in 2013. “The Soda Pop Anthology,” which you can now have in your hands, gathers the best material from last year in 152 color pages and also includes stories created specifically for this print edition.
“Opus Operática” by Rosaura Rodríguez; “El lemur y el pulpo” by Mónica Parada. Used with permission.
A total of 26 collectives and artists are participating in the effort, from beginners to more established and experienced voices, offering a fairly comprehensive and complete panorama of the current comic's production on the island. Beyond the central concept — Puerto Rican women creating comics — there is no forced narrative nor theme that structures the collection (as was the case with “Ehpoty,” an anthology also published by Soda Pop Comics).
Each pair of pages takes the reader down a different path — from Rosaura Rodríguez's semantic games in watercolor to Mónica Parada's raw absurdity, from the light and playful spirit that characterizes Soda Pop's work, to Ivia E. Pantoja's sci-fi imagination with a Japanese influence. These works are complemented by an assortment of interviews, articles on the history of comics, and tutorials.
“Aventuras en el mar” by Soda Pop Comics; “Niveles” by Supakid. Used with permission.
The “Soda Pop Anthology” is an essential document for collectors of Puerto Rican comics and the hope is that it results in a greater appreciation of the medium, as with the publication of “DÍAS” in 2013 (by Rosaura Rodríguez and Omar Banuchi) through the Libros AC editorial. Those who know Soda Pop Comics's work know very well that the anthology is more than a link in the grand chain of initiatives — between exhibits, art classes, festivals, scholarship opportunities, and other social activities — aimed at promoting the production of comics on the island. But it is an important link, because it will introduce the work of new artists — and beyond that, it's an invitation to join and participate.
Get your copy for a limited time at Libros AC in Ponce De León Avenue in Santurce or order it online at Soda Pop Comics and Amazon.

author: Alfredo Richner


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A Just Sentence? Too Lenient? Oscar Pistorius Given 5 Years in Prison · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius in court. May 5, 2014 by Ihsaan Haffejee. Copyright Demotix.
Oscar Pistorius, the South African double-leg amputee runner who was found guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter) after shooting his girlfriend last year, has been sentenced to five years in prison. He also received a suspended sentence of three years for a firearm offence.
Pistorius says he thought Reeva Steenkamp was an intruder trying to break into the house through the bathroom window. The state, according to Judge Thokozile Masipa, failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Pistorius intended to kill her.
The trial, the biggest social media event in South Africa, generated huge global interest and intense media scrutiny. His conviction came on the heels of a 77-year sentence handed down to a rhino poacher in July, shocking and angering many Twitter users.
Others thought the judge was too lenient, a clear indication of a broken justice system in South Africa:
Utterly pathetic verdict. Makes a mockery of human life to be sentenced to less for killing than for fraud. Disgusting. #OscarPistorius
— David Talbot (@davidtalbot59) October 21, 2014
#oscarpistorius 5 years? He could be out in 2 years –NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!
— Dame Jana Hitchens-M (@offlinesometime) October 21, 2014
Under South African law, he will be eligible for release after 8 months.
Stefanie Ship asked:
What is wrong with this world in that you kill someone & only get 5 years imprisonment?! Is somebody only worth 5 years?! #OscarPistorius
— Stefanie Ship (@stefanieshipman) October 21, 2014
Remember – 5 year sentence means he could be free after not much more than 2 years. #OscarPistorius
— andrew harding (@BBCAndrewH) October 21, 2014
#OscarPistorius today women find out that our life is worth less than a logo on a training shoe perhaps!
— Louise (@louisebro66) October 21, 2014
you are a disgrace #Masipa NO JUSTICE 4Steenkamps & a travesty to womens’ rights /domestic abuse (which you deny in yr sentence)#OscarTrial
— Ms Marwood Black (@Marwood20) October 21, 2014
I know it was not about satisfying the society, but I would have liked the years to be 10 at least! #OscarPistorius #OscarTrial
— Sibusiso Mgidi (@SibusisoMgidi1) October 21, 2014
The trial was longer than how long Oscar will spend in jail. #OscarTrial
— Prince Akeem (@tackyz) October 21, 2014
On Facebook, Thapelo Tips Seemise compared the sentence to the time that has passed since Steenkamp's killing:
It took 2years to get to a conclusion of 5years imprisonment!!! Justice is a myth in our country #OscarTrial
Others, however, were in favour of the sentence:
@ChrisWragge Agreed. Still, 5 yrs is better than community service, which is where the Judge seemed headed. #OscarPistorius @CBSNewYork
— KK Smith (@sassy_kk) October 21, 2014
So many people to quick to judge Oscar as if they're perfect, he got prison time so be happy and stop complaining. #OscarTrial
— Nqobile (@Iam_nqobs) October 21, 2014
Regardless of what we think Judge Masipa really understands the purpose of #Judgment, its for #Reconciliation not #Condemnation #OscarTrial
— Prosper Ntuli (@Proetic) October 21, 2014
Not everyone will agree w/ sentence. Light. But #JudgeMasipa had well reasoned argument reaching sentence. #OscarSentence #OscarTrial.
— Thebe Ikalafeng (@ThebeIkalafeng) October 21, 2014
People mustn't make conclusions here and insult and act pathetic towards our Law. There's appeal that looks more possible.#OscarTrial
— MTHOKO HLELA•✌ (@MahatmaDUTCH_7) October 21, 2014
Some reacted with a sense of humor:
I expect a book trilogy release ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ #OscarPistorius
— Jess Espin (@JessEspinX) October 21, 2014
So…. who's buying the movie rights? I personally think Universal is overdone. #Oscartrial
— Felicia Mosiane (@FeliciaT_Mos) October 21, 2014
@EFF_Supporters Lol that's why Dewani came here to kill his wife bruh. #OscarTrial
— Charmagne Ledwaba (@LedWhat) October 21, 2014
Shrien Dewani is a British national accused of conspiring to have his wife Anni Dewani killed during their honeymoon in South Africa. His trial is underway in South Africa.


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As Pressure Mounts in Trinidad ‘Re-Route’ Protest, Pro-Highway Supporters Get Nasty · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A member of the Highway Re-Route Movement speaks during a candlelight vigil at Nelson Mandela Park on October 12, 2014. Photo used with permission.
Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh and the Highway Re-Route Movement in Trinidad and Tobago are not backing down in their fight against the construction of one section of new highway they say will displace residents and harm the environment. The Trinidadian professor and activist undertook a second hunger strike 34 days ago as a follow-up protest action, prompted by the government's reneging of its promise to consider the findings of an independent review committee, known as the Armstrong report.
But an advertorial designed to look like a bona fide newspaper report, which ran in the Trinidad Guardian last week, has changed the tone of any meaningful discussion. In it, a group calling itself “Citizens4dhighway” posted a photograph of Kublalsingh's feet, under which the caption read:
The Kub-lal. An unusual human reptile discovered here on the pavement basking in the limelight everyday outside the Prime Minister’s office, defies medical explanation by surviving without food and water for weeks without any sign of health issues.
The headline of the ad, “Trinidad and Tobago discovers a human reptile”, was just as mean-spirited. Wired868, a website popular for its political satire, did not let it slip by. It spared no criticism for the newspaper itself, for shielding its responsibility by saying it was a paid advertisement:
Phew. For a second, Mr Live Wire thought the Guardian newspaper was run by some perverse, soulless psychopaths with less human decency than the Boko Haram, who were happy to bully, slander and vilify a frail lecturer on a hunger strike.
But, no, Guardian did not really think those things; the newspaper was paid to publish it, you see. So that makes it alright. Not so?
It is a defence that would not work in court for a hit man or drug mule. But, for a multi-million dollar media house, who knows?
To underscore the point, the blogger shared this little joke:
An armed assailant fired a bullet which flew straight through the arm of a bystander and killed a passer-by. The police arrested the shot bystander.
‘But I didn’t shoot him,’ said the bleeding bystander. ‘Why are you arresting me?’
‘Because it’s through you the man dead,’ replied the policeman.
The made-up bystander obviously had a point. But the Trinidad Guardian, which collected money and then hid its payer’s identity behind a murky, unregistered organisation, has no case.
On Facebook, netizens were very critical of the ad — and the fact that the newspaper would even run it — saying that the discourse had sunk to a new low. Some even suggested it was the harbinger of “silly season”, as national elections are due next year. After the public outcry, the Trinidad Guardian printed an apology, which many thought was inadequate and just a means of dodging the responsibility for allowing the ad to appear in the first place.
The newspaper's official apology for running the anti-Kublalsingh ad. Photo of the apology as it was being circulated on Facebook; used with permission.
Kublalsingh and the Highway Re-Route Movement maintain that the Debe to Mon Desir stretch of road linking two main southern cities will displace a long-standing rural community and have a negative environmental impact on the Oropuche Lagoon and have put forward several factual arguments in support of their claims, many of which were echoed in the recommendations of the Armstrong Report.
The Re-Route Movement has even submitted its Optimum Connectivity Proposal to the government in an effort to end the impasse. Just over a week ago, the group held a candlelight vigil in support of transparency, mediation and good governance. Kublalsingh, who had lost consciousness and was warded at a nearby medical facility, was not in attendance, but the prime minister paid him a visit while the vigil was going on. The Re-Route Movement subsequently issued a press release thanking Mrs. Persad-Bissessar for “her kind visit” and detailing what was decided.
The government agreed to state what consideration it gave to the Armstrong Report, and promised that the works and infrastructure minister would invite members of the Highway Re-Route Movement to discuss the Optimum Connectivity Proposal. More than a week later, neither has happened. In the interim, the prime minister did not entertain either the request for mediation or to stop construction work on the highway.
Sadly, many anticipated things to sink to this level. Even before the offensive ad ran on October 18, blogger and public relations expert Dennise Demming republished a letter to the editor written by Paula Lucie-Smith, a Trinidadian who has been honoured for her work in adult literacy. In her letter, she lamented the fact that in the absence of the will to engage in respectful debate, the modus operandi of local politicians is always to go for the jugular:
Politicians humiliate those who challenge them – usually by saying they are mad. Because news in T&T focuses on what politicians say, they need only keep saying this for their self-serving opinion to become accepted.
Paula Lucie-Smith with political leader of the Movement for Social Justice, David Abdullah, at the October 12 candlelight vigil. Photo used with permission.
Demming herself, in a follow-up post, wrote:
On each occasion that the PP [People's Partnership] Government has come up against any formidable opposition, they have used a similar strategy – to discredit the person, in the full confidence that some mud will stick and eventually doubt will be created about the issue.
In this case, the PM’s intention is to change the conversation and divert attention away from the Armstrong Report.
Meanwhile, Kublalsingh and the Highway Re-Route Movement continue to address issues, saying:
[…] the vigil outside the Prime Minister’s office and hunger strike shall continue, that is no food no water, until there is actual evidence, as opposed to prevarication and stonewalling, of stoppage of works and a proper review done or agreed to be done.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Baby Doc’s Death Fails to Bring Closure for Haitians · Global Voices
Matthew Hunte

Protests as ‘Baby Doc’ returns to Haiti, 18 January 2011, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, photo by Jean Jacques Augustin. Demotix.
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier died earlier this month, on October 4, at the age of 63. He was buried a week later, at a private service. Though many Haitians eagerly awaited a world without Duvalier, who was known as “Baby Doc”, his death has been an unusually ambiguous event.
Duvalier, or “Baby Doc”, succeeded his father, Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, as president of Haiti in 1971. At the time of his father's death, Jean-Claude was only 19-years-old — purportedly the youngest president in the world. Though considered less brutal than his father, “Baby Doc” carried on many of the same repressive policies. Most infamously, he continued using the Tonton Macoutes, a paramilitary group, to repress by force any political opposition. It's estimated that the Tonton Macoutes are responsible for the deaths of more than 60,000 Haitians.
Jean-Claude Duvalier was deposed in a coup in 1986 and fled to France, with his then-wife, Michelle, and at least $300 million USD, stolen from the Haitian treasury. This was a large amount of money at the time, of course, but it's difficult to measure the enormity in Haiti's context. According to recent statistics, the beleaguered island nation is the single poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and the 20th poorest country in all the world.
After Haiti's devastating earthquake of 2010, “Baby Doc” controversially returned from exile. Despite charges made against him for corruption and human rights abuses, formal legal proceedings never got far and he died a free man. Duvalier was, however, denied a state funeral — a small victory for those who'd hoped to see him held accountable for his crimes.
Writing in French on Facebook, Pierre Joel provided an incomplete list of the victims of the Duvalier regimes (both the “Papa” and “Baby” Docs) over the period of 1957–1986. Amnesty International also published a video featuring the victims of the Duvalier regime:
Once news of Jean-Claude Duvalier's death broke, several members of the Haitian diaspora, many of whom left Haiti because of persecution, sought to share their feelings. Haitian-American Patrick Gaspard, the United States Ambassador to South Africa, tweeted his thoughts:
On Duvalier's death I'm thinking of the look in my mother's eyes when she talks about her brother Joel who was disappeared by that dictator.
— Ambassador Gaspard (@patrickgaspard) October 4, 2014
Some people on Twitter have pointed out that the United States helped support the Duvaliers, despite their violent tactics with opponents at home:
The US strongly backed Duvalier because he kept the huge majority of Haitians under control. And he was anti-communist.
— Alyssa (@alyssa011968) February 9, 2014
Others criticised current Haitian president, Michel Martelly, for his association with Duvalier and his supporters:
But #Martelly‘s silence about #Duvalier‘s atrocities, even offering condolences on behalf of the #Haitian people, is unconscionable.
— Fabienne Doucet (@bailabomba) October 4, 2014
We must – as Haitians, as people who stand for justice – NOT allow the illegitimate Martelly government to hide Duvalier's terrible legacy.
— J. Pierre (@BLK_DIASPORAS) October 4, 2014
Though Duvalier is now in the ground, some Twitter users are still distressed that so many of the figures from the dark days of his dictatorship are still around:
#Haiti: The Highest concentration of Right-wing criminal were at J.C.Duvalier funeral at Saint-Louis de Gonzague https://t.co/0u4ix90Xs2
— Matelamotgagot (@Matelamotgagot) October 13, 2014
The Duvalier funeral reminds us that a lot of criminals are still roaming around Haiti with impunity..
— Haiti Justice (@haiti_justice) October 12, 2014
The Duvaliers never paid for their crimes while they were alive; indeed, the fact that justice was not served is still a thorn in the side of many Haitians. Some hope for other forms of justice, though, seeking reassurance in an old Haitian proverb:
Haitian brethren, as the dictator Duvalier is laid to rest, remember the Haitian proverb: “A beautiful funeral does not guarantee heaven”
— French Havana (@FrenchieGlobal) October 11, 2014

author: Matthew Hunte


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Cyber Attack Downs Mozambique’s @Verdade News Site on Election Day · Global Voices
Janet Gunter

@Verdade logo
@Verdade, a Mozambican weekly newspaper and Global Voices partner, was the victim of a massive cyber attack on Oct. 15, 2014, when Mozambican general elections took place last week. The attack began on the eve of the election and managed to bring down the site at the very hour polls closed and votes were being counted across the large, southern African country.
While @Verdade was not able, due to lack of funds, to cover the election in realtime using its network of citizen reporters (as it did in 2013 last year), staff believe it was targeted because of its investigative coverage of the assets and mining interests of out-going President Armando Guebuza and his family.
The @Verdade article on Guebuza's accumulated business interests was translated into English and posted on All Africa the same day:
With a total of 27,160 hectares of land registered in the miner cadaster, the Guebuza family, through Intelec Holdigs and Tata Moçambique, holds seven licenses for prospecting and mining research.
They all have in common the fact that they have been assigned by the National Directorate of Mines, from the time when Armando Guebuza ascended to the post of President of the Republic.
Unfortunately, Mozambican readers had difficulty accessing it in the original Portuguese, due to the attack.
While the newspaper claims to know the origin of the massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, it has not released this information to the public. Africa Confidential highlighted the case in a piece about Mozambique elections, which although mostly peaceful were marred by a handful of violent incidents and attempts to manipulate the vote.
DDoS attacks are an increasing problem in sub-Saharan Africa, though not as frequent as they are in other parts of the world. The best-known example of a politically-motivated DDoS attack was in South Africa, against the African National Conference website in 2013. “Anonymous Africa” took responsibility for the attack, citing the ANC's support for Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe as the motive.

author: Janet Gunter


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Fashion Week Turns World’s Gaze on Tokyo · Global Voices
Sayuri Ishiwata

The six-day Mercedes Fashion Week kicked off in Tokyo on October 13 and culminated on October 19. Fashion Week is all about launching hot new 2015 fashions from the planet's biggest brands, with daily runway events and fashion exhibitions.
For nearly 20 years Mercedes Benz has sponsored “fashion weeks” all over the world in fashion centers such as New York, Paris and Milan. The Tokyo show marks the start of a series of events all over the world this fall taking place in 20 cities all over the world.
As one of the “top 5 cities,” Tokyo was for one week the center of attention in the global fashion scene.
Ha ha RTW Spring 2015 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week TOKYO #TFW #RTW
#Fashion #Style #Designer #Haha #Runway pic.twitter.com/5TyLP35q9U
— StyleFT (@StyleFTDaily) 2014, 10月 14
Dresscamp always brings the dressy camp ドレスキャンプ、この柄は、さすが！#tokyofashionweek #jfw #tfw #mbfwt #wwdjfw pic.twitter.com/Geuc3cD5D9
— ミーシャ mishajanette (@FashionTubuyaki) 2014, 10月 13
It's a party atmosphere filled with celebrities, events, and plenty of high fashion.
Kicking off the festival on October 13th was “MORI HANAE designed by Yu Amatsu”, an exhibit showcasing a new collection by Hanae Mori, a young designer with a bright future, while introducing a new brand by Mori Hanae.
Hanae mori #jfw #tfw #東コレ pic.twitter.com/RK6d3vNPIJ
— n↨oriyuki (@ex1227) 2014, 10月 13
Fashion journalist, stylist, and blogger Misha Janette writes in Japanese and English about her impressions as a newcomer to Tokyo Fashion week:
*時間厳守。海外では”ショーのスタート時間にホテルを出ても余裕で間に合う”よね？でもここは東京。数分の遅れでも車掌さんが丁寧に謝罪してくるような街。ちょっと早めに到着するべし。せめてスタート時間には着いてないと見逃すよ！
*…電車を活用すべし！東京の交通網は他のファッションシティとは比べ物にならないくらい優秀。[…] それに、タクシーに乗るのも他の国より簡単。でも[…]電車がおすすめ。だって、東京のタクシーは高い！！！初乗り2キロで710円って。。[…]電車に乗るのってちょっとした冒険みたいでいいじゃない？
*指定席ではないよ！基本的には早い者勝ち。優先順位はちょっと海外より難しいかも。第一優先:ビジネスパートナーと古くからの友人。第二:ブランドを取り上げてくれるメディア(年功序列)。第三:ニューフェイスのメディア。…バイヤーはあまり大切に扱われないハプニングが多いという噂だが…汗。
* BE. ON. TIME. I cannot iterate this enough. I know that the rule of thumb for overseas shows is “Leave your hotel the same time the show is scheduled to start and still be on time.” But this is Tokyo, where train conductors will get on hands and knees to apologize for being a minute late. Get to the show a few minutes early, or at least *right* on time, or you WILL miss it.
* ….take the train. It’s true that traffic in Tokyo is not nearly as terrible as it is in every other fashion city (um, an HOUR to get from SOHO to midtown?? And in Paris I had to run from the taxi to the metro or I would have missed the Chanel show). And yes, it’s easier to get a cab than any other city, too. But most shows are conveniently held at the Hikarie shopping complex connected to Shibuya station and taking the train is not seen as so bourgeois as it is in other world cities. Taxis in Tokyo are some of the most expensive in the world (starting 710yen=USD$7 for 2km) so honestly, if you’re taking cabs every where you’re just being stupid and unadventurous.
* Seats don’t have name reservations. Seats come on a first come first serve-ish basis, and the heirarchy is a bit different than overseas. TOP: Business partners, long-time friends. NEXT: Media, in age from oldest people to youngest, despite who they write for. LAST: Media, who are new to the brand, despite who they write for. NOSEBLEED: Buyers.
To keep on top of events at Tokyo Fashion Week, follow the Facebook page.

author: Sayuri Ishiwata


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GV Face: In Conversation with the Activist Bahrain Doesn’t Want Us Talking To · Global Voices
Sahar Habib Ghazi

The Al Khawaja family has found itself at the forefront of protests in Bahrain, ever since the so-called Arab Spring made its way to the tiny island- kingdom on February 14, 2011.
Prominent human rights activist Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja is currently in prison, serving a life sentence for his role in the protests.
Turning to social media, his daughters Maryam, aged 27, and Zainab Al Khawaja, aged 31, became vocal on Twitter, sharing their story and what was happening in their country to thousands of followers across the world. With 102K and 48.8K followers on Twitter respectively, Maryam and Zainab have been constantly badgered by the authorities for speaking up.
Zainab is currently in prison for tearing up the King's photograph in court. Maryam had to leave Bahrain after being detained at the airport when she tried to visit her father. After Maryam was arrested at the airport, she was accused of hitting a member of the police force. Maryam denies the charges. In detention, she started a hunger strike. She was released from jail on September 19 and has since left the country. Her father remains in prison. Maryam is the co-director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights.
In this episode of GV Face, we speak to Maryam Al Khawaja.
Bahrain is now in the third year of its crackdown on a popular uprising. International media reports the protests in Bahrain as a Shia-led revolution against a Sunni regime. While many may see that there is nothing wrong with this description, it is simplistic and doesn’t capture what is happening on the ground. It fails to acknowledge that Bahrainis who rose against the regime did not do so because they were Shia and the regime was Sunni.
We talk to Maryam Al Khawaja about the role sectarianism plays in Bahrain and how that affects the movement. Who is the victim and who is the perpetrator of sectarianism? How does systematic sectarian oppression work in Bahrain? And why is the Bahrain uprising tainted as sectarian?

author: Sahar Habib Ghazi


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How the Tlatelolco Massacre Shaped Modern-Day Mexican Hero Raúl Álvarez Garín · Global Voices
NACLA

Image used with authorization
This article, written by David Bacon, was originally published on the NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) website. David Bacon is a photojournalist, and has been a labor and immigrant rights activist for four decades. He's the author of four books, the latest of which is The Right to Stay Home (Beacon Press, 2013).
Every year on October 2 thousands of Mexican students pour into the streets of Mexico City, marching from Tlatelolco (the Plaza of Three Cultures) through the historic city center downtown, to the main plaza, the Zócalo. They're remembering the hundreds of students who were gunned down by their own government in 1968, an event that shaped the lives of almost every politically aware young person in Mexico during that time.
This year, just days before the march, the municipal police in Iguala, Guerrero, shot students from the local teachers’ training college at Ayotzinapa. More demonstrations and marches are taking place all over Mexico, demanding that the government find 43 students still missing. Many speculate that graves found in Iguala contain their bodies—murdered by the same police, acting as agents of the local drug cartel. Students marching on October 2 were in the streets for them as well, aware that the bloody events of 1968 were not so far away in some distant past.
Image used with authorization
Raúl Álvarez Garín was one of those whose world changed at Tlatelolco. He was a leader of the national student strike committee, organizing campus walkouts and street mobilizations through the spring of 1968. This rebellious upsurge was simultaneous with student protests in France, the United States and, it seemed then, the whole world. In Mexico it culminated in a huge rally at Three Cultures Plaza.
Image used with authorization
The Mexican government was preparing for the Mexico City Olympics that year. It had never tolerated political dissent beyond very narrow limits, but then it was even more defensive than usual, fearing any social movement that appeared to challenge its hold on the country's politics. The authorities decided to bring out the army and shoot the students down.
Somehow Álvarez survived the bullets in the plaza, and was then shut into a cell in the notorious Lecumberri prison for two years and eight months. He died on September 27, having spent a lifetime trying to assign responsibility for the decision to fire on the crowd. There was actually no mystery about it. The orders for the massacre were given by then-Secretary of the Interior (Gobernación) Luis Echevarria. But Echevarria was acting for Mexico's political establishment, organized in the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Álvarez wanted the crime acknowledged publicly and the guilty punished. By spending the next half-century pursuing that goal, he became not just a hero to the Mexican left, but its conscience.
Image used with authorization
Álvarez was already a man of the left when he got to Tlatelolco. He'd joined the Young Communists, but then left before 1968. He married María Fernanda Campa, daughter of Valentín Campa, one of Mexico's most famous radicals who lived underground and went to prison after leading a railroad workers strike in 1958. After his release, Campa became the 1976 presidential candidate of the Mexican Communist Party, before it merged with other parties and eventually disappeared.
Image used with authorization
Later in life it was hard to imagine Álvarez as he was described by friends in ‘68—a skinny intense youth of 27. When I met him in 1989 he was already a man of substantial girth. We'd go to lunch with his brother, economist Alejandro Álvarez, and spend hours talking politics. Raúl would get animated, talking beneath his huge mustache faster than my broken Spanish could keep up. He'd ask a hundred questions about Mexicans and unions in the U.S., and we'd plan articles for the newspaper he edited, Corre la Voz (Spread the Word).
Álvarez believed that words have power. Long before Corre la Voz, he started another famous Mexican left-wing journal, Punto Crítico, with other 1968 veterans. His goal was to make his politics accessible to ordinary people, not to inspire debate among dogmatists. “He put our debates into context and showed their limits,” remembered Luis Navarro, now an editor at Mexico's left-wing daily La Jornada. “His language was always understandable.”
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Through the years after 1968 he supported every worker's fight that seemed capable of improving conditions, but that also challenged the political order. As Mexico's political structure began to change in the 1980s Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas ran for president in 1988, against the PRI his father had founded 40 years earlier. Álvarez and others saw the Cardenas campaign as an opening to wrest power from the PRI, 20 years after Tlatelolco. As the votes for Cárdenas were being counted, and it was clear he was winning, the election computers suddenly went down. When they came back up the next morning the PRI candidate, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, one of the country's most corrupt politicians, was declared the winner.
Image used with authorization
During and after that campaign, many currents of the Mexican left came together and organized the Democratic Revolutionary Party. Álvarez was a founder. He began to look for a way to break workers and unions free of the PRI, to give the new party a working-class base. I met him that year after the election, when I came to Mexico with other U.S. trade unionists. The North American Free Trade Agreement was already on the horizon. Raúl and Alejandro Álvarez were some of the first people who saw the advantage of cooperation in trying to fight it on both sides of the border.
I was beginning to work as journalist north of the border. Raúl and Alejandro helped me understand that for all of NAFTA's disastrous impact on the workers of my country, the trade agreement would have much worse consequences in Mexico. I spent last week as a judge in the Permanent People's Tribunal investigating the causes of migration from Mexico to the United States and the terrible violations of the rights of migrants in both countries. It's clear that if anything, they underestimated the damage. And repression in Mexico is not just a thing of the past. As we met as judges in the Permanent People's Tribunal, just days after Raúl Álvarez died, we heard testimony about yet other mass killings—of 73 migrants killed and buried in the desert in northern Mexico, and the discovery of 193 more in 47 graves less than a year later.
Image used with authorization
The PRI finally lost the presidency in 2000, although not to the left but to the right-wing National Action Party. Nevertheless, Álvarez believed it might be possible to get a new government, even a conservative one, to call the murderers of 1968 to account. A new office was created, the Special Prosecutor for Social and Political Movements of the Past. Álvarez, Felix Hernández Gamundi and Jesus Martin del Campo filed a legal case against Echevarria over the Tlatelolco massacre, the killings of other students in a street protest in 1971, and the “dirty war” in which the Mexican government targeted leftists for assassination through the rest of the 1970s.
Formal charges were finally made against Luis Echevarria Alvarez and Luis Gutierrez Oropeza for the Tlatelolco murders, and Mario Moya Palencia and Alfonso Martinez Dominguez, among others, for the 1971 attacks. In the end, however, these former functionaries were able to avoid trial after invoking legal technicalities challenging the ability of prosecutors to indict them. In reality, the political system itself was reluctant to unearth a network of responsibility that would have spread to include many others. Nevertheless, Raúl Álvarez and his two co-complainants felt their work made plain to the Mexican people the terrible acts of repression that had cost many lives, and who had given the orders for them.
Image used with authorization
Bringing up the rear of the October 2 march were members of the only union visibly present—the Mexican Electrical Workers (SME). Both Álvarez and this union have been anchors of left-wing politics in Mexico City. For 20 years the SME campaigned to stop the Mexican government from turning over the nationalized oil and electrical power industries to private corporations. To neutralize its opposition, the SME's 44,000 members were fired five years ago. The PAN administration of Felipe Calderón ordered the army to occupy the generating stations and declared the union “non-existent.” When the PRI came back into power last July, it pushed through a constitutional amendment permitting the privatization.
Raul would have pointed out that there is really no difference between the pro-corporate policies of PRI and PAN. He fought to keep parts of the PRD from supporting the same privatization reforms. Just days before his death, a delegation of SME leaders went to his home in Mexico City, and gave him a union card, making him member #16,600. He told them he was proud to be a member of this “union in resistance.”
Image used with authorization
Raul Alvarez’ photograph, taken on another October 2 march a few years earlier, was carried as the banner at the head of the marchers this year. If he'd been alive, he would undoubtedly have been there in front himself.

author: NACLA


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Kyrgyzstan’s Historical Matriarch Makes a Bid for an Oscar · Global Voices
Zukhra Iakupbaeva

Kurmanjan Datka as photographed by Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim in 1906. Image widely used.
Kurmanjan Datka, a rare female ruler in Kyrgyz history, turned a blind eye to her favourite son's execution in order to keep peace with Imperial Russia. Now Kyrgyz are hopeful that act of sacrifice will be rewarded with an Oscar.
On August 31, 2014 — Kyrgyz Independence Day — Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains was shown in cinemas across the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The film cost the state budget $1.5 million, making it the impoverished republic's most expensive movie ever.
Many citizens saw the film as a wasteful exercise in public spending, particularly in the context of dilapidated schools and hospitals, while others saw it as a new cornerstone of Kyrgyz patriotism. Following screenings across the country the team behind the film are seeking an Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Speaking back in September, one of the film's backers, nationalist MP Jyldyzkan Joldosheva promised:
Мы сейчас будем с [режиссером] Садыком Шер-Ниязом и творческой группой добиваться и трудиться, чтобы наш фильм попал на такой мировой приз как «Оскар». Я буду где-то чем-то жертвовать ради того, чтобы получить «Оскар». Я — настырная, и вы это знаете.
We are working to ensure our film wins a global prize, such as an Oscar. I am willing to sacrifice something somewhere to get that Oscar. I am assertive, and you all know this.
The plot of the historical movie Kurmanjan Datka covers the lifetime of the Kyrgyz clan ruler, Kurmanjan (1811-1907), who took power after the death of her husband during the fall of the Khanate of Kokand and the colonization of Central Asia by Moscow. At the cost of the death of her four sons and for the sake of her clan — one of several significant Kyrgyz clans struggling for survival at the time — she agreed to make a peace with the Russian Army.
Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains. Photo taken from showbiz.kg.
A user of the Diesel forum platform in Kyrgyzstan, TheT, expressed joy at watching a movie that shows “who the Kyrgyz people really are”:
Присоединюсь к призывам, что каждый представитель титульного этноса должен посмотреть этот фильм. Без обид представители других этносов, но вряд ли большинство из вас прочувствует в полной мере то, что ощутим (ну или должны ощутить) от него мы. И дело не в качестве картины, работе режиссера, оператора и т.д., актерской игры, саунд-трека (отлично подобранного, кстати) или великолепных видов природы, и даже не в исторической достоверности. Дело в нас самих, кто мы, какие мы
I join with comments that every representative of the titular nation [Kyrgyz] has to watch this movie. I do not want to offend other nationalities [living in Kyrgyzstan] but they will be unlikely to understand that feeling which that we are having now. The point is not related to the quality of the movie, the work of the director, operators, actors, the soundtrack (which are all excellent), picturesque scenes of the nature, or the historical validity of information. The point is to understand who we really are.
Like other Soviet republics Kyrgyzstan had its own small movie industry during communist times, but domestic filmmaking hit hard times after independence. On the Kyrgyz service of Radio Free Europe, Azattyk, Irena comments:
Нужно смотреть на создание этого фильма как новое передовое явление в кыргызском кинематографе за последние 20-30 лет. Такого грандиозного фильма за это время не было!…этот первый по своей высокой планке фильм за всю постсоветскую историю Кыргызстана.
We need to look at the production of this movie as the most progressive phenomenon in Kyrgyz cinematography for 20-30 years. We have never had such a grandiose movie before…this is the first high-quality film during the entire post-Soviet history of Kyrgyzstan.
Others were critical of the movie. Former presidential aide Edil Baisalov noted in his blog on Radio Azattyk:
Почему съемку ленты поручили режиссеру-новичку, а не авторам того самого ролика, например, или же такому мэтру как Болот Шамшиев.  Кто принимает сейчас такие решения?  И что нам следовало бы изменить?  Правда ли, что решение единолично принимала Жылдызкан Джолдошова? Хотелось бы, еще раз повторю, сделать правильные выводы из первого опыта и не повторять впредь ошибок.
Why was the production of the movie entrusted to a novice director, but not to professionals such as Bolot Shamshiev? Who takes such these decisions? Should we change something? Is it true that the decision to choose the director belonged to MP Jyldyzkan Joldosheva? There are choices that must be made in order not to repeat these mistakes in the near future.
Zhypar, a commenter responding to Baisalov's blog, highlights the impossibility of making a perfect movie with a limited budget:
Даже я – простой зритель понимаю, что красивые костюмы, большая массовка, тем более постройка “старого” нового города, ну никак не уместились бы в такой бюджет. Видно, что очень старались люди. Считаю, этот фильм лучшим в новейшей истории Кыргызстана.
As a simple spectator I understand the impossibility of having beautiful dresses, extras, and a beautiful “old” city due to budgetary constraints. It is obvious that [the director's team] was doing its best. I consider this movie as the best in the new history of Kyrgyzstan.
Director Sadyk Sher-Niyaz has begun the formal process of applying for the Oscar award. Earlier this month he told journalists:
Номинирование кинокартины “Курманжан датка” на премию “Оскар” – большая честь для нас. Процесс этот довольно хлопотный, потому что цвет, звук картины должны соответствовать международным стандартам. В ближайшие дни я отправляюсь в Америку по делам картины “Курманжан датка”. В Америке мы приложим все свои усилия, чтобы картина получила премию “Оскар”.
The nomination of Kurmanjan Datka for an Oscar is a great honor for us. The process is quite involved as colour and sound should correspond to international movie standards. Over the course of the next few days, I will leave for the United States, where our team will do our best to win the award.
Currently production teams from more than 100 countries are putting their movies forward for the Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars. The first stage of the selection process will occur on January 2015 wherein 50 movies will be shortlisted. That shortlist is further narrowed when nine movies are selected in February.  Finally, five nominations make it through to the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Kyrgyz have already been actively promoting the film via social media, with one crowdsourced campaign to boost the film's ranking on the IMDB gaining local and international media coverage. The trailer for Kurmanjan Datka can be watched here.

author: Zukhra Iakupbaeva


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This is What Happens When Ricky Martin’s Hits Get an Indie Spin · Global Voices
Alfredo Richner

Ricky Martin. Photo by Flickr user calciostreaming. CC BY 2.0.
This post was originally written in Spanish by Alfredo Richner, San Juan-based founder and editor of art and culture blog Puerto Rico Indie.
Ten months ago, I began brainstorming creative ways to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Puerto Rico Indie, the blog that I launched in mid-2009 to write mainly about music and cover the local scene. That is how the idea for “Indie Martin” was born, a compilation of Ricky Martin covers by artists from Puerto Rico's independent music scene. “Indie Martin” was officially released on August 26, and can by downloaded for free from Discos Diáspora.
So, why Ricky Martin?
Why not Ricky Martin? Everyone has their own opinions of him and the music he's performed throughout the years, but what's certain is that Ricky Martin has brought our island international attention, for which we can all feel proud. He is perhaps Puerto Rico’s most cherished international export, a bonafide superstar that has conquered the pop charts around the globe with hits like “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and the World Cup anthem “The Cup of Life”. We want to invite curious ears to discover the sounds of Puerto Rico's independent music scene through these well-known songs, full of memories and nostalgia. And perhaps that initial curiosity will spur listeners to explore the original music of the artists who participated in the project.
We were looking to unite in some way these two musical worlds, which in the imagination of mainstream media, the music industry and even many listeners, seem so different from one another. Along the same lines, we wanted to challenge independent musicians to make Ricky's material their own, giving the songs new layers of meaning. Puerto Rico’s indie scene is small yet vibrant, and in the last few years it has been increasingly recognized by the specialized press in Latin America and the United States for its wealth of talented musicians and strong songwriting. It is a scene that has made strides in both its presentation and reach, thanks in large part to increased promotion and awareness via the Internet.
The final result brings together 16 of his hits performed by a variety of artists, from veterans of the local scene such as Balún, Un.Real, Los Nervios, Ardnaxela and Habish, to more recent acts like Cardigan Academy, Guateke and Furry Vowels (here alongside MoreIra). You'll also find electronic beats, such as those from Dino Analog Orchestra and Dead Hands, as well as acoustic versions from Los Niños Estelares and Edén Cruz. The compilation spans dance pop from Los Wálters and punk rock from Los Nadies, and even includes piano from Ardnaela and a string arrangement by producer and performer Héctor “Stonetape” Hernández. Our adopted Puerto Rican friends from Santiago, Dominican Republic, Las Acevedo, took on the task of unearthing “She Bangs” from its deep grave dug years earlier by William Hung on American Idol.
“Indie Martin” has already received airtime on prominent international outlets, such as the programs Alt.Latino and Weekend Edition on NPR in the US, the program Multipista on Radio 3 in Spain, and stations and blogs in Brazil, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic, among other countries. We're thrilled with the compilation and its reception — and we hope you listen to it, share it with your friends and let us know which were your favorite versions. Shake your bon-bons!


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Online Tributes Pour in for Former Australian PM, ‘Giant’ Gough Whitlam · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

Prime Minister of Australia Edward G. Whitlam leaving the White House, walking with President Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger behind them. Photo by Jack Kightlinger, White House photographer (Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum). Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Two words have trended on Twitter all day in Australia on 21 October 2014: Gough Whitlam. The death of the former prime minister from the left-wing Labor Party at the age of 98 has dominated all media, especially social media.
His three-year government from December 1972 until November 1975 is remembered for its reforming zeal, economic turmoil and its controversial dismissal by the Governor General Sir John Kerr.
The online valedictories have focused on his legacy, often with personal touches. Michael Halliday was one of many who commented on his physical and political stature (which is evident in the photo above with Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger):
Sad news R.I.P. Mr Whitlam, a literal giant of an Australian, condolences to the Whitlam family
— michael halliday777 (@michaelhallida4) October 20, 2014
State Labor parliamentarian Anthony Carbines recalled the end of compulsory military service related to the Vietnam War:
Vale Gough. Ended conscription My dad still has letter cancelling his call up Poster in my office inspires me #Gough pic.twitter.com/c4DRrdvBiR
— Anthony Carbines (@ACarbinesMP) October 21, 2014
Others mentioned the impact of health care reforms. Economics professor Rebee Tourky referred to his father in that and other contexts:
Without Gough Whitlam my dad would not have been able to afford his extensive ear reconstruction. #thanks_gough
— Rabee Tourky (@RabeeTourky) October 21, 2014
Without Gough Whitlam my family would not have been admitted into Australia. #thanks_gough
— Rabee Tourky (@RabeeTourky) October 21, 2014
Nadine Simone Watson, a freelance French-English translator, thanked him for a head start:
Like so many of my generation I owe Mr Whitlam the privilege of a university education because he made it free of financial charges. MERCI.
— Nadine Simone Watson (@watjam46) October 21, 2014
His groundbreaking work in promoting the rights of indigenous people and women has been widely acknowledged:
Vale Gough Whitlam, a great Australian leader who championed indigenous & women's rights via @ArtGalleryofNSW pic.twitter.com/53kWvywMK7
— Janice Duffy (@drjaniceduffy) October 21, 2014
His environmental accomplishments were recalled by the Labor Environment Action Network:
LEAN farewells Gough Whitlam, pioneer of Federal environment action pic.twitter.com/KWnAlkiDrz
— LEAN Australia (@LEANAustralia) October 21, 2014
Some of the recollections of Whitlam's achievements were more obscure:
My favourite – removing luxury tax from contraceptive pill: things you didn't know Gough Whitlam did http://t.co/7NHEMAEILc @FamPlanningNSW
— Alex Oliver (@AlexKOliver) October 21, 2014
One of his art purchases for the National Gallery, which came under fire at the time, seems to have paid dividends:
#GoughWhitlam pushed for purchase #JacksonPollock Blue Poles for $1.1m now worth $100million http://t.co/tFNG988xth pic.twitter.com/lNizGezExg
— Piermarq Art (@piermarqart) October 21, 2014
He often made fun of himself but this self-deprecation was often been mistaken for arrogance or intellectual snobbery (criticisms that were often made of his character). His claim that he had walked across Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin was just one instance of his jokes being reported seriously.
Gough Whitlam is up here and already has presented Me with a number of suggestions for reform.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) October 20, 2014
Journalist for The Australian newspaper Peter van Onselen summed up the spirit with which most Australians wanted to remember the passing of our controversial PM:
To all those seeking to debate Gough Whitlam's failures, do it tomorrow instead.
— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) October 21, 2014
Tigtog (aka Viv) from blog Hoyden about Town echoed a common comparison between Gough and today’s politicians:
The giants who strode the political landscape of my youth are toppling one by one, leaving only gnats swarming over the entrails of serious political principles while Big Money shakes shiny things at us all, politicians very much included.

author: Kevin Rennie


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Pacific Islanders Block Coal Ships at Australian Port to Protest Climate Change · Global Voices
350.org

Photograph shows scenes from Newcastle Harbour where representatives from 12 Pacific Island nations came to raise awareness of climate change by blockading the movements of coal ships. Used with Permission. Photograph by Dean Sewell/Oculi for 350.org. Friday, 17 October 2014.
This article was written by Aaron Packard for 350.org, an organization building a global climate movement, and is republished on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
350.org's Pacific climate warriors paddled out into the Port of Newcastle, followed by hundreds of Australians and came head to head with gigantic coal ships on 17 October. It truly was David versus Goliath.
The courage of the warriors was on full display as they faced off with the fossil fuel industry, which is threatening their homes. Using hand carved canoes, they, along with dozens of Australians in kayaks, were able to prevent 10 scheduled ships from passing through the Newcastle coal port. But most importantly, the warriors stood tall and their message was heard loud and clear: they are not drowning, they are fighting.
As the warriors continue their journey, help us tell their courageous story — share their story with your friends. They will continue to fight, but they can not do it alone.
Here’s how it looked:
Photograph shows scenes from Newcastle Harbour where representatives from 12 Pacific Island nations came to raise awareness of climate change by blockading the movements of coal ships. Used with Permission. Photograph by Jeff Tan for 350.org. Friday, 17 October 2014.
Photograph shows scenes from Newcastle Harbour where representatives from 12 Pacific Island nations came to raise awareness on climate change by blockading the movements of coal ships. Used with Permission. Photographs by Dean Sewell/Oculi for 350.org. Friday, 17 October 2014.
Photograph shows scenes from Newcastle Harbour where representatives from 12 Pacific Island nations came to raise awareness on climate change by blockading the movements of coal ships. Photograph by Jeff Tan for 350.org. Friday, 17 October 2014.
Photograph shows scenes from Newcastle Harbour where representatives from 12 Pacific Island nations came to raise awareness on climate change by blockading the movements of coal ships. Used with Permission. Photographs by Dean Sewell/Oculi for 350.org. Friday, 17 October 2014.


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Russian Opposition Leaders Support Ukraine, But Crimea Is Not Coming Back · Global Voices
Aric Toler

Russian opposition leaders Khodorkovsky and Navalny speak out on Crimea. Images mixed by Tetyana Lokot.
Russia’s leading opposition figures have a message for Ukrainians: Crimea is gone, and Ukraine is not getting it back.
Currently under house arrest for dubious embezzlement charges, Putin's harshest critic and anti-corruption advocate Alexey Navalny outlined his views on Crimea, the war in Ukraine, and other Russian issues in a controversial interview on October 15 to Alexey Venediktov, chief editor of Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow). Despite his criticism of Russia’s sponsorship of the war in Ukraine, Navalny’s comments on Crimea came as a surprise to many.
Я считаю, что, несмотря на то, что Крым был захвачен с вопиющим нарушением всех международных норм, тем не менее реалии таковы, что Крым сейчас является частью РФ. И давайте не будем обманывать себя. И украинцам я сильно советую тоже не обманывать себя. Он останется частью России и больше никогда в обозримом будущем не станет частью Украины.
I believe that despite how Crimea was seized in a flagrant violation of all international norms, the reality nonetheless is that Crimea is now part of the Russian Federation. And let’s not fool ourselves. And I strongly advise the Ukrainians to also not fool themselves. It is going to remain part of Russia and will never become part of Ukraine in the foreseeable future.
Venediktov went on to ask Navalny what he would do as president of Russia: would he return Crimea to Ukraine, or retain Russia’s newest addition? Navalny partially dodged the question, asking if Crimea is a piece of meat “that you pass back and forth,” but eventually said he considers the loss of Crimea as beneficial for Ukraine.
Я думаю, что на самом деле, это для Украины, несмотря на обиду, которую они чувствуют, и т.д., это плюс. Это большое счастье, что Крым с абсолютно пророссийским народом, с консервативно настроенным населением, которое не принимает их антикоррупционной революции, не принимает желание идти в Европу, ушел от них. Они лишились 2 млн избирателей, которые тормозили это движение. Поэтому это такая, с одной стороны, win-ситуация. В политике это долгое время будет мешать и нам, и Украине, и Европе.
I think that, in fact, this is a plus for Ukraine, despite the resentment and other things that they are feeling. It is a great joy that Crimea has left Ukraine, with its completely pro-Russian demographics and conservative-leaning population that will have no part in their anti-corruption revolution and have no desire to join Europe. They have lost 2 million voters who have hindered this movement. Therefore this is, on one hand, a winning situation. Politically, this will bother us, Ukraine, and Europe for a long time.
Navalny has never been a flawless figure for the liberal opposition in Russia with his unapologetic nationalism and anti-immigrant rhetoric. However, his acceptance of Putin’s grab of Crimea was too much for many Russian liberals and Ukrainians.
Крим – це Україна! #НавальныйПНХ pic.twitter.com/2iqGzxvUIN
— Львівський батяр (@AndrewLVUA) October 15, 2014
Crimea is Ukraine! #FU Navalny
Ekho Moskvy's radio interview with Navalny almost didn't make the airwaves: chief editor Venediktov got a phone call from Gazprom-Media's Chairman Mikhail Lesin, who demanded the interview not be broadcast, and threatened “problems” for the radio station (Gazprom-Media owns Ekho Moskvy—GV.) This seemingly blatant attempt at censorship did not work, as Venediktov ignored the threats and put Navalny's interview on air anyway.
After the drama around Navalny’s interview, another key opposition figure came out against returning Crimea to Ukraine: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former oligarch and Putin's nemesis who spent eight years in labor camps before receiving a pardon in December 2013. Khodorkovsky said on Twitter he had read Navalny’s interview and essentially agreed with him on Crimea:
Прочитал интервью Алексея Алексею. В главном мы союзники. По деталям – договоримся.
— Ходорковский_2014 (@mich261213) October 16, 2014
I have read Alexey’s [Venediktov] interview with Alexey [Navalny]. We are allies on the main things that matter. We'll negotiate the details.
@psykrab отвечаю прямо: я – нет. Проблема Крыма на десятилетия. Путь через размывание границ в Европе, через муниципализацию. Я не доживу.
— Ходорковский_2014 (@mich261213) October 16, 2014
@psykrab: You are not going to escape the question. Would you return Crimea if you became president?
Khodorkovsky: I will give you a straight answer: I would not. The Crimea problem will go on for decades. The path lies through the blurring of boundaries in Europe, through municipalization. I will not live long enough to see it.
Popular Ukrainian journalist Vitaly Portnikov wrote a Facebook post criticizing Navalny and Khodorkovsky that generated over a thousand comments:
И что Ходорковского – впрочем, как и Навального – мы в нашей стране больше не увидим. Пусть лучше изображают демократов на “Русских маршах, в швейцарских ресторанах и даже в Кремле, где они вряд ли будут отличимы от сегодняшних подельников Владимира Путина.
And we will never see the likes of Khodorkovsky—and Navalny as well—in our country again. It is better that they portray democrats at “Russian Marches,” in Swiss restaurants, and even in the Kremlin, where they are unlikely to be distinguished from Vladimir Putin’ current accomplices.
Khodorkovsky personally replied to Portnikov’s message and to the hundreds of Ukrainian users who left angry comments, explaining his stance on the political realities in Crimea.
Вернуть Крым Украине в ближайшие десятилетия сможет только диктатор.
Ни один закон не работает без силы, а если президент силой заставляет общество делать то, что общество категорически не поддерживает – он диктатор.
Only a dictator will be able to return Crimea to Ukraine in the coming decades.
Not a single law will work without power, and if a president uses power to force a society to do what a society categorically does not support—he is a dictator.
Anti-Kremlin Russians and, to a greater degree, Ukrainians have grown frustrated over Navalny’s and Khodorkovsky’s stance on Crimea, calling them traitors and vatniks (a derogatory term for fervently patriotic Russians). However, as this episode demonstrates, the current anti-Kremlin opposition is far from a united front. While Navalny does oppose Russian aggression in Ukraine, he also believes that the problem of illegal immigration in Russia is a “hundred times more important than any Ukraine.”
Khodorkovsky has said that he sees himself as a leader of the Russian opposition movement, but this movement has significantly weakened since its peak in 2011-13, when a patchwork movement of nationalists, liberals, communists, and students protested corruption and election fraud. With Putin’s approval ratings hovering above 80% after the wildly popular annexation of Crimea, the Russian opposition is likely aware that it won't do itself any favors by rallying against the single greatest source of Russian national pride today.

author: Aric Toler


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Why Talking About Pizza Can Land You in Trouble in Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Pizza Company hotline 1112 has become a code word to refer to Article 112 of the criminal code
If you are in Thailand and you suddenly crave pizza, it is highly likely that you will be referred to The Pizza Company, the largest pizza fast food chain in the country. And when you dial the company hotline “1112”, be aware that there are some activists in Thailand who use the word pizza to refer to the notorious Article 112 of the criminal code.
Khaosod English, a Bangkok-based news site, explained that the word pizza came to be associated with the particular section of the penal law simply because of The Pizza Company's nearly identical phone number with the law's name.
Article 112 deals with the Lese Majeste or anti-royal insult law, which criminalizes any behavior deemed insulting to the royal family. The king of Thailand is the country’s most revered public figure aside from being the world’s longest reigning monarch. Some scholars believe Article 112 is the world’s harshest and needs to be overhauled. Several individuals have been detained already for allegedly insulting the king through SMS or posting online comments
Some activists have accused the government of using the law to harass critics. There have been various petitions to reform Article 112 but authorities have rejected these proposals.
Activist Red Shirts used this sticker to refer to Article 112
To avoid prosecution under Article 112, some Thais are using the word pizza to refer to the “draconian” law instead of directly mentioning the measure:
If a discussion begins to veer dangerously towards insulting the monarchy, someone may teasingly ask, “Are you ordering us a pizza?” or “I hope they serve pizza in prison.”
After the army took power last May, the new government has filed more than a dozen Lese Majeste cases. A recent issue involved a scholar who was reported by a retired army officer to have insulted a dead king.
Those who are found guilty of Lese Majeste can be detained for up to 15 years.
So next time you dial 1112 in Thailand, be sure you are really referring to The Pizza Company. Otherwise, you might get to eat pizza in a prison cell.

author: Mong Palatino


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Iran’s Conservative Media See a Reformist Plot in Coverage of Acid Attacks Against Women  · Global Voices
Mahsa Alimardani

The front page of one of the most popular reformist dailies, Shargh, discusses the theory that the attacks are linked to a nationwide organized association trying to eradicate bad hijab.
A wave of acid attacks in Isfahan against women over the past few weeks has created a sense of uproar within Iran. Authorities claim there have been four attacks, while social media say 10.
The controversial elements of the story, namely the cause of the attacks, and the lack of monitoring by authorities has rippled through Iran's often factionalized media, with some conservative publications passing off foreign and reformist coverage of the attacks as an attempt to drum up discontent within the Islamic Republic.
This past week, the government-affiliated newspaper Iran and the reformist Etemaad both printed within their pages “A public outcry against the perpetrators of acidpashi (acid attacks).”  Etemaad newspaper noted the nature of fear amongst the women of Isfahan in the following passage:
«خبرهای ناگوار اسیدپاشی در اصفهان، امنیت مردم شهر را مختل کرده است، امنیتی که زنان و دختران این شهر، با کمتر ظاهر شدن در معابر عمومی و حبس کردن خود در خانه برای خود فراهم می‌کنند. آنهایی هم که بیرون می‌آیند، با ترس و اکراه شیشه ماشین را پایین می‌آورند و به سرعت برق و باد کارشان را در خیابان انجام می‌دهند تا دوباره خودشان را در شیشه‌های بالاکشیده خودروشان محصور کنند.»
The unfortunate news of acidpashi in Isfahan, has disrupted the security of the people of this city, especially that of women and girls , resulting in these women from often withdrawing from appearing in public and remaining at home. And those who do come out, come with a fear and reluctance to even roll down their windows and when they do come out to the streets, they finish their work with the speed of electricity and wind so they can go back to hiding behind the enlcosed windows of their Khodro's.
Another reformist newpspaper, Fahreekhtegan, ran a notable front page with one of the victims of the attacks, Soheila Jowrkesh. The Jowrkesh family told Fahreekhtegan that the attackers had warned the city they would “deal” with women with bad hijab.
Hijab, or Islamic dress code (sometimes spelled “hejab”), is enforced by the state on women since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Hijab requires women to cover their heads and wear modest clothing. Iranian women have been known to push the boundaries of hijab, often revealing their hair beneath colourful headscarves, and wearing tight coats and makeup. This has led to conservative reactions, asking elements in government and society to take action.
Reformist newspaper Fahreekhtegan runs a front page dedicated to one of the victims of the attack, Soheila Jowrkesh. This stands in contrast to most conservative newspapers, who have dedicated little to no coverage of the incidences.
Newspapers associated with conservatives in Iran have remained oddly silent or limited in their coverage of the attacks in Isfahan. Iran's leading conservative newspaper, Kayhan, associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's office, has ran little to no coverage on the incidents, finally dedicating its Tuesday, October 22, 2014 frontpage with a headline that read: “Acidpashi in the face of hijab is used to create a wave of anti-revolutionary sentiment.” Kayhan wrote, “Contrary to the lying reports of foreign media and their domestic supporters, the victims of these incidents are women with proper hijab, and some of them from martyr families.”
According to Shahram Rafizadeh's newspaper report in Radio Farda, Kayhan has accused reformist newspapers like Iran, Arman, Asrar, Khabar Online, Ebtekar, and Isfahan Ziba of publishing news related to the attacks in order to destroy the image of the “believers” and “supporters” of the Islamic regime.
Conservative newspaper associated with the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei speaks out against other media covering the attacks. Their headline states: “Acidpashi in the face of hijab is used to create a wave of anti-revolutionary sentiment.”
Coverage of the news in conservative newspapers have largely been reactionary to other media, rather than focused on covering the news, or why these assaults have been occurring. Much of the blame for the attacks has been placed on conservative elements inside Iran, especially since lawmakers have proposed a bill that would give vigilantes legal protection to enforce hijab. In a report in Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an Iranian woman explains, “[Hard-liners] have been spreading hatred against women, therefore many believe they are behind the attacks.” Many concerns against the lack of inaction by authorities reflects the conservative media's limited attention to covering who are behind the attacks, and what is causing them.
Many on social media have been reporting on the incident using the hashtag #اسیدپاشی (#acidpashi). Tweets have related stories of the terror and fear the attacks have created within Iran.
تصویر سازی بزرگمهر حسین پور برای دختران اصفهانی #اصفهان #اسیدپاشی pic.twitter.com/ke0oRVV21e
— mehrdad (@mehrdad0451) October 20, 2014
Bozorgmehr Hosseinpour's illustration of Isfahani girls #Isfahan #acidpashi
@ManaNeyestani‘s cartoon on #acidattacks in #Iran, and those who does such vicious acts 2 spread fear amongst women! pic.twitter.com/ERRBOul9uZ
— Omid Memarian (@Omid_M) October 21, 2014
قربانی #اسیدپاشی “مریم- د”: غروب‌ها از ترس و شب‌ها از درد جیغ و فریاد می‌کنم.
— Persian Banoo (@persianbanoo) October 20, 2014
Victim of #Acidpashi “Maryam-D”: Evenings of fear and nights of pain I scream and shout.
دوست اصفهانی‌م می‌گه شایعه سرزبون‌ها افتاده که اسیدپاش پدر یه بچه‌ی 6 ساله بوده که تو تصادف با یه راننده زن مرده.خیلی سینمایی طور! #اسیدپاشی
— Niusha Saremi (@NewshaSaremi) October 20, 2014
My friend from Isfahan tells me there is a rumour amongst people that the person who threw the acid was a father of a six-year-old who was killed in a car accident by a woman. It's such a Hollywood story. #acidpashi
قبلا هم گفتم که قبل از اینکه به توحش #داعش گیر بدیم، بد نیست فکری به حال خودمون و اسیدهایی که پاشیده می‌شود بکنیم. #اسیدپاشی
— Amin Sabeti (@AminSabeti) October 19, 2014
I've said this before, that before we get stuck in the savagery of #daesh [ISIS], it is not bad to think about our own state and the acid that is thrown at us. #acidpashi

author: Mahsa Alimardani


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Leaked Diplomatic Cables Show EU Strong-Armed Ecuador on Free Trade Agreement  · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

Screen capture from the whistleblowing website awps.is
Leaked diplomatic cables between Ecuador and the European Union, which were released on October 8, have reignited public debate over the merits of a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two. The cables refer to recent negotiations between the Latin American country and the EU over a commercial treaty that is currently awaiting ratification by the legislatures of the respective governments.
The whistleblowing platform Ecuador Transparente that published the leaked cables, along with Associated Whistleblowing Press (AWP), issued the following comments:
En el material se puede observar la presión ejercida por la UE, cuyos intereses subvierten de principios expresados en la constitución ecuatoriana, así como algunas leyes puntuales. Además, queda constatada la inconsistencia del discurso público del gobierno ecuatoriano en relación a las negociaciones.
The contents reveal the pressure exerted by the EU, whose interests subvert the principles expressed in the Ecuadorian constitution, as well as some specific laws. Furthermore, they attest to inconsistency in the Ecuadorian government´s public rhetoric regarding the negotiations.
The Spanish news site eldiario.es picked up the news of the diplomatic leaks, characterizing them as “tense exchanges that lay bare the pressures exerted by the European Commission on Ecuador to incite it to change key legislation and policies and bring them in line with the Free Trade Agreement—this under threat of leaving Ecuador out of any tariff structures favourable to developing countries.”
The version of events compiled by the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo after interviewing two former members of the Ecuadorian government, ex-ambassador to Belgium Fernando Yépez Lasso and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kintto Lucas, confirms the EU's pressure tactics. Meanwhile, current Ecuadorian Minister of Trade Francisco Rivadeneira denied there was undue pressure, qualifying the Spanish newspaper´s article as having its own interpretation of the diplomatic communication.
The European Union also denied the bullying. According to Peter Schwaiger, the EU's mission head in Ecuador, the story is a complete “fabrication”. In a report by its investigative unit, the Ecuadorian and South American News Agency (ANDES) said the leak was “evidence of the involvement by national and international organizations in new espionage efforts to intercept diplomatic communications among high ranking Ecuadorian government officials.”
One day before the leaks were made public, Kintto Lucas himself had tweeted:
Lo que decía îen 2012 cuando renuncie de vicecanciller se está cumpliendo Ecuador se adhiere al TLC de Colombia y Perú con la UE. Que pena.
— Kintto Lucas (@KinttoLucas) October 7, 2014
What I warned about in 2012 when I resigned as vice chancellor has become a reality. Ecuador is joining the FTA between Colombia and Peru and the EU. What a shame.
The blog Ecuador Decide republished an article from the website Diagonal Global, which analyzes the FTA negotiations focusing on the likely amendments to the constitution and the suspension of bilateral investment protection treaties, both of which are key changes the European negotiators want to secure.
La Constitución de Montecristi –promulgada en 2007 y que recoge gran cantidad de demandas sociales defendidas en largos ciclos de movilizaciones y levantamientos populares– prohíbe la firma de tratados que cedan jurisdicción soberana a instancias de arbitrajes internacionales, exige medidas protectoras al sector agroalimentario y pesquero, da prioridad en las compras públicas a productos y servicios nacionales, protege la producción nacional y procura el fortalecimiento de los mercados internos. Sin embargo, según afirma el analista e histórico activista Edgar Isch, el texto del acuerdo suscrito entre Ecuador y la UE apenas incorpora modificaciones respecto al de Colombia y Perú, unas reservas muy menores en cuanto a compras públicas, y la inclusión en los anexos de algunas excepciones y plazos para productos sensibles, al igual que los existentes con respecto a los otros dos países andinos.
The Constitución of Montecristi — enacted in 2007 and enshrining a large number of the societal demands manifested throughout extensive periods of popular demonstrations and uprisings — prohibits the signing of treaties that cede sovereign jurisdiction to international arbitration bodies, requires measures to protect the agri-food and fisheries industry, gives priority in government procurement to domestic products and services, protects domestic production, and seeks to strengthen domestic markets. However, according to analyst and long-time activist Edgar Isch, the text of the agreement between Ecuador and the EU barely differs from the one signed by Colombia and Peru, to wit, minor reservations about public procurement and a few exceptions and limits on sensitive products included in the appendices, these being consistent with those of the other two Andean countries.
The website Pueblos en Camino (People on track) qualified the FTA negotiation as a turn to the right on the part of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa:
No sorprende la actitud imperial abusiva y arrogante de los europeos y tampoco, las decisiones serviles, violatorias de la Constitución de Monte Cristi con las que Correa, a nombre de la soberanía, el Socialismo del Siglo XXI y la verborrea mentirosa contra “pelucones” burgueses e imperios, entrega al Ecuador a manos llenas con el apoyo de una izquierda sectaria nacional e internacional que le cree el discurso y se niega a ver los hechos, aunque los conozcan de sobra y les estallen en la cara. En Ecuador también se construye el Capitalismo del Siglo XXI.
It is hardly surprising to see the abusive and arrogantly imperious attitude of the Europeans and the obsequious decision-making (which violates the Constitution of Monte Cristi) that (President Rafael) Correa defends in the name of sovereignty, 21st-century socialism and duplicitous verbosity directed against empires and bourgeois bigwigs. He is prepared to deliver Ecuador with open arms and the blessing of a national and international sectarian Left that first created the familiar rhetoric, refusing to see the facts that are blindingly plain as day. In Ecuador, 21st century capitalism is also being built.
Another former government minister from the current regime, Alberto Acosta, also expressed his opinon and shared a link of a piece published on eldiario.es:
UE amenazó a Ecuador con eliminar ayudas al desarrollo si no aceptaba TLC Y Correa cedió a las presiones http://t.co/HiodaBEbP7 @bbhorne
— Alberto Acosta (@ALBERTOACOSTAE) October 8, 2014
EU threatened Ecuador with eliminating development aid if it did not accept the FTA and Correa gave in http://t.co/HiodaBEbP7 @bbhorne
In an interview with La Marea.com (The Tide), Acosta also stressed the ideological shift to the right by President Correa, explaining that the FTA goes beyond mere trade negotiations:
En las últimas décadas, se firman acuerdos del tipo TLC, aunque se les llame de otra forma. […] Incluyen los términos de Singapur, no sólo los comerciales: propiedad intelectual, el acceso a los servicios públicos, la protección inversiones extranjeras, acceso a los mercados de bienes agrícolas, medidas sanitarias, políticas de competencia, la solución de diferencias… una cantidad de cuestiones enorme. […] Si se ponen de acuerdo, eso va a imponer reglas de juego a gran parte del planeta. Y sabemos las razones de esto, enfrentar a China e India. Los acuerdos de comercio no son sólo de comercio y no abren la libertad comercial. Por ejemplo, los europeos no van a desarmar sus subsidios a la agricultura. Y nuestros campesinos van a enfrentar una competencia desleal porque no van a poder acceder a ayudas similares, vía subsidio.
In recent decades, many FTA-type pacts have been signed but under different names [ … ] These include the Singapore terms [those signed in Singapore and containing provisions other than trade]: intellectual property, access to public services, foreign investment protection, markets for agricultural goods, healthcare measures, competition policies, dispute settlement… a huge number of issues. [ … ] If [the various international trade agreements] are harmonized, this will impose rules across much of the planet. And we know the reasons for this, to confront China and India. Trade agreements are not only about commerce, and they do not free up trade. For example, the Europeans are not going to dismantle their agricultural subsidies. And our farmers will face unfair competition because they will not have access to aid through similar subsidies.
Consulted regarding the impact on intellectual property, Alfredo Velazco, an expert on the Internet in Ecuador and a member of Usuarios de Internet del Ecuador (Internet users in Ecuador), tried to see beyond the squabbling provoked by the leak:
Concidentemente despues de la firma del Acuerdo con la Union Europea, se envia desde la Presidencia una reforma al Codigo Penal para penalizar en hasta US$ 200,000 a las personas por temas de propiedad intelectual, sin especificar alcances ni excepciones. Por otro lado el impulso al canon digital es otro de los temas que han tomado impulso. Estos serian los primeros impactos que estariamos recibiendo los usuarios.
Coincidentally, after signing the agreement with the European Union, the Office of the President put forth amendments to the Criminal Code that would penalize intellectual property violations with a fine of up to US$200,000, without indicating the extent of the reform or any exceptions to it. At the same time, the proposed private copying levy is another issue that has gained momentum. These impacts on the Internet are the first ones we would feel.
Despite all this—and the risks associated with entering into the Free Trade Agreement with the EU—its ratification already seems to be both a fait accompli and another of the many contradictions characteristic of President Rafael Correa's regime.

author: Juan Arellano


text:
Learn Who’s Who in Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution With ‘Mr and Little Miss Hong Kong People’ · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Ordinary Hong Kong people are protesting for genuine democratic elections of the city's top leader and the Legislative Council. They bring along umbrellas to protect themselves from the police's pepper spray, tear gas and batons. Now, umbrellas have become a symbol representing peaceful protest for Hong Kong democracy.
Many of the images of Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution have captured large, faceless throngs of protesters standing their ground in the city's financial center to demand free and fair elections from local and Beijing governments. What's been lost in the crowd are the individual leaders and decision makers driving the political tug-of-war.
Hong Kong commercial artist Maxwell spent a night creating a set of cartoon figures called “Mr and Little Miss Hong Kong People” to explain the important figures behind the Umbrella Revolution.
Inspired by British cartoon “Mr Men and Little Miss,” the Hong Kong version means to help parents tell their kids about the protests and let them know what's happening in society. Maxwell believed that regardless of the outcome of the pro-democracy protests, the next generation will benefit from it.
Take a look at the “Mr and Little Miss Hong Kong People” cartoon figures here:
The figure is based on the story of a protester, Mok Siu Man, who started a hunger strike on October 2 and lasted for more than 18 days. He protested with a placard saying, “For the sake of our children, death is not fearful.”
They represent Alex Chow and Lester Shum, two student leaders from the Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the key organizations behind the massive pro-democracy sit-in.
The figure represents Joshua Wong, the teenage protest leader from high school student activist group, Scholarism. He was arrested on September 26 for trespassing into the civic square in front of government headquarters. The violent clashes between police and student protesters the next day resulted in the arrest of 75 student activists and kickstarted the Occupy Central protests.
This figure represents Regina Ip, a member of the government Executive Council, lawmaker and a former head of the government's Security Bureau. She fully supports the police's violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.
It refers to Steve Hui, the police department's spokesperson. He appeared on TV almost every day at 4 p.m to report on the impact of protests to public order since September 28. As the head of the public relations branch, Hui tries his best to rescue the police officers’ public image. However, what he said has been undermined by viral footage exposing how police abused their power.
The figure refers to Andy Tsang, the head of Hong Kong police force. He is responsible for the unleashing of tear gas on peaceful protesters on September 28. Andy Tsang disappeared for three weeks after the violent crackdown.
The figure represents Yuen Chi Wai, news department chief of Television Broadcast (TVB), the most popular TV station in Hong Kong. Yuen ordered the news team to edit the script of a voice-over on news footage that clearly showed a number of police officers beating up a handcuffed protester in a dark corner near the protest site. According to a leaked voice record of the TV station's news department internal meeting, Yuen criticized his colleagues for being judgmental in the voice-over and said, “You are not the worms inside the police officers, how can you be so sure that the act of punching and kicking are for real?”
The figure represents Lau Kong Wah, former deputy chair of pro-Beijing political party, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB). After he lost his seat in the Legislative Council in the 2012 election, he was appointed by the chief executive as the undersecretary of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. He was responsible for arranging an open dialogue between student leaders and Carrie Lam, the government chief secretary, to resolve the conflict over election reform.
The figure represents Chung Shu Kun, a DAB legislative council member. He has been criticized by netizens for his comments in the Legislative Council. Recently, in order to justify police use of force, he posted an “iron umbrella” on his Facebook and claimed that protesters had inserted blades inside the umbrellas to attack police. Later, a design company issued a public statement expressing regret over Chung's abusive use of their design work — the “iron umbrella” is an art installation to promote recycling design.
Carrie Lam, the chief secretary of Hong Kong government. People believe that she represents the moderate voices in the government as she tries to solve the conflict through open dialogue with the students.
The figure represents Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung, who has been depicted by local media as a wolf since he decided to run for the chief executive seat in 2012. Later, people called him 689 because he only managed to obtain 689 votes out of the 1,200 votes in the election committee with the support of the Beijing government. The protesters have refused to have dialogue with Leung as they believe he wants to invite Beijing's direct intervention into Hong Kong affairs by distorting the Umbrella Revolution as a separatist movement and a conspiracy of foreign powers aiming to undermine the Chinese government's authority.
New figures on the Umbrella Revolution continue to be published on Maxwell's Mr. and Little Miss Hong Kong People Facebook page.
Follow our in-depth coverage: Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution

author: Oiwan Lam