Tag Archives: autocrats

Venezuela’s President Claims Victory In Tainted Election

The New York Times reports: Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, was declared the winner of the country’s tumultuous presidential election early Monday, despite enormous momentum from an opposition movement that had been convinced this was the year it would oust Mr. Maduro’s socialist-inspired party. The vote was riddled with irregularities, and citizens were angrily protesting the government’s actions at voting …

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EU To Boycott Hungary’s Foreign Affairs Summit

Politico Europe reports: European Union foreign affairs ministers are set to snub Hungary by organizing their own foreign affairs summit in August instead of traveling to Budapest for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s event. Hungary, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, plans to host a foreign affairs summit in Budapest on August 28-29 — a prime …

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DeSantis Inauguration Theme: The Free State Of Florida

CBS News reports: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be sworn in for his second term Tuesday morning, but his speech is expected to carry a different tone than the one he gave when he first took office in 2019. When Governor DeSantis took office in 2019 vowed to cut bureaucratic red tape, lower health care costs and protect Florida’s environment. …

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Trump’s Order To Command FCC To Review Liability Protections For Social Media, Establish “Snitch” Hotline

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump is expected to order a review of a law that has long protected Twitter, Facebook and Alphabet’s Google from being responsible for the material posted by their users, according to a draft executive order and a source familiar with the situation. The executive order would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to propose and clarify …

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Trump To Weed Out “Disloyal” Civilians At Pentagon

Foreign Policy reports: In another move aimed at consolidating control over policy and messaging, the Trump administration is sending a White House loyalist to serve in a key Defense Department policy role that officials are worried is aimed at weeding out civilians not loyal to the president, Foreign Policy has learned. Michael Cutrone, who has been detailed as Vice President …

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Hungary No Longer A Democracy, Freedom House Says

Politico reports: Hungary is no longer a democracy, Poland is about to go down the same path, democracy in the Balkans is eroding because of Chinese and Russian influence, and the EU is doing nothing to stop it all, according to the NGO Freedom House’s latest Nations in Transit report, out Wednesday. In the study, which covers 29 countries from …

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Bolsonaro: WHO Teaches Kids To Be Gay, Masturbate

Agence France-Presse reports: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said the World Health Organization encourages homosexuality and masturbation among young children, his latest clash with an organization whose advice on social distancing and other anti-coronavirus measures he has repeatedly questioned. The far-right leader made the claim, without citing a source, in a Facebook post he later deleted. “This is the World Health …

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BRAZIL: President Bolsonaro To Face Corruption Probe

The Washington Post reports: Brazil’s supreme court has authorized an investigation of alleged corruption and obstruction of justice by President Jair Bolsonaro after the country’s outgoing justice minister accused him of attempting to interfere with federal police probes. The 60-day investigation, approved Monday by Supreme Federal Court Justice José Celso de Mello Filho, plunges Brazil into a new political crisis …

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Russian Lawmakers Vote To Reset Putin’s Terms To Zero

Reuters reports: Constitutional changes allowing Vladimir Putin to run for president again in 2024 sailed through Russia’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday, opening the way for him to potentially stay in power until 2036. The 450-seat State Duma, the lower house of parliament, on Wednesday voted in favor of the change, along with other amendments to the constitution, by …

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Putin Backs Ploy To Keep Him In Power Until 2036

The New York Times reports: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Tuesday that he would support legislation that would allow him to run for a fifth term as president in 2024. The proposal, unexpectedly floated by a lawmaker at a session of Russia’s lower house of Parliament on Tuesday, would allow Mr. Putin — who is 67 years …

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Saudi Crown Prince Has Family Members Arrested

The New York Times reports: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has detained three members of the royal family, including a brother of the king and a former crown prince, a sign of how fully Crown Prince Mohammed has consolidated power, and that he may have seen a potential threat to it. The detentions were disclosed Friday by a member of …

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No Press For Surprise Bolsonaro Mar-A-Lago Meeting

The Guardian reports: The president is heading to his private resort club Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida, later today and is holding a fundraiser this evening. But Donald Trump revealed this morning that he is also meeting with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro at the club this weekend. “He wanted to have dinner,” Trump told reporters. The meeting is expected …

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Russian Government Resigns As Putin Tightens Grip

The Guardian reports: Vladimir Putin has proposed changes to Russia’s constitution that would limit the power of a potential successor if he steps down in 2024, indicating he may occupy a beefed-up role as Russia’s prime minister or in the government’s state council. In a televised speech before senior officials, Putin suggested amending Russia’s constitution to limit a future president …

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