Eduardo Gonzalez – News Behind The News

Women For Their First Vote In Saudi Arabia

Eduardo Gonzalez / December 13, 2015December 17, 2015 / Middle-East

Until the last Saturday only two countries around the world did not allow women to vote: Vatican city (wherein only cardinals can do it) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After last December 12 , there is only one. Those has been just the third democratic elections in the history of the country, and the first time that women are allowed to vote. That was one of the last desires of the previous King Abdulla, who passed out last January. A total of 979 women were registered as candidates alongside 5.938 men.

According to preliminary results published on national media, at least 17 women would have been elected to municipal councils. The winner women include Salma al-Oteibi in the Mecca region, Lama al-Suleiman and Rasha Hufaithi in Jeddah, Hanouf al-Hazimi in Al Jouf province, and Sanaa al-Hammam and Masoumah Abdelreda in the Ahsa region.

Only 130,637 women were registered to vote compared to 1,355,840 men. Some human rights organizations have reported several barriers faced by women. The centres when they were able to vote (only girl schools), were just a few and they were far from town areas (women are not allowed to drive in the country). In addition, women have faced bureaucratic problems. Despite they are now allowed to have their own IDs, many of them didn’t have it, so they are denied to vote. They also have experienced some troubles by presenting their proofs of residence (which are mandatory to vote). Husbands tend to behold the property on his own and pay the bills. In that cases women need to present evidences of the relationship between them. That documents are usually in hands of husbands as well. As a result women accounted for fewer than 10% of registered voters.

This is an important and historic step to the nation, but it should not be forgotten that Saudi Arabia still remains as one of the most undemocratic countries around the world. There is not freedom of expression; judges are not independent; although penal code bans torture, this practice together with cases of beheading, stoning, amputations or floggings as legal punishments or penalties have been reported; political parties and opposition are forbidden; certain collectives, (such as women, LGTB, inmigrants, christians or Shia Muslims) are highly discriminated. There is still a lot to be done.

Photo by: Tribes of the World.

Elections In Spain: Continuity Or Change?

Eduardo Gonzalez / December 13, 2015December 16, 2015 / Europe

Next December 20 general elections will take place in Spain and all political parties are in the middle of the election campaign. According to surveys this appointment with polls will be very different to the traditional ones. The classical political bipartisanship between People’s Party (currently in power) and Spanish Workers Socialist Party (PSOE), that have ruled the nation since 1978, when democracy was established, has been totally knocked down by two new parties: Podemos (“We can”) and Ciudadanos (“Citizens”). Nonetheless, as polls indicate, People’s Party still would keep its first position, but it would has far fewer seats than in 2011 and in any case it would be enough to permit it governing solitary. Down below we go over the four candidates, their parties and their main proposals.

Mariano Rajoy (PP)

He is the current president and has a very long political career. During the last four years, Rajoy’s government has tried to combat economic crisis and unemployment, two main problems which have been blighting the nation since 2008. He has been repeatedly accused of undertake too many austerity measures, but according to results, economy its his best chance. He has already announced that his government is cutting taxes like IRPF (income taxes) if he wins. He has also said that he is expecting to create 500.000 new jobs every year until 2019. According to all surveys PP is going to take the first place in the race for Moncloa, but it will in no way able to govern alone.

The best: he represents stability and experience.

The worst: too many cases of corruption in his party.

Pedro Sanchez (PSOE)

After won primary elections inside his own party in 2014, Sanchez became on leader of the PSOE , before long bad results obtained by PSOE in the European elections. Since then he has not been able to manage situations and prevent the vote blood-letting caused by the new parties. In the last local elections, that have been celebrated this same year, its party obtained a poor results with almost 700.000 fewer votes than in 2011. This could be his last chance to achieve good results. Socialist leader has uploaded to his website a document with his main five proposals: “Repealing labour reform”, “a big deal for education an science”, “a minimum vital income to eradicate child poverty, “a national agreement to combat violence against women” and “a constitutional reform”.

Best: his program acts for dialogue and a new federal conception of the nation.

Worst: with rise of new parties, PSOE seems to have lost their place.

Albert Rivera (Cidadanos)

His party, together with Podemos, have changed the historical Spanish political statu quo. Citizens party was initially conceived as a Catalan civilian platform whose members wanted to make things happen. That was in 2005. Since then, his party has experienced an unstoppable growth not only in Catalonia, but even in the rest of the Peninsula Iberica. In the European Parliament election of 2014 his party obtained two seats, with just 500.ooo votes. This year, in the municipal elections its group was the great surprise obtaining almost 1.500.000 votes and positioning as the third force. That’s why many think that Citizens could be even the second force on next elections. Despite being Catalan, Rivera has always defended unity of the nation and he describes his party as social democratic and liberal-progressive. Among his proposals are a complementary salary for lower incomes, a fight against corruption and fraud, the depoliticising of justice or a new administrative national organisation.

Best: he represents one new generation that want “level headed” changes

Worst: most part of their party partners are unknown for the people.

Pablo Iglesias (Podemos)

In his figure is represented the change and the fight against the “caste”, word frequently used among members of his party to talk about traditional groups. Iglesias has worked as lecturer of political science at UCM Univeristy, and he became famous after several television appearances in different Spanish media such as La Sexta, Cuatro, 24h, or 13TV. Combining his work as lecturer, with his labour as political commentator in television, he decided (along with other university mates) to create a new party, Podemos, in 2014 and standing for 2014 European elections, in which they obtained 5 MEP’s and 1.200.000 votes. Despite his party has been accused of left-wing populism, Iglesias define it as “transversal”. Their financing is based on crowd-funding. Podemos have taken some innovative initiatives such as designing a transparency organization trough people can see what they do with every single euro they receive. Among his promises are: guaranteed income, removing of revolving doors, guaranteeing the right to housing or a general taxes cutting to the poorest classes.

Best: his party has revolutionized the traditional Spanish politics.

Worst: some of his ideas are often criticised as populists.

Photos by: PP Cantabria, FSA-PSOE, Contando Estrelas, Xixón Sí Puede.

A New Time For Venezuela

Eduardo Gonzalez / December 9, 2015December 14, 2015 / South America

Almost three days later and despite the rumours that talked about a possible vote-rigging, the results of parliamentary Venezuelan elections were finally made official by the CNE (Election National Council). The Venezuelan people have made a complete about-face since the last polls by choosing the opposition party MUD (Roundtable for Democratic Unity), as their preferred option by a large margin above the current government group, PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela). With a 67.07 per cent of the votes, the Caprile’s Big tent party achieves 109 deputies and the qualifying majority in Parliament (with the help of the three representatives obtained by the Native Party), while Nicolás Maduro’s bevy has only reached 55 seats (32,93 per cent of votes).

One of the demonstrations against the government after 2013 presidential elections.

This new situation opens a new political horizon in the country. This majority could mean that a lot of changes are to come because now the parliament, which is the place where laws are made, will be in the hands of opposition party. The Spanish newspaper El País, publishes today an interview with the leader of MUD, Henrique Capriles, in which he gives assurances that they are taking steps to “urgently”change the judicial system. “Our main concerns are economy, social aspect and insecurity”, he added. He was also asked about the political prisoners, victims of the repression: “Maduro should read the result, starting with a gesture like releasing political prisoners and calling the country to national unity”, he answered.

For his part, the current president, Nicolás Maduro has already announced in the public Venezuelan television that he “has invited his ministers to place their offices at the disposal”. With that measure he expects starting a “reconstruction, renovation and deep momentum process which will affect to all government areas”. He has also expressed he “will not accept any amnesty law” to release “nation killers that have violated human rights”, in reference to the bill what will be presented by the new majority to free the 70 political captives of Chavism, such as the leader of Popular Will party, Leopoldo López, or the former major of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma. Many are afraid about the reaction of Maduro’s regime, which has still more than 3 years before it, until next presidential elections, in 2019. A new hope has risen in Venezuela but a lot of questions still remain open.

Photos by: Ruurmo, See Li.

San Bernardino Shooting, An Act Of Terrorism?

Eduardo Gonzalez / December 7, 2015December 14, 2015 / North America

“An act of terrorism” were the exact words used yesterday by Mr Obama to describe San Bernardino rampage. In this mournful event, which took place last Wednesday 2/12/2015, fourteen people were killed and twenty-one wounded last Wednesday: “An act of terrorism”is not a trivial diagnose of the facts. If true, it might mean several things. Firstly, San Bernardino attack would be the worst terrorist episode that has taken place on American soil since 9/11. In addition , it would be the first time that an ISIL terrorist cell achieves its objective in The United States. And last but not least, it would open a new horizon wherein Obama could be forced to overhaul his fighting fundamentalist terrorism strategy. Down below, we explain known facts and some clues in which president’s speech seems to be was based on.

Facts

On Wednesday 2, at 10:59 am, two masked gunmen broke in San Bernardino’s Inland Regional Center, while a holiday party was being held. They dressed in tactical clothes and carried “assault-style” weapons, and hand-guns. Between 65 and 75 bullets were shot. The entire firing took less than four minutes. After killing 14 and wounding 21, the couple tried to escape from the police in a black Ford Expedition SUV, and a car chase started. The suspects were located at 3 pm, hardly four hours later , on East San Bernardino East Avenue. They were rapidly surrounded by special forces and an exchange of fire started. Extending for a minute, more than 380 bullets were shot by 23 officers and finally the murderers were gunned down.

The killers

Their names were Syed Rizwan Farook, the man, born in 1987, in Chicago, and Tashfeen Malik, his wife, born in 1988 in Pakistan. Farook grew up in Riverside, California, and attended La Sierra High School, graduating in 2004. Then, he went to California State University, San Bernardino, and received a bachelor’s degree in environmental health in 2010. Afterwards he had being working as a food inspector for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health ,for five years to the shooting day. Both, Farook’s relatives and friends alike have shown extremely surprised by the attack. According to them, he was a very devout Sunni Muslim. Most of them blame Farook’s wife of his radicalization.

At this moment, according to the official investigation, Malik would have been the thinking mind after the attack. Born in Pakistan 25 years ago, it is believed that she spent most part of her life in Saudi Arabia, where, allegedly, she would have radicalised. She returned to Pakistan to study pharmacy at Bahauddin Zakariya University and graduated in 2012. Malik and Farook first met on the internet and they got married in 2014 when Farook travelled to Saudi Arabia. Malik entered the United States on a K-1 (fiancée) visa with a Pakistani passport.

Who were the victims?

The fourteen killed people were all workers at San Bernardino Inland Regional Center, a government-funded not-for-profit public benefit corporation that provides services and programs to people with developmental disabilities and their families. The youngest was 26, the oldest 60. This is the unfortunate list: Shannon Johnson, 45, from Los Angeles; Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46, from Rialto; Aurora Godoy, 26, from San Jacinto; Isaac Amanios, 60, from Fontana; Larry Daniel Kaufman, 42, from Rialto; Harry Bowman, 46, from Upland; Yvette Velasco, 27, from Fontana; Sierra Clayborn, 27, from Moreno Valley; Robert Adams, 40, from Yucaipa; Nicholas Thalasinos, 52, from Colton; Tin Nguyen, 31, Santa Ana; Juan Espinoza, 50, Highland; Damian Meins, 58, from Riverside; and Michael Wetzel, 37, from Lake Arrowhead.

The investigation

Even though they didn’t mention it at first, from the beginning the police considered it was about a terrorist attack, since everything looked too well planned. When officer registered their house, they found more than 7.000 rounds of ammunition, twelve pipe bombs an tools that could have been used to make homemade explosives. The two hand guns were legally purchased by Farook in 2012, whereas the rifles were allegedly acquired by Enrique Marquez, a Farook ´s childhood friend, whose home has already been raided. These guns were voluntary altered by the couple who try to modify fire from semi-automatic to automatic mode, and also increase the capacity of their magazines.

Moreover, FBI has also found several clues, which have not been released yet, that would indicate Malik’s support and allegiance to ISIL. Although she tried to hide it, at least one post supporting ISIL’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been found on her Facebook profile. As for a recent interview to Farook’s father, published by the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Farook was “fascinated” by ISIL as well, and “hated” Israel.

Unsolved Questions About The Shot Down Russian Plane

Eduardo Gonzalez / December 1, 2015December 14, 2015 / Middle-East

https://youtu.be/Ne5QdY0mxRM

An intense and heated discussion arose last week from the news of a SU-24 Russian bomber being shut down by Turkey military forces. Turkish claimed it was just in response to the airspace violation carried out by one of the two Russian planes that overflew Turkish territory. While Turkish government states having warned the planes up to ten times, the Kremlin denies it and informs that the serious incident will bring consequences.

Up to now there is little coincidence between the two versions .In fact, only the undeniable aspects agree: ” A Russian bomber was shut down by a Turkish F-16, close to the Turkey frontier with Syria, on Tuesday 24. From that on, the versions run parallel.

In a letter sent to the UN Security Council by the Turkish permanent representative, Halit Cevik, he says that both aircrafts, unhearing the warnings that military gave, kept flying through Turkish space for 17 seconds (2,19 and 1,85 Kms, respectively) heading for the town of Yayladagui. After listening to the warnings, one of the pilots abandoned the Turkish airspace while the other one, who stayed there , was fired and brought down by a F-16 which was patrolling the area. “We didn’t know the nationality of the planes”, he added.

The days following, Turkish military forces have released several evidences to support their side of the story, such as an alleged radar image, showing two SU-24 flying in Turkish airspace, or a record in which ,supposedly, the Turkish warnings to the Russian pilots can be listened to.

On the other hand, Russian view of the facts could not be more different. According to the Kremlin, planes were shut down without warnings. “That was part of a deliberate plan” has even said the Russian ambassador in Spain, Yuri Korchajin. For Russian president Vladimir Putin, he has charged Erdogan of lying, saying that Turkey has enough ways to find out the nationality of the planes overflowing the area, and an offended Putin has defined the incident as a “stab in the back”.

Foreign Affairs Russian minister, Sergei Lavrov, has shown himself more calmed saying: “We will never go to war with Turkey”. But he has announced some measures to be taken. First of all, the sending of several S-400 antiaircraft weapons to the airbase of Jmeimim, in Syria, 30 kilometres south of the border.

It has been the first time that a NATO jet opens fire to a Russian plane in 63 years. It was on November 18, 1952, when North American aircrafts shut down 4 soviet MIGs in the Korean War. Since then, relationships between the two forces have been getting better. For the time being, NATO has taken a step forward in defense of its allied member, stating that several information services are supporting the Turkish argument. Nevertheless, general secretary, Jens Stoltenberg has appealed to all international agents involved for calming down and defusing the tension between them. In the meantime, Russia has already announced that current free visa regime for Turkish citizens will be suspended for the next year.