Venezuela's Independence Comes Under Threat

 

Venezuela's independence is under threat. With the head of state still prisoner after being kidnapped, the interim administration is unwilling to get Nicolas Maduro back. Interim President  Delcy Rodriquez is focused on opening more of Venezuela to foreign investment and changes to the oil industry. Rodriquez was seen meeting with President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly. The Trump administration claims they are in the process of negotiating a number of energy deals. Venezuelan  leftists see this as a surrender to an imperial power in a decades long war. Efforts to make Venezuela fall under US influence have been active since 2002. The socialist movement that Hugo Chavez started appears to be defeated. Chavismo and the Bolivarian revolution was designed to assert South American independence and national sovereignty. If the oil agreement is reached with the Trump administration, this ensures the loss of a valuable resource. The supporters of the legitimate president are not going away. Elections are going to be difficult to win under such conditions. Venezuela is part of a gradual process to transform into a puppet state. The head of the CIA made a visit to Venezuela after the kidnapping of  President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela will be in such as state it will not be able to make its own foreign policy. Overtime, Venezuela will be pushed away from Cuba and Nicaragua. Efforts are being made to place it in an alignment with right-wing governments in South America. The attack on Venezuela had a motive beyond South America. Before President Maduro was kidnapped, he met with Chinese diplomats. The relations between Venezuela and the People's Republic of China undermine US hegemony in South America. The race to gain rare earth minerals and fossil fuels has created global tensions among the major powers. Venezuelans are now in a struggle to keep their freedom as an independent country.        

Ethiopia's Armed Insurgency

 

Ethiopia is facing a mass armed insurgency. A collection of armed groups are now seeking to overthrow the government. The TPLF appears to have convinced the Oromo Liberation Army, the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Ogaden National Liberation  Front,  Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, and the Benishangul Peoples' Liberation movement to be part of an alliance. Gumuz Peoples' Democratic Movement also is fighting with other groups for this coalition. The new alliance is referred to as the Ethiopian Peoples' Alliance for Survival. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's ambitions of getting greater Red Sea access and the construction of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam also caused tensions with neighboring states. Egypt could not stop the construction of the dam and wants to see other Ethiopian projects halted. The Blue Nile is an area in which Ethiopia can attain greater hydroelectric power. Egypt acts as if it owns all the Nile River, when it crosses between borders. Eritrea has been accused of arming the TPLF. Sudan is aligned with Egypt. Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea for the increase in rebel insurgency. A weakened Ethiopia would benefit those three countries. Sudan's might not have an extensive role in the violence considering its fight with the RSF. The internal insurgency could spread into other East African countries. Even if the TPLF is deposes the government, ethnic hatreds would prevent a peaceful transition. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was democratically elected in 2021. The TPLF know they could not win a national election and decided to use violence to get power. The Prosperity Party is not Derg. Attempts to mold public opinion to the sentiment can be challenged with basic facts. The TPLF want regime change and they are using other armed groups to do so. The TPLF does not want a multi-party democratic government, rather a one party state.  

Burkina Faso Opens Its First Gold Refinery

 

Burkina Faso is accelerating plans for economic development with opening its first gold refinery. The objective is to control the mineral wealth and protect it from external theft. Raffinor-BF is also seeking to have the gold valued and certified in Burkina Faso. Raffinor-BF is state owned and also intends to make trade agreements that benefit the country. New policies also include chaining mining codes, reduction of the export of raw materials, and government ownership of business. Burkina Faso is not the only African nation implementing these policies. Ghana and Guinea are following this economic approach to development. Raffinor-BF plans to 515 tonnes of gold next year. This is an ambitious target and depending on the size of the workforce may not be reached in that time frame. The new economic policies are not a case of nationalization. The private sector was active in the establishment of Raffinor-BF. The National Precious Metals Company was also a contributor to the gold refinery. The benefit of the gold refinery enables higher employment. The hinderance is that more gold refineries are needed to reach production targets. The total cost was 11 billion CFA francs. More funds are going to be needed for the construction of refineries. Getting loans from the World Bank or IMF should be avoided. Accumulation of debt only delays economic development and industrialization. Burkina Faso appears to have found a model which could possibly be replicated in other parts of Africa.  

President Salva Kiir Dissolves Government

 

South Sudan appears to be sliding into an authoritarian system. President Salva Kiir has dissolved the government. The result means elections are going to be delayed. Since 2011, South Sudan has only had one head of state. The process for a permanent South Sudanese Constitution is underway. Prior to the announcement, the National Elections Act was signed into law. This allows for the National Assembly to be reduced to 270 members. Before the NEA, the total number of members was 650. State assemblies and legislative councils are also being reduced in seats. The South Sudanese are getting less representation in government. The Kirr government claims it is acting in accordance with the 2018 peace agreement. Leader of the opposing SPLM-IO Riek Machar remains under house arrest. He was been charged with murder and treason, some suspect Machar is imprisoned for political purposes. The dangerous aspect of this is all armed groups are not unified. The potential for another civil war remains a concern. Elections probably will not happen and Kiir is making it possible to retain the presidency. Replacing the head of the elections commission indicates a consolidation of more executive power. The government of South Sudan will resemble that of Togo, The Republic of the Congo , or Cameroon. Presidents staying in power for years and criminalizing their political opponents. The fragile unity government was unable to address ethnic conflict, abuses of the executive power, and armed factions. 

Toys "R "Us Intends To Open More Stores

 

Some businesses can be revived. Toys "R "Us at one stage filed for bankruptcy, but was able to resurrect itself. The nature of toy purchases has changed. The concern was that children no longer are interested in toys. Electronics, video games, and tablets are getting more attention from youth. However, another demographic is becoming part of toy purchases. Adults and teens are collecting toys. Like stamps, sports cards, or comic books toys are now a type of hobby. Toys also have a connection to other fandoms of popular  TV and film franchises. The company intends to open 120 stores. This was done before the holiday season and the intent is to see sales expand. Prior to the 2017 bankruptcy, Toys "R" Us had more than 1000 stores in the United States. The company is now owned by WHP Global. The private equity firm might not see keeping toy stores open as a long term business model. Either WHP Global would sell it or liquidate the subsidiary. Mismanagement and failure to interest buyers resulted in Toys "R" Us facing bankruptcy. Companies must adopted to the shift in consumer habits and an evolving market place. A new strategy of offering popular toy brands is a positive direction. Lego, Hot Wheels, Barbie, Marvel action figures, and Pokemon products will be in stores. Tariffs and increasing prices pose a threat to the company's objectives.     

Lithuania's Miliary Expansion

 

Lithuania continues a military expansion. The reason for this is to counter a possible Russian invasion. There is no indication of any military strike targeting Lithuania. Estonia and Latvia share a direct border with Russia. If such an invasion were to happen, those two countries would have to be invaded. A drone was shot down thought to be directed at Lithuania. The consensus now is it most likely was directed at Ukraine. The Baltic states claim they are under threat from the Russian Federation, when that area is not the focus. The only reason Lithuania is undergoing military expansion is to fight on the behalf of NATO. The Russo-Ukrainian War has been a proxy war and a trap for Russia. The provocation worked, yet Ukraine struggles. Lithuania could be used to either attack Belarus or be a drone launching site against Russia. Ukraine could lose the war and getting other countries involved extends the conflict. Belarus is not going to get involved in war. Lithuania's borders are secure, yet the European Union intends to escalate. The militarization of Lithuania goes beyond  adding NATO presence. Lithuanian children are being given military training in school. This opens up the possibility for the use of child soldiers. Provoking an attack on a NATO member would trigger Article 5. Disturbance in the Baltic would be used as a justification for a Western European war against Russia. Lithuania and the rest of the Baltic then would be sacrificed as a shield for advances armies. Lithuania's militarization will have negative consequences, both in domestic affairs and foreign relations.     

Tomb Discovery of Chimu Civilization

 

Peru is uncovering more of its history. During an archeological expedition a tomb  was uncovered. The structure was part of what was Chimu civilization. A total of 37 skeletons were found. These could have been people of royalty  or the warrior class . The remains have not been analyzed thoroughly. Their sex, rank, or occupation has not been determined. Weapons that were made of metal were found including other artifacts. The tomb was located in a section of Chan Chan. The area happens to be one of the largest adobe cities in the Americas. The challenge doing archeology in South America was that many artifacts were stolen. Spanish invasion resulted in artifacts being sold, shipped away, or in an individual's private collection. The tomb contained textiles, jewelry,   gold and copper objects. From a perspective of anthropology, these discoveries can provide information on the societal structure of Chimu civilization. The funerary platform remained untouched for 600 years. Spanish colonizers were unable to locate it. That means the tomb was intact, assuming thefts from residents did not occur in those six centuries. The newly discovered tomb is part of the Utzh An complex. Chan Chan is immense and requires more exploration. South America's history has ancient foundations, which were ignored by academia. Universities and researchers are now taking a renewed interest in Amerindian civilization.