In late 2019, Nicolás Maduro swore in thousands of civilians as new members of the so-called National Bolivarian Militia. Dressed in beige uniforms, men and women joined the special corps that complements the National Bolivarian Armed Force (FANB, in Spanish.) “We have reached 3.3 million organized militia members who are [ … ]
Transnational Threats
US Imposes Sanctions on Nicaraguan President’s Son
On December 12, 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Rafael Ortega Murillo, the son of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, alleging he is guilty of corruption and money laundering to enrich his family. “Rafael Ortega is the key money manager behind the Ortega family's illicit financial schemes,” U.S. Treasury Secretary [ … ]
Evidence of Murder of Former Venezuelan Police Officer Introduced at International Criminal Court
On December 9, Venezuelan lawmakers presented at the International Criminal Court evidence of what they qualify as a “massacre,” which resulted in the death of former police officer Óscar Pérez and other agents at the hands of State security forces nearly two years ago. Former National Assembly representative Wilmer Azuaje [ … ]
Venezuelans Have the Worst Internet and Censorship in the Region
Venezuela is the country with the worst internet speed in the Americas, according to data from a U.S.-based diagnostic technology company. Subject matter experts say that communities that are far from the capital have even more difficulties accessing the network. Fran Monroy, a Venezuelan journalist specialized in IT, said that [ … ]
General Qassem Soleimani’s Bloody Legacy
The senior Iranian military General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on January 2, exported terrorism and fueled sectarian violence for decades, causing the deaths of thousands of people. Since 1998, Soleimani led Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) in planning and executing terrorist attacks [ … ]
Cuba Increases Repression Against Dissidence
The Castro regime spreads terror and combines repression and torture to weaken its opponents. The nongovernmental organization (NGO) the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, reported more than 3,000 arbitrary arrests in Cuba in 2019, in the midst of a defamation campaign led by the government to [ … ]
Daniel Ortega’s Son Threatens Nicaraguan Businessmen
The Nicaraguan government strengthens its pattern of repression. On November 13, Juan Carlos Ortega Murillo, son of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, announced the creation of the May 4th Sandinista Movement (Movimiento Sandinista 4 de mayo). Ortega Murrillo made the announcement in front of the Private [ … ]
Twitter Analysis Reflects Venezuelan, Cuban, Nicaraguan Intervention in Chile’s Protests
An analysis of the tweets posted during the recent protests in Chile, reflecting that most foreign accounts supported the demonstrations and a change of government, could bolster allegations that Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua may be behind much of the unrest in Latin America. The statistical analysis of more than 4 [ … ]
Venezuela Has the Most Expensive French Fries on the Continent
French fries, a common food, affordable in most parts of the world and generally very popular, have become a luxury for many in Venezuela. The price of French fries in Venezuela ($4.50) greatly exceeds the cost of this product in countries of the region, such as Brazil ($3.35), Argentina ($3), [ … ]
Hostages As Bargaining Chips: An Iranian Tradition
Hostage taking has been a constant and contemptible feature of the Iranian regime ever since Islamic fundamentalists overthrew Iran’s government in 1979. That year, radicals took more than 60 U.S. Embassy employees hostage and held 52 Americans prisoners for 444 days. Foreigners who come to Iran today to work, study [ … ]
Transplants in Venezuela: A Struggle from Surgery to Medicine
At least 3,000 transplant patients are at risk of losing their organs due to lack of treatment, while another 5,000 people are still on the waiting list because surgeries have been stopped, according to data from the Venezuelan National Transplant Organization (ONTV, in Spanish). Libardo Laurens had a liver transplant [ … ]
Beijing’s Attack on Uighurs Isn’t Counterterrorism
The Chinese government insists its detention and re-education of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities are part of legitimate counterterrorism operations. Chinese authorities have interned more than 1 million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslims in camps where prisoners are forced to renounce their religious and ethnic identities and swear [ … ]