Foreign Digest Updates: Venezuela, Algeria, Turkey and Thailand

Venezuela

There have continued to be blackouts in Venezuela, after the one a week ago across most of the country that had lasted a week.  The authoritarian Socialist Venezuelan regime blames sabotage by the United States, but the oil-rich country has suffered from them for years as the regime has undermined the electricity industry as millions of Venezuelans have fled oppression, corruption and poverty.  There have been protests, often met with violence a opposition leaders are often arrested.  The democratic opposition leader in the national assembly the regime had supplanted invoked a constitutional provision last month to proclaim himself president.

Algeria

The old and ailing President of Algeria, who has rarely been seen in public the last few years, announced that he would not be a candidate for a fifth term, after protests against his candidacy.  Demonstrations continue for his resignation.

Turkey

            There were more arrests across Turkey of those accused of ties to a Muslim cleric in exile in Pennsylvania who has been accused by the authoritarian Islamist Turkish regime of being behind the failed military coup in 2016.  Tens of thousands of Turks have been fired or arrested under the pretext of suspicion of complicity to the coup or ties to the cleric as the autocratic leader of Turkey has increasingly eliminated all opposition.

Thailand

           Thailand today is conducting its first elections since the military coup d’etat five years ago.  The leader of the military junta is expected to receive the most votes.  It is not certain the election will be honest.  The coup was in response to an impasse between two main parties that had accused each other of corruption.