Sunday, September 1, 2019

Foreign Digest Updates: Russia, China, Venezuela, Sudan and Syria


Russia
            Donald Trump, who was elected presidency of the United States through Russian interference on his behalf, tried to convince the rest of the Group of Seven industrialized States last week to re-admit the Russian Federation to their organization, but they declined.  Russia had been excluded because, under tyrant Vladimir Putin, it invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed part of it, in violation of its treaty with the former Soviet Republic recognizing its sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Putin, an ex-KGB (Soviet intelligence) officer who laments the breakup of the Soviet Union, continues to support rebels in Eastern Ukraine
           
            There was a mass protest in Russia yesterday by the democratic opposition against the lack of free and fair elections.  Although the regime does not usually tolerate the freedom to assemble peacefully, there were no arrests.

China
            There have continued to be massive protests in Hong Kong against violations of its autonomy and liberty by Communist China, despite Peking’s promise to respect the city-state’s freedom when it reverted from British rule in 1997.  There have been violations of the freedom to assemble peacefully.

Venezuela
Juan Guaido, the leader of the Venezuelan national assembly who invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself interim president, named a cabinet last week.  He had already appointed diplomats and other officials.  Several dozen States, including the United States and many Latin American and Western States recognize him over the Socialist dictator who had supplanted the national assembly with another body.

Sudan
            The transitional government of Sudan has begun the prosecution of the former longtime Islamist tyrant it overthrew in April.

Syria
           There has been an increase in Israeli attacks recently in Syria on Hezbollah, in response to threats and rockets fired from the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist organization.  Syrian tyrant Bashar Assad, a state sponsor of terrorism, is a conduit for Iranian support for Hezbollah, which is backing him in the Syrian Civil War, together with Russia.

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