Foreign Digest: Venezuela, Colombia, Communist China, Ukraine and Russia

Venezuela: Venezuela’s ruling Socialist regime rejected neighboring Colombia’s offer of sending election observers for the upcoming Venezuelan presidential elections next moth. I had posted that the dictatorship had rejected European Union observers. The Socialists have ruled since 2000 after being elected and then becoming authoritarian, holding hundreds of pollitical prisoners, and not permitting fully free and independent elections. The opposition has united around a former ambassador after their nominee, who was leading in the polls, was barred from holding office. Colombia: There has been a spike in violence from Marxist narco-terrorists and guerillas in Colombia as the Colombian Government has entered into peace talks with the last remaining factions or splinter groups. The war in the South American State has lasted since 1965 and killed tens of thousands of people. The guerillas have funneled the cocaine that enters into America. Communist China: Communist China earlier this month sentenced Hong Kong opposition officials to prison for peacefully protesting Peking’s violation of its promise to let the city-state keep its autonomy and liberty, thereby completing its purge of the opposition that had campaigned for local offices in the territory that is controlled by a Chinese-appointed executive and legislative majority. The territory had reverted to Chinese control in 1997 from the United Kingdom after China made its promise, but human rights are no longer respected as all dissent is squelched and thus meaningful free and fair elections no longer held, as any opposition candidates who manage to win their elections are precluded from taking their seats, or exercise no power if they do. Ukraine and Russia: Ukrainian special forces have reportedly been fighting Kremlin-backed Russian mercenaries this year in Syria and Sudan, during the Russian aggression against their homeland, backing rebels against the tyrannical Syrian regime of Bashar Assad against rebels. In the Syrian Civil War, which began as a popular uprising in 2011 for liberty and representative government, well over half a million people have been killed and millions have become refugees. The Russian Federation and Iran back Assad, a state sponsor of terrorism, as does Hezbollah, the Iranian-sponsored Lebanese Shi’ite organization. The United States backs certain Syrian rebels against Islamist terrorists, thereby helping the Kurds, for example, to enjoy autonomy. Israel frequently strikes Hezbollah and Iranian forces. The Ukrainian strategy appears to be to confront the malign influence of Russia around the world. In a similar manner, many Russians, Belarusians, and Georgians, in addition to Americans and other Westerners and others from the former Soviet Union or former Soviet Satellites, have volunteered to fight to defend Ukraine. The Russian tyrant, Vladimir Putin, is an ex-Soviet intelligence officer who is trying to restore the Soviet Empire.