Foreign Digest: Hungary, Slovakia, Lebanon and Venezuela

Hungary: The United States imposed economic sanctions last week on a senior Hungarian official for corruption. Hungary, though an American ally as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is led by an autocratic far-right anti-migrant pro-Russian leader, whose administration is corrupt. The European Union had also recently withheld funds to member Hungary for corruption, in addition to its backsling on liberty and representtaive government. Slovakia: Thousands of Slovakians yesterday protested against the pro-Russian far-left populist President. They oppose the Eastern European State turning back toward the Russian orbit and instead favor closer relations with the EU and defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. Slovakia, which as formerly part of Czechoslovakia had been a Soviet satellite state, is a member of both NATO and the EU. Lebanon: Lebanon elected a Maronite Christian last week, as required by the Arab State’s sectarian Constitution, as its President, thereby filling a vacancy in the office since 2022. The new President, a high-ranking general backed by the U.S. and its Western allies and other Arab States, is opposed to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi’ite party that is also a terrorist organization. The fall of the Syrian Assad regime has weakened Hezbollah and Iran, its sponsor, which enabled the Lebanese presidential election to take place and for an opponent to be elected. Lebanon will be able to enjoy more political independence, after having been dominated by Syria and influenced by Iran. Venezuela: The Socialist dictator had himself sworn into a second 6-year term late last week, despite the lack of proof of his re-election in July and the evidence from polling place results that the center-right opposition nominee, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won by a landslide. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested and briefly detained after she came out of hiding to attend a rally in person for the first time in months, while Gonzalez, a former diplomat who has been exiled to Spain, plans a return to Venezuela soon to take office. He has been on a tour of Latin America for recognition of his election. Most Latin American States, along with the United States and its allies, do not recognize the re-election of the Socialist dictator and many of the them recognize Gonzalez as the legitimate President of Venezuela. The Socialists were elected in 2000 and then undermined liberty and representative government to retain power ever since. A record number of political prisoners are being held by the regime. Millions of Venezuelans have fled. Thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting against the dictatorship across the South American State.