What is going on in Venezuela?(2)

Venezuela is a rich country in gold, oil and bauxite. It has the world's largest oil reserves with 316 tons of gold reserves. Venezuela controls the world’s largest proven oil reserves in the world. Despite these natural resources, Venezuelan economy contracted 53% in five years and inflation is at over 1 million per cent. Most of the scholars state that Venezuelan economy did not manage well under Maduro's power. Nowadays, it is possible to buy 54 liters oil with one package of chocolate.

Venezuela has been under the embargo of the United States and many European countries for many years. Due to these embargoes, few airlines fly to Venezuela. Therefore, despite the many tourist attractions, few tourists go to Venezuela.

The country is also experiencing a major economic crisis. Many Venezuelans consider Maduro responsible for this economic crisis. Due to the economic crisis, there have been protests in the country since April 1st. 120 people died and thousands were injured during these protests. In the process, someone tried to assassinate Maduro, but Maduro was not injured or die.

Despite the embargo the United States and western, Turkey, Russia and China support the Maduro. Juan Gualido, the leader of the opposition party in Venezuela, declared himself the new head of state in the previous weeks. First, USA said that USA recognized Gualido as the new head of state. Later, important European countries such as Germany, Spain and England also recognized Guaido as the new head of state.

After the United States recognized Guaido, Maduro kicked US diplomats out of the country. This event has completely ended the political and economic relations between the two countries. 

Maduro states that the US is trying to make a coup in Venezuela. In recent days, the US press reports support Maduro's idea. The US and many western newspapers say the army should support Guaido. Essentially, this openly defends the Venezuelan army to make a coup.

This kind of news shows how the hypocrite of the West. Because for a long time, Western countries show themself as a defender of democracy. 

Drone test in Taiwan 2

Drone test in National Sun Yat Sen University (Sunset)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFmuERqiXj8Wcx158ThWBgQ

Drone test in Taiwan 1

Drone test in Pier 2 art. 10.11.2018

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFmuERqiXj8Wcx158ThWBgQ

What is going on in Venezuela?(1)

Venezuela is a rich country in gold, oil and bauxite. It has the world's largest oil reserves with 316 tons of gold reserves. Venezuela controls the world’s largest proven oil reserves in the world. Despite these natural resources, Venezuelan economy contracted 53% in five years and inflation is at over 1 million per cent. Most of the scholars state that Venezuelan economy did not manage well under Maduro's power. Nowadays, it is possible to buy 54 liters oil with one package of chocolate.

Some of the people in Venezuela also support these scholars view and they think that this economic crisis in Venezuela is because of Maduro. Also, for a long time, Venezuela is under Western sanctions.

Since april 1, almost everyday there have been uprising in Venezuela. During these uprising 120 person died and a lot of person injured. These kinds of things became normal and a part of daily life in Venezuela.

But last week, something interesting is happened in Venezuela. The leader of opposition party in Venezuela declared himself as a president. The opposition leader in Venezuela's name is Juan Gualido.

Juan Gualido was the Venezuelan parliamentary speaker. He is a young politician. He is just 35 years old. The 35- year-old is the international face of Venezuelan protest. More than a dozen countries have officially backed Guidó’s claim to be his country’s interim president and tens of thousands of people have turned out on the streets to support him.

More than a dozen European Union countries endorsed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president on Monday, piling the pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to resign and clear the way for a new presidential election. Spain, Germany, France and Britain delivered diplomatic blows to Maduro’s rule by publicly supporting Guaido after a Sunday deadline for Maduro to call a presidential election passed without action. Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal also lined up behind Guaido, who last month declared himself interim president with the support of the United States and many South American nations.

As it could be seen that now there are two presidents in country. One of them, Maduro, elected with official election. One of them, Gualido, declared himself as a president without any official election. However, most of the Western countries such as Spain, USA, Canada and England support Gualido.

In my opinion, this is a hypocrisy. Because, these countries always imply the importance of democracy in the world but now they start to support an illegal president.  Western countries need to notice their mistake as soon as possible and a solution should be established with dialogue with Maduro in Venezuela.

Hasidic Judaism-1-

I watched a documentary last week. The documentary's name is "one of us". Hasidism, a branch of Judaism, was explained in the documentary. It was a very interesting documentary.

The hasidic community has quite strict rules. Because of these strict rules, some members of the community want to quit the Hasidic community. The main theme explained in the documentary were people who left the community.

The community is almost like a family. For this reason, members of the community always support each other. This situation increases the loyalty of the members to the community. However, if you quit the community, members of the community exclude you and ignore you.

A former member od community stated that Hasidic community made the members of the community dependent on it and that if you quit, the only way is to commit a crime. Another former member argued that the community was against the reading and thanks to that community prevented quiting community.

The community created a pressure on its former members. The community follows and harasses its former members, and this puts pressure on former members.



RELATED LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism

Failed Coup d'etat in Gabon

The first coup d'etat news in 2019 came from Gabon. On January 7, 2019, there was news in the evening that a military coup started in Gabon. Some officers occupied the national television channel and announced that they take control of the government.

Later, however, the regime forces regained control of the national channel. The soldiers who occupied the national channel were arrested. Fortunately, this coup d'etat attempt became a failed coup d'etat.

Although this military coup was blocked, but I think the threat still continues in Gabon. The most important reason for this is that the country has been controlling with one party for many years.

The country has been controlled by the Bongo family for 51 years. Especially after the death of Omar Bongo there was an increase in the opposition movement in the country. After Ali Bongon won the election in 2016, armed conflicts began between two camps(Bongo camp and opposition camp). Then the conflict were controlled by regime.

However, as seen, the opposition in the country is not finished. In my opinion, Gabon could face again with new coup d'etat attempts or protests or uprisings in the future.

Algeria shuts southern borders to Syrians over security fears

According to Al Jazeera's news on January 02, 2019, Algeria shuts southern borders to Syrians over security fears. Algeria banned all Syrians from entering the country via its southern borders, hours after a rights group reported that 50 Syrians and Palestinians had been deported to neighbouring Niger before new year.

So what are the reasons behind that?

In my opinion there are two main reasons behind this policy. First reason is related with country's Arabization policy history. When Algeria gained its independence in 1962, it was established based on the nation-state model. The cornerstone of this model was Arab nationalism and socialism. In this respect, the Algerian regime initiated a number of cultural and linguistic policies, which are called Arabization policy.

However, the country was under French control for a period of 100 years and there were few teachers who could give Arabic education after independence. For this reason, many Arabic teachers from Egypt, Syria and Gulf countries were brought to Algeria to teach Arabic. However, these teachers who came to Algeria were Muslim Brotherhood members. This was the first time that political Islam came to the country. 

The following process led to the rise of an Islamic party, Front Aslamique du Salut in 1989, and a civil war in 1992. The Algerian government does not want this situation in 1970s to be repeated again. In addition, the Algerian government considers these immigrants to have an uprising culture. 

The second reason is that the Algerian government does not want the demographic balances in the country to change much. There are still problems with the Berber ethnic minority in the country and Algerian regime does not want the problems of ethnic minorities crisis to increase and deepen.  

In conclusion, after the civil war between 1992-2002, Algerian regime tries to prevent the rising of Islamic movements and uprising culture in Algeria.

RELATED LINK: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/algeria-shuts-southern-borders-syrians-security-fears-190102185943986.html