Venezuela – The Venezuelan government announced on 26 April that it would withdraw from the Organization of American States (OAS), the BBC reports. The OAS, which was founded in 1948, aims to promote solidarity and cooperation among states in the Caribbean, North, Central, and South American. There are currently thirty-four participating member states.
Venezuela made the declaration in the wake of ongoing civil unrest within the country and blamed the United States and others in meddling in Venezuelan affairs. Inflation in the oil-rich nation has climbed to 700% (that is not a typo), and basic goods and medical supplies are in critical shortage across the country. Opposition forces blame the economic apocalypse on the socialist policies of President Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, and rightly so. The government, in true socialist fashion, blames everyone but themselves for the failures of their economic policies.
Turkey – Turkish police have arrested 1,000 people in connection with the failed coup attempt that took place in July of 2016. According to the BBC, a movement loyal to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Islamic cleric, organized the coup. President Erdogan has since increased his powers through a referendum that passed with 51% earlier this month.
With the referendum’s power increase, President Erdogan has begun accelerating the purge of Gulen loyalists within the ranks of government, police, and military forces. Before last week’s raids, over 47,000 people have been detained in connection with the failed government take-over and the movement which organized it.
Belgium – The Council of Europe has demanded that Hungary suspend its parliamentary debate over the tightening of rules concerning non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and foreign universities. Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary drafted the two bills currently under debate in Hungary’s parliament. Prime Minister Orban believes that NGOs operating in Hungary are promoting illegal immigration and serve foreign interest groups. Who funds these particular NGOs? Why none other than the (in)famous liberal financier George Soros, whose monetary tendrils are believed to penetrate to the deepest levels of American media and politics.
As Reuters reports, the European Union opened a case on 26 April against Hungary over the belief that Budapest was threatening the Central European University, which was founded by Soros. The Hungarian government states that the current legal issues concerning foreign universities are to ensure “dubious diplomas” are not issued. Prime Minister Orban’s more nationalist-focused government is at ideological odds with Soros and his ilk, who promote a globalist outlook.
