Junio de 2022 (Continuación)

jueves, 30
Pacifist protesters wear masks of (from left) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht earlier this month. (Markus Schreiber/AP)

EuropaUnión EuropeaDefensa y Seguridad,

Ever since Adrian Hurtado decided to join the German army instead of going to university, he’s had to put with up with constant derision. “In Germany, soldiers are either murderers or idiots, Nazis or ridiculous”, the 21-year-old writes in a recent blog post. He relates how, arriving in uniform one night at a Berlin train station, he was trailed by a drunk thug shouting “soldiers are murderers”. “Every one of my comrades has experienced scenes like this”, Hurtado notes.

Can his country afford to leave it at that? Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is forcing Germans to reassess their long-held ambivalence toward military power.…  Seguir leyendo »

InternacionalOTAN

This week’s NATO summit in Madrid shows that the transatlantic alliance remains a powerful force for good. It also shows how much further most European members must go for it not to become a strain on U.S. resources.

NATO has been floundering in recent years for an obvious reason: Its primary rationale had disappeared. It was created in 1949 to counter the aggressive designs of a Soviet Union that remained openly committed to global communist revolution. Its membership was restricted to Western powers whose aim was to contain the Soviets within Europe and prevent it from conquering more of the then-globally dominant continent.…  Seguir leyendo »

An abortion rights activist wears a mask with text that reads in Spanish "Legal Abortion" during a demonstration in Buenos Aires in December 2020. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

MundoAmérica, ,

For decades, the United States has been a world leader in promoting reproductive rights and women’s rights. But now, by overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has struck a severe blow to American credibility in this role. And that, in turn, undermines U.S. international advocacy on these issues, which could result in a cascade of negative consequences around the world.

Last week’s Supreme Court decision on abortion triggered a deluge of criticism from world leaders, protests at U.S. embassies abroad and general embarrassment for President Biden, who is traveling in Europe. Over the longer term, international erosion of faith in the United States’ commitment to reproductive rights and the effects of changes in U.S.…  Seguir leyendo »

A woman cries near flowers left at the destroyed Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, on June 28. (Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Europa, , ,

Western leaders have been gathering in Europe this week for the Group of Seven meeting and the NATO summit, with Ukraine at the top of the agenda. The G-7 leaders reemphasized their “condemnation of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine” and promised to “stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes”.

The Kremlin sent its rejoinder in the form of missile strikes on civilian targets in Kyiv and Kremenchuk. The Kremenchuk strike was particularly deadly: A Russian bomber apparently fired at least one Kh-22 cruise missile at a crowded shopping mall, killing at least 18 civilians and injuring many more.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa, , ,

NATO solidarity was on display at a summit meeting this week in Madrid. One after another, officials pledged to stay the course and combat Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

But as this war bleeds into summer and civilians continue to perish in horrific rocket attacks, NATO needs to ask how its strategy might fail. We can imagine some of the ways in which a hypothetical “Red Team” analysis might reveal how Ukraine’s allies could squander their current advantages and lose this conflict.

When you look at the scorecard so far, Putin appears to be failing in his war aims.…  Seguir leyendo »

InternacionalOrden Mundial

There they were, meeting in Beijing on February 4: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shortly before the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics, the two leaders released a remarkable 5,300-word joint statement about how the partnership between China and Russia would have “no limits”. The document went on at length about the two nations’ commitment to democracy. It called for a universalist and open world order, with the United Nations at the center. It stressed a commitment to international law, inclusiveness, and common values. It did all this even though Russia, as Xi and Putin both knew, was sending tanks and missile launchers to the Ukrainian border.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAsiaMundoOriente Próximo, ,

Since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, in 2014, India has seen a marked uptick in hate speech and violence directed at its Muslim minority. Western officials, including from the United States, have urged Modi and his BJP government to reaffirm India’s avowed pluralism, but they have exerted little pressure on New Delhi; India remains too important an economic and geopolitical partner in the wider contest with China.

In June, however, the darkening atmosphere of majoritarianism and illiberalism in India earned its strongest international rebuke so far. It came not from liberal Western governments but from a slew of Arab countries.…  Seguir leyendo »

Ukrainian soldiers fire an M777 howitzer in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, June 2022. Tyler Hicks / New York Times / Redux

Europa, , ,

The war in Ukraine has settled into a grinding fight for yards. Ukrainian and Russian forces are shelling each other with medium- and long-range artillery, leaving the already battered villages and towns of the Donbas caught in the crossfire. Like the brutal battles of World War I, the current conflict has seen only small swaths of territory change hands, often being captured and recaptured from one week to the next. Although talk of a rapid victory for either side has largely disappeared from the headlines, analysts and officials still debate what piece of heavy military equipment or new technology might turn the tide in Ukraine’s favor.…  Seguir leyendo »

The NATO flag at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels on June 15. Valeria Mongelli/AFP via Getty Images

InternacionalOTAN

As NATO meets in Madrid this week, the question inevitably arises: Why does the United States need the alliance in the first place? Why is it worth risking New York to save Vilnius or Warsaw, capitals of faraway countries separated from the United States by a wide ocean? The answer lies in the way NATO has worked, as amply demonstrated in practice, for the simultaneous advancement of both American and European interests.

Although the U.S. security guarantee for its NATO allies has been at the heart of the alliance’s political-military framework, and the United States has spent considerable sums on the maintenance of defense capabilities as a result, this has never been a one-way bargain.…  Seguir leyendo »

‘In Poland, an already restrictive abortion law was made draconian in 2020.’ A demonstrator in Warsaw protests against the constitutional court’s abortion law ruling, November 2020.’ Photograph: Omar Marques/Getty Images

MundoAméricaEuropa,

Abortion access is about to be severely curtailed or cut off for millions of women in the United States following the supreme court’s decision to abolish the constitutional protections for the termination of pregnancy established by the landmark Roe v Wade case 50 years ago.

The decision allows state legislatures to ban abortion and half are now likely to limit access.

Despite the condemnation from many European leaders, not all EU states have decriminalised abortion. Malta retains a total ban. And in Poland, an already restrictive law was made draconian in 2020. Medical personnel now face lengthy prison sentences for providing or procuring an abortion and women have died as a result.…  Seguir leyendo »

The author before being incarcerated in Iran. Family photograph.

MundoOriente Próximo  

Risking a public appeal while caged in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison speaks volumes about the depth of my despair. I have suffered quietly as nearly 2,500 of what should have been the best and most productive days of my life were lost behind these bars. But I am compelled to break that silence now because I believe that the Biden administration’s approach to rescuing Americans in distress in Iran has failed spectacularly so far and unless the president intervenes immediately, we are likely to languish in this abyss for the foreseeable future.

I was incarcerated in October 2015 and handed a 10-year sentence after a closed-door trial.…  Seguir leyendo »

La viruela del mono se propaga. Y otra vez no estábamos preparados

InternacionalSalud Pública, ,

Las infecciones de viruela del mono se propagan con rapidez en muchos países. Y Estados Unidos, de nuevo, no estaba listo para enfrentar otro virus.

Se están repitiendo muchos de los problemas de la respuesta del gobierno a los brotes de COVID-19: poco acceso a pruebas, rastreo de contactos, apoyo de vacunación y aislamiento, además de datos escasos de las autoridades de salud pública sobre las áreas y circunstancias en que las personas se infectan. Como en este momento las infecciones se concentran en el grupo de hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres, la viruela del mono también ha puesto al descubierto otra vulnerabilidad crucial del sistema de salud pública estadounidense: servicios de salud sexual limitados en muchas partes del país.…  Seguir leyendo »

miércoles, 29
La Torre de Babel, en el Congreso

EspañaModelo de Estado

Pedro Sánchez accedió a la Secretaría General del PSOE en 2014. Dos años después, su fracaso en las elecciones de 2016 le condujo a la dimisión de su cargo tras una rebelión de los barones del partido. En el 39 Congreso de PSOE, celebrado en junio de 2017, fue reelegido secretario general. Antes de su celebración, Sánchez reveló su proyecto político en un documento titulado Somos socialistas. Por una nueva socialdemocracia. Con un lenguaje marxista proponía alcanzar una sociedad postcapitalista después de batir al neocapitalismo liberal y al conservadurismo del Partido Popular. La nueva sociedad nacería en el marco de la revolución tecnológica y de la lucha global contra la desigualdad.…  Seguir leyendo »

ReflexionesNuevas Tecnologías

Recientemente, Blake Lemoine, un ingeniero de Google, llamó la atención del mundo de la tecnología al afirmar que una inteligencia artificial (IA) es sensible. La IA en cuestión se llama LaMDA (abreviatura de Language Model for Dialogue Applications). Es un sistema basado en grandes modelos lingüísticos. “Soy capaz de reconocer a una persona cuando hablo con ella”, dijo Lemoine a The Washington Post.“No importa si tienen un cerebro hecho de carne en la cabeza. O si tienen mil millones de líneas de código. Hablo con ese ser. Y escucho lo que tiene que decir, y así es como decido qué es y qué no es una persona”.…  Seguir leyendo »

InternacionalOTAN

La OTAN existe desde hace más de siete décadas y el terrorismo internacional afecta a los ciudadanos de las democracias europeas y norteamericanas desde hace más de cinco. Pero no fue hasta 1999 cuando, en lo que se conoce como el concepto estratégico de la Alianza, aparecieron mencionados por primera vez y escuetamente los actos de terrorismo entre otros riesgos para la seguridad. Eso ocurrió después de los primeros incidentes de terrorismo yihadista, en Nueva York en 1993, y en París en 1995. Pero solo dos años antes de que, a partir de los atentados del 11-S, la OTAN comenzara a implicarse en la lucha contra ese nuevo terrorismo global, en la práctica el único que ha afrontado.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa, , , ,

La Unión Europea ha fracasado en incluir al patriarca de Moscú y todas las Rusias, Kirill I, en la lista de las personas sancionadas por su responsabilidad en la guerra en Ucrania, de la que se ha librado gracias a Víktor Orbán. Sin embargo, está exclusión no borra los hechos: desde el comienzo de la invasión rusa de Ucrania, la Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa (IOR) y su patriarca han tenido un papel muy activo, tanto antes de la invasión, como después. Kirill I no ha condenado los crímenes ampliamente documentados contra civiles ucranianos, muchos de los cuales son sus feligreses; ha bendecido los misiles y a los soldados que ejecutaron la invasión, y en sus sermones afirma que Rusia en Ucrania está luchando contra el Anticristo, instando a los rusos a unirse en torno al Gobierno.…  Seguir leyendo »

EspañaAspectos Generales

Hace ya cuatro años que los españoles, porque fuimos nosotros, cometimos el error de permitir que una Mi Persona sin escrúpulos ocupara la presidencia de un Gobierno amparándose en todo tipo de okupas, filibusteros y cosas peores, como delincuentes de sangre que no cabe mencionar, para conducir a España a la peor de las condiciones sociales, económicas, de prestigio y presencia internacional que jamás hubiéramos podido imaginar.

Hemos perdido cuatro años de nuestro país y, lo que es peor, de nuestras limitadas vidas, pues España prevalecerá por encima de todos nosotros, y ya va siendo hora de que se produzca una democrática pero contundente reacción para liberarnos de esas cadenas que nos lastran al vacío, aunque solo sea para que nos podamos encontrar con algo para reconstruir o restaurar que, dicho sea de paso, ya queda poco.…  Seguir leyendo »

InternacionalOTAN

Madrid marcará un antes y un después para la Alianza Atlántica. La OTAN afronta un entorno estratégico cada vez más complejo, incierto y adverso, y debe dar respuesta a desafíos y amenazas de naturaleza muy diversa que van desde la amenaza convencional rusa o el desafío sistémico que plantea China a la emergencia de tecnologías disruptivas, la proliferación nuclear o el impacto en la seguridad de la crisis climática.

La tarea no es sencilla, pero el Concepto Estratégico que se aprobará en la cumbre de Madrid ofrecerá un diagnóstico de la situación y orientaciones para la acción de la OTAN durante la próxima década.…  Seguir leyendo »

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo attends a plenary session of the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles on June 9. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

MundoAmérica

When Pedro Castillo, the dark horse candidate representing the self-described Marxist-Leninist Free Peru party, was elected president last June, many Peruvians warned that he would turn the country into another Venezuela. His party manifesto was replete with attacks on the media and calls for nationalizing the mining and energy sectors, while his mentor Vladimir Cerrón, the domineering founder and leader of Free Peru, had been barred from running due to a corruption conviction following his scandal-wracked time as a regional governor. The specter of economic collapse, one-party kleptocracy, and ruthless repression of criticism seemed almost tangible.

But that thesis was always fundamentally flawed.…  Seguir leyendo »

A student dances during military training at the Shandong University of Arts in Jinan, Shandong Province of China. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images.

InternacionalOTAN

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is adopting a new ‘Strategic Concept’ that will, for the first time, include direct reference to China, and its Madrid summit will also see another first with the participation of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.

Neither of these changes means NATO aims to expand to include Asia but it shows the 30 NATO members are concerned about security threats from Asia expanding into Europe and North America. In a world of long-range missiles, cyber operations, and vulnerable supply chains, the concerns of ‘Euro-Atlantic’ countries have become global.

NATO’s interest in Asia began more than 20 years ago following the al-Qaeda attacks on the US in 2001.…  Seguir leyendo »