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Colombia's president Petro has written a piece on the growing violence in Ecuador, saying that it may be related to drug markets - particularly fentanyl, which is plaguing the United States right now.

"Today the largest coca growing area is not located in Tumaco in the Nariño Pacific, nor in Catatumbo. The new area with the highest cocaine production in the world is located in a 10-kilometer strip along the Colombo-Ecuadorian border, on the Colombian side," Petro explained.

Petro highlights that the cocaine market collapsed in the United States, replaced by that of fentanyl, which, according to him, leaves more than 100,000 people dead a year.

"It is for this reason that the price of coca leaf falls in the areas dedicated to export to the United States and the armed organizations based there replace the loss of profits from cocaine with illicit gold, extortion and kidnapping against the same population of the area," he stressed.

"This is why, from being a peaceful country, Ecuador has surpassed Colombia in violence, and perhaps this is why presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated,"

I do like his ending quote:

"From the marijuana of welfare capitalism and its rebellious youth, we move on to cocaine, the drug of competitiveness and neoliberalism; and now we enter the drug of death, fentanyl: the drug of capitalism, of the climate crisis and war," he concluded.

Ecuador’s CNE President Denounces Threats and Harassment

"I want to make a public denouncement. Unfortunately, in these last hours we have received threats..."

On Monday, a few days before the presidential elections are to be held in the country, the president of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE), Diana Atamaint, denounced that she has received threats to her security and to the electoral authorities.

"I want to make a public denouncement. Unfortunately, in these last hours we have received threats, I have received threats from Mr. Captain Ortega, in social networks", she stressed.

Likewise, Diana Atamaint stated that she "holds Ortega responsible for these threats in which I am being continuously affected". "It is a harassment, a harassment", referred the official.

"In these last hours we have received threats from Mr. Captain Ortega, on social networks. They are going to bend us to make decisions that are outlawed," says Diana.

Furthermore, she also insisted that the electoral authorities "are not going to bend us with pressure in social networks so that we make decisions that are outside the law" and it is not the first time they occur.

On the other hand, the president of the Ecuadorian CNE requested this day to President Guillermo Lasso, "that in favor of citizen security and the election day of August, that the Armed Forces of the country be deployed and can guard the Electoral Precincts days prior to the Early Elections 2023."

the US and the oil companies are using violence to prevent people from voting for a popular left-wing president?

BBC and Sky News are reporting Spain's new speaker of parliament as "socialist" is this accurate?

What's the deal with Lithuania closing the border crossings with Belarus? I've been off the news for a bit but some lib friends were going on about it like it's a big deal but it sounded kinda like a nothing. Is it remotely worth caring about?

When trump wriggles his way out of this one, what do you think lib reaction will be?

Update on the Russian Luna-25 lander: Bad news, an emergency situation has occurred as the automatic station failed to perform the specified maneuver to transfer it into the pre-landing orbit. Waiting for more information.

I don't understand who really makes decisions in Ukraine. What individual or group of people need to make the call on suing for peace? Ukraine has a unicameral parliament (Verkhovna Rada) with 450 members not including prez, prime minister and cabinet. Any law passed by the parliament can be vetoed by the president; parliament can override their veto with a 2/3 constitutional majority vote. Rada's history reads like a shitshow (fist fights, bribes, Ponzi schemes etc.) and they don't inspire a lot of confidence.

March 2022 everybody was saying Zelensky would be assassinated if he didn't take a hard line and other Ukrainians have already been murdered for even suggesting a peace deal with Russia so in this kind of a paranoid environment who would even do that? Are they really waiting for Biden to give them an ok? Russia seems to still be in land acquisition mode. If they start an offensive in the north and far south while holding the line in the middle they could force Ukraine to choose between Odessa and Kiev. Once they secure the south they could make the situation untenable for Ukie politicians and bypass USA/UK approval (maybe) for a peace deal. Ukrainian leaders like those big bags of USD but you can't spend it when your dead.

HAHAHAHAHHAAAHHAHAHAHAHHA

Edit: Whoops! Another Nazi patch! I’m sure the poles will be happy about this.

Sweden raises its terror threat to four out of five after Quran burnings

Sweden has raised its terror threat to four out of five after a series of public Quran burnings enraged Muslim communities around the world. Acting on advice from law enforcement and security service leaders, the Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson made the announcement on Thursday. It comes after a recent string of public desecrations of the Quran in the Scandinavian country by a handful of anti-Islam activists, sparking angry demonstrations across Muslim countries.

"I understand that many Swedes are right now feeling worried about the meaning of the new and raised threat level," said Kristersson. "To all of you I want to, like the police, say that we should live our lives as usual. We protect our open society against those who threaten it. We stand up for our democratic values but we protect ourselves. We stand up for our way of life but we protect ourselves."

:sweden-cool:

Putin Points to Steady Development of Multipolar World Order

"Most countries are ready to assert their sovereignty and defend their national interests, traditions, culture," the Russian president said.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday said the world is witnessing the steady rise of a new multipolar world order.

"Most countries are ready to assert their sovereignty and defend their national interests, traditions, culture," he said during the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

Putin pointed out that a multipolar world order will ultimately contribute to "steady and sustainable global development," and help solve pressing social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.

He further noted that those who currently provoke new conflicts around the world and try to escalate existing ones are "seeking to benefit from human tragedy" by dividing nations, enforcing obedience, and exploiting the resources of other states.

"The United States is intent on reformatting the existing system of interstate relations in the Asia-Pacific region as it deems fit," he said, adding that Washington's Indo-Pacific strategies are only aimed at forming U.S.-led military and political associations.

NATO member states are actively building up their offensive potential, and are using military and non-military means to exert pressure on other states, he noted.

By pumping billions of dollars into Ukraine, supplying Kiev with equipment, and providing ongoing military assistance, Western states are further escalating the conflict and drawing other countries into it, he said.

US to impose tariffs on tin mill steel from China, Canada and Germany

The US Commerce Department on Thursday said it will impose preliminary anti-dumping duties on tin-plated steel imports from Canada, Germany and China, sparing several other countries in a decision that drew some relief from food can manufacturers that had feared higher tariffs.

The department said the highest preliminary anti-dumping duties of 122.5 per cent will be imposed on tin mill steel imported from China, including the country’s largest producer, Baoshan Iron and Steel.

The department will impose preliminary duties of 7.02 per cent on tin mill imports from German producers, including Thyssenkrupp and 5.29 per cent on imports from Canadian producers, including ArcelorMittal DOFASCO.

No duties will be imposed on the shiny silver metal – widely used in cans for food, paint, aerosol products and other containers – imported from Britain, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey, the Commerce Department added.

The Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group, argued before the decision that because US steelmakers currently produce less than half of the tin-plate needed for domestic can manufacturing, any new import duties will lead to higher material costs and food prices at a time when inflation remains elevated.

China’s maritime ambitions boosted, claims largest shipping fleet title from Greece

China has overtaken Greece as the owner of the largest shipping fleet in terms of gross tonnage, according to a report by a leading global industry information provider, as it steps up efforts to become a major maritime power.

The Chinese-owned fleet has reached 249.2 million gross tonnage, or 15.9 per cent of the market share, edging ahead of Greece’s 249 million gross tonnage and Japan’s 181 million gross tonnage, according to Clarksons Research on Friday.

South Korea and the United States ranked fourth globally at around 66 million GT, with Germany falling from fourth in 2013 to seventh, the report showed.