What happens in Guatemala…
…doesn’t stay in Guatemala, according to Mario Duarte, Guatemala’s secretary of strategic intelligence. He has quite a story to tell, which if true indicates another little farewell gift from the Obama administration when it was on its way out:
To give you an example, we have had, in the past, State Department officials identifying themselves as Democrats. “On the day that President Trump was elected, those officials ultimately pushed for specific judges to be appointed to our highest courts in Guatemala — the Constitutional Court.”
Duarte went on, “And what happens when these magistrates or judges were appointed? They started with all these social justice warriors. [They] took away a lot of the rights of companies to be able to run their businesses in a fair way, and they even affected U.S. companies.”…
Duarte remarked, “It goes back to the policies of failure that people have tried to impose on Guatemala. I’m talking about … Democrats in the U.S. government, certain European countries, and even the UN. So we have socialist-oriented magistrates in the Constitutional Court forcing big companies [and] big businesses to shut down and lay off a lot of people, people with big families. These people have to eat and they have to survive, so they will look for an opportunity somewhere else.”
In other word, an increase in emigration.
“These are the same magistrates, so you know, who are right now ruling against President Morales, and are trying to block him from signing this migration cooperation agreement with President Trump,” Duarte stated. “The same people that have shut down all these companies are also trying to block these agreements.”
I have no idea whether what he describes was actually US-instigated. I have no idea how much Guatemala’ left-leaning courts have to do with that country’s current problems.
But Duarte is telling quite a tale, and he’s been saying it for a while. I found this article from February of 2019 in which he alludes to the organized nature of the caravans, and I have read that same accusation from many other sources, although not necessarily about courts and not necessarily about Guatemala (I wrote about it here as well as here and here).
“caravans”? Tsk. I read a few days ago that the use of that word in that context is intended to support white supremacist narratives.
To quote a left-wing friend of mine, but with a completely opposite intention: it really is a case of two different realities. (Subjectively speaking, of course).
The mostly unspoken about tragedy of “aid” since WW II is that so much of it has been diverted into support for local elected crooks, er, officials. Those most willing and able to lick the boots of rich donors, and get projects funded, but with no followup. Aid becomes a Cargo Cult.
Note how the Clinton Aid has so totally failed to help Haiti.
Instead of aid, what is now needed, and has been needed, is financial support (low cost loans ) to poor entrepreneurs starting a business. And more sweat shops. Like Bangladesh has — which has helped create a successful developing economy.
The world needs more leaders talking about this, hopefully NOT to then “commit suicide” like the Hatian Eberwein.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-16/haiti-official-who-exposed-clinton-foundation-found-dead
Sad so few links to this Clinton critic even after Epstein’s suicide.
Which I now believe was murder.
Right off the bat, what the hell are we doing telling Guatemala who to put on their courts?
FOAF on September 2, 2019 at 10:01 pm said:
Right off the bat, what the hell are we doing telling Guatemala who to put on their courts?
* * *
Or telling the Israelis who to elect as Prime Minister?
Or telling Great Britain how to vote on Brexit (with threats, no less)?
Countries always meddle in other countries’ affairs; it is only when Republicans do it (or can be accused of doing it) that the press and Democrats find it so reprehensible.
Quelle surprise.
Most complaints about ‘meddling’ are rubbish, but what he describes – if true – is de trop. If we’re meddling, we should be doing so to prevent: (1) a situation of insurrection, or (2) a breakdown of the formal political order, or (3) the alignment of the country with an antagonistic foreign power, incorporating co-operation in the politico-military sphere; or (4) containing a financial crisis in that country; or (5) addressing a humanitarian catastrophe; or (6) defending ourselves against verious sorts of ‘asymmetric’ threats. Nothing like this is at stake with the Guatemalan judiciary, Brexit, or a Likud ministry in Israel.
@ Art Deco – or to kick in the balls anyone getting in the way of socialists. You forgot that one.
I’ve had several conversations on immigration with my lefty friends that go something like this:
Lefty: “It’s our fault that conditions are so bad in Central America, so we have to look to the root causes and fix them!”
RS: “How should we do that, more aid?”
Lefty: “Yes! Much more!”
RS: “But you know the countries are so corrupt — the plutocrats and drug cartels steal most of the aid we send them.”
Lefty: “Yes, and we have to stop them!”
RS: “How should we do that? Send in the Marines, like we did in the first half of the 20th Century?”
Lefty: “No, of course not!” or “Did we do that? I didn’t know that.”
RS: “Well, then how?” or “We certainly did. Look it up.”
Lefty: “I don’t know about that, but we have to do something!”
RS: “Well, what should we do?”
Lefty: “Oh, you right-wingers always want to use the military.”
RS: “Huh?”
End of conversation.
Here’s another of my favorites:
Lefty: “It’s our fault that conditions are so bad in Central America, so we have to look to the root causes and fix them!”
RS: “You mean those countries are totally corrupt plutocracies, run by drug cartels and tin-pot military dictators?”
Lefty: “Yes.”
RS: “So, if I’ve got this right, these Central American countries are shitholes, so we have to take in their illegal immigrants, but Trump is a very bad man for saying they’re shitholes?”
Lefty: “Oh, you Trump supporters!”
Walks away.
Speaking of idiot Gringo interference in Guatemala, I am reminded of seeing in Guatemala the “whole word” versus “phonics” conflict for teaching beginning readers, where the “progressive” Gringo(a) was pushing whole language approach to learning to read.
From what I have read on the subject, phonics wins hands-down. As Spanish is much more phonetic than English, there is even less reason to not use phonics to teach reading in Spanish.
Oh well,one more idiot-well-intentioned Gringo “helping” our poor solumates down South.
From what I know of the State Department, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the Guatamalan government was actively pressured by them into appointmenting those judges.
In 2014, the Obama administration put pressure on Guatemala with regard worker’s rights:
Richard Saunders on September 3, 2019 at 5:14 pm said:
I’ve had several conversations on immigration with my lefty friends that go something like this:
* * *
Sounds about like the way they approach any issue, domestic or foreign.
L: There’s a problem! It’s a crisis! We have to do something!
R: We could do (a).
L: Bigot – racist – homophobe – meanie!
R: We could do (b).
L: Bigot – racist – homophobe – meanie!
…
R: We could do (z).
L: Bigot – racist – homophobe – meanie!
R: What is your solution then?
L: There’s a problem! It’s a crisis! We have to do something!
(wanders away, when not screaming, cursing, throwing things, or hitting someone)
Ann’s comment perfectly illustrates the Catch-22 that the Left excels in creating.