Press review of the Americas
In the news: in Haiti, a general strike announced for this Monday, January 29
During a previous demonstration to warn of the insecurity that is paralyzing Haiti, on January 18, 2024 in Port-au-Prince. © Odelyn Joseph / AP
By: Achim Lippold Follow
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It is the Trade Union Anti-Corruption Brigade (BSAC) which is behind this initiative. She announced a general strike for Port-au-Prince and provincial towns. According to the head of this association, Sonson Edumé, who speaks in Le
Nouvelliste
, "
this strike is launched to demand measures from the authorities to provide solutions to the security crisis
." Sonson Edumé explains that employees in the transport sector are “
really concerned by the insecurity that reigns on national roads
”. He said he contacted the authorities “
via different means
”. But, he continues, “
since our cries have gone unheeded, we are going to go on strike
.” In any case, this strike comes as Port-au-Prince was once again the center of clashes between gangs yesterday Sunday. It was about the hostilities which resumed between the different factions which made up the G9 coalition.
Another potential disturbing factor is the call of the National Awakening party for national sovereignty which launches “
the beginning of the revolution
”. The
Gazette Haiti
newspaper speaks of an “
offensive against the government
”. At a press conference yesterday, the party predicted "
a difficult day in Port-au-Prince
", asking parents to keep children at home and banking sector employees not to go to work. The newspaper specifies that the National Awakening party supports Guy Philippe, a former soldier who was sentenced in the United States to six years in prison for money laundering and drug trafficking and who called on Haitians and the army to rise up. against the government.
Joe Biden's stance on Gaza war sparks concern among black pastors
According to the
New York Times
, a coalition of religious leaders is "
pressuring the Biden administration for a cease-fire
." An initiative which is encouraged in part by members of their parishes who are, according to the newspaper, “
increasingly distressed by the suffering of the Palestinians and criticize the president's attitude on this subject
”.
The
New York Times
quotes Timothy McDonald, an Atlanta pastor who signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. “
We are afraid
,” he told the newspaper, “
that it will be very difficult to persuade our citizens to go back to the polls and vote for Joe Biden.
»
Can Donald Trump tip the country into a dictatorship?
A possible victory for Donald Trump in the face-to-face election next November raises concerns for the future of democracy in the country. Can Donald Trump transform the country into a dictatorship? This question arises for many Democratic supporters given the former president's role in the storming of the Capitol two years ago. A Turkish journalist tries, in a column in the online newspaper
Politico
, to reassure the Americans a little.
Certainly, they are right to be concerned, he writes. Donald Trump mentioned the idea of a dictatorship, even though he only talked about one day. And “
the country is not immune to populist temptations and over time
”, the dams of democratic institutions could give way. At the same time, the journalist continues, the experiences of Turkey, Poland and Hungary show that the shift towards an authoritarian regime cannot be achieved in a single mandate.
“
What I saw in Turkey during Tayyip Erdogan’s two decades of rule
,” the journalist writes, “
is that establishing a dictatorship takes a long time
.” It would take at least eight years, therefore two mandates, “
to attack the rule of law
”. Because this involves changing laws, dismantling institutions, building alliances, bringing public media into line. All this would be possible in the United States, but not in four years, concludes the journalist in Politico.
In Rio de Janeiro, we prepare for carnival
There are more than 400 carnival groups or associations preparing the parade for the coming weeks. Groups called “
blocos
”, who will invade the streets before the traditional parade of samba schools. One of these groups is the bloco Areia. The newspaper
O Globo
publishes a portrait of this group which has hundreds of members. The founder, Teresa Cristina Barros Mais, a teacher, took advantage of the school holidays to sew costumes, the whole family will participate in the parade.
The father of another member of the group takes care of the finances, the mother of logistics, shirts and other merchandise. Suffice it to say that preparing the biggest party in Rio is serious business, as
O Globo
writes .
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