Skimm

Skimm for April 18

Skimmed while studying for finals, good luck students!

Quote of the Day:

“What Trump did was to let the ghosts out by attacking us … He poured turpentine on a wound that has never healed.” – Mexican lawyer Guillermo Hamdan in reference to United States President Trump’s proposed Mexican policies. Hamdan is a lawyer who has made it his life’s work to ensure the United States pays in one way or another for centuries of less than favorable treatment towards Mexico.

The Story:

Tensions are rising in Venezuela as the masses protesting President Nicolas Maduro grow.

Hold On, Back Up:

Last week, President Maduro’s unpopularity saw new heights when protestors threw eggs and other objects at him during a parade. The celebration recognized the date for it’s connections with steps taken towards Venezuelan independence around 200 years ago. Since then, protests have grown so tremendously that they are drawing international attention. 

Why are they protesting?

This is where things get slightly complicated. The main issues driving the protests are fueled by the extreme unpopularity of President Maduro. Some of this stems from him stretching Venezuelan law, and pushing back the dates of regional (not federal) elections. Some of it though, has also been because of the extreme economic instability in Venezuela for years, some of the worst of which faces President Maduro’s administration — so much so that the country may face impending default.

The Skimm

Essentially President Maduro is extremely unpopular across the country, and his participation, or lack thereof, in aiding the oil-dependent economy has not helped. Something needs to change soon, though— the protests have accumulated 5 deaths as of last Thursday.

REPEAT AFTER ME..

What to say to that kid who changes the rules of kickball so that he can win:

We see you, Horacio. Yesterday, April 17, the Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes announced that he would be dropping his bid for reelection in the upcoming year after protests emerged.

What’s the problem?

Well, Paraguay’s constitution only allows their presidents to hold office for one term, and President Cartes was seeking to change this in order to possibly see another five years as president. He cited the peaceful words of Pope Francis as a reason for backing down, but the dangerously growing protests may have actually showed his unpopularity, and pushed for him to finally recede. 

What to say to your friend when you find them at hide-and-seek:

Found you. Javier Duarte, the former governor of the Mexican state, Veracruz, was finally found on Sunday in Guatemala after a 6 month international manhunt. He has been governor for the last 6 years or so until allegations arose last October that Governor Duarte was funneling millions in government dollars to fake companies, assumedly for his own later use. He is now being extradited back to the failing state he left behind.

Please note that all sources are linked within the skimm above; some links are used more than once.