Venezuela, Chaos in our Hemisphere, Inflation Skyrockets

Posted on July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 by Denise Simon

Venezuelans flee to Mexico to escape economic crisis

Kimberly-Clark: Venezuela seizes and re-opens US-owned factory

BBC: The government of Venezuela has said it has seized a factory owned by the US firm Kimberly-Clark.

The firm had said it was halting operations in Venezuela as it was unable to obtain raw materials.

But the labour minister said on Monday that the factory closure was illegal and it had re-opened “in the hands of the workers”.

Kimberly-Clark, which makes hygiene products including tissues and nappies, said it had acted appropriately.

Over the weekend it became the latest multinational to close or scale back operations in the country, citing strict currency controls, a lack of raw materials and soaring inflation.

Reuters: No to the closure” read graffiti on the firm’s gates over the weekend

General Mills, Procter & Gamble and other corporations have reduced operations in Venezuela as the country is gripped by economic crisis and widespread shortages of basic household goods.

What has gone wrong in Venezuela?

Labour Minister Oswaldo Vera, from the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV), visited the factory in Maracay and said it was illegal.

Almost 1,000 workers had asked him to re-start production, he said.

Mr Vera said: “Kimberly-Clark will continue producing, now in the hands of the workers.

“We’ve just turned on the first engine.”

The Texas-based company said in a statement: “If the Venezuelan government takes control of Kimberly-Clark facilities and operations, it will be responsible for the well-being of the workers and the physical asset, equipment and machinery in the facilities going forward.”

In just 12 hours, more than 35K Venezuelans cross Colombian border to buy food, medicine

FoxNewsLatino – Cucuta – In just 12 hours, more than 35,000 Venezuelans crossed the border into Colombia on Sunday to buy food and medicines in the city of Cucuta, when the Venezuelan government agreed to opened border crossings for one day only.

People began crossing the Simon Bolivar international bridge at 5:00 a.m. to purchase products that are scarce in Venezuela.

“We’re from here in San Antonio (and), honestly, we don’t have any food to give our children, so I don’t think it’s fair that the border is still closed,” a Venezuelan woman told EFE in Cucuta.

The woman, who preferred to not give her name, crossed the international bridge with her husband and children ages 5 and 2.

The border crossings between Tachira state and Norte de Santander province were closed on Aug. 19, 2015, by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who said he took the measure to fight smuggling and prevent members of paramilitary groups from entering Venezuela.

Maduro later ordered all crossings along the 1,378-mile border closed.

Tachira Gov. Jose Gregorio Vielma Mora said Saturday that the border would be opened on Maduro’s orders.

After the announcement, hundreds of Venezuelans began lining up to cross the Simon Bolivar international bridge.

“A second entry by Venezuelans into Colombia was planned by the Venezuelan right, with the pretext of buying food and medicines,” Vielma Mora said.

The governor was apparently referring to an incident last Tuesday, when about 500 Venezuelans from the city of Ureña crossed the closed Francisco de Paula Santander international bridge and went into Cucuta to buy food.

Norte de Santander Gov. William Villamizar, for his part, said in a Twitter post after visiting the border crossings that the humanitarian corridor “has benefited 25,000 people” who were able to buy “food and medicines.”

Villamizar spoke with some of the people streaming across the border and posed for photos with a family carrying a poster that read, “Colombia, gracias por su solidaridad con Venezuela” (Colombia, Thanks for Your Solidarity with Venezuela).

“This is super nice on Colombia’s part, very good,” Rosalba Jaimes, a San Antonio resident, told EFE.

Betty Rojas, a Venezuelan already heading home, said she and others planned to cross whenever the border was open.

“We bought rice, pasta, sugar, toilet paper, butter, everything we could bring back. We had enough for lots of stuff,” Rojas told EFE, adding that she wanted to tell the Colombian government “thank you.”

Cucuta police chief Col. Jaime Barrera said officers would “guarantee security in Cucuta’s business districts for the thousands of people coming from Venezuela.

Officers have been posted at the border crossings and at businesses across the border city, the provincial police chief said.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin visited Cucuta on Wednesday.

The president said he would try to negotiate with Maduro in an effort to reopen the border crossings.

Venezuela: Decree Grants New Powers To President, Defense Minister

Stratfor: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro issued a presidential decree July 11 granting new, sweeping powers to himself and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Sumarium reported. Maduro said the decree establishes a new program that concentrates economic and political power at the very top of government, which will enable the country to correct its economic woes and get production back on track. Moreover, all government institutions and ministries in the country will now fall under the direct control of the president and the defense minister. The president said that he will provide more information about the decree, which effectively makes Padrino Lopez a second head of state in Venezuela, within the coming days.

New Prime Minister of Britain ‘Tomorrow’ and Larry

Posted on July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 by Denise Simon

David Cameron Confirms He Will Resign On Wednesday, Theresa May Next Prime Minister

Zerohedge:With Theresa May the last (wo)man standing, it should not be totally surprising that David Cameron has just confirmed he will officially resign as British prime minister on Wednesday after Prime Minister’s Questions. Early strength in sterling is holding.

David Cameron says he will resign by Wednesday, Theresa May to be next British Prime Minister.

She will be tasked with either triggering the Article 50 process for the UK’s departure from the EU, or trying to undo the entire process.

**** Larry is staying however at 10 Downing Street. Who is Larry?

Larry the cat Larry the Cat gazes through the window. The brown and white tabby is entrusted with the rat-catching portfolio Images from Getty/Guardian

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: “It’s a civil servant’s cat and does not belong to the Camerons – he will be staying.”

Larry, who was rehomed from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2011, was said to have a “strong predatory drive” that suggested he would be well suited to the task of rat catching. Guardian

At least Theresa May is on the right side of a major issues, radical and militant Islam.

Published on Mar 23, 2015

An extensive wish list of counter-extremism measures has been reeled off by the Home Secretary in her last major speech before the start of the general election campaign. From launching an investigation into the use of Sharia law to promoting “British values” through social media, and from an inspection of police responses to honour crimes to stricter English language requirements, Theresa May set out how a Conservative majority government would deal with extremism. The Home Secretary used the speech to warn radical Islamists that the “game is up” and that they are no longer tolerated in Britain, but also called on British Muslims to help tackle extremism.

Regarding the recent vote on Brexit:

Factbox: Theresa May’s plans for a Brexit ministry and who might lead it

MAY’S BREXIT MINISTRY

Reuters: “Nobody should fool themselves this process will be brief or straightforward. Regardless of the time it takes to negotiate an initial deal, it is going to take a period lasting several years to disentangle our laws, rules and processes from the Brussels machinery,” May said on June 30 when she launched her candidacy to be prime minister.

“That means it is going to require significant expertise and a consistent approach. I will therefore create a new government department responsible for conducting Britain’s negotiation with the EU and for supporting the rest of Whitehall in its European work.

“That department will be led by a senior Secretary of State — and I will make sure that the position is taken by a member of parliament who campaigned for Britain to leave the EU.”

CANDIDATES TO BE MAY’S BREXIT NEGOTIATOR

DAVID DAVIS

A senior Conservative lawmaker who was beaten by David Cameron in the party’s 2005 leadership election contest, Davis has been in parliament since 1987 and is a former junior Foreign Office minister.

Davis was born in York and grew up in south London. He first worked as an insurance clerk before spending 17 years at global food ingredients provider Tate & Lyle.

He has served as Conservative Party chairman and was also the party’s home affairs spokesman in opposition.

In an article for Conservative grassroots website Conservative Home on Monday, Davis said Britain should take its time before triggering Article 50. The government should first work out its negotiating strategy and begin the formal process of leaving the EU “before or by the beginning of next year”.

“We need to take a brisk but measured approach to Brexit. This would involve concluding consultations and laying out the detailed plans in the next few months,” he said.

LIAM FOX

Fox ran for the Conservative leadership himself before backing May when he was eliminated in the process of winnowing the candidates down to two.

During the leadership contest, Fox said he would trigger Article 50 by the end of this year, with the intention of a full British exit from the EU by Jan. 1, 2019.

Long a figure on the right wing of the Conservative Party, Fox was born and raised in Scotland and attended the local state school before studying medicine at the University of Glasgow.

He worked as a doctor and civilian army medical officer before becoming a Conservative lawmaker in 1992.

Fox was defense secretary from 2010-2011, when he resigned over his relationship with a businessman who acted as his adviser. A government investigation found he had breached the ministerial code by allowing an “inappropriate blurring of lines between official and personal relationships”.

He has also held the posts of junior foreign office minister and Conservative Party chairman.

MICHAEL GOVE

Gove was a leading Brexit campaigner who ran for the party’s leadership but was eliminated in the second round of voting.

He had been expected to support former London mayor Boris Johnson for the leadership but made a surprise announcement hours before Johnson was due to launch his bid that he did not believe Johnson was up to the job and would run himself instead.

Gove was brought up in Scotland and studied at Oxford University before becoming a journalist. He worked at the BBC and the Times newspaper, where he was assistant editor.

He was also chairman of the center-right thinktank Policy Exchange before being elected to parliament in 2005.

Under outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron he has served as Education Secretary and Justice Secretary.

CHRIS GRAYLING

Grayling, currently the leader of Britain’s lower house of parliament, was May’s campaign manager during the leadership contest. A former Justice Secretary and minister in the Work and Pensions department, Grayling has been in parliament since 2001.

Before becoming a lawmaker he worked in television production and marketing.

Last month he told Reuters he expected Britain to have informal talks with the EU about its future relationship before triggering Article 50, which he said should only be done when Britain is ready.

CANDIDATES TO BE MAY’S FINANCE MINISTER

PHILIP HAMMOND

Currently Foreign Secretary, Hammond campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU. A lawmaker since 1997, he is also a former defense minister and minister for transport.

While the Conservatives were in opposition, he was a junior spokesman for the party on finance.

Before entering parliament he had a career in business including working for companies in manufacturing, consultancy, property, construction, and oil and gas.

Last week Hammond said the government was not yet in a position to begin substantive negotiations and therefore should not begin the process by triggering Article 50.

He also said the economic and fiscal impact of Brexit in the short term would reduce government revenues, making it harder to significantly boost funding for trade negotiation resources.

SAJID JAVID

A lawmaker since 2010, Javid has been Business Secretary since last May’s election. He also previously served in two junior minister roles at the Treasury.

The son of a bus driver, Javid had been promised the role of finance minister by leadership candidate Stephen Crabb, who pulled out after the first round of voting. Both have working-class roots, leading them to be dubbed the “blue collar ticket” by some newspapers.

Before joining parliament he worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and then at Deutsche Bank, where he focused on helping raise investment in developing countries.

Javid, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, has said securing access to the bloc’s single market should be the top goal in Brexit negotiations.

He has said he would lead a series of trade missions this year, and last week began preliminary talks with India on an eventual bilateral trade deal.

GEORGE OSBORNE

It is not certain May will replace Osborne, the current finance minister, immediately. One possibility is that he stays on in the short-term while the dust settles, and continues to represent Britain at upcoming international gatherings such as this month’s G20 finance minister meeting in China.

Light the White House in Blue for Law Enforcement? Nah

Posted on July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 by Denise Simon

Does anyone remember directly after the Supreme Court decision on legalizing same sex marriage? Does anyone remember the White House lighted in rainbow colors in celebration for all the world to see?

The White House on Friday night is splashed with rainbow-colored lights to celebrate a Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage around the country.

The light display capped a day of jubilation over the decision at the executive mansion. President Obama hailed the ruling Friday morning, saying in the Rose Garden justice has arrived “like a thunderbolt” for gay and lesbian couples.

“Today, we can say in no uncertain terms that we have made our union a little more perfect,” Obama said.

Before that, the president tweeted using the hashtag “#LoveWins.” White House account changed its logo to an image of the White House seal covered in rainbow colors, bearing a resemblance to the actual building’s appearance Friday evening. The Hill

Obama said the police acted stupidly when they arrested Professor Henry Gates at this own home. Obama’s position on the matter was the cop was racist and at the time, the shamed White House ‘green czar’, Van Jones also responded that Obama was forced to sit with a racist cop. It all started with the ‘beer summit’, Barack Obama and his entire administration has been in a battle against everything that law enforcement across the country stands for and does.

So….what is the White House ignoring today with regard to the Dallas terror attack where 12 people were shot, killing 5 police officers? Well the White House refuses to shine blue lights in solidarity with law enforcement. Shameful.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (F.L.E.O.A.) Foundation announced its request that President Obama honor the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen Dallas police heroes by illuminating the White House in blue. The request occurred on Friday. It has not happened.

Police Magazine reports that FLEOA Foundation President Jon Adler issued the following statement:

“While we appreciate the President’s proclamation to have our flag flown at half-mast in honor of our fallen Dallas police heroes, I respectfully request that he demonstrate his full respect for their ultimate sacrifice by illuminating the White House in blue. Actions speak louder than scripted words, and the honorable act of displaying law enforcement’s ‘Thin Blue Line’ at the White House would demonstrate the President’s sincere commitment to our fallen heroes and their families. More from LawOfficer

In real pain from 3rd degree burns from an accident, Texas Governor Greg Abbott stopped treatment to return to Dallas in the wake of the terror attack. He was on vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and upon returned order the Governor’s mansion to be lighted in blue as a heartfelt gesture of unity with law enforcement.

Then there is a petition on the White House website to declare Black Lives Matter a terror organization and rightly so.

A White House petition to formally recognize the Black Lives Matter movement as a terrorist organization garnered it’s one-hundred-thousandth signature Monday afternoon, the minimum-threshold for earning a response from the administration.

“Terrorism is defined as the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims,” writes the petitions author. “This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations.” LawOfficer

Click here to sign the petition and demonstrate unity with law enforcement, our only defense across the homeland.

U.S. Evacuates Embassy Over Violence/Unrest

Posted on July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 by Denise Simon

UN: 36,000 civilians seek shelter in South Sudan capital

Displaced South Sudanese families are seen in a camp for internally displaced people in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) compound in Tomping, Juba, South Sudan, July 11, 2016. (Reuters)

al-Arabiya: he United Nations called on Tuesday for free movement and protection of civilians fleeing fighting in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, where it said at least 36,000 displaced people are seeking shelter in UN sites and other locations.

“Access to those in need is limited by the ongoing fighting and insecurity,” UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told a news briefing in Geneva.

Access to the UN compound is being blocked for civilians, who are trapped in churches and schools without access to water and sanitation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, adding that it was sending trauma kits.

Meanwhile the UN refugee agency called on neighboring countries to keep their borders open to people seeking asylum and said it was gearing up for possible refugee outflows.

Related reading: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations has been there but she is currently ignoring South Sudan for Chile and Uruguay. No worries though, she issued this statement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tonight, the Security Council expressed its readiness to enhance UNMISS’ role in responding to this crisis and its role in providing security on the ground. The Security Council has also called upon states in the region to begin preparing additional troops for possible deployment.

Violent fighting between rival factions in South Sudan forces U.S. to evacuate embassy

• Five SPLA soldiers were killed and at least two SPLM-IO troops were injured on Sunday

• Clashes occurred on the fifth anniversary of the country’s independence

• Koro Bessho, Japan’s ambassador to the U.N., confirmed the death of the Chinese soldier

JUBA, South Sudan – United States is set to evacuate its embassy in South Sudan following the recent surge in violent clashes in the region.

The State Department spoke of the “sudden and serious deterioration,” of the situation in the new country which had blown the rivalry between the President and Vice President into an everyday “general fighting.”

There were also reports of a U.S. embassy vehicle being attacked in clashes on July 7.

The rival factions pledging loyalties to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar engaged in a violent fight on Sunday, involving gunfire outside a UN building. Allegations that Machar’s residence in Juba was attacked by Kiir’s men had triggered the fight.

Local reports claimed that five SPLA soldiers were killed and at least two SPLM-IO troops were injured, besides a few civilian casualties.

Clashes occurred on the fifth anniversary of the country’s independence. UNMISS, the UN mission in South Sudan, said that the violence occured so close that it drove away 1,000 internally displaced people under its protection. It said, “Both UNMISS compounds in Juba have sustained impacts from small arms and heavy weapons fire.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the incident as “senseless violence” and reports stated that he plans to hold an emergency session to discuss the situation in South Sudan.

While Chinese and Rwandan peacekeepers sustained injuries, Japan’s ambassador to the UN Koro Bessho confirmed the death of a Chinese soldier.

On July 7, a shootout between the bodyguards of both the leaders led to a full blown fight in Juba that killed at least 150 people.

Kiir and Machar met at the Presidential Palace the next day to issue a call for calm, following the severe damage and loss of lives.

By July 10, local radio station Radio Tamazuj reported that the death toll from those clashes may be as high as 271.

Kenya Airways informed the suspension of all flights to the city because of an “uncertain security situation.”

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Office also advised against all travel to South Sudan, saying “the security situation in Juba has deteriorated” since Friday.

In July 2011, South Sudan declared itself as an independent country following more than 20 years of guerrilla warfare. The states of war had claimed the lives of at least 1.5 million people and displaced more than four million and the declaration of independence raised hopes for stable conditions.

However, after President Salva Kiir sacked the cabinet and accused Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a coup, civil war broke out between both camps in December 2013 which involved ethnic groups – the Dinka, led by Kiir, and the Nuer, under Machar, turning the clashes more violent.

A peace agreement was signed in South Sudan in August 2015, but many issues remain unresolved.

Facebook Faces $1 Billion Lawsuit, Aids Terror

Posted on July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 by Denise Simon

Privacy is one thing, but offering encrypted platforms with no oversight for terror communications is quite another. Since at least 2014, Islamic State, al Qaeda and al Nusra have all used Facebook and other social media platforms where Twitter has been especially uncooperative with security and investigation officials fighting against terrorist exploitation. Is it really a 1st Amendment protection when communications are generated by declared enemy combatants? Then there is the New Black Panthers and Black Lives Matters. The debate continues.

Due mostly to Edward Snowden revealing abilities of the United States to capture intelligence of terror networks, global terrorists have successfully sought other platforms.

Some popular social media platforms are seeing a drop in use by terror groups, yet there are countless others replacing them including apps like Telegram and WhatsApp. Islamic State has a robust program on these apps for their sex trade.

Facebook began rolling out a new end-to-end encryption feature on Friday called “secret conversations” with the goal of making users feel more comfortable chatting about sensitive subjects in the app.

“We’ve heard from you that there are times when you want additional safeguards — perhaps when discussing private information like an illness or a health issue with trusted friends and family, or sending financial information to an accountant,” the company said in a release announcing the new feature.

With the new feature, Facebook Messenger’s 900 million users can choose to encrypt specific conversations so that the messages can only be read on one specific device. Facebook is also giving users the option to determine how long each message can be read for. More from CNN

Families of Victims of Hamas Terror Sue Facebook for $1 Billion

PJMedia: Facebook is being hit with a $1 billion lawsuit after allegedly allowing the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas use its platform to plot attacks in Israel and the West Bank that killed and wounded Americans. According to Bloomberg News: “Plaintiffs include the families of Yaakov Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old abducted and murdered in June 2014 after hitching a ride in the West Bank, and 3-year-old Chaya Braun, whose stroller was struck intentionally by a Palestinian driver in October 2014 at a train station in Jerusalem.”

“Facebook has knowingly provided material support and resources to Hamas in the form of Facebook’s online social network platform and communication services,” making it liable for the violence against the five Americans, according to the lawsuit sent to Bloomberg by the office of the Israeli lawyer on the case, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.“Simply put, Hamas uses Facebook as a tool for engaging in terrorism,” it said.

Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S., European Union and Israel. The suit said the group used Facebook to share operational and tactical information with members and followers, posting notices of upcoming demonstrations, road closures, Israeli military actions and instructions to operatives to carry out the attacks.

Mushir al-Masri, a senior Hamas leader, said by phone that “suing Facebook clearly shows the American policy of fighting freedom of the press and expression” and is evidence of U.S. prejudice against the group and “its just cause.”

It’s not at all clear that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg — an influential Obama ally — would disagree with al-Masri. It’s not clear that the president would either.

While Hamas has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State since 1997 President Obama and his national security team seem to have a far more favorable view of them. Rather than reject the Hamas and the Palestinian Authority unity government that was formed in 2014, the Obama administration continued to fund it to the tune of $500 million a year.

This alarmed American lawmakers so much, 88 senators from across party lines sent a message of “grave concern” to the White House, warning that the new PA unity effort might jeopardize direct negotiations with Israel. “Any assistance should only be provided when we have confidence that this new government is in full compliance with the restrictions contained in current law,” the letter read. More here.