Síntesis informativa - 29 de abril 2019
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Socialists Strengthen Hold in Spain Election
MADRID — Spain’s Socialist Party strengthened its hold on the government on Sunday in the country’s third national election since 2015, with nearly complete results showing growing political polarization and party fragmentation.
The elections came after an abrupt change of government in June, when Pedro Sánchez and his Socialist Party used a corruption scandal to oust Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative Popular Party in a parliamentary vote.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/world/europe/spain-election-socialists.html
Trump Accuses Saudis of Giving U.S. a Bad Deal. Is That True?
BEIRUT, Lebanon — At a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wis., on Saturday, President Trump tore into Saudi Arabia, an important Middle Eastern ally, as yet another country giving the United States a bad deal.
He said that although the kingdom had spent $450 billion in the United States, Washington was still “subsidizing” the Saudi military. Mr. Trump said during the rally that he had complained about that to the Saudi monarch, King Salman, in a phone call.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/world/middleeast/trump-saudi-arabia-military.html
Brazil’s Judiciary, Once Symbol of Anti-Corruption Drive, Now Faces Scrutiny
BRASÍLIA, Brazil — When a Brazilian Supreme Court justice blocked the publication of an article about corruption that named a fellow judge, the backlash on social media was swift. Three days later, the justice backtracked and struck down his own decision.
But this and other recent decisions left many worried that the court’s actions were eroding its credibility, hampering its ability to function as a check on government just as the country inaugurated a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has expressed a disregard for civil liberties.
Mr. Bolsonaro has attacked the news media and voiced admiration for regimes that relied on censorship and repression, such as the dictatorships in Brazil and Chile.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/27/world/americas/brazils-judiciary.html
Guantánamo Bay Prison Commander Has Been Fired
GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba — The commander of the prison at Guantánamo Bay has been fired seven weeks before he was to leave the job.
Adm. Craig S. Faller relieved Rear Adm. John C. Ring for a “loss of confidence in his ability” to lead, the United States Southern Command said on Sunday in a brief statement. Admiral Ring’s deputy, Brig. Gen. John F. Hussey, is now the acting commander.
Col. Amanda Azubuike, a spokeswoman for the Southern Command, which oversees the prison, said the decision to remove Admiral Ring had nothing to do with a recent news media visit he hosted there. She said only that he was let go after a monthlong investigation that was opened in March.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/us/politics/guantanamo-bay-prison-commander.htm
THE GUARDIAN
Two US warships sail through Taiwan Strait in challenge to China
The US military has sent two navy warships through the Taiwan Strait as the Pentagon increases the frequency of movement through the strategic waterway despite opposition from China.
The two destroyers were identified as the William P Lawrence and Stethem. The 180km-wide (112-mile) Taiwan Strait separates Taiwan from China.
“The ships’ transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the US navy’s seventh fleet, said in a statement.
Guantánamo prison commander fired for 'loss of confidence' in leadership
Navy R Adm John Ring was relieved of his duties on Saturday. A statement from US Southern Command said the change in leadership “will not interrupt the safe, humane, legal care and custody provided to the detainee population” at Guantánamo.
About 40 prisoners are being held at the facility. At its peak, in mid-2003, it held nearly 700.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/29/guantanamo-prison-commander-fired-loss-of-confidence
Spain's socialist PSOE party mulls next move after victory without majority
The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, led his socialist PSOE party to its first victory since 2008, winning 123 seats and taking 29% of the vote.
The rightwing People’s party (PP) endured a catastrophic night as its seat count plummeted from 137 to 66, while the poll also marked a breakthrough for the far-right Vox party, which took 24 seats to enter the national parliament for the first time.
AL JAZEERA
In the Middle East, a new military crescent is in the making
Counter-revolutionary forces are seeking to resurrect the military dictatorship model the Arab Spring dismantled.
Marwan Kabalan.- Today, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, like their US and European allies, see their interests better served by military dictatorships in the region. Thus, after funding the military coup in Egypt in 2013, they are now hoping for military rule to extend to Algeria, Sudan and Libya.
Meanwhile, in Libya, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar launched a major military offensive on the capital Tripoli, seeking to unseat the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and derail efforts to spearhead a political transition through general elections.
In all three countries, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have stood by the military generals seeking state capture, and so have the US and a number of European countries. In the case of Libya, US President Donald Trump expressed direct support for Haftar, while France has been accused of directly supporting his military operation.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/middle-east-military-crescent-making-190429115639893.html
Spain election: Socialist PSOE wins but no clear majority
With 99.9 percent votes counted, Socialist Workers' Party wins election with 30 percent of the vote.
Creede Newton.- PSOE's historical centre-right rival, the People's Party (PP), won 66 seats in Sunday's election in Spain.
The Catalan Republican Left (ERC) - headed by Oriol Junqueras, who is facing trial on charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement of public funds over a 2017 referendum on Catalan independence - is projected to win 13 or 14 seats.
Suspected UAE spy arrested in Turkey commits suicide: State media
Suspect hanged himself in prison, state media reports, as authorities investigate possible link with Khashoggi case.
One of two men suspected of spying for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Turkey has committed suicide in prison, state media has said.
According to a previous report by the Reuters news agency, citing a senior Turkish official, one of the two men arrived in Turkey in October 2018, days after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
AL MAYADEEN
Arreaza acusa al presidente Duque de planear un nuevo "falso positivo" contra Venezuela
De acuerdo con el reporte de RT, se trata de la explosión de un vehículo registrada el sábado en Saravena, departamento de Arauca, que dejó al menos cuatro heridos y fue atribuida por los militares al Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). Duque afirmó que el ataque fue "planeado desde territorio venezolano" por cabecillas de ese movimiento armado.
Al respecto, Arreaza aseveró que es en territorio colombiano donde nacen y operan los grupos violentos y desde donde han atacado a países vecinos durante décadas, y acusó al "guerrerista" mandatario colombiano de planear un nuevo "falso positivo" contra Venezuela.
FDS intercambian petróleo del este de Siria por armas y equipos militares israelíes
Las Fuerzas Democráticas Sirias (FDS), respaldadas por Estados Unidos, supuestamente están intercambiando petróleo sirio a Israel, señaló un reporte del diario Rai Al-Youm con sede en Kuwait.
El periódico kuwaití afirmó que las Fuerzas Democráticas Siria estaban adoptando políticas hostiles hacia las personas en la región.
Por su parte, la agencia de noticias Al-Khabor, hizo la misma acusación, pero citó sus propias fuentes en la región. Agregró que las FDS recibieron sistemas de defensa aérea de EE. UU., misiles antitanques Spike israelíes, así como aviones no tripulados Stinger de superficie a aire.
Irán y Rusia realizarán maniobras navales conjuntas en aguas del Golfo
El comandante naval iraní, el Contralmirante Hossein Khanzadi, dijo que los simulacros navales conjuntos se llevarán a cabo en las aguas del sur de Irán. Señaló que sobre la base de las negociaciones, la Marina Rusa enviará una flota a las regiones del sur de Irán este año", dijo.
