Resume of Semester in Politics.

This semester for the blog assignment I've seen several political transformations in the America's positive and negative but id like to stick with the positive. From Argentina to Canada political transformations have shaped the future of foreign policies, and how they construct a way in which the American relations are shaped abroad. From impeachments to total transformations in dialogues with old enemies, only the future has way whether this chapter will end on positive terms.

                                                                    Obama and Castro
    The most surprising event was the reunion between Obama and Castro after the reopening of both corresponding embassies after 50 years. After unsuccessfully invading Cuba with the exiles the Castro brothers sought isolation from the U.S. and after 50 years of tension and blockades president Obama finally reached out to the Cuban government which greeted him warmly his rapprochement. Still some obstacles are on the way, but what was more surprising was the level of dialogue and how fast both countries reestablished relations, and even coincided with the visit of a U.S. president something that hasn't happened in 86 years.

Rouseff and Da Silva former president.

Another event that surprised alot of media corporations was the swiftly move of the Brazilian Supreme Court against former President Luis Ignacio Lula Da Silva and Dilma Rouseff. Both are being impeached for getting funds from the oil giant Petrobras to fund their elections.  This has surprised many Brazilians as the power of their party Popular Party has weaned, thus their support has also gone down the drain. Also many Brazilians are outraged in the amount of spending on the Olympics, arguing that corruption is swallowing many funds, and those funds should be used on the people. Also crime has gone up leaving Olympic organizers whether the sites are safe. Still the impeachment and trial are underway many wait whether Dilma and Lula will go to prison or be impeached from politics.

Venezuela:Shaping the future through tough times.

The current Venezuelan government is under fire as it has systematically failed to protect and provide the Venezuelans with the basic necessities, and has been the product of shortages and violent upheavals which have pushed members of the political opposition to demand a referendum in which the current President Maduro will be up for votes whether he should continue being president or step down from office. 

Protester Demanding a Referendum

 The economical and social situation in the country has reached a critical level, as most basic necessities are hard to obtain, and along with rampant inflation and crime, most Venezuelans demand the current administration to step down. President Maduro who has been ruling the country for three years. His predecessor Hugo Chavez ruled with ruthlessness taking over most of the private companies while kicking out foreign companies without compensation for their lands or machinery. Meanwhile corruption levels in government owned companies have rendered them unusable and many haven't reached production levels as required. Meanwhile lack of investment in public utilities companies and mismanagement have led to water and power shortages, which the Venezuelans have become used to them.Crime which has soared to record highs, caused by high levels of corruption and cronyism have led to ineffective plans to fight against crime. Some gangs even are armed with grenades and high potency guns only owned by the military, which have rendered crime fighting useless.  

Main opposition leader Henrique Capriles 

Meanwhile the opposition have led to a campaign for signatures in order to hold elections and depose the current President and other high level ministers. The government has called this a conspiracy from the outside, and has responded by putting high members of the opposition in jail, and censuring the media. But in just two day the opposition managed to get more than one million signatures demanding an election to depose Nicolas Maduro the current president. 

Brazil: In the Middle of a Crisis

   Brazil is in the middle of a political crisis as Dilma Rouseff is currently being impeached due to misusing funds for the state owned Petrobras, and for allegations of campaign money fraud during the last presidential elections. Also her predecessor is being called into trial for the same charges.
 

Dilma Rouseff and Luis Ignacio Lula Da Silva

Luis Ignacio Lula Da Silva was the first populist president of Brazil, and one of the most controversial. He approached several of his adversaries with ruthlessness while increasing the accessibility for the poor to engage in the commerce and education fields, also he pursued a bilateral exchange with several populist governments which caused some controversy by right-wing movements. But the most controversial one was the corruption cases of Petrobras which is the state owned oil company. Corruption and Nepotism have flared under his administration and with Rouseff's term, causing friction with the population. Also the 2016 Olympics have had several cases of funds which have seen staggering amounts for projects which have caused protests from the population. 

Recently the Supreme Court of Brazil has opened a case against the two leaders, and has thwarted the decision of the former President to become a prime minister giving him legal immunity. Meanwhile Rousseff will be temporarily deposed as the legal battle ensues with the two populist leaders. Also if they are found guilty this would be the end of populist rule, and a big win for the right wing parties.

New York: A battlefield for the future.

 The primaries of New York will test whether the last remaining five candidates for the nomination of both parties will either end the momentum for both of the main candidates. The four main candidates have had a a time with the surge of interested voters, but the main showdown will be in the primaries of New York.
   In the Democratic field Sanders had won the last primaries and even won in Wyoming which has low voter population but still has had the lead in the primaries. But even though the momentum of Sanders has gained traction it could be derailed by the sudden win of Clinton who has a large lead against Sanders according to CNN.Sanders has attacked the democratic establishment by accusing it of being biased as the number of delegates have been misappropriately distributed among the candidate. Even though if Sanders or Hillary win there is still a long way to go for the Convention in June for the nomination of the party.
  In the Republican field the showdown between Trump and Cruz has had a very powerful lead, as both candidates have been neck to neck even though Trump has a bigger margin than Cruz. In third place Kasich can still take the lead but as the time pass the margin grows bigger and bigger. Trump who hails from New York can still keep up against Cruz, and reunite voters who are disfranchised by his platform, and gathering the voted he needs to continue the momentum.

Peru: Back to the old or the new?

The South American nation of Peru has upcoming elections that will bring the population of Peru back to the Fujimurism or to the left wing road in which the actual President Humala has taken over. But first Peru has had its share of violence and instability over the years, but recently has been called the Economic Miracle by Forbes, as it has enjoyed high levels of economic growth along with Colombia.

Keiko Fujimori who is the daughter of Alberto Fujimori a former President of Peru is one of the main contenders in the election. His dad has had his reputation of a ruthless leader who ended the Guerilla warfare in the 90's but also committed lots of violations, and a self coup d etat in which he forcefully dissolved the opposition held congress. Fujimori has been recently indicted on a trial for the violations committed during his government, but still has a lot of supporters under the conservative ranks. His daughter who also has a conservative stance has admitted violations were committed under her dad's term, but has changed the attitude of Peruvian politics. A lawyer and a congresswoman, she has had a big role in the quagmires of Peruvian politics, but always with the shadow of her dad whom she has tried to wisk away. Founding her new political party she lost the election of 2011 against populist Ollanta Humala a former military officer, and who lead a revolt against her dad in 2000. 

                                              Alberto Fujimori and Keiko Fujimori
Meanwhile the left leaning candidate Veronika Mendoza who just a few years ago wasn't known in the Peruvian political arena has risen to the polls, just behind the conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori. This is the first time two women are the favorites in the presidential race, and whoever wins will bring a new political force, or be a shadow of a controversial administration. Mendoza has pushed for a more populist model, and emphasized in social programs, while at the same time redistributing wealth and emphasizing in a people's force in order to gain support from the popular classes.

                                                          Veronika Mendoza
  Meanwhile major polls are expecting Keiko Fujimori to win by a small margin against Mendoza, and send shock waves through Latin America, as conservative parties have recently won through the continent. If Mendoza wins this will be a break in the ice for conservative rule, and give the left wing movements in Latin America who are under scrutiny.

The Undemocratic Parties of America.

This week has been a controversial week due to the fact that the Democratic Candidate Bernie Sanders has demanded that the Democratic Party be more transparent during the campaign. According to the Seattle Times Sanders demanded an investigation during the primaries in Arizona, and other states as a lot of people didn't have the opportunity to vote.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton

    Since the race started Sanders has denounced what he says is discrimination against his political campaign, and also the counting of the votes in primaries has led to a series of disputes between the final results over fraud and stipulation of the final results in the ballot.
  Another dilemma he has challenged is the dealings in regards to the super delegates who have had a different approach in regards to the distribution of the super delegates and how unequally the game is unfair to the candidate from Vermont. After winning the caucuses in three states, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska this past week, Sanders has urged some of the Super delegates to change their position reiterating that the Senator won at a very wide margin.

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump 

    Meanwhile on the other side of the Primaries some conservative GOP leaders such as Mitt Romney have denounced Trump's volatile declarations, and have pursued legal actions in order to invalidate Trumps campaign. Romney has denounced him as being a phony and a fraud, and has urged fellow Republicans not to nominate Trump, as he doesn't represent the true party ideals. Meanwhile Trump backfired at him bringing up the issue of the 2012 elections, and blaming him for the defeat of the GOP against Barack Obama.
  Another issue is the meddling of the candidates wife's in the elections as Trump has called out Ted Cruz's wife, and has even made it a common term during his campaign the action of lying Ted. Meanwhile Cruz has called Trump and urged respect for him and his wife, and called him intolerant and childish according to the Washington Post.

A new period in Latin America.

 As Latin America becomes more U.S. friendly, and the most anti-US country now has opened itself many politicians see this as an accomplishment by the Obama administration regarding the foreign policies he has implemented. According to the Miami Herald a positive relation with Latin American countries is a stepping stone for democracy in the Western Hemisphere.

Raul Castro and Obama

Cuba which has been a burden for the United States for the last 55 years since the beginning of the Cuban revolution has been a test for many of the American presidents since Eisenhower. Probably Kennedy had the worst burden of it all as the country was the base of several Soviet missiles, and also the embarrassment of a failed invasion of Cuban Exiles in the Bay of Pigs, which he was strongly against. President Obama took a more direct approach by engaging in direct dialogue with the Cuban government, and establishing a political power in the island.President Obama recognized differences between the two countries but believed in direct engagement, and mutual respect from both parties. But the main burden to be eliminated is the embargo which depends on the U.S. Congress to eliminate it.

Mauricio Macri and Obama

Argentina has been an ally for the United States since its founding but in recent years the Kirchenrism political force has distanced itself from the political establishments of the United States.After Macri the current President assumed the Presidency the United States has gained a new political ally in which depends on the political influence on the region. Obama also gave his condolences to the victims of the 1976 coup and the Dirty War which was supported by the United States, and also scarred alot of Argentineans due to the denial of previous administrations in regards to the role the U.S. had during these events.