Sky-high inflation takes a toll on mental health in Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Psychologist Jesica Bianchiotti, 35, still remembers the days when most sessions with her patients began with a chat about the weather or the results of the latest football match. But those days are long gone. With Argentina facing one of the worst economic crises in its recent history, sessions now start with conversations about politics, rising prices and how hard it is to make ends meet. “Things have changed a lot. The majority of my patients now come with issues related to anxiety, fear, problems with sleeping, all related to the uncertainty we all live with — how impossible it is to make long-term plans,” said Bianchiotti, who works in the greater Buenos Aires area. Argentina boasts the third-largest economy in Latin America — but it has been beset by financial turmoil for decades, fuelled by political instability and massive international debt. This year, inflation hit record levels, rocketing higher than 140 percent. The value of Argentina’s currency has plummeted as a result. Even basic food shopping is a challenge for some. Against that backdrop, professionals like Bianchiotti are reporting an increase in stress-related conditions. Argentina, though, has developed a way to grapple with the problem: It has the highest rate of psychologists per capita in the world. A 2015 study estimated that, for every 100,000 Argentinians, there are 194 psychologists — a rate more than three times higher than the next closest countries, Finland and Norway. Psychotherapy is so popular that certain practitioners, like Gabriel Rolon, have achieved celebrity status, appearing on TV and radio shows. In 2022, psychology was also one of the most sought-after career paths at the University of Buenos Aires, second only to medicine. A healthcare centre offers psychological services in Moreno, a city on the outskirts of Buenos Aires [Patricio A Cabezas/Al Jazeera] The widespread embrace of psychotherapy, however, corresponds with widespread need, according to Bianchiotti. She has treated patients for nearly a decade and has seen an increase in the number of consultations she conducts. “The state in which patients come in is pretty shocking. Many are not even able to listen to what I say,” she told Al Jazeera, describing how some patients talk non-stop. “They are anxious, nervous with fear, consumed by negative thoughts. Panic attacks are becoming more frequent and many people are unable to enjoy any sort of free time as they are consumed with worries.” Anxiety is a normal response to danger, real or perceived. It exists to help the body face or escape from threats. But anxiety can develop into a disorder, with symptoms like dizziness, shaking, migraines and fatigue. It can also increase risk factors for other conditions like depression. “A certain level of anxiety is necessary as a basic survival skill, but too much of it, that’s when problems start. It can become paralysing,” said Bianchiotti. In Argentina, the problem may be particularly acute. More than half of the participants in a 2022 study about the country’s psychological health, conducted by the University of Buenos Aires, said they were experiencing a “crisis”. The economy was cited as the most common reason for respondents’ crises. At 49 percent, it surpassed family problems, relationship troubles and work as a leading cause. The economy was considered the decisive factor in Argentina’s recent presidential elections, which saw libertarian candidate Javier Milei emerge victorious [Gustavo Garello/AP Photo] The study also found that 75 percent of respondents said they suffered from sleep deprivation. The number of sufferers was even higher among those with fewer resources. Meanwhile, an estimated 35 percent of those who needed psychological treatment said they could not afford it. Although psychologists are available for free in public hospitals, budget cuts have made it increasingly difficult for people with lower incomes to access their services. Those with more resources can opt for private therapy, a more expensive option that offers greater flexibility for scheduling and services. “Data shows that there are many people who go to a psychotherapist in Argentina, but many more don’t have access to any kind of services, even when they would like to access them,” Fabian Maero, a psychologist, author and professor from the University of Buenos Aires, told Al Jazeera. “If you have to choose between going to therapy and paying the rent, that is not much of a choice.” Critics including Maero worry the situation could worsen under newly inaugurated President Javier Milei, who took office on December 10. A self-described “anarcho-capitalist”, Milei was elected after promising to slash government spending to mend the economy. Though he initially proposed scrapping the Ministry of Health, Milei has since announced he would keep the agency, appointing cardiologist Mario Russo as its head. “We professionals are very worried about this situation, how the lack of psychological attention is going to affect the population and how it will affect future generations,” Maero said. He added that mental health professionals cannot ignore current events in their practices. “We are facing great challenges. You want to treat an individual for their issues, but what they might need is to talk about the context they live in, what is happening to the country.” Psychologist Fabian Maero worries budget cuts could further restrict the accessibility of mental health services [Patricio A Cabezas/Al Jazeera] Julieta Bieber, a 48-year-old administrative assistant in Buenos Aires, is among those using their therapy sessions to talk about the state of the country. “This level of inflation means you need to live day by day, and that is very hard,” she told Al Jazeera. “You wake up, and the first thing you do is check how much the dollar exchange rate is, how much things have risen in price. It really affects your quality of life.” Bieber is hardly alone. Only 68 percent of Argentinians say their state of mind is positive, according to an October survey from the consulting firm Voices and the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN). That put Argentina’s national “mood” among the lowest of the 39
Pakistan’s Imran Khan delivers AI-generated speech to campaign from prison
In the first event of its kind in the country, the jailed ex-PM’s party uses audio clip made by artificial intelligence during a virtual rally. Islamabad, Pakistan – Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has delivered a speech using an audio clip generated through artificial intelligence (AI) to address a virtual rally – the first event of its kind in the South Asian country. Khan delivered a four-minute address on Sunday night, using the clip, which was laid over a video containing his AI-generated image as well as photos from previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) rallies and earlier speeches by him. The PTI said its virtual rally drew more than five million views on social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter despite internet outages reported from various parts of the country. The PTI organised the internet rally to bypass a government ban on public rallies by the party as it gears up for general elections, scheduled on February 8. “Our party is not allowed to hold public rallies. Our people are being kidnapped and their families are being harassed,” the AI-generated voice mimicking Khan said in the clip, carrying a disclaimer that the speech is based on his notes from prison. “History will remember your sacrifices,” the stilted voice added, referring to the months-long state crackdown on PTI, which has seen dozens of party leaders arrested or “forced to quit” the organisation. Khan himself has been in jail since August following his conviction in a case related to the illegal selling of state gifts he received as premier from 2018 to 2022. Though he got bail in that case, he remains in custody after he was indicted for allegedly leaking state secrets. Khan denies the allegations and says the cases against him are a ploy by the government and the powerful military to keep him and his party out of the February elections. ‘Internet censorship’ The opposition party accused the government of causing internet disruptions in order to prevent Khan’s supporters from watching his online speech. Several users reported outages in the live streaming of the speech, which was confirmed by NetBlocks, an internet tracking company. “Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in Pakistan for [nearly] 7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI,” the firm said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. ℹ️ ICYMI: Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in #Pakistan for ~7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI https://t.co/AS9SdfwqoH pic.twitter.com/XXMYBhknXd — NetBlocks (@netblocks) December 18, 2023 In a statement on Monday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority denied the internet outage and urged the media to exercise caution on sharing “unconfirmed news” about it. Pakistan’s free speech activist Usama Khilji praised PTI’s “innovative” method of holding the virtual event to circumvent the ban on public rallies. “With a full crackdown on PTI’s right to freedom of association and speech via arrests of leadership, the party’s use of artificial intelligence to broadcast a virtual speech in the words of its incarcerated chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan marks a new point in the use of technology in Pakistani politics,” he told Al Jazeera. Khilji added a note of caution in political leaders and parties using AI tools for their campaigns. “This innovative use of technology shows how AI can be used to circumvent a crackdown on a political party, but it should be viewed with caution because it signifies the potential abuse of AI technology to spread disinformation and manipulate elections as well by various political and non-political actors,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples under certain conditions
A landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis says priests can bless same-sex couples under some circumstances. The Vatican has approved a landmark ruling to allow Roman Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies, nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings. A document from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by Pope Francis on Monday said such blessings would not legitimise irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all. The document backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” but “this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them”. It said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and “should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing”. The document elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn’t confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage. The new document repeats that rationale and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. It stresses that blessings should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding. But it says requests for such blessings should not be denied full stop. It offers an extensive definition of the term “blessing” in Scripture to insist that people seeking a transcendent relationship with God and looking for his love and mercy should not be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” as a precondition for receiving it. “Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God,” the document said. “The request for a blessing, thus, expresses and nurtures openness to the transcendence, mercy, and closeness to God in a thousand concrete circumstances of life, which is no small thing in the world in which we live.” The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed same-sex marriage. And in 2021, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn’t bless the unions of two men or two women because “God cannot bless sin”. That document created an outcry, one it appeared even Francis was blindsided by, even though he had technically approved its publication. Soon after it was published, he removed the official responsible for it and set about laying the groundwork for a reversal. It stressed that people in “irregular” unions – gay or straight – are in a state of sin. But it said that shouldn’t deprive them of God’s love or mercy. Pope Francis has recently criticised laws that criminalise homosexuality as “unjust”, saying God loves all his children just as they are and calling on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. The Vatican in 2008 declined to sign onto a UN declaration that called for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, complaining the text went beyond the original scope and also included language about “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” it found problematic. Adblock test (Why?)
People ‘buried alive’ outside Gaza hospital during Israeli raid
NewsFeed Israeli forces are accused of using bulldozers to crush and bury Palestinians alive as they raided Kamal Adwan Hospital. Published On 18 Dec 202318 Dec 2023 Adblock test (Why?)
Norwegian tanker attacked in Red Sea from Houthi-controlled Yemen
US navy destroyer rushes to aid the targeted vessel amid spate of missile attacks threatening key trade route. A petrochemical tanker has been attacked in the Red Sea by projectiles fired from Yemen, with the Houthis claiming responsibility, saying they launched a drone attack on a cargo vessel. The M/V Swan Atlantic, a chemical and oil products tanker, was hit on Monday in the southern Red Sea by multiple projectiles launched from Houthi-controlled territory, United States officials said. The Iran-backed group has attacked numerous vessels over recent weeks, raising international concern over the threat to shipping in the region and to the wider global economy during the Israel-Gaza war. Owned by Norway’s Inventor Chemical Tankers, the ship was struck by one projectile. There were no injuries, according to the company. CEO Oystein Elgan told the Reuters news agency that the ship’s water tank had been damaged but all the vessel’s systems were operating normally. Inventor Chemical Tankers has no ties to Israel, he stated. Operator Uni-Tankers said the crew had brought a small fire under control. The ship was carrying vegetable oils and is sailing to Reunion Island. A report by British maritime authorities earlier on Monday suggested at least one other incident in the area of Yemen’s Mokha port although that remains unconfirmed. The destroyer USS Carney, which has been on patrol in the Red Sea to intercept drones and missiles in recent months, responded to the M/V Swan Atlantic’s distress call, US officials said. The US military’s Central Command said on Saturday that the USS Carney shot down 14 drones launched by Yemen’s Houthis over the Red Sea. Economic impact The Houthis, who rule much of Yemen, said the attacks are a show of solidarity with Palestinians. They have also fired drones and missiles at Israel. The group, which like Hamas is aligned with Iran, has pledged to continue until Israel stops attacking Gaza. The threat risks disturbing the global economy. Several shipping companies have announced they will suspend all journeys through the Red Sea due to the attacks. About 40 percent of international trade passes through the narrow strait between Yemen and northeast Africa, which leads northwards to the Red Sea, Israel’s southern port facilities and the Suez Canal. The increased threat has caused shipping insurance costs to jump by tens of thousands of dollars a day and raised oil prices. Oil major BP temporarily paused all transit through the Red Sea citing security concerns. The alternative route for ships avoiding the Suez Canal is to take the much longer trip around Africa. The US announced last week that it was in talks with other countries to set up a task force to protect the trade route. An Italian source on Monday reported that the country is considering joining a naval coalition to patrol the Red Sea. The Houthis have pledged to continue the attacks until Israel halts its bombardment of Gaza. However, in an initial indication of possible moderation, the group said on Saturday that real steps to ease the humanitarian crisis would contribute to “reducing the escalation”. Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Mallika Sagar, the IPL’s first female auctioneer?
Mumbai, India – Mallika Sagar’s introduction to the world of auctioneering came when, as a teenager in her hometown Mumbai, she read a book with a female auctioneer as its protagonist. “And, perhaps, a bit frivolously, I thought: ‘That’s what I want to be,’” she recollects with a chuckle. Three decades on, Sagar finds herself at the helm of making history. After a successful 23-year career in art auctioneering, she is set to become the first female auctioneer at the richest franchise cricket league in the world when she takes the stage at the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday. More than 300 cricketers will go under the hammer during the daylong event, which will be a breakaway from a trend that has seen only men – Welshman Richard Madley, Briton Hugh Edmeades and India’s Charu Sharma – spearhead the event. “It’s extremely exciting to be asked to conduct an IPL auction,” Sagar told Al Jazeera during an hourlong chat at her Mumbai office last week. Sagar was born into a business family in the capital of India’s Maharashtra state and has lived in the city since her return, from the United States, where she graduated with a degree in the history of art. Now a specialist in modern art and an auctioneer at a privately-owned Mumbai-based auction house, she has long been a pathbreaker on the global art auctioneering circuit. In 2001, she became the first female auctioneer of Indian origin at the international art and luxury business Christie’s. ‘All about personality and skills’ Clad in a yellow drop-waist dress and with a cup of green tea in hand, Sagar explained how auctioneering is more down to personality and skills than gender. “You could be the most engaging male auctioneer, the most boring female auctioneer or vice versa – it’s about personality and skills.” The 48-year-old has been responsible for wielding the gavel at both the player auctions for the Women’s Premier League (WPL), India’s IPL-style five-team franchise tournament for women. “Sport is gendered, so to be part of something where women cricketers have a platform at the highest level and the chance to be financially independent doing what they love, was really special.” Being one of the few female auctioneers in India, Sagar acknowledged that the inaugural WPL auction in February may have been an unwitting stepping stone to bring her to the IPL auction, a far more scaled-up affair than its WPL equivalent. Learning the ropes – with kabaddi Sagar’s first stint at sport auctioneering came at the eighth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), an Indian men’s professional franchise kabaddi tournament that ranks second behind the IPL most-watched sports league in the country. She admits sport auctioneering “was a new world” for her, given her longstanding association with art. “It did take a little bit of training, largely to change my approach,” she said. So what does it take to make a good auctioneer? “Depending on what you’re selling, you have to learn the mechanics of the auctioneering process and blend it with math, theatre and drama – all wrapped up in a smile!” The PKL experience, she said, warmed her up for the cricket auctions. Despite a foray into sport, steering a cricket auction at the WPL proved to be a different ball game. The scale of operations, including the requirements of catching the producer’s cue in the ear during live broadcast, added a different dimension to the job. [embedded content] ‘Can’t let your nervousness take over your job’ Sagar describes a usual auction as an “unknown” as it unfolds in real time. The ones in cricket often come with last-minute mic-ups or touchups with the makeup, frenzied bidding wars traversing multiple parties or, something as seemingly easy-to-do as figuring out where the franchises are seated based on the draw that allots them their order. Their dynamism warrants significant focus and flexibility. “You have to be alert and adaptable,” she said. “At times, despite your best efforts, there can be mistakes. You may get a syllable wrong when calling out hundreds of names. It’s best to acknowledge the error, apologise, fix it, and move on. “Regardless of the situation, you can’t panic. You cannot let your nervousness take over your job. Having composure as part of your skillset is a must.” Sagar swears by exercise and yoga to refuel quietude and strength of body and mind. “There’s nothing a downward dog or a headstand doesn’t fix,” she quipped. On auction eve, she retires early to avoid mental exhaustion during the all-important hours on the job the next day. The bedrock of a well-run auction, in her view, is being as even-keel as possible as an auctioneer, no matter the stature of the players on offer. “It’s important to present a newcomer with the same amount of energy as you would a star player,” she said. Among the other non-negotiables, Sagar places the utmost premium on knowing the subject – the order of the sets of players, similar to pieces of art. “You’ve got to pace out each name well and give it enough time,” she said. “Especially, when there’s a flurry of bids for them. “And when the frenzy slows down, give it a few seconds and ask the room, ‘Everybody sure? Last chance if you’d like to bid?’ Whether in art or cricket, rapid changes such as a last-minute raise of the paddle or a new entrant coming in are a given. It’s your job to factor them all in.” Has her preparation for the IPL auction been any different from the WPL’s? “No, because the basic formats are the same,” Sagar explained. “The key is to make sure you are familiar with the names. You don’t want to destroy someone’s name who’s coming up on a platform as prestigious as this – it’s their moment of glory, after all.” On Tuesday, as Sagar reels off over 300 such names, it will be as much her moment in the sun as
Iran points at Israeli-linked group as cyberattack disrupts fuel network
Tehran says Israel-linked Predatory Sparrow group is behind the disruption. A cyberattack has disrupted services at around 70 percent of Iran’s fuel stations, according to reports. The Israel-linked group Predatory Sparrow, or Gonjeshke Darande in Persian, claimed on Monday it was behind the disruption, according to Iranian state TV. Israel media outlets also reported the claim. “This cyberattack was carried out in a controlled manner to avoid potential damage to emergency services,” Predatory Sparrow said in its statement quoted by the Iranian media. A statement on the attack was shared from a new account with the group’s name opened in early December on X. Iran’s civil defence agency, which is responsible for the country’s cybersecurity, said it was still considering all possible causes for the disruptions as it investigated. Iranian state media added that the hacker group has in the past claimed cyberattacks against Iranian petrol stations, rail networks and steel factories. The fuel outages are the first such incident since 2021, when a major cyberattack in Iran disrupted the sale of fuel, causing long queues at stations across the country. Pump prices in Iran are heavily subsidised. Iran accused Israel and the United States of being behind those attacks. People wait at a gas station during gas station disruption in Tehran [Majid Asgaripour via Reuters] Stations operating manually The disruptions began early on Monday and were especially acute in Tehran. Many petrol stations have been forced to operate their pumps manually, Iranian media reported. “At least 30 percent of gas stations are working, with the rest gradually resolving the disruption in services,” Oil Minister Javad Owji said. Reza Navar, a spokesman for Iran’s fuel stations association, had told the semiofficial Fars news agency that a technical issue was behind the disruption. “A software problem with the fuel system has been confirmed in some stations across the country and experts are currently fixing the issue,” Navar said. Navar added that there was no fuel supply shortage but called on drivers to not go to fuel stations. The Ministry of Petroleum earlier told state TV that the disruption was not linked to plans to increase the price of fuel, a policy that caused widespread protests in 2019 and led to violent repression. State TV said petrol stations were seeking to provide fuel manually and that it would take at least six to seven hours to resolve the problems. Israel has not yet commented on the cyberattack. Israel’s unit on cyberattacks on Monday said Iran and Hezbollah were behind an attempted cyberattack on a hospital in northern Israel about three weeks ago. It said that the attack was thwarted but that the hackers were able to retrieve “some of the sensitive information stored in the hospital’s information systems”. Adblock test (Why?)
Why Chileans rejected conservative constitution, and what’s next?
Chileans on Sunday voted to reject a proposed conservative constitution, dismissing for the second time in a little over a year a replacement for the dictatorship-era charter. A progressive draft, which attempted to enshrine environmental protections and Indigenous rights, was rejected last September. The proposed constitution would have reinforced property rights and free-market principles. But the rejection wasn’t out of an abundance of love for the current document – which was seen as enabling some of the main structural issues dogging the South American nation. So, let’s take a look at the latest vote, why Chileans wanted to replace the current constitution, and what next. What was Sunday’s vote about? The proposed constitution was drafted by a committee dominated by the conservative Republican Party. Its tenets comprised reinforced property rights and free-market principles in addition to limits on immigration and abortion. After all the votes were counted, nearly 56 percent of Chileans were against the proposed constitution to replace the existing charter drafted during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, who oversaw the mass abduction and execution of his left-wing critics between 1973 and 1990. The country’s leftist president, Gabriel Boric, said the results showed that the country had become polarised and divided. “The country needs everyone,” Boric, who became Chile’s youngest-ever leader in 2021 at 35, said. What was the need for a new constitution? The three decades of democracy that replaced Pinochet’s rule have brought about political stability and economic growth, but rising inequality has frustrated many. Large-scale protests broke out in 2019, bringing students, pensioners, Indigenous peoples and women’s rights activists to the streets who were disillusioned with weak representation by traditional parties. They demanded a new constitution because policy changes were seen as unable to fully address their concerns. In October 2020, four out of every five Chileans voted for elected delegates to write a new constitution. Most of the 155 delegates were affiliated with the leftist political movement but were more closely aligned with social movements rather than established political parties. Many of them had never run for office before, let alone being elected. Half of them were women and 17 seats were dedicated to Indigenous representatives in line with parity rules. The result was a progressive text that mostly focused on social and economic rights, and also tried to improve gender equality and the environment. It was put to vote in September 2022, but was rejected even more resoundingly than Sunday’s text, with only close to 39 percent in favour. Almost all of the 15 million Chileans eligible are believed to have voted on both proposed texts as voting is mandatory. At the time, Chile found itself grappling with a worsening economic outlook and rising inflation amid the COVID-19 outbreak, and conservatives also used the opportunity to work against the proposed text, claiming it would, among other things, undermine property rights. [embedded content] Why was the new text rejected? “Unlike its predecessor, the new proposed constitution would move Chile to the right,” Jennifer Piscopo, a professor of gender and politics at the Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), said. Piscopo said the text failed to reflect the views of most Chileans as it didn’t address underlying demands for greater social equality and economic opportunity that had sparked the constitutional process in the first place. The draft was tough on crime and immigration and did not create a framework for broader rights while it was seen as limiting hard-fought gains for women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. It was also rejected by Indigenous representatives. “By many accounts, this draft would have been more socially and economically conservative than the 1980 dictatorship-era constitution that Chileans are attempting to replace,” Piscopo said. “Still, the vote against the second draft does not necessarily mean that Chileans have clear or unified policy views for or against particular policy issues, whether it’s healthcare or abortion,” the RHUL professor said. “The two reject votes are as much expressions of discontent with what they perceive as unrepresentative processes as they are specific statements about policy.” Boris van der Spek, a Chile-based journalist, said the new text was too “radical” for Chileans, whose social and political needs are not being fully met and who remain divided between the political elite. “Chileans are fed up with their institutions and their politicians, so basically everything they propose gets rejected, regardless of whether it’s a right-wing or left-wing proposal,” he told Al Jazeera. He said the divide over Sunday’s vote was roughly the same as when Boric was elected with 55 percent of the vote, beating the candidate of the Republican Party that later devised the latest proposed constitution. “So, Chile is still divided over the same things, but the main reason [behind Sunday’s results] is that this proposal was just not adjusting to the reality of the Chileans,” said van der Spek. Chile voted today to reject the second proposed constitution, leaving in effect the current constitution that was drafted by Pinochet and has been amended ~50 times. Here are my observations from the field. 🧵 #PlebiscitoConstitucional2023 pic.twitter.com/XU26mZevTq — Dr. Sally Sharif (@Sally_Sharif1) December 18, 2023 Will there be another vote? President Boric had pledged before the vote that instead of opting for yet another vote, he would focus on long-term development. Another vote seems highly unlikely before his term ends in 2025. RHUL’s Piscopo said there’s voter fatigue and it’s unclear whether voters or political elites will have the appetite for yet another test at the ballots, but much will depend on the presidential election. “This election will likely pit Jose Antonio Kast, leader of the Partido Republicano, against a centrist or centre-left candidate. If the right wins the presidency and/or enough seats in Congress, they likely will enjoy enough veto power over regular political reform that they see no need to reopen the constitutional conversation,” she said. “If the left wins, they face more incentive to try – but will run up against voter fatigue, reducing the odds they can stir up sufficient
President el-Sisi declared victorious in Egypt election
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has secured a third term as leader of the Middle East’s most populous nation, officials said, after the counting of votes in the election held on December 10 was finalised. Sisi won 89.6 percent of the vote, the National Elections Authority said on Monday. Polling had closed on Tuesday in Egypt after the three-day election in the Arab world’s most populous country. The vote, the result of which was in little doubt, took place as Egypt dealt with various crises, including the Israel-Hamas war in neighbouring Gaza and the country’s worst-ever economic crisis. The results strengthened Sisi’s power, which he took over after the 2013 overthrow of the country’s first popularly elected president, Mohamed Morsi. He was re-elected in 2018. In both previous elections he won with 97% of the vote. International monitors have criticised Egypt’s human rights record under Sisi’s rule, accusing the government of repressing political freedoms during a crackdown, in which rights groups say tens of thousands have been jailed. This is a developing story. More updates to follow. Adblock test (Why?)
We know who created Syria’s torture programme and how
After 12 years of civil war, hundreds of thousands of people killed and tens of thousands missing, a glimmer of hope for the Syrian people came from the world’s top court. On November 16, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the Syrian state must prevent torture of detainees and refrain from destroying evidence of these unlawful acts. The order was part of ongoing proceedings against Syria for violations of the Convention against Torture which were launched in June after referral by Canada and the Netherlands. Scepticism about the Syrian government’s willingness to comply with this ruling is indeed justified. However, even if it continues to destroy documentation about its torture programme, enough evidence exposing these atrocities has already been gathered. Many activists and civil society organisations have unwaveringly documented the human rights abuses suffered by innocent civilians over the past 12 years. Our organisation, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) has been part of this painstaking journey since 2011. Over the past decade, CIJA investigators have unearthed a staggering trove of more than 1.3 million pages of regime-issued documents. They reveal a story of unhinged power and brutal measures the Syrian regime would resort to in order to maintain its iron grip on power. Documents like these will help the next phase of the ICJ proceedings, as the parties prepare for the presentation of evidence. Based on some of these materials, CIJA published a report revealing the structures that were put in place, and the decisions and orders made in the early months of 2011 that cost so many Syrians their freedom and their lives. The Syrian regime denied the early reports of torture, mass arrests and murders. It primarily attributed the violence reported in 2011 to what it characterised as “armed terrorist groups”. It claimed that these groups were responsible for initiating the violence and destabilising the country. This narrative allowed the government to justify the use of force as a means to restore order and protect national security. But the regime’s own documents paint a different picture. The Syrian authorities knew the demonstrators wanted freedom and democracy. For example, one military intelligence communication CIJA has obtained refers to an early March 2011 meeting at which the demands of the protesters for freedom, democracy and an end to corruption were discussed and presented as a threat; it was decided the intelligence agencies would take immediate action to suppress them. Thereafter, intelligence gathering intensified, with local security branches tasked to send reports to Damascus at 4pm each day. They were required to include detailed statements about any protest or riot along with the “names of the persons against whom legal measures have been taken and those who were arrested amongst the troublemakers, activists and instigators to protests” – according to one document issued by the Head of the Political Security Department of the security intelligence dated March 18, 2011. As demonstrations quickly spread across Syria, growing in size and frequency, the regime unrolled more aggressive policies to repress protesters and opposition figures. On April 18, 2011, the Central Crisis Management Cell (CCMC), a top-level security coordinating body whose decisions President Bashar al-Assad signed off on, declared that the “time of tolerance and meeting demands is over”. It called for a “multifaceted confrontation of demonstrators” which included prolonged detention of those already arrested, the arrest of known “offenders”, the authorisation of the use of weapons in certain conditions and the deployment of armed forces “in cases of extreme need”. The effect was immediate. Only a day after, a violent and now notorious attack by the regime forces on a protest at the Homs Clock Tower took place and the CCMC reported that a number of protesters were shot and killed. Despite the increased security measures, including mass arrests, the mobilisation and use of Ba’athists and other regime loyalists and the deployment of the military, the situation throughout the country continued to deteriorate through the summer. In early August 2011, a document CIJA obtained showed that the security intelligence apparatus was admonished for the “laxness in handling the crisis” and “poor coordination and cooperation among security agencies in sharing information and the results of the ongoing investigations”. Shortly after, a series of steps that took the crackdown to a new level were undertaken. A circular distributed by Military Intelligence Branch 294 on August 17, 2011 reads: “Launch daily joint security-military campaigns in key security sectors of your choice as per security priorities. […] You are requested to arrest such persons, particularly those who are inciting people to demonstrate, funders of demonstrators, members of coordination committees who organise demonstrations, conspirers who communicate with people abroad to keep demonstrations ongoing and those who tarnish the image of Syria in foreign media and international organisations.” The order set up an infrastructure for what was to become a bureaucratic machinery overseeing mass arrests and torture of targeted individuals. “Investigative bodies” were set up, consisting of members of the security and intelligence agencies to interrogate the detainees. The interrogations were supposed to generate new lists of names of people to be targeted in the mass arrest campaigns. The effect of this circular was immediate and chilling. Arrest records secured by CIJA show that a systematic and coordinated campaign of arrests and detention by all of the main security intelligence agencies was launched. In many cases, the records did not indicate any criminal offences as a reason for arrest. They also showed that minors and elderly persons were not spared. In some instances, the same individual appears in a number of detainee lists generated over a period of time, reflecting the pervasive nature of the security state apparatus’ detention campaign. As detainees were passed between different security agencies, the brutality they had gone through would become apparent in internal regime reports: “It is impossible for us to thoroughly interrogate some of the detainees due to their poor medical condition caused by severe beating which, in some cases, has led to permanent disability while being prolongedly detained at some security agencies before