Democracy under pressure, autocracy on the rise O P I N I O N Anton JieSamFoek In the 1990s it still seemed self-evident: democracy would triumph. The Cold War was over, dictatorships fell like dominoes, and elections became the new normal worldwide. But that hope is outdated today. According to research institutions like the V-Dem Institute and Freedom House, we now…
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and other stories from Latin and South America eyesonsuriname Amsterdam, June 13th 2025–While I sit quietly at lunch in the hotel somewhere in Northern Colombia, waiting for inspiration for a story about Venezuelan refugees who often cross from here to Aruba and Curaçao to escape the regime of first Hugo Chávez and now Mr. Maduro,…
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China Interferes in South American Border dispute eyesonsuriname Amsterdam, 20 april 2025– The long standing territorial dispute over the South American border region, named Essequibo, which is claimed by Venezuela, escalated into a crisis not too long ago. Fears are, it is escalating even faster, now that China tries to play its part and interferes. The dispute dates back many,…
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eyesonsuriname Amsterdam, April 16, 2025 – The Essequibo region, a contested territory between Venezuela and Guyana, has become a geopolitical flashpoint with significant implications for the burgeoning oil and gas sector in Guyana. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and U.S. President Donald Trump have taken starkly different stances on Nicolás Maduro’s territorial claims,…
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Relations Turn Very Sour eyesonsuriname Amsterdam, March 4th 2025– Venezuela’s Armed Forces rejected neighboring Guyana’s patrolling waters yet to be delimited, Bolivarian authorities explained this weekend. The Chavista regime also spoke against Guyanese President Irfaan Ali’s latest remarks affecting the ongoing sovereignty controversy over the so-called Essequiba Guiana. On Saturday, Ali accused the Bolivarian Navy of…
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eyesonsuriname Amsterdam, February 8th, 2025 – In a dramatic turn of events, the Trump administration seized a second aircraft belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government in the Dominican Republic on February 6, 2025. This bold move, overseen by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Washington…
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A New Dawn for Venezuela’s Democracy eyesonsuriname A Wave of International Recognition Amsterdam, January 7th, 2025 – In a significant move, Uruguay’s president-elect Yamandú Orsi has joined Argentina’s president Javier Milei in recognizing Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect of Venezuela. This growing support from neighboring countries marks a pivotal moment in Venezuela’s political landscape,…
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The Unexpected Veto eyesonsuriname Amsterdam, October 31st, 2024 – In a surprising turn of events, Venezuela’s bid to join the BRICS bloc was vetoed during the recent summit in Kazan. This decision has sparked a diplomatic whirlwind, with President Nicolás Maduro calling for consultations with the Brazilian ambassador. Maduro’s claim that Brazil’s “irrational” diplomacy played…
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eyesonsuriname In a plot twist worthy of a telenovela, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil finds himself signing a document at the Foro de São Paulo, declaring the victory of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. This comes after Maduro’s dramatic accusation that Lula is actually a CIA doppelganger. The political chess game has…
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Offers Sandinista Fighters theeyesproject Amsterdam, 11 september 2024– Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega offered his Venezuelan colleague Nicolás Maduro the help of his “Sandinista fighters” in case of civil war in the South American country, where the opposition insists on not admitting the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) announcement that the incumbent had been reelected on July…
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