Brazilian diplomats give Israel Kratz a nickname.

Israel Katz has come to be called "Chancellor TikTok", in reference to Katz's penchant for playing with diplomacy and using social media to attack those he considers his enemies. A TikTok politician is usually someone who only does things to virtue signaling for their supporters.

The Israeli chancellor has earned the nickname since the beginning of the problem with the Brazilian government, resulting from Lula's comparison of the war against Palestine with what Hitler committed against the Jews.

On Friday (5/4), Katz attacked Lula again. The president made a mistake this week, during the Conference on the Rights of the Child, by saying that 12.3 million Palestinian children died in the Gaza Strip, when he actually meant 12,300. In reaction, Katz wrote on social media: "There should be a law obliging anyone who wants to become president to learn how to count."

Katz had already declared Lula "persona non grata" in February, after the president made the comparison with Hitler. After that, Brazilian Twitter users spammed all of Katz's posts with "Vampetaço" (naked photos of soccer player "Vampeta").

Several countries have expressed support for the Mexican government and condemned the invasion of the Mexican embassy in Ecuador, which was ordered by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.

Ecuador received no support, not even from the United States. The United States condemned the action and called for the two countries to go to the negotiating table and resolve the problems through diplomacy.

Countries like Spain and Portugal also condemned the invasion. Also this Sunday, an image circulated on Ecuadorian social networks, in which a government document states that it would ban the exit and entry of private planes to and from Mexico.

The Ecuadorian government responded hours later, through the Minister of Transportation and Public Works, saying that the image was false, and that the government had not made such a ban.

He also said that the government would open an investigation into the matter. The Ecuadorean government later went public and acknowledged that the document about the ban on flights to and from Mexico was real. The government also said that the document should not have been leaked, and called for the resignation of the person responsible.

What’s with the sudden popularity of Sky News? I see them more prominently online than Fox News nowadays. It’s like they filled the gap that OAN left behind.

A real smorgasbord of content for the news thread on nakedcapitalism.com today

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/04/china-prepares-in-central-asia-to-withstand-any-western-isolation-efforts.html

Article on logistical ties between China and Central asia/russia/Afghanistan and other efforts China is making to avoid isolation in event of world war. This is a good, broad survey of different aspects of west and east Asian integration and (potential) proxy war maneuvering. Note also the importance of Xinjiang as a jump off point from China to all these places.

The US, of course, realizes the importance of Central Asia as well, but what can the Americans really offer? Even RAND admits that “the United States is unlikely to outspend China or even Russia” in Central Asia. Case in point: last year Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and announced that the Biden administration would add $20 million to the Economic Resilience Initiative in Central Asia (ERICEN). That brought the total funding up to $50 million since it was launched in September 2022. [1] The total value for Chinese projects in Central Asia is more than $63 billion.

Related is this more detailed and specific article about yellen going to China. Frankly I didn't get as much out of this as the above, but it provides some analysis of the recent xi-Biden phone call and some tea leaf reading.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/04/yellen-trip-to-china-biden-administration-presumption-and-cluelessness-on-display.html

China central bank to set up $70 billion tech re-lending programme

I refuse to believe that false flags are a thing (I haven’t looked into the idea because I’m scared) but I just saw a story from local news outlets about how the department of homeland security is warning people to watch out for potential “Moscow-related attacks” on large gatherings

Isn’t there a big eclipse coming up

https://www.reuters.com/sports/russia-accuses-ioc-chief-conspiracy-exclude-its-athletes-2024-04-02/

Vovan & Lexus can’t keep getting away with it!

Pretty fucked up of the Olympics committee to spy on Russians and collaborate with Ukrainian intelligence to single out Russian/Belarusian athletes and spy on them to get them kicked out of the Olympics

Elon Musk causes a diplomatic problem in Brazil. X (Twitter) may be banned in Brazil.

After threats from Elon Musk, Brazil's supreme court judge Alexandre Moraes orders an investigation into the billionaire's conduct and orders Twitter not to disobey court orders

'Social networks are not lawless land! Social networks are no man's land,' the judge wrote in capital letters in his decision.

After successive attacks from the businessman, Moraes' decision came out in the middle of the night on Sunday. According to the judge, Musk committed the irregular practices of using social networks to spread disinformation and destabilize institutions of the democratic rule of law:

"In the present hypothesis, therefore, the use of illegal mechanisms by 'X' is characterized; as well as the presence of strong indications of intent by the CEO of the social network 'X', Elon Musk, in the criminal instrumentalization previously pointed out and investigated in several inquiries," wrote Moraes.

After threats from billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social network X (formerly Twitter), Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ordered that the businessman's conduct be investigated in a new inquiry. He also included Musk among those investigated in the existing inquiry into digital militias.

Moraes also ordered the X network not to disobey any orders from the Brazilian courts. He also imposed a fine of R$100,000 for each profile he reactivates irregularly.

Moraes said he saw signs of obstruction of justice and incitement to crime in Musk's behavior in recent days. On Saturday (6), Musk attacked Moraes' decisions in the investigations led by the minister. The businessman also threatened to reactivate the profiles of X users blocked by the courts.

Moraes is the rapporteur of investigations such as:

• Digital militias: which investigates actions orchestrated on networks to spread false information and hate speech, with the aim of undermining institutions and democracy.

• The January 8 case: which investigates the attempted coup in Brazil by supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

In the course of these investigations, over the last few years, Moraes ordered the social networks to block the accounts of some of those being investigated. According to the minister, they were using the platforms to commit the irregular practices under investigation.

Musk decided to confront the minister. On Saturday, he published the following provocation above a post by Moraes on X: "Why are you demanding so much censorship in Brazil?".

Then, still on Saturday, Musk threatened that the platform would reactivate the blocked accounts, in contempt of court, even if, according to Musk, this would cost the company closure in Brazil and damage profits.

This Sunday, the billionaire posted a picture of Moraes and said that he is the "Darth Vader" of Brazil, in reference to the villain from the Star Wars film franchise.

After successive attacks from the businessman, Moraes' decision came out in the middle of the night on Sunday. According to the minister, Musk committed the irregular practices of using social networks to spread disinformation and destabilize institutions of the democratic rule of law.

He also said that platforms must follow the Constitution, under penalty of being held accountable for their actions. For Moraes, X and Musk affront Brazil's sovereignty.

"The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, the incitement to crime, the public threat of disobedience to court orders and the future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect Brazil's sovereignty and reinforce the connection of the malicious criminal instrumentalization of the activities of the former Twitter, now X," said the minister.

Musk's statements sparked backlash among politicians and authorities. The Minister of the Attorney General's Office (AGU), Jorge Messias, said that Brazil needs to approve regulation of social networks to prevent "billionaires living abroad" from attacking the democratic rule of law.

"It is urgent to regulate social networks. We can't live in a society where billionaires living abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law by breaking court orders and threatening our authorities. Social peace is non-negotiable," Messias wrote.

João Brant, Secretary for Digital Policies at the President's Secretariat for Communication, also defended the regulation of networks. He also said that Musk, in writing his attacks on Moraes, despises Brazilian justice.

"Elon Musk's attitude shows his contempt for Brazilian justice. He responds politically to the buzz of the last few days by rehashing old decisions and takes the opportunity to make agitation and extreme right-wing propaganda. Of course, there may be different opinions about the decisions of the Supreme Court and the TSE, but that's not what this is about. Musk decided to defend coup plotters and escalate the issue for political (possibly also commercial) reasons," said Brant.

The president of the Federal Court of Auditors, Bruno Dantas, said that "freedom of expression is a fundamental right that has never, anywhere in the world, meant licentiousness to break the law or attack a country's institutions".

Minister Paulo Pimenta, from the Presidency's Social Communication Secretariat, commented on Moraes' decision. He said that Musk would not intimidate Brazil.

"We will not be intimidated. Our country is sovereign and no one is going to impose their authoritarian will and enforce the logic that money makes their 'business model' above the Federal Constitution," he wrote.

Through cooperation between the Brazilian Federal Police and the FBI, US authorities can serve search and seizure warrants at the homes of the investigated Elon Musk, owner of Twitter.

The order could be issued at any time by Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court.

The PLA is opening the Taiwanese front by deploying the Netizen Expeditionary Force:
https://twitter.com/MoNDefense/status/1774056434642362413

Today's military news from Denmark:

Top General Fired: No Confidence

Genocide-Related Artillery System Delayed And Over Budget

Loose Cannon: Failed Test Might Launch Missile

Latin American countries condemn Ecuador raid on Mexico embassy

Governments across Latin America have rallied around Mexico after security forces in Ecuador stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest a controversial politician who had been granted political asylum there.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela sharply rebuked Ecuador on Saturday, hours after the seizure of Ecuador’s former Vice President Jorge Glas, with Nicaragua joining Mexico in severing diplomatic ties with Quito.

During the incident, which took place late on Friday night, special forces equipped with a battering ram surrounded the Mexican embassy in Quito’s financial district, and at least one agent scaled the walls to extract Glas.

The 54-year-old politician is wanted on corruption charges and has been holed up inside the Mexican embassy since seeking political asylum in December.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blasted the unusual diplomatic incursion and arrest as an “authoritarian” act as well as a breach of international law and Mexico’s sovereignty, while the government of Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa argued asylum protections were illegal because of the corruption charges Glas is facing.

Still, under international law, embassies are considered the sovereign territory of the country they represent, and the Vienna Convention, which governs international relations, states that a country cannot intrude upon an embassy on its territory.

The United States also said it condemns any violation of the convention protecting diplomatic missions and encouraged “the two countries to resolve their differences in accord with international norms”.

Mexico withdraws diplomats from its embassy in Ecuador after raid

Mexico has withdrawn personnel from its embassy in Ecuador following the unprecedented storming of the building by security forces, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said.

The diplomats and their families went to Quito airport accompanied by the ambassadors of Germany, Panama, Cuba and Honduras, as well as the president of the Ecuador-Mexico Chamber, and are scheduled to travel on a commercial airline to Mexico City, the country’s foreign ministry added in a separate statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “alarmed” by the raid, while Spain and the European Union both issued stinging statements condemning it as a violation of the Vienna Convention.

From both articles we can tell that pretty much no one backs Ecuador here, the international protections embassies enjoy today are one of the most important in international law and if you break them you can easily become an international pariah state which in the current globalized world it can fuck you over especially if your economic policies are based on the neoliberal model like in Ecuador which dependent on the world economic system.

here in Mexico i have seen a few small personalities try to blame AMLO for the crisis but they are inconsequential clowns, all 3 presidential candidates and the PRI party have all backed the President in cutting relations with some calling for harsher santions on Ecuador, this is really good for the President's candidate Claudia Sheinbaum since any support AMLO gets she can convert in votes for her, the at the polls of January and February have her at 60% of the vote, while the next rival is only at 32%.

Also it wasnt mention in this articles but Ecuador may get suspended from Mercosur too, in the end its was terrible idea by Ecuador they propably thought they may get backed by the EUA as some people thought here but the EUA will always backed its main trade partner in the region first over a regime they may have backed in the first place, something similar happen with Guatemala in the past too.

Haiti: Gangs Keep Pharmaceutical Sector in Check

Now the ports and airports are closed or dysfunctional due to constant incursions by criminal gangs, a fact that will prevent thousands of patients from continuing their treatment.

Official sources said Thursday that systematic attacks by gangs are keeping Haiti's pharmaceutical sector in check, plunged into a shortage crisis that is affecting the national health system.

The president of the Haitian Pharmacists Association, Pierre Hugues, explained that the Caribbean country depends on around 70 percent of imports of this type of product.

Now the ports and airports are closed or dysfunctional due to constant incursions by criminal gangs, a fact that will prevent thousands of patients from continuing their treatment and the entire health sector will suffer the consequences of the lack of supplies and medicines, Hugues said.

"Of the 216 laboratories that officially supply pharmacies in Haiti, only three are located in the country, the other 213 are abroad. If they do not find a way to send medicines to Haiti, the agencies will not be able to supply the pharmacies," he said.

Local laboratories - according to Le Nouvelliste newspaper - cover 25 to 30 percent of national needs, and one of them is inactive due to insecurity, and the other two are operating below their maximum capacity.

Hugues deplored the burning of more than a dozen pharmacies in Port-au-Prince by gangs in recent days.

Mexico Grants Asylum to Former Ecuadorian Vice President Glas

Mexico demands that Ecuador comply with the right to asylum and its international obligations.

On Friday, the Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary issued a statement announcing that Mexico grants political asylum to former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas.

"After a thorough analysis of the information received, the Mexican government decided to grant political asylum to Jorge Glas, who is currently at the Mexican Embassy in Quito," it said.

"This will be officially communicated to the Ecuadorian authorities, along with the request for the safe conduct, in accordance with the 1954 Diplomatic Asylum Convention, an international treaty of which Mexico and Ecuador are parties," specified Mexican diplomacy.

The Foreign Affairs Secretary pointed out that "the asylum-granting State - in this case Mexico - is the only one empowered to assess the nature of the persecution against political asylum seekers (Article IV), that its decision to continue with the asylum must be respected by the territorial State - in this case Ecuador - (Article IX) and that, once asylum is granted, the granting State may request the departure of the asylee to foreign territory, and the territorial State is obliged to immediately provide the corresponding safe conduct."

In the same communication, Mexican diplomacy regretted that its ambassador to Ecuador, Raquel Serur Smeke, had been declared persona non grata and must leave the country.

"Since presenting her credentials to the Ecuadorian State on June 18, 2019, Ambassador Serur Smeke has carried out outstanding diplomatic work in favor of deepening political dialogue between Mexico and Ecuador," it recalled.

"During her tenure... bonds were strengthened between the business sectors of both countries, and cultural exchange was intensely promoted. At all times, Ambassador Serur Smeke adhered to the principles of foreign policy established in the Mexican constitution and in international law. So the aforementioned declaration clearly has a political character."

After President Daniel Noboa declared Serur Smeke persona non grata, Ecuadorian security forces increased their presence outside the Mexican Embassy in Quito.

"This constitutes clear harassment of the Embassy and a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. It is evident that these actions do not correspond to the usual surveillance and protection practices of diplomatic properties, based on the norms that regulate good relations between nations," the Mexican Foreign Affairs secretary stated.

"Mexico demands that Ecuador respect our sovereignty, refrain from harming the asylum right, comply with its international obligations, guarantee the inviolability of diplomatic missions, and cease the policy of harassment and intimidation. If this situation persists, Mexico holds Ecuador responsible for any harm to the diplomatic headquarters, its accredited personnel, and any person under the protection of the Mexican state," it pointed out.

On Friday, despite all of the above, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) ratified that his administration will not sever diplomatic relations with Ecuador.

"We are not going to break relations nor are we going to do the same with the ambassador of Ecuador... I gave instructions for the Mexican Air Force to bring our ambassador," he said.