Viva Chavez: U.S. Fails (Twice) to Overthrow Venezuela’s Elected President

By Asad Ismi Even as the U.S. military invaded and occupied Iraq, mainly to plunder the world’s second largest oil deposits, Venezuela, the world’s fourth largest oil exporter, slipped out of Washington’s grip. On April 13, Hugo Chavez, the leftist president of Venezuela, celebrated his defeat of a U.S.-sponsored military coup which took place a […]

West Papuans Oppressed by U.S. Multinational: An Interview with John Rumbiak

By Asad Ismi John Rumbiak is a supervisor for West Papua Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy (ELSHAM) based in Jayapura, the capital of West Papua province in Indonesia. He toured Canada in November 2002 to promote awareness of the oppression and exploitation of the Papuan people by the U.S. multinational, Freeport McMoran, and […]

Lula Bows to Wall Street: Brazil’s New “Leftist” President Moves Right to Keep U.S. Happy

By Asad Ismi Forty years after Brazil’s last leftist government was overthrown in a U.S.-backed military coup, the left appeared to have regained power there on January 1 when Luiz Inacio (“Lula”) da Silva, the candidate for the left-leaning Workers’ Party (PT), was inaugrated as President. Lula won the national elections last October in a […]

Nigeria’s Corporate Killers

By Asad Ismi Multinational oil companies operating in Nigeria are complicit in human rights violations according to a recent report released by Human Rights Watch. The report titled “Nigeria: The Niger Delta: No Democratic Dividend,” points out that “…oil companies are seen by the residents of the Delta [Nigeria’s main oil producing area] to have […]