Author: Luis Fleischman

A lot has been said and written about the Summit of the Americas currently taking place in Los Angeles. The refusal of Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez, also known by AMLO, to participate over the exclusion of three dictatorships— Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua— gave the impression that the summit was going to be a total failure. I disagree with those who had such a perception.

Previously, I have believed that a compromise with Vladimir Putin was possible. To a certain extent, I also believed that his demand that NATO cease its eastward expansion was reasonable, and that NATO could therefore compromise. In return, the United States and NATO could demand the withdrawal of Russian military cooperation in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

Amnesty International prepared a report where it delivers a series of accusations against Israel’s government policies and the nature of the state.
According to the report, Israel deliberately denies Palestinians their basic rights and freedoms; discriminates against Israeli Arabs; denies Palestinians the right to return; and resorts to torture and unlawful killings in both Israel and the Occupied Territories. Amnesty claims Israel views Palestinian Arabs as racially inferior and defines Israel as an “Apartheid State”.

The role of social movements becomes crucial in advancing a constitutional democracy, particularly when that democracy becomes eroded.  The army of judges, lawyers, and jurists that abound in the United States, and that we normally rely on, is not always sufficient to guarantee in such circumstances the claim of justice that social movements are in a unique position to advance.