Showing posts with label Uruguay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uruguay. Show all posts

Saturday, 24 May 2025

The Third Reich (Das Dritte Reich) was never defeated

 

The Third Reich (Das Dritte Reich) was never defeated

For decades, we have been told a story and people all over the world have been celebrating the victory over Das Dritte Reich. We have been shown the images of a ravaged Germany, of concentration camps, everthing that fits in in the narrative that tells the world about the catastrophic end at the end of World War Two.


How much of that has been a charade, a way to ignore what actually happened? As always, you must follow the monies. Britain is constantly reminded about the Blitz, when British cities were showered with V1 and V2 bombs. You are shown the images of burning buildings and are told about the thousands of victims of the Blitz. Ordinary people, understandably, get very emotional about it. But, just a few years later, decisions were made that made a mockery of the suffering of those who were burnt live or suffocated or well kill by debris and of those who had to lament their passing.

So lets talk about history. When were the flying bombs known as V1 and V2 used against Britain? Well, here is the answer: The V1 bombs were used from June 13, 1944 until March 29 1945. The V2 were used from September 1944 until March 27 1945.

What happened to the German team that designed the bombs? Well, Wernher von Braun and his team went to work in the USA, became American citizens (all of them or some of them) and helped advance American technology and helped the USA start its Space Project.

In fact, the war was still ongoing when special teams were tasked to find German scientists, to rewrite their biographies (to make them respectable and to delete any bit of data that could become an embarrassment). 

The real history of World War Two might never be written to replace the fake history being taught around the world. Americans, British, French and Russians will want to maintain the belief that Adolf Hitler actually died in a bunker in Berlin. 

Such a belief is very much part of the narrative that has been repeated over and over again. So they will tell that those called Nazis are the bad guys, but they will be pretty embarrassed to accept that most of the surviving bad guys helped promote American interests around the world. Even more, one of Adolf Hitler´s personal bodyguards went to work in Argentina protecting Juan Domingo Peron and Eva Peron and when Juan Domingo Peron was deposed in a coup then Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny was employed by Israeli security services. Incidentally, Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny, a Waffen SS Officer was the man that rescued Benito Mussolini.

They do not want you to know that U Boots loaded with gold and other precious metals, diamonds, money and people were arriving in Argentina all the way up to the time when Juan Domingo Peron was deposed in a coup lead by the Argentinian Navy. They do not want you to know either that The Vatican and the Red Cross facilitaded free passage to Latin America for SS officers. A change of name and/or a change of "nationality" and there you were, travelling free and without any worries, ready to start a new life in countries like Argentina, Urugua, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile and elsewhere.

And the following is a story, especially prepared for you. 

This is a copy of the Uruguayan marriage certificate of Josef Mengele. Josef Mengele, who originally travelled to Argentina where he prospered as a businessman, married the widow of his brother in the Province of Colonia, in Uruguay, using his real name. Here is your homework. Find out who Josef Mengele was. 

His presence was known by Britain, USA, and other countries and they knew full well the role he played during World War Two and never bothered him. Josef Mengele died at the beach in Brazil due to heart problems. With full knowledge of Western German authorities he travelled to Germany after World and later returned to Latin America. His movements could not be more public.

I was about 21 years old when Josef Mengele died at a beach in Brazil, on February 7th 1979. My father was a pilot and he often travelled alone to Brazil, but he always kept his movements secret. Shall I add that among my first toys there was a Stuka Dive Bomber that my father gave me. My father knew chemical formulae by heart and had the then typical Deutsche Punktlichkeit. He used to make people laugh when it was found that other people used to check their watches when my father arrived to see if their watches were on time. My father was for a time President of the two main social clubs of the town, clubs that did not welcome non whites. During a storm with very strong winds the ceiling of a neighbour´s house that happened to be Jewish was blown away. My mother often referred to my father´s reaction when that happened: "He was standing on the streets, laughing, applauding and celebrating his neigbour´s misfortune".

But the story goes on and it becomes more interesting. In June 1973, there was a military coup in Uruguay, followed by a military coup in Chile in September 1973. Days before the coup in Chile, my father and I attended a meeting of military officers in Uruguay. My father had a very good relationship with the military. At that meeting, it was announced that a military coup was going to happen in Chile.

And the story becomes ever more interesting. We come to Track II, a CIA operation organised to depose President Salvador Allende and Henry Kissinger had active participation in it, involving in it SS and Gestapo Officers in Latin America in what later known as Operacion Condor. Henry Kissinger was obsessed with Chile and had even tried to prevent Salvador Allende from becoming Chilean President. Having failed to prevent Salvador Allende from becoming Chilean President, he decided to kill President Allende. But things did not stop. They went on. As part of the US called the South Atlantic Strategic Defensive Triangle, the USA - under Henry Kissinger direction - allowed the use of any means possible, including assassination and torture to carry out an ideological war. The USA trained military officers of the military regimes in Latin America to fight against, capture, torture, rape and kill ten of thousands of people. CIA officers were sent to Latin America to assist with "interrogation techniques". In Argentina, more than 30,000 were killed and many of them were thrown from airplaes flying at high altitude, drugged after being tortured. It is presumed that they died during the fall, death provoked by air pressure, before their bodies collided with the surface of the sea that for those falling from high altitude had the consistency of hard rock. We can go to Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia and other countries where similar accounts can be found. Bolivia is a particularly interesting chapter since the Butcher of Lyon, Klaus Barbie, was employed by the USA. But there were other significative places like Colonia Dignidad in Chile. Do you know who Klaus Barbie was? Do your homework.

Now, lets rewind a little. By 1942, it became evident that Unternehmen Barbarossa was not going well. German forces were not in good shape when the first Russian Winter arrived. The chain of supplies was much too thin and the Luftwaffe having lost much of its capacity in the West was not capable of providing German forces in the Eastern Front what German forces needed. German forces had tried unsuccessfully to capture Stalingrad. First, the city was bombed and left in ruins. This itself made the German advance more difficult as the ruins of the city became its defenders´ major asset. (July 17 1942 - February 2, 1943)

General Paulus army were increasingle isolated and surrounded be enemies that sooner than later managed to totally encircle his army. By then it was obvious that Germany did not have what it took to take the city, let alone the Soviet Union. So concerned capitalists and industrialists in Germany were justifiably worried about what would happen to their assets if Germany lost the war. A high ranking meeting was called to talk about what could be done to protect German assets. The assets were not lost even when Germany was said to have been defeated. Moreover, the Americans used the Gold they captured in what is known as the Marshall Plan. Soonafter the war, Germany prospered as German capitals that had remained hidden started to flow again, legally, in Germany and elsewhere.

So lets rewind a bit more. When he realised that the war was lost, Adolf Hitler prophesized that there would be a new Germany, a stronger Germany, after a confrontation between the USA and the Soviet Union (now Russian Federation, after the fall of the Soviet Union).

Now, lets see what is happening now. Relatively recent events in Europe are promoting German Rearmament (No Versailles Treaty on the horizon). Friedrich Merz was seen gloating and boasting about "the German Armed Forces will be the biggest in Europe". Compared to other countries, Germany is relatively stronger both economically and militarily. Germany no longer needs to justify its military strength as other countries are extremely happy to promote German rearmament "for the common good". And significative events are happening all the time. Now, a force of 4500 troops, part of Panzer Group, will be stationed in Lithuania. Never mind the numbers. The importance of such deployment is that it leaves behind postwar military and political limitations regarding the deployment of German fighting forces outside Germany. Moreover, the conflict in Ukraine has allowed German industry to test the efficacity of German weapons. Ukraine, like Spain before Ukraine (The Spanish Civil War) provides valuable knowledge about how effective German weapons are. Until now, German weapons were in the hands of Ukrainians. From now on, German weapons will be in the hands of German troops that will be especially trained to use them.

And who stands to benefit from German rearmament? Well, geopolitical changes will lead to Germany producing its own weapons, instead of importing them from somewhere else i.e USA. While other European countries will still be buying weapons "off the shelves", Germany will empower its own defense industries. Something that might not be ignored is the possibility that American forces will leave Germany and that Germany will have total control of any forces in its territory.

So, coming back to the beginning, the idea that Germany was totally defeated during World War Two contrasts with the fact that there was a continuity that is becoming ever more apparent. World War Two was just a battle. 




 









 


Wednesday, 22 November 2023

China and Uruguay strengthen bilateral relations that go beyond trade

China and Uruguay strengthen bilateral relations at all levels, including trade but not exclusively trade. President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou is in Beijing for the signature of important agreements with a country that already receives 56% of Uruguayan exports.

Uruguay is a key geographic player with full access to Antarctica and the South Atlantic having some of the best deep water harbours in the region. Somebody that was already remarked by other Asian nations seeking to exploit the riches of Antarctica and of the South Atlantic.

The Uruguayan President has long seen bilateral agreements outside Mercosur as the key for Uruguay development, taking Uruguay away from the straightjacket of a trading block. It is not about leaving Mercosur, but about looking towards the rest of the world and especially towards new trade agreements in distant parts of the planet.

We do not know what will the Argentinian position since President Elect Javier Milei and his political partners in the Argentinian Parliament still need to decide what is needed to curb the inflationary process in Argentina. One needs to assume that for while internal matters both financial and political will be seen as immediate priorities. With regards to Brazil, President Lula is still interested in an agreement with the European Union, agreement that in view of present positions in Europe seems to be distant.

When comparing trade agreements, the European Union is a very small fraction of world markets. In demographic terms, Europe is an even smaller fraction compared to India, China, Russia and other world operators and this includes Africa - a massive continent with a vast amount of resources.

For Uruguay, anything that limits Uruguay's capacity to trade with the rest of the world is something to get rid of. Paraphazing what was said by Hungary when Hungary joined the European Union, 'we are going to accept that benefits Hungary and reject what does not benefit Hungary'. By the way, the music of the Uruguayan National Anthem was composed by a Hungarian composer. 
 

Tuesday, 21 November 2023

Argentina's difficult political balance, Mercosur and trade alliances beyond Latin America

With three digit inflation rates and decades of stagnation, forty years of democracy could mean absolutely nothing. In an election in which there were record numbers of voters, the incoming President Javier Milei got outstanding support accross the entire country with equally record numbers of provinces that came out to support him. 

It is not going to be an easy task. In fact, in Parliament opposition forces still have a commanding majority that could block every single attempt to change Argentinian politics and economics. The risk is that if more than 13 million voters that supported Javier Milei come to see Parliament as a sedicious force that stands on the way preventing changes then Parliament itself will be in trouble. Could government by decree become an alternative from the very beginning?

Argentinian Constitution extract

CHAPTER III Powers of the Executive Branch Section 99.- The President of the Nation has the following powers: 1.- He is the supreme head of the Nation, head of the government and he is politically responsible for the general administration of the country. 2.- He issues the instructions and rules necessary for the enforcement of the 16 laws of the nation, without altering their spirit with regulatory exceptions. 3.- He takes part in the making of laws according to the Constitution, promulgates them and has them published. The Executive Power shall in no event issue provisions of legislative nature, in which case they shall be absolutely and irreparably null and void. Only when due to exceptional circumstances the ordinary procedures foreseen by this Constitution for the enactment of laws are impossible to be followed, and when rules are not referred to criminal issues, taxation, electoral matters, or the system of political parties, he shall issue decrees on grounds of necessity and urgency, which shall be decided by a general agreement of ministers who shall countersign them together with the Chief of the Ministerial Cabinet.

The Constitution seems to indicate that only in exceptional circumstances the President can issue decrees and that 'The Executive Power shall in no event issue provisions of legislative nature, in wichi case they shall be absolutely and irreparably null and void.'. 

It is explicitly clear that the last and final word on legislative matters lies in Parliament and it is a Parliament in which the political party supporting the President directly will have 38 representatives in the House of Reprentatives of a total of 257 and in the Senate the number of Senators directly supporting the President will be 6 out of 72. Unavoidably, the President will have to seek support of other political parties to be able to pass any bills.

Given these numbers, all the scaremongering promoted by opponents of Javier Milei is totally unjustified. It is most probable that Mauricio Macri (Former President) and Patricia Bullrich (Former Minister under Mauricio Macri) of Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) will have a major say. 

The bone of contention will be that Javier Milei's electoral allies will have the seats that Javier Milei needs to govern and Javier Milei will be able to say that despite not having enough seats he has the popular mandate and that people supported his electoral platform.

If the President can manage to transform an electoral coalition into a governing coalition then there will be a peaceful working political transition. If the President does not manage to transform an electoral coaliton into a governing coalition then there will be political upheaval leading to dangerous political uncertainties.

In Uruguay, there are divisions in terms of supporting or not supporting Javier Milei. For example, Frente Amplio (Broadfront) in opposition was more inclined to support the losing candidate Sergio Massa. In Brazil, President Lula came openly in support of Sergio Massa. Javier Milei for starters indicated that he wanted to get rid of Mercosur - something he might not achieve given the fact that he will be effectively in coalition with Mauricio Macri and Patricia Bullrich.

Uruguay has expressed that it wants ever closer trade relations with China, independently of its membership of Mercosur. Argentina itself has plans to incorporate Chinese communications technology. Brazil is seeking a new alignement having become a supporter of new trade arrangements that will bring the country closer to economies linked to the Russian Federation and China.

In spite of the fact that there are other Latin American economies linked to Mercosur, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are the core of the trading block.






Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Second Round of Elections in Argentina: Radical Bullrich endorses Milei against Peronista Massa

 

Lider Radical Patricia Bullrich distances herself from two sectors of the alliance that supported her candidacy in the first round of elections to reject Peronista (Justicialista) candidate Sergio Massa (Argentinian Economics Minister) and support Javier Milei. 

Cristina Bullrich said she could not possible support Sergio Massa that she responsabilizes for the state of the economy in Argentina.


Her support for Javier Milei keeps the contest wide open. She got 24% of the vote in the first round of elections. Other political leaders have shown their allegiance of one of the two remaining Presidential Candidates. Divisions in Argentina spread across national borders and Argentina is one of two most powerful players in Mercosur. It is usually said that if Argentina sneezes Uruguay catches a cold.

In Uruguay, the political crisis surrounding the award of a Uruguayan passport to a well known drug trafficker is rocking the ruling coalition headed by President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou of the Partido National - one of the two conservative parties that make up the ruling coalition. The Opposition represented by Frente Amplio (Broad Front) plans to focus the heat on President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou to reveal how he knew about the affair. At this moment in time, Cabildo Abierto - member of the ruling coalition - has expressed doubts about remaing as member of the coalition.

Everything in Argentina and in Uruguay is touch and go. A return of the Frente Amplio is not unthinkable if the ruling coalition falls apart. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has publicly endorsed Sergio Massa and is ideologically closer to Frente Amplio. It must be said that Javier Milei has stated that he wants Argentina to leave Mercosur. So this is more than a second round of a Presidential Election in Argentina. The survival of the Mercosur is at stake and relationships inside the bloc and outside the bloc could be affected by what happens in the next fews days in Argentina.




Monday, 6 November 2023

Uruguay: None of the above and democracy in Latin America and the drugs trade

 

Uruguay: None of the above

Uruguay is facing a 'None of the above' moment when the country is heading towards a General Election. One in ten citizens qualified to vote do not want the present ruling coalition nor the Frente Amplio (Broad Front).

In spite of everything, Uruguay is in much better position that its neighbour Argentina that faces second round of elections this month having to decide between Justicialista Massa or Reformist Milei. There is a possibility that Radical supporters might vote for Justicialista Massa to prevent Reformist Milei from becoming President of Argentina. The formation of Parliament was decided in the first round of elections that took place in October.

The Coalition headed by President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou has made itself vulnerable and the recent round of scandals involved the resignation of major figures of the Coalition government including the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The scandal is about the award of a Uruguayan passport to a leading drug trafficker. Uruguay, like other Latin American countries, is part of the international drugs trade. Some years ago, Chile's economic boom in the building sector was due to massive amount of investments of monies produced by the international drugs trade and Uruguay is no exception.

There are major social issues including the rise of violence perpetrated by minors that led to calls to lower the age of legal responsibility. Drugs and other social issues are driving a major wave of criminality. That ten per cent of voters have been without any options when it comes to elections is worrying.

Wednesday, 1 November 2023

In a few months time, the warmongers of today will be history

Whether it is USA, Britain, Germany, France, et cetera, one thing is certain: key warmongers of today will not be around for long.

How much time has Biden left? How much time has Rishi Sunak left? How much time Scholz and Macron have left?

Look at America. What is happening in Latin America? There was a time when in Uruguay the Colorado Party has an almost completely monopoly of power. Then came the Partido National, the other Conservative Party of Uruguay. What happened next? The Frente Amplio (Broad Front) took the reins of power and the conservative parties of Uruguay could only come back as a coalition. 

What is happening in Argentina, in Chile, in Brazil, even in Bolivia? The old certainties have disappeared. The Partido Justicialista arrived completely divided in the October round of elections to select the new Argentinian Parliament - with barely 30 something of support compared to a completely political grouping that also got 30 something. Now, we wait for the second round of elections to see who is elected President of Argentina and on what basis. If Milei manages to attract the attention of younger generations chances are that he could be the winner replacing both Justicialistas and Radicales. But as political commentators remarked during the first round of elections, the issue is fundamentally not who is in charge but what can whoever is in charge do to revert a 134% rate of inflation.

Strategies to scare people and deter them from supporting alternative political forces are failing to do the job. People don't want continuity. They want positive changes. They are tired of a bit of the same. In Germany of all places the idea of banning a political force that already represents more than twenty per cent of the electors is a sign of desperation. Olaf Scholz knows that he is walking on a high rope with failing political partners. The SPD tried to distance itself from CDU/CSU as coalition member precisely because it was losing support. FPD is losing support and SPD itself is losing support. So how will the German coalition last? In spite of what politicians and mass media say, how feasible is a coalition of Alternative für Deutschland and other conservative groups. In the days of Angela Merkel, local CDU representatives were comfortable enough to work together with Alternative für Deutschland.

France is a bit of a puzzle. Macron is unpopular, but fears about the rise of Rassemblement National motivated some people to support what they did not like. Marine Le Pen did the right thing by choosing to have different young leaders to attract younger generations of voters.

Both in Germany and in France, political parties are exploiting what is happening in Palestine. Never mind what is happening in Palestine if what happens in Palestine helps them promote a certain narrative seeking to advance Nationalism in Germany and in France. Are you really and truly German? Are you really and truly French? Politics moves towards identity politics. You belong or you don't belong. You are part of the national culture or you are not part of the national culture. Multiculturalism is seen as a failure and Identity politics is no friend of Multiculturalism.

In Britain, with differences in political language approach, the message is clear: 'Multiculturalism is becoming a National Security issue' and the Home Secretary - herself a member of an ethnic minority - is investing a lot of political capital going against Multiculturalism. She does not explicitily say it, but the nature of what she is saying is obviously going against Multiculturalism. Other political operators are less shy and strictly say 'that is not British, they are not British'. She is diving the country and Mosques are becoming a target again. Not a target for people like Paul Golding that has dedicated his political career to attack Mulisms. They are becoming a target for the privileged political classes, because the privileged classes are closer to Jewish interests than they are to Muslim interests.

For one reason or another, Identity Politics is being promoted by people who used to say that they stood against Identity Politics. In a reversal of roles, Identity Politics is not been promoted by now defunct political forces like the BNP, the National Front or Britain First. Identity Politics is coming from the very top of British politics. Listen to commentators like Nigel Farage. What is he constantly talking about?

Whatever happens today you must remember that the warmongers of today will shortly be history. Even hawkish scarecrow Mr John Bolton might not be around too long. He criticizes Joe Biden saying that Jo Biden is not aggressive enough. Well, John Bolton was fired by President Trump because John Bolton wanted President Trump to be more aggressive. In retirement, a few cups of lime tea will do John Bolton a lot of good.

 

 

Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Argentina: Tri-partite approach to politics

 Argentina: the two party system comes to an end?

For decades, Argentina has been about Peronistas (Justicialistas) and Radicales, not that the names actually represent what both Justicialistas and Radicales used to represent. Argentina has gone from crisis to crisis, from military regimes to military regimes, from debt to even bigger debt and now faces inflation rates of more than 115 percent with massive levels poverty.

A newcomer in Argentine politics manage to reach levels of support of 30% leaving both Justicialistas and Radicales behind. In October 2023, Argentina faces the first round of elections and there could be a second round of elections (ballotage) if no candidate reaches the minimum required for an outright result.

Many years ago, Argentina attempted to maintain the value of the Peso pegged to the US Dollar, something that ended in tears as it was practically impossible to maintain parity without massive levels of indebtedness leading to default. The newcomer proposes to replace the Peso altogether to adopt the US Dollar as currency. Why? Because he says that it will be the ultimate weapon to get rid of inflation.

If Argentina adopts the US Dollar as national currency, what happens to Mercosur? The regional block has been under enormous economic and political pressures because of both internal and external issues. Just by mentioning the names of the countries that are members of Mercosur one realizes what a complex situation this is.

MERCOSUR countries:

Full Members: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay

Associate Members: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname

Venezuela was supposed to be full member, but has been suspended indefinitely

Trade with China has been a bone of contention. Uruguay that exports 56% of what it produces to China even threatened that if an agreement was not reached its membership of Mercosur could come to an end.

At one point, it was suggested that that Mercosur should have its own currency to challenge the US Dollar. So what happens when a major member and founding member of Mercosur playes with the idea of replacing its own national currency with the US Dollar?

If the issues concerning China would not break up Mercosur, such a currency change could certainly be the last drop.

Therefore, for Mercosur, who holds the rains of power in Argentina could be a make or break situation for the entire block.










Thursday, 3 November 2022

Allende before, Lula next

 

In the 1970s, many in the left celebrated the arrival of Salvador Allende. 11 September 1973 ended with bloodshed and the rest is history.

I happened to be in the River Plate region at the time. I was told about the imminent military coup in Chile and was even told when and how it was going to happen.

There are different versions about Salvador Allende's death: one version of events was that he killed himself not to be arrested and another version is that he was killed when he was still at La Moneda Palace. It makes no difference. The fact is that that put an end to his life and to his government.

This is Lula's second coming and this time the difference between his party and the opposition is less than 1 per cent of the vote. This means that opposition in Parliament will be fierce. As soon as Lula tries to implement any policy that goes against the flow, the transit of any bill through Parliament will be traumatic. 

When Latin American countries go left, alarm bells start ringing in the US State Department and like it happened in 1973, the CIA and others will have already made contingency plans to deal with governments that are seen as a security threat to the USA.

In Argentina, the second most important member of Mercosur, the situation is unbearable. Neither Radicales nor Justicialistas have been able to bring things under control. Indebtedness, galloping inflation in Argentina has led Uruguay to take urgent measures to curb importation of goods coming from Argentina as a massive influx would endanger Uruguay's own economy.

What happens in Chile? Well, just a few days ago a Referendum was called to try and reform Pinochet's Constitution and there were not enough votes to change the Constitution. The fact that this happens many years after the end of the military regime tells you, without a shadow of a doubt, that the country is very much divided. And what happens in Venezuela? Let us remember that Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela are members of Mercosur. With Lula at the helm, will Brazil get closer to Venezuela and Cuba? Left-wing hope could well lead to left-wing tragedy.  




Sunday, 27 June 2021

British Ministry of Defense and the Black Sea chapter: I smell a rat

 

When the British Ministry of Defense itself is involving in leaking documents you know this is about circus and propaganda.

Cuando el Ministerio de Defensa Británico está involucrado en la filtración de documentos, usted sabe que se trata de circo y propaganda.

The report says: Classified defense documents containing details about HMS Defender and the military have been found at a bus stop, prompting an investigation from the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

El informe dice: Documentos de defensa secretos conteniendo detalles sobre HMS Defender y los militares fue hallado cerca de una parada de autobus, motivando una investigación del Ministerio de Defensa.

So the Ministry of Defense places classified defense documents containing details about HMS Defender at a bus stop in Kent to ensure that they papers were found by a member of the public and when the documents are unavoidably found the Ministry of Defense starts an investigation about how this could be possible. It could not be more theatrical than that.

El Ministerio de Defensa colocó documentos de defensa secretos conteniendo detalles sobre HMS Defender en una parada de autobus en Kent para asegurarse de que los papeles fueron hallados por un miembro del público y cuando inevitablemente los documents son hallados el Ministerio de Defensa inicia una investigación sobre cómo esto pudo ser posible. No podría ser más teatral. 

Immediately, the Labour Party reacts as it was scripted that they Labour Party would immediately react and 'describes the loss of the sensitive information as embarrassing as it is worrying for ministers who are seeking reassurances that national security has not been undermined.'

Inmediatamente, el Partido Laborista reacciona según fue planeado en el libreto de que el Partido Laborista reaccionaría inmediatamente y 'describe la pérdida de información reservada como un hecho vergonzoso que preocupa a los ministros que tratan de que se les asegure que la seguridad nacional no ha sido puesta en peligro.'

So what was it about? The papers included one set of documents that discussed the potential Russian reaction to HMS Defender's travel through waters off the Crimea coast on Wednesday, while another paper laid out plans for a possible military presence in Afghanistan. Adding the Afghanistan bit to make it more credible.

¿De qué se trató? Los papeles incluyen un conjunto de documentos que tratan sobre la posible reacción rusa respecto del viaje de HMS Defender en aguas frente a la costa de Crimea el día viernes, mientras que otro conjunto de documentos tratan de planes sobre una posible presencia militar en Afganistán. Se agrega Afganistán para hacer la historia más creíble. 

A member of the public who wanted to remain anonymus (i.e. a member of the Ministry of Defense) contacted the Ministry of Defense when the 50 pages of classified information which included emails and PowerPoint presentation was found. Surely, a credit to Microsoft designer of PowerPoint because it shows how useful PowerPoint software is that even the British Ministry of Defense is using it for its classified documents.

Un miembro del público que deseaba permanecer anónimo (ejemplo, un miembro del Ministerio de Defensa) se puso en contacto con el Ministerio de Defensa cuando las 50 páginas de información secreta que incluye correos electrónicos y un presentación PowerPoint fueron halladas. Con segurida algo que enorgullece a Microsoft dado que muestra la utilidad del programa de computadora PowerPoint que es tan útil que incluso el Ministerio de Defensa Británico lo usa para producir documentos secretos.

The mission was described by MoD as 'an innocent passage through territorial waters' with guns covered and the ship's helicopter stowed in its hangar. It says that it was done with the expection that the Kremlin would react aggressively.

La misión fue descrita por el Ministerio de Defensa como 'un paso inocente por aguas territoriales', con armas cubiertas y con el helicóptero del buque dentro de su hangar. Dice asimismo que fue hecho con la expectativa de que el Kremlin (el gobierno ruso) reaccionaría de manera agresiva.

The report says that a series of slides showed two alternative routes, one described as 'a safe and professional direct transit from Odessa to Batumi', including a short stretch through a maritime traffic management system, known as TSS, close to the south-west tip of Crimea.

El informe dice que una serie de imágenes muestran dos rutas alternativas. Una de las rutas es descrita como 'tránsito profesional directo y seguro entre Odessa y Batumi', incluyendo un trecho corto a través del sistema de gestión de tráfico marítimo conocido como TSS, cerca del extremo suroccidental de Crimea.

The Labour Party as part of this comedy has to say via John Healey (Labour's shadow Defense Secretary) that an internal inquiry carried out immediately should establish how highly classified documents were taken out of the department in the first place and then left.

El Partido Laborista como parte de esta comedia tenía que decir mediante John Heley (que ocupa la posición de Ministro de Defensa en la Oposición) que una investigación interna urgente debería determina cómo documentos muy secretos fueron sacados de una oficina y dejados en la vía pública.

It must be said that national security was never compromised. This is a circus organised by the Ministry of Defense with full knowledge of the Labour Party and of 10 Downing Street. No classified documents of such nature would ever place near a bus top so that anybody passing by would find them.

Hay que decir que la seguridad nacional nunca fue puesta en peligor. Este es un circo organizado por el Ministerio de Defensa con pleno conocimiento del Partido Laborista y del gobierno. Ningún documento de tal naturaleza hubiera sido puesto cerca de una parada de autobus para que cualquiera que pasara por el lugar lo pudiera encontrar.

They were placed on purpose near a bus stop in full view of members of the public or possibly it was never placed anywhere near a bus stop. They had to improvise a version of events to make the report about the loss documents more colourful to attract as much mass media attention as possible.

Fueron colocados de manera deliberada cerca de la parada de autobus de manera visible para cualquier miembro del público o posiblemente nunca fueron colocados cerca de una parada de autobus. Tuvieron que improvisar una versión de lo ocurrido para hacer que el informe sobre los documentos perdidos fuera más atractivo para atrar tanta atención de los medios como fuera posible.

From the start the intention was to provoke a Russian response knowing full well that the British warship would be entering territorial waters violating the 12 miles limit.

Desde el comienzo, la intención fue provocar a Rusia sabiendo que el buque de guerra británico entraría en aguas territoriales violando el límite de 12 millas.

For many years, Britain supported the idea of the 12 miles limit when other countries stated that the limit should be 200 miles as part of the denominated 'exclusive economic zone'.

Durante muchos años, Gran Bretaña ha apoyado la idea de las 12 millas cuando otros países sostuvieron que el límite debería ser 200 millas como parte la denominada zona de exclusión económica. 

Uruguay and Argentina defended the thesis to dictate that the River Plate is a river and not an ocean and that therefore Argentina and Uruguay have absolute control of it.

Uruguay y Argentina defendieron la tesis para dictaminar que el Río de la Plata es un río y no un océano y por ende Argentina y Uruguay tiene control absoluto del río.

The so called 'innocent passage' was never meant to be an 'innocent passage'. It was a premediated provocation seeking a military response with political aims. 

El llamado 'paso inocente' no era la intención. Fue provocación deliberada tratando de provocar una respuesta miliar con fines políticos.








Friday, 5 July 2019

Josef Mengele: Totesengel died in Brazilian beach

Josef Mengele: Totesengel died in Brazilian beach

Rolf and Josef Mengele
Josef Mengele was perhaps one of the most colourful characters during and after World War Two. The SS Captain lived a very eventful life and earned a living after the war working for his own family business in Latin America where he visited/lived in several countries including Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. After the war, he went as a far as applying for and obtaining a German passport under his real name and got married in Uruguay also using his real name.

Some Germans lived under their real names and others adopted other names and nationalities including Italian nationality. It was well known that countries like Argentina and Uruguay had important Italian immigrant settlements and therefore entering using an Italian passport was the natural thing to do. In those days, people didn't care much about who came from where as long as you could fit in amongst the masses of European immigrants. Moreover, Germans were highly qualified and in developing countries such levels of expertise were in high demand.

The Cold War was on and therefore there was little interest in chasing highly intelligent people who were excellent at practically every job they applied themselves to do.

My own father knew how to fly and had vast knowledge of cheminal compounds and was a professional time keeper. We used to travel round.

Thursday, 4 April 2019

Brexit: Uruguayan Dictatorship respected the will of the people, British Parliament doesn't give a damn about the will of the people

Uruguayan Dictatorship respected will of the people while British Parliament doesn't give a damn about will of the people



In 1980, the Military Dictatorship asked the Uruguayan people if they wanted a Constitutional Reform that would allow the Military to maintain its  political role once the country returned to institutional normality.

En 1980, la Dictadura Militar le preguntó al pueblo uruguayo si el pueblo uruguayo quería una Reforma Constitutional que le permitiría a los Militares mantener su papel político una vez que el país retornase a la normalidad institutional.

There was propaganda on all mass media in favour of the approval of the Constitutional Reform proposed and there was no debate allowed about the reform project since all political freedoms had been suspended, the right of assembly had been suspended and there were political prisoners, exiled citizens and people who had been removed from office. In spite of propaganda and aforementioned limitations the Uruguay Electorate rejected the Constitutional Reform proposed in the Referendum.

Hubo propaganda en todos los medios a favor de la aprobación de la Reforma Constitucional propuesta y no hubo debate sobre el proyecto de reforma dado que todas las libertades políticas habían sido suspendidas, el derecho de reunión  habia sido suspendido y había prisioneros políticos, exiliados y personas a que se les prohibía ejercer cargos públicos. A pesar de la propaganda y las limitaciones mencionadas el Electorado Uruguayo rechazó la Reforma Constitucional propuesta en el Referendo.

The Military Dictatorship didn't turn around and tried to reject the outcome of the Referendum. Quite the opposite. The Military Dictatorship fully respected the will of the Uruguayan people expressed in the Referendum.

La Dictadura Militar no trató de rechazar el resultado del Referendo. Todo lo contrario. La Dictadura  Militar respectó la voluntad del Pueblo Uruguayo expresada en el Referendo.

What a difference when compared to the attitude of the British Parliament that instead of respecting the will of the British Electorate decided to create all kinds of obstacles in order to ignore the will of the British people.

Una actitud muy distinta en comparación con la actitud del Parlamento Británico que en lugar de respetar la voluntad del Electorado Británico decidió crear todo tipo de obstáculos para ignorar la voluntad del Pueblo Británico.

When a Parliament that is supposed to be Democratic fares worse than a Military Dictatorship, Britain is in serious trouble. 

Cuando un Parlamento que es supuestamente democrático es peor que una Dictadura Militar, Gran Bretaña afronta problemas muy serios.