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AMY GOODMAN: I also asked him about the Dakota Access pipeline, as Standing Rock Sioux Chair Dave Archambault was in the audience.

AL GORE: Ive spoken out many times in support of Chairman Archambault and the Standing Rock Sioux tribal movement. I think itsIve publicly labeled it an atrocity. And I do think that, as Heather said, this is a moment that is filled with possibilities for raising awareness. And Imthe short story is, I am against it.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Al Gore speaking Sunday here at the Sundance Film Festival in Park city, Utah. Well, on Monday, water protectors walked down Main Street and linked arms to block the entrance to a Chase Bank lounge in order to protest the connection of one of the festivals leading sponsors to investment in the Dakota Access pipeline. (Watch our video report here) They were joined by actor and activist Shailene Woodley and two filmmakers, whose Viceland series Rise, about indigenous resistance, is playing at the film festival.

That does it for our show. If you want to see all of our coverage here at the film festivalthe Oscar nominations have been announced, among the documentaries, 13th and Life, Animated. You can see our interviews at democracynow.org.

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As Trump Moves to Advance Dakota Access Pipeline, Former VP Al Gore Calls #DAPL "An Atrocity" - Democracy Now!

In 2007 the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez gave foreign oil companies operating in his country an ultimatum - either hand over a bigger share of their profits to the Bolivarian Republic or risk having their assets nationalized.

While most of the companies agreed to Chavezs demands, there was one company that didnt: ExxonMobil.

The refusal to give into Chavezs dictate saw ExxonMobil headed at the time by then-CEO Rex Tillerson lose an estimated $10 billion in properties throughout the South American nation and set up a contentious relationship between Venezuela and the global oil giant.

In what some see as an ironic twist of fate, Tillerson is now poised to become the United States next secretary of state and will play a crucial role in shaping the Trump administrations policies in regards to the already turbulent relations between Washington and Caracas.

I think we are in full agreement as to the calamity that has befallen Venezuela, largely a product of its incompetent and dysfunctional government-first under Hugo Chavez, and now under his designated successor, Nicolas Maduro.

- Rex Tillerson

Despite reportedly taking Venezuelas expropriation of ExxonMobils assets as a personal affront, it appears that at least in his statements made to the Senate Tillerson is not out to get even with Venezuela.

In answers to a questionnaire sent to Democratic senators and leaked to the analysis website Latin America Goes Global Tillersons positions on Venezuela dont seem to differ much from those under President Obama. Tillerson is critical of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's economic and human rights policies, and strongly advocates working with regional powers toward a solution to the ongoing political crisis.

I think we are in full agreement as to the calamity that has befallen Venezuela, largely a product of its incompetent and dysfunctional government-first under Hugo Chavez, and now under his designated successor, Nicolas Maduro, Tillerson wrote. I would urge close cooperation with our friends in the hemisphere, particularly Venezuelas neighbors, Brazil and Colombia, as well as multilateral bodies such as the [Organization of American States], to seek a negotiated transition to democratic rule in Venezuela.

Tillersons careful wording and call for regional cooperation may not be what some members of the Maduro opposition were hoping to hear from Trumps nominee, especially given his battles with country during his time as the head of ExxonMobil.

After the expropriation, Tillerson took Venezuela to international arbitration court and demanded his company be paid based on the $10 billion market value of the company assets in the country, not the $1 billion book value that Chavez was offering. The court, however, sided with Venezuela and in 2014 Exxon settled for $1.6 billion.

There are a lot of Venezuelan hardliners who are hoping that Tillerson will take a hardline approach, Chris Sabatini, the editor of Latin America Goes Global and an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, told Fox News. In his answer, hes showing a fair and balanced approach to Venezuela.

But on close reading of his words, Tillerson does voice one major difference with Obamas polices toward Venezuela - a call for transition to democracy.

Despite the Obama administrations widespread criticism of the Maduro regime and open support of opposition leaders, it never called into question the countrys status as a democracy. Tillerson did, and it was likely based on the authoritarian tactics of Maduro.

Tillerson did declare it a non-democracy, but that will not be something that too many people will dispute, Sabatini said.

Since global oil prices plunged in 2015, Venezuela hasnt had the funds to import basic goods such as food and medicine, creating acute shortages and stirring anger toward Maduro.

Adding to the overall misery are a drastic rise in violent crime, especially in the capital city of Caracas, rolling blackouts and widespread and often times bloody protests against the government. There have been casualties and deaths on both sides of the protests and accusations from the international community of human rights abuses and political oppression.

The pressure that Venezuelans face every day is tremendous because of all the uncertainty, Sonia Schott, the former Washington, D.C., correspondent for Venezuelan news network Globovisin, told Fox News. Nobody knows what will happen the next day.

With Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., voicing his support for Tillerson on Monday, it appears all but set in stone that the former ExxonMobil boss will be the next head of the State Department.

I dont know if Tillerson will personalize his relationship with Venezuela or implement an institutional policy, Venezuelan analyst Luis Salamanca told Fox News.com, adding that the U.S. has nothing to lose. Today the United States needs little from Venezuela, unlike Venezuela, which needs the cash payments of the oil it sells to the U.S.

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Tillerson's history with Venezuela could signal push for 'transition to democracy' - Fox News

A senior British lawmaker on Tuesday described the profound service to democracy around the world performed by Turks who resisted the July 2016 coup attempt.

Crispin Blunt, chairman of the U.K. parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee, hailed the success of last weeks visit to Turkey by the committee.

The parliamentarians met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Blunt praised the very good level of access given by Turkish officials.

We were very pleased with the attention we got in Turkey, Blunt told Anadolu Agency. We had the opportunity to meet with the president for 90 minutes, which is very unusual for a parliamentary committee to get that length of time from a head of state.

The cross-party committee was taken to see the damage done to the Turkish parliamenton the night of the coup attempt.

We were able to get a sense of the profound shock that would have been in Turkey at the coup, he said.

Julys coup bid resulted in 248 people being martyred as elements of the military took to the streets in Ankara and Istanbul in an attempt to overthrow the government. They were defeated after ordinary people heeded Erdogans plea to challenge the pro-coup troops.

The president did include in his presentation to us a seven minute video showing us some of the events of the 15th and 16th July and some of the courage of the people on the streets helping face down that coup, Blunt said.

In that sense both President Erdogan and the people who came down to support him did a profound service to democracy around the world.

Blunt was speaking before the announcement that Prime Minister Theresa May is to visit Ankara on Saturday to meet Erdogan and Yildirim.

He said committee members had raised the possibility of restarting the peace process with the PKK terror group, which returned to its armed campaign in July 2015 following a two-year break in violence.

Of course, this is Turkeys internal politics, Blunt said, adding that it could allow Turkey and the international community to focus on eliminating the principle threat to us, which of course is ISIL and al-Qaeda.

See the article here:
Top UK lawmaker praises Turkish 'service to democracy' - http://www.worldbulletin.net

Chinas state media used Donald Trumps inauguration as U.S. president to warn about the perils of democracy, touting the relative stability of the Communist system as President Xi Jinping heads toward a twice-a-decade reshuffle of senior leadership posts.

With ministries and senior officials stressing unity as a priority for China, smoothing the path for the partys congress in the fourth quarter, state media were quick to highlight divisions within America shown by Trumps elevation, without necessarily directly referencing the new president.

Democracy has reached its limits, and deterioration is the inevitable future of capitalism, according to the Peoples Daily, the flagship paper of Chinas Communist Party. It devoted an entire page on Sunday to critiquing Western democracies, quoting former Chairman Mao Zedongs 1949 poem asking people to "range far your eyes over long vistas" and saying the ultimate defeat of capitalism would enable Communism to emerge victorious.

The unusual series of commentaries in the Peoples Daily mirrors Soviet efforts to promote an alternative political and economic system during the Cold War. The rise of anti-establishment, protectionist politicians like Trump, amid populist winds on several continents, has sent political parties scurrying to shore up their support, helping China to portray itself as relatively steady.

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Read more: Xi preaches openness abroad while clamping down at home

"Chinas rising wealth has brought greater global presence, but thats not enough," said Zhang Ming, a political science professor at Renmin University in Beijing. The Communist leaders want that someday China will matter globally for the nature of its political system and create its own universal values.

The commentaries came after Trump in his inauguration speech said his administration would focus on an America first approach to foreign policy, undermining hopes abroad that the new president would moderate his protectionist tone. His pledge to abandon a U.S.-led Pacific trade pact has helped China step in to advocate for an alternative Asia-wide deal.

The 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20.

Photographer: Ricky Carioti/Bloomberg

The official Xinhua News Agency congratulated Trump and said it hoped for "win-win" cooperation. An editorial in the state-backed China Daily said the countries should work toward "an updated, more desirable version of globalization."

Still, the Peoples Daily also used Trumps inauguration weekend to tout the benefits of Chinas political system. "The emergence of capitalisms social crisis is the most updated evidence to show the superiority of socialism and Marxism," it said.

"Western style democracy used to be a recognized power in history to drive social development. But now it has reached its limits," said another article on the same page. "Democracy is already kidnapped by the capitals and has become the weapon for capitalists to chase profits."

Xi during his term has called for strengthened confidence in Chinas communist system. Most recently, Chinas top judge called on his cohorts to absolutely not fall into the trap of false Western ideas such as judicial independence, separation of powers and constitutionalism.

Trumps policies are giving China a chance to take a bigger global role, said Zhang.

"China doesnt have a better Communist system than it used to have, but the global economic and political turmoil has undermined public confidence in western democracy," he said.

Still, China faces several difficulties, including questions about its rule of law and own governance among foreign companies operating there. While it has gained greater military and economic clout in Asia, it is also embroiled in territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea that have undercut its efforts to build its soft power in the region.

For Xi there is also the risk of a trade war with the Trump administration and a dispute over Chinas currency, Li Daokui, a former adviser to the Peoples Bank of China, said at a forum in Beijing in December at Tsinghua University.

"There will be several rounds of battles and China needs to be ready to think about solutions in areas that he may initiate battles," said Li, now a professor at Tsinghua. "I believe China is ready for the battles. Without going through the wars, its impossible for other nations to respect Chinas stance, and its impossible for China to become a global leader."

With assistance by Rosalind Mathieson, and Keith Zhai

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China Slams Western Democracy as Flawed - Bloomberg

Soldiers from the Gambia greet Ecowas troops in Farafenni. Photograph: Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images

West African troops entered the Gambias capital, Banjul, on Sunday, to cheers from the citys residents, a Reuters witness said, as part of efforts to allow the new president, Adama Barrow, to take office after the countrys former ruler fled overnight.

Yahya Jammeh, who led the Gambia for 22 years but refused to accept defeat in a December election, flew out of Banjul late on Saturday en route to Equatorial Guinea as the regional force was poised to remove him. A convoy of around 15 vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers mounted with heavy machine guns and pick-up trucks full of soldiers, rolled down one Banjul street in the late afternoon, according to a Reuters journalist who saw them.

City residents lined the road, applauding and shouting thank you as the soldiers smiled and waved back. Troops were later seen entering the presidential compound, State House.

The regional operation began late on Thursday after Barrow was sworn in as president at the Gambias embassy in neighbouring Senegal, but it was halted hours later to give Jammeh one last chance to leave peacefully. His departure followed two days of negotiations led by Guineas president, Alpha Cond, and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, prompting speculation over what, if any, terms were agreed to convince him to step down.

Speaking on a Senegalese radio station, RFM, Barrow denied that Jammeh had been offered immunity from prosecution in exchange for leaving the country. He wanted to stay in the Gambia. We said we couldnt guarantee his security and said that he should leave, Barrow said.

Earlier in the day, the African Union and United Nations published a document on behalf of these two organisations and the regional organisation, the Economic Community of West African States. In it, they pledged, among other things, to protect Jammehs rights as a citizen, a party leader and a former head of state to prevent the seizure of property belonging to him and his allies, and to ensure he can eventually return to the Gambia.

Barrow, speaking on RFM, said the document did not constitute a binding agreement and said that upon initial inspection it appeared Jammeh had looted state resources. According to information we received, there is no money in the coffers. Its what we have been told, but the day we actually take office we will clarify all of it.

Jammehs loss in the 1 December poll and his initial acceptance of the result were celebrated across the tiny nation by Gambians who had grown weary of his increasingly authoritarian rule. But he reversed his position a week later, creating a standoff with regional neighbours who demanded he step down.

West African troops from Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and Mali were deploying throughout the Gambia on Sunday. Barrow did not say when he would return to the Gambia but said it would be soon. At a press conference in Banjul, his spokesman, Halifa Sallah, said a military aide would be sent on Monday to determine if security conditions permit the presidents return.

Two Senegalese military officers said the multi-national force had met no resistance from the Gambian army as they advanced on Sunday. Rights groups accuse Jammeh of jailing, torturing and killing his political opponents while acquiring a vast fortune including luxury cars and an estate in the United States as most of his people remained impoverished.

The repression has forced thousands of Gambians to seek asylum abroad over the years. An additional 45,000 people fled to Senegal amid growing fears of unrest in the wake of last months election, according to the UN. Hundreds of Gambians carrying sacks, suitcases and cooking pots began returning by ferry from Senegals Casamance region on Sunday.

Hawa Jagne, 22, a cloth trader, hugged her sister Fama as she stepped off the boat. Im so relieved to see her, Jagne said. Everyone is free. You can do whatever you want, because this is a democratic country. You can express yourself. No one can kill you.

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The Gambia awaits new era of democracy under Adama Barrow - The Guardian