“There is no telling why the mainstream media is ignoring all of these protests…”
If you get your news from the global headlines on CNN, Fox News, or similar mainstream media source, you might not realize that thousands upon thousands of protesters are taking to the streets around the globe right now. Hungary, Ecuador, Serbia, and Venezuela have all seen mass protests in recent days. Instead, most of the global media’s attention has been focused on Trump & Assad, the Middle East, and the Stockholm terrorist attack. Certainly, these events are important, but so too are the protests occurring in countries around the world.
The Arab Spring of 2011 should serve as a constant reminder that even relatively calm and civil protests have the potential to snowball into major events. Indeed, the on-going civil war in Syria started as relatively restrained protest. To really understand the potential, each protest must be examined separately to determine whether developments are a threat to locals or the United States and its interests.
With that in mind, let’s briefly dig into the major protests that are currently happening.
Hungary: George Soros University Might Get the Boot and Citizens are Enraged
George Soros’ name is sullied in the United States. Many conservatives believe that he is an ultra-left radical seeking dramatic change, and even liberals are wary of his immense power, money, and influence. In Soros’ birth country of Hungary, however, the immensely wealthy investor remains quite popular.
Soros founded and funded Central European University, a graduate level university that is home to roughly 1,400 students and 400 academic staff, and tuition there is waived for nearly all Hungarian students. Central European University is known for being a center of dissent. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Budapest to protect the University and to urge the Hungarian President Janos Ader to reject legislation that would either severely restrict the University, or push it out of the country entirely.
The United States government and the European Union have both expressed support for Central European University.
Venezuela: Socialist Government Facing Extreme Pressure
It’s tempting to assume that the global media is ignoring protests due to some grand imperial scheming. Could the protests simply be against the interests of the West? However, at least in the case of Venezuela, this is clearly not the case as the American government has long opposed Venezuela’s socialist government.
Massive protests have rocked the should-be prosperous and oil rich Latin American nation over the past 11 days. Most of the anger is being directed at the socialist government, which controls the courts and administrative branches of the country, and is headed by the immensely unpopular Socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
What’s the source of all the anger? On March 29th, the Venezuelan socialist-controlled Supreme Court seized control of all the powers of the legislative body. The court reversed its decision three days later after widespread protests. Then, last Friday, the courts banned opposition leader Henrique Capriles from political activity for 15 years, again sparking renewed outrage.
The lack of attention on Venezuala is especially interesting as the socialist government of the country is a long-standing American nemesis. Apparently, many Venezuelans are coming to agree with the American government and its official views on the Venezuelan government. At the very least they are developing their own reasons to hate the current governing body that has restricted freedoms and strangled the economy. Now many locals are out for blood, or at least change.
Serbia: Prime Minister Accused of Rigging Recent Elections
Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who holds immense power for a “democratically” elected official, is facing widespread accusations after winning the recent election, allegedly securing 55% of the vote. Many are claiming that the election was rigged and voter data was falsified. Now, tens of thousands of people, most of them young, are flooding the streets in protest of the results.
Protesters are accusing Vucic of being an autocrat, and over the past several days thousands of people have been protesting in front of and around the National Assembly building. Vucic heads the Serbian Progressive Party, which headlines the government controlling coalition. Protesters allege that there is a widespread media blackout in Serbia, explaining why the protests are receiving so little attention.
Rigged elections have long been a favored tool among corrupt leaders. Further, there is evidence of irregularities at voting polls, voter intimidation, and bribery, though the allegations remain unsubstantiated. Beyond that, the media in Serbia has been under tight government control.
Serbia is currently trying to gain accession to the European Union. Allegations of corruption, fraud, and any disproportionately violent reprisals against protesters could jeopardize negotiations.
Ecuador: Leftist Government Secures Election Even as Exit Polls Show Loss
Protests in Ecuador erupted just over a week ago following a disputed election that saw leftist Lenin Moreno secure the office of President. According to official results, Moreno beat conservative banker Guillermo Lasso by 2% in the general election. However, exit polls by Cedatos and two other firms showed Lasso winning just over 53% of the vote as opposed to Moreno’s 47%. Cedatos correctly predicted all of the earlier eight person round of elections, so their polls carry a lot of weight.
Moreno is a member of the ruling Alianza Pais party, a far leftist party. Outgoing President Rafael Correa was also a member of Alianza, and the coalition wields a lot of power. Lasso is now challenging the election results and demanding a recount. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets alleging that the elections were rigged. Government police and prosecutors raided the office of Cedatos on the suspicion that their exit polls may have been rigged to favor Lasso. So far, the allegations remain unproven. It’s also possible that the government could try to falsify evidence, so who knows if any truth will come to light.
It is important to stay abreast of everything that is going on around the world, especially in light of how it could affect us here in the United States. There is no telling why the mainstream media is ignoring all of these protests, since they all could have the potential to affect other nations around the world.
Brian Brinker is an OpsLens Contributor and political consultant. Brinker has an M.A in Global Affairs from American University.
