Canadian Neocolonialism in Colombia

By Asad Ismi In May, the board of Pacific Rubiales, a Canadian firm and the biggest private oil producer in Colombia, announced its support for a takeover bid by the Mexican conglomerate Alfa and U.S.-based Harbour Energy. Pacific Rubiales operates Colombia’s biggest oil field, in the province of Meta, and during the past seven years […]

The Latin American Revolution (Part 18): Hugo Chavez Leaves a Prodigious Legacy That Will Never Die: His Reforms Uplifted All of Latin America

By Asad Ismi Great revolutionary leaders never die. They are immortalized in the hearts of the people they have served. As Aleida Guevara, daughter of Che Guevara, put it: “My father lives in a mountain of people.” So it is with Hugo Chavez, the phenomenal socialist president of Venezuela who died from cancer on March […]

Victims of Drones (Part II): Devastating Drone Attacks on Pathans Completely Unjustified: Pathan People Have a Long History of Pacifism, Non-Violence

By Asad Ismi Much has been written and broadcast in the Western media about U.S. drone attacks in northwestern Pakistan, but little about the main targets of these drones: the Pathan people. I grew up with Pathans (called Pashtuns in Afghanistan) in northwest Pakistan, where I attended high school with them. Pathans comprise 48% of […]

Canadian Mining Company Accused of Atrocities in Guatemala: Lawsuit Alleges Killing, Gang Rapes of Indigenous People

By Asad Ismi “Dandy!” said U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower when informed in June 1954 that the CIA had overthrown the elected government of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala. The U.S. toppled Arbenz for daring to implement land reform and replaced him with a string of military dictators who ensured that life for most Guatemalans would be […]