By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 6 -- Venezuela at the UN celebrated its independence on July 6 by the East River, with music and food and a speech by Ambassador Jorge Valero against the Empire. There was a US representative there, leaving just as Inner City Press entered.
Inside the representative of CITGO chatted, alongside the Permanent Representatives of, among many others, Cameroon, Colombia, Somalia, Iran, Sudan, the European Union, Kenya, Brazil -- too many to count. The permanent observer of Palestine was there.
Ironically talk turned to the dominance of Latin America over Africa, with Argentine Susana Malcorra as the chief of staff, wanting to manage the Controller and even the Department of Field Support which she used to run.
"Africa is losing everything," a prominent African Permanent Representative told Inner City Press. "We've been bypassed by Latins."
Ban Ki-moon's new deputy Jan Eliasson came in, fresh from his closing talk at ECOSOC, and chatted with a "gringo" adviser to Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, as one observer put it.
The incoming president of the GA, Vuk Jeremic, is said to be asking for $7 million to run his office, as Inner City Press reported. On Friday evening, a Latin expert said d'Escoto as PGA held fundraisers. To this has the UN been reduced.
The Syria report, hours old, was discussed, largely in terms of if Mood might possibly stay (many said no, consistent with Inner City Press' June 29 scoop) and who might replace him as the face of the UN in Syria.
Talk repeatedly turned to attacks upon the Press, some asking, "are these people journalists?" That is a question that remains to be seen. The confluence of the New York Civilities Liberties Union and the Grupo ALBA, American containing multitudes, was noted, along with a two and a half hour detour caused by pretext. And then this article. Watch this site.
