At UN, Evo Morales of Bolivia Tells Inner City Press of US Aerial Piracy, Gets 5 UN Big Wigs, Versus Another's Dozen

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 24 -- Evo Morales of Bolivia had said he might not come to the UN General Assembly this year, because the US blocked Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro's plane over Puerto Rico. But he came, and Inner City Press asked him about Maduro, US spying, and if he is filing a lawsuit.

Morales called what happened to Maduro, and before that to him, aerial piracy. He said the US is responsible for war, that it invaded Iraq and bombed Libya to deprive those countries of their oil wealth. He did not, however, say if he is suing the US.

He spoke again of being surprised at farmers in France having their own telephones and showers. He denouncing bankers' dominance of government.

Inner City Press followed Morales up to his meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. There, Team Ban had five members including Susana Malcorra and Alicia Barcena,para hablar en espanol.

The next meeting, with a minister from Israel, the UN took at least twelve officials to, including the heads of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Public Information. What's the difference? We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

   

Bolivia's Evo Morales Floats ALBA Boycott of UN General Assembly, Sudan Tells ICP Bashir Is Coming: Circus

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 20 -- Even on the Friday before, UN General Assembly week is heating up. On Thursday Bolivian President Evo Morales, already scheduled to come to New York, suggested that heads of state in the ALBA Group consider canceling their visits to and speeches at the UN.

  Morales cited the US blocking Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's plane from flying over Puerto Rico on his way to China.

  Since the UN had send out a schedule of the coming week's press conferences including one by Morales on September 24, Inner City Press asked Bolivia's Permanent Representative to the UN Sacha Llorenti if that would now be canceled.

  Llorenti replied, "Informaremos oportunamente. Gracias." And so the Free UN Coalition for Access @FUNCA_infowill await and then send out confirmation.

  So too with the reported visit of Sudanese president Omar al Bashir, under indictment by the International Criminal Court. Inner City Press has noted that many of those calling for Bashir to be blocked, or even arrested by the US, said nothing when UN official Herve Ladsous met with Bashir in July.

  On Thursday night after covering yet another meeting on Syria of the Security Council's Permanent Five members at the US Mission to the UN -- Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkintold Inner City Press it was going not badly -- Inner City Press spotted a Sudanese diplomat on 47th Street, in front of that country's mission to the UN.

  Inner City Press asked him, So is Bashir coming?

  "September 26," the diplomat said with a smile. As to holding a press conference, as Morales has scheduled, the diplomat said "Not yet." Watch this site.

Footnote: Last time Morales held a press conference at the UN, in February in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, it turned into a fiasco. Morales pointed at a journalist to ask the first question, but a person saying the represented the UN Correspondents Association repeated blocked the other journalist and demanded to be given the first question as a matter of "tradition."

Inner City Press and now the Free UN Coalition for Access have asked how this can be, when UNCA represents less than ten percent of the journalists covering the General Assembly, and gives "its" first question only to those which pay it money. Questions for sale at the UN?

The scam has gotten more obvious this year, after UNCA under 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBS hosted a faux "UN briefing" by Saudi-sponsored Syria rebel boss Ahmad al Jarba, then gets the first of few question to Ban Ki-moon. Thursday Falk tried to work Assad into a question about the MDGs. Are any of these answers even published? We aim to publish even the questions, where newsworthy. Watch this site.

   

At UN on Chavez, IMF, Brecht & Marti, FM Jaua Answers ICP on Syria, Jimmy Carter, Probe

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 13 – After a more than two hour memorial for Hugo Chavez in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Inner City Press asked Venezuela's foreign minister Elias Jaua about his country's position on Syria.

  Jaua said Venezuela opposes any foreign intervention, “direct or indirect.” He said the solution should come from the Syrian people (“pueblo”), with international help, but peacefully. He did not explain more. Video here.

  Asked about elections and an investigation mentioned by Nicolas Maduro, Jaua cited Jimmy Carter as validating previous Venezuelan elections, and findings that Chavez' cancer was “strange.”

  The United States, when there was silence in the Security Council, sent a person multiply described as a lower level diplomat. Wednesday as the longer General Assembly memorial began, China's Li Baodong and Russia's Vitaly Churkin went into the GA.

  Later, much later, Inner City Press witnessed a legal adviser from the US Mission going in, near the end of the memorial.

  In the speeches, there were more literary references than is usual for the UN. The Permanent Representative of Uruguay cited Bertolt Brecht. (Afterward, in front of the GA, he told Inner City Press he was quoting MERCOSUR.) 

  The Permanent Representative of Argentina quoted Jose Marti about “rivers of bones,” leading to the wonder if there can be poetry in consultations of the Security Council, reform of which Chavez called for in 2006, and on which Argentina now serves for two years.

Bolivia's Permanent Representative offered “revolutionary greetings” to Jaua, and said Chavez stood up to the IMF. While Chile was speaking, Inner City Press mused on Twitter that it was Michele Bachelet should should have spoken for the UN. A helpful reply came in, linking to Bachelet calling Chavez “un gran amigo.”

  When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke, he cited Chavez' work in Haiti. It was hard not to think: the UN brought cholera, then found the legal claims “not receivable.” Jamaica's former prime minister P J Patterson has called the UN's rule “disgusting.” What would Chavez have said?

Footnote: in the entrance of the GA is a photo exhibit of the victims in Halabja. One floor down in the basement, it is now said that the Security Council will move out on March 28. Watch this site.