To counter transnational organized crime in the Western Hemisphere requires more than a securitized approach. Cooperation among law enforcement agencies, support for civil society, and reforms to strengthen accountability and rule of law are also needed. My latest:
www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Regardless of unilateral economic policy changes announced by Havana, Cuba’s prospects for economic reform will remain severely hindered unless systematic political reforms are also introduced. My latest for the George W. Bush Institute: www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Dismantling the transnational criminal networks that plague #Mexico and bringing them to justice will take a major commitment from Mexican authorities. The U.S. should continue to support Mexico's fight against the cartels and pursue cartel branches inside the U.S. www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Cuba’s future stability and Western Hemispheric security will depend on comprehensive structural changes to Cuba’s economic, security, and political systems. The U.S. should make restoring freedom and dignity to the Cuban people its goal in negotiations w/ Havana. www.bushcenter.org/publications...
The U.S.-led peace plan for Armenia and Azerbaijan centers on proposed economic incentives that are at risk as long as #Azerbaijan continues its crackdown on journalists and civil society leaders who called for accountability for rampant corruption in the country. www.bushcenter.org/publications...
🔴"Supporting Georgia’s democratic institutions is the best way bolster the country’s sovereignty against Russian, Chinese, and Iranian nefarious influence, which the Georgian Dream-led government has welcomed," - @jesludwig.bsky.social.
📌 bushcenter.org/publications...
#GeorgiaProtests
#FreeMzia
This month marks the one-year anniversary of Mzia Amaglobeli’s arrest and imprisonment amid a crackdown on independent media and civil society by Georgia's authorities. Learn more about the founder of @netgazeti.org and her #StruggleforFreedom in Georgia: www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Venezuela's interim authorities said they would release political prisoners but appear unwilling or incapable of following through. Seeking their freedom should be a top U.S. priority and is necessary to set the country on the path toward a democratic transition. www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Let's face it. Putin has strong disincentives against ending the war in Ukraine. Sending Russian soldiers home could pose challenges to Putin’s narrative about the war and reveal how much it has truly cost Russian society. My latest for the George W. Bush Institute www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Publisher Jimmy Lai is spending his 5th birthday in prison, as his worsening health and treatment behind bars have raised serious concerns that the 78-year-old may die in prison. CPJ urgently calls on the government to drop all charges against Lai and release him immediately.
📷: AP/Louise Delmotte
Honduras' Nov. 30 presidential election is still too close to call days later but remains a tight race between two conservative candidates. What's clear is that Hondurans have rebuked President Xiomara Castro's leftist Libre Party. My explainer: www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan is still paying the price for shining a light on the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Wuhan more than 5 years later. The U.S. should ask China's leadership about her treatment. Read about her #StruggleForFreedom: www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Ecuadorians will vote in a constitutional referendum this weekend that could open the door for foreign militaries to operate in the country again. A potential opportunity for the US to combat drug trafficking in the Pacific, but one it should approach cautiously. www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Today's elections in Tanzania will most assuredly not be free nor fair while #TunduLissu faces trial for treason and other major opposition leaders have been blocked from running. My latest for the George W. Bush Presidential Center: www.bushcenter.org/publications...
The Taliban's ongoing attempts to restrict internet access in Afghanistan may no longer be in the headlines, but the world cannot afford to overlook that the Taliban appear to be following their 1990s blueprint. My latest w/ Natalie Gonnella-Platts @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/10/rest...
This Thur. 10/23 I'm looking forward to speaking on the panel "Recovering Soft Power in Hard (Power) Times" as part of @depauluniversity.bsky.social Grace School of Applied Diplomacy online conference alongside @scwinkler.bsky.social
and Nicholas J. Cull. RSVP: depaul.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Last week, Belarusian blogger Ihar Losik
@rferl.org.web.brid.gy was freed after 5 years of unjust detention. There are still 10 USAGM journalists held by authoritarian regimes in Azerbaijan, Burma, Iran, Russia and Vietnam #StruggleforFreedom www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Today marks four years of arbitrary detention for Javier Tarazona after denouncing human rights abuses in Venezuela's border states where organized crime and irregular armed groups are active. Read his story in our #StruggleforFreedom series #LiberenaJavierTarazona www.bushcenter.org/publications...
We must remain clear-eyed about the global security risks posed by the reality on the ground in Afghanistan, where ordinary Afghans are daily subjected to tyranny of the Taliban's corruption, extremism & misogyny. My latest w/
colleague Natalie Gonnella-Platts nationalinterest.org/feature/dist...
As long as Afghanistan remains under Taliban control, it will never be a safe place. Most especially for Afghan women, but also for Afghans who believed in a different future for their country and worked alongside the US and NATO allies. www.bushcenter.org/publications...
If Congress and the administration are serious about holding Cuba's dictatorship to account for regional instability, State Dept. funds for Cuban civil society and freedom advocates should be restored, esp. as Havana rearrests #FelixNavarro and #JoseDanielFerrer www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-e...
To go more in-depth into Brystyn's story and the experiences of other Ukrainian churches deliberately targeted by Russian soldiers in occupied Ukraine, I can't recommend enough the new documentary "A Faith Under Siege" by the Ukraine Freedom Project: www.faithundersiege.com
Russia's claim to be defending religious freedom in Ukraine couldn't be further from the truth. Ukrainian pastors and faith leaders in occupied territories have been systematically targeted by Russian soldiers. Read on about one pastor's Struggle for Freedom: www.bushcenter.org/publications...
The Taliban continue to provide safe haven to terrorists, steal from the Afghan people, and impose severe restrictions on women and girls in defiance of international commitments. We should hold the Taliban accountable, not engage them, writes my colleague. thediplomat.com/2025/04/amer...
President George W. Bush speaks at a celebration for the 60th anniversary for the Voice of America Feb. 25, 2002.
For decades, VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, and the other US-funded international media have been a light in some of the world's darkest places. My colleagues recount how US-supported int'l media inspired hope, fueled freedom, and cultivated allies in societies under repression www.bushcenter.org/publications...
Hong Kong's authorities are dragging out legal proceedings against businessman and freedom advocate Jimmy Lai to send a message on behalf of Beijing that democratic activism in Hong Kong will not be tolerated. #FreeJimmyLai #StruggleforFreedom update www.bushcenter.org/publications...
"It’s no coincidence that the world’s most volatile global hot spots are nondemocratic." The National Endowment for Democracy invests in those around the world who fight for the same innate desire for freedom that Americans cherish and our adversaries fear. www.nationalreview.com/2025/02/amer...
🚨 A dire situation for 5 members of Venezuela's democratic opposition staff who have sought refuge in #Argentina's embassy in Caracas (protected by #Brazil) and are under siege by the Maduro regime. Three days without power and supply deliveries severely restricted. www.forum2000.cz/en/news/arge...
Key facts: "This is not a war that Ukraine sought but is the result of having been invaded by Russia...the dictator in this war is Putin, who has been in power 2.5 decades, not Zelensky, who was democratically elected president of his country in 2019." foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/19/t...
Yesterday, Feb. 9 marked one year since Rocio San Miguel, a lawyer and expert on Venezuela's military and security services, was arbitrarily arrested by the Maduro regime. She is still being held in inhumane conditions in El Helicoide. #StruggleforFreedom www.bushcenter.org/publications...