It’s Getting Warmer Over Here…

And I am not just talking the fact that it has been a brutal 95 degrees for the past 3 days. If you are a fellow news follower such as myself, you may have noticed some interesting stories over the past few days. The headlines are as follows:

1. Nicaragua becomes the world’s second country (Russia was first) to officially recognize the breakaway provinces of Georgia.

2. US Secretary of Commerce cancels his visit to Nicaragua in light of the headline above. Supposedly this guy was one of Ortega’s closer friends.

3. Bolivia’s president Evo Morales publicly declares that the US Ambassador is a persona non grata meaning that he is no longer welcome in the country. Morales claims that he is helping to fuel the anti-government protests going on right now.

4. Venezuela psycho president Hugo Chavez declares that the US Ambassador has 72 hours to leave the country, declaring his solidarity with Bolivia and saying that when the US has another president he may reestablish diplomatic relations.

So far we have yet to hear from Daniel (as Daniel Ortega is so lovingly called in this country; remember the entire country has only 5.5 million so everyone knows each other) BUT as a betting man, I am putting down a lot of pesos that he will be speaking up shortly. I am actually sitting here a bit worried about what he will say. In my head right now, I am thinking that it is very possible that he will follow suit “in solidarity with his brothers” and decide to kick out the US Ambassador. And where do you think that would leave Peace Corps? Probably not in Nicaragua! Anyways, my Tio Jorge and I discussed this exact topic before I ultimately made the decision to come to Nicaragua so I know that it was a possibility that I wouldnt make it through two years. Honestly, I dont think that Ortega will kick out the Ambassador (as there is no reason to) but if he does it really makes you think….

Who are these big babies running the world these days? There just seems to be a lot of bickering, fighting, killing, and name-calling in the news especially with the new leftist Latin American leaders and the United States…..and this includes the US leaders. Why is it that government has to stoop to such a low level to connect with its people? The fact that it works sometimes, what does this say about us as people? I have started to follow the US presidential elections a bit more closely now as well the elections are getting closer. And I just want to ask of both the candidates that they actually be the men they say they are and behave in a mature, presidential manner. I honestly think it is pathetic when grown men just basically gossip and call each other names. It especially is pathetic when they use the media as their means of doing it. I just dont understand why more world leaders dont just stand up for what they believe in and talk about why what they stand for will work. I really think the world needs more leaders who behave this way.

When you stop and think about it, world politics is just one big soap opera with characters getting killed off every few seasons, new villains emerging, and alliances always changing. All in all is quite interesting…but just imagine what could be done if the world leaders were actually focused on real issues such as poverty, education, and health instead of playing toward their audience and worrying about each other.

Anyways I have set the odds at 3-1 that Ortega will make a speech in the next 3 days declaring that the Yanquis need to mind their own business and stay out of Latin America and 12-1 that he will kick out the ambassador.

Time to rock and roll!