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Bulletins and News Discussion from September 16th to September 22nd, 2024 - This Megathread Is Dedicated To The Brave Mujahideen Fighters of Afghanistan - COTW: Afghanistan

Image is of China's ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Sheng, meeting Taliban Prime Minister Hasan Akhund in September 2023.

I know the Rambo title card is a hoax.

The COTW was chosen in the wake of the aborted sequel to the attempted assassination of Trump being performed by a guy who is VERY enthusiastic about Ukraine, to the point of trying to sneak Afghan soldiers into Ukraine by setting up a house in Pakistan to house them and then further transport them. He also apparently offered to send thousands of Afghan soldiers to Haiti to help them combat gang violence. Whomst among us doesn't have the numbers of thousands of Afghan soldiers on speed-dial. Do you reckon there's a group chat?

Anyway, while there is still no official recognition of the Taliban's government by any country, China has taken a different course than the late USSR and the US - forming economic in-roads, rather than trying their own invasion. This has been a big boon for the struggling country, with various mines and oil and agriculture deals helping keep things barely afloat. A total disintegration of the social fabric of Afghanistan is not in the interest of any of the powers that border it - China, Pakistan, and Iran, with Russia not too far away - so an interesting dynamic of helping-without-official-recognition has been established. I wonder who will be the first country to fully recognize them?

The COTW (Country of the Week) label is designed to spur discussion and debate about a specific country every week in order to help the community gain greater understanding of the domestic situation of often-understudied nations. If you've wanted to talk about the country or share your experiences, but have never found a relevant place to do so, now is your chance! However, don't worry - this is still a general news megathread where you can post about ongoing events from any country.

The Country of the Week is Afghanistan! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.

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  • Interesting things happening in Bolivia

    (maybe decades in weeks)

    From Red

    A faction within Bolivia’s Indigenous movement has begun a siege on La Paz to call for President Luis Arce’s resignation. In response, Arce has claimed that Evo Morales is a launching a coup against the government.

    A faction within the “Red Ponchos” Indigenous Federation representing the rural communities of the La Paz region is leading the campaign. They have launched roadblocks to paralyze all highways connected to the city of La Paz. They are calling for Luis Arce’s resignation over what they see as his failure to deal with inflation and fuel shortages.

    On the eve of the mobilization, Luis Arce held a press conference alongside the country’s union leadership. He stated that these mobilizations are part of a plan by Evo Morales to launch a coup and impose himself as President.

    This campaign of roadblocks is so far confined to the Department of La Paz. However, starting tomorrow, Evo Morales himself will be leading a national, seven-day-long march from the town of Caracollo to the city of La Paz. He is calling for Arce’s resignation as part of the internal faction fight within the MAS party.

    Simultaneously, Arce has moved the cabinet from La Paz to Santa Cruz. The government says it is to deal with the ongoing forest fires in that region better. However, some claim it is because the government is worried of being overwhelmed by the mobilization in the seat of government in La Paz.

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