• The article discusses the current struggle between democracy and strongman governments, and how this struggle is playing out in Turkey, Syria, Russia, Moldova, and Brazil.
• In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been criticized for his government’s slow response to the devastating earthquake that occurred on Monday, and for his attempts to shut down media coverage of the crisis.
• In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad has blocked western aid to areas controlled by his opposition, and the US has issued a six-month sanctions exemption for relief in Syria.
• In Russia, Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has spoken openly of attacking Poland after conquering Ukraine.
• In Moldova, the government has resigned and the new prime minister intends to continue orienting the country toward Europe.
• In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with President Joe Biden at the White House and emphasized democracy, rejecting political violence and putting great value in our democratic institutions.
• Elon Musk’s SpaceX has blocked the ability of Ukrainian troops to use the Starlink satellite system to advance against Russia.
Published February 11, 2023
Visit Letters from an American to read Heather Cox Richardson’s original post February 10, 2023
