Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Dan Kovalik, Roger Annis July 20, 2016

This Week on GR

by C. L. Cook - Gorilla-Radio.com

July 20th, 2016

Colombia human rights observors had grounds for guarded optimism back in 2006 when the infamous AUC, a link-up of paramilitary privateers responsible for some of the worst atrocities visited upon the mainly rural peasant population during that nation's decades-long civil war was disbanded, and some of its key leaders extradited to the United States. But reports of AUC successor, Autodefensas Gatinastas attacks against residents of El Bagre, in the Department of Antioquia are rekindling fears of a return to the worst of the bad old days in the Colombian countryside.

Daniel Kovalik teaches international human rights law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and is Senior Associate General Counsel for the United Steel Workers union.

Listen. Hear.

He is too a long-time peace and justice activist, focusing on the movements for peace and justice in Colombia and Central America, where he serves as an attorney for Colombian plaintiffs in cases alleging corporate human rights violations. Kovalik is also co-recipient of a Project Censored Award for chronicling the murder of trade unionists in Colombia.

Dan Kovalik in the first half.

And; what a difference a new government makes! Long weary of Stephen Harper's bellicose policies at home and abroad, Canadians gave him and his "New Government of Canada" a one-way ticket to a shrinking ice floe; but was Canada sold secondhand tires when electing Justin Trudeau's Liberals? So far, on Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Latin America, and Africa, Liberal foreign policy looks a lot like a Conservative retread. Meanwhile, the inking of a free trade deal with Ukraine's coup government, and a whole-hearted endorsement of NATO's over-the-top Moscow-baiting at its recent confab in Warsaw has some of us wondering, "How true are those Grits?"

Roger Annis is a longtime socialist, trade union activist. A prolific essayist in the cause of social justice and peace both in Canada and abroad, his writing can be found at the website New Cold War, where he's written extensively on Ukraine, and at CounterPunch.org, and his website, A Socialist in Canada. Roger's latest article, 'Canada's Liberal Gov't Joins NATO's War Escalation in Eastern Europe' should be a call to arms for all progressives left in the Great White North.

Roger Annis and wither Canada's hope for change under Trudeau Two in the second half.

And; Victoria Street Newz publisher emeritus and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will NOT join us at the bottom of the hour to bring us news of some of the good goings on scheduled for the coming week in and around our town, as other business calls her away. So first, Dan Kovalik and Paramilitary Rampage in Colombia: The Case of El Bagre, Antioquia.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Wednesday, 1-2pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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