International News

April 2024WorldFocusInternational News

FOCUS on Public Diplomacy Conflicts – Mexico and Ecuador

Tensions between Mexico and Ecuador escalated on April 5, when Ecuadorian police invaded the Mexican Embassy in Quito. Jorge Glas, the former Ecuadorian Vice President, was arrested while taking refuge in the embassy after being convicted on accounts of corruption and bribery, leading to the diplomatic ties between the two countries being suspended. 

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2024April 2024International News

Bulgaria and Romania Partially Join Schengen Area

Bulgaria and Romania are the newest partial members of the Schengen Area, the border-free travel zone guaranteeing free movement of goods, people, and capital, which is now comprised of 29 members. Despite the veto from Austria, which enforces the new Schengen status in Bulgaria and Romania to remain unchanged for land borders, their accession is significant for both countries, aiding efforts to install ties to the European Union (EU). 

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2024April 2024WorldInternational News

Turkish Opposition Gets Victory in Local Elections

Local Turkish elections are unfolding and recent news shows that the future of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and current President Tayyip Erdoğan is uncertain. According to Brookings, Erdoğan’s early vows for Türkiye were to bring forth democratic reform but after almost decades of leadership the government has devolved into being “authoritarian and dysfunctional.”

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2024WorldInternational News

Argentina and Colombia Seek to Mend Relationship After Presidents Butt Heads

The governments of Argentina and Colombia have found themselves working to restore a friendly relationship in the wake of a dispute that started in late March of this year. According to a March 31 joint statement from both countries, “The respective governments have taken concrete steps to overcome any differences and strengthen this relationship.”

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