International Law | paulhunterjones

By Fulton Armstrong Malware infection/ Blogtrepreneur/ Flickr/ Creative Commons License Latin American human rights groups’ outcry about Mexican and Panamanian deployment of the “Pegasus” spying tool to keep tabs on critics has had little or no impact, and governments are suspected of using it more aggressively than ever. The Israeli security company NSO has been […]
Pegasus: Powerful Tool for Law Enforcement … and Repression — AULA Blog

NSO Group Technologies of Israel ranks first in developing spyware. The Israeli company’s engineers developed the much-talked-about Pegasus spyware. NSO sold Pegasus use licenses to governments. This Post solely focuses on the misuse of the program by the El Salvadorean and Mexican governments. The Post’s author concedes that NSO developed the spyware to detect the planning of terrorist attacks. Pegasus does not come with a kill switch. NSO cannot deactivate the program if governments misuse it. Instead of lambasting the software, this Post should focus on Mexico’s and El Salvador’s illegal spying on its law-abiding citizens. Governments will always seek spyware to prevent the commission of acts of terrorism. Western nations have no problem with Pegasus; they do not use the program in violation of domestic laws.

By Hugo Noé Pino* The need for Honduras to convene a National Constituent Assembly appears increasingly compelling even though the country’s political elites continue to oppose one. Proponents of an “ANC” argue that it would not only help the country overcome the fraud perpetrated in last November’s elections; it would give oxygen to the country’s […]

via Honduras: Would a Constituent Assembly Help? — AULA Blog

This post’s arguments and supportive reasoning defeat the author’s central premises. Would a newly minted constitution help resolve Honduras’ problems? The answer to this question can only be no. Additionally, trying to analysis the country’s current problems through a class struggle paradigm overlooks the destructive role the military has played in the country’s history.

Honduras’s natural beauty serves as a backdrop for rampant corruption and endless cycles of poverty. The country is one of the least developed in Central America. Gang violence, drug lords in charge of communities, and a growing industry of extortion are some of the country’s recent accomplishments. Does the country still have the world’s highest murder rate per capita? The military’s continued influence over all aspects of Honduran society does not bode well for democracy, however imperfect. This post mentions these problems and discusses others.

Since the end of the last military dictatorship, the people adopted a constitution and enacted laws ostensibly to provide for a more just society. It was always thought that the average citizen’s life would improve under these laws. It has not happened. Things have gotten worse for Honduras. The country’s political-legal foundation collapsed into chaos over a decade ago. Honduran society is devolving and not evolving. Even if a new constitution could be agreed upon, it would not be a magic wand that could be waived to resolve the country’s intractable problems.