One of the lessons that I learned from my native Argentina, is that political turmoil caused by autocrats like military rulers have their days counted when they believe they are invincible. Today, we are witnessing it in the United States under the Trump regime. As he promised, Trump is an autocrat from day one challenging…
Category: Enrique Tessieri
(Finland Bridge 1998): Talking to others faraway
Traveling is almost like talking with those of other centuries. Rene Descartes (1506-1650) The statement by the French philosopher and mathematician is true and may provide an answer on why some of us are restless travelers. When we move to a new city of country, do we subconsciously stay in contact with our former hoe,…
ECHR wants answers from the Finnish government for the closure of the country’s border with Russia
In a clear victory without visible consequences, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has asked that Finnish authorities to cite reasons for the closure of the Finnish-Russian border. The request is significant considering that the ECHR rejects about 90% of complaints seeking answers from state authroities. In the face of the ECHR decision, Finland…
24 de marzo de 1976: A 49 años del golpe de estado cívico-militar y el día infame
El 24 de marzo de 1976 marcó un día infame que es imposible de olvidar tanta violencia. Aunque esa pesadilla sigue viva, la esperanza no se deja de conquistar por el terror. Atrás del dibujo por Anikó Szabó, hay un mensaje de una amiga que me mandó en 1978 en plena dictadura militar. Lo conservo…
The politicization of “street gangs” has eaten away at the police’s credibility
The recent resignation of former Chief Nnspector Jari Taponen and others from the police reveals the extent to which populist politics has infiltrated the police. In 2023, and with funding from the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), the EU’s largest anti-racism NGO, we published a report showing how parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* use migrant…
Katujengien politisoiminen on aiheuttanut uskottavuusongelmia poliisissa
Entinen ylikomisaario Jari Taposen ja muidenkin eroaminen poliisista paljastaa, miten paljon populistinen politiikka on tunkeutunut poliisiin. Vuonna 2023 ja EU:n suurimman rasisminvastaisen kansalaisjärjestön European Network Against Racism (ENAR) rahoituksella teimme raportin, jossa osoitimme, miten Perussuomalaisten kaltaiset puolueet käyttävät maahanmuuttajarikollisuutta äänestäjien houkuttelemiseen. Olen haastatellut Taposta muutamaan otteeseen katujengeistä. Se, mitä hän kirjoittaa Helsingin Sanomien kolumnissa, osoittaa,…
When racism becomes normal in Finland
The normalization of racism and government policy that reinforces the social illness are the sad examples that will get worse as long as National Coalition Party Prime Minister Petter Orpo leads the government with the Perussuomalaiset (PS).* One way of putting some breaks on the adverse climate of polarization and xenophobia is by forcing the…
In Finland they still lock up children seeking asylum
A 26-year-old human trafficking victim has been locked up with her two six-year-old children at the Joutseno immigration removal center, which the victim has described as a jail, according to Yle. The young Nigerian mother was sent to the immigration removal center on 18 February and is awaiting deportation back to Italy on 25 March….
Stopping a deportation of an Iraqi family
I have covered and written many news stories about deportations of asylum seekers. The last one was from a family that called me pleading if I could find them a lawyer because their appeal was rejected. When the asylum seeker broke the news about the appeal over the phone, a sense of powerlessness overtook me….
Uutissuomalainen: The government’s anti-racism training lasts an hour (including discussion included!)
You cannot make this up. National Coalition Party Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government plans to offer an hour-long anti-racism training for the government. The training has been postponed to after the municipal and regional elections of April. “It will be an intensive training of about an hour, including discussion,” Katriina Nousiainen, project manager and senior…