Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Ron Ridenour, Sean Horlor, Steve J. Adams April 22, 2021

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition, recorded April 14th and 19th, 2021

It seemed in the bag. Going into the second round of Ecuador’s presidential election all the smart money was on Correista and Union of Hope leader, Andres Arauz. Arauz had mopped the floor with his two major opponents in the first round, falling just short of outright victory. But, South America’s Pink Tide will have to wait a little longer, at least in Ecuador. Instead of continuing the socialist path that had raised living standards for the poorest, (interrupted only by class traitor, Lenin Moreno) now millionaire banker, and former Coca Cola executive, Guillermo Lasso will take the reins of power in May.

Ron Ridenour is a journalist, author, editor, and peace and social justice activist. The ex-pat American has lived and worked in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia and currently calls Denmark home. He’s worked too as a special correspondent and freelancer for numerous publications in Europe the US, and Latin America, and served as press aid to Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales and the governments of Cuba and Nicaragua.

Some of Ridenour’s many book titles include: ‘The Russian Peace Threat: Pentagon on Alert’, ‘Cuba: Revolution in Action’, and ‘Backfire: The CIA’s Biggest Burn’.

Ron’s articles also feature at numerous online sites, including on ThisCantBeHappening.net, and CovertAction Magazine, where his latest, ‘Ecuador’s New Socialist Party Set to Win Elections Despite U.S. Intervention and Deceptive Identity Politics‘ appears.

Ron Ridenour in the first half.

And; most Canadians take as granted the freedoms they have to be who they are and behave as they wish, (within the stricture of the law). But for some, enjoying the privilege of personal liberty is haunted by the knowledge there are others who must live in the shadows or face social exclusion, persecution, and even death.

Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams are award-winning, Vancouver-based filmmakers whose new documentary, ‘Someone Like Me‘ follows the effort of a group of LGBTQ+ rights activists to sponsor and support a gay Ugandan man seeking asylum in Canada. Steve and Sean have more than twenty film collaborations behind them, and ‘Someone Like Me’, their first feature length doc, is an Official Selection for this year’s Hot Docs Festival.

Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams, and fighting for the freedom to love fearlessly in the second half.

But first, Ron Ridenour and Ecuador’s election proving an ebb in South America’s resurgent Pink Tide.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.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.com

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, David Adler, Ken Stone February 11th, 2021

Welcome to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition recorded on the dates, February 4th and 9th, 2021.

Ecuador’s presidential election is scheduled for February 7th, just three days from now; but with contender, Andres Arauz forecast to win big, the government is claiming his party has contravened National Electoral Council rules and could be disqualified. Arauz has promised to continue the Citizen’s Revolution movement begun by his mentor, Raphael Correa and betrayed by Correa’s former vice-president, and current outgoing president, Lenin Moreno.

David Adler is a scholar, political economist, and first General Coordinator of Progressive International, a new organization saying, “It is time for progressives of the world to unite.” Adler is in Ecuador now with a Progressive International elections monitoring contingency.

David Adler in the first half.

And; March 1st, hearings will resume in the extradition trial of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver in December of 2018 and still held under house-arrest in that city. Meng is also daughter to the founder and CEO of the Chinese tech. giant whose company has been a focus of the growing trade war between the World’s two greatest economies. Meng’s arrest has thrust Canada into the middle of that global imbroglio, threatening trade relations and damaging the country’s reputation as a “rule of law” nation.

Ken Stone is a long-time antiwar activist, serving as an executive member of both the Syria Solidarity Movement and Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War. Ken and the Hamilton Coalition are joining forces with online investigative journalism site, The Canada Files to continue the Cross-Canada FREE MENG WANZOU campaign.

Ken Stone on “The arrest of Meng Wanzhou & the New Cold War on China” in the second half.

But first up, David Adler and Progressive International mobilizing its mission in Ecuador.

 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.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.com

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Jeremy Kuzmarov, Joe Emersberger February 4, 2021

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition recorded on the dates, January 28th, and February 1st, 2021.

Well barring a Trump return to political life with the full moon, we can now safely say America has turned a new page; if “new” is the appropriate descriptor for the new president, a man who’s been at this game longer than most Americans have been alive. Though some may feel near-octagenarian Joe is a less than inspiring figure to lead an American renaissance, at least he arrives with an unprecedented amount of policy baggage; more than ample provenance to measure the man from his acts, and his fictions.

Jeremy Kuzmarov is a journalist and serves as Managing Editor of CovertAction Magazine. He is too the author of four books on U.S. foreign policy, including: ‘Obama’s Unending Wars’, and ‘The Russians Are Coming, Again’ co-authored with John Marciano. His latest at CovertAction is the series, ‘Biden’s Foreign Policy History and What it Portends for his Presidency‘.

Jeremy Kuzmarov in the first half.

And; February 7th, Ecuadorians will go to the polls to decide who will succeed Lenin Moreno. Moreno may be remembered as the protege of leftist president and thorn in the side of America, Raphael Correa, who upon election himself undid his predecessors progressive policies, (and threw Wikileaks publisher, Julian Assange to the wolves). Early polling suggests Correa loyalist, Andree Arauz will take the post, perhaps in a first round landslide.

Joe Emersberger is a Canada-based writer whose articles appear at VenezuelAnalysis, CounterPunch, and The Canary, among other places. Joe will be taking part tomorrow in the Webinar, ‘Ecuador’s Presidential Election’ interviewing Monica Palacios, UNES candidate for North America. Emersberger is too author, with Justin Podur, of the forthcoming book, ‘Extraordinary Threat: The U.S. Empire, the Media, and Twenty Years of Coup Attempts in Venezuela’.

Joe Emersberger and does a pinkening sky in Ecuador promise a new morning for Latin America? in the second half.

But first up, Jeremy Kuzmarov and what Joe Biden’s past portends for America’s future.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.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.com