Monday Briefing | April 24
Protesters clash with pro-government forces in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo courtesy | Meridith Kohut for New York Times
Stories to Follow
Anti-government protests in Venezuela: Last Wednesday, protesters flooded Venezuela’s streets to rally against the political and humanitarian crisis facing the country. They demanded that the government–headed by the autocratic leader Nicolas Maduro–hold free and fair elections, free political prisoners, and establish a more democratic system. In response, National Guard police and pro-government gangs beat down crowds, leading to at least 22 deaths over the week.
LePen and Macron face off in French Election: With votes in and counted for France’s election on Sunday, Marine LePen of the National Front and centrist Emmanuel Macron are through to the election runoffs on May 7. Analysis of the votes reveal the LePen dominated regions with high unemployment and low wages, whereas Macron captured the economic centers of Paris and Bordeaux.
This Week in JPI
Insights | Prophesying the Present: Michel Houellebecq’s “Submission”
While one of France’s most nationalistic and anti-immigration political leaders has captured 21.4 percent of Sunday’s vote, JPI’s Allie Vlachakis revisits another popular yet controversial figure in French society: Michel Houellebecq. Read his review of Houellebecq’s “Submission” here.
Happening This Week
Haitian Migrants in Cuba, or the Workings of US Empire in the Caribbean | Tuesday, April 25, 6:00pm Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd Floor Barnard Hall 3009 Broadway
“Matthew Casey will present from his new book Empire’s Guest Workers: Haitian Migrants in Cuba during the Age of US Occupation, which uses the on-the-ground experiences of Haitian migrants in Cuba to understand how the daily actions of seemingly powerless individuals shaped larger processes of US imperialism, economic penetration, race-making and shifts in global migration policies.”
In Your Free Time
It’s been a year since we lost beloved pop icon Prince. Check out this amazing video of Prince, Michael Jackson, and James Brown performing together in 1983.
This week’s Monday Briefing is brought to you by Prianka Srinivasan.
