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October 18, 2023

Over the last week, the world has witnessed the horror of the terrorist group Hamas invade Israel and kill innocent women and children, including young babies.  Israel is now officially at war for the first time since 1973.

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In the thirty-three months of the administration of President Joe Biden, Hamas has become emboldened.  This is because their major benefactor, Iran, has been awash in cash.  Hamas receives 70% of its funding from Iran, which also is the largest contributor to worldwide terrorism.  Tragically, the Biden administration relaxed the enforcement of Iranian sanctions resulting in billions of dollars in additional revenue to the tyrannical regime.

While Donald Trump was president, Hamas and Russia did not invade any countries and the United States achieved significant peace deals in the Middle East, the Abraham Accords.  Under Biden, there are two wars in progress and possibly a third one if China invades Taiwan.

With Joe Biden as president, not only has the United States become more dangerous, but the rest of the world has, too.

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There is no better representation of that danger than our foremost enemy, China.  This communist dictatorship has been making inroads throughout the world.  Due to Chinese pressure and money, there are very few countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

One of those countries is Paraguay, led by President Santiago Pena, who won a big election victory in May.  Pena is an economist and the country’s former finance minister.  He studied at Columbia University in the United States and worked at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.

He is considered a strong social and economic conservative and has vowed to attract international investment and job creation by maintaining the country’s low tax rates and implementing “business-friendly” policies.  Pena will have quite a challenge dealing with the country 24% poverty rate and upset beef producers and farmers, who want stronger ties to the large markets in China.

During the campaign, Pena promised to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.  His opponent wanted to abandon Taiwan and pursue closer relations with China.

In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September, Pena recommended membership for Taiwan.  He said Taiwan should be “an integral part of the United Nations system.”  However, Taiwan has been excluded from the United Nations since 1971, as only the communist government, the People’s Republic, is recognized as the legitimate representative of China.

Paraguay is one of only 13 nations, and the sole South American country, to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.  The relationship was an issue in the election, along with the economy and corruption allegations involving the former president and leader of Pena’s Colorado Party, Horatio Cartes.