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Ukraine – Law of the Jungle is not good enough

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Crimea Protests Russia Ukraine

credit: quebec.huffingtonpost.ca

Each story has two sides. Each revolution has two perspectives. Ukraine does not deviate from this rule. From the US/Europe side, Crimea can be seen as the new Sudetenland. From Moscow perspective a new Cold War can be a good geopolitical option, because during that period USSR was perceived as being strong. Everything in foreign affairs is about perception and power.

President Obama said that there will be costs for a Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The reality is that the West has few options in Ukraine and the real costs of this crisis are supported by regular Ukrainians. They fought for something, maybe democracy, maybe for better living conditions or for European integration and they deserve more, but they will not reach a positive result any time soon. Ukraine is a geopolitical battlefield.

To fight or not to fight?

From a military perspective, Ukraine does not have enough capabilities to face Russia: a non-nuclear nation versus a country which has more than 1.400 deployed strategic nuclear warheads; around 700 battle tanks against more than 2500 and so on. Nobody wants a war in Ukraine, not even Moscow. President Putin acted in this way in order to reassert Russia’s position. He justified his interventionism by saying: We reserve the right to use all means at our disposal to protect our people. According to some Ukrainian officials under the all means category we can place 30.000 Russian troops which are controlling Crimea at this moment. The biggest problem is the fact that during the last ten years we had a new wave of precedents which are opening a new uncharted territory: drones, the war from Georgia and now, Crimea – how can we define the role of the United Nations here? How can we apply the principles generated by the international law in this type of situations?

International law and democracy

Democracy is going through a period of setbacks. Societies from all over the world are trying to create a new governing paradigm. The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and the shock wave which followed raised many questions about the viability of the Western way of living. Are the United States still capable to project their capabilities like they once did?

Saddam violated the integrity of Kuwait and the result was The First Gulf War. When Serbia exploded and Kosovo was fighting for international recognition, president Medvedev said that in international relations, you cannot have one rule for some and another rule for others. International law is subject to interpretation because each story has two sides. From the international law perspective, Russia undermined Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Crimea has a local governing autonomy. The peninsula has around 2.5 million people from which approximately 60 percent are Russian. Also in Crimea we can find the city of Sevastopol, which is one of the biggest naval ports in the region (the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet). Before the Maidan revolution Crimea was already a hot spot. The revolution added the necessary sparks needed to transform this hot spot into a fire. At the beginning of March, Crimea’s parliament decided to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. In order to make this process as democratic and transparent as possible a referendum was scheduled. This process should be based on the idea crafted during the World Forum on Democracy: the will of the people is the basis of the authority of the government. We shall see if the will of the people is crafted using the law of the jungle or not.

If we look at Ukraine, we can see a very interesting occurring pattern. During the last 5 years we witnessed many revolutions, riots and popular movements. Communities from different countries and regions, from all over the world, started to fight and die for BIG IDEAS like democracy, freedom and better living conditions. After a while, the majority of this movements collapsed into chaos. Why? Because democracy is a hard lesson. Look at countries which entered into democracy more than 20 years ago when the Soviet Union collapsed, countries like Romania, Poland or Bulgaria, they are still learning what democracy truly is. This governing system is not only about free elections and the freedom of speech, democracy is a way of living and doing things. This perspective can be seen as a corny one but within it we can find the true face of this BIG IDEA.

 There are so many unanswered questions. Which is the right path for Ukraine? How can we avoid the creation of a failed state near the heart of Europe? Is this the beginning of the Cold War 2.0?

Europe

National Police arrests 60 people for money laundering in Majorca

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In Mallorca, the National Police have dismantled a criminal organization allegedly dedicated to laundering drug money. According to preliminary investigations, those involved are alleged to have laundered more than one million euros over the last year.

At the moment, the authorities have arrested a total of 60 people for the alleged crimes of money laundering and false documentation. Although investigations are still ongoing, leading Spanish criminal lawyers have pointed to the possibility of an increase in the amount of money laundered.

In addition to this, specialists in Criminal Law and Financial Crimes such as Luis Chabaneix have pointed out that during the next few days the number of arrests could increase, both in Madrid and in Mallorca. It should be noted that of the 60 arrested, 55 were arrested on the island and the other five in the city of Madrid on Sunday, May 16.

Money laundering of drug money from Mallorca to the Caribbean

According to the founder of Chabaneix Lawyers, Luis Chabaneix, the 60 people who have been arrested by the National Police are being investigated for the laundering of millions of dollars. It is presumed that more than one million Euros from drug trafficking activities have been sent to Latin American countries such as the Dominican Republic and Cuba, and even shipments to the United States have been registered.

In these countries, the money diverted by the criminal association has been used for the purchase of real estate and vehicles. For this reason, the National Police is in permanent collaboration with the North American, Cuban and Dominican authorities in order to dismantle the activities of this group in the different countries.

Likewise, among the main information provided by the authorities, it should be noted that more than 400,000 Euros in cash were seized from the hands of those arrested in Mallorca. Similarly, the police searches carried out on the island led to the seizure of multiple luxury items and accessories, a total of three kilos of cocaine and approximately 60 kilograms of cutting substances.

Two Majorcan companies under investigation

The team of criminal lawyers with an office in Madrid has commented that there are multiple methods that can be used to launder drug money. In the particular case of the criminal organization headed by a nationalized citizen of Cuban origin, one of the methods used to divert the money was international bank transfers.

For this purpose, the use of linked bank accounts of certain front men was a fundamental element. In addition, the case includes investigations of split money transfers through call shops.

On the other hand, through an official statement, the National Police informed that two Majorcan companies have been linked to the ongoing investigation. The reason for this is the issuing of fraudulent invoices for a value close to 200,000 euros.

Through these methods, the criminal organization has managed to launder capital inside and outside the country, legalizing large sums of money allegedly originating from drug trafficking. Undoubtedly, the arrest of the 60 people involved, including the leader of the organization, is a serious blow to the laundering of drug money in Spain.

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Economy

Seasif’s Franco Favilla discusses the post-Covid economy and the price of gold

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Although the Covid-19 pandemic isn’t over yet, there has been much discussion on the idea of a “post-Covid” economy, especially with the beginning of vaccination efforts in some countries. With markets throughout the world suffering the economic effects of the virus, experts have been looking towards the future –– and one of the topics that often comes up is the price of gold.

In August, the price of gold exceeded US$ 2,000 an ounce for the first time, driven by multiple factors. However, in November, advancements in Covid-19 vaccines led to a decrease in this trend, a result of the turbulent period we are going through.

“Regardless of the market volatility and the price changes that could occur over a given period of time, the fundamental fact is that the price of gold over the course of 2020 has reached an all-time high, and this, in my opinion, is very good news for the world economy,” explains Franco Favilla, founder and CEO of Seasif, a multinational company active in the extraction and trading of gold and oil.

According to Mr. Favilla, the main problem of the pre-Covid economy was the completely arbitrary nature of international finance. At one time, a ton of gold corresponded to a ton of currency, but since the 1980s, and at an impressive rate since 2000, the gap has widened enormously, so much so that today the relationship between the world’s currencies and gold is enormously unbalanced.

Total gold reserves around the world cover only 30% of currencies. This means there is nothing to cover and guarantee the value of money. In short, money has turned into a pure convention, a pure agreement between parties acting outside the market. Gold, on the contrary, guarantees democracy, because it protects savers and the market, offering an objective value for parameterizing every transaction. 

“My hope, therefore, is that the crisis caused by Covid-19 will help to change finance, making it less ‘phantom’ and more linked to an objective dimension, based on gold, with obvious advantages for the real economy. Gold protects consumers, the most important component in any economic system: if you don’t have a market made up of consumers with a certain level of wealth, how can you sell? To whom? Consumer protection must come first, and gold is one of the main ways of protecting them,” states the CEO of Seasif.

Sustainability has also been at the forefront in discussions about the post-Covid world, as countries look towards establishing a more resilient global economy, one able to better withstand such events in the future –– and “green gold” may well be a part of that future. Green gold, in a sense, can be considered the “gold of the future” due to its ethical and sustainable extraction process. Seasif produces green gold, with a department entirely dedicated to green, and has allocated economic incentives to its continued production.

Even as 2020 draws to a close, the future may still look uncertain. But for those searching for greater security, gold may be one of the few certainties left.

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Europe

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Spain?

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malaga andalusia spain

There are plenty of reasons why you may be thinking about living in Spain: its population is friendly and kind; its climate, especially in the coastal areas, is enviable; its gastronomy is incredible… but, what about its prices? What is the most affordable way to live in Spain?

Perhaps the most important question if you decided to go: would it be better to buy instead of renting a property in Spain. Or yet living in a Spanish residence?

Spanish cities where to live cheap and well

In the geographical variety that Spain presents, we can find many differences in average salaries and the standard of living that reside there would require. The areas of Galicia, Extremadura, Castilla y León, together with Almería and the south of Alicante usually have a lower price of euros/square meter in their homes. The quality of life is really appreciable, but you should know that there are fewer possibilities for business and transports.

The autonomous community of the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid, which have higher than average incomes (normally more than 24,000 euros per year), also have higher prices. However, Madrid has such a wide range of rents that it sometimes makes them cheaper than other countries. 

In addition, and taking into account the tourist seasons, the areas of Valencia and Andalusia are normally a preference when it comes to living in Spain for a while or even spending your retirement. Although day-to-day life can be more expensive than in other areas of Spain, the mild climate and variety of leisure options are often worth it in the long run. 

Whatever your option is when moving to another country, especially if you don’t know its legal system, can be very tiresome. That’s why our advice is to try to contact local agencies (that speak English) to give you fair and fruitful advice. For example, to move to Andalusia, we usually recommend Tejada solicitors

I have already decided on the place. Now what?

Well, if you have already fully immersed yourself in the streets of a beautiful city that we have talked about, what should be your first step?

Decide what kind of stay you want to be in (since your future economic situation will also depend on this: taxes, permits…). You may have already chosen, for example, property conveyancing in Marbella, but it is recommended that you also think about renting a property, because it can be very profitable while you are in your other place of residence.

To sum up, before moving to a Spanish city, decide if you want to spend a little more money per month in exchange for the exceptional conditions that their precious land can give you; secondly, contact a reliable agency that will help you make the best investment and even more, apply for a Spanish residency if you are decided to stay for a long time.

And remember: a move is always a new beginning.

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