baxter
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Ever heard of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema?
Ever heard a western Government condem him?
He’s the President of Equatorial Guinea,
Locally known as El Presidento.
I work in the oil industry and my last job took me down to Equatorial Guinea, I was to stay for two weeks but circumstances brought me back early, nevertheless here is what I saw, heard and felt while down there.
We arrived at Malabo airport to be met by our new escorts who saw us through customs, security check and immigration, at each stage a bribe was paid.
Once outside the airport we were told by our new escorts to get in the car and they would drive us to the company “Safe “house. On the way we were stopped four times at check points by armed military types, bribes were paid and on we went. Our new escorts told us under no circumstances were we to look at the military, avoid eye contact at all times.
Malabo is a sprawling slum with a central run way right through it, on each side of this road the poverty is jaw dropping and the stench is unbelievable, anyway we finally got to the save house. The complex was surrounded by ten foot brick wall, with glass on top and an armed guard at the entrance.
We were told under no circumstances were we to leave the complex unless escorted.
From the complex we could see many parts of the city, it was grim and basic.
We got talking to other guys who had been down there some time; some had been going down for a while.
I asked about “El Presidento”, he’s a military dictator, who rules with brutal oppression, was the general picture that was painted. A man who, word as it, murdered his own Uncle to secure power. His security forces have absolute power and human rights are non existent.
So there I was in a country ruled by a brutal military dictator.
The revenue “El Presidento” gets from the oil must be in the millions. Was he ploughing it into the countries infra structure, building new hospitals, schools, addressing the rampant Aids Crisis or even creating some sort of welfare state…..em not from what I saw, he was building a new palace for himself and his entourage , whom all drive around in matching black Mercs.
I promised myself I would look at this guy when I got home and the truth is he is a nasty tin pot dictator, getting rich from oil and our Governments support him, our international oil companies have stuck deals with him worth millions.
Our Governments know what he is.
In some future time when some West African State erupts into civil war and our leaders rush to condemn this guy or that guy, remember right now our policy makers aren’t condemning anybody, after all we’re getting the oil.
I mean what harm can done by getting into bed with military Dictators, in foreign lands? It’s not as though we haven’t done it before.
Sorry for rambling guys, but it’s just kind of in my mind.
You might not have heard of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, but I fear we will all know all about this guy at some stage in the future.
Ever heard a western Government condem him?
He’s the President of Equatorial Guinea,
Locally known as El Presidento.
I work in the oil industry and my last job took me down to Equatorial Guinea, I was to stay for two weeks but circumstances brought me back early, nevertheless here is what I saw, heard and felt while down there.
We arrived at Malabo airport to be met by our new escorts who saw us through customs, security check and immigration, at each stage a bribe was paid.
Once outside the airport we were told by our new escorts to get in the car and they would drive us to the company “Safe “house. On the way we were stopped four times at check points by armed military types, bribes were paid and on we went. Our new escorts told us under no circumstances were we to look at the military, avoid eye contact at all times.
Malabo is a sprawling slum with a central run way right through it, on each side of this road the poverty is jaw dropping and the stench is unbelievable, anyway we finally got to the save house. The complex was surrounded by ten foot brick wall, with glass on top and an armed guard at the entrance.
We were told under no circumstances were we to leave the complex unless escorted.
From the complex we could see many parts of the city, it was grim and basic.
We got talking to other guys who had been down there some time; some had been going down for a while.
I asked about “El Presidento”, he’s a military dictator, who rules with brutal oppression, was the general picture that was painted. A man who, word as it, murdered his own Uncle to secure power. His security forces have absolute power and human rights are non existent.
So there I was in a country ruled by a brutal military dictator.
The revenue “El Presidento” gets from the oil must be in the millions. Was he ploughing it into the countries infra structure, building new hospitals, schools, addressing the rampant Aids Crisis or even creating some sort of welfare state…..em not from what I saw, he was building a new palace for himself and his entourage , whom all drive around in matching black Mercs.
I promised myself I would look at this guy when I got home and the truth is he is a nasty tin pot dictator, getting rich from oil and our Governments support him, our international oil companies have stuck deals with him worth millions.
Our Governments know what he is.
In some future time when some West African State erupts into civil war and our leaders rush to condemn this guy or that guy, remember right now our policy makers aren’t condemning anybody, after all we’re getting the oil.
I mean what harm can done by getting into bed with military Dictators, in foreign lands? It’s not as though we haven’t done it before.
Sorry for rambling guys, but it’s just kind of in my mind.
You might not have heard of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, but I fear we will all know all about this guy at some stage in the future.
