Author: Nico Sesson Farre

Economics, Environment, Middle East and Africa

Blue Gold: The Precious Commodity of Tomorrow

In the north-western Tabuk province of Saudi Arabia, armies of diggers carve into the arid desert as they attempt to excavate a 170-kilometre line. This project is part of what is called Neom, ‘The Future of Civilization’, and emerges from ‘The Saudi Vision”, a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil and diversify its economy by developing its public-service sector. The project’s estimated cost … Continue reading Blue Gold: The Precious Commodity of Tomorrow

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Americas, International, US

Crossing Borders and Crossing lines: The International Impact of the Mexican Drug Trade

It is January 19th 2017 and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has just been extradited to the United States to face charges related to his running of the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico, the Sinaloa Cartel. The United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration, also known as the DEA, claims that this is a monumental victory that will be the beginning of the end for drug smuggling into America.  However, … Continue reading Crossing Borders and Crossing lines: The International Impact of the Mexican Drug Trade

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Development, History, Latin America

Venezuela: A Petrostate’s Fall from Grace and The Exodus of Its People

In 1976, Venezuela’s economy was booming amid an oil crisis, and Caracas (its capital) was one of only four destinations to which Concorde, the fastest and most expensive aircraft of its time, alighted. However, the Venezuela of 1976 is a world away from the Venezuela that is currently under the dictatorship of President Nicolas Maduro. In fact, from the 1950s to the early 1980s, Venezuela … Continue reading Venezuela: A Petrostate’s Fall from Grace and The Exodus of Its People

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Development, History, Middle East and Africa, Politics

From Guns to Gold: The Wagner Group’s exploitation of Africa and Ukraine

PMC (“Private Military Company”) Wagner, more commonly known as The Wagner Group, is a paramilitary organisation based in Russia. Founded in 2014, Yevgeny Prigozhin a Russian oligarch and a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin, took over the company shortly after its founding. The Wagner Group first came to prominence during the Donbas conflict in Ukraine from 2014 to 2015. The Wagner Group’s activities … Continue reading From Guns to Gold: The Wagner Group’s exploitation of Africa and Ukraine

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