Los diez peores líderes del mundo

The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/20/top-10-worst-world-leader_n_241456.html


N° 1. Kim Jong II De facto leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il rules over the most secretive, closed-off country in the world. He often makes news with various bouts of saber-rattling, such as the recent alleged nuclear test, and with reports of human rights abuses and a starving population.


N° 2. Robert Mugabe Ruler of Zimbabwe since its founding in 1980 with the ousting of the white-minority ruled Rhodesian government. Mugabe has overseen the complete decimation of what was once one of Africa's strongest economies and is regularly criticized for human rights abuses, especially during the 2008 presidential campaign when his goons oversaw an intimidation campaign of torture and murder against supporters of Morgan Tsvangirai.


N° 3. Than Shwe Ruler of Burma's military junta since 1992, Shwe's true colors were revealed to the international community in the aftermath of Nargis when he prohibited rescue and aid groups from reaching cyclone victims.


N° 4. Ayatolah Alí Khamenei Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1989, Khamenei is widely considered the ultimate authority in a state that feigns democracy while brutalizing its own people when they dissent. Khamenei has brought a heavy hand down on protesters of the disputed June 12 presidential election and shows no sign of bending anytime soon.


N° 5. Muammar al-Quaddafi Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1989, Khamenei is widely considered the ultimate authority in a state that feigns democracy while brutalizing its own people when they dissent. Khamenei has brought a heavy hand down on protesters of the disputed June 12 presidential election and shows no sign of bending anytime soon.


N° 6. Hugo Chávez President of Venezuela since 1998, Chavez has incrementally aimed to consolidate his power through referendums and constitutional amendments. While he touts his socialist credentials, Chavez has cracked down more and more on dissenters-- such as with his current campaign against the last remaining opposition TV channel Globovision. He is often criticized for harassing and unjustly prosecuting outspoken political opponents.


N° 7. Silvio Berlusconi On-and-off Prime Minister of Italy since 1994 and the third richest man in the country, Berlusconi frequents the international news media with various scandals that are usually centered around women. Berlusconi is currently going through a very public divorce from his wife Veronica Lario over his attendance to an 18-year-old girl's birthday party (he is 73), among other things. Among and endless selection of gaffes, Berlusconi once complimentred Barack Obama on his "suntan".


N° 8. Omar al-Bashir Ruler of Sudan since 1989, al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, namely in the Darfur region. Despite the warrant, he freely travels to sympathetic countries to flaunt his relative immunity among friends. 2.7 million people are believed to have been displaced since 2003 as a result of his military campaign against the Darfur rebels.


N° 9. Ju Jintao Paramount Leader of China and the Chinese Communist Party since 2002, Jintao often finds himself trapped between China's meteoric rise towards modernization and its history of harshly cracking down on dissent. The months leading up to the 2008 Beijing elections were reported to be particularly repressive against dissenters and the press, especially regarding Tibet. More recently, the Chinese state quelled violent Uighur-Han protests in Xinjiang province, leaving scores dead.


N° 10. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia since 1995, Abdullah often presents himself as a reformist and peacemaker in the region while overseeing the most oppressive system against women in the world. Women's rights in Saudi Arabia remain so restricted that they must ask a male's permission to do basically anything, including working, studying, travelling, or marrying