Holiday in the Axis of Evil

On the western Caspian Sea coast lies the Republic of Azerbaijan. This former Soviet Republic emerged out of post-Soviet wars and chaos roughly along the lines of it's borders within the Soviet Union. It's rich in oil, which means Western corporations were eager to jump into this newly-opened market as soon as the worst turmoils calmed down.

Heydar Aliyev billboard right in front of my hotel

Major oil companies have their interests there. However, the for example BP regional HQ for the Southern Caucasus is in Tbilisi. Which points out the main point of interest of Azerbaijan: it is a fairly nasty place.

Father & Son

Run since independence by Heydar Aliyev, it's a joke of a democracy. Media is restricted, officials are corrupt, effort put into keeping people ignorant and the wealth is shared with about 10 families surrounding the President. When Heydar Aliyev died in 2003, he was succeeded by nobody less than his own son.

Puzzle: find the Heydar Aliyev advertising

With no intention of moving anywhere beyond an oil-fueled olicharchy he sits firmly in the saddle. The fact that this happens right under the noses of all NGO's in the region and the EU makes no difference.

The newly built "Presidential Palace of the Republic"

As long as they keep supplying oil to the West (with obviously the US at the head of the parade) nobody will point a finger at their comfortable almost feudal positions of wealth and power and their second-rank dictatorship. And Aliyev knows that damn well.

N.B. Pictures courtesy of my good friend Vincent "Vinnie" Boot. Primary objective: get imagery safely out of the country in order to reach Tbilisi-based laptop. Status: phone lost, FAILED. ;-)