2019-08-24: News Headlines

Manuella Libardi (2019-08-24). Leaked documents show Brazil's Bolsonaro has grave plans for Amazon rainforest. nationofchange.org eaked documents show that Jair Bolsonaro's government intends to use the Brazilian president's hate speech to isolate minorities living in the Amazon region. The PowerPoint slides, which democraciaAbierta has seen, also reveal plans to implement predatory projects that could have a devastating environmental impact. | The Bolsonaro government has as one of its priorities to strategically occupy the Amazon region to prevent the implementation of multilateral conservation projects for the rainforest, specifically the so-called "Triple A" project. | "Development projects must be implemented on the Amazon basin to…

Staff (2019-08-24). Brazilian Troops Deploy to Fight Amazon Fires. truthdig.com RIO DE JANEIRO— Backed by military aircraft, Brazilian troops on Saturday were deploying in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region and prompted anti-government protests as well as an international outcry. | President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to temper global concern, saying previously deforested areas had burned and that intact rainforest was spared. Even so, the fires were likely to be urgently discussed at a summit of the Group of Seven leaders in France this weekend. | Some 44,000 troops will be available for "unprecedented" operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to six Br…

WSWS (2019-08-24). US commander says navy ready for Venezuela intervention. wsws.org The threat by the head of the US Southern Command came as both Trump and Maduro confirmed that US and Venezuelan officials have been holding direct talks.

Brasil Solidarity Network & others (2019-08-24). #SaveTheAmazon: Action at Brazilian Consulate in Solidarity w/ Amazon's Indigenous Peoples. indybay.org Brazilian Consulate | 300 Montgomery Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94104…

Basav Sen (2019-08-24). Brazil Isn't the Only Far-Right Government Destroying the Planet. progressive.org As the Amazon burns, the terrifying parallels between the U.S. and Brazilian governments highlight the damage authoritarian leaders are doing.

Staff (2019-08-23). Bolivian Mine Workers Strike Against one of World's Largest Mining Corporations. therealnews.com The Japanese Sumitomo corporation runs one of the world's largest zinc, copper, and lead mines in Bolivia, where it has been denying workers overtime pay, despite a court order to pay them. We talk to the mine workers' union president, Henry Cayo…

Mark Gruenberg (2019-08-23). Climate change, Amazon fires come to France with G7 protests. peoplesworld.org BIARRITZ, France—The continuing controversy over international action — or lack of it — to deal with climate change, and the latest big threat to the environment, the massive Brazilian Amazonian wildfires, will descend on the G7 summit here this weekend. The object: To force the leaders of the world's top industrialized nations to do something …

Vijay Prashad (2019-08-23). Hybrid wars are destroying Democracies. mronline.org In Brazil recently, I gave an interview to Brasil de Fato, which was born in 2003 as the weekly magazine of the World Social Forum. It is now one of the most important windows into Brazil's political world. The newsletter this week carries the text of most of the interview. | Source

Staff (2019-08-23). Bolsonaro May Send Army to Fight Massive Amazon Fires. truthdig.com France accuses the Brazilian leader of lying over his commitment to save the rainforest, which is seen as crucial to slowing global warming.

John Catalinotto (2019-08-23). Pre-elections indicate defeat for pro-imperialist Macri. workers.org It is rare that primary elections hit the news cycle like a thunderclap. Yet political observers across Latin America see the Aug. 11 primary in Argentina as indicating a continental shift, reversing the right-wing wave in that region. Some even call it a setback for Donald Trump. Mauricio Macri had . . . | Continue reading Pre-elections indicate defeat for pro-imperialist Macri at Workers.org

Staff (2019-08-23). Argentina's Economic Crisis Deepens as Macri Applies IMF Measures. therealnews.com President Macri is trying to blame his predecessor and likely successor in office, Cristina Fernandez and Alberto Fernandez for Argentina's steep economic crisis. However, the IMF plan he is applying lays out very clearly where the real blame lies, says CEPR's Mark Weisbrot…

Staff (2019-08-23). Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest. truthout.org | | The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle…

Telesur (2019-08-23). Bolivia Orders World's Largest Air Tanker to Combat Amazon Fires. globalresearch.ca Bolivia's President Evo Morales announced on Wednesday that Bolivia had contracted a Boeing 747 'Supertanker' to help extinguish huge forest fires in the Amazon that have that spilled over from Brazil. By Wednesday evening, the government confirmed that the tanker …

Global Research News (2019-08-23). US Navy "Ready" to "Restore Democracy" in Venezuela through Military Means? globalresearch.ca "I'm not going to detail what we're planning and what we're doing, but we're ready to implement policy decisions, and we're ready to act … | The United States Navy is the most powerful navy in the world. … | If there …

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-23). Venezuela's Maduro Confirms Secret Trump Talks as US Navy 'Ready' For Action. venezuelanalysis.com US Southern Command chief said US Navy will "do what needs to be done."

Helder F. do Vale (2019-08-23). Brazil: From Global Leader to U.S. Lapdog. counterpunch.org Brazil recently gained the vaunted status of "Major Non-NATO Ally." This title symbolizes the new, preferential relationship that Brazil has been pursuing with the U.S. as a result of the continued efforts by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to inaugurate a new phase in Brazil's global role. Bolsonaro's presidency has initiated deep changes in Brazilian foreign More

Michael Snyder (2019-08-23). The "Lungs of the Earth" Are Literally Being Burned Away as Unprecedented Wildfires Absolutely Ravage Our Planet. globalresearch.ca We have never seen anything quite like this. This week the skies above Brazil's largest city turned black in the middle of the afternoon due to the massive wildfires that are currently raging in that country. But the wildfires aren't …

Tierra Curry (2019-08-23). Amazon Fires Put the Planet at Risk. counterpunch.org In Brazil, the Amazon rainforest is now burning at a record rate. The greedy, short-sighted policies of Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro are jeopardizing indigenous peoples and countless plants and animals. Indeed, in the midst of a climate emergency, Bolsonaro's policies to slash environmental protections and develop the Amazon for mining, ranching and farming jeopardize More

Lee Fang (2019-08-23). GOP Lobbyists Help Brazil Recruit U.S. Companies to Exploit the Amazon. theintercept.com This summer, fires are being used to clear wide swaths of the Amazon at an unprecedented rate. One-fifth of the Amazon has already been destroyed in the past 50 years; further industrialization of the rainforest risks destroying another fifth, a loss that would be catastrophic for the global ecosystem. | The disaster is widely blamed on interests seeking to clear the world's largest rainforest for cattle ranching, mining, and export-focused agribusiness. Documents reveal that those interests a…

Staff (2019-08-23). How Jair Bolsonaro Emboldened Brazilian Agribusiness to Torch the Amazon & Attack Indigenous People. democracynow.org The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…

Staff (2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley on the Dangers of a New Nuclear Arms Race & Why He Backs the Green New Deal. democracynow.org Fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is mounting. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to prepare for what he called a "symmetrical response" after the U.S. tested what it said was a nonnuclear cruise missile earlier this week. The U.S. launch was the first test of its kind since the Trump administration withdrew from the INF. We speak to Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon about U.S. nuclear policy, as well as the Green New Deal, President Trump's wish to buy Greenland and more.

Robert Scheer (2019-08-23). The Latest Victim in the Crucifixion of Julian Assange. truthdig.com The case of Ola Bini, a Swedish data privacy activist and associate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has been shrouded in mystery since his arrest in Quito, Ecuador, on April 11. He was detained on the same day Assange was forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in the United Kingdom, inevitably raising questions about whether Bini was being held because of his connection with Assange and whether the United States was involved in the case in some form. | Bini, who initially…

Staff (2019-08-23). Headlines for August 23, 2019. democracynow.org U.N. Calls for Protection of the Amazon as Rainforest Burns at Record Pace, Indigenous Communities Say Brazil's President Is Encouraging Destruction of Forests, Bernie Sanders Unveils Ambitious Green New Deal to Avert Climate Catastrophe, Democratic Leaders Reject Resolution Calling for Candidate Climate Debate, French Authorities to Crack Down on Protest as 13,000 Police Mobilize for G7 Summit, Syrian Forces Encircle Last Major Rebel-Held Stronghold in Hama Province, U.N.: Burmese Troops Had "Genocidal Intent" in Targeting Rohingya for Sexual Violence, Indonesia Deploys Troops to Quell Independence Protests in W…

Lyn Neeley (2019-08-22). Bolivarian revolution and Black liberation. workers.org Portland's Hands Off Venezuela PDX sponsored a Skype teach-in on Aug. 17 with Dr. Layla Brown-Vincent, an assistant professor of Africana Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, who spoke about the role of racism in Bolivarian Venezuela to a room of 25 Oregonians. She said, "Just as Haiti . . . | Continue reading Bolivarian revolution and Black liberation at Workers.org

United Nations (2019-08-22). FROM THE FIELD: Argentina Preserving Pristine Forests. un.org Thousands of species of animals and plants which are indigenous to a vast forest in Argentina could be saved thanks to a partnership between the United Nations and the South American country.

susan_p (2019-08-22). Collusion in Brazil's judiciary brings the curtain down on the rule of law. greenleft.org.au corruption Tony RosenbergIssue 1234 Brazil Operation Car WashAugust 22, 2019Messages between Brazil's federal prosecutor, Deltan Dallagnol, who led Operaàßà£o Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash) and then-judge, Sergio Moro, have revealed that the evidence used…

Staff (2019-08-22). Headlines for August 22, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Exp…

Eds. (2019-08-21). Washington intensifies its collective punishment of Venezuelans. mronline.org Despite previous sanctions leading to over 40,000 deaths in Venezuela over two years, the U.S. is escalating its economic offensive. | Source

Naomi Klein (2019-08-21). Why the Democratic National Committee Must Change the Rules and Hold a Climate Debate. theintercept.com A girl holds a sign that reads "pull the emergency brake" at a ceremony to commemorate the Okjà∂kull glacier in Iceland, on Aug. 18, 2019. | recorded in human history. You are meeting on the same week that smoke from a record number of wildfires in the Amazon rainforest turned day into night in the Brazilian megapolis of Sà£o Paulo. And you are meeting just days after Iceland's prime minister led her country in its first Staff (2019-08-21). Meet Alvaro Enciso, the Artist Placing Crosses in Sonoran Desert to Memorialize Migrant Deaths. democracynow.org More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where he placed four unique markers to honor four immigrants killed in a car accident years ago as they fled from Border Patrol. In the past five years, Enciso, who is originally from Colombia, has built and installed over 900 crosses across the treacherous Sonoran Desert in Arizona as part o…

Fidel Narváez (2019-08-20). 40 rebuttals to the media's smears of Julian Assange — by someone who was actually there. thegrayzone.com A former diplomat who worked in the Ecuadorian embassy while Julian Assange lived there in asylum debunks 40 of CNN's…

Fight Back (2019-08-20). Say no to the McCarthyite attack on Chicago teachers. fightbacknews.org As the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) find itself locked in tough contract negotiations and faces the possibility of a strike, corporate and right-wing media like the Chicago Tribune, Breitbart and others have launched a bizarre attack that seems like it is straight out of the 1950s red scare. Rather than addressing the real problems impacting teachers and students in Chicago schools, these reactionary pundits have decided the rant and rave about – of all things – a delegation of teachers that traveled to Venezuela earlier this summer. | Here are the facts of the matter. A group of teachers who are also members of…

United Nations (2019-08-20). Tuesday's Daily Brief: water quality crisis, Yemen and Libya updates, Venezuelan children appeal, ocean protection. un.org This Tuesday, we cover: new report on water quality worldwide; Yemen envoy briefs the Security Council on Aden; intensifying clashes in southern Libya; UNICEF appeals for increased aid for Venezuela youngsters; and UN negotiations continue over a new ocean protection agreement.

unitedEditor (2019-08-19). Sudan agreement, Hong Kong Protests, Venezuela and Trade War. uwidata.com Sudan Agreement The first agreements between military and civilians have been reached in Sudan following months of turmoil. According to the newly signed constitutional declaration, a sovereign council will become the highest authority in Sudan during the transition period pending upcoming elections. The console will include five representatives of the military and five civilian figures, …

Fight Back (2019-08-19). Venezuela: Worker control vs. Trump's blockade. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Venezuela is a country where the dreams of the conscious workers of the world are being made real. It is a nation of 30 million people where, every day, the working class is becoming more conscious of its historic role in building socialism and taking steps to achieve it in the not so distant future. And in the face of an imperialist offensive that threatens them with starvation, where the threat of military invasion hangs over their heads like a storm cloud, they continue their struggle undeterred. | This past week, at the National Gathering of the Productive Worker Councils (CPTs), this stage of t…

Paul Dobson (2019-08-19). Venezuela Oil Production Continues Slump as US Embargo Deters Foreign Trade. venezuelanalysis.com July's production was 740,000 barrels per day, 4 percent lower than in June.

United Nations (2019-08-19). Monday's Daily Brief: World Humanitarian Day, Afghan massacre aftermath, Venezuelans in Brazil, Yemen war update, and reconciliation in Mali. un.org Our main stories today: Women celebrated on World Humanitarian Day; Afghanistan bloodshed mars 100 years of independence; Brazil's 'exemplary' response to Venezuelans; UN urges Yemen's warring parties to down weapons; and UN expert calls for Mali reconciliation efforts.

Brian Mier (2019-08-17). Media Blackout on Brazil's Anti-Bolsonaro Protests – Why are New York Times and Guardian downplaying resistance to Brazil's far-right president? fair.org August 13 protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Belo Horizonte, one of 211 cities where demonstrations took place (photo: Dowglas Silva). | Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of 211 cities on August 13 to protest far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's austerity cuts and privatization plans for the public university system. It was the third in series of national education strikes, dubbed "the Education Tsunamis,…

unitedEditor (2019-08-15). The US is already interfering in the upcoming Venezuelan elections. uwidata.com US President Donald Trump has maintained strong economic pressure against Venezuela, having signed numerous decrees blocking the assets of the Venezuelan authorities within US jurisdiction. Giants such as the Central Bank of Venezuela and the state-owned oil company PDVSA were also included in the sanctions list. Now, Washington has announced it will even impose sanctions …

Ben Norton (2019-08-14). PHOTOS: Venezuelans march against US embargo in enormous #NoMoreTrump protest. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone attends a massive march where hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Caracas to condemn the US…

TeleSUR English (2019-08-14). Venezuelan Opposition Journalist Served as Agent for US, UK Gov't. venezuelanalysis.com In a U.S. diplomatic cable, Bocaranda is dubbed a "reliable source" and to be "strictly protected."

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-14). Venezuela's Maduro Reshuffles Cabinet as Supreme Court Strips Three Opposition Lawmakers of Immunity. venezuelanalysis.com The National Constituent Assembly will also evaluate bringing forward legislative elections.

unitedEditor (2019-08-13). Safe Zone in Syria, Elections in Argentina and Guatemala, Ex-president of Kyrgyzstan arrested. uwidata.com Safe zone in Syria Turkish-American talks on creating a safe zone in northern Syria took place in Ankara this week. According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Turkey and the United States have agreed to establish a coordination center for joint operations in establishing the peace corridor. uwidata.com/4836-turkey-and-us-come-to-agreement-on-creation-of-security-zone/ Argentine elections On Sunday, primary elections took …

unitedEditor (2019-08-13). Results of Argentina's primary elections. uwidata.com Argentina recently held their primary elections for the leadership of the country. The so-called "PASO" elections are essentially a prelude to the general presidential elections. Those who receive less than 1.5% of the vote are barred from participating in the general elections which will take place in October. Peronism, represented by former Argentine president Cristina …

Paul Dobson (2019-08-12). Venezuela Secures New Chinese Oil Investment. venezuelanalysis.com The move defies the US embargo's secondary sanction provisions targeting foreign firms trading with Venezuela.

TeleSur English (2019-08-12). Worldwide Solidarity Rallies Held in Support of Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Rallies were held on Saturday across the world in support of Venezuela as the Bolivarian Republic faces an inhuman economic blockade imposed by the United States and their Western allies.

Gloria La Riva (2019-08-08). Se urgen acciones contra bloqueo de EEUU a Venezuela. liberationnews.org Con el anuncio de Trump del 6 de agosto imponiendo un bloqueo económico total a Venezuela, el presidente Nicolás Maduro ha hecho un llamado a los pueblos del mundo que se una a Venezuela el sábado 10 de agosto, con manifestaciones de solidaridad.

Gloria La Riva (2019-08-08). Actions urged against U.S. blockade of Venezuela. liberationnews.org With Trump's Aug. 6 announcement of a total U.S. economic blockade of Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro is calling on people worldwide to stand with Venezuela on Saturday, Aug. 10, with solidarity rallies.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-08). Venezuelan Gov't Suspends Dialogue as EU Criticizes US Embargo. venezuelanalysis.com The European Union objected to the "extraterritorial application of unilateral measures."

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-08). Venezuelan Campesinos' March on Miraflores Blocked by Police. venezuelanalysis.com The mobilization marked the one-year anniversary of the Admirable Campesino March.