2019-12-27: News Headlines

Prensa Latina (2019-12-27). Evo Morales marcha junto a las Madres de Plaza de Mayo en Argentina. peoplesworld.org BUENOS AIRES — A los pies de la pirámide emplazada en la Plaza de Mayo, testigo de tantas luchas en Argentina, el expresidente boliviano Evo Morales acompañó hoy la marcha dos mil 176 de esas madres que siguen pidiendo justicia por los desaparecidos de la última dictadura militar (1976-1983). Con whipalas multiplicadas junto a las …

Vijay Prashad (2019-12-27). The People of India Are Taking It to the Streets to Challenge Modi's Bigoted and Dishonest Government. counterpunch.org Every day and in every part of India, hundreds of thousands of people—mainly young people—gather on the streets to express their anger at the government. Their protests, like those of the protests in Chile, emerged out of one particular grievance but then have cascaded outward. They are angry at the government's attempt to define citizenship More

Vijay Prashad (2019-12-27). We are the ones who will awaken the dawn. mronline.org Millions of people are on the streets, from India to Chile. Democracy is both their promise and it is what has betrayed them. They aspire to the democratic spirit but find that democratic institutions—saturated by money and power—are inadequate. They are on the streets for more democracy, deeper democracy, a different kind of democracy. | Source

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-27). Six social leaders assassinated in past week in Colombia. peoplesdispatch.org The humanitarian tragedy in Colombia continues. In the past five days, too many families and communities have been shaken by the loss of loved ones who were targeted because of their commitment to fighting for peace and justice in the country. | Despite constant demands from movements to the government to take measures to protect the lives of social leaders, assassinations continue to occur with impunity. | Reinaldo Carrillo Vera: | Early on Christmas morning, while Reinaldo Carrillo Vera was celebrating with his family, three armed men came to his home on motorcycles and shot at him. He was immediately t…

repost (2019-12-27). Criminal War Monger Pelosi & Demos Appropriate Millions For War On Venezuela. indybay.org Criminal war monger Demo leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats joined Trump in supporting tens of millions of dollars to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

teleSUR (2019-12-27). Venezuela's Economy Will Grow in 2020 Despite US Blockade. telesurenglish.net In an interview with the international news agency Xinhua, the Venezuelan economist, Jesus Faria said that economic recovery is the number one issue on the country's agenda for 2020. | RELATED: | Venezuelan Oil Production Sets Historical Record in November | The also former Minister of Foreign Trade and International Investment of Venezuela (2016-2017) stated that "there is a perceived activation of trade and some productive activities as well as a stabilization of the oil activi…

WSWS (2019-12-27). Brazilian Workers Party joins Bolsonaro in imposing austerity, repressing strikes. wsws.org Relying on police brutality, Brazilian state governments, led by the PT, are imposing pension "reforms" that all but prevent workers from retiring.

teleSUR (2019-12-27). Lula To Fight Neoliberalism to Restore Democracy in Brazil. telesurenglish.net The former president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said Thursday that he has the will to fight to restore democracy in his country and to fight against the current situation of people under the government of Jair Bolsonaro. | RELATED: | Brazil's Senate Advances Bill That May Send Lula Back to Prison | In an exclusive interview for teleSUR, the Workers Party leader reiterated that the South American nation has "all the conditions to recover a democratic debate … and co…

Eds. (2019-12-27). Bolivia's free territory of Chapare has ousted the coup regime and is bracing for a bloody re-invasion. mronline.org Spending time with the union members of Chapare, who run society in a collective fashion, offers special insights into the resistance to the coup. They succeeded in expelling the police, but now fear a bloodbath in retaliation. | Source

yenisafak (2019-12-27). Bolsonaro signs law ending disciplinary detention for military police and firefighters. yenisafak.com Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed into law a bill that eliminates jail time as a punishment for military police and firefighters convicted of disciplinary offenses, according to the Official Gazette on Friday.All Brazilian states have 12 months to implement the necessary changes to their own legislation.

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Colombia: Farmer Leader Shot to Death in Front of His Family. telesurenglish.net The National Association of Farmer Users (ANUC) activist Reinaldo Carrillo was killed at dawn on Wednesday by hitmen who entered his house and shot him in front of his family in Pitalito town, Department of Huila, Colombia. | RELATED: | Violence in Colombia Continues As Social Leader Assassinated | "We reject the murder of Reinaldo Carrillo. He was a member of a group of people which expected the government to grant them the ownership title of a vacant land called La Conaca," sai…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Argentina: Evo Morales to Join the Plaza de Mayo Mothers' March. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's President in exile Evo Morales will join the traditional march that the Plaza de Mayo Mothers perform every Thursday to remember those who were disappeared, tortured and killed by the military dictatorship (1976-1983) in Argentina. | RELATED: | Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Identify 130th Missing Grandchild | This will be the 2,176th march t…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Argentina Suspends Amend to Mining Law Allowing Toxic Chemicals. telesurenglish.net The government of the province of Mendoza, in the east of Argentina, suspended the rule of the mining law 7.722 that was giving the green light to chemicals like cyanure and sulfuric acid, substances that are usually prohibited. | RELATED: | Argentina Limits Police Use of Electroshock Weapons | Environmental groups stated that the law violated general law in Argentina as well as environmental…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Chile: 245 Houses Destroyed by Forest Fires. telesurenglish.net The number of houses burned down in the high zone of Valparaiso, Chile totaled 245 on Thursday. | RELATED: | Chile: Massive Forest Fire Hits Valparaiso, 80 Homes Affected | Valparaiso Governor Jorge Martinez noted that more than 1,000 people were victims of the fire, and the final results of the disaster will be disclosed on Sunday. | The official explained that the fire has not yet been controlled, although it no longer prese…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Colombian Attorney Asks to Stop Murder of Social Leaders. telesurenglish.net The Colombian attorney general, Fernando Carrillo, urged the government of Colombia led by Iván Duque to stop the systematic murder of social leaders in that country. | RELATED: | Colombia: Farmers Leader Shot to Deat in Front of His Family | The official urged the Government, through his Twitter account, to convene the National Security Guarantees Commission "immediately and ensure its operation." | He added that the threat against social leaders in Colombia "is latent and must…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Brazil: Comedians Attacked by Militia After Film on 'Gay Jesus'. telesurenglish.net Brazil's far-right militia "Command of the People's Nationalist Insurgency" launched Molotov cocktails to the headquarters of the comedy group Porta dos Fundos in Rio de Janeiro on Christmas Eve, an action which represents a retaliation to a Netflix film depicting Jesus as gay. | RELATED: | UN Accuses Brazil's Bolsonaro of Violating Anti-Torture Pact | "The Command of the People's Nationalist Insurgency attacked the headquarters of Porta dos Fundos‚Äã‚Ä&atilde…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Bolsonaro Says He Had Partial Memory Loss From Bathroom Fall. telesurenglish.net Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday night that he briefly lost his memory after falling at his presidential residence in Brasilia, the capital, earlier this week. | RELATED: | Brazil: Comedians Attacked by Militia After Film on 'Gay Jesus' | The president's office disclosed on Monday that Bolsonaro, 64, had suffered a fall and was taken to a hospital Monday night for a brain scan, which detected no abnormalities. Bolsonaro spent the night in the hospital a…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). Mexico Reiterates Demand that Bolivia End Siege on Embassy. telesurenglish.net The Mexican government, under the leadership of Andrés López Obrador (AMLO), reiterated its complaint about the " harassment " and "intimidation" of its embassy staf at the official mission's residence in La Paz, Bolivia. Since the coup d'etat in Bolivia, at least nine people have taken refuge at the embassy in La, Paz. | RELATED: | Mexico Under Alert for Popocatépetl Volcano Eruption | In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the "intimidation" by Bolivian…

teleSUR (2019-12-26). McDonald's Franchise Violated Safety Laws: Peruvian Watchdog. telesurenglish.net Peru ¥s labor watchdog has found McDonald's Corp ¥s Latin America franchisee Arcos Dorados guilty of six "very serious" violations of local safety and health laws following the deaths of two employees in a restaurant kitchen. | RELATED: | Peru: McDonald's Shuts for Inspection After Employee Deaths | The Labor Ministry's regulating body (Sunafil) prop…

Staff (2019-12-26). Headlines for December 26, 2019. democracynow.org Murkowski "Disturbed" by McConnell's "Coordination" with White House for Impeachment Trial, Trump Attacks Windmills with a Series of False Claims, The Intercept: Bloomberg Used Prison Labor to Make 2020 Campaign Calls, Thousands of Syrian Civilians Flee Government Offensive in Idlib, 35 Civilians Killed in Attack in Burkina Faso, China Calls on U.S. to Take "Concrete Steps" Toward Peace with North Korea, At Least 21 Killed as Typhoon Phanfone Slams into the Philippines, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Recalled After Criticizing Criminalization of Homosexuality, Evo Morales Vows to Return to Bolivia by Next Christmas, H…

Ollie Vargas (2019-12-25). Bolivia's free territory of Chapare has ousted the coup regime and is bracing for a bloody re-invasion. thegrayzone.com Spending time with the union members of Chapare, who run society in a collective fashion, offers special insights into the…

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-25). Around the world 75: Anti CAA protests in India and more. peoplesdispatch.org We also take a look at the attempts by coup regime in Bolivia to target Mexican embassy, and the repression against leftist and pro-democracy activists in Swaziland.

teleSUR (2019-12-25). Evo Morales: Christmas, Struggle and Resistance From Argentina. telesurenglish.net The former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales celebrated Christmas early Wednesday with a group of children from the Bolivian community in Argentina and called for "peace, solidarity and reconciliation" for his country. | RELATED: | Mexico Accuses Bolivia of Intimidating Its Diplomats in La Paz | The Bolivian leader, who was forced to resign after a coup d'état against his government on Nov.10, shared a Christmas breakfast with the children of the Bolivian community that was sha…

teleSUR (2019-12-25). Victims of Eye Trauma in Chile Demand Reparations. telesurenglish.net The Eye Trauma Victims rights group demanded Wednesday that the government of Chile guarantee effective reparations for the injured people and bring to justice those responsible for abuses of human rights. | RELATED: | Chile Human Rights Abuses Worst Since Dictatorship: NHRI Warns | Marta Valdes, the spokeswoman of the organization, declared that in spite of the government's promise – made on Nov. 11 – of implementing an eye reparation program for the victims of State violence, th…

teleSUR (2019-12-25). Violence in Colombia Continues As Social Leader Assassinated. telesurenglish.net Social leader Lucy Villarreal was assassinated in the Llorente Commuity, Tumaco municipality (southwest), reported the Social Process of Warranties for the work of human rights on Tuesday. | RELATED: | Colombia: Death of Student Remains in Impunity After One Month | Villarreal, a mother of two who worked for the promotion of culture in her territory and the defense of human rights, was assassinated after finishing a workshop with children, reported the local Contagio Radio.

teleSUR (2019-12-25). Mexico Under Alert for Popocatépetl Volcano Eruption. telesurenglish.net Mexican authorities declared a state of alert after emissions of ash and volcanic gases were recorded in the Popocatépetl volcano, in central Mexico, in the territorial limits of the states of Morelos, Puebla and the state of Mexico, as reported by the Coordinating National Civil Protection. | RELATED: | Bolivian Police Asks Mexican Embassy to Hand Over Refugees | The volcano, with a height of 5,426 meters, has erupted by a crater located about 70 kilometers from the capital, about…

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-24). "Water is worth more than gold": Mendoza, Argentina rejects advance of extractive industry. peoplesdispatch.org The province of Mendoza has been suffering from water crisis for more than 11 years and mining activities would be further aggravate the crisis…

Eds. (2019-12-23). Chile: TV broadcast live when two armored cars crushed citizen. mronline.org Real-time scenes evidenced once again how the Chilean state acts with rampant and absurd violence. | Source

Eds. (2019-12-23). The vanguard of Chavism has a woman's face: A chronicle of their resistance in 2019. mronline.org In the middle of the year, we Venezuelans received a visit from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michel Bachelet, on the occasion of meeting with the different political actors in the country to "evaluate" the complex economic and social environment brought about by the White House's decision. | Source

Ricardo Vaz (2019-12-23). Venezuela Repels 'Terrorist' Attack on Military Bases, 1 Soldier Dead. venezuelanalysis.com The assailants stormed several military installations before being engaged by the Venezuelan army.

news.un (2019-12-23). Much work needed to 'target unacceptable levels' of racism in Ecuador: UN experts. news.un.org Ecuador must implement and enforce laws and policies to protect the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians, the UN Working Group on People of African Descent said on Monday, calling for an end to the "discrimination, exclusion and extreme poverty they suffer."

Binoy Kampmark (2019-12-21). Medical Opinion, Torture, and Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in …

Alan Macleod (2019-12-20). Media, Human Rights Groups Silent Over Politically-Motivated Murder of Journalist in Bolivia. mintpressnews.com Sebastian Moro's last known words before he was found were denouncing the kidnappings of government officials and mob attacks on journalists and media outlets.

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-20). Notes on a private TV newscast in Bolivia. The contrast with Venezuela is clear as day. zcomm.org In August, I took detailed notes a news broadcast on one of Venezuela's largest TV networks. I summarized these notes in an interview I did with the Real News Network making the point that Venezuela's private media (which reaches 60-90% of households) is remarkably free — most especially when you consider the US is openly Read more…

Staff (2019-12-20). Headlines for December 20, 2019. democracynow.org Pelosi Delays Sending Impeachment Articles to Senate, 7 Democratic Candidates Debate in Los Angeles, Senate Passes $1.4 Trillion Spending Package, House Passes USMCA to Replace NAFTA, Protests Erupt in Lebanon as President Names New Prime Minister, Number of Killings by Police Soars in Brazil, Sudan Protesters Mark Anniversary of Uprising That Ousted Omar al-Bashir, Report: WA Republican Rep. Matt Shea Participated in Domestic Terrorism, Amazon Facing Criticism over Data Breach with Ring Home Security System…

Staff (2019-12-19). Chileans Demand New Constitution as Protests Continue. therealnews.com For two months, Chileans have been protesting all over the country on a daily basis.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-12-18). Venezuela: Guaido Introduces Remote Voting in Bid to Secure Reelection. venezuelanalysis.com The opposition leader has been under fire amid recent scandals.

Staff (2019-12-18). Headlines for December 18, 2019. democracynow.org House to Hold Historic Impeachment Vote Today, Top U.S. Diplomat to Ukraine William Taylor to Step Down, Rick Gates Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail and $20,000 Fine, FISA Court Orders FBI to Change National Security Wiretaps After DOJ Report, Democratic Primary Debate to Go Forward After Labor Dispute Resolved, Senate Approves One of the Most Expensive Military Spending Bills in U.S. History, Trump Meets with Outgoing Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Indian Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Controversial Citizenship Law, Strikes Continue Nationwide in France over Pension Overhaul, Bolivia's Evo Morales Names Two…

The Grayzone (2019-12-17). US Venezuelan embassy protectors denied right to fair trial. thegrayzone.com Four US activists protecting Venezuela's embassy in Washington, DC face prison time after the Trump administration illegally arrested them. And now…

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-17). Reuters Shields OAS Over False Claims That Sparked Bolivia Coup. fair.org Reuters ( 12/4/19) highlights the findings of the Organization of American States—while omitting the criticism of those findings. | Organization of American States (OAS) election monitors published a "final report" on December 4— 22 days later than promised—on Bolivia's October 20 presidential election, won by President Evo Morales. The tardy release of the fin…

Candice Yanez (2019-12-16). Viral Chilean feminist anthem reveals powerful international sentiment against sexual violence. liberationnews.org The protest song was first performed for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 20 in Valparaíso, Chile.

Staff (2019-12-16). Argentines Celebrate Inauguration of New Center-Left Government. therealnews.com As President Alberto Fernandez and VP Cristina Fernandez take over in Argentina, expectations are high that the new government will reverse the neoliberal policies of the previous government and emphasize progressive social policies.

Anya Parampil (2019-12-16). Why Elliott Abrams is Smurf villain Gargamel. thegrayzone.com Trump Administration Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abram is not only the spitting image of Gargamel; the Smurfs are a…

Paul Dobson (2019-12-16). ALBA Summit: Venezuela Promises to Relaunch PetroCaribe in 2020. venezuelanalysis.com Heads of state also pledged to bolster various regional social programs including the Miracle Mission and Latin American Medical Schools.

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-16). Francisco Rodriguez answers some questions I asked about Venezuela. zcomm.org Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez, formerly of Torino Economics, answered a few questions of mine about his country. He was the economic adviser to Henri Falcon, the second place finisher in the May 2018 presidential election. His updated estimate for 2019 is that Venezuela's real GDP will contract by 25% . That's horrific, but less severe Read more…

Wyatt Reed (2019-12-15). While Evo's MAS party regroups, Bolivia's coup leaders are eating each other alive. thegrayzone.com Humiliating scandals are destroying right-wing leader Luis Fernando Camacho and the right is fracturing as a more militant MAS party…

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-15). 123 Reuters articles on Bolivia since October 20, 2019 election with no mention of expert criticism of OAS audit UPDATED. zcomm.org 'I'll be back' within a year, ousted Bolivian leader Morales vows Mexico says surveillance of embassy in Bolivia has eased after spat Mexico accuses Bolivia of intimidating its diplomats in La Paz Bolivia announces entry into Lima Group to resolve Venezuelan crisis Bolivia's ex-president Morales plans party rally on Argentina border Bolivian lawmakers appoint tribunal Read more…

Ben Norton (2019-12-14). Gobierno de EEUU retira los cargos falsos contra periodista Max Blumenthal. thegrayzone.com El gobierno estadounidense desistió la causa basada en falsas acusaciones de agresión contra el editor de The Grayzone Max Blumenthal…

Anya Parampil (2019-12-12). Latin America says 'No to neoliberalism': Ecuador's ex-foreign minister talks uprisings and Assange. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone premieres its new show Red Lines with Anya Parampil with an interview with the former foreign minister of…

Ricardo Vaz (2019-12-11). Venezuela Oil Production Continues Slow Recovery. venezuelanalysis.com According to state oil company PDVSA, production is again approaching one million barrels per day.