(2019-08-23). The Amazon Is Burning Because the World Eats So Much Meat. commondreams.org A satellite image from NASA shows the fires raging in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil in August 2019. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/fires_1.jpeg …
(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
(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.
(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 …
(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…
(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
(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…
(2019-08-23). Bolsonaro Wants to Occupy the Amazon to Obstruct Multiracial Conservation Plans. truthout.org | | Leaked 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…
(2019-08-23). #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…
(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
(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 …
(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…
(2019-08-23). Joint Statement on the Amazon Rainforest Fires and Brazilian President Jair Bolonsaro's War on Indignenous. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-08-23). Mercosur-EFTA Sign Trade Accord After 20 Years of Negotiations. telesurenglish.net In a historic signing, countries within Mercosur and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) came to a free trade agreement Friday after 23 years of negotiations. | RELATED: | 'Brazil to Leave Mercosur if Cristina Wins', Minister Guedes | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called the document, "another great victory for our commercial opening and diplomacy," who currently presides over the Mercosur bloc, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The head of state,…
(2019-08-23). As Amazon burns, Brazilians Disrupt Minister of the Environment Presentation Demanding Climate Action. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(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…
(2019-08-23). Views of Destruction: Satellite Images Reveal Devastating Amazon Fires in Almost Real-Time. commondreams.org With near-daily overflights and high-resolution imagery, Planet's constellation of satellites is providing a clear look at some of the fires now burning in the Brazilian Amazon | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/amazon_rainforest_satellite_images.jpg …
(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
(2019-08-23). Mura Indigenous Tribe Vows to Protect Sacred Amazon Land. telesurenglish.net A record number of wildfires have raged for weeks and are decimating the Brazilian Amazon, the world's largest tropical rainforest whose protection scientists say is critical to the fight against climate change. | The blazes have nearly doubled this year compared with the same period in 2018, according to Brazilian officials, prompting a global outcry. | The wildfires come against the backdrop of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who has railed against environmental fines for farmers and called for indigenous reserves and other protected areas to be opened up for development. | The Mura tribe has long had…
(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 …
(2019-08-23). Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez' Malignant Tumor Confirmed. telesurenglish.net The president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, underwent surgery on Friday to confirm the extent of the pulmonary nodule that was diagnosed in recent days. | Medical tests revealed that the Uruguayan president has a malignant tumor in the right lung, local media reported. | "On this day (Friday) the planned diagnostic intervention was performed in which the presence of a malignant tumor was confirmed. The final report will be available in the next few days," said the medical statement. | La Presidencia de Uruguay publicó hace minutos un comunicado señalando que ya "se realizó la intervención diagnóstica prevista"
(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 …
(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."
(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…
(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.
(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…
(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…
(2019-08-23). 'Our Lungs Are on Fire': Climate Campaigners Rally at Brazilian Embassies to Protest Destruction of Amazon Rainforest. commondreams.org "We need governments around the world to speak up against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro—and put pressure on him to stop these devastating fires and protect the Amazon." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/amazon_bolsonaro.jpg …
(2019-08-22). Record number of fires burning in Amazon rainforest. nationofchange.org 
There are a record number of wildfires burning in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil's space agency has said. Their smoke is visible from space and shrouded the city of Sà£o Paulo in darkness for about an hour Monday afternoon, CBS news reported. "It was as if the day had turned into night," Sà£o Paulo resident Gianvitor Dias told BBC News of the …
(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
(2019-08-22). Jesus Santrich Given Interpol Red Notice. telesurenglish.net Interpol have officially issued a red notice for the arrest of FARC leader Jesus Santrich, following his no-show at a scheduled court appearance in Colombia, and failure to inform authorities of his whereabouts. Santrich helped negotiate the 2016 peace agreements which many say are breaking down due to the state not meeting its obligations. | RELATED: | Colombian Indigenous Peoples Declare Emergency in Cauca Valley | While at a FARC reintegration ca…
(2019-08-22). Bolivia Orders World's Largest Air Tanker to Combat Amazon Fires. telesurenglish.net 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 have that spilled over from Brazil. By Wednesday evening, the government confirmed that the tanker is arriving in the country and will be operational on Friday. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Evo Morales Visits Fire-Affected Eastern Region | The 'Supertanker' can carry more water tha…
(2019-08-22). Police Killings Reaches Historic Record in Rio de Janeiro. telesurenglish.net The mega-city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil recorded a 49 percent increase in civilian deaths at the hands of police in July compared to the same month last year, making it the highest number of deaths by security forces on record since tracking began in 1998, official sources say. | RELATED: | Brazilian Congress Committee Approves US to Use Alcantara Base | A total of 194 people were killed by the police in July – that's more than six deaths per day, on average, that took place…
(2019-08-22). Brazilian Government's Failures are Fueling Wildfires Across the Amazon. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(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.
(2019-08-22). Panama to US: We Won't be Your 'Safe Third Country'. telesurenglish.net The Trump administration is looking to turn all of Central America into a 'safe third country', but Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo says that's "not viable" in his nation. | RELATED: | Won't Block Venezuela Ships Despite US Sanctions, Panama Claims | Newly-inaugurated President Cortizo ruled out the possibility of signing an agreement with the United States to make Panama a 'safe third country' to asylum seekers not allowed to stay within the U.S. while they await their…
(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…
(2019-08-22). Bolsonaro's 'Disastrous' Policies on Amazon Led to Fires, Say Observers. commondreams.org "We must stand together behind the Indigenous communities and leaders across the Amazon region—from Brazil to Ecuador and beyond. For them the Amazon is more than the lungs of the world, it is their home." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/amazon_fires_0.jpg …
(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 WashMessages 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 to jail Brazil'
(2019-08-22). 'International emergency' as fires devastate Brazil's rainforest. greenleft.org.au 
environment Jake JohnsonIssue 1234 Brazil Amazon forest fires climate changeThe hashtag #PrayForAmazonia went viral…
(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 (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
(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…
(2019-08-20). Lula: "U.S. hand" on everything that's happened in Brazil. mronline.org 
In an interview with Bob Fernandes, on TVE Bahia, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the U.S. government "created the Lava Jato investigation to take our oil." | Source
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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, …
(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.
(2019-08-19). UN refugee chief impressed with Brazil's 'exemplary' response to plight of fleeing Venezuelans. un.org While praising the "efficient, coordinated, humane and innovative response" by Brazil on behalf of fleeing Venezuelans, the UN refugee chief has said that the sheer number of those on the run is proving to be a major challenge, calling for greater international support.