2020-02-24: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-24). Assange's US extradition hearing begins: What's it all about and how did we get here? rt.com A London court is set to begin hearings to determine whether or not jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be extradited to the US on charges of conspiracy where he faces life in prison. | Assange has languished in London's top security Belmarsh Prison since he was dragged from London's Ecuadorian Embassy by British police in April last year and subsequently slapped with 18 charges under the US Espionage Act, which could see him sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. | The Australian journalist and whistleblower had, for the seven years prior, been living in the London embassy, where he had sought asylu…

Ben Norton (2020-02-24). Chile's US-backed gov't is shooting anti-austerity protesters, blinding and maiming by the thousands. thegrayzone.com Chile has responded to anti-neoliberal protests with brutally violent repression. 10,365 people have been detained; 3765 treated for wounds in…

teleSUR (2020-02-24). Viña Del Mar 2020 Starts in Chile Amid Large Protests. telesurenglish.net The Viña del Mar International Song Festival, which is held every year in this municipality of the Chilean city of Valparaiso, began this Sunday amid violent demonstrations in the surroundings of the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater, home of the most important musical event on the American continent. | RELATED: | Just minutes before Viña 2020 began, with the presentation of Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin on the Quin…

teleSUR (2020-02-24). Brazil Carnival: A Message of Protest Against Jair Bolsonaro. telesurenglish.net This weekend saw the start of Brazil's Carnival, the world's biggest party, which this time had a marked tone of protest against the current government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. | RELATED: | Men, women, and children from the samba schools of Rio de Janeiro and other cities of the country danced to the rhythm of samba while they paid homage to indigenous peopl…

teleSUR (2020-02-24). Geneva: Brazil Faces Accusations of Human Rights Violations. telesurenglish.net Brazil's government will face accusations of human rights violations at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. The South American country's government is under scrutiny for its violations of Indigenous rights and environmental protection. | RELATED: | According to Jamil Chade, columnist of the Universo Online portal, "it is particularly preoccupancy against the significant increase of the Amazonia burnings, after…

Andrew Korybko (2020-02-24). Venezuela's Next Economic Shock Might Come from India's Compliance with US Sanctions. globalresearch.ca India is Venezuela's largest oil customer but the two companies that import its oil just declared that they'll comply with the US' latest sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic's Russian intermediary, which could lead to the South American state experiencing an …

teleSUR (2020-02-24). At Least 120 Families Forcibly Displaced in Colombia. telesurenglish.net At least 120 families were displaced from the countryside zones of the Ituango municipality on Sunday, in the Colombian state of Antioquia. The displacement affects the resident of zones like Torrentes, San Juanillo, las Arañas, el Cedral, and Santa Ana. | RELATED: | Human rights organizations denounced this situation, pointing out the presence of armed groups in the area as the main reason for the movements. These vi…

Black Rose (2020-02-24). Rebellion In Chile – Movie and discussion night. indybay.org Hasta Muerte Coffee | 2701 Fruitvale Ave, | Oakland, California 94601…

Pierre LeBlanc (2020-02-24). The Lima Group Is More than Just About Venezuela. Scheduling More Coups and Color Revolutions in Latin America? globalresearch.ca At the behest of Donald Trump and Chrystia Freeland, the Lima Group met in Ottawa on February 20th, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Franàßois-Philippe Champagne dutifully mouthed their set lines and good Samaritan posturing in …

teleSUR (2020-02-24). Majority of Venezuelans Against U.S. Sanctions, Poll Reveals. telesurenglish.net More than 80% of Venezuelans disagree with the sanction measures imposed on Venezuela by the U.S government, as Hinteracles pollster indicates. | RELATED: | The survey, taken between January 29 to February 12, explored the opinion of Venezuelans in relation to the economic blockade imposed against the Bolivarian Republic by Washington. | To the question: "Who was the most affected by these measures", 84% of respondents affirme…

Steve Sweeney (2020-02-24). US 'Looking Very Carefully' at Silencing Socialist News Network Telesur. globalresearch.ca US Special envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams has said that the US is "looking very carefully" at taking "measures" against Telesur, in the latest threat to the socialist news network. | Mr Abrams said yesterday that the Trump administration was considering …

Hugo Turner (2020-02-24). Bolivia: Anatomy of a CIA Coup. globalresearch.ca Last November a horrifying coup took place overthrowing the socialist government of Bolivia and the nation's first indigenous president Evo Morales. It was a textbook example of a CIA coup recalling the dark days of Operation Condor when the …

Robert Abele (2020-02-24). The American Empire Will Fall if Humanity Stands Together. globalresearch.ca Empires despise laws. The U.S. Empire still desires to dominate Iran, Venezeula, Bolivia, Syria, and others, all in contravention of the United Nations Charter and the Geneva Conventions. When the Geneva Conventions and International Laws of War and Commerce were …

teleSUR (2020-02-23). Colombia: Protests Called Against Murders of Ex-FARC Members. telesurenglish.net The Colombian Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) party called for a new day of protests next Tuesday, to reject the recent killings of three former members in the northwestern department of Choco. | RELATED: | According to FARC Senator Victoria Sandino, the pot-banging (cacerolazo) will happen across the country in response to the government's silence, as it has ignored the party's requests for a meeting…

teleSUR (2020-02-23). Argentina and IMF To Advance On New Debt Payment Agreement. telesurenglish.net Argentina and the IMF announced Saturday that they are making progress in the negotiation of a new agreement for the South American country's debt, after a meeting held on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting in Saudi Arabia. | RELATED: | The managing director of the organism, Kristalina Georgieva, and the Argentinian Minister of Economy Martin Guzman took part in a meeting in which both sides highlighted the commitment to advance in th…

teleSUR (2020-02-23). Venezuelan Heroism Defeated Last Year's Invasion: Maduro. telesurenglish.net The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, recalled this Sunday the victory of the Venezuelan people before the aggression of violent groups at the service of the right on February 23, 2019 on the border with Colombia. | RELATED: | The President praised the courage of the people who together with the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fanb) defended Venezuela's sovereignty against the attempts of the U.S. administra…

teleSUR (2020-02-23). ALBA Rejects Disqualification of Evo Morales' Candidacy. telesurenglish.net Member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for America- Peoples' Trading Treaty (ALBA-TCP), denounced this Saturday the disqualification of former President Evo Morales as a candidate for the Bolivian Senate for the May 3 elections. | RELATED: | According to the statement issued by the regional body, the measure taken by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is further evidence of the continuing coup against Morale…

Eds. (2020-02-22). Politicizing water in Chile. mronline.org Chile is today in the midst of an unprecedented constituent process 30 years after the return of democracy, where the possibility of a new constitution has opened a discussion about what sort of country we want, and which rights should be enshrined in the drafting of this fundamental document. |

teleSUR (2020-02-22). Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas Set Triple Jump World Record: 15.43 m. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's 24-year-old athlete Yulimar Rojas Friday set a new triple jump indoor world record in Madrid, Spain, with a 15.43-meter mark. | RELATED: | This result was expected as she is not a rookie in athletics. She has already been twice the triple jump world champion and is the current Olympic runner-up in this specialty. | In Madrid, Rojas executed the best jump in the history of indoor athletics, reaching 15 meters…

teleSUR (2020-02-22). Washington Still Pondering a Naval Blockade Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The digital media Zero Hedge (ZH) Saturday published information holding that that the United States keeps on considering military actions as an option to overthrow RELATED: | More specifically, despite all the previous failed attempts to destabilize…

teleSUR (2020-02-22). Brazil: Carnival Opens Mocking Bolsonaro, 'The Clown President'. telesurenglish.net "Carnival has always been a political act. In the First Republic, the black population used Carnival to assert their autonomy. Today is a great space for political and social criticism. At Carnival, humor and sarcasm work as a weapon of political transgression," Eric Brasil, author of the book "The Court at the Party: Black Experiences in Rio de Janeiro Carnivals," told The Intercept Brazil. | And the politicization of the popular party is precisely what has been evident since the beginning of 2020 Carnival in dozens of cities in Brazil, a country where President Jair Bolsonaro seems to be the main promoter of ha…

teleSUR (2020-02-22). Bolivia: Tiquipaya Region Declared a Disaster Zone. telesurenglish.net In Bolivia, the Tiquipaya region in Cochabamba woke up on alert Saturday, after several areas were affected by the overflow of the Taquiña River while local authorities declared a disaster zone. | RELATED: | According to the latest report from the local authorities, 92 families and 22 homes have been affected, with 'Molle Molle' being the most affected area. Some families have lost everything and the danger conti…

Alan Macleod (2020-02-21). As Media Amplifies Unrest in Venezuela and Beyond, Millions Are Quietly Revolting in Colombia. mintpressnews.com Despite protests of historic proportions fueled by anger over corruption and a brutal right-wing crackdown, the unrest in Colombia has garnered remarkably little international media attention compared to Venezuela.

Vijay Prashad (2020-02-21). You write injustice on the Earth; we will write revolution in the skies. mronline.org 'Scientists are wrong', the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano said with a warm smile on his face. 'Human beings are not made of atoms; they are made of stories'. It is why we want to sing and draw, tell each other about our lives and our hopes, talk about the wonders in our lives and the […] |

Lucas Koerner (2020-02-21). EXCHANGE: Left Media and Venezuela. mronline.org The sociologist never levels the "authoritarian" charge against his own government, despite the United States' murderous lawlessness at home and abroad—mass deportations, illegal wars, serial police killings, etc.—all in the absence of any credible external threat. |

Alan Macleod (2020-02-21). Venezuelan Embassy in Washington Reopens Under Watch of Anti-Maduro Thugs. mintpressnews.com The new embassy is a microcosm of Juan Guaidó's attempted premiership; backed by the U.S. but existing only in theory, with the Maduro government still holding office.

Ben Norton (2020-02-20). Bloomberg surrogate was PR guru for Brazil's extreme-right leader Bolsonaro. thegrayzone.com Former Michael Bloomberg aide Arick Wierson, who is pushing the billionaire's 2020 presidential campaign and attacking Bernie Sanders, helped elect…

Susan Price (2020-02-20). Venezuela files ICC lawsuit over US sanctions. greenleft.org.au

Staff (2020-02-14). One Billion Rising: Eve Ensler & Taína Asili Mark V-Day and Campaign to End Sexual Violence. democracynow.org This Valentine's Day, people around the world are taking to the streets to protest violence against women and girls. From the Philippines to India to Italy to Bolivia, thousands of women in more than 100 countries will reclaim public space through dance and performance as part of a global movement called One Billion Rising. The movement takes its name from the shocking statistic that one in three women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. One Billion Rising started on Valentine's Day 2012 and has continued to grow every year since. Participants say they won't stop dancing until violence…

Venezuela Analysis (2020-02-06). Embassy Protection Collective: "We Are Not the Ones Who Violated the Law" theantimedia.com In this exclusive interview, VA talks to the activists who defended the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC ahead of their trial.

Medea Benjamin (2020-02-02). Why aren't Americans rising up like the people of Chile and Lebanon? zcomm.org The tinder for a revolutionary movement is everywhere…

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

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