2020-04-05: News Headlines

RT (2020-04-05). 'Profound lack of human decency': Oliver Stone tears into US govt over Iran & Venezuela sanctions amid Covid-19 crisis. rt.com The United States government has revealed its contempt for human compassion and global solidarity by refusing to lift draconian sanctions on Iran and Venezuela during the Covid-19 crisis, director Oliver Stone has argued. | Iran has suffered immensely from the virus, Stone noted in an op-ed published by the New York Daily News, but due to US sanctions the Islamic Republic is "reportedly the only country in the world that cannot buy medicines needed to fight the pandemic." | The outspoken Hollywood legend similarly condemned Washington's decision to maintain — and in some cases, increase — its economi…

Steve Ellner (2020-04-05). Why The Mainstream Media Suggests Lifting Sanctions Against Iran While Not Saying Anything About Venezuela ‚Ä®. zcomm.org No other country in the world is being subjected to the type of regime change strategy that the Trump administration is applying to Venezuela…

teleSUR (2020-04-05). Venezuelan Leader Pens Open Letter to US Public. telesurenglish.net In a letter issued on Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump against making any unwise military decisions against the Bolivarian Republic. | RELATED: | Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza read a letter on Sunday that Venezuelan President Maduro sent to the people of the United States, following Washington's recent threats toward the Bolivarian Republ…

teleSUR (2020-04-05). Brazil, Chile, Ecuador Report Highest Number of COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net Brazil, Chile and Ecuador are currently reporting the highest number of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the entire Latin America region, the latest reports revealed on Sunday morning. | RELATED: | According to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the death toll from coronavirus increased to 432, with 73 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. | The figure of 73 deaths is the highest for a single day since the first cas…

teleSUR (2020-04-05). Peru Announces Economic Plan for People Affected by COVID-19. telesurenglish.net "What we want, on the one hand, is to minimize the damage that social isolation has been causing to the economy," he stressed, adding that it is important to aid companies because "behind them, there are a significant number of workers who have to continue, as far as possible, with their work."

Nino Pagliccia (2020-04-05). A Simple "Democratic Transition" Framework for Venezuela: End All "Sanctions" globalresearch.ca On March 31 the US Secretary of State issued a

teleSUR (2020-04-04). Bolivians Unable to Quarantine, Protest All Over the Country. telesurenglish.net While the quarantine in Bolivia was extended until April 15, several poor neighborhoods across the country continue to protest the de-facto government's inability to meet the demands of the most vulnerable regions. | RELATED: | On Saturday, videos of protests —in the middle of the quarantine— that took place in the Plan 3000 neighborhood in the city of Santa Cruz, circulated through social networks where re…

WSWS (2020-04-04). Ecuadorians protest bodies of COVID-19 victims being left in the streets. wsws.org Desperate families and neighbors have flooded social media with videos and reports of corpses rotting in their living rooms, sidewalks and parks for days.

teleSUR (2020-04-04). Argentina: Fernandez Criticizes Bank Opening Amid Quarantine. telesurenglish.net Argentina's RELATED: | He made a call to comply with…

teleSUR (2020-04-04). Ecuador Reports 3,465 COVID-19 Infections, 172 Deaths. telesurenglish.net The Ecuadoran Ministry of Public Health on Saturday raised the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus to 3,465, with 172 deaths. | RELATED: | Vice Minister of Health Ernesto Carrasco stated that in the last 24 hours, 97 new cases and 27 new deaths were reported. | Carrasco noted that of the total number of confirmed cases nationwide, 2,402 have been reported in the southwestern province of Guayas, the epicenter…

WSWS (2020-04-04). Amid war threats, Washington blocks UN resolution demanding end to sanctions. wsws.org The Trump administration has brushed aside calls for an end to punishing sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, threatening both countries with military aggression.

teleSUR (2020-04-04). ECLAC Urges the U.S. to Lift Sanctions Against Venezuela, Cuba. telesurenglish.net The RELATED: | "It is soli…

John Nichols (2020-04-04). 'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'. thenation.com 'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'

Vijay Prashad (2020-04-04). Trump sends gun boats to Venezuela while the World partners to fight a deadly pandemic. mronline.org On April's Fools Day, U.S. President Donald Trump gave a press conference where he announced a new "counter-narcotics effort" by U.S. Southern Command. "We're deploying additional Navy destroyers, combat ships, aircrafts and helicopters, Coast Guard cutters…doubling our capabilities in the region," he said…

Eds. (2020-04-03). Brazil Supreme Court asks to suspend Bolsonaro for 180 days. mronline.org Marco Aurélio Mello, a Minister of Brazil's Supreme Court, sent the Attorney General's Office a request to suspend President Jair Bolsonaro from his post for 180 days for committing various actions that have put the country at risk in the face of the covid-19 health emergency, according to a Telesur report.

Anya Parampil (2020-04-03). Ex UN anti-narcotics chief & mob expert says US Treasury running 'mafia racket' against Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Pino Arlacchi, the former Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Prevention, says US is behaving…

Peter Bolton (2020-04-03). How the US is using coronavirus to push regime change in Venezuela. thecanary.co Ever since the Trump administration launched a But having so far failed in its 'regime change' effort, the Trump administration has now…

Fight Back (2020-04-03). Anti-war leaders condemn Trump's war moves against Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — Anti-war leaders are condemning U.S. war moves against Venezuela. The Trump administration has indicted Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, and a U.S. naval deployment is underway. | Cassia Laham, of the Florida anti-war group People's Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR), states, "The indictment against Maduro is an absolutely transparent move by the U.S. imperialists to try, yet again, to take down the two-time democratically-elected government of Venezuela." | Laham continued, "The U.S. cannot stand that Venezuela has rejected American neoliberalism and has been trying…

teleSUR (2020-04-03). Bolsonaro to Heal Brazil From COVID-19 With Religious Rituals. telesurenglish.net After lashing out at his health minister because he does not have a "humble attitude," Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro Thursday announced that he and other religious leaders will perform a fast as a form of sacrifice to rid Brazil of the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "I am a Catholic, my wife is an evangelical. These people request a fast day for those who have faith. Soon, together with the pastors, priests and religious, we w…

teleSUR (2020-04-03). Colombia: Floods Affect 150 Families in the Choco Region. telesurenglish.net In the Choco department, the Bojaya Mayor Edilfredo Machado reported that 150 families were affected by the Bojaya river's overflow caused by heavy rains on Wednesday. | RELATED: | He also said that 80 families from the Santa Lucia Indigenous community and 70 families from Pogue had to abandon their houses because the river's overflow continues to grow. | Mainly women, children and older adults live in this region; s…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-04-03). Despite pandemic, U.S. government threatens intervention in Venezuela. peoplesworld.org

teleSUR (2020-04-03). Puebla's Group Condemns US Military Move To Venezuelan Coast. telesurenglish.net The Puebla Group denounced on Friday the deployment of military forces at the Venezuelan maritime borders by the United States under the pretext of the war on drugs. | RELATED: | The

Staff (2020-04-02). "There Aren't Enough Tests": As Pandemic Intensifies, Global South Prepares for the Worst. democracynow.org After devastating China, Europe and the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is now intensifying across the Global South. The United Nations warns the pandemic is poised to destroy fragile economies in poor nations, decimating food security, education and human rights. We speak with Yanis Ben Amor, assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University and executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute.

Fiona Edwards (2020-04-02). Bolsonaro is leading Brazil to coronavirus catastrophe. thecanary.co Brazil's

John Nichols (2020-04-02). 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'. thenation.com 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'

news.un (2020-04-01). 'Working round the clock' to aid Venezuelan refugees and migrants during COVID-19 pandemic: UN agencies. news.un.org Two United Nations agencies came together Tuesday to urge the international community not to overlook the on-going plight of millions of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world.

Aaron Maté (2020-04-01). Pompeo's 'transition' plan tells Venezuela to suffer into submission. thegrayzone.com Declaring that "Nicolas Maduro will never again govern Venezuela," Mike Pompeo unveils a so-called "transition" plan that tells Venezuelans to…

Alan Macleod (2020-04-01). Coronavirus Aid for Regime Change: Washington's 13 Point Plan for Venezuela. mintpressnews.com The State Department

Farooque Chowdhury (2020-04-01). Coronademic: Venezuela's drives obstructed. dissidentvoice.org The entire human world is fighting to defeat a demon today. It's coronademic — coronavirus pandemic. The fight demands a globally concerted, unified effort. Venezuela should not be left lurching in the pandemic-wilderness even if one of its original sins is resisting imperialism. But, the Bolivarian Republic is being obstructed in its fight against the …

Ben Norton (2020-03-31). Brazil's ex-President Lula on Venezuela: Maduro is democratic, Guaidó should be in prison, US blockade kills civilians. thegrayzone.com In comments ignored by English-language media, Lula da Silva slammed the US coup attempt against Venezuela, calling Nicolás Maduro a…

Ben Norton (2020-03-31). Southcom boosts US military presence in Latin America, citing China, Russia 'threats'. thegrayzone.com Southern Command is ramping up the US military presence in Latin America to counter China, Russia, and Venezuela, after signing…

Joe Emersberger (2020-03-13). No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy. zcomm.org I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action,

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.