2020-05-14: News Headlines

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). Unless Duque changes course, Colombia could be heading for collapse. colombiareports.com It took the 1918 Spanish Flu less than a month to collapse Bogota. A lockdown prevented the immediate collapse of Colombia by the coronavirus in March, but not indefinitely. President…

A. Majumdar (2020-05-14). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). Despite pandemic, Colombia's public hospitals still granted to politicians' buddies. colombiareports.com While Colombia's Supreme Court is investigating at least 11 governors for corruption with coronavirus emergency funds, at least nine public hospitals fell in the hands of friends and allies of…

Francisco Dominguez (2020-05-14). US Imperialism's Decomposition Accelerates: Outsourcing 'Regime Change'. Mercenary Incursions into Venezuela. globalresearch.ca On May 3rd a bunch of mercenaries, led by Rambo-like US soldiers of fortune attempted to disembark on the coastal town of Macuto in the La Guaira state in Venezuela's Caribbean coast, in a so-called Operation Gedeon. | Their leader, 'contractor' …

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). US further complicates prospects for peace in Colombia. colombiareports.com The United States government further complicated the future of peace in Colombia on Wednesday, adding Cuba to its list of non-cooperative countries in counter-terrorism efforts for not extraditing ELN peace…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Argentine Senate Approves Government Decree to Face Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Senate approved on Wednesday a group of decrees issued by the government of President Alberto Fernández to address the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | For the first time in history, the Senate held a virtual session this Wednesday. According to the reports, 71 out of 72 senators participated in the session, which was led by the Speaker of the Upper House, Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Brasil de Fato (2020-05-14). To combat "hunger pandemic" MST has donated more than 600 tons of food. peoplesdispatch.org The "We'll Need Everybody" campaign, organized by diverse social movements in Brazil including the Landless Rural Workers' Movement (MST), has already distributed more than 40,000 food baskets to poor neighborhoods. | These Just like the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), which…

Gabriel Leà£o (2020-05-14). Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Confront Double Threat of COVID-19 and Bolsonaro's Policies. counterpunch.org After six days of fighting for his life in an intensive care unit in a Amazonas state hospital, a 15-year-old Yanomami teenage boy died in April 9 from complications caused by the novel coronavirus. The boy's death sounded the alarm for Brazil's Indigenous peoples who now face the fear of the virus alongside the stress of increasing criminal activities by land grabbers, illegal loggers, gold diggers, poachers, drug traffickers, hitmen and questionable "guests" like missionaries and tourists in their lands. Add to that the prospect of another potentially devasting dry season like last year's, which saw more than 8…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). UN economic commission backs guaranteed minimum income in Colombia. colombiareports.com The United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) supports an urgent guaranteed minimum income (GMI) as proposed in Colombia's senate. The proposal was coined by some…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). Colombia's economic reactivation accelerated coronavirus infections. colombiareports.com The gradual reactivation of the economy has accelerated the spread of the coronavirus in Colombia, according to the country's National Health Institute (INS). Since April 27, the number of confirmed…

Michael Doliner (2020-05-14). The Venezuela Kerfuffle and the Secret Team. counterpunch.org The recent snafu of the covert Venezuela operation echoes the account of the Bay Of Pigs fiasco in Col L. Fletcher Prouty's repressed book, The Secret Team: The CIA and Its Allies in Control of the United States and the World first published in 1973. After good early sales,100 positive reviews and a printing of

John McEvoy (2020-05-14). Revealed: Secretive British Unit Planning for 'Reconstruction' of Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the 'reconstruction' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of …

Joshua Cho (2020-05-13). Corporate Media don't think Americans paid to invade Venezuela Count as mercenaries. mronline.org When an attempted invasion of Venezuela launched from the shores of Colombia was foiled on May 3, after armed commandos were intercepted at Venezuela's coastline of La Guira, it seemed undeniable that the heavily armed men, possessing satellite phones and uniforms with the U.S. flag emblazoned on them, had been paid to take part in …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-13). Violent evictions in Bogotá, Colombia amid the coronavirus pandemic. peoplesdispatch.org Many question the motivation of the city government to evict the community amid the pandemic as they have been occupying the land for the last 20 years…

Francisco Dominguez (2020-05-13). Outsourcing 'regime change': US imperialism's decomposition accelerates. peoplesdispatch.org On May 3rd a bunch of mercenaries, led by Rambo-like US soldiers of fortune attempted to disembark on the coastal town of Macuto in the La Guaira state in Venezuela's Caribbean coast, in a so-called Operation Gedeon.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.

teleSUR (2020-05-13). Secret UK Plan to Intervene in Venezuelan Politics Revealed. telesurenglish.net U.K. news portal The Canary published this Wednesday an investigation by journalist John McEvoy which reveals a secret unit between the British Foreign Ministry and the Venezuelan opposition to overthrow Venezuela's Constitutional President Nicolas Maduro. | RELATED: | According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, journalist McEvoy points out that in the last 16 months, the British Govern…

Staff (2020-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Anthony Fauci Warns Senators Reopening Too Soon Will Cause "Suffering and Death", House Democratic Leaders Unveil New $3 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package, Tesla CEO Elon Musk Defies Lockdown Order, Reopens California Auto Plant, L.A. Extends Lockdown for 3 Months as Cal State Cancels In-Person Fall Classes, CDC Estimates 5,000+ More New York City Coronavirus Deaths Than Officially Reported, Progressive Lawmakers Call on World Bank, IMF to Cancel Poor Countries' Debts, Brazil Records Its Highest Daily COVID-19 Death Toll, London Transit Worker Dies After Man Claiming to Have COVID-19 Spits on Her, Aide to R…

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-05-13). Bolivian coup regime deploys military to suppress anti-government protests. peoplesdispatch.org Since May 11, hundreds of Bolivians have been mobilizing against the coup-installed government led by far-right Jeanine àÅñez and its mismanagement of the health and economic emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the de-facto government has deployed police and military forces in the working-class neighborhoods of La Paz, El Alto and Cochabamba to suppress these anti-government protests. | Former Bolivian President Evo Morales has condemned the interim government for this extreme measure. "Tanks in the streets, military in the neighborhoods, warplanes in our skies, exposing soldiers to the…

teleSUR (2020-05-13). Venezuela Arrests Another Man Involved in Failed Incursion Plan. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan security forces reported the capture on Wednesday of another mercenary involved in the failed incursion into the South American country, called Operation Gideon, on May 3. | RELATED: | The capture was made in the mountainous area of Petaquirito, in the state of La Guaira, by members of the Eighth Brigade of Sea Commands of the Bolivarian Navy (AB), one of the five components of the Bolivarian National…

teleSUR-ag-la (2020-05-13). Ecuador Faces Wave of Corruption Amid Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Amid the coronavirus crisis, Ecuador, one of the South American countries most affected by the pandemic, faces the corruption virus that takes advantage of the difficult situation. | RELATED: | The Prosecutor's Office recorded that masks are being sold in the country for $12 USD, when they should have cost $4 USD. The same is happening with body bags, which are being sold for more than $148 USD and should be worth $12 USD. | M…

WSWS (2020-05-13). With Brazil on course to become new COVID-19 epicenter, Bolsonaro escalates back-to-work campaign. wsws.org Auto factories have already restarted production even as every region in the country is breaking daily records of cases and deaths.

teleSUR (2020-05-13). Poverty Forces Chileans to Cook in 'the Common Pot'. telesurenglish.net Chile's economic crisis unleashed by RELATED: | Thousands of people living in poor neighborhoods eat ev…

teleSUR (2020-05-13). Venezuela Denounces US at UN Security Council. telesurenglish.net Venezuela denounced on Wednesday, before the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the armed terrorist attacks against the nation. The attack carried out on May 3 off the coast of La Guaira, was organized and financed by mercenaries and protected by the Governments of Colombia and the United States, announced the Minister of Foreign Relations, Jorge Arreaza. | RELATED: | Earlier in the day, S…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-13). Colombia's health workers unprotected, patients without treatment: watchdogs. colombiareports.com Colombia's inspector general and ombudsman on Tuesday urged government action to protect health workers and continue providing healthcare to patients not suffering Covid-19. The watchdogs confirmed healthcare organizations' complaints that…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-13). Communities violently evicted in Colombia amid lockdown. peoplesdispatch.org Altos de la Estancia is a park area in the Ciudad Bolívar district which is occupied by homeless locals, migrants, peasants, indigenous people and unemployed workers. Nearly 700 poor families live in precarious conditions in the slums built on the land.

John McEvoy (2020-05-13). Revealed: Secretive British unit planning for 'reconstruction' of Venezuela. thecanary.co Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the 'reconstruction' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of British business after a planned coup.UK support for coup attempt in Venezuela: Over the past 16 months, the UK government has consistently

Staff (2020-05-12). Trump Is Using COVID-19 As An Excuse To Let Polluters Destroy The Earth. therealnews.com Trump's former coal lobbyist EPA administrator is letting oil, gas, and coal take advantage of the global pandemic.

RT (2020-05-12). 'Is it Kylie Jenner?' Mexico star accidentally posts NAKED snaps with topless model (PHOTOS). rt.com LA Galaxy midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos posted a naked photo of himself and 21-year-old Greek-Ecuadorian model Amanda Trivizas on Instagram, swiftly deleting the racy shot from his story after fans had captured the evidence. | Trivizas kissed Dos Santos's shoulder between the sheets in the saucy photo seen by some of the former Barcelona player's following of more than 2.3 million on the site, where Trivizas leaves little to the imagination for her audience of more than 823,000. | The Los Angeles-based model has been linked to American playboy Dan Bilzerian but said she could not talk about her relationship w…

RT (2020-05-14). 'We've got videos of you': Former Argentina striker and model girlfriend 'blackmailed by hackers over stolen SEX TAPES and photos'. rt.com Hackers have reportedly threatened Ezequiel Lavezzi via Instagram, demanding thousands of dollars in ransoms to prevent the immediate release of intimate videos and photos featuring the ex-international and lover Natalia Borges. | The World Cup finalist is said to have filed two cases with prosecutors in Buenos Aires after receiving messages from criminals who proved they had stolen intimate videos and pictures of him and Natalia Borges, an actress and model with more than 104,000 followers on the social media platform. | Thieves are seeking $5,000 per file in return for not publishing the material, according…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-05-12). U.S. hand in recent assaults on Cuba, Venezuela. peoplesworld.org Secretary of State Pompeo loudly condemns Iranian border guards who abused Afghans crossing into Iran. He castigates China's supposed failings with the COVID-19 pandemic. He and President Trump rail against dictatorship they see in Venezuela. They protest Cuba's "slave doctors" — who actually "defend health care as a human right," according to Cuba's foreign minister. …

Betsey Piette (2020-05-12). Sanctions = Health terrorism. workers.org A timely international webinar, sponsored by SanctionsKill.org on May 9, featured representatives from Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Syria and Venezuela, plus a statement from Zimbabwe addressing the deadly impact of U.S. sanctions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1,000 people from nearly every continent, including multiple U.S. cities, viewed the event. The . . . |

Susan Price (2020-05-12). Ecuador's neoliberal war on public sector worsens COVID-19 catastrophe. greenleft.org.au

teleSUR (2020-05-12). President Maduro Extends State of Alarm in Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, signed this Tuesday the renewal of the decree of the state of constitutional alarm for 30 more days "to continue protecting our people" from Covid-19. | RELATED: | The president stressed that the quarantine could not be relaxed in the country to avoid a Covid-19 outbreak, as has happened in other countries. In Venezuela, food production will be maintained as a priority of…

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Bolivia: Inmates Riot Due to COVID Outbreak in Prison. telesurenglish.net Bolivian police forces repressed May 11 an inmate riot in Palmasola prison, in Santa Cruz city. Convicts protested due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the prison population. | RELATED: | The authorities at the Palmasola penitentiary said two inmates who died last week after presenting respiratory distress. Local news media reported first deceased autopsy revealed he was COVID positive and was buried acco…

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Bolivia Police Repress Protesters That Can't Afford Lockdown. telesurenglish.net Hundreds of people were violently repressed by security forces Monday in the Bolivian K'ara K'ara community located in Cochabamba city, as they took to the streets to demand that the de facto government eases the COVID-19 lockdown as they cannot afford it anymore. | RELATED: | Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators fiercely attacked by the police and army who did not hesitate to use tear gas and rubber bullets, inj…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-12). Duque used Colombia's peace funds to pay for presidential approval poll. colombiareports.com Colombia's President Ivan Duque used money meant for the implementation of peace policies to pay for a poll over public approval of his peace policy, local media reported on Monday….

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Rejection to Genetically Modified Seeds Grows in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net The Coordinator of the Six Federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba in Bolivia rejected Tuesday Supreme Decree 4,232 that allows the use of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the South American country. | RELATED: | The joint statement from agricultural organizations in the Cochabamba region states that the de-facto President Jeanine Añez went beyond her powers as an interim official violating the count…

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Brazil: Native Communities Face Rise in COVID-Related Deaths. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) reported a COVID-19 related cases. | RELATED: | According to COIAB communication, Amazon indigenous communities register over 200 positive cases and about 16 deaths due to the virus. Besides, the organization reports 23 native groups are under pandemic harm and requires governmental assistance. | "We don't have the structure to cu…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-12). Colombia considering guaranteed minimum income as famine looms. colombiareports.com Almost half of Colombia's senators signed off on a proposal to urgently implement a guaranteed minimum income for more than 70% of the population. The radical proposal would temporarily guarantee…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-12). Colombia's farmers claim government lifting import tariffs puts domestic food production at risk. colombiareports.com Colombia's farmers' organizations said Monday that an emergency decree lifting import tariffs on corn and soy is threatening domestic food production. The organizations called on the State Council to declare…

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Nicaragua Requests OAS Lift Sanctions Due to COVID Crisis. telesurenglish.net Nicaragua's representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) demanded on May 11 that sanctions cease against Cuba, Venezuela, and his nation. | RELATED: | Nicaraguan diplomat Luis Alvarado participated in the first session of the Weekly Forum on the Challenges Facing Inter-American Law in the Time of the Coronavirus. He referred to COVID-19's social and economic worldwide impact. Alvarado stated solidarity and cooperation are paramount to cope with sequels…

Maria Paez Victor (2020-05-12). What If Armed Terrorists Threatened the Prime Minister of Canada? counterpunch.org Fortunately, Canada is not a country that has suffered continuous threats of coup d'etats as Venezuela has these last 21 years. The Motive Be that as it may, as a matter of clarification and discernment, let us imagine the following: suppose a powerful foreign power — let's call it Statesland — intent on taking over

teleSUR (2020-05-12). Brazil: Bolsonaro Says Gyms, Salons are 'Essential Activities'. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro decreed on May 11 a list of essential productive activities that should remain open despite the health crisis. Bolsonaro said that gyms and beauty salons are essential and should be added to the list. | RELATED: | The summary, published in decree 10.344 on May 11, defines 57 essential activities and services, such as construction work and industrial production. Also, it considers gyms, b…

sputniknews (2020-05-12). WHO Says US and Brazil Failed to Take Warnings About Virus Outbreak Seriously From the Start. sputniknews.com The United States has the highest number of coronavirus cases globally, the only country reporting seven-digit numbers of infections. Brazil is also one of the 10 most infected nations according to the WHO. Its President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly dismissed the virus as just a "flu".

sputniknews (2020-05-12). US Mercenaries Went Ahead With Venezuela Invasion Despite Being Outed on TV Weeks Earlier — Video. sputniknews.com The fallout continues from 'Operation Gideon', the brazen May 3-4 attempt by a US security contractor to invade Venezuela, kidnap its president and take him back to the United States. The White House remains in damage control mode, denying any responsibility for the plot while seeking to bring the captured US mercenaries involved back home.

sputniknews (2020-05-12). Russia to Consider Caracas' Request for Help in Probe of Invasion If Asked – Lavrov. sputniknews.com MOSCOW(Sputnik) – Russia will consider Venezuela's request for help in investigation of a naval incursion if it receives such request, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday .

teleSUR (2020-05-11). US-Based Advisers From Guaido's Team Quit Over Foiled Coup Plot. telesurenglish.net United States-based advisers to lawmaker Juan Guaido quit Monday over the foiled May 3 coup attempt and their involvement in hiring mercenaries to carry out the plot aimed at assassinating Venezuela's government officials and president. | RELATED: | Right-wing strategist Juan Jose Rendon and Sergio Vergara confirmed their resignations in public letters after the Miami-based adviser to Guaido, admitted Tuesday of hiring U.S…

Eds. (2020-05-11). U.S. ratchets up Hybrid Warfare in Venezuela. mronline.org Nino Pagliccia examines the recent mercenary incursion into the Venezuelan territory.

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-11). Guaidó's mercenary hit contract on Venezuela's Maduro mirrors official US bounty, authorizes death squad killings. thegrayzone.com The leaked contract between Juan Guaidó and the Silvercorp USA mercenary firm closely resembles a DEA bounty placed on the…