2020-05-21: News Headlines

Marcha Noticias (2020-05-21). Wallmapu: "The Mapuche political prisoners are not alone" peoplesdispatch.org The Mapuche community demands protection for political prisoners in the prisons of the Araucanía region of Chile after being exposed to the risk of COVID-19 due to lack of necessary care…

Mark Weisbrot (2020-05-21). Lives Depend on Argentina's Debt Talks. counterpunch.org Argentina is currently engaged in intense negotiations with its creditors over at least $65 billion in government debt. The most important part of that negotiation, which can make or break Argentina's economic recovery, is foreign currency debt. That is mostly in dollars, and mostly owned by foreigners. Argentina's 45 million residents, as well as hundreds

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-21). Trump Claims to Have Venezuela 'Surrounded' as Iranian Tankers Approach. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela's armed forces will escort the vessels upon reaching territorial waters.

Brasil de Fato (2020-05-21). Murder of Black youth in Rio de Janeiro shows racist nature of policing in Brazil. peoplesdispatch.org 14-year-old Joà£o Pedro Mattos Pinto was playing in the yard of his house when he was shot in the midst of an operation involving the Federal Police and of the Coordinator of Special Resources (Core)…

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-05-21). COVID-19 Hits Hard, but Challenges BRICS. globalresearch.ca By and large, the coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) since it was declared late January by the World Health Organization (WHO). It allegedly originated (yet to be proved) from …

WSWS (2020-05-21). Brazil records 1,179 COVID-19 deaths in a single day amid spiraling political crisis. wsws.org Even as it closes ranks behind Bolsonaro's back-to-work campaign, the Brazilian ruling class is conscious that it is bringing Brazil to the brink of a social explosion.

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-05-21). Ecuadorians vow to resist Moreno's latest neoliberal economic measures. peoplesdispatch.org On May 20, several Ecuadorian social movements, Indigenous organizations and trade unions called for a national mobilization on May 25, against the neoliberal economic policies imposed by President Lenín Moreno in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The People's Front, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC), the Unitary Front of Workers (FUT), among others, are the organizations behind the call for national mobilization. | On May 19, Moreno announced a new set of austerity measures, involving a budget cut of 4 billion USD in public…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-20). Venezuela invasion bid: US denial on its role is not credible. peoplesdispatch.org Can we believe the claims of the US administration that it had no involvement in the most recent Venezuelan invasion attempt? Anya Parampil of The Grayzone tells more.

Eva Bartlett (2020-05-20). US just piled more misery on Venezuelans already hit by sanctions & pandemic. Now they are deprived of most popular TV service. thealtworld.com America's meddling in Venezuela has no boundaries. After a failed coup attempt, trying to install a bogus …

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-20). AT&T Shuts down DirecTV in Venezuela over Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The National Assembly will investigate the "rash decision" that affects 600 workers and two million households.

news.un (2020-05-20). Only Venezuelans can resolve Venezuela's deepening crisis, DiCarlo tells Security Council. news.un.org Negotiations remain the only way to overcome the ongoing political deadlock in Venezuela, especially given the potentially far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-20). Venezuela Sues UK over Frozen Gold Reserves, Loses CITGO Appeal. venezuelanalysis.com The US $1 billion worth of gold would be used in the fight against COVID-19.

Misión Verdad (2020-05-19). Genocide and military occupation: The five most important keys of the agreement executed between Guaidó and Silvercorp. peoplesdispatch.org Analysis by Misión Verdad of the contract between Silvercorp and the Venezuelan opposition which lays out their plan to overthrow Maduro and install a military occupation…

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-05-21). "We're Ready for Whatever, Whenever,' Says Maduro as Venezuela Vows Navy Escort to Protect Iranian Oil Tankers from US Threats. commondreams.org Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warns that the U.S. government "must give up bullying on the world stage and respect the rule of international law, especially free shipping in the high seas." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_venezuela1.jpg

Zero Hedge (2020-05-21). Regime Change Back In Focus: Pompeo Targets Iran, Cuba & Venezuela In Epic Tweet Thread. iranian.com Given the very noticeable rise in threatening rhetoric focused on Iran over the past week, it seems thoughts of regime change in Tehran are once again top of the agenda. Or perhaps simultaneously the administration needs a significant distraction of sorts amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the persistent national reopening question and agenda. On Wednesday, Secretary …

Sputnik News (2020-05-21). Venezuelan Military to Escort Iranian Tankers Delivering Fuel — Defense Minister. iranian.com Venezuela's military will escort Iranian tankers delivering fuel to the country when they enter Venezuela's exclusive economic zone, the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino revealed Wednesday. In a state television interview, Padrino said the escort would "welcome them in and thank the Iranian people for their solidarity and cooperation," Reuters reported. Padrino also said that …

Staff (2020-05-21). Headlines for May 21, 2020. democracynow.org Global Coronavirus Cases Top 5 Million as WHO Records Record One-Day Spike, Brazilian Mayor Fears "Genocide" from COVID-19, Accuses Bolsonaro of "Crime Against Humanity", Disease Modelers Say Delays in U.S. Lockdowns Cost Tens of Thousands of Lives, Pro-Trump Doctors to Promote Reopening States Despite CDC Warnings, Millions Flee as Cyclone Batters India and Bangladesh, Dam Disaster in Michigan Threatens to Flood Toxic Sites, Trump Threatens to Cut Funding to Michigan, Nevada over Mail-in Voting, McDonald's Workers Strike to Demand Personal Protective Equipment, Striking New Orleans Sanitation Workers Replaced by…

Staff (2020-05-20). Headlines for May 20, 2020. democracynow.org CDC Unveils Guidance on Reopening, Excluding Advice to Houses of Worship, Florida, Georgia Accused of Manipulating Data on Coronavirus Outbreaks, Senators Grill Treasury Secretary, Fed Chair over Coronavirus Loan Programs, Trump Claims Meat Plants Are Safe Despite Surging Coronavirus Cases, Unhoused New Orleans Residents Demand Rooms in Hotels Idled by Pandemic, Federal Judge Rules Texas Must Allow Residents to Vote by Mail, Homeland Security Department Watchdog to Probe Coronavirus Response, Trump Defends Use of Unproven Antimalarial Drug Despite Medical Warnings, Brazilian President Pushes Chloroquine Use as CO…

Staff (2020-05-19). Headlines for May 19, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Claims He Is Taking Hydroxychloroquine Despite FDA Warnings, Navajo Nation Has Highest Coronavirus Infection Rate in the U.S., 60-Year-Old Burmese Refugee Becomes Eighth COVID-19 Victim at Colorado Meat Plant, 74-Year-Old Man at California ICE Prison Dies of Suicide, Trump Attacks WHO as U.S. and China Trade Barbs over Pandemic Response, Early COVID Vaccine Trials Show Positive Results, Outbreak at Refugee Center in Germany Infects at Least 70 people, France and Germany Propose 500 Billion-Euro Coronavirus Assistance Fund for EU, Sà£o Paulo's Hospitals "Near Collapse" as Brazil Becomes Third Most Infe…

John McEvoy (2020-05-19). "I was outraged": Venezuelan foreign minister responds to secretive British 'reconstruction' plans. thecanary.co On 13 May, The Canary

RT (2020-05-21). US 'KILLS' Russian draft seeking UNSC support for Venezuela amid sanctions & suspected coup attempt. rt.com The US has rejected a draft statement condemning terrorism and voicing support for Venezuela's sovereignty at the UN Security Council. The Russian-sponsored draft did not assign blame for the botched incursion. | The short statement was watered down to sound "politically neutral" in hopes it would not face any opposition from the UNSC members, the Russian mission to the United Nations said. | However, despite the text not even mentioning the recent boat incursion that led to the capture of two former US Green Berets, Washington did not give the document any chance, "killing" it "within 9 minutes" from the star…

en.mehrnews (2020-05-21). Venezuelan military to escort Iranian tankers delivering fuel. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 21 (MNA) — Venezuela's military will escort Iranian tankers delivering fuel to the country when they enter Venezuela's exclusive economic zone, the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Wednesday.

sputniknews (2020-05-21). Maduro Accuses Colombian President of Ordering to 'Infect' Venezuela With Coronavirus – Report. sputniknews.com In the mid-March, Venezuela declared a state of emergency in the country due to the spread of coronavirus; so far, the country has registered only 824 cases of the infection and 10 deaths. However, 44% of these cases were diagnosed in the last five days, as many of the new patients were reportedly returning from Colombia.

sputniknews (2020-05-21). Refusal to Return Venezuelan Gold Undermines UK's Stance on COVID-19 Response – Ex-Lawmaker. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – The repeated refusal by the UK to return Venezuelan gold assets to their legitimate owner is compromising the UK's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, especially after the Latin American nation made it clear that the money would be used exclusively for the virus response efforts, ex-lawmaker Chris Williamson said.

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-05-20). Due to US coercive measures, DirecTV's operations suspended in Venezuela. peoplesdispatch.org On May 19, the US telecommunications company AT&T announced, without prior notice, the suspension of DirecTV's operations in Venezuela. DirecTV is a broadcast satellite service provider, transmitting digital television and radio signals to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. | In an official statement, AT&T said that due to the sanctions imposed by the US government on Venezuela, it was impossible for the company "to comply with the legal requirements of both countries" and it "was forced to close its pay TV service in Venezuela." | The abrupt suspension of services was denounced by…