(2020-05-22). Trump Claims to Have Venezuela 'Surrounded' as Iranian Tankers Approach. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump issued new threats against Venezuela on Wednesday. | "We've got it [Venezuela] surrounded, it's surrounded at a level that nobody even knows but they know. We are watching to see what happens," he …
(2020-05-22). With Iran Defying US Sanctions on Venezuela, Trump Must Choose Between Two Different Cowardly Paths. thealtworld.com Washington's illegal and deadly sanctions on Venezuela continue. However, President Nicolas Maduro has found an ally from across the world in …
(2020-05-22). Venezuelan Army to escort Iranian tankers bringing gasoline to Venezuelans blockaded by U.S. sanctions. mronline.org 
This was announced by the Minister for Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, this Wednesday. "We have established contact with the Minister of Defense of Iran. All these ships, when they enter our exclusive economic zone (370Km), will be escorted by ships and planes of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), to welcome them and say to …
(2020-05-22). Lives Depend on Argentina's Debt Talks. zcomm.org Creditors should accept the reality that unsustainable debt burdens only lead to worse crises up the road. At this crucial moment in the global pandemic and recession, many lives may depend on this understanding…
(2020-05-22). Strikes and protests by Brazilian nurses amid explosion of COVID-19 cases. wsws.org Over the last 15 days, there have been dozens of protests and strikes by health care workers across Brazil, as more nurses are dying than anywhere else in the world.
(2020-05-22). Chilean government violently represses demonstrations against hunger. wsws.org The ultra-right government of Sebastian Piñera has responded to an outbreak of hunger protests across Chile with repression and mass arrests…
(2020-05-22). The human toll of COVID-19 in Brazil. peoplesdispatch.org The corona crisis has also brought to the forefront the crisis in Brazil's healthcare system. The Sistema àönico de Saúde – SUS -, Brazil's publicly funded health system has been facing dire budget cuts over the past several years while the private system has been steadily growing.
(2020-05-22). This Year's Forest Fire Season Could Be Even Deadlier. commondreams.org In addition to contributing to climate change, forest fires present a more immediate and very grave threat to public health. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/amazon-fires-walmart-cargill-blackrock-brazil-bolsonaro.jpg …
(2020-05-22). Venezuela sends military to escort Iranian fuel tankers over US threats. peoplesdispatch.org Officials in the Trump administration have told the press that the US will consider mobilizing its forces in the Caribbean against Iranian shipment of petrol en route to Venezuela…
(2020-05-22). Trump issues new threats as Iranian tankers approach Venezuela. wsws.org The Trump administration has vowed to take unspecified "measures" to block the shipment of Iranian fuel to Venezuela, raising the threat of state piracy on the high seas.
(2020-05-22). US Militarizes the Caribbean Sea to Surround Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Recently, the number of American ships and planes in the Caribbean Sea has increased exponentially. The most likely hypothesis so far is that there will be an attempt to block Venezuela, as the military flow in the region began to …
(2020-05-21). Iran and the US: a new front opens. thealtworld.com Tehran will retaliate in the Gulf if Trump uses force to stop its fuel deliveries to Venezuela | A new front could open up at any time in the conflict between Iran and the US, not in the scorching waters of the Gulf but in the faraway Caribbean Sea. We are all bracing for the fuse to be lit or the trigger pulled. | It began when the Iranian authorities decided to send five tanker-loads of fuel to Venezuela to help their ally, President Nicolas Maduro. His country is suffering a severe gasoline shortage due to US sanctions, which have blocked its access to fuel imports and prevented it from obtaining the parts nee…
(2020-05-21). Bolivian prisoners protest/ 'We want to live!'. workers.org 
Incarcerated workers at the largest prison in Bolivia staged a mass uprising on May 11, demanding freedom and protesting dangerous conditions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The rebels chanted, "We want to live!" and "This is not a riot, this is a fight for life!" Police mounted a repressive presence . . . |
(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…
(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 …
(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)…
(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…
(2020-05-21). US Blocks UNSC Draft Resolution Denouncing Paramilitary Incursion into Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Russia, China and other countries criticized violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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 …
(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 …
(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 …
(2020-05-22). Headlines for May 22, 2020. democracynow.org Unemployment Claims Reach 38.6 Million in Worst U.S. Economic Crisis Since Depression, As Millions Lose Jobs, the Billionaire Class Sees Wealth Soar by $434 Billion During Pandemic, COVID Cases Spike in Brazil, Mexico, India & Indonesia as Outbreak Grows in Global South, World Bank: 3 Billion People Don't Have Access to Clean Water & Soap, U.S. COVID Death Toll Tops 95,000, Trump Refuses to Wear Mask in Front of Media at Ford Plant in Michigan, Report: Striking Racial Divide Found in Nursing Homes Impacted by COVID Outbreak, COVID Racial Data Tracker Documents How Pandemic Is Devastating Communities of Color, Pol…
(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…
(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…
(2020-05-22). Scientists in Brazil make faster, cheaper coronavirus test that doesn't produce false negatives. rt.com 
Researchers in Brazil have announced a quicker, more accurate coronavirus test than the existing method, allowing them to assess more people at once. The test has already been patented in the US and will be available from June. | Scientists at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo used Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), which identifies a particular disease by reading fragments of DNA. They adapted the NGS test to detect ribonucleic acid (RNA), the predominant molecule in viruses like SARS-CoV-2. | "The virus has RNA and our research group was interested in knowing how a molecular test could be us…
(2020-05-22). The role of the state in Venezuela. mronline.org 
Venezuelan former Vice President Elias Jaua calls for the government to rebuild the state and retake the reins of the economy.
(2020-05-22). UNAC denounces any attempts by the US to stop shipments of Iranian fuel to Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). | Last week, an Iran-flagged tanker passed the Suez Canal, reportedly bound for Venezuela with a shipment of refined fuel. Despite having the largest proven oil reserves in the world, Venezuela's refining capacity has been damaged by the U.S. embargo, greatly hindering its economy US officials have claimed that Venezuela has begun to purchase fuel from Iran directly with gold, thereby bypassing U.S. controlled imperialist trade mechanisms. | Four additional Iran-flagged tankers loaded with refined fue…
(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.