2020-09-22: News Headlines

_____ (2020-09-22). Assange's Removal From Embassy Was Directed By US President. popularresistance.org Julian Assange's removal from the Ecuadorian Embassy was done so "on direct orders from the [US] president", according to information provided to American journalist Cassandra Fairbanks. | Ms Fairbanks' explosive testimony would appear to support to position that Mr Assange's prosecution has a political dimension and reflected a shift in the government's attitude with a change in administration from that of former president Barack Obama. | According to Ms Fairbanks' witness statement, which was read into the court by the defence in Mr Assange's extradition hearing on 21 September 2020…

sputniknews (2020-09-22). Assange is at 'Very High Risk of Suicide' Should Extradition Occur, Neuropsychiatrist Tells Court. sputniknews.com The WikiLeaks publisher, who faces up to 175 years in prison for his role in obtaining and publishing classified US documents, has been kept at Belmarsh maximum-security prison since he was removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy on 11 April 2019.

Staff (2020-09-22). Headlines for September 22, 2020. democracynow.org GOP, Trump Charge Forward with Effort to Replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Supreme Court, DOJ Designates New York City, Seattle, Portland as "Anarchist" Cities, CDC Again Retracts Information About Coronavirus on Website; HHS Head Azar Exerts Control Over FDA, 150+ Countries, Not Including the U.S., Join U.N.'s Effort to Fairly Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine, House Report Finds Immigrant Prisoners Denied Access to Essential Care, Forced into Labor, Mexican National Dies in Georgia Immigration Prison, One Week into Peace Talks, Scores Killed in Bloody Day of Fighting Across Afghanistan, 6 People Killed in Colombian Mass…

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-09-22). Thousands take the streets in national strike in Colombia. peoplesdispatch.org On September 21, thousands of Colombians participated in a national strike and mobilized across the country against the right-wing government of president Iván Duque. Several massive demonstrations were carried out in different cities in rejection of police brutality, economic crisis facing the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ceaseless assassination of social leaders. | A large number of citizens and members of various human rights organizations, left-wing political parties, social movements, students, teachers, women, LGBTQI, Indigenous and Afro-descendent organizations took to the streets throughout th…

Mark Weisbrot (2020-09-22). What the OAS Did to Bolivia. counterpunch.org Bolivia has descended into a nightmare of political repression and racist state violence since the democratically elected government of Evo Morales was overthrown by the military on November 10. That month was "the second-deadliest month, in terms of civilian deaths committed by state forces, since Bolivia became a democracy nearly 40 years ago," according to

Eds. (2020-09-22). A tribute for her endless pursuit of Democracy. mronline.org Venezuela is again the shining light of Democracy.

news.un (2020-09-22). Brazilian President outlines action taken to address COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment. news.un.org Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has highlighted social and economic measures his administration implemented, to address the COVID-19 pandemic and what he views as the politicization of the virus in South America's largest country.

Alan MacLeod (2020-09-21). US Pompeo Venezuela Feature photo REGIME CHANGE TOUR Pompeo Announces Funding for Welfare, Healthcare and Indigenous Support. In Venezuela. thealtworld.com The sweeping $348 million aid package, which includes funding for healthcare, direct cash assistance, and even psychosocial …

Alan Macleod (2020-09-21). Pompeo Announces Funding for Welfare, Healthcare and Indigenous Support. In Venezuela. mintpressnews.com The sweeping $348 million aid package, which includes funding for healthcare, direct cash assistance, and even psychosocial support, runs in stark contradiction to a long-held US policy of sanctions on Venezuela.

Alan Macleod (2020-09-21). From Mass Incarceration to Plan Colombia: Biden's Role in the Failed War on Drugs. mintpressnews.com Former vice president Biden has a sordid history of opposing progressive criminal justice legislation, spearheading draconian police and immigration measures, and playing a central role in waging America's failed war on drugs.

Morning Star (2020-09-21). Maduro claims CIA spy arrested with explosives near oil refinery. peoplesworld.org Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday that authorities had detained a former United States Marine and CIA operative after he was caught spying on two oil refineries. Speaking on national television, the Bolivarian leader said: "He was captured with heavy weapons, specialty weapons. He was captured with a great amount of cash in dollars …

Staff (2020-09-21). Headlines for September 21, 2020. democracynow.org Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies at 87, Sparking a Deluge of Tributes and a Fierce Succession Battle, U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Poised to Top 200,000, U.N. Says 150 Million More Children May Face Poverty as Global Coronavirus Death Toll Nears 1 Million, California Grapples with Evacuations, Toxic Air as Record-Breaking Wildfires Continue to Blaze, Trump Announces $13 Billion for Puerto Rico, as Elections Near and 3 Years After Hurricane Maria, Leaked Docs Show Major Banks Helped Criminals Launder Billions of Dollars, International Community Counters Trump over U.N. Iran Sanctions, Peru's President Survives Impeach…

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2020-09-21). Pompeo's "Humanitarian Intervention" in Latin America: Is Washington Planning A Coup In Venezuela Before The November Elections? globalresearch.ca The US and its long-time Puppet state, Colombia are moving towards another attempt for regime change against Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's Latin American tour which included Colombia, Brazil, Guyana and Suriname, all share …

Eds. (2020-09-21). In Bolivia, Washington has replicated past fascist horrors. mronline.org The campaigns from imperialist propaganda operatives to brand Bolivia's coup regime as some sort of example of progressive governance, or as in any way superior to the Morales government on human rights, have been pure smoke and mirrors.

Paul Dobson (2020-09-21). US & Guyana Unveil Joint Military Patrols on Oil-Rich Venezuela Border. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo completed a whirlwind tour of Surinam, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia to boost anti-Venezuela efforts.

Brasil de Fato (2020-09-21). Brazilian parliamentarians denounce gov't absence in combating wildfires in the Pantanal region. peoplesdispatch.org After a visit to the "We would like to ask for help from the Federal government to end the fires, allow for the ecosystem to recover and create a preventive strategy,"

Matt Sedlar (2020-09-21). Juicios políticos y vetos electorales en la batalla por la democracia en Ecuador. cepr.net OpenDemocracy Ver artículo en el sitio original In English El presidente ecuatoriano Lenín Moreno y sus aliados han hecho todo lo posible para evitar que el expresidente Rafael Correa y su movimiento político regresen al poder. Para lograr este objetivo, el gobierno actual ha perseguido a opositores y proscrito candidatos. El autoritarismo de Moreno, hasta …

yenisafak (2020-09-21). Turkey's Antalya Film Festival picks jury, films. yenisafak.com The 57th Antalya Film Festival announced on Monday jury members and films which will participate in its International Feature Film Competition.Directors, screenwriters, and artists from all over the world will evaluate the films picked elaborately for the festival.The jury members include Turkish screenwriter and director Emin Alper, Romanian producer Ada Solomon, Tribeca Film Festival's artistic director Frederic Boyer, Iranian actor and director Niki Karimi, and Brazilian filmmaker Sandra Kogut.The films, most of which were premiered at the Venice Film Festival in Italy earlier this month, will meet a Turkish a…

yenisafak (2020-09-21). 77% conflict-hit people lost income amid virus: Study. yenisafak.com The Norwegian Refugee Council's report — titled Downward Spiral: the economic impact of Covid-19 on refugees and displaced people — said a survey was conducted in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Uganda and Venezuela and additional research in Somalia, DR Congo, Lebanon, Jordan, Burkina Faso and Yemen."The devastating economic impact is tipping many into a hunger, homelessness and education crisis," it said.According to the findings from the 1,413 people surveyed, 77% of people had lost a job or income from work since March, 70% of people had to cut the number of meals for their househ…

teleSUR, ce (2020-09-20). Seven Killed in Colombia's 60th Massacre of 2020. telesurenglish.net At least seven people were killed today in a massacre in the municipality of Buenos Aires, department of Cauca, Colombia as denounced by the Red por la Vida de los Derechos Humanos de Cauca (Network of Life of Human Rights of Cauca). | RELATED: | The Network says this is the ninth massacre to occur in Cauca department since the start of the year, bringing the total number of massacre victims to 35. So far in September, ther…

A Guest Author (2020-09-20). Cuba socialista es líder mundial en la lucha contra el COVID-19. workers.org Por Rosemari Mealy Rosemari Mealy Esta es una charla ligeramente editada que se dio en un seminario web del Partido Mundo Obrero el 20 de agosto sobre "COVID puede ser derrotado: Cuba, China, Venezuela y Vietnam lideran el camino". Me gustaría agradecer a Workers World/Mundo Obrero por la oportunidad de . . . |

Peter Koenig (2020-09-20). Venezuela — A Tribute for Her Endless Pursuit of Democracy. globalresearch.ca Venezuela is again the shining light of Democracy — pushing ahead with the 6 December 2020 National Assembly (NA) elections — despite the endless challenges of covid — of sanctions, of embargos, of confiscation of foreign assets, and even of …

Peter Koenig (2020-09-20). Venezuela: A Tribute for Her Endless Pursuit of Democracy. dissidentvoice.org Venezuela is again the shining light of Democracy — pushing ahead with the 6 December 2020 National Assembly (NA) elections despite the endless challenges of covid, of sanctions, of embargos, of confiscation of foreign assets, and even of a totally illicit blockage of reserve currencies — Venezuela's gold — naturally in the world's protectorate of …

_____ (2020-09-20). Venezuela Blasts 'Politicized' Report By UN 'Ghost Mission'. popularresistance.org The Venezuelan government rejected a recent report by a United Nations (UN) human rights mission. | "It's a report ridden with falsehoods, written from afar, with no methodological rigor whatsoever," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza wrote on Twitter. He went on to emphasize that the report had been written by a "ghost mission" which had not set foot in Venezuela. | "This illustrates the perverse practice of playing politics with human rights," Arreaza concluded, accusing the authors of the report of being "controlled" by US-allied governments.

teleSUR (2020-09-20). Over 10 LATAM Ex-Presidents Urge End to Proscriptions in Ecuador. telesurenglish.net Former Latin American presidents led by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva (Brazil), Jose Mujica, (Uruguay), Ernesto Samper (Colombia), and Evo Morales (Bolivia), Saturday asked Ecuador's administration to end the proscriptions of candidates ahead of the country's elections in 2021. | RELATED: | "We express our deep concern about the Ecuadorian electoral authorities' decisions to banned the "Citizen's Revolution" politica…

AlejandraGarcia (2020-09-20). Brazil: Ex-Foreign Ministers Decry Pompeo's Hatred of Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Former Foreign Ministries rejected U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to their country as they described it as a "spurious use of a foreign nation as a platform for provocation and hostility towards a neighboring state." | RELATED: | All the former officials that took office after Brazil's dictatorship period (1964-1985) stood in solidarity with the Chamber of Deputies's President Rodrigo Maia, who He was the firs…

_____ (2020-09-20). Bolivia: Violent Pro-Coup Extremists Assault MAS Canvassers. popularresistance.org Bolivian coup supporters waged an attack on Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) canvassers, setting fire to campaign tents and destroying materials. | Videos circulating on social media show what appears to be people in MAS t-shirts being chased down in the area of the 4 de Noviembre plaza in Cochabamba, while posters and other materials were taken down. | Speaking to local news networks, MAS members said they were campaigning for the party's Arce-Choquehuanca ticket and local candidates in the Plaza, when members of the Resistencia Juvenil Cochala (RJC) appeared and began setting off firecrackers and tear gas, whil…

_____ (2020-09-20). Political Trials And Electoral Bans. popularresistance.org Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno and his allies have gone to great lengths to prevent former president Rafael Correa and his political movement from returning to power. | In order to achieve this goal, the current government has persecuted opponents and barred candidates from running. Moreno's authoritarianism has, so far, gone largely unnoticed internationally. With elections scheduled for February 2021, it is crucial that the international community keeps a vigilant eye on the Ecuadorian government's persistent attempts at perverting the course of democracy.

teleSUR, ce (2020-09-20). Venezuela's Electoral Head: Doors Open to Accompany Dec. 6 Vote. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) is weighing whether to take the unprecedented decision to hold the December 6th National Assembly election vote over a period of two days rather than one, exploring the benefits of the possibility, while undergoing the necessary audits and while working to develop the most optimal and efficient conditions. | RELATED: | As CNE President Indira Alfonzo told Ernesto Vil…

_____ (2020-09-19). Mainstream US Reporters Silent About Being Spied On. popularresistance.org A Spanish security firm apparently contracted by US intelligence to carry out a campaign of black operations against Julian Assange and his associates spied on several US reporters including Ellen Nakashima, the top national security reporter of the Washington Post, and Lowell Bergman, a New York Times and PBS veteran. | To date, Nakashima and her employers at the Washington Post have said nothing about the flagrant assault on their constitutional rights by UC Global, the security company in charge of Ecuadorian embassy in London, which seemingly operated under the watch of the CIA's then-director, Mike Pompeo.

_____ (2020-09-19). Venezuela: The 2016-2020 National Assembly — Part Of The Plan. popularresistance.org It's hard to decide which of all the actions of the Venezuelan opposition representatives was the most shameful. Was it Ramos Allup giving the legitimate elected President Nicolas Madura a 6-month deadline to leave office while removing the portraits of Simon Bolivar and of Comandante Chavez from the Federal Capitol? Or Julio Borges spreading letters throughout the world in which he called for an increase in the economic blockade against the Venezuelan people while he labeled us a plague in the region?

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Maduro names Pompeo's war-mongering' tour a 'failure'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 19 (MNA) — Condemning the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Latin American countries, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro named it a "war-mongering" tour that has failed.

_____ (2020-09-19). Venezuela Foils CIA Terror Plot; Pompeo On Regime Change Tour. popularresistance.org Venezuela's government has announced it has foiled a potential terror attack, arresting a former CIA operative while he was on a stakeout near the country's largest oil refining facility. | Matthew John Heath was arrested with three other Venezuelans outside the Amuay and Cardon refineries in Falcon state in the west of the country, reportedly carrying a submachine gun, a grenade launcher, four blocks of C4 explosives, a satellite phone, and stacks of U.S. dollars. He has been charged with terrorism and weapons trafficking.

WSWS (2020-09-19). US, Colombia stage war games as Pompeo threatens Venezuela. wsws.org Pompeo's Latin American tour is aimed both at escalating aggression against Venezuela and countering China's influence in the region.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-19). Argentinians commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Night of the Pencils. peoplesdispatch.org The night of September 16, 1976, was one of the bloodiest night of the last civic-military dictatorship in Argentina, when a group of high school students were kidnapped and tortured by the state security forces…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-19). Bolivia's de-facto president Jeanine àÅñez withdraws from October elections. peoplesdispatch.org Bolivia's coup appointed interim president, Jeanine àÅñez, on September 17, announced that she was withdrawing her candidacy for the general elections scheduled for October 18. Añez said she was pulling out from the electoral race to help unite the conservative vote and try to block the MAS presidential candidate and progressive former economic minister, Luis Arce, from winning. | In a recorded video message, accompanied by her running mate Samuel Doria Medina and other officials, àÅñez said that she decided to "put aside" her candidacy for the greater good, avoiding the situation in which "the vote g…

Lise Alves (2020-09-19). [World Report] Brazilian doctors condemn new rules on abortion. thelancet.com Experts say that the new rules for health workers will discourage access to health services and increase the risk of unsafe abortion. Lise Alves reports from Sà£o Paulo.

Cecilia Siliansky de Andreazzi, Martha Lima Brandà£o, Marina Galvà£o Bueno, Gisele R Winck, Fabiana Lopes Rocha, Rafael L G Raimundo, Jean Paul Metzger, Marcia Chame, José Luis Passos Cordeiro, Paulo Sérgio D'Andrea (2020-09-19). [Correspondence] Brazil's COVID-19 response. thelancet.com We read with interest the Editorial1 about Brazil's response to COVID-19. As Brazilian scientists, we would like to express major concerns about the multiple crises that our country is facing.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-19). Iran, Brazil stress expanding agricultural coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 20 (MNA) — Iranian envoy to Brazil and the governor of the Mato Grosso state of Brazil discussed the expanding of bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, extraterrestrial agriculture, and agricultural products.

sputniknews (2020-09-18). Venezuela's President Maduro Calls Pompeo's 'War-Mongering' Tour a 'Failure'. sputniknews.com The US Department of State earlier announced Pompeo would be visiting South America with the aim of showing support for local democracies and containing the "threat" coming from "Maduro's illegitimate regime".

Ben Chacko (2020-09-18). Coup figurehead drops out as Morales's Socialists set to win Bolivian presidency. peoplesworld.org Bolivia's coup President Jeanine Añez has dropped out of next month's presidential elections after polls showed her scraping just over 5% of the vote. Añez, who was appointed by the army after it forced just re-elected president Evo Morales from power last November, said she was withdrawing "to ensure there is a winner who defends …

a guest author (2020-09-18). Latin American ex-presidents stage 'rebellion on the farm' following IADB appointment. workers.org By Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein The web magazine lapluma.net published this article by its author, a Venezuelan analyst, on Sept. 3. The article refers to George Orwell's novel,"Animal Farm," which pro-imperialist intellectuals have used for reactionary purposes in the past. In this case the author highlights the role of Latin American . . . |