2020-11-18: News Headlines

John Catalinotto (2020-11-18). Bolivians eject coup regime, and Evo Morales returns. workers.org Nov. 16 — Evo Morales — president of Bolivia from 2006-19 before a U.S.-backed right-wing coup forced the first Indigenous president to leave both his office and his country — returned in triumph Nov. 9, as the workers and farmers of Bolivia dealt a blow to imperialist domination of their . . . |

teleSUR (2020-11-18). Chile: Senate to Vote for Seats Reserved for Indigenous Peoples. telesurenglish.net Chile's Senate Wednesday will vote on the quorum required for the approval of a bill that seeks to reserve seats for representatives of Indigenous peoples to the Constitutional Convention. | RELATED: | Right wing parties and the government proposed 15 seats for representatives of Indigenous people, which represents 10 percent of the 155 Constitutional Convention seats set to draft a new Constitution. | The prop…

teleSUR (2020-11-18). Brazil: Supreme Court Rules Out Lula's Motion on Guaruja Case. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Court (STJ) Tuesday rejected unanimously former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's (2003-2011) appeal regarding the sentence on the Guaruja Triplex case which led to his arrest between April 2018 and November 2019. | RELATED: | The decisions was voted down by ministers Felix Fischer, Joao Otavio de Noronha, Reynaldo Soares da Fonseca, and Ribeiro Dantas. | Lula's defense team called for a change in th…

Eds. (2020-11-18). Peruvian government falls after two killed in anti-impeachment protests. mronline.org Less than one week after being sworn in as successor to Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra, impeached in what amounted to a parliamentary coup, the former president of the Congress, Manuel Merino, was forced to resign Sunday.

teleSUR (2020-11-18). Argentina: Congress Approves Extraordinary Tax on Large Fortunes. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Chamber of Deputies in the early morning of this Wednesday approved an extraordinary tax on wealth, which has as its main aim to face the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in the South American country. | RELATED: | The initiative, promoted by President Alberto Fernandez's government, will now be sent to the Senate -where the ruling party has a majority- for discussion and eventual approval. | With 133 af…

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-11-18). BRICS 2020: Achievements and Future Challenges. Summit of Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. globalresearch.ca On November 17, under Russia's BRICS Chairmanship, Vladimir Putin hosted the 12th BRICS Summit via videoconference. The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa participated to discuss the state and prospects of cooperation within BRICS, discussed the global …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-18). Iranian filmmaker joins juries at Cortos en Grande fest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (MNA) — Iranian filmmaker Ghasideh Golmakani has joined the jury panel at the 3rd edition of the Cortos en Grande Short Film Festival in Chile.

teleSUR (2020-11-18). Paraguay Prepares for the 27th Ibero-American Summit. telesurenglish.net Authorities from Paraguay and Andorra Tuesday held a working meeting as part of the preparations for the 27th Ibero-American Summit to take place on April 21 and 22 next year. | RELATED: | Paraguay's Foreign Minister Federico Gonzalez and his Andorran counterpart Maria Ubach Font debated virtually on the economic and social measures to be adopted in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the topic to be discuss…

teleSUR (2020-11-18). Uruguay: Health Services Unions Call for a National Strike. telesurenglish.net Uruguay's National Medical Union (SMU) and the Medical Federation of the Interior (FEMI) Wednesday called for a 24-hour strike in the private sector and mobile emergencies to demand better working conditions. | RELATED: | On November 5, the General Assembly of the SMU agreed to carry out the national strike due to "the lack of progress in the negotiation with the Wage Council of the private sector." | SMU represen…

Pip Hinman (2020-11-18). Solidarity shown to Peruvians taking action against coup. greenleft.org.au Solidarity is being shown to Peruvians in their campaign for a new constituent assembly and justice, reports Rachel Evans.

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-11-17). 1 year after the Sacaba massacre, Bolivians commemorate victims and demand justice. peoplesdispatch.org According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), 36 people lost their lives in different parts of Bolivia during…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-11-17). Newly revealed documents show Nixon, Kissinger plotted Allende overthrow from day one. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Almost from the very minute elected Socialist/Marxist President Salvador Allende took office in Chile in November 1970, Republican U.S. President Richard Nixon and his top officials were scared of his example and his impact—and determined to oust him. That's the conclusion that can be drawn from a new group of memos on the U.S. campaign …

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Uruguay: Leftist Party Presents Proposal To Reject Budget Bill. telesurenglish.net Uruguay's left-wing Broad Front (BF) presented a document at the Senate on Monday in order to reform the 2020-2024 Budget Bill which they claim establishes several cuts in basic policies, such as education, health care, and the administration of justice. | RELATED: | "The 2020-2024 Budget presented by the Executive Branch and approved by the Coalition in the Lower Chamber turns its back on the needs of the great maj…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Lula Calls To Vote for Socialist Candidate in Sao Paulo. telesurenglish.net The former president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, on Tuesday called on the leftist electorate to vote, independently of the party for which they voted on Sunday, for the socialist candidate Guillermo Boulos, who advanced to the second round scheduled for November 29. | RELATED: | Lula's call comes after it was confirmed that a Homeless Workers Movement's militant would contest the second round of the municipal electio…

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-11-17). Colombia witnesses one of the bloodiest weekends of the year. peoplesdispatch.org Violence against social and political leaders continues at an alarming rate in Colombia. This weekend, between November 13 & 15, a family of 3 was killed in a massacre; 2 Afro-descendant people, 1 Indigenous leader, 1 social leader and 3 former combatants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerilla group were assassinated by illegal paramilitary groups; and 2 minors were shot dead by a national army soldier. The alarming number of deaths is one of the highest death tolls registered during a weekend this year. | Estos son los trágicos hechos del fin de semana de horror en contra de la paz. En med…

Marco Terrugi (2020-11-17). Evo Morales returns to Bolivia in triumph. workers.org Chimoré airport, Bolivia First published Nov. 13 in revistacrisis.com.ar, Teruggi's article describes Evo Morales' triumphant return to Bolivia after a year in exile. Translation: John Catalinotto. [Former President] Evo Morales and [Vice President] Alvaro Garcia Linera stood before a crowd at the Chimoré airport in the heart of the Chapare. . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-17). Organizations across the globe condemn Moroccan aggression in Western Sahara. peoplesdispatch.org Progressive groups from across the world have expressed their solidarity with people of Western Sahara in the wake of Morocco's aggression and breach of three-decade long ceasefire agreement on November 13. The organizations have condemned Moroccan aggression and called the international community to intervene to resolve the issue. | On Monday, November 16, Venezuelan social movements gathered in the center of the capital Caracas to express their solidarity with the Sahrawi people and their cause and denounce Moroccan aggression. The demonstrators demanded that the UN should intervene in a more decisive way in th…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Bolivia: Former Ministers Murillo, Lopez Flee to Panama, Brazil. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's General Commander of the Police, Jhonny Aguilera, said this Tuesday that the former Ministers of Government and Defense, Arturo Murillo and Fernando López, are currently out of the country. Both former coup government leaders have arrest warrants in the framework of the ongoing investigations into the "Tear Gas" case. | RELATED: | In an interview with the newscast, Antes de Mediodía on local radio station…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Brazil: Bolsonaro Questions Vote Count System After Defeat. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday cast doubt on the country's vote-counting system after several right-wing candidates were not elected in the local elections held on November 15. | RELATED: | Far-right-wing Bolsonaro noted that he has always been suspicious of the automatic voting system which has been in force in the country since 1996, pointing out that it is necessary to have "a reliable and quic…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Bolivia: Prosecutor's Office Orders Arrest of Former Ministers. telesurenglish.net The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office Monday issued arrest warrants against Interior Minister Arturo Murillo and Defense Minister Fernando Lopez for the "Tear Gas" case, related to the purchase of chemical agents at a surcharge. | RELATED: | "There is sufficient evidence that the former coup ministers are the perpetrators or accomplices of the crime," the Attorney General's Office stated. | Murillo and Lopez will be arrested b…

WSWS (2020-11-17). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Doctors in Buenos Aires are set to strike November 17 over an insufficient pay offer while health care workers in Chile struck November 12 and 13 demanding upgrades to the system.

Peter Lackowski (2020-11-17). A Strategy Comes Home to Roost. counterpunch.org Traveling around Venezuela in 2005, it occurred to me that it the paint merchants must be doing very well. There had been a recall referendum the year before. The question on the ballot was a simple yes or no: Shall President Hugo Chávez be recalled? The word "NO" was still painted on walls, pillars, even

teleSUR (2020-11-17). LATAM Electoral Experts Certifies Venezuela's Voting System. telesurenglish.net The president of the Council of Electoral Experts of Latin America (CEELA) Nicanor Moscoso described as successful the accompaniment undertaken to guarantee the transparency of Venezuela's voting system in the lead up to the parliamentary elections to be held on December 6. | RELATED: | Taking into account the reports by CEELA electoral Observation Mission on the two moke-vote held in Venezuela, CEELA President Moscoso h…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Evo Morales: 'I Had to Resign to Save the Process of Change'. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Former President Evo Morales Monday reaffirmed that saving his life "was to save the process of change" following the coup in 2019. He made the statements during an interview granted to the multimedia platform teleSUR, in which he recalled the events that led him to leave the country just a year ago. | RELATED: | "A comrade told me that I should resign because saving Evo's life was to save the process of change,…

_____ (2020-11-17). Brazilian Elections — A Day Of Shame For The Far Right. popularresistance.org On Sunday, November 15, over 147 million Brazilians went to the polls in the largest round of local elections in the nation's history. One state, Amapa, had to cancel most of its elections due the fact that most of it has been without electricity for over 2 weeks because of the massive failure of the privatization of it's power grid. In the other 25 states elections went smoothly, with the biggest complaint being the 3 hour delay due to computer glitches which caused final results to be announced only 7 hours after the polls closed (watch and learn, USA).

Venezuela Analysis (2020-11-17). EU extends sanctions against Venezuela. peoplesdispatch.org The European Council has extended all sanctions against Venezuela for another year. The measures include travel bans, asset freezes and trade restrictions and will now be in place until November 2021. | According to a European Union (EU)

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Argentina: Congress Debates to Tax Large Fortunes to Face Crisis. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Tuesday Congress debates whether the country could count for the first time in its history with a measure that forces the holders of great fortunes to contribute -for one time only- to ease the crisis produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The project seeks to raise more than US$37 billion for productive and sanitary plans. | The initiative contemplates that individuals with assets over 200 millio…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Evo Morales Assumes MAS Presidency in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net The former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, assumed this Tuesday the presidency of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), after a national meeting in which the country's leaders participated with the aim of facing the local elections of March 7, 2021. | RELATED: | During the press conference, the former Bolivian president said that "it is not easy to choose candidates, but the experience of the Movement Towards Socialis…

teleSUR (2020-11-17). Hurricane Iota Wreaks Havoc in Central America. telesurenglish.net According to U.S. National Hurricane Center, hurricane Iota was downgraded to category 1 on Tuesday, while maintaining its potential to produce flash flooding and mudslides over central America. | Hurricane Iota made landfall on the coast of Nicaragua near the city of Haulover located about 30 miles south of Puerto Cabezas. It is the first Category 5 hurricane recorded in this season in the Atlantic. | At least one person died and serious damage was reported as a result of Iota's impact on the Colombia island of Providencia, which suffered the deterioration of about 98 percent of its infrastructure. | Meanwhil…

Margaret Flowers (2020-11-16). The Imperative To Achieve National Improved Medicare For All. dissidentvoice.org NOTE: The Kevin Zeese Emerging Activists Fund is accepting applicants for an unrestricted grant of $20,000 until December 13, 2020. Learn more at PopularResistance.org/kevin-zeese/. And join us for a webinar with Venezuelan social movements on November 18 to hear about their upcoming elections and how we can support their struggle against US intervention. Details at …

Jasmine Norden (2020-11-16). Protesters killed in Peru after Amnesty International warns of a 'human rights crisis'. thecanary.co PerHuman rights organisations have warned that Peru police used excessive force against protesters as two people were confirmed dead. | On 14 November, two protesters Marina Navarro, e…

Zoe PC (2020-11-16). Peru has a new interim president but social movements demand 'refoundation'. peoplesdispatch.org Francisco Sagasti was chosen as interim president by Congress on Monday. This follows the resignation of interim president Manuel Merino after mass outrage over the assassination of two protesters by the police on Saturday…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Havana Arrives at 501 Years, Expanding Eusebio Leal's Legacy. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro celebrated on Monday the 501 anniversary of the founding of Havana. This World Heritage city is also a model of an avant-garde restoration process in Latin America and the world. | RELATED: | "From Venezuela, we celebrate 501 years of history and resistance of Havana. A city that houses the rebellion, the joy, the music, and the verses of the heroic Cuban people in its streets. We hope to enjoy its warmth…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Peruvian People Celebrate President Manuel Merino's Resignation. telesurenglish.net The Peruvian people Sunday celebrated the resignation of interim President Manuel Merino, who was removed by the resistance of citizens in the streets despite police brutality. | RELATED: | The young people took to the streets and marched to the Congress of the Republic's headquarters with the slogans "Long live Peru," "Let's go Peru," and "Yes we can." | Outside the Plaza Bolívar lie two funeral arrangements in honor of the yo…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Bolivia: IACHR to Investigate Crimes in Senkata and Sacaba. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's authorities announced that on November 23, five experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will arrive in the country to undergo an investigation into the murders of Sacaba, in Cochabamba Department, and Senkata, El Alto Department. | RELATED: | On Sunday, Justice Minister Ivan Lima, and the Movement to Socialism (MAS) lawmaker Leonardo Loza released the information during a tribute to the victims of the massa…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Argentina: Congress Debates Tax Bill on Large Fortunes. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Congress is set to debate on Tuesday a Tax Bill on Large Fortunes aimed at supporting the State's response in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Reaching 0.08 percent of the economically active population in the country, the so-called Law of Solidarity and Extraordinary Contribution to Great Fortunes seeks that people who have a patrimony of over US$3 million pay a tax of 2 to 3 percent. | The Bill establi…

Brasil de Fato (2020-11-16). Brazilian municipal elections: Where the left grew, where the liberal right maintained its hegemony. peoplesdispatch.org The largest cities in the country, Sà£o Paulo (SP) and Rio de Janeiro (RJ) will have a second round of voting on November…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Bolsonaro-Backed Candidates Defeated in Brazil's Local Elections. telesurenglish.net The electoral results of the main Brazilian cities show the defeat of the candidates supported by President Jair Bolsonaro, favoring the candidates of the center and the moderate right. | RELATED: | In Sao Paulo, the city with the most voters in the country, the current mayor, Bruno Covas, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), took the lead with nearly a third of the votes, 32.8 percent. | However, Covas will…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Chile: Senate To Vote on Claim Against Ex-Interior Minister. telesurenglish.net Chile's Senate on Monday is set to debate a constitutional claim over police brutality against former Interior Minister Victor Perez who could be suspended from public office for up to five years. | RELATED: | The president of the Senate Adriana Muñoz noted that the debate will allow Perez's defense from the accusations and the interventions by each one of the senators in order to carry out the final vote. | Pe…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Ecuador: Debates Start to Set the Minimum Wage for 2021. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's National Council of Labor and Wages (CNTS) Monday began consultative meetings to determine the unified basic wage (UBW) that will rule in 2021 amid the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Several economists and workers union representatives have cast doubts on a minimum wage increase, taking into account that the country is experiencing an economic contraction and high rates of…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Colombia: Army Soldiers Killed Two Minors in Huila. telesurenglish.net Social organizations from the municipality of San Agustin, in Huila Department, Colombia, Monday denounced the murder of two minors at a military checkpoint near the town of El Palmar. | RELATED: | The teenagers were identified as Joselino Irua, 14, and Emerson Dussan, 16. Preliminary investigations show that they were riding a motorcycle when they were approached by military personnel from the Magdalena Infantry Battalio…

teleSUR (2020-11-16). Francisco Sagasti Elected New Interim President of Peru. telesurenglish.net The Peruvian Congress on Monday elected Francisco Sagasti as the new leader of its Board of Directors, which at the same time makes him the new successor to the former president, Manuel Merino, at the head of the country's presidency. | RELATED: | Along with Sagasti are Congresswoman for the Frente Amplio, Mirtha Vásquez, for Acción Popular, Luis Roel, and for Somos Perú, Matilde Fernández, in the first, second a…