Daily Archives: March 20, 2020

2020-03-20: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-20). Coronavirus transforms routine flight into private jet for unsuspecting passenger (VIDEO). rt.com A man from Argentina traveling from Tel-Aviv to Barcelona was stunned to find out that he'd hired himself an entire jet for the price of a single ticket. The coronavirus panic saw him ending up the only passenger aboard. | Earlier this week, Ilan, an Orthodox Jew from Argentina, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport with his luggage, only to learn that Israeli El Al Airlines had canceled his flight as part of the country's harsh Covid-19 travel restrictions. | But the 21-year-old didn't give up that easily as he went searching for other options at the almost empty airport. His persistence was rewarded as he was able t…

RT (2020-03-20). 'The Purge has begun': Sirens mark beginning of national quarantine in Argentina in most ominous way possible (VIDEOS). rt.com A global pandemic is enough to put most people on edge, but authorities in Argentina decided to make matters worse by marking the start of a nationwide lockdown using an ominous siren taken straight from the Purge movie franchise. | As darkly humorous comments on eyewitness videos show, following a televised countdown, Argentinians were warned that the quarantine had officially begun with the spine-tingling wail of sirens. | si a las 00.00 no suena la alarma de la purga esta cuarentena total ya arranca mal

Aaron Maté (2020-03-20). Expert: US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during pandemic could be genocidal. thegrayzone.com Intensified US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to genocide, a former UN expert warns. Iran…

Nino Pagliccia (2020-03-20). Sanctions: Unilateral Coercive Measures for Regime Change in Venezuela. globalresearch.ca In discussing the issue of "sanctions" there are two main points that need to be made. One is the use of the correct terminology when referring to the government actions that the US, Canada and the EU take in order …

Zero Hedge (2020-03-20). 15 Among Brazilian Delegation that Met with Trump Now Have Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca It's been eleven days since the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his delegation met with Trump and many White House staffers at Mar-a-Lago on March 7. First it was Nestor Forster, Brazil's Chargé d'Affaires in Washington, and Nelsinho Trad, …

WSWS (2020-03-20). Growing anger among Brazilian workers to response of government and unions to coronavirus crisis. wsws.org In the Brazilian auto plants, the life of the workers is being put at risk on a daily basis to ensure that the corporations continue to extract profits.

teleSUR (2020-03-20). Latin American Leaders Demand Continent's Debt to Be Condoned. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's former President Rafael Correa, Bolivia's former Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera, Colombia's former presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, and other progressive intellectuals Friday called on the international community to make multilateral financial institutions and other private creditors sensitive to the ongoing economic situation and forgive the Latin American countries' sovereign external debt. | RELATED: |

teleSUR (2020-03-20). Bolivia: Coup-Born Regime Rejects Medical Cooperation From Cuba. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's coup-born president Jeanine Añez and her Health Minister Erwin Viruez rejected the Cuban health cooperation amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | RELATED: | In an interview with local news media, Viruez affirmed that the Bolivian doctors have "the capacity to respond to this or any other contingency." | "Cuban doctors we…

teleSUR (2020-03-20). Colombia: President Duque Faces Investigation for Vote Buying. telesurenglish.net Congress' Investigation Chamber Thursday presented the first inquiry document of the accusation process against Colombia's President Ivan Duque due to vote-buying accusations. | RELATED: | This ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äãact officially initiates the preliminary investigation against him after former congressw…

yenisafak (2020-03-20). Argentina under lockdown as coronavirus cases surge. yenisafak.com The country will remain under lockdown until at least March 31, President Alberto Fernandez said in a statement posted on Twitter Thursday night."I have just decreed social, preventive and compulsory isolation for the entire population. An exceptional decision at an exceptional moment," Fernandez said.The president stressed the decision was taken because the pandemic spreads rapidly across the world and it is "the most serious health problem.""After listening to the experts, the political forces, and the governors, I decided to: Restrict circulation. Everyone will stay in their own house. No one has to panic," he…

Vijay Prashad (2020-03-19). IMF refuses aid to Venezuela in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis. mronline.org On March 16, 2020, the chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva wrote a blog post on the Fund's website; it represents the kind of generosity necessary in the midst of a global pandemic. "The IMF stands ready to mobilize its $1 trillion lending capacity to help our membership," she wrote. |

Staff (2020-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2020. democracynow.org Italy Records Record 475 Coronavirus Deaths as Infections Continue Climbing, British PM Boris Johnson Closes Schools After Reversing Lax Virus Containment Plan, Millions of Brazilians Protest from Windows and Balconies Demanding President's Ouster, World Health Organization Warns Critical Lack of Testing Is Costing Lives, Egypt Arrests Protesters Calling for Release of Prisoners at Risk of COVID-19, Yemen, Already Wracked by U.S.-Supported, Saudi-Led War, Braces for Coronavirus, Trump Admin Tightens Sanctions That Have Devastated Iran's Public Health System, Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill Providing Paid Leav…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Protests Against the "Bolsonaro Virus" Spread in Brazil. telesurenglish.net For the second day in a row, ultra-right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was the subject of protests in several Brazilian cities, local media reported Wednesday. | RELATED: | The protests began in the country on Tuesday, after residents of some communities in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, from windows and balconies, shouted and pot-banging for Bolsonaro's resignation. | After the call went viral on Twitter, the protests rea…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Cargo Arrives in Venezuela With Medical Aid From China. telesurenglish.net A special medicine and medical supplies shipment arrived in Venezuela from China on Thursday, March 19th, as the Asian nation continues to provide assistance to the Bolivarian Republic. . | RELATED: | Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, announced that the cargo arrived and assured it would allow thousands to be tested for possible Covid-19 cases and diagnose the positive ones. | The mandatary explained that so f…

Staff (2020-03-19). Economists Demand Trump Immediately Lift Iran, Cuba, Venezuela Sanctions. truthout.org A group of economists and policy experts on Wednesday

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Rio's Favelas Seen as Potential Coronavirus Breeding Grounds. telesurenglish.net "How am I going to isolate a family member who gets the illness if four of us share the same room in my house?" Maria, a resident of a Brazilian metropolis' jam-packed Tavares Bastos favela, asks rhetorically about the potential spread thereof the novel coronavirus. | RELATED: | The inhabitants of Rio's densely populated favelas (shantytowns), where four or five people share small individual residences on average, have…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Brazil: Sao Paulo Police Capture Nearly Half of Escaped Inmates. telesurenglish.net Brazilian Police captured more than 500 of the 1400 inmates who escaped from Sao Paulo's penitentiary institutions. | RELATED: | The massive escape occurred on March 16 in three prisons located in Managua, Mirandopolis, and Taubate. The inmates started fires, riots, and took guards as hostages after authorities announced several departures and visiting restrictions as a measure to prevent Covid-19 spreading in Brazilian territo…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Covid-19 Updates: Argentina Declares Quarantine + More. telesurenglish.net UPDATE 8: 30 PM: | President Fernandez of Argentina declares preventive quarantine due to Coronavirus. Here is a summary of the statements made during his press conference: * We made a lot of efforts to make people understand (that social isolation is necessary) | * We take measures with companies, suspend classes and yet we had problems with people who do not understand that they have to stay home | * Decree of necessity and urgency: from midnight all people must submit to mandatory preventive social isolation until March 31 | * Open local businesses (warehouses, pharmacies, etc.) | * Security forces will cont…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Covid-19's Effects Put Argentina on the Verge of a Debt Default. telesurenglish.net Argentina's risk premium rose to 4,044 basis points on Wednesday amid the financial markets crisis prompted by the economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Buenos Aires, stock market activity decreased by more than 12 percent and the value of Argentine shares listed on Wall Street fell by almost 27 percent. | RELATED: | The combined effect of these events makes Argentina's public debt, which was already unsustai…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Bolivia: Senkata and Sencaba Events Under Investigation. telesurenglish.net Bolivian Legislative Commission announced on Thursday that they will investigate the Senkata and Sencaba events in the El Alto province that took place in November 2019. | RELATED: | According to Victor Broda, Movement to Socialism (MAS) party deputy and Special Mix Legislative Commission's president, the inquiring process would not be a simple data collection, but a determination on both intellectual and material…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Ecuador: Guayaquil Prevents Plane From Landing Due to COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Guayaquil authorities blocked the airstrip of the airport in this Ecuadorian city on Wednesday to prevent the arrival of a plane from Spain on the suspicion that it was carrying passengers infected with COVID-19. | RELATED: | The Airbus of Iberia, which had departed from Madrid with 11 passengers, intended to land on the runway of the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil; however, it was preve…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Colombia: Senators Ask Duque for More Decision to Halt Covid-19. telesurenglish.net More than 60 Colombian lawmakers and senators Thursday asked President Ivan Duque to take more forceful measures in the face of the health emergency caused by the Covid-19. | RELATED: | They argued that while reconnecting water to thousands of homes is fine, Colombians need four things that the government is not doing. | Mandatory isolation is the most effective measure. However, for people to stay at home, the government mu…

teleSUR (2020-03-19). Colombia to Suspend Entry for All Travelers From Abroad. telesurenglish.net Colombia will block entry to everyone traveling from abroad from midnight on Monday to control the spread of coronavirus, President Ivan Duque said on Thursday, under pressure RELATED: | The Andean country earlier this week…

Morning Star (2020-03-18). IMF rejects Venezuela coronavirus loan request over U.S. claims Maduro isn't president. peoplesworld.org The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rejected Venezuela's request for a $5 billion emergency support package to help strengthen the country's health system in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. President Nicolas Maduro wrote to the global financial organization earlier this week asking for support as the country struggles to cope with crippling U.S. economic …

Ben Norton (2020-03-17). Italy and UK rely on help from Cuba, China, Venezuela to fight coronavirus — as US steps up brutal sanctions. thegrayzone.com Italy requested doctors from China, Cuba, and Venezuela to contain the coronavirus, while Cuba rescued a ship of British citizens….

Ben Norton (2020-03-17). Amid coronavirus pandemic, Bolsonaro's Brazil begs for Cuban doctors — after expelling them. thegrayzone.com Brazil's far-right government requested the return of thousands of Cuban doctors to help fight the coronavirus. Months ago, President Jair…

Leonardo Flores (2020-03-17). US ramps up sanctions devastating Venezuela's health sector as coronavirus spreads. thegrayzone.com Promising to "smash" Venezuela's government during a "maximum pressure March," Trump has imposed crushing sanctions that force Venezuela to spend…

Fight Back (2020-03-17). Venezuela: American Teamsters tour printing factory. fightbacknews.org Maracay, Venezuela — The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) labor delegation toured a large printing factory on March 13 in Maracay, Venezuela, about two hours outside Caracas. As the delegates bus pulled up to the factory gates, a huge sign welcomed them, "We don't speak ill of Chavez here!" The head of the factory and a group of workers excitedly gathered around to greet the American members of the Teamsters union. | In a bold and historic move, this factory was taken over by the workers themselves during the presidency of Hugo Chavez in 2005. The previously laid off workers formed a new team…

Staff (2020-03-16). Headlines for March 16, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Pandemic Death Toll Tops 6,500 Worldwide, About 170,000 Confirmed Cases, U.S. Coronavirus Cases Reach 3,600 as True Number of Infections Continues to be Unknown, Trump Tests Negative for Coronavirus After Being in Contact with Brazilian Official Infected with COVID-19, States Across U.S. Ramp Up Measures to Control Spread of Coronavirus, Including Massive School, Business Closures, Federal Judge Blocks Trump Rule That Would Have Thrown 700,000 People Off Food Stamps, AOC Confronts ICE Agent at LaGuardia Airport as 6 Migrant Children Detained in Texas Were Relocated to New York, Sanders, Biden Faced Of…

Lucas Koerner (2020-03-15). Corporate Media Condone Destruction of Venezuela's Voting Machines. fair.org The vast majority of Venezuela's voting machines were incinerated on March 7 in a fire that engulfed the main warehouse of the National Electoral Council. Corporate outlets followed the familiar script of blaming the victim, repeating the US State Department talking point that the Venezuelan electoral system is "rigged" and floating outlandish conspiracy theories.

Staff (2020-03-13). Headlines for March 13, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Infections Around the Globe Reach 135,000 People, Nearly 5,000 Dead, U.S. Coronavirus Infections Rise to 1,650 as Actual Number Believed to Be Higher | , Dow Jones Plummets 10% in Biggest Drop Since 1987 | , Trump Administration Faces Backlash for Handling of Coronavirus Outbreak, Testing | , Brazilian President Bolsonaro's Aide Tests Positive for COVID-19 Days After Meeting with Trump, Philippines President Duterte Orders Lockdown in Manila Amid Coronavirus Pandemic | , Advocates Afraid of Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak in Immigration Jails Plagued by Medical Neglect, Democratic Presidential Debate Relo…

Joe Emersberger (2020-03-13). No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy. zcomm.org I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action,

Venezuela Analysis (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.

2020-03-20: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Expert: US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during pandemic could be genocidal
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-20
Intensified US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to genocide, a former UN expert warns. Iran…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/20/expert-us-sanctions-on-iran-venezuela-during-pandemic-could-be-genocidal/

15 Among Brazilian Delegation that Met with Trump Now Have Coronavirus
Zero Hedge | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
It's been eleven days since the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his delegation met with Trump and many White House staffers at Mar-a-Lago on March 7. First it was Nestor Forster, Brazil's Chargé d'Affaires in Washington, and Nelsinho Trad, …
globalresearch.ca/15-among-brazilian-delegation-met-trump-now-have-coronavirus/5706912

Sanctions: Unilateral Coercive Measures for Regime Change in Venezuela
Nino Pagliccia | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-20
In discussing the issue of "sanctions" there are two main points that need to be made. One is the use of the correct terminology when referring to the government actions that the US, Canada and the EU take in order …
globalresearch.ca/sanctions-unilateral-coercive-measures-regime-change-venezuela/5706847

Bolivia: Coup-Born Regime Rejects Medical Cooperation From Cuba
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-20
Bolivia's coup-born president Jeanine Añez and her Health Minister Erwin Viruez rejected the Cuban health cooperation amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | RELATED: | Bolivia: Senkata and Sencaba Events Under Investigation | In an interview with local news media, Viruez affirmed that the Bolivian doctors have "the capacity to respond to this or any other contingency." | "Cuban doctors we…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-de-facto-government-rejects-medical-aid-from-cuba-20200320-0010.html

Latin American Leaders Demand Continent's Debt to Be Condoned
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-20
Ecuador's former President Rafael Correa, Bolivia's former Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera, Colombia's former presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, and other progressive intellectuals Friday called on the international community to make multilateral financial institutions and other private creditors sensitive to the ongoing economic situation and forgive the Latin American countries' sovereign external debt. | RELATED: | US, European Economists Predict Recession Due to COVID-19…
telesurenglish.net/news/Latin-American-Leaders-Demand-Continents-Debt-to-Be-Condoned-20200320-0015.html

Coronavirus transforms routine flight into private jet for unsuspecting passenger (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-03-20
A man from Argentina traveling from Tel-Aviv to Barcelona was stunned to find out that he'd hired himself an entire jet for the price of a single ticket. The coronavirus panic saw him ending up the only passenger aboard. | Earlier this week, Ilan, an Orthodox Jew from Argentina, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport with his luggage, only to learn that Israeli El Al Airlines had canceled his flight as part of the country's harsh Covid-19 travel restrictions. | But the 21-year-old didn't give up that easily as he went searching for other options at the almost empty airport. His persistence was rewarded as he was able t…
rt.com/news/483600-israel-barcelona-empty-plane-coronavirus/

'The Purge has begun': Sirens mark beginning of national quarantine in Argentina in most ominous way possible (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-03-20
A global pandemic is enough to put most people on edge, but authorities in Argentina decided to make matters worse by marking the start of a nationwide lockdown using an ominous siren taken straight from the Purge movie franchise. | As darkly humorous comments on eyewitness videos show, following a televised countdown, Argentinians were warned that the quarantine had officially begun with the spine-tingling wail of sirens. | si a las 00.00 no suena la alarma de la purga esta cuarentena total ya arranca mal pic.twitter.com/5FA3YbhPyN– Quimey Herrera (@QuimeyHerrera01)…
rt.com/news/483647-purge-begun-argentina-quarantine-sirens/

Colombia: President Duque Faces Investigation for Vote Buying
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-20
Congress' Investigation Chamber Thursday presented the first inquiry document of the accusation process against Colombia's President Ivan Duque due to vote-buying accusations. | RELATED: | Colombia to Suspend Entry for All Travelers From Abroad | This ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äãact officially initiates the preliminary investigation against him after former congressw…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-official-opening-of-investigation-against-duque-20200320-0007.html

Growing anger among Brazilian workers to response of government and unions to coronavirus crisis
wsws.org | 2020-03-20
In the Brazilian auto plants, the life of the workers is being put at risk on a daily basis to ensure that the corporations continue to extract profits.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/20/braz-m20.html

Argentina under lockdown as coronavirus cases surge
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-20
The country will remain under lockdown until at least March 31, President Alberto Fernandez said in a statement posted on Twitter Thursday night."I have just decreed social, preventive and compulsory isolation for the entire population. An exceptional decision at an exceptional moment," Fernandez said.The president stressed the decision was taken because the pandemic spreads rapidly across the world and it is "the most serious health problem.""After listening to the experts, the political forces, and the governors, I decided to: Restrict circulation. Everyone will stay in their own house. No one has to panic," he…
yenisafak.com/en/world/argentina-under-lockdown-as-coronavirus-cases-surge-3514488

IMF refuses aid to Venezuela in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-03-19
On March 16, 2020, the chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva wrote a blog post on the Fund's website; it represents the kind of generosity necessary in the midst of a global pandemic. "The IMF stands ready to mobilize its $1 trillion lending capacity to help our membership," she wrote. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/19/imf-refuses-aid-to-venezuela-in-the-midst-of-the-coronavirus-crisis/

Protests Against the "Bolsonaro Virus" Spread in Brazil
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
For the second day in a row, ultra-right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was the subject of protests in several Brazilian cities, local media reported Wednesday. | RELATED: | Brazil Demands Bolsonaro's Removal With a Wave of Protests | The protests began in the country on Tuesday, after residents of some communities in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, from windows and balconies, shouted and pot-banging for Bolsonaro's resignation. | After the call went viral on Twitter, the protests rea…
telesurenglish.net/news/protests-against-the-bolsonaro-virus-spreads-in-brazil-20200319-0005.html

Brazil: Sao Paulo Police Capture Nearly Half of Escaped Inmates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
Brazilian Police captured more than 500 of the 1400 inmates who escaped from Sao Paulo's penitentiary institutions. | RELATED: | Protests Against the "Bolsonaro Virus" Spread in Brazil | The massive escape occurred on March 16 in three prisons located in Managua, Mirandopolis, and Taubate. The inmates started fires, riots, and took guards as hostages after authorities announced several departures and visiting restrictions as a measure to prevent Covid-19 spreading in Brazilian territo…
telesurenglish.net/news/brazil-sao-paulo-police-capture-nearly-half-of-escaped-inmates-20200319-0011.html

Cargo Arrives in Venezuela With Medical Aid From China
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
A special medicine and medical supplies shipment arrived in Venezuela from China on Thursday, March 19th, as the Asian nation continues to provide assistance to the Bolivarian Republic. . | RELATED: | Twitter Restricts Profiles of Venezuelan Officials | Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, announced that the cargo arrived and assured it would allow thousands to be tested for possible Covid-19 cases and diagnose the positive ones. | The mandatary explained that so f…
telesurenglish.net/news/cargo-arrives-in-venezuela-with-medical-aid-from-china-20200319-0014.html

Bolivia: Senkata and Sencaba Events Under Investigation
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
Bolivian Legislative Commission announced on Thursday that they will investigate the Senkata and Sencaba events in the El Alto province that took place in November 2019. | RELATED: | Bolivia: Añez Uses Police to Enforce Measures Against COVID-19 | According to Victor Broda, Movement to Socialism (MAS) party deputy and Special Mix Legislative Commission's president, the inquiring process would not be a simple data collection, but a determination on both intellectual and material…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-senkata-and-sencaba-events-under-investigation-20200319-0006.html

California Orders Quarantine for 40 Million People
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, decreed Thursday a quarantine for nearly 40 million residents of the state. Further, he ordered the closure of nonessential businesses to fight the spread of the coronavirus in the state. | RELATED: | Covid-19 Updates: Argentina Declares Quarantine + More | The Democrat governor's order comes at a time when the cases confirmed to be COVID-19 in the Golden State are around a thousand, and the deceased…
telesurenglish.net/news/California-Orders-Quarantine-for-40-Million-People-20200319-0021.html

Covid-19 Updates: Argentina Declares Quarantine + More
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
UPDATE 8: 30 PM: | President Fernandez of Argentina declares preventive quarantine due to Coronavirus. Here is a summary of the statements made during his press conference: * We made a lot of efforts to make people understand (that social isolation is necessary) | * We take measures with companies, suspend classes and yet we had problems with people who do not understand that they have to stay home | * Decree of necessity and urgency: from midnight all people must submit to mandatory preventive social isolation until March 31 | * Open local businesses (warehouses, pharmacies, etc.) | * Security forces will cont…
telesurenglish.net/news/Covid-19-Updates-Argentina-Declares-Quarantine–More-20200319-0002.html

Covid-19's Effects Put Argentina on the Verge of a Debt Default
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
Argentina's risk premium rose to 4,044 basis points on Wednesday amid the financial markets crisis prompted by the economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Buenos Aires, stock market activity decreased by more than 12 percent and the value of Argentine shares listed on Wall Street fell by almost 27 percent. | RELATED: | Argentina and IMF To Advance On New Debt Payment Agreement | The combined effect of these events makes Argentina's public debt, which was already unsustai…
telesurenglish.net/news/Covid-19s-Effects-Put-Argentina-on-the-Verge-of-a-Debt-Default-20200319-0004.html

Colombia: Senators Ask Duque for More Decision to Halt Covid-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
More than 60 Colombian lawmakers and senators Thursday asked President Ivan Duque to take more forceful measures in the face of the health emergency caused by the Covid-19. | RELATED: | Colombian and Venezuelan Ombudsmen Unite Against COVID-19 | They argued that while reconnecting water to thousands of homes is fine, Colombians need four things that the government is not doing. | Mandatory isolation is the most effective measure. However, for people to stay at home, the government mu…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Senators-Ask-Duque-for-More-Decision-to-Halt-Covid-19-20200319-0008.html

Economists Demand Trump Immediately Lift Iran, Cuba, Venezuela Sanctions
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-19
A group of economists and policy experts on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to immediately lift the United States' crippling sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries, warning that the economic warfare

Ecuador: Guayaquil Prevents Plane From Landing Due to COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
Guayaquil authorities blocked the airstrip of the airport in this Ecuadorian city on Wednesday to prevent the arrival of a plane from Spain on the suspicion that it was carrying passengers infected with COVID-19. | RELATED: | Covid-19 Updates: First Positives in El Salvador and Nicaragua | The Airbus of Iberia, which had departed from Madrid with 11 passengers, intended to land on the runway of the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil; however, it was preve…
telesurenglish.net/news/ecuador-guayaquil-prevent-plane-from-landing-due-to-covid19-20200319-0001.html

Colombia to Suspend Entry for All Travelers From Abroad
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
Colombia will block entry to everyone traveling from abroad from midnight on Monday to control the spread of coronavirus, President Ivan Duque said on Thursday, under pressure domestically to react efficiently to the global pandemic. | RELATED: | Colombia: Senators Ask Duque for More Decision to Halt Covid-19 | The Andean country earlier this week…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-to-Suspend-Entry-for-All-Travelers-From-Abroad-20200319-0017.html

Rio's Favelas Seen as Potential Coronavirus Breeding Grounds
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-19
"How am I going to isolate a family member who gets the illness if four of us share the same room in my house?" Maria, a resident of a Brazilian metropolis' jam-packed Tavares Bastos favela, asks rhetorically about the potential spread thereof the novel coronavirus. | RELATED: | Brazil: Massive Prisoner Escape Increases Risk of COVID-19 | The inhabitants of Rio's densely populated favelas (shantytowns), where four or five people share small individual residences on average, have…
telesurenglish.net/news/Rios-Favelas-Seen-as-Potential-Coronavirus-Breeding-Grounds-20200318-0029.html

IMF rejects Venezuela coronavirus loan request over U.S. claims Maduro isn't president
Morning Star | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-18
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rejected Venezuela's request for a $5 billion emergency support package to help strengthen the country's health system in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. President Nicolas Maduro wrote to the global financial organization earlier this week asking for support as the country struggles to cope with crippling U.S. economic …
peoplesworld.org/article/imf-rejects-venezuela-coronavirus-loan-request-over-u-s-claims-maduro-isnt-president/

US ramps up sanctions devastating Venezuela's health sector as coronavirus spreads
Leonardo Flores | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-17
Promising to "smash" Venezuela's government during a "maximum pressure March," Trump has imposed crushing sanctions that force Venezuela to spend…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/17/us-sanctions-venezuelas-health-sector-coronavirus/

Venezuela: American Teamsters tour printing factory
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-17
Maracay, Venezuela

Corporate Media Condone Destruction of Venezuela's Voting Machines
Lucas Koerner | fair.org | 2020-03-15
The vast majority of Venezuela's voting machines were incinerated on March 7 in a fire that engulfed the main warehouse of the National Electoral Council. Corporate outlets followed the familiar script of blaming the victim, repeating the US State Department talking point that the Venezuelan electoral system is "rigged" and floating outlandish conspiracy theories.
fair.org/home/corporate-media-condone-destruction-of-venezuelas-voting-machines/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corporate-media-condone-destruction-of-venezuelas-voting-machines

No, Venezuela does not have a six child per family policy
Joe Emersberger | zcomm.org | 2020-03-13
I respect UK journalist Andrew Buncombe. As I noted for FAIR last year, he was one of the few corporate journalists who reported on a study linking Trump's financial sanctions on Venezuela to thousands of deaths by the end of 2018. Since 2018, Trump has repeatedly intensified the sanctions and threatened Venezuela with military action, Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/no-venezuela-does-not-have-a-six-child-per-family-policy/