Daily Archives: March 24, 2020

2020-03-24: News Headlines

Nino Pagliccia (2020-03-24). Sanctions: Unilateral Coercive Measures for Regime Change in Venezuela. counterpunch.org 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 to achieve regime change. The second is of course the impact that those actions have.

WSWS (2020-03-24). Twenty-three die in Colombia prison revolt over coronavirus conditions. wsws.org Amid fears of the rapidly spreading pandemic, prison riots erupted across Colombia and were brutally suppressed by prison guards.

sputniknews (2020-03-24). Drug Lord Pablo Escobar's Pet Hippos Bringing Diversity back to Colombia's Ecosystem Claims Study. sputniknews.com Notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who was shot dead in late 1993, kept four hippos at his private menagerie at Hacienda Nápoles in Colombia. Left to roam free after his death, the animals have since grown in numbers, with scientists and locals branding them as pests that shouldn't be running wild.

Ben Norton (2020-03-23). Amid coronavirus pandemic, Bolsonaro's Brazil begs for Cuban doctors — after expelling them. peoplesworld.org The coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed the health infrastructure of countries around the world. Desperate to contain the deadly virus, hard-hit countries, including even rich European nations like Italy and Britain, have reached out for expert medical help from Cuba, China, and Venezuela. Even Brazil, currently under the control of a far-right administration that has joined …

teleSUR (2020-03-23). Colombia: Prison Riots Under Investigation. telesurenglish.net The Colombian Prosecutor's Office will open an investigation into the deaths of 23 inmates after protests on March 22. The prisoners requested the government instittute preventive measures against the Covid-19 inside the prison facility. The demonstration resulted in violence and the death of several inmates. | RELATED: | The legal body said in a communication: "Because of these regrettable events in which 23 inmates at the La Mode…

teleSUR (2020-03-23). Brazil: Protests Against Bolsonaro's Incompetence Over COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Successive social protests in Brazil show that the political authority of ultra-right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro is suffering a mortal blow, local media reported on Monday. | RELATED: | For five consecutive nights, Brazil has shown its anger at President Jair Bolsonaro by pot- banging from windows and balconies. | The anger was unleashed after the president downplayed the importance of the crisis the country is going through to contain the…

Staff (2020-03-23). Headlines for March 23, 2020. democracynow.org Global COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 15,000 as Italy Drafts Military to Enforce Lockdown, Angela Merkel to Self-Quarantine After Her Doctor Tests Positive for COVID-19, First COVID-19 Cases Reported in Occupied Gaza, War-Stricken Syria and Afghanistan | , Coronavirus Cases Mount Across Africa, Two Nigerians Overdose Self-Medicating with Chloroquine After Trump Praised Anti-Malaria Drug as Possible COVID-19 Treatment, Coronavirus Leads to Lockdowns, Travel Bans in Latin America, as a Colombian Prison Riot Turns Deadly | , Fate of Tokyo Olympics Still Unknown as Canada, Australia Refuse to Send Athletes | , India Lock…

teleSUR (2020-03-23). Venezuelan President Demands US Lift Economic Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, requested that the U.S. government lift its sanctions due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak that whas already had a major affect on the Venezuelan economy. | RELATED: | Maduro called on the Venezuelan people to help demand the end of the economic blockade, especially during this "worldwide crisis period". The Bolivarian Republic leader also requested the elimination of "financial, oil and food sanctions. | "Venezu…

teleSUR (2020-03-23). Venezuela: 200 Nationals Stranded at US Base To be Repatriated. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan citizens, who are stranded in North American territory due to the Covid- 19 sanitary emergency, will be repatriated by the government, a new report said on Monday. | RELATED: According to local news media, the Bolivarian government requested U.S authorities to allow a Conviasa airline flight to return the Venezuelan citizens. This is an administrative measure to restrain the virus' spread and give all Venezuelan citizens the sa…

teleSUR (2020-03-23). EU Supports Iran, Venezuela Bids for IMF COVID-19 Funds. telesurenglish.net Foreign Ministers of the European Union (EU) supported Monday Iran and Venezuela's requests for financial aid to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fight the coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | "We are going to support this request because these countries are in a very difficult situation mainly due to the U.S. sanctions that prevent them from having income by selling their oil," EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell said at a vi…

teleSUR (2020-03-23). Covid-19 Death Toll Rises Moderately in Latin America. telesurenglish.net Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador experienced an increase in the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus this weekend, raising the total to 65 in Latin America, and more than 4,400 people infected. | RELATED: | Brazilian health authorities confirmed on Sunday that deaths increased from 18 to 25, while infections jumped from 1,128 to 1,546. | This occurred amid statements by President Jair Bolsonaro, who called th…

teleSUR (2020-03-23). Ecuadoreans Print 3-D Protective Gear For COVID-19 Doctors. telesurenglish.net Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ecuador has become the second worst-hit country in the region with over 980 infected as of Monday and with the rapid spread of the virus the country now faces a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for its health workers. | RELATED: | Yet this grim reality became an opportunity for a group of Ecuadoreans business owners and enthusiasts of 3-D printing to join together…

Cira Pascual Marquina (2020-03-23). The role of intellectuals in the Bolivarian Revolution: A conversation with Luis Britto Garcia. mronline.org Venezuela's most acclaimed contemporary writer talks about the Bolivarian Revolution and its dialectical relation with cultural producers.

teleSUR (2020-03-22). Prison Protests Due to Overcrowding Ends in 23 Dead, 83 Wounded. telesurenglish.net At least 23 prisoners died and 83 were wounded in the La Modelo Prison in Bogotá during the riots last night, the Colombian Ministry of Justice reported on Sunday. According to the Ministry, several prisoners protested the overcrowding of these facilities amid fears of the coronavirus spreading. | RELATED: | "The result of the escape attempt in La Modelo was 23 dead and 83 wounded, of which 32 are in hospital centers,"

teleSUR (2020-03-22). Death Toll From Coronavirus Rises to 50 in Latin America. telesurenglish.net On Sunday, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had left at least 50 people dead in Latin America, with Brazil reporting the highest death toll among all countries. | RELATED: | Since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus in Brazil, several Latin American governments have decreed quarantines and strengthened sanitary measures to prevent the virus from spreading. | In South America, specifically,…

Fight Back (2020-03-21). U.S. Teamsters get warm welcome at Venezuela's Canaima laptop plant. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – A Freedom Road Socialist Organization labor delegation toured the Canaima laptops and tablets factory in Caracas, Venezuela on March 12. The Canaima plant is located within walking distance of the bridge where U.S. puppet Juan Guaido launched a failed coup d'état April 30, 2019. Upon arrival, leading representatives of the Canaima assembly plant greeted the American Teamsters with genuine smiles and warm handshakes. | A Venezuelan educator and Canaima spokesperson, Oscar Martinez, explained the assembly plant's purpose, "Our goal is to produce a laptop or tablet for every school-aged child i…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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.

2020-03-24: Social Media Postees

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

Sanctions: Unilateral Coercive Measures for Regime Change in Venezuela
Nino Pagliccia | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-24
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 to achieve regime change. The second is of course the impact that those actions have.
counterpunch.org/2020/03/24/sanctions-unilateral-coercive-measures-for-regime-change-in-venezuela/

Twenty-three die in Colombia prison revolt over coronavirus conditions
wsws.org | 2020-03-24
Amid fears of the rapidly spreading pandemic, prison riots erupted across Colombia and were brutally suppressed by prison guards.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/24/colo-m24.html

Drug Lord Pablo Escobar's Pet Hippos Bringing Diversity back to Colombia's Ecosystem Claims Study
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-24
Notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who was shot dead in late 1993, kept four hippos at his private menagerie at Hacienda Nápoles in Colombia. Left to roam free after his death, the animals have since grown in numbers, with scientists and locals branding them as pests that shouldn't be running wild.
sputniknews.com/science/202003241078691832-drug-lord-pablo-escobars-pet-hippos-bringing-diversity-back-to-colombias-ecosystem-claims-study/

Brazil: Protests Against Bolsonaro's Incompetence Over COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
Successive social protests in Brazil show that the political authority of ultra-right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro is suffering a mortal blow, local media reported on Monday. | RELATED: | Brazil Requests Impeachment for Jair Bolsonaro | For five consecutive nights, Brazil has shown its anger at President Jair Bolsonaro by pot- banging from windows and balconies. | The anger was unleashed after the president downplayed the importance of the crisis the country is going through to contain the…
telesurenglish.net/news/brazil-protests-against-bolsonaros-incompetence-at-covid19-20200323-0003.html

Colombia: Prison Riots Under Investigation
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
The Colombian Prosecutor's Office will open an investigation into the deaths of 23 inmates after protests on March 22. The prisoners requested the government instittute preventive measures against the Covid-19 inside the prison facility. The demonstration resulted in violence and the death of several inmates. | RELATED: | Covid-19 Death Toll Rises Moderately in Latin America | The legal body said in a communication: "Because of these regrettable events in which 23 inmates at the La Mode…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-prison-riots-under-investigation-20200323-0004.html

Venezuela: 200 Nationals Stranded at US Base To be Repatriated
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
Venezuelan citizens, who are stranded in North American territory due to the Covid- 19 sanitary emergency, will be repatriated by the government, a new report said on Monday. | RELATED: Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro Demands U.S. Lift Economic Sanctions | According to local news media, the Bolivarian government requested U.S authorities to allow a Conviasa airline flight to return the Venezuelan citizens. This is an administrative measure to restrain the virus' spread and give all Venezuelan citizens the sa…
telesurenglish.net/news/venezuela-200-nationals-stranded-in-the-us-to-be-repatriated-20200323-0008.html

Venezuelan President Demands US Lift Economic Sanctions
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, requested that the U.S. government lift its sanctions due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak that whas already had a major affect on the Venezuelan economy. | RELATED: | Venezuela Guarantees Medicines to Fight Coronavirus | Maduro called on the Venezuelan people to help demand the end of the economic blockade, especially during this "worldwide crisis period". The Bolivarian Republic leader also requested the elimination of "financial, oil and food sanctions. | "Venezu…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-nicolas-maduro-demands-u-s-lift-economic-sanctions-20200323-0006.html

Covid-19 Death Toll Rises Moderately in Latin America
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador experienced an increase in the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus this weekend, raising the total to 65 in Latin America, and more than 4,400 people infected. | RELATED: | COVID-19 Updates: 651 Die in Italy, Death Toll Rises Everywhere | Brazilian health authorities confirmed on Sunday that deaths increased from 18 to 25, while infections jumped from 1,128 to 1,546. | This occurred amid statements by President Jair Bolsonaro, who called th…
telesurenglish.net/news/covid19-death-toll-rises-moderately-in-latin-america-20200323-0002.html

The role of intellectuals in the Bolivarian Revolution: A conversation with Luis Britto Garcia
Cira Pascual Marquina | mronline.org | 2020-03-23
Venezuela's most acclaimed contemporary writer talks about the Bolivarian Revolution and its dialectical relation with cultural producers.
mronline.org/2020/03/23/the-role-of-intellectuals-in-the-bolivarian-revolution-a-conversation-with-luis-britto-garcia/

COVID-19 Updates: South Korea Sees Decline in Cases
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
More than 16,300 people in the world have died from COVID-19 while some 100,000 of the 375,500 people who have been infected by the virus across the world have recovered, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. | Here are the latest updates: | RELATED: | EU Supports Iran, Venezuela Bids for IMF COVID-19 Funds | Update 09: 10 pm | Beijing tightens quarantine rules for arrivals from overseas | Authorities in Beijing the capital of China are taking further measures to deal…
telesurenglish.net/news/COVID-19-Deaths-on-the-Rise-Uk-Announces-Lockdown-Updates-20200323-0010.html

EU Supports Iran, Venezuela Bids for IMF COVID-19 Funds
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
Foreign Ministers of the European Union (EU) supported Monday Iran and Venezuela's requests for financial aid to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fight the coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | IMF Rejects Venezuela's Request for $5B in Virus Aid | "We are going to support this request because these countries are in a very difficult situation mainly due to the U.S. sanctions that prevent them from having income by selling their oil," EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell said at a vi…
telesurenglish.net/news/EU-Supports-Iran-Venezuela-Bids-for-IMF-COVID-19-Funds-20200323-0012.html

Ecuadoreans Print 3-D Protective Gear For COVID-19 Doctors
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-23
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ecuador has become the second worst-hit country in the region with over 980 infected as of Monday and with the rapid spread of the virus the country now faces a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for its health workers. | RELATED: | Italians Print 3-D Valves for COVID-19 Patients in Record Time | Yet this grim reality became an opportunity for a group of Ecuadoreans business owners and enthusiasts of 3-D printing to join together…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuadoreans-Print-3-D-Protective-Gear-For-COVID-19-Doctors-20200323-0014.html

Prison Protests Due to Overcrowding Ends in 23 Dead, 83 Wounded
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-22
At least 23 prisoners died and 83 were wounded in the La Modelo Prison in Bogotá during the riots last night, the Colombian Ministry of Justice reported on Sunday. According to the Ministry, several prisoners protested the overcrowding of these facilities amid fears of the coronavirus spreading. | RELATED: | Colombia: President Duque Faces Investigation for Vote Buying | "The result of the escape attempt in La Modelo was 23 dead and 83 wounded, of which 32 are in hospital centers,"
telesurenglish.net/news/Prison-Protests-Due-to-Overcrowding-Ends-in-23-Dead-83-Wounded-20200322-0005.html

Death Toll From Coronavirus Rises to 50 in Latin America
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-22
On Sunday, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had left at least 50 people dead in Latin America, with Brazil reporting the highest death toll among all countries. | RELATED: | COVID-19 Will Increase Poverty & Unemployment in LatAm: ECLAC | Since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus in Brazil, several Latin American governments have decreed quarantines and strengthened sanitary measures to prevent the virus from spreading. | In South America, specifically,…
telesurenglish.net/news/Death-Toll-From-Coronavirus-Rises-to-50-in-Latin-America-20200322-0002.html

U.S. Teamsters get warm welcome at Venezuela's Canaima laptop plant
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-03-21
Caracas, Venezuela – A Freedom Road Socialist Organization labor delegation toured the Canaima laptops and tablets factory in Caracas, Venezuela on March 12. The Canaima plant is located within walking distance of the bridge where U.S. puppet Juan Guaido launched a failed coup d'état April 30, 2019. Upon arrival, leading representatives of the Canaima assembly plant greeted the American Teamsters with genuine smiles and warm handshakes. | A Venezuelan educator and Canaima spokesperson, Oscar Martinez, explained the assembly plant's purpose, "Our goal is to produce a laptop or tablet for every school-aged child i…
fightbacknews.org/2020/3/21/us-teamsters-get-warm-welcome-venezuela-s-canaima-laptop-plant

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/

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/

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/