Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-17). The sad story of Colombia's Supreme Court judge who only accidentally gets people in legal trouble. colombiareports.com Colombia's Supreme Court magistrate Cristina Lombana seems to have a special gift to accidentally get her allegedly criminal former army buddies in legal trouble. Since President Ivan Duque swore in…

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-17). Trump Regime Aims to Block Legal Cooperation Between Iran and Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The US is at war by hot or others means against all nations unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to its interests. | Russia and China top its regime change target list, Iran and Venezuela close behind. | The Islamic and Bolivarian …

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-17). Operation Baton: Colombia's most epic military corruption probe in history? colombiareports.com Colombia's army is so corrupt, one general was even selling classified information to guerrillas, a counterintelligence operation discovered before its findings mysteriously disappeared. Operation Baton was meant to purge the…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-17). Coronavirus begins spiralling out of control in Colombia's major cities. colombiareports.com Colombia's third largest city, Cali, and port city Cartagena rang the alarm as the country's healthcare system appears to slowly be falling apart because of the coronavirus pandemic. An explosive…

teleSUR (2020-05-17). Covid-19 Outbreak Reported in Bolivia's Largest Prison. telesurenglish.net Authorities from the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia confirmed an outbreak of coronavirus in the Palmasola prison on Saturday, reporting that 25 inmates tested positive for the disease. | RELATED: | "A total of 25 people deprived of liberty have tested positive for Covid-19. Having an epidemiological outbreak inside the Palmasola prison, we are going to establish two isolation centers: one for suspects and…

teleSUR-la (2020-05-17). Latin America Sees Rise in COVID-19 Cases as Economies Reopen. telesurenglish.net Latin American countries on Saturday reported a further increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths, as some are gradually reopening their economies. | RELATED: | Brazil reported a total of 15,633 deaths from COVID-19 and 233,142 confirmed cases, after 816 more patients died of the disease and 14,919 infections were detected in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry. | Sao Paulo, the most populous state, was h…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-17). Stuck in Colombia? Our home is your home until you're repatriated. colombiareports.com Colombia may maintain its ban on international travel. Your embassy will inform you about repatriation. Meanwhile, our home is your home. President Ivan Duque's consideration is not unique. Because Latin…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-17). Colombia discards international flights 'on the short term' amid doubts about restarting economy. colombiareports.com Colombia's President Ivan Duque said Saturday that he doesn't believe he'll allow international air travel "in the short term" amid failures to contain the coronavirus. In his daily Facebook live…

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Venezuelan Army Captures Another Member of Operation Gedeon. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan armed forces captured another member Saturday involved in the failed coup plot, dubbed 'Operation Gedeon', against President Nicolas Maduro. | RELATED: | The Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (CEOFANB) reported that the arrest was made by the Operational Defense Comprehensive Zone (ZODI) of northern Aragua state. | The Venezuelan national police reported that se…

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Brazilian Workers' Party Ask for Impeachment Against Bolsonaro. telesurenglish.net The Workers' Party (PT) of Brazil will present a formal petition to initiate an impeachment against the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro for his mismanagement in the face of the health crisis that the country is going through due to COVID-19. | RELATED: | In a statement, the left-wing party reported that its executive commission "decided to submit to the Chamber of Deputies a collective impeachment petition agai…

WSWS (2020-05-16). Chile's government deploys troops in the streets as coronavirus cases soar. wsws.org Ultra-right President Sebastian Piñera has responded to the pandemic, and signs of growing popular resistance, by increasing repressive powers in Chile.

teleSUR (2020-05-16). 'Colombia's Policy Towards Venezuela Is Aggressive' Samper Says. telesurenglish.net Colombia's RELATED: | "Colombia has had ill-advised handling of its relationship with Venezuela. Colombian policy has been very aggressive to…

Michael Otto (2020-05-16). Ecuador's pandemic: Rightist regime fails to confront crisis. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador May 9 — During March and April, U.S. and European media spewed out shocking images from Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador and capital of the province of Guayas on the Pacific Coast. No one in the port city of 2.9 million is untouched by the death of . . . |

Michael Otto (2020-05-16). Ecuador's pandemic — Part 1: Rightist regime fails to confront crisis. workers.org Ibarra, Ecuador May 9 — During March and April, U.S. and European media spewed out shocking images from Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador and capital of the province of Guayas on the Pacific Coast. No one in the port city of 2.9 million is untouched by the death of . . . |

WSWS (2020-05-16). Washington places Cuba and Venezuela on "terror" list. wsws.org After fostering an abortive mercenary invasion aimed at overthrowing Venezuela's government and murdering its president, the US placed Caracas on a list of governments deemed uncooperative in the "war on terrorism."

teleSUR (2020-05-16). Iran Warns US Against Actions on Tankers Heading to Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Iran warned that any "pirate-like" actions take by the United States against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela would trigger Tehran's "harsh response," as reported Saturday by Iran's Nour News Agency. | RELATED: | "If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk, and that will certainly not go without repercussion," Iran's Nour news agency said. | Iran's Fars…

John McEvoy (2020-05-16). Venezuela calls on UK government to 'abandon coup-mongering plans' after The Canary's investigation. thecanary.co Following an investigation by The Canary, the Venezuelan government has Venezuela Reconstruction Unit: | On 13 May, The Canary

en.mehrnews (2020-05-16). Trade exchange between Iran, Venezuela has nothing to do with anyone else. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 16 (MNA) — Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said that trade volume exchange between Islamic Republic of Iran and Venezuela, as two independent countries in the world, has nothing to do with anyone else, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to sell its oil.

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). 'Matarife': Colombia's narconovela of the decade? colombiareports.com Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe is finally getting his own "narconovela," courtesy of the journalist who got the Supreme Court to investigate his alleged rigging of the 2018 elections. More…

ahtribune (2020-05-15). Venezuela Shows World Under No Less Threat of War After Donald Trump's First Term. ahtribune.com When Donald Trump ran for president in the 2016 election, his criticisms of regime change presented a real opportunity for anti-war voices and organizations to demand an end to U.S. regime change wars abroad. That did not happen. In fact, the Trump administration has become even more bellicose amid the spread of the

WSWS (2020-05-15). Starving Bolivian workers clash with troops deployed by coup regime. wsws.org Amid the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in Bolivia, Jeanine àÅñez's self-proclaimed "interim government" is escalating state repression.

Irina Slav (2020-05-15). Up to Five Iranian Tankers en Route to Venezuela Carrying Much-Needed Gasoline. anti-empire.com An Iranian tanker loaded with gasoline has set sail for Venezuela, Reuters reports, citing tanker tracking data. The cargo should help alleviate a growing shortage of gasoline in the sanctions-stricken South American country. | The Clavel, a medium tanker, loaded in March at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and this week passed the Suez Canal, the data showed. | TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani confirmed the data to Oilprice.com, noting that there were several vessels en route from Iran to Venezuela, with the cargo all or mostly gasoline. | twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1261022167669…

RT (2020-05-15). From US to Easter Island 'everyone is in same situation': RT Documentary embarks on WORLD TOUR of Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com As coronavirus paralyzes the planet, RT documentary channel RTD has gone on an online world tour to learn from locals about the common dreads and unique problems caused by the pandemic faced by the world's nations. | Documentary filmmaker Natalya Karachkova was just recently tracking polar bears and Siberian tigers with her crew — but now she has found herself stuck in lockdown in her Moscow apartment. Thankfully, the internet allowed her to reach out to faraway countries, connecting with journalists and heroes of RTD's earlier films in order to feel the weakened pulse of the planet, heavily hit by the de…

RT (2020-05-15). Brazilian Health Minister Teich resigns after just weeks in job. rt.com Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned on Friday after just weeks in the job. President Jair Bolsonaro had criticized Teich as being too timid in the push to reopen the economy and to advocate the use of anti-malarial drugs. | Military members of the Brazilian cabinet are pushing for deputy health minister Eduardo Pazuello, an army general on active duty, to become the new health minister, making permanent his interim role, Reuters reported, citing a government source. | Teich is the second health minister to resign amid the pandemic in Brazil. He replaced Nelson Mandetta, who was fired on April 16 fo…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). One week after promising health supplies to southeast Colombia, government vows aid to bury the dead. colombiareports.com Colombia's government vowed to send cement to build repositories of Covid-19 deaths in the southeastern Amazonas province after promised health supplies never arrived. The situation in Colombia's most remote province…

A. Majumdar (2020-05-15). PDF download of May 14 issue. workers.org Download entire 12-page PDF here. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery. Kent State and Jackson State. Also: COVID‚Äë19: capitalism's end stage; workers resist. Editorial: Changing narrative in Michigan. World: China, Vietnam, Haiti, Ecuador. Tear down prisons: victory in PA; San Quentin caravan; No cages for migrants; Global prisons & white supremacy; Solidarity . . . |

Ryan Parry (2020-05-15). Venezuelan TV Exposed US Mercenaries' Names, Photos and Incursion Plan a Month Before It Happened. anti-empire.com The Americans behind the failed Venezuelan coup went ahead with the ill-fated mission even though the country's ruling regime publicly exposed their plan on live TV more than a month earlier. | In footage unearthed by DailyMail.com Venezuelan state television claimed its government had infiltrated the 'mercenaries' and even aired photographs of the coup's US leader, Jordan Goudreau. | They also appeared to have the names of the other two Americans captured and paraded on TV this week, ex Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry. | The revelation, alongside the apparent lack of funding and adequate equipment fo…

W. T. Whitney (2020-05-15). For Cuba and Venezuela, US Silence May Not Be Golden. counterpunch.org The U. S. President and his Secretary of State frequently expound about the supposed failings of enemies abroad. Recently they've blasted China's response to the pandemic, Venezuela's dictatorship, Cuba's "slave doctors" overseas, and even Iranian border guards beating up on Afghan migrants. But they've been mostly silent about two recent disruptions of the imperialist status

Patricio Zamorano (2020-05-15). Guaidó and the Failed Military Operation Against Venezuela: a Story of Betrayal and Financial Corruption. counterpunch.org Now that we have had a few days to study the failed, illegal paramilitary incursion by a group of American and Venezuelan mercenaries into Venezuela, some key details have emerged in this incredible story. They reveal the internal dynamics of the fractured, demoralized, and financially corrupt nature of the hardline sectors of the opposition. Much

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Puebla Group Discusses Peace in Colombia and Pandemic Crisis. telesurenglish.net The Puebla Group today is discussing the peace process in Colombia, the health crisis, and the regional economy, during a new virtual meeting that brings together progressive leaders from Latin America. | RELATED: | Colombia is the host of the new virtual meeting, in the voices of former President Ernesto Samper and former Minister of Labor Clara Lopez Obregon. | "Peace measures are the level of civilization of a country," sa…

Carole Concha Bell (2020-05-15). Anonymous shootings target students as violence against activists increases in Chile. thecanary.co

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Ecuador: Human Rights Organizations Denounce Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's Human Rights organizations Thursday denounced that police force abuse against pacific protesters in Guayaquil. Claimers denounced the negligence of health authorities in corpses counting and handling. | RELATED: | Protesters gathered at Centenary Park for a sit-in demonstration against both President Lenin Moreno's budget cuts and lack of economic aid for those in need. | "We are mourning and resisting," was their protest's maxim. Cit…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Bolivia: Añez Backs Down, Annuls Decree Against Speech Freedom. telesurenglish.net Due to pressure stemming from human rights defenders, Bolivia's coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez Thursday was forced to repeal a decree allowing it to extend restrictions on freedom of expression during the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äãdecree issued on May 7 aimed at…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Brazil Second Health Minister Quits, Deepening COVID-19 Crisis. telesurenglish.net Brazil's health minister Nelson Teich abruptly resigned Friday after less than a month on the job, and a day after the country announced it had recorded nearly 14,000 deaths. | RELATED: | The sudden resignation of the minister is likely to deepen the turmoil around Brazil's flailing response to the pandemic, in what is one of the world's worst hotspots. | Teich, whom the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, had c…

Brasil de Fato (2020-05-15). In less than a month, Brazil sees two health ministers leave office. peoplesdispatch.org Oncologist Nelson Teich asked to step down from his position as Minister of Health on Friday morning May 15, according to the government. A press conference will be held in the afternoon. | Teich took over the position as Health Minister on April 17, after Luiz Henrique Mandetta was fired from the position. In Teich's speech when assuming the position, he affirmed that he would work to ease social isolation measures, but in a "technical and scientific" way. | As of now, the individual expected to take over the position is General Eduardo Pazuello, the current number two in the ministry. | History: | While…

teleSUR (2020-05-15). Chile Digs Thousands of Graves to Face COVID-19 Deaths Surge. telesurenglish.net Santiago city's general cemetery is digging thousands of graves to deal with the possible increase in deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The alarms went off when Chile recorded 2,660 infections in a single day on Wednesday. "So far, about 1,000 graves have been set up," the general cemetery director Rashid Saud said. | Although the cemetery clears unclaimed graves every year, it is the first time this…

Nino Pagliccia (2020-05-15). Canadians Must Ask Questions About the Mercenary Raid on Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Details of the failed armed mercenary incursion on Venezuela are surfacing daily thanks to the prompt public information system from Venezuela and scant corporate media reports. The so-called Operation Gideon took off from Colombia on May 3 and was effectively …

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). The positive side of Colombia: ambassador can eat two families' monthly income in just one lunch. colombiareports.com Many Colombians may have no food, but that doesn't mean their Ambassador to Geneva can't have lunch that could sustain two families for a month for lunch. One cannot form…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-15). Colombia's opposition filing criminal charges against 9 generals and Duque ally over illegal spying. colombiareports.com Colombia's opposition announced criminal charges against nine army generals and an ideologue of President Ivan Duque's far-right political party, which again found itself accused of having ties to the mafia….

Macdonald Stainsby (2020-05-15). Socialism and Collective Responses: Attacking Venezuela in a Pandemic. counterpunch.org That feeling of international solidarity. This pandemic has brought terror in daily life to many, including this home where a 79 year old with COPD resides. Global calls of "we are all in this together" have served to blunt the bleakness in the face of unprecedented threats to our collective health. However, the initial rush

teleSUR (2020-05-14). President Maduro: New Mercenary Groups are Formed in Colombia. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, denounced this Thursday that "new groups of mercenaries are being formed in Colombia" under the complicity of the Ivan Duque government, with the purpose of attempting new attacks against his country. | "New groups of hitmen, mercenaries and terrorists are being formed in Colombia; We have the names, the place where they are, those who protect them and everything points to Ivan Duque again ", denounced the president while leading the day with the health sector to evaluate the protocols implemented in the combat of Covid-19. | The head of state asserted that those who pro…

Sasha Yumbila Paz (2020-05-14). The Colombian Political System is Ravaged by Corruption: Pablo Beltrán. peoplesdispatch.org The ELN, took up arms in 1964. Since 1989, it has held peace talks with five administrations. The government of Juan Manuel Santos and the ELN advanced an agenda to end the conflict. The last round of negotiations was held in Havana, Cuba, where the ELN's Dialogue Delegation continues to work for a political solution to Colombia's armed conflict. | The government of Iván Duque Márquez, since taking office in August 2018, has ignored the Agenda for Peace Talks, including the security protocols and the return of the ELN to Colombia; and in January 2019 it terminated all dialogue. | Over 56 years, the armed conflict…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Bolivia: Scholastic Organizations Join Hunger Protests. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's educators joined on May 13 the strikes against coup born government, after massive layoffs amidst the ongoing pandemic due to the Covid-19 outbreak. | RELATED: | According to the Confederation of Urban Education Workers of Bolivia (CETUB) leader, Vladimir Laura, about 800 professors and education specialists who were instructing other teachers were dismissed in early May. Laura stressed their employers breached the…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Brazil: Face Masks Are Mandatory in Rio de Janeiro. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Legislative Assembly in Rio de Janeiro (Alerj) decreed on Thursday that mask-use is mandatory and a preventive measure against Covid-19. The 92 Rio de Janeiro municipalities will enforce this norm. | RELATED: | According to the bill, mask-use is legally required. If police and authorities catch a citizen with an uncovered face, the offender will receive a warning. In case of a recurrence, violators will…

teleSUR (2020-05-14). Brazil: Coronavirus Kills Historic Leader of Amazonian Peoples. telesurenglish.net Messias Kokama, the main Indigenous leader of the Manaus city, died a victim of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on Wednesday. His community mourns his departure without being able to pay homage to him with their traditional rituals. | RELATED: | "We lost a man who dreamed of the first Indigenous neighborhood inside a city. Today he leaves us his example of persistence, struggle, and courage in the face of conflicts and obstacl…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-14). UN economic commission backs guaranteed minimum income in Colombia. colombiareports.com The United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) supports an urgent guaranteed minimum income (GMI) as proposed in Colombia's senate. The proposal was coined by some…

John McEvoy (2020-05-14). Revealed: Secretive British Unit Planning for 'Reconstruction' of Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act have exposed a secretive Foreign Office unit aimed at the 'reconstruction' of Venezuela. The files also reveal private discussions between Venezuelan opposition figures and UK officials, detailing proposals for the promotion of …

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-14). 'Zombie Neocon': How This Iran Contra Architect Is Leading Trump Policy. strategic-culture.org Hawk Elliot Abrams, reborn as a U.S. envoy, is at the spear point of recent aggressive moves in Venezuela. | Barbara BOLAND | As we await answers on who funded the plot to Called the "neocon zombie" by officials at the State Department, Abrams is know…

Staff (2020-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Anthony Fauci Warns Senators Reopening Too Soon Will Cause "Suffering and Death", House Democratic Leaders Unveil New $3 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package, Tesla CEO Elon Musk Defies Lockdown Order, Reopens California Auto Plant, L.A. Extends Lockdown for 3 Months as Cal State Cancels In-Person Fall Classes, CDC Estimates 5,000+ More New York City Coronavirus Deaths Than Officially Reported, Progressive Lawmakers Call on World Bank, IMF to Cancel Poor Countries' Debts, Brazil Records Its Highest Daily COVID-19 Death Toll, London Transit Worker Dies After Man Claiming to Have COVID-19 Spits on Her, Aide to R…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.