Daily Archives: October 19, 2020

2020-10-19: News Headlines

Alan Macleod (2020-10-19). Media Responds With Apathy, Disappointment as US-Backed Coup Gov't Concedes Defeat in Bolivia. mintpressnews.com Across the spectrum, corporate media has endorsed last year's rightwing takeover of Bolivia, refusing to label it as a coup. Coverage of Sunday's historical elections hasn't been much better.

yenisafak (2020-10-19). Venezuela congrats Bolivia's Arce as he claims victory. yenisafak.com Venezuela's president on Monday congratulated the Bolivian left-wing presidential hopeful Luis Arce as he claimed victory in Sunday's poll."Great victory! The united and conscious Bolivian people defeated the coup against our brother [former President] Evo [Morales] with their votes," Nicolas Maduro said on Twitter."Congratulations to President-elect Luis Arce, Vice President David Choquehuanca and our South Indian Chief @evoespueblo. Jallalla Bolivia!" he added.Jallalla, or long live, is an expression for jubilation in Aymara — an indigenous nation to which Morales belongs.Exit polls showed that the Movement fo…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-10-19). Chilean Government Agrees with New Constitution, but Vetoes New Constituent Assembly. globalresearch.ca Chile has been experiencing violent popular protests for over a year. The general dissatisfaction with the government of Sebastián Piñera and his allies has generated strong unrest in the country, which has worried the Chilean political elite. In this sense, …

Adan Plascencia (2020-10-19). "We've recovered our democracy": Bolivian coup regime humiliated as socialist wins landslide election. liberationnews.org The Bolivian people stood up to vote for sovereignty and regain their democracy. This is a humiliating blow to the far-right regime of coup-installed president Jeanine àÅñez and is being celebrated by the left across Latin America.

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-10-19). Socialists win big in Bolivia; Morales expected to return from exile. peoplesworld.org Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca, presidential and vice-presidential candidates, respectively, for Bolivia's Movement Toward Socialism Party (MAS), scored an overwhelming first-round election victory on Oct. 18. They won 53% of the vote, showing strength in cities and rural areas alike. MAS was formerly headed by deposed President Evo Morales. The Supreme Election Tribunal certified the …

Prensa Latina (2020-10-19). MAS election victory in Bolivia generates wide repercussion. mronline.org The victory in first round of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) party in Bolivia, according to an exit poll, has generated several reactions on Monday after surpassing what was expected in the polls.

Zoe PC (2020-10-19). Hours before Bolivia goes the polls, early results system suspended, military mobilization in La Paz. mronline.org The first elections since the coup d'état will be held on October 18 amid a tense social and political climate. This includes a military mobilization in La Paz the night before the polls and the suspension of the DIREPRE early results system.

The Canary (2020-10-19). Socialists claim major victory in Bolivia, one year after US-backed coup. thecanary.co Evo Morales' party has claimed victory in Bolivia's presidential election. Exit polls give the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) party over 50% of the vote.To win in the first round, a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote, or 40% with a lead of at least 10 percentage points over the second-placed candidate.The election was marked by tension after Morales was deposed in a US-backed coup in November 2019. Electoral monitors reported threats and harassment from Bolivian security forces.With a private quick count of sampled polling stations favouring MAS candidate Luis Arce by a wide margin, even unelected interi…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-19). 'Democracy Has Won': Year After Right-Wing Coup Against Evo Morales, Socialist Luis Arce Declares Victory in Bolivia Election. commondreams.org "Brothers and sisters: the will of the people has been asserted," Morales declared from exile in Argentina. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolivia_democracy_arce.jpg

Paul Dobson (2020-10-19). Venezuela Welcomes 'Return to Democracy' in Bolivia. venezuelanalysis.com Progressive Luis Arce won the elections, putting an end to the de facto presidency of the Washington-backed Jeanine Añez.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-19). We have regained hope, says Luis Arce as estimates show MAS victory in Bolivian presidential polls. peoplesdispatch.org The Unitel-Ciesmori estimate showed the Luis Arce-David Choquehuanca ticket of the MAS winning over 52% of the vote. Shortly after, the president of the coup regime, Jeanine Añez, acknowledged the victory of the MAS…

WSWS (2020-10-19). Chilean government mobilizes police and military on anniversary of social revolt. wsws.org In response to planned demonstrations, Chile's ultra-right government is placing tens of thousands of militarized Carabineros police, Special Forces and military troops on alert.

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-10-19). Energy Research Platform Takes Central Stage Under Russia's BRICS Chairmanship. globalresearch.ca After the Ufa declaration in 2015, BRICS, an association of five major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has made energy cooperation one of its priorities besides attaining an admirable significant influence on regional affairs …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-19). In Bolivia, a mood of watchful celebration prevails. peoplesdispatch.org We talk to Zoe PC of Peoples Dispatch, who is in Bolivia as part of an election observation team, on the situation on the ground as exit polls and the main opposition candidate have acknowledged the victory of the Luis Arce-David Choquehuanca ticket of MAS…

Lee Schlenker (2020-10-19). The War on Cuba and Venezuela. counterpunch.org Why are Havana's food markets so empty? For the Cuban people, the U.S. War on Venezuela stands out as a clear culprit contributing to these daily frustrations and hardships. "Right now fewer trucks are coming in. Less merchandise too. And the quality isn't the same because a lot of the products are rotting the fields

WSWS (2020-10-19). Brazilian nurse speaks out against closure of COVID hospital and firing of 300 employees. wsws.org The workers of the Castanhal Regional Hospital carried out a protest last Thursday demanding their jobs back and the payment of overdue salaries.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-19). Battling repression, Chileans take to the streets to mark one year of protests. peoplesdispatch.org The demonstrations took place despite massive deployment of the Chilean police. Sunday's demonstrations were organized just a few days ahead of the upcoming constitutional referendum.

_____ (2020-10-19). Bolivia Elections Live Blog. popularresistance.org Bolivians go to the polls today, Sunday, October 18, in the first general elections since the last democratically elected president, Evo Morales, was forced out in a military coup last November, two months before his term had ended and despite election results showing he had won another term in a first-round election victory. Today's elections had been postponed twice: first from May to September, and then from September to October. While Jeanine àÅñez, whose party had received just 4 percent of the vote last year, had taken office vowing to be a caretaker president until…

_____ (2020-10-19). A Milestone For South African Shack Dwellers Movement. popularresistance.org The shack dwellers' movement of South Africa marked 15 years of struggle for land, housing and dignity on October 4. It held a seminar, Sifike kanjani la? (How did we get to where we are?) and, the following day, relaunched the eKhenana branch of the movement. | The celebration of the 15th anniversary of the formation of AbM was held at the eKhenana Occupation in Cato Manor, Durban. This occupation has an office, a farm, a recreation center and a political school, which is called The Frantz Fanon Political School. The first seeds for the farm were received from the MST (Landless Workers Movement) in Brazil.

yenisafak (2020-10-19). Chileans turn bakers and pizza makers as pandemic sparks business boom silver lining. yenisafak.com Chilean Pedro Campos hatched a plan to bake and sell homemade sourdough bread to neighbors after riots in Santiago last year shuttered the restaurant where he worked and the coronavirus pandemic left many shops closed. Business is now booming.Campos is not alone in reinventing himself. More than 2 million Chileans have lost their jobs in the past year, the result of a one-two punch from the mass protests in 2019 and the pandemic this year.Campos told Reuters the predicament forced him to learn a new trade. "I needed to start making something," he said.Now he doubts he'll ever go back to work for someone else.The…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-19). Amid US Sanctions, Venezuelan Oil Tanker at Risk of Spilling 1.3 Million Barrels and Devastating Caribbean Ecosystems. commondreams.org The companies that own a Venezuelan oil vessel that's been positioned of the country's coast for nearly two years called on the U.S. to give a "green light" to unload 1.3 million barrels of oil after local environmental advocates expressed alarm over the recent tilted appearance of the boat. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-10-19_at_1.50.40_pm.jpg

Max Blumenthal (2020-10-18). Bolivia militarizes on election eve: Dispatch from the capital La Paz. thegrayzone.com Hours before polls opened in Bolivia, de facto Interior Minister Arturo Murillo launched a massive military show of force, praising security forces for removing "dictator" Evo Morales from power in 2019. Max Blumenthal reports from the capital La Paz Video by Ben Norton…

_____ (2020-10-18). Bolivia Elections: All You Need To Know. popularresistance.org Bolivia – According to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, over 7.031.294 people are expected to vote out of the country's estimated population of 11.428.245 citizens. | On October 18, the Plurinational State of Bolivia will carry its first presidential elections after a coup that forced former left-wing Indigenous president Evo Morales to resign on November 10, 2019. Following the coup, Bolivia has faced continued turmoil, political instability, and killings and persecution of progressive leaders promoted by the de facto government of Jeanine Àñez, who tried to change the election date several times to cling to powe…

Joe Emersberger (2020-10-18). Latest UN report on Venezuela is not remotely honest (Part 2). zcomm.org On September 15, UN investigators ( the so called "Mission") published a 411 page report about the human rights situation in Venezuela.[1] Part 1 of my analysis of the report focused on its gross dishonesty about opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. The Mission reviewed his career since 2000 but never mentioned his proud participation in coup

sputniknews (2020-10-18). Maduro Says Venezuela Received Thousands of Doses of Coronavirus Treatment From Russia. sputniknews.com LA PAZ (Sputnik) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says thousands of doses of a coronavirus treatment have arrived from Russia.

Susan Price (2020-10-18). Venezuela: Could rebellion in the ranks spell trouble for Maduro? greenleft.org.au Venezuela is no stranger to protests. But, unlike other recent protests, today the country is witnessing a wave of "protests of the poor" driven by the difficult situation people face, reports Federico Fuentes.

Susan Price (2020-10-18). Venezuela: Could rebellion in the ranks signal end of Maduro? greenleft.org.au Venezuela is no stranger to protests, registering thousands of demonstrations, rallies and strikes each year, reports Federico Fuentes. However, the country is witnessing a rise in protests of the poor, driven by the difficult situation people face.

Dan Beeton (2020-10-18). Bolivian Elections Live Blog. cepr.net UPDATE: 12: 48 p.m. ET: De facto president Jeanine Anez has posted a message on Twitter congratulating Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca on their apparent victory in today's election. UPDATE 12: 12 p.m. ET: Just after midnight, Unitel reported results of its quick count, conducted by Ciesmori. These are unofficial results from a private company, the …

Sudip Bhattacharya (2020-10-18). The Story is US Imperialism. counterpunch.org As we continue to battle the police and those who depend on their "protection" in the U.S., including the major businesses who donate to anti-racist initiatives all the while continuing to reap gargantuan profits off our labor and limited consumer choices, there are thousands of Bolivians also standing up against a far-right wing government and

sputniknews (2020-10-18). There's Big Chance of Morales' MAS Candidate Luis Arce Winning in First Round, Bolivian Journo Says. sputniknews.com The Sunday election is going to become a litmus test for the de-facto interim government of Jeanine Anez, who took the reins of the country in November 2019, according to Alberto Echazu, a Bolivian political analyst and journalist with La Resistencia Bolivia, who has given his prognosis with regard to the ongoing vote.

sputniknews (2020-10-18). Voting Ends at Most Polling Stations in Bolivia, Supreme Electoral Tribunal Reports. sputniknews.com LA PAZ (Sputnik) – Voting in Bolivia's presidential election has wrapped up at most polling stations, the head of Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Salvador Romero, told journalists on Sunday afternoon.

sputniknews (2020-10-18). Protesters Rally in Santiago Ahead of Chilean National Referendum – Video. sputniknews.com Originally, the vote was due to take place in April but was postponed until 25 October amid coronavirus pandemic.

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-10-18). Nearly One Year After 2019 'Right-Wing Coup,' Bolivians Head to the Polls for National Elections. commondreams.org "It is very important that each and every one of us calmly wait for each and every vote to be counted," said Evo Morales, the nation's ousted democratically-elected leader, from exile in Argentina. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolivia_elections.jpg

Ben Norton (2020-10-17). Unelected Bolivian govt detains, doxxes, threatens international observers on eve of election. thegrayzone.com Bolivia's unelected transitional administration has repeatedly threatened international electoral observers, detained monitors from Argentina in the airport, and shared the private information of Spanish supervisors with a far-right activist. By Ben Norton LA PAZ, BOLIVIA — On the eve of Bolivia's first election since a violent November 2019 military takeover that removed President Evo Morales from office, the unelected de facto government has detained, doxxed, and threatened international electoral observers. On October 16, Bolivia's migration department shared the private information …

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Bolivia: MAS Will Have Its Own Vote-Counting System. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) binomial Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca Friday presented to the international electoral observation missions the quick vote-counting system that the Party will use in the elections. | RELATED: | According to the MAS Electoral Control Direction, the quick count will provide real-time reports structured by observers at the local, departmental, and national levels. | The aim is…

WSWS (2020-10-17). Brazil's COVID-19 deaths pass 150,000 mark amid back-to-school campaign. wsws.org After reaching the grim milestone, state governments are following Bolsonaro's homicidal back-to-school policies with the support of the unions.

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Alberto Fernandez Rejects Argentinean Lawmaker's Arrest in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez Friday denounced the arrest of Lawmaker Federico Fagioli by police agents upon his arrival in Bolivia to observe and guarantee the transparency of next Sunday's presidential elections. | RELATED: | Through a message on Twitter, the head of state held the coup-born regime's leader Jeanine Añez responsible for the integrity of his country's delegation of lawmakers who arrived in Bolivia to observe the Octobe…

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Bolivia: TSE Suspended The Quick-Vote Count. telesurenglish.net The Bolivian Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) Saturday decided to withdraw the new quick-count system, the Preliminary Results Dissemination System (Direpre) to avoid mistrust and confusion during Sunday's elections. | RELATED: | TSE President Salvador Romero said that the Electoral Court has carried out tests and simulations for Direpre over the last few weeks, but he "wants to inform the country that the results of t…

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Argentinean Lawmaker Released After Being Arrested in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net Lawmaker Federico Fagioli, who is part of the Argentine delegation to observe the presidential elections in Bolivia, was released this Saturday hours after being detained upon his arrival at the airport in El Alto. | RELATED: | Fagioli, is safe at the Argentine embassy in La Paz after being mistreated by Bolivian police. | Political actors denounced on social media the arrest of Fagioli and the mistreatment…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-17). Will free and fair elections be held in Bolivia? peoplesdispatch.org As Bolivia heads for a historic election, we look at the situation on the ground, the harassment of electoral observers from other countries and concerns regarding the system for early announcement of results…

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Colombia: New Scandal Links Politicians With Narcotraffic. telesurenglish.net The Colombian Prosecutor's Office Saturday withdrew a pre-agreement reached with Laureano Martinez, former butler of the farm owned by the family of Colombian ex-ambassador to Uruguay Fernando Sanclemente, where authorities found a narcotics processing laboratory. | RELATED: | This statement comes after it became known that Sanclemente did know about the drug business and tried to get his employee to plead guilt…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-17). Bolivian security forces detain Argentine deputy Federico Fagioli. peoplesdispatch.org The deputy from Frente de Todos coalition in Argentina was detained at the airport in El Alto by immigration officials, police and unidentified individuals and taken to a detention center in the airport…

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Chile Takes to the Streets Ahead of its Social Outbreak's Anniversary. telesurenglish.net Dozens of Chilean people Friday gathered in the renamed Dignity Square, in Santiago, two days away from the First Anniversary of the social outbreak in the country and one week away from the Constitutional Plebiscite. | RELATED: | An artistic intervention was carried out in which the traditional statue of General Baquedano was painted completely in red, as a symbol of the blood spilled in the protests started a year ago.

_____ (2020-10-17). Chile To Mark First Anniversary Of Its Social Outbreak. popularresistance.org Chile's Constituent Unity Pact (CUP) called on citizens to commemorate the first anniversary of the social outbreak with pot-banging, honking, cycling, caravans, and cultural activities. | "Although the best way to remember this date will be to take part in the plebiscite, the people will also take to the streets peacefully," the CUP stated. | On Sunday, a massive rally is expected in "The Dignity Square," which has been the epicenter of demonstrations in Santiago City. | "In the last year, over a million Chileans have taken to the streets to demand their rights."

_____ (2020-10-17). Bolivia: First Election Since US-Backed Coup Creates Divisions. popularresistance.org Eleven months after a U.S-backed military coup overthrew the democratically elected Evo Morales and his Movement to Socialism (MAS) party, Bolivians will go to the polls on Sunday, offering them a chance to repudiate the coup government of Jeanine Añez, who has ruled the country since last November. | The last year has been a period of constant political struggle, as the self-described "interim government" has fought to impose its rule on a rebellious population, attempting to bring sweeping changes to the Andean state.

sputniknews (2020-10-17). Peruvian Archaeologists Discover Massive Drawing of a Cat on Ground in Famous Nazca Desert. sputniknews.com The illustration will join the list of geoglyphs in Peru, which are one of the biggest mysteries in archaeology due to their quantity and size. Scientists believe these drawings produced on the ground had ritual and astronomical functions.

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Colombia: Another Community Leader Murdered in Antioquia. telesurenglish.net A group of armed man Saturday killed Colombia's social leader Jairo Pulgarin, who was a farmer and served as vice president of the Community Action Board of the Tesorito village, in Antioquia Department. | RELATED: | According to local outlets, the hitmen attacked Pulgarin with stabbing weapons and firearms until he was killed. | The events took place close to the town of Barro Blanco, approximately one hour from t…

commondreams (2020-10-17). Senator Markey and Congressman McGovern Demand Fair Elections in Bolivia. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Editor (2020-10-16). Steve Donziger: How Big Oil Weaponized Our Judicial System Against Him and the Indigenous People He Represented. scheerpost.com The epic battle by Steve Donziger to get Chevron to pay a $9.5 billion judgment he won in 2011 for its "mass industrial poisoning" of Indigenous Amazonian tribes in Ecuador has left him under house arrest for 13 months, disbarred, with, frozen bank accounts, $32 million in legal fees, a lien on his home, and no way to make a living. The judgment has not yet been paid.

_____ (2020-10-16). Bolivian Couper Stalk International Election Observers. popularresistance.org Santa Cruz, Bolivia – Contributors to The Grayzone including Max Blumenthal, Anya Parampil, and Ben Norton traveled from the United States to Bolivia in order to join a delegation of independent international observers of the country's October 18th presidential election — the first vote since a November 2019 US-backed military coup removed the country's elected president. | Little known to us, however, was that we were being stalked on the way. A number of Bolivians covertly took photos of us as we waited for a connecting flight in the airport in Chile, snapped more as we boarded the plane, and published th…