Daily Archives: October 22, 2020

2020-10-22: News Headlines

Anya Parampil (2020-10-22). How Bolivia fights fascism — It takes more than the ballot box. thegrayzone.com Anya Parampil speaks with journalist Ollie Vargas in La Paz, Bolivia about the historic victory of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party in the October 18 elections. Video by Ben Norton Parampil and Vargas discuss the role of Bolivia's social movements in overturning the coup regime that came to power in 2019, as well as the expectations of average people as the new government of Luis Arce takes power.

Arnold August (2020-10-22). MAS Returns to Power in Bolivia One Year After US-backed Coup. counterpunch.org Despite a year of unbridled state repression, including massacres committed against supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was deposed just weeks after being declared the victor in the country's October 2019 election, the left-wing Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) secured a resounding victory on October 18 for candidate Luis Arce, Morales's former finance minister.

Vijay Prashad (2020-10-22). Argentina's veteran ambassador makes a stand for the sovereignty of Latin America. mronline.org Alicia Castro does not shy away from her views. She came to diplomacy from the trade union movement, where she was a leader when she was a flight attendant with Aerolíneas Argentinas.

Eds. (2020-10-22). The Bolivian right: Divided, without leadership. mronline.org here are still days of uncertainty until the new government is in office. What happened in Bolivia can be described as a counter-coup, in the face of a coup with strong international support that had not arrived to remain only one year in political power.

John Catalinotto (2020-10-22). Millions salute election victory in Bolivia. workers.org Supporters of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) in the streets Oct. 18 to celebrate the landslide victory of their candidate. Millions of people cheer with delight the landslide victory of the Movement toward Socialism (MAS) in the Bolivian elections. We join them. The rightists who came together for last November's . . . |

Susan Price (2020-10-22). Bolivia: The people defeat the coup. greenleft.org.au Bolivians have overwhelming voted the left-wing Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) back into office in a resounding reversal of last year's coup, writes Federico Fuentes.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-21). 8,000 Colombians march to Bogotá demanding to meet with president Duque. peoplesdispatch.org Nearly 8,000 Indigenous and Afro-descendant people, peasants, students and women from southwestern Colombia arrived in Bogotá on October 18 to meet President Iván Duque. They are still waiting for a response. Meanwhile, four indigenous leaders were killed in other parts of the country as mobilizations took place in Bogotá.

teleSUR (2020-10-21). UK Allocated £450,000 To Opponents of Venezuela's Government. telesurenglish.net Declassified UK journalists revealed that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) awarded £ 450,000 to "Transparencia Venezuela", an organization using the fight against corruption as a front to support the destabilizing actions that opposition politician Juan Guaido has been carrying out against the administration of President Nicolas Maduro. | RELATED: | The money transfer started in 2019 when the FCDO awarded &p…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-10-21). Bolivia: Arce's Victory Does Not Represent a Return to Morales' National Project. globalresearch.ca The great victory of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) — Evo Morales' party — in Bolivia opens the way for a new era of change in the South American country. The positions on the Bolivian national political scene are currently …

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-10-21). Brazil Chooses US as Its Partner in 5G Technology, Refusing China. globalresearch.ca After months of controversy and discussions, Brazil has chosen to prioritize the US as a partner in 5G technology. The decision contradicts the opinion of the greatest experts on the subject, who see the choice as Brazil's alignment to Washington …

teleSUR (2020-10-21). Venezuela: President Maduro Calls For Communal Parliament Law. telesurenglish.net During a videoconference with representatives of the communes throughout the country, the Venezuelan President called for the strengthening and consolidation of the work of these social, political, and economic organizations defined by their local and participatory nature. | The Head of State informed that he would propose to the new Parliament elected next December 6, through the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies of the Great Patriotic Pole (GPPSB), legislation aimed at promoting the consultation with the communal parliament all projects and issues discussed in the nation's legislative…

Jake Johnston (2020-10-21). Data from Bolivia's Election Add More Evidence That OAS Fabricated Last Year's Fraud Claims. cepr.net The MAS Received More Votes in Almost All of the OAS's 86 Suspect Precincts in 2020 than in 2019 On Sunday, October 20, Bolivians went to the polls and overwhelmingly elected Luis Arce of the MAS party president. Private quick counts released the night of the vote showed Arce receiving more than 50 percent of …

_____ (2020-10-21). Media Responds With Apathy, Disappointment As Coup Government Concedes Defeat. popularresistance.org Bolivia's Movement to Socialism (MAS) party is celebrating what appears to be a crushing, landslide victory in Sunday's elections. Although official vote counting is far from over, exit polls show an overwhelming triumph for the socialists, and a repudiation of the right-wing military government of Jeanine Añez, who has ruled since the coup last November. At the same time, the corporate press appears less than pleased about the return to democracy for the Andean country. | In order to win outright in the first round, the top candidate needs at least 40 percent of the popular vote and a lead of 10 points over thei…

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-21). Freedom Triumphs Over Fascism in Bolivia if It Sticks. globalresearch.ca In November, US orchestrated fascism replaced freedom in Bolivia. | President Evo Morales' legitimate reelection was overturned by a cadre of US recruited traitors. | Generals and others were bribed to betray their country for the right price. | Fascism tied to US …

Manuela Solé (2020-10-21). Venezuela: PDVSA to Offload Crude from Offshore Facility. venezuelanalysis.com The Nabarima floating facility has been inoperative since January 2019 and is at risk of an oil spill.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-21). The Bolivian people broke all barriers to vote in hope. peoplesdispatch.org Juan Carlos Pinto Quintanilla, sociologist and former government official during the term of Evo Morales, talks about the massive turnout during the Bolivian elections, the hopes of the people and the plans of right-wing forces…

Brett Heinz (2020-10-21). Bolivians Reclaim Their Democracy. cepr.net The Nation See article on original site The overwhelming MAS election victory is a repudiation of the racist coup regime as well as the Trump administration and the OAS, which helped install it. On Sunday, October 18, Luis Arce won the presidency of Bolivia, in a pronounced repudiation of last year's military coup, which had …

teleSUR (2020-10-21). Freedom of Expression Was Restricted in Ecuador, Report Shows. telesurenglish.net The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) published a report that highlights that freedom of expression was violated during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador, a country where 23 journalists have died from the coronavirus so far. | RELATED: | The Standing Committee for the Defense of Human Rights warned that, under the pretext of public security and health emergency, freedom of expression was viola…

teleSUR (2020-10-21). Brazil Will Not Buy Chinese Vaccines, Bolsonaro Says. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday said that his country will not buy the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac. | RELATED: | This announcement was made after Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello mentioned that Brazil will allocate US$427 million for the purchase of 46 million doses of the "Coronavac" vaccine. On Tuesday, he met with different governors and signed a protocol of intentions to expand the s…

_____ (2020-10-21). Bolivia Is A beacon Of Light For Latin America. popularresistance.org After suffering a coup d'état that cost more than 33 lives, left thousands of people injured, and forced important political figures like President Evo Morales to go into exile to survive, official exit polls say that the Movement for Socialism (MAS) will return to power, in a way previously unheard of in Latin America, through democratic elections! | Unlike what OAS, the EU Commission and other international observers have said about the election being peaceful, in reality journalists were beaten, militant supporters of MAS were detained without justification, and many international observers were openly threate…

_____ (2020-10-21). America Has No Allies, Only Hostages. popularresistance.org The new president-elect of Bolivia, Luis Arce, has told the Spanish international news agency EFE that he intends to restore the nation's relations with Cuba, Venezuela and Iran. This reverses the policies of the US-backed coup regime which immediately began closing embassies, kicking out doctors and severing relations with those nations after illegally seizing power last year. | Arce also spoke of warm relations with Russia and China. | "We are going to reestablish all relations," he told EFE. "This government has acted very ideologically, depriving the Bolivian people of access to Cuban medicine, to Russian med…

_____ (2020-10-21). Chile: Left-Wing Forces Seek New Start With The Plebiscite. popularresistance.org Chile's Communist Party (PC) will do everything it can to guarantee a victory in the upcoming referendum on Sunday 25, as the country gets ready to decide whether it remains with the current constitution created by Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship or starts a brand new chapter of its history instead. | The CP President Guillermo Teillier told local media outlet El Siglo that his party will support mobilization until the last day of permitted propaganda and encourage social organizations to do the same.

_____ (2020-10-21). At Last, a Small Ray of Hope for Bolivia. strategic-culture.org To no one's real surprise, Bolivia's deposed President Evo Morales was The new President of Bolivia will be…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-21). Pressure on Iran to continue regardless of election outcome. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — The US Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela claimed that Washington's so-called 'maximum pressure' policy against Iran will continue regardless of the upcoming presidential elections.

Sà¥nia Guajajara (2020-10-20). Amazonia: In the Flames, They See Money. counterpunch.org Sà¥nia Guajajara delivered this speech to accept the 2020 Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award on behalf of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB). The Association is standing up to powerful corporations, backed by an oppressive government, to protect indigenous rights and lands — all while fighting a deadly pandemic. On October 15, award-winning author

Staff (2020-10-20). Headlines for October 20, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Continues Attack on Fauci as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge and Death Toll Mounts, SCOTUS Deadlock Hands Victory to Voters in Pennsylvania as Floridians Break Early Voting Record, Debate Commission Announces Changes Ahead of Final Presidential Face-Off, Evo Morales Celebrates Victory of MAS Party, Says He Will Return to Bolivia, Trump Admin to Remove Sudan from U.S. List of Terrorist States, At Least 15 People Killed as Nigerian Protests Against Police Violence Continue, WSJ: U.S. Held Talks with Syrian Intelligence About Missing U.S. Citizens, Palestinian Prisoner in Critical Condition After Nearly 3 Months…

Staff (2020-10-20). "A Blow Against Neoliberalism": Socialist Wins Bolivian Election a Year After Coup Ousted Evo Morales. democracynow.org Former Bolivian President Evo Morales's political party MAS has claimed victory in the country's presidential election, with Morales's handpicked successor Luis Arce securing over 50% of the vote, according to exit polls. If confirmed, the result will put the socialist party back in power almost a year after a right-wing coup that ousted Morales and installed Jeanine àÅñez as president. The election was postponed twice, and protests rocked Bolivia for months leading up to the vote, calling out the government's use of military and police repression and violence against Indigenous communities. "It's an extrao…

Glenn Greenwald (2020-10-20). Bolivians Return Evo Morales's Party to Power One Year After a U.S.-Applauded Coup. zcomm.org Right-wing forces cheered by the U.S. tried to destroy one of Latin America's most vibrant democracies. Voters just restored it…

Dan Beeton (2020-10-20). Two Interviews on the Bolivian Coup and Its Aftermath. cepr.net In interviews recorded for a new podcast, "While We were Sleeping," host Francesca Emanuele investigates overlooked cases of state violence and the human stories behind them. Two new interviews offer useful context for the October 18 general elections just carried out in Bolivia. In the first, Emanuele interviews Jhocelin Caspa, an Indigenous Aymara woman from …

William Camacaro (2020-10-20). Decisive Victory of MAS in Bolivia: A Blow to Anti-Indigenous and Anti-Socialist Coups in the Americas. counterpunch.org Caracas. The decisive electoral victory of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) in Bolivia may be a point of inflection on the continent that advances the construction of a new South American socialist bloc. After having been removed from power by a military coup with fascist, anti-Indigenous, and neoliberal elements a year ago, ex-president Evo Morales,

_____ (2020-10-20). Bolivia: People Power Prevails Over US-Backed Coup. popularresistance.org Last October following the re-election of indigenous president Evo Morales in Bolivia, the United States backed a coup that successfully forced him out of power. The coup regime reversed many of the gains made under Morales and waged violent and austerity policies against the people. A new presidential election was held this past weekend largely because of massive popular mobilizations over the summer that demanded them. I speak with Camila Escalante of Telesur English and Kawsachun News about the coup, the protests and the recent election.

_____ (2020-10-20). Bolivia Shows Why Imperialists Work To Keep Populations Propagandized. strategic-culture.org Bolivia has reversed the US-backed coup which saw its leftist president Evo Morales ousted from the lithium-rich nation after a landslide victory last year. Another landslide victory for a previous member of Morales' cabinet named Luis Arce has restored power to the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party after a year of rule by the coup regime.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-20). Participants of the Minga continue to wait for a meeting with Colombian President Iván Duque. peoplesdispatch.org The organizations of the Social Minga are demanding protection for social leaders, right to defend their land, right to democracy and the construction of peace in the country…

Staff (2020-10-20). The eviction crisis is making surviving the pandemic harder. Here's how we fight back. therealnews.com Evictions are happening all across the United States, and COVID-19 has only made it worse. We look at the data surrounding evictions and what people are doing to solve this crisis. We also talk about the recent Bolivian elections.

RT (2020-10-20). Horror tackle: Brazilian footballer left with blood-soaked shorts after suffering gruesome testicle injury (VIDEO). rt.com Flamengo defender Gustavo Henrique was on the receiving end of a nightmare injury on Sunday after an injury to his testicles left him bleeding through his shorts. | The center-back was After he began bleeding, the 27-year-old was ordered off the pitch by the referee so he could change into fresh shorts. | Traumatismo en el testículo. | Ese es el diagnóstico de Gustavo Henrique, defensor del Flamengo, qu…

Editor (2020-10-20). Bolivia Resoundingly Chooses Socialism in Wake of Military Coup. scheerpost.com OECD Development Centre / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams Following socialist candidate Luis Arce's resounding victory in Bolivia's high-stakes and closely watched presidential election, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday applauded the people of the South American nation for persisting in their "difficult, year-long fight to restore democracy" in the wake of last year's military… |

WSWS (2020-10-20). Coup regime in Bolivia concedes electoral victory to MAS. wsws.org The ruling class sees a MAS administration as necessary to politically disarm growing workers' struggles against its devastating response to the coronavirus pandemic.

WSWS (2020-10-20). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Health care sector worker in Buenos Aires, Argentina march to the city government offices to press demands for nurses to attain permanent professional status, emergency raises and additional staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-20). Zarif felicitates victory of Bolivia against US conspiracies. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister congratulated the Bolivian people on their victory against US conspiracies on Tuesday.

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-10-20). 'A Source of Inspiration' for Egalitarians Everywhere: Progressive International Celebrates Triumph of Democracy in Bolivia. commondreams.org "Bolivia's election not only showed the world how to defeat authoritarianism and its imperialist allies. It also revealed the power of international solidarity to defend democracy around the world." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolivia_victory.jpg

Susan Price (2020-10-20). From Rebel Teas to marching bands: A year of protest culture in Chile. greenleft.org.au October 18 marked one year of mass protests for systemic change in Chile, and one year of brutal repression, writes Sandra Cuffe. It has also been a year filled with a resurgence of protest art and music, neighbourhood organising, feminist influences, city-specific forms of protest, local experiments in direct democracy, and mutual aid.

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.

teleSUR (2020-10-19). Colombia: Duque Still Not Responding to Social Minga's Request. telesurenglish.net Colombia's President Ivan Duque has not yet confirmed whether he will meet with representatives of the Indigenous Minga, which arrived in Bogota on Sunday. | RELATED: | Duque assured that he does not rule out the possibility of dialogue with the social movement, which began its journey to the capital on October 14. However, he still does not define the date or place of the meeting. | "No one has to make ultimatum…

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 …

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.

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.

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…