Daily Archives: December 12, 2020

2020-12-12: News Headlines

_____ (2020-12-12). Foreign Minister Arreaza To US 'Ambassador'. popularresistance.org Venezuela scoffed at the presentation of credentials by the person in charge of the US "virtual embassy" in Colombia, pointing out that his office in Caracas awaits him. | James Story, assigned as the supposed US ambassador to Venezuela, delivered his credentials to the fugitive Venezuelan opposition politician Julio Borges, "envoy" of the self-proclaimed president of Venezuela, coup leader Juan Guaidó, on Monday in Bogotá, the Colombian capital, reflecting the White House's commitment to the opposition and to regime change in Venezuela.

Paul Haeder (2020-12-12). Chilean Embraces Environmental Ethos on Oregon Coast. dissidentvoice.org Before heading over to interview this subject, I was thinking of a possible epigraph for the piece. One from a Chilean: Discovery is not seeing what there is (that is impossible at any level), but rather allowing oneself to converge towards a continually freshly-created reality. ‚Äï Chilean economist, Manfred Max-Neef, From the Outside Looking In: Experiences …

Amy Booth (2020-12-12). [World Report] Bolivia's new health minister promises universal health care. thelancet.com Once implemented, the system will guarantee free health care to Bolivians, but critics say more funding is needed. Amy Booth reports.

reenvia Red Latina sin fronteras (2020-12-12). Argentina: Acciones Plurinacionales en Defensa de la Vida. indybay.org Argentina | Del 8 al 13 de diciembre | SEMANA DE ACCIONES PLURINACIONALES EN DEFENSA DE LA VIDA…

Ralph Nader (2020-12-11). Go Vote Yourself a Raise, Georgia — You've Long Earned It. counterpunch.org All political eyes are on Georgia's runoff election on January 5th, 2021. Two Senate seats are up for grabs and will decide whether the evil Trumpster and corporatist Senator Mitch McConnell stays in total control of the U.S. Senate or not. If the Democrats win both seats, the Senate would be split, 50-50. Vice President

Ricardo Vaz (2020-12-11). Former Presidential Candidate Capriles Calls on US to End 'Interim Presidency'. venezuelanalysis.com Capriles claimed that currently "the opposition has no leadership."

Alan MacLeod (2020-12-11). U.S. media, pols rage after Venezuelans defy U.S. empire to re-elect socialists. mronline.org Despite the fact that the election was overseen by 1,500 international observers, U.S. pols and media pundits alike labeled it a sham before it even took place.

Vijay Prashad (2020-12-11). We don't listen to the dying Government of Donald Trump. mronline.org The night before the National Assembly elections in Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro spoke to a group of visitors at Miraflores Palace in Caracas.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-11). Argentine Chamber of Deputies approves abortion bill. peoplesdispatch.org The Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Argentina approved the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy (IVE) bill on the morning of December 11. After debating for over 20 hours, with 131 votes in favor, 117 votes against, and 6 abstentions, the lower house of the parliament endorsed the bill that decriminalizes abortion in Argentina. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for discussion and eventual approval. | The historic news was celebrated across the Latin American country. Hundreds of thousands of people, especially women, feminists and LGBTQ people who have been on the streets for the past couple o…

Associated Press (2020-12-11). Delaware-sized iceberg floats toward South Georgia, puts wildlife at risk. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

Albert Bender (2020-12-11). Bolivia feeds its hungry while Republicans let Americans starve. peoplesworld.org It is a tale of two countries regarding how Bolivia and the United States treat their people. On the one hand, there is Bolivia, a country that has embraced socialism, has overwhelmingly elected a progressive, anti-imperialist president, Luis Arce, and a country that has just initiated a program of "Bonuses Against Hunger" to provide relief …

José Carlos Ruy (2020-12-11). Brazilian poet diplomat Vinícius de Moraes and 'The Worker in Construction'. peoplesworld.org The year 2020 marked 40 years of farewell to the poet Vinícius de Moraes. He left the coexistence on July 9, 1980. Vinícius was known as the "poetinha"—the little poet—a nickname he earned from Antà¥nio Carlos (Tom) Jobim, his frequent collaborator in the bossa nova movement. His most famous lyric was the one he wrote …

Peter Boyle (2020-12-11). Venezuela: Socialist election win masks deeper problems. greenleft.org.au The United Socialist Party of Venezuela's strategy has paid off, winning back control of the National Assembly in the December 6 elections. But it has come at a high price, writes Federico Fuentes.

David Rosnick (2020-12-11). What Criticisms of Bolivia's 2019 Elections Continue to Get Wrong. counterpunch.org On October 20, 2019, Bolivia held a presidential election. The official count would show incumbent Evo Morales with a first-round victory with 47 percent of the valid vote — more than 10 percentage points ahead of the runner-up, former president Carlos Mesa. However, Morales was not able to finish his term in office — let

Mnar Muhawesh Adley (2020-12-11). Podcast Panel: US Meddling In Venezuela Elections, Economic Warfare & COVID-19. mintpressnews.com Observed by 1,500 international election observers from 34 countries, elections in Venezuela handed Nicholas Maduro a clear victory, sending a message to the US that it failed to influence the same elections that Mike Pompeo called illegitimate.

teleSUR (2020-12-11). Bolivia: Lower Chamber Passes a Bill Taxing Large Fortunes. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Lower Chamber Thursday approved a bill that seeks to establish a tax on large fortunes in order to support social programs. | RELATED: | The tax will be applied to citizens who have fortunes exceeding US$4.3 million. Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) lawmaker Omar Yujra noted that it will reach around 150 citizens who currently have those fortunes. | Also, a quota of US$86,200 will be applied to fortunes between US$5.7 million…

Yanis Iqbal (2020-12-11). Cracks Appear in Peru's Neoliberal Agriculture. dissidentvoice.org Farm workers in various regions of Peru- such as Ica, Viru La Libertad and Piurahad — went on a strike in the first week of December, 2020, blocking the strategic Pan-American motorway to demand wage increases, basic social security benefits and the repeal of the decades-old Agrarian Promotion Law, enacted in 2000, as a mechanism …

Leonardo Flores (2020-12-10). Low Turnout, but Free, Elections in Venezuela Are a Blow To Regime Change. mintpressnews.com After four years of sanctions, sabotaged industries, attempted coups, an assassination by drone attempt, a mercenary incursion and paramilitary attacks, among others, Venezuela managed to survive the Trump administration's maximum pressure.

RT (2020-12-10). President FIRST to be vaxxed: Argentina signs deal for 10 million doses of Russia's pioneering 'Sputnik V' anti-Covid vaccine. rt.com Argentina is the latest country to order a large batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to tackle the coronavirus. Buenos Aires is getting 10 million doses of the drug after signing a contract with Russian Direct Investment Fund. | RDIF, which finances the development of Sputnik V, announced the deal on Thursday. The vaccine for Argentina is going to be produced by the fund's international partners in India, China, South Korea and other countries. | The contract would allow the South American nation, which has seen some 1,480,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 40,000 deaths, to "secure a diversified portfolio of va…

Orinoco Tribune (2020-12-10). Evo Morales: In Venezuela there was a Democratic 'Fiesta' on December 6. mronline.org "There is peace, tranquility and yesterday there was a great democratic 'fiesta'," the former president of Bolivia and international observer of Venezuela's elections, Evo Morales, emphasized this Monday.

news.un (2020-12-10). $1.44 billion plan to respond to Venezuela refugee and migrant needs. news.un.org In a $1.4 billion appeal launched on Thursday, the UN migration organization IOM and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned that the pandemic has strained the capacity of Latin American and Caribbean countries to look after Venezuelan nationals.

WSWS (2020-12-10). Anti-Chinese campaign casts doubt over vaccinations as second COVID-19 wave batters Brazil. wsws.org Bolsonaro has repeatedly railed against the CoronaVac vaccine being produced in the country in cooperation with a Chinese company, as several regions are approaching a healthcare system collapse.

Cira Pascual Marquina (2020-12-10). Two Chavista Blocs, Two Voices: Venezuelan Parliamentary Candidates Speak. zcomm.org On Sunday Venezuelans will choose their new National Assembly and they have many options…

Fight Back (2020-12-10). Colombia closes airspace to international observers to Venezuela elections. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – 60 international observers of the Venezuelan election were stuck at the airport December 8, for a flight to Mexico. The flight kept getting delayed and delayed. After six hours of waiting, people were sleeping on the floors, tables and couches. Then the head of Conviasa's national flights spoke to the observers in the airport and said that Venezuela asked Colombia permission to have observers fly over Colombia to return home. Colombia approved it. Two hours before the flight was going to leave, they denied the flight route. He said, "This has happened many times. They do this to try to contro…

Eds. (2020-12-09). Venezuela's PSUV retakes control of National Assembly despite low turnout. mronline.org With 99 percent of the votes counted, the PSUV has won 68 percent with a 30.5 percent participation rate.

A Guest Author (2020-12-09). Embassy Protection Collective will help monitor Venezuelan elections. workers.org By Jose Szepara On Dec. 6, Venezuelans will turn out to vote in the country's National Assembly elections, and the world waits with bated breath as observers from all over the world wait for the final results. Election monitoring groups have made their way to Venezuela to act as impartial . . . |

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-09). Iran ready to strengthen economic ties with Bolivia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 10 (MNA) — The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic to La Paz voiced Iran's readiness to expand cooperation with Bolivia in the field of production.

2020-12-12: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Foreign Minister Arreaza To US 'Ambassador'
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-12
Venezuela scoffed at the presentation of credentials by the person in charge of the US "virtual embassy" in Colombia, pointing out that his office in Caracas awaits him. | James Story, assigned as the supposed US ambassador to Venezuela, delivered his credentials to the fugitive Venezuelan opposition politician Julio Borges, "envoy" of the self-proclaimed president of Venezuela, coup leader Juan Guaidó, on Monday in Bogotá, the Colombian capital, reflecting the White House's commitment to the opposition and to regime change in Venezuela.
popularresistance.org/foreign-minister-arreaza-to-us-ambassador-your-office-in-caracas-awaits-you/

[World Report] Bolivia's new health minister promises universal health care
Amy Booth | thelancet.com | 2020-12-12
Once implemented, the system will guarantee free health care to Bolivians, but critics say more funding is needed. Amy Booth reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32664-7/fulltext?rss=yes

Argentina: Acciones Plurinacionales en Defensa de la Vida
reenvia Red Latina sin fronteras | indybay.org | 2020-12-12
Argentina | Del 8 al 13 de diciembre | SEMANA DE ACCIONES PLURINACIONALES EN DEFENSA DE LA VIDA…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/12/10/18838901.php

OAS's New Attempt To Interfere In Venezuela Rejected
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-12
On Wednesday, the representatives of Argentina, Mexico, and Bolivia to the Organization of American States (OAS) rejected a new resolution that disregards Venezuela's Sunday elections and calls for a transitional government. | The representatives condemned the new attempts of destabilization against Venezuela, noting the belligerent strategy promoted by the OAS resolution that claimed the elections did not observe International Law's guarantees. | Argentina's ambassador to the OAS Carlos Raimundi rejected both the calls to not recognize the elections' results and the imposition of conditions to the Venezuelan gov…
popularresistance.org/oass-new-attempt-to-interfere-in-venezuela-rejected/

Chilean Embraces Environmental Ethos on Oregon Coast
Paul Haeder | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-12
Before heading over to interview this subject, I was thinking of a possible epigraph for the piece. One from a Chilean: Discovery is not seeing what there is (that is impossible at any level), but rather allowing oneself to converge towards a continually freshly-created reality. ‚Äï Chilean economist, Manfred Max-Neef, From the Outside Looking In: Experiences …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/chilean-embraces-environmental-ethos-on-oregon-coast/

We don't listen to the dying Government of Donald Trump
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-12-11
The night before the National Assembly elections in Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro spoke to a group of visitors at Miraflores Palace in Caracas.
mronline.org/2020/12/11/we-dont-listen-to-the-dying-government-of-donald-trump/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=we-dont-listen-to-the-dying-government-of-donald-trump

Even the opposition believes Venezuela's election was legitimate
Vijay Prashad | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-11
Vijay Prashad spoke to leaders of five major opposition parties in Venezuela that participated in the elections on December 6 and rejected the boycott of the process promoted by US-backed Juan Guaidó.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/11/even-the-opposition-believes-venezuelas-election-was-legitimate/

Free Elections In Venezuela Are A Blow To Regime Change
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-11
Venezuela held legislative elections on December 6 and, as has become the norm, the U.S. and sectors of the opposition that boycotted the election are claiming fraud without presenting evidence. The coalition of parties supporting President Maduro won 68% of the vote and a supermajority in the National Assembly. All the evidence suggests the elections were free and fair. However, turnout was only 31%, a participation rate that was hampered by a partial opposition boycott of the election. | This call to abstain was made by Juan Guaidó and his allies, but a different faction of the opposition participated fully.
popularresistance.org/free-elections-in-venezuela-are-a-blow-to-regime-change/

Go Vote Yourself a Raise, Georgia — You've Long Earned It
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-11
All political eyes are on Georgia's runoff election on January 5th, 2021. Two Senate seats are up for grabs and will decide whether the evil Trumpster and corporatist Senator Mitch McConnell stays in total control of the U.S. Senate or not. If the Democrats win both seats, the Senate would be split, 50-50. Vice President…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/11/go-vote-yourself-a-raise-georgia-youve-long-earned-it/

PDF of December 10 issue
Workers World Party | workers.org | 2020-12-11
Download the 12-page PDF. Capitalist COVID catastrophe FIGHT or DIE! Message from Peltier; Reparations now! Justice for Breonna denied again; Disability rights; Workers demand justice; DEA surveillance; Editorial: New president — same wars; Commentary: Becoming a cadre; GLOBAL: China: global vaccines, science; India: worker & farmer uprising; Cuba; France; Palestine; Venezuela. . . . | Continue reading PDF of December 10 issue at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53165/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pdf-of-december-10-issue

What Criticisms of Bolivia's 2019 Elections Continue to Get Wrong
David Rosnick | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-11
On October 20, 2019, Bolivia held a presidential election. The official count would show incumbent Evo Morales with a first-round victory with 47 percent of the valid vote — more than 10 percentage points ahead of the runner-up, former president Carlos Mesa. However, Morales was not able to finish his term in office — let…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/11/what-criticisms-of-bolivias-2019-elections-continue-to-get-wrong/

U.S. media, pols rage after Venezuelans defy U.S. empire to re-elect socialists
Alan MacLeod | mronline.org | 2020-12-11
Despite the fact that the election was overseen by 1,500 international observers, U.S. pols and media pundits alike labeled it a sham before it even took place.
mronline.org/2020/12/11/u-s-media-pols-rage-after-venezuelans-defy-u-s-empire-to-re-elect-socialists/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=u-s-media-pols-rage-after-venezuelans-defy-u-s-empire-to-re-elect-socialists

On International Human Rights Day, Chileans demand release of political prisoners
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-11