(2020-12-30). Fingers Point to US-Backed Gov't in Colombia's Ninetieth Massacre of the Year. mintpressnews.com 
"The Trump administration waged a full scale campaign to undermine Colombia's peace accords. We must not waste our time hoping the Biden administration might reverse course, we must demand it." — James Jordan, Alliance for Global Justice…
(2020-12-30). An exclusive look inside Iran's supermarket in Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil visits Megasis, an Iranian supermarket which recently opened in Caracas, Venezuela, and explores cooperation between Tehran and Caracas against the US economic blockade. The Grayzone's Anya Parampil provides an exclusive look inside a superstore which the US government and corporate media have condemned and attempted to link to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. She also speaks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza about how increased cooperation between Tehran and Caracas is improving the material …
(2020-12-30). Argentina 2nd to approve Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, as EU expected to soon follow suit. rt.com 
The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca was approved by Argentina on Wednesday, the second nation to greenlight the jab after the UK. | The vaccine has been awarded emergency use authorization for one year, It added that access to the jab will only be permitted by prescri…
(2020-12-30). Bolivia signs contract to purchase 2.6mn doses of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
Bolivia has become the third Latin American nation to strike an agreement with Russia's Direct Investment Fund for supplies of its Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19. Under the deal, Bolivia will receive 2.6 million doses. | The contract between the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Bolivia's Health Supply Center (CEASS) was signed during a videoconference, which was also attended by Bolivian President Luis Arce. | The president praised Sputnik V in a Twitter
(2020-12-30). Coronavirus vaccination gets under way in Argentina. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- Health care workers were at the head of the line Tuesday as Argentina began Covid-19 vaccination using Sputnik V, developed by Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute, amid concerns about a second wave of infections in the South American country that has already lost nearly 43,000 lives to Covid-19. "It is a …
(2020-12-30). Abortion legalization marks historic win for feminist movements in Argentina. peoplesdispatch.org Thousands who had gathered in front of the Argentine Congress erupted in mass celebrations as the Senate voted in favor of the Bill approving the voluntary termination of pregnancy…
(2020-12-30). Brazil: Bolsonaro's Remarks Targeting Rousseff Spark Critics. telesurenglish.net Brazil's former President Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016) on Tuesday condemned spiteful comments made by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro who discarded acts of torture committed against her during the dictatorship's rule (1964-1985). | RELATED: | Previously, through a video posted on social networks, Bolsonaro cast doubts on acts of torture committed against Rousseff during her years of imprisonment and requested an X-ray sho…
(2020-12-30). Argentina Passes Bill to Legalize Abortion. truthout.org Thousands of women gathered in Buenos Aires erupted with joy early Wednesday after Argentina's Senate voted to approve legislation that would legalize abortion, the culmination of a The bill permitting elective abortions up to the 14th week of a pregnancy passed by a vote of 38 to 29, and President Alb…
(2020-12-30). Brazilian graffiti phenom Thales Pomb inspired by Goya, the color blue. laprensalatina.com By Antonio Torres del Cerro Sao Paulo, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- He paints a 35-meter (115-foot) mural with the same care he gives to an oil portrait. The color blue inspires him, and the work of Spain's Francisco Goya is in the forefront of his artistic references. His name is Thales Fernando "Pomb," he's 31 and …
(2020-12-30). Argentina waiting tensely to learn if Senate approves abortion law. laprensalatina.com By Rodrigo Garcia Buenos Aires, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- Argentines are waiting with bated breath in the coming hours to find out whether the Senate approves a bill legalizing abortion up until the 14th week of pregnancy, which although it is being supported by the government is sparking differences between government backers and the political opposition, …
(2020-12-29). Argentina Kicks off COVID-19 National Vaccination Campaign. telesurenglish.net Argentina's COVID-19 vaccination campaign began on Monday, following a national operation to distribute 300,000 doses of the Russian vaccine across the country. | RELATED: | Subnational governments offered details on the vaccination plan in each district. In Buenos Aires, the Sputnik V vaccine will be applied to health personnel at 110 hospitals in 89 municipalities. | "After so many months of the pandemic, we…
(2020-12-29). Recidivist Criminal and Constitutional Outlaw Trump Rushes to Pardon Criminal Lawbreakers. counterpunch.org 
Serial lawbreaker Donald J. Trump is embarking on the most sordid presidential pardon spree in American history. He has already pardoned convicted crooks, thieves, and violent outlaws. Trump's pardon lawyers are frantically assembling more MAGA besotted individuals and groups to be pardoned wholesale. The number may climb into the hundreds. The queue is long. Trump
(2020-12-29). Uruguay: Circus Artists Demand Work Amid New COVID-19 Measures. telesurenglish.net Dozens of Uruguayan circus companies demanded jobs during the summer period, after President Luis Lacalle's administration prevented them from performing due to the new anti-COVID-19 measures. | RELATED: | "Summer is the time of greatest demand for the sector. We claim our right to work," the artists stated as they called "extremist and unilateral" the new health policies. | In a statement released through social networks, th…
(2020-12-29). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Air traffic controllers in Peru held a three-day strike over the Christmas holiday to protest lack of COVID protection, while Ecuador police attacked workers occupying the Explocen mining explosives plant south of Quito.
(2020-12-29). Argentina starts nationwide COVID-19 vaccinations. peoplesdispatch.org On December 24, the South American nation received the first 300,000 doses out of a total order of over 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. In the first round it has prioritized the health workers for the administration of the vaccine.
(2020-12-29). Argentina prepares to roll out Sputnik Covid-19 vaccine. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Dec 28 (efe-epa).- Argentina mobilized Monday to distribute 300,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to hospitals in each of the 34 provinces amid concerns about a second wave of infections in the South American country that has already lost nearly 43,000 lives to Covid-19. The operation was on track "to initiate …
(2020-12-29). 'Laboratories Should Rush To Sell Vaccines' Bolsonaro Says. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Bolsonaro downplayed the absence of a mass vaccination plan and blamed COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers for not approaching the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to offer their products. | RELATED: | "Brazil has 210 million inhabitants. It is a huge consumer market. Laboratories are the ones that should be interested in selling the vaccine. Why then don't they present the documentatio…
(2020-12-29). Argentina launches Covid-19 immunization campaign using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. rt.com 
Argentina has launched a nationwide campaign to vaccinate the public against Covid-19, deploying 300,000 doses of Russia's pioneering Sputnik V vaccine. Medics are the primary recipients. | The first shipment of the vaccine arrived in Argentina last Thursday. On Tuesday, it commenced vaccinations in 23 provinces and in the city of Buenos Aires, local media reported. Most of the doses are meant for frontline workers — doctors and nurses working with Covid-19 patients in hospitals. Dr. Francisco Traverso, who works at the Posadas Hospital in the capital was the first to get the vaccine to the applause of hi…
(2020-12-29). When Bolivians defeated US imperialism with democracy. peoplesdispatch.org 
[Peoples Dispatch brings you a series of articles and videos on 2020, a momentous year that saw humanity face unprecedented challenges. The beacon of hope remained the historic resistance mounted by people's movements, and the care and solidarity they epitomized, proving yet again that our collective struggles alone can dismantle and end oppression] | As 2019 ended, Bolivia faced the grim reality of life under a US-backed coup d'état, the advances of over a decade under threat. However, within a year, with their firm conviction and tireless resistance, millions of Bolivians defeated imperialism with democracy in…
(2020-12-29). Russia's FSB dismantles international drug smuggling ring, seizes $13.6 million worth of drugs in joint operation with US (VIDEO). rt.com 
In a rare collaborative effort, elite Russian and American law enforcement officials have busted a transnational criminal gang smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe, seizing 330 kilograms of the illegal drug. | The drug smuggling chain was busted as a result of a "months-long multi-stage international operation," Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the first members of the gang were detained as early as in May. The operation was conducted together with the US Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS). | "In close cooperation with in…
(2020-12-29). Russia's FSB dismantles international drug smuggling ring, seizes $13.6mn worth of drugs in joint operation with US (VIDEO). rt.com In a rare collaborative effort, Russian and American law enforcement officials have busted a transnational criminal gang smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe, seizing 330 kilograms of the drug. | The drug smuggling chain was busted as a result of a "months-long multi-stage international operation," Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the first members of the gang were detained as early as in May. The operation was conducted together with the US Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS). | "In close cooperation with international pa…
(2020-12-29). Peru: Keiko Fujimori To Take Part in the Presidential Election. telesurenglish.net Peru's Superior Court ruled out a request by the Prosecutor's Office to disqualify the right-wing party Popular Force (FP) led by Keiko Fujimori for alleged illegal contributions received from the Brazilian company Odebrecht. | RELATED: | Judge Victor Zuñiga took the decision whi…
(2020-12-29). Chile Experienced an Increase in Femicides in 2020. telesurenglish.net Chile's Network for No Violence Against Women (CN) warned of the increase of femicides tallies in the country, reporting 56 cases so far this year. | RELATED: | The CN highlighted that current femicide figures are higher than those recorded in 2019 when 45 assassinations were reported. The crimes were committed in 14 of the country's 16 regions. | Most of the victims were between 24 and 30 years old, while 65 perc…
(2020-12-29). Bolivia's Govt Grants 20% of the Budget to Health and Education. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's President Luis Arce on Monday enacted three laws that will allocate 20 percent of the 2021 budget to the health and education sectors. | RELATED: | "We are focused on achieving greater social justice after the recession left by the coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez. Everything is pointing to an economy with better indicators in 2021," Arce said. | On Monday, the government promoted the General State Budget Laws (PGE) 2021, the Gre…
(2020-12-29). Colombia: Workers Unions Reject Minimum Wage Increase for 2021. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Workers Central Union (CUT) on Tuesday rejected the 2021 minimum wage increase set at 3.5 percent and called it "humiliating." | RELATED: | "To tell a worker that they increased US$0.29 a day is a humiliation…is a humiliating increase in the minimum wage compared to the 5.2 percent in congressmen's wage," CUT President Diogenes Orjuela said. | Including a transportation subsidy, the monthly minimum wage will shift from US…
(2020-12-29). Argentineans to Hold Vigil in Support of Safe Abortion Bill. telesurenglish.net Argentina's feminist movements Tuesday called for a vigil in front of Congress to accompany the Senate vote on the Safe Abortion bill. | RELATED: | The vote, which will begin on Tuesday afternoon and end on Wednesday morning, will also be accompanied by anti-abortion demonstrations. | The square in front of the Congress will be divided with a fence. The left side will be set for women's rights activists, while the right si…
(2020-12-29). Venezuela Signs Agreement for Mass Vaccination With Sputnik V. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Venezuela signed a contract with Russia to begin mass vaccination of its citizens with the Sputnik V vaccine. | RELATED: | "In the first stage of the coronavirus vaccination campaign, 10 million people will get the Russian medicine," Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said, although she did not inform about the start date of the campaign. | Health Minister Carlos Alvarado, Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arre…
(2020-12-29). Anti-abortion groups march in Argentina ahead of senate vote. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Dec 28 (efe-epa).- Hundreds of anti-abortion demonstrators gathered on Monday at Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires to protest against a bill to legalize abortion. Senate lawmakers will debate and vote on the bill on Tuesday. Standing on a platform a few meters from the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, the demonstrators asked the …
(2020-12-29). Diego Costa pens early end to Atlético Madrid contract. laprensalatina.com Madrid, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- Diego Costa has ended his contract with Atlético Madrid six months after expressing his desire to leave for personal reasons, the club confirmed Tuesday. The Spanish-Brazilian striker, who plays for Spain, has officially been an Atlético player in three stints spanning 2007-2020. In that time he also plied his trade with …
(2020-12-28). Bolivia: Cochabamba Farmers Request a Lawsuit Against Añez. telesurenglish.net The Six Federations of the Cochabamba Tropics (CTF) held an assembly to demand justice for the victims of the Sacaba and Senkata massacres, which were committed by the coup-born government led by Jeanine Añez in 2019. | RELATED: | Chaired by the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) leader Evo Morales, the CTF requested the activation of a lawsuit against Añez and other officials for crimes against humanity, including…
(2020-12-28). UN Rapporteur To Analyze Impacts of US Sanctions on Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Following an invitation of President Nicolas Maduro's administration, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, will undertake an official visit to country in February 2021. | RELATED: | The Special Rapporteur and her team will collect information and hold a series of meetings with Government authorities, social organizations, private sector,…
(2020-12-28). Nicolas Maduro Highlights Army's Role During A Historic Year. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro congratulated on Monday the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) for helping to keep the country at "peace, alive, active, standing, in victory for unity, for territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and civic-military resistance." | RELATED: | Maduro said that the FANB has become into "a well-established Bolivarian National Armed Forces, stronger and more united than ever," as its men and wom…
(2020-12-28). 249 Peace Signatories Killed in Colombia Since 2016. telesurenglish.net The number of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) combatants who have been killed in Colombia climbed to 249, following the assassination of two of its members over the weekend. | RELATED: | The Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC) party on Sunday denounced the deaths of Manuel Alonso, who was supporting rural workers and Indigenous leaders after his demobilization in the Cauca department. | It was also re…
(2020-12-28). Argentina To Start National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign. telesurenglish.net Argentina will begin its national COVID-19 vaccination campaign on December 29 as local governments and hospitals already received the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. | RELATED: | The authorities reported that the vaccination will take place as of 9: 00 AM local time simultaneously in all provinces as each city has received a part of the first shipment with 300,000 doses. | Nonetheless, the Minister of Health Ginés Go…
(2020-12-28). European travel insurers warn jab will be required to book trips if EU adopts Covid-19 vaccine mandate. rt.com 
Several European travel insurance companies say the Covid-19 vaccine will become mandatory to book a trip, should the EU adopt the requirement — a vow that has unsettled those who haven't made up their mind about taking a jab. | While vaccination is not currently needed to purchase a travel insurance policy for visiting Europe, it will become mandatory if the EU opts to require the Covid-19 jab for incoming visitors, Elvio Chilelli, a representative from EU insurer Europ Assistance, told visa news outlet SchengenVisaInfo last week. | Europ Assistance would be far from the only travel insurer to require c…
(2020-12-28). Chile: President Piñera Signs a Bill To Tackle Organized Crime. telesurenglish.net Chile's President Sebastian Piñera Sunday signed a bill aimed at strengthening police forces and the judicial system's works on fighting organized crime. | RELATED: | The bill replaces the "Illicit Association" crime with two new legal figures: the "Association to Commit a Crime" and the "Criminal Association." | "The 'association to commit a crime' will punish those who organize to commit a simple crime with penalties of up t…
(2020-12-28). Cousin of Argentinean Girls Killed by Paraguayan Army Is Missing. telesurenglish.net Myriam Villalba, mother of one of the Argentine girls killed by the Paraguayan army, reported the disappearance of her 14-year-old niece, Carmen Oviedo. | RELATED: | "The infanticide and terrorist government of President Mario Abdo is responsible for Carmen's disappearance," Villalba said and blamed it for the murder of the girls Lilian and Maria, killed last September. | "Abdo has covered up his army's violent actions…
(2020-12-28). Over 200 Venezuelans Have Returned Home From Chile. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Ministry reported on Monday that over 200 citizens returned to the country on a flight from Chile as part of the Return to the Homeland Plan. | RELATED: | According to Venezuelan authorities, 216 Venezuelans arrived Monday to the Maiquetía International Airport in the Northern state of La Guaira. Moreover, another 120 returned from Argentina on Sunday night. The Foreign Ministry detailed that these Ven…
(2020-12-28). US Blockade Prevents Venezuela From Funding COVAX. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Health Minister Carlos Alvarado on Sunday said that the economic blockade imposed by the United States is preventing his country from funding the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). | RELATED: | He recalled that his country offered to place US$18 million into the COVAX fund, but as a result of the U.S. blockade, Venezuela has not "been able to free those resources to pay…
(2020-12-28). Peruvians Call New Agrarian Law a Mockery Against Working Class. telesurenglish.net Peruvian workers Sunday called the new agricultural bill, which is to be approved by the Congress next week, a mockery against the working class. | RELATED: | The new norm, endorsed by Peruvian Congress' Economics Committee on Sunday, assigns farmers the official minimum wage and a 20 percent bonus. This salary represents a lower monthly income than they previously had. | "The text is an insult to the sector's work…
(2020-12-28). Alex Saab Case: 'One Of The Most Egregious Examples Of Jurisdictional Overreach'. popularresistance.org Baltasar Garzón, former Spanish judge who is the defense attorney for Venezuelan diplomatic envoy àÅlex Saab, reiterated during an interview with the Colombian newspaper El Espectador that his client is a special envoy of the Government of Venezuela who works as a diplomatic agent for commercial and trade purposes, and that he was illegally detained by the Cape Verdean authorities in a process that violated international law in addition to violating his rights that are inherent to diplomatic immunity established in global laws. | The interview was offered by Garzón on the occasion of completion of 6 months…
(2020-12-28). Young Champions of the Earth: Peru's elemental innovator. news.un.org A Peruvian biologist and inventor who is turning wind into water has been named as a winner of an annual UN environmental award.
(2020-12-27). Washington's favorite Venezuelan opposition leader exposes links with Colombian paramilitary and narco networks. thegrayzone.com While the US and its allies glorify Leopoldo López as a new MLK, the US-backed Venezuelan opposition collaborates with Colombia's narco-affiliated, death squad-sponsoring former President àÅlvaro Uribe. According to Western corporate media outlets and human rights groups, Venezuela's far-right opposition leader Leopoldo López is a hallowed saint. The New York Times glorified López as the would-be "savior" of Venezuela, akin to none other than Martin Luther King Jr., while Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have dubbed him a noble …
(2020-12-27). Washington's favorite Venezuelan opposition leader exposes links to Colombian paramilitary and narco networks. thegrayzone.com While the US government and media glorify Leopoldo López as a new MLK, the Venezuelan opposition leader collaborates with Colombia's narco-affiliated, death squad-sponsoring former President àÅlvaro Uribe and his protegé Iván Duque. According to Western corporate media outlets and human rights groups, Venezuela's far-right opposition leader Leopoldo López is a hallowed saint. The New York Times glorified López as the would-be "savior" of Venezuela, akin to none other than Martin Luther King Jr., while Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International …
(2020-12-27). Washington's favorite Venezuelan opposition leader exposes links to Colombian death squads and narco networks. thegrayzone.com While the US government and media glorify Leopoldo López as a new MLK, the Venezuelan opposition leader collaborates with Colombia's narco-affiliated, death squad-sponsoring former President àÅlvaro Uribe and his protegé Iván Duque. According to Western corporate media outlets and human rights groups, Venezuela's far-right opposition leader Leopoldo López is a hallowed saint. The New York Times glorified López as the would-be "savior" of Venezuela, akin to none other than Martin Luther King Jr., while Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International …
(2020-12-27). Venezuelans Repatriated from Argentina in Time for the New Year. telesurenglish.net 120 Venezuelans who were in Argentina boarded a flight to Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas this Sunday, and will be returned home as part of the Bolivarian government's Return to the Homeland Plan. | RELATED: | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its official Twitter account that the return of the nationals is being made possible through the program which supports Venezuelans who without t…
(2020-12-27). Multicultural Cooperation between BRICS Member States: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. globalresearch.ca In this interview, Alena Peryshkina, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum, Director of the AIDS Infoshare Foundation, Co-Chair of the BRICS and G20 CSOs Working Group, discusses some aspects of multicultural dimensions, especially the need to institutionalize cultural ties and …
(2020-12-27). Venezuela's State Airline: A Symbol of Sovereignty in 2020. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's state airline Conviasa transported 1,300,000 kilos of air cargo in 2020, flying distances as far as China and Russia to bring medical supplies and equipment for the public health system and other necessary items whose acquisition and transport are made complicated under the criminal US-led blockade. | RELATED: | In December alone, the airline repatriated hundreds of Venezuelans from around Latin Amer…
(2020-12-27). 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Coast of Chile, USGS Says. sputniknews.com There has been no further information concerning possible casualties or damage as a result of the earthquake. No tsunami warning has been issued.